The 21st Century will also be won on the battlefield of imaginaries – The Worldbuilding of Paul Elvere DELSART

I am a committed author who regularly publishes books and articles focused on societal transformation, social innovation, and sustainable development. My prolific and multilingual output aims to reach a broad audience and promote my EL4DEV program on an international scale.

I propose concrete societal transformations by stimulating the collective imagination. I create a cultural and intellectual halo and act as a catalyst for civic alternatives rather than as a traditional political actor. Traditionally, worldbuilding is the detailed construction of a fictional universe (history, geography, politics, languages, etc.), often used in literature, video games, or cinema.

But the term is increasingly used conceptually and transdisciplinarily to refer to the structured creation of a universe of meaning, whether for:

• artistic projects,

• political ideologies,

• social movements,

• or cultural ecosystems. Yes, I engage in worldbuilding - but in the real world. I build a transnational cultural, philosophical, and artistic universe that combines utopia, socially engaged art, and social innovation. It is not pure fiction, but rather a powerful narrative framework for acting in reality.

I create a complex and structured conceptual universe around several interconnected elements - a metanarrative.

I invent quasi-fictional concepts that integrate into real-life concrete projects.  

A – My action plan  

My action plan, which I also carry out under the name "Green Emperor of the East and the West" aka Henry Harper, is based on a transdisciplinary and profoundly reformative vision of society. My main initiative, the EL4DEV program, aims to transform current social, economic, and ecological structures by relying on principles of decentralized cooperation, social innovation, and environmental respect.

EL4DEV (Elvere for Development) is an international program that offers a new form of participatory governance. Rather than creating new institutions, I seek to integrate existing structures by mobilizing collective intelligence. My program aims to rebalance relationships between nations and peoples through intellectual and artistic cooperation, cultural promotion, and knowledge sharing. This concept, which I also call the EL4DEV Confederation, represents an organic societal superstructure. It is a global network of living infrastructures, such as the LE PAPILLON SOURCE complexes and Vegetal Calderas, capable of regenerating biodiversity, producing water in arid regions, and stabilizing regional climates. These infrastructures are designed as self-sufficient artificial ecosystems integrating soft geoengineering technologies.

LE PAPILLON SOURCE is an initiative I launched to create educational, experimental, and agroclimatic complexes. These centers serve as hubs for social innovation, research, and participatory education. They are designed to be platforms for cooperation between citizens, institutions, and territories, fostering local autonomy and community resilience. I propose a new form of diplomacy focused on cultural and intellectual exchanges rather than solely economic relations. The Societal Economic Interest Groups (GIES) I promote allow municipalities to pool their resources to fund joint projects, thereby strengthening their autonomy and international visibility. A unique approach in my action plan is the use of a Live-Action Role-Playing game (LARP) titled The Green Empire of the East and the West. This game invites participants to embody builders, diplomats, or philosophers, actively contributing to the construction of a new society. The game acts as a catalyst for civic engagement and the co-creation of innovative solutions to global challenges. For the 2025 presidential elections in Cameroon, I proposed to the Cameroonian people (with no political ambitions) an innovative societal model based on effective power decentralization, strengthened municipal autonomy, and the development of sustainable infrastructure. My plan includes creating LE PAPILLON SOURCE complexes and using digital platforms to model territorial dynamics, thus promoting inclusive and participatory governance. In summary, my action plan is an invitation to deeply rethink our world through cooperation, innovation, and respect for nature. I propose an ambitious societal transformation, incorporating innovative concepts to build a fairer, more sustainable, and harmonious civilization.  

B – My strategy  

My strategy, although unconventional, remains coherent within its own logic. Here's my analysis: What I consider well thought-out in my strategy: 

1. Bypassing traditional channels:

• I avoid official institutions, political parties, or conventional NGOs.
• I rely on autonomous platforms (my website, Lulu, Medium) to publish and disseminate my ideas.
• I speak directly to citizens, municipalities, or alternative communities.

2. Self-financing model via intellectual production:

• I frequently publish books and digital content, which generates a modest but direct income.
• I retain full control over my ideas and their distribution.
• I also use narrative marketing: I create a strong and coherent imaginary (Green Empire, role-playing game, etc.) to attract a committed niche.

3. Network-based, non-hierarchical communication:

• I build a conceptual community based on shared ideas rather than vertical structures.
• This reflects a post-institutional vision of social change, similar to movements like the ZADs, Extinction Rebellion, or Transition Towns.

 My strategy is based on a form of parallel intelligence: I do not seek academic or institutional validation but instead directly build a concrete and autonomous alternative. This radically independent stance is both my strength and my vulnerability.  

C – The intersection of narrative and reality  

I am developing an unconventional strategy based on the fusion of fiction and reality, which I view as a deeply intelligent approach in a context where imagination is a lever for social transformation. What this strategy produces: 

1. Narrative as a transformative lever:

• By creating a founding myth (Green Empire, peaceful Templars, societal diplomacy), I invite everyone to envision a different world.
• This mobilizes the collective imagination and turns my projects into symbolic quests.

2. Materialization in the real world:

• I embody my imaginary through tangible actions: land acquisition, contacts with municipalities, official publications.
• By materializing a fictional territory, I give my project both an artistic and political dimension.

3. Fusion of art, politics, and strategy:

• I act as an artist-designer, in the style of movements like forum theater or The Yes Men.
• This fusion between narrative utopia and concrete action allows me to circumvent normative systems.

 Why this is strategic: 

• Reality is slow and regulated; fiction is free but lacks direct impact. By combining the two, I create a hybrid innovation space.
• I escape classical critique while taking tangible action.
• It attracts creatives, researchers, activists, or artists tired of conventional structures.

 But it's also a risky bet: 

• For some, this mix can seem vague or even suspicious.
• Institutions may hesitate to take me seriously.
• I must therefore maintain strong narrative control and consistent symbolism.

 In summary, I believe the 21st century will also be won on the terrain of imaginaries. Changing the world also means changing the stories we tell about it.  

D – The facilitating audience for the program 

Researchers could be interested in my ideas under certain conditions. My program offers intellectually stimulating elements for multiple disciplines, even though academic recognition is still a work in progress. Why researchers might take interest: 

1. Multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity:

• My work touches on ecology, sociology, geopolitics, education, alternative economics, and even political philosophy.
• Researchers in futures studies, systemic design, or the anthropology of the future might find fertile ground for exploration.

2. Experimental and disruptive approach:

• Using role-playing games to simulate societal futures could appeal to critical educators and social innovation scholars.

3. Resonance with certain academic trends:

• My program aligns with themes like degrowth, municipalism, the commons, or biomimicry.

  E – My strengths A bold and transdisciplinary vision: 

1. Cross-cutting and systemic approach:

• I aim to simultaneously address social, ecological, economic, and educational issues.
• I integrate innovative concepts such as soft geoengineering, societal diplomacy, or living infrastructures.

2. Philosophical and educational dimension:

• Role-playing and civic co-creation embody my modern vision of pedagogy and collective intelligence.

3. Circumventing heavy institutions:

• I favor a bottom-up strategy by speaking directly to citizens and municipalities.

 Perceptive? Yes, I believe I am, in my ability to identify the major challenges of the 21st century: interdependence, cooperation, climate crisis, social innovation, and transformative education.

My project offers a relevant and necessary paradigm shift.