A better world is possible - Global Commons Institute

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Copyright Bruce Nixon 2010. All rights reserved. This electronic copy is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only. www.brucenixon.com Satish Kumar argues for a global Peace Council, rather than a Security Council, to which recognised spiritual leaders are appointed, “Wise Elders” who have the interests of the world, rather than corporate or national interests, at heart. We may doubt Gandhi’s method, but it worked – he got rid of the British. Today’s campaigns against nuclear power, nuclear weapons, militarism and war are Gandhian. Truth – Satyagraha Lack of truth is a daily issue. Political and corporate leaders mislead the public to achieve their will and are in denial when it goes wrong. It does not work. Truth and integrity are vital for bringing about change non-violently. Pursuit of truth is an open-ended journey requiring respect for all points of view, however hard to articulate. It requires exceptional courage, especially in politics and business organisations. Gandhi subtitled his autobiography “My experiments with truth”. Linked to truth is respect for all religious traditions – Sarava Dharma Samanatva - and tolerance for beliefs with which we disagree. We need to see that beliefs from different cultures and traditions have a common essence. Gandhi believed in bringing about fundamental change through: 1. constructive programmes 2. resistance - non-violent We lose integrity if we merely protest. Our lives need to demonstrate integrity and reflect our mission. The basic principles of transformation are: create readiness; readiness grows out of popular demand; spot when there is sufficient groundswell ready to take action; without readiness, you wait and prepare the ground. When Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, he travelled for six months, visiting and learning from the poorest people in the villages. That is a model for today’s leaders. Satyagraha is a way of life: “Life is a continuous conversation with the universe” – dialogue, not monologue; then change will occur. The lessons for change agents are: 1. Patience 2. Learn to spot the opportunity 3. Learn to endeavour, endure, face difficulties 4. Be fearless. Fearlessness – Saravatra Bhaya Varjana Non-violence requires us to speak our truth and that requires courage; fear causes violence. It stops people from acting powerfully, speaking out and being true to themselves. Gandhi was not afraid of death. We can become fearless by seeing each situation as an opportunity for learning, developing confidence that we will overcome difficulties. Self-organisation or self rule – Swaraj We can learn from nature, a self- organising, self-correcting, self-healing and self-managing system. It requires mutuality and reciprocity. The village is the first form of government. We need, not “trickle down” but “trickle up”. We need to start on a small scale, applying self-organising first to ourselves; then in our families; our village or community. This maximises the potential for creativity, innovation and diversity. The process moves up from community to town or city to regions, national governments, arrangements like the EU and finally world government. This is similar to the participatory budgeting process in Puerto Allegre, Brazil and the community based system in Cuba. It is an application of the principle of Subsidiarity. The recent Sustainable Communities Act in UK, intended to give greater power to local communities, lays the 100
Copyright Bruce Nixon 2010. All rights reserved. This electronic copy is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only. www.brucenixon.com foundations for moving towards such a system in UK. The roots need to be intimate, giving maximum power at the bottom, co-ordinated at the top. Needs should be met locally wherever possible. Since WW2 government has drawn more power to itself. Now it is clear: this is not working. There are growing calls for decentralisation and devolving power. Central control impedes successful change; takes away responsibility and initiative from people who best understand their communities’ needs and how to meet them. Hence the importance of the bottom up campaigns - Pressure Works, Unlock Democracy’s Network’s “Power to the People” proposals, headed by Baroness Helena Kennedy, and the Local Works campaign for a Sustainable Communities Bill. Gandhi proposed that tax be collected locally, most retained locally, only sending smaller amounts to the next level – as in Puerto Allegre in Brazil (Participatory budgeting in Puerto Allegre). It would be better to have Social Forums in every part of the world, where local problems are better understood. Non-stealing – Asteya This goes far beyond not taking what does not belong to you. The Earth and natural things are sacred. Earth, fire, air and water are sacred elements. It is theft when family farms are destroyed by agribusiness, livelihoods are destroyed by globalisation, crafts are destroyed by industrialisation and big trawlers over-fish. It is theft when food, seeds, trees and plants are patented; when commons like water are privatised, rivers diverted. Salinisation is caused by excessive irrigation or large amounts of water taken by drinks companies like Pepsi and Coca Cola. Greed by a few individuals, excessive remuneration and abuse of corporate power are theft. Global sourcing that involves exploitation of poor workers and displacement of local workers in order to cut costs is theft. Gandhi says accumulation and over-consumption are stealing from God. Asteya is a way of consuming only what nature can replenish, having enough, consuming only to meet our vital needs, knowing that other peoples and creatures need to have their share, I only take my share: “Living simply, so that others may live, a way of generosity” as Satish Kumar says. Non-consumerism – Asangraha Part of this is ecological humility, realising that waste is a sin against nature and that nature’s cycle should be followed. Satish says: “Greed has become a creed, a new religion!” Consumerism is theft and causes crime. Sacred Sex – Brahmacharaya means loving sexuality within a healthy human relationship. Sexuality is a source of energy and creativity. This explains why tyrannies of mind, for instance many religions, have often suppressed it throughout history. Sexuality appropriately practised is part of love of God. Trivialisation and commercialisation of sex, pornography and sexual exploitation stem from disrespect for the sanctity of sex. Sacred sex is based on commitment, responsibility, celebration and joy. Physical work – Sharirashram “Sharirashram means the practice of daily labour. Physical work is a form of worship, a spiritual practice. It is a healing process and an antidote to alienation and exclusion.…… Our hands have a tremendously transformative power….. A deskilled society is a degraded society.” Making things by hand, creating, doing ordinary things like cleaning, working with the soil and growing things is embedded in the human psyche. When affluence, industrialisation and technology take us away from using our hands, this separates intellectual from manual workers and does us physical and spiritual harm. Separating mind and body denies us our identity as human beings. Avoidance of bad taste – Aswada Three Qualities of Life are: Sattva - simple 101
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