permaculture

["Linda" <linda_shewan@yahoo.com.au>]

Global awareness is great but irrelevant until we raise the consciousness of
the masses - it is only the masses that can change governments and thereby
change the world. Permaculture can help this by providing nutritious food
which allows peoples brains to operate consciously (a point made by Rudolph
Steiner back in the 1920s), green spaces where peaceful thoughts are
possible and creative design to minimise our impact on Gaia.

The fact is that in today's world it simply does not matter what avenue
oppressed people take, what alternative concepts they might use, their
voices are like whispers of wind in the jungle. A few leaves rustle and then
all is silent again. They simply do not have the numbers to create a
hurricane from their breath. Tibetans are in no better situation now than in
1959 and they have the voice of the Dalai Lama taking their plight to the
world. Imagine if they didn't - then the self-immolations would not be
reported as publicly as they are now, just as day to day abuses toward
Palestinians are not reported in the mainstream media, nor is the continued
murder of Tamils in Sri Lanka, the treatment of Western Saharans in Morocco
and countless other acts against oppressed people throughout the world. 

South Africa abandoned apartheid because the countries of the world united
to not play sport or trade with them. In this world there is no other way to
affect change and yet our politicians are not prepared to act morally for
the good of a small group of people, particularly those without 'useful'
resources. Has the Kurds rights to self-determination ever been respected in
Turkey - no, but in Iraq - finally, yes (but only when it worked to the
Wests advantage). And who created their misery - the world leaders who drew
new boundaries on a map, leaving them stateless... the 'west'.

I absolutely do not advocate violence of any nature but I do have love and
understanding for those who are driven to those depths whether they be on
the streets of our western cities or the people of oppressed nations.

I believe in the intrinsic goodness of every human soul, Linda

p.s. I watched a movie called Men's Group last night. I found it quite
confronting. One of the men had been sexually abused by his father and was
completely broken, a cold and violent man. And no - not all men who go
through similar experiences become like he did, some commit suicide, some
manage to transcend it, some just struggle in pain throughout their lives.
But watch it and feel his pain. It is a very small link to understanding the
desperation whole cultures feel at being abused for generations by their
oppressors and why the result is so often violence. Only love can heal it.