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Written by Ariane Burgess
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Wednesday, 25 March 2009 00:00 |
I’ve been thinking about the importance of relationship, relationship with humans and with all the living beings we share Earth with. A few days after the Spring Equinox, the day when the night and day are equal in length and many people spoke of it being a time of balance, I can’t help thinking about how out of balance we really are.
This out of balance condition got its start with the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800’s. At that time the idea that the Earth’s natural systems were there for human use and consumption took off with ingenious inventions among them the steam engine and the mechanized weaving loom. On the face of this technological innovation our ancestors were able to create inexpensive clothing, move more people from place to place, and an increasing number of us began to enjoy a more comfortable life. At the back end however we began making an increasing demand on the Earth’s natural systems as well as humans in resource rich countries. This demand has become so voracious in the past ten to twenty years that we are now living on a planet that is severely out of balance.
In my studies and teaching about how to create a future for humans on Earth it is becoming increasingly apparent that the key to our survival will not be technology. The key is in how we relate with one another and the life forms we share this planet with. We can have all the technological innovations we can creatively come up and we can even develop ideas of alternative forms of exchange. We will only go so far. We need to change the way we relate with one another, to learn to collaborate, communicate with a fuller range and create together.
What I’ve noticed is that with all the good intentions to develop a project involving more than one person good will among the group members and a sense of inclusiveness needs to be present. Without it, the project will stagnate and often collapses. Working alone is not a long term solution either as there is only so much one can do alone. Whether you have all the your materials needs met or are having to carry gallons of water several miles from the water source to your home at some point along the continuum towards a regenerative culture you will find that we will need to join together, learn to share once more, and collaborate.
Learning to work together in a truly deep and effective way, and from a place of authenticity is our challenge in the present and on into the future, and it will be our next revolution. |
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