-------------------------------------------------------- From: "Brian" <•••@••.•••> To: <•••@••.•••> Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 10:41 AM Subject: Re: Zen of Transformation: new thoughts Greetings; Firstly, activism to build a movement: I often say that the movement won't happen for you until you do it. What better way to activate than with your/our own bodies? What to be active about? Building community is possible in so much of what we do every day. I remember the 60s when there was a SPIRIT of community - we all helped each other and trusted each other. With theory there must be spirit, and trust/faith might join the two. A friend is presenting a paper in Germany which in short says that the rural poor are the greatest resource on earth today because the restoration of the world's very damaged ecosystems can only be repaired by the rural poor. Governments/multinational corporations cannot afford to pay for global life restoration even if they wanted to, only the poor can afford that. How? Restoration/stewardship economics which some of us used to call bioregional economics. Now, microfinance/microentrepreneurship is a quiet revolution. I see small locally owned businesses like the micro-brew industry in the US and the pot industries as proto-types for the economy to come which will inherit the corruption that rules today, but with a new transparency. Not that beer and pot will rule, although that may not be a bad idea, but rather the infrastructure, ethics, qualitative values and spirit of these industries will rule. The organics industries which are said to be growing at 20-25 % a year (I just saw this recently updated figure) are also good examples, as is the alternative energy business. I've just come from Cotacachi, Ecuador which has a vibrantly healthy, transparent, fully participatory democracy: The town is run by an indigenous people. The mayor who is a medical doc got his training in Cuba, and Fidel has visited the town, as has the US ambassador to Ecuador who tried not to notice the big photo in the mayor's office of the mayor and Fidel. The mestizos work for the indigenes who drive SUVs, some still ride horses, and have computers. In fact, the whole town's business is on a web site that anyone in town can and does participate in. Its financial structure is modeled after that of Porto Allegro which is the labour run town in Brazil that has been hosting the global World Social Forum meetings (it is worth checking out the WSF web). I haven't seen the site yet, but as soon as I get out of the jungle here in Costa Rica where we have been restoring a whole watershed for a decade and setting up certified sustainable, locally owned industries (http://www.ecoera.org) , I'll be checking it out. Here's a little more on activism that I thought of last night while listening to the river rush by just below one of our cabins: The recent successful revolution in Bolivia is a good example of successful activism. The thwarted US inspired coup in Venezuela which is well documented on in the film 'The Revolution will not be televised' is another good example of a people throwing off the yoke of imperialist oppression. Argentina and Ecuador are decent examples of not coming to their knees for US imperialism, and Brazil has compromised in a workable fashion but still promises to lead a Latin American free trade movement in the face of the WTO/WB/IMF and Bush fascists. But beyond any question Fidel has been since 1959 the Western Hemisphere's master of successful activism. There are over 50 examples of alternative currency systems in the US which clearly illustrate a movement toward peoples' economies The GoldMoney site on the internet is a good example of exempting the system from peoples' financial affairs. And http://www.greengold-oroverde.org http://www.greenkarat.com are examples of our attempts making mining compatible with the environment and local community sustainability. There's tons of activist stuff to do, but only you can take the first step. Brian > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <•••@••.•••> > To: <•••@••.•••>; <•••@••.•••> > Cc: <•••@••.•••> > Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2003 5:29 PM > Subject: re-2: Zen of Transformation: new thoughts > -- ============================================================ "...the Patriot Act followed 9-11 as smoothly as the suspension of the Weimar constitution followed the Reichstag fire." - Srdja Trifkovic There is not a problem with the system. The system is the problem. Faith in humanity, not gods, ideologies, or programs. _____________________________ cyberjournal home page: http://cyberjournal.org "Zen of Global Transformation" home page: http://www.QuayLargo.com/Transformation/ QuayLargo discussion forum: http://www.QuayLargo.com/Transformation/ShowChat/?ScreenName=ShowThreads cj list archives: http://cyberjournal.org/cj/show_archives/?lists=cj newslog list archives: http://cyberjournal.org/cj/show_archives/?lists=newslog 'Truthout' excellent news source: http://www.truthout.org subscribe addresses for cj list: •••@••.••• •••@••.••• ============================================================
