The Five Pillars of Harmony
Symbiosis in Development
A systems-thinking approach to integrated sustainability, where every action ripples through object, network, and system levels — creating lasting change.
"Sustainability is a state of a complex, dynamic system. In this state, a system can continue to flourish resiliently, in harmony, without requiring inputs from outside its system boundaries."
Object Level
The immediate, tangible actions. A single story shared. A hand extended. A moment of recognition.
Direct impact you can see and touch
Network Level
The ripple effects through relationships. How one act of inclusion inspires three more. The life cycle of kindness.
Indirect effects that multiply through connection
System Level
The ultimate measure: does our world become more resilient, autonomous, and harmonious? This is where true sustainability lives.
R.A.H. — Resilience, Autonomy, Harmony
The Flow of Impact
SiD teaches us that system-level effects are orders of magnitude more impactful than object-level ones. This is why we track Harmony — to optimize for the deepest, most lasting positive change.
What Each Pillar Demands
These are not abstractions. They are calls to action. Here is what living each pillar looks like — the philosophy, the reality, and the path forward.
Power Balance
How do you help to improve power balance in the world?
The Philosophy
Power flows like water — when dammed and hoarded, it stagnates and corrupts. When distributed freely, it nourishes everything it touches. Power Balance asks us to examine the invisible architectures of influence in our world and work to reshape them.
The Reality
In a world where the richest 1% own more wealth than the bottom 50% combined, where decisions affecting billions are made by a handful, Power Balance is not abstract philosophy — it is survival. It is the child whose voice is heard in the classroom. It is the worker who shares in the profits they create. It is the community that governs itself.
Actions That Embody This Pillar
How Motus Tracks This
We measure Power Balance through indicators of distributed decision-making, equitable resource allocation, and the amplification of marginalized voices in positions of influence.
"A world where power is a river, not a reservoir — flowing to where it's needed, nourishing all."
Expression
How do you help people be heard and seen?
The Philosophy
Every human being carries within them a story that has never been told. Expression is the sacred act of bringing that story into the light — not just speaking, but being truly heard. It is the recognition that every voice adds a necessary note to humanity's symphony.
The Reality
We live in an age of infinite channels yet profound silence. Social media gives us platforms but steals our depth. Algorithms amplify outrage while authentic expression drowns. Expression asks: who is being heard? Whose stories shape our understanding of what's possible?
Actions That Embody This Pillar
How Motus Tracks This
We track Expression through the diversity of voices represented, the depth of stories shared, and the creation of spaces where authentic expression flourishes.
"A world where every person's story is heard, valued, and woven into our collective understanding."
Access
How important is teaching to you?
The Philosophy
Knowledge hoarded is knowledge wasted. Access recognizes that every barrier to learning — whether financial, geographic, linguistic, or social — is a theft from humanity's collective potential. The teacher who shares freely multiplies themselves infinitely.
The Reality
Education remains the single greatest predictor of life outcomes, yet access to quality learning is distributed by zip code and bank balance. Access asks us to dismantle the gates that guard knowledge and opportunity, to make the path clearer for those who come after us.
Actions That Embody This Pillar
How Motus Tracks This
We measure Access through knowledge shared, barriers removed, and the successful transmission of skills and opportunities to those who need them.
"A world where the accident of birth does not determine what you can learn or become."
Inclusion
How well do you work to engage and include?
The Philosophy
A table with empty chairs is incomplete. Inclusion is not charity — it is the recognition that our understanding is impoverished without every perspective. The room that excludes anyone excludes the truth that only they could bring.
The Reality
Exclusion is often invisible to those who belong. It lives in the joke that silences, the meeting time that excludes, the 'culture fit' that means 'like us.' Inclusion requires us to see these invisible barriers and dismantle them, to actively create belonging for those who have been kept outside.
Actions That Embody This Pillar
How Motus Tracks This
We track Inclusion through the diversity of participation, the presence of belonging across all groups, and the active removal of barriers to engagement.
"A world where every person finds their place at the table, their voice in the room."
Equity
How many people have you empowered out of poverty?
The Philosophy
Equality gives everyone the same shoes. Equity asks who needs shoes at all, and ensures everyone can walk. It recognizes that centuries of imbalance cannot be corrected by treating everyone the same — it requires intentional rebalancing to create genuine fairness.
The Reality
Poverty is not a character flaw but a policy choice. In a world that produces enough for everyone, scarcity is manufactured and maintained. Equity asks us to trace the systems that create and perpetuate poverty, and to rebuild them so that everyone can thrive.
Actions That Embody This Pillar
How Motus Tracks This
We measure Equity through economic mobility enabled, sustainable livelihoods created, and the narrowing of opportunity gaps across communities.
"A world where poverty is a memory, and everyone has what they need to thrive."
How Motus Documents Harmony
Every time you send Motus, you're not just supporting a creator — you're documenting an act of harmony and contributing to a living record of human goodness.
The Harmony Signal Flow
Read a Story
You encounter a story that moves you
Feel Resonance
The story aligns with your values
Send Motus + Pillar
Choose which pillar this story embodies
Select the Harmony pillar this story represents:
For the Creator
- Harmony score increases based on which pillars their work embodies
- Pillar-specific breakdown shows where their impact is strongest
- Historical tracking reveals growth in alignment over time
- Community validation of their contribution to collective harmony
For the Platform
- Aggregate Harmony data shows which pillars need more attention
- Trend analysis reveals shifts in collective values over time
- Geographic mapping shows regional harmony patterns
- Creates a documented record of humanity choosing good
Building the Archive of Human Goodness
Every Motus sent with a Harmony signal becomes part of an immutable record — proof that in this moment, a human chose to recognize and reward another human for making the world more balanced, more expressive, more accessible, more inclusive, or more equitable.
This is how we document hope. This is how we prove that humanity, given the chance, chooses harmony.
Harmony in Action
Real stories from our platform that embody each pillar. These are the humans who remind us what we're capable of.
The Pakayaku Women Warriors
45 women in Ecuador's Amazon actively patrol 40,000 hectares, preventing unsustainable extraction while preserving their culture and ecological knowledge.
They redistributed power from corporations to community, from extraction to stewardship.
Nick Vujicic's Voice
Born without limbs, Nick overcame suicidal thoughts to become a global speaker, founding Life Without Limbs and reaching millions with his message of hope.
He transformed his story of limitation into a megaphone for human potential.
Maryette McFarland at 90
70 years after starting her studies, Maryette graduated from the Open University with an English Literature degree at age 90, proving learning has no expiration.
She demonstrated that access to knowledge is a lifelong right, not a youth privilege.
Mary Johnson & Oshea Israel
Mary forgave Oshea, the man who murdered her son. After meeting him in prison, they became neighbors and now share their story to help others heal.
She included the unincludable, finding humanity in the one who took her son.
Mr. Bill's Village
When Bill Moczulewski, a legally blind janitor, walked 5 miles to work nightly, his community formed a 1,500-member Facebook group to give him rides. A dealer gifted him a car.
They ensured that disability didn't mean being left behind.
Begin Your Journey to Harmony
Create your profile. Share your story. Discover how you align with the five pillars and join a community dedicated to documenting humanity's capacity for good.
The Five Pillars of Harmony are inspired by the Symbiosis in Development (SiD) Framework
Learn more at ThinkSiD.org