Wednesday, May 07, 2008

“Is there a Green Ideology?”...

...is the title of a Book by Per Garton http://www.cogito.nu/wp-gallery/saljbrev_en.pdf . My off the cuff response, speaking as someone who is jet-lagged:

Yes, there is a green ideology. It is the ideology of the heart, where the word “heart” means the totality of our human existence, where the myriad aspects of our human existence meet at a point, just as the colours of a white light spectrum can be traced back towards a point of origin, the “white light” source. “Heart” means the point at which all our structures and functions, those of our body, consciousness, emotions, cognition, our economic life, our laws, art and love form a unified significant being.

The unique point of the green philosophy is the realisation that “Man”, the author and subject of all philosophy, is not some god-like, self-subsistent being, but is one “component” of a web of life on Earth. This living system can give us human contented and happy lives if, and only if, we can learn to live within the limits imposed by the biosphere, learn not to disturb the equilibrium of the planetary system.

Every human being has this knowledge at their heart, but their instinctive bonding with nature is for some people, at the moment, too buried beneath layers of suffering, mis-education, worry, and frustration, that they are unable to access the consciousness and power of connection with Nature.

The green movement is composed of people who are conscious, at any level,
from the naïve through to the intellectual, from activists without formal education who just “know in their heart” that what they see happening about them is wrong, through to academics, professionals and activists with detailed and accurate understanding of the scientific aspects of these problems. Theri common perception is of a big problem, and it is their wish to take action to stop and reverse the damage that is being done to the planetary life system.

The green parties are the political wing of the green movement. They take the path of trying to penetrate to the heart of Government, seeing that it is a preferable (for them) option to influence policy before it is implemented, rather than reacting to the end effects of these policies effects.
Green paries are a complement to necessary NGO action. Green parties, like environmental NGPs, reserve the right to take non-violent direct action to prevent environmental damage if it is sufficiently serious, and if normal political channels of peaceful negotiations and election are not functioning.

A transformation of the present irrational and destructive “economy” is possible, but only if the cooperation of everyone at all levels of society, plays their part. This entails stopping all forms of oppression and human rights abuse, including genocide, oppression, torture, illegal imprisonment, discrimination against minorities on account of race or sex, including orientation. This is why the fight for human rights and social and economic equity is an intergral part of green politics.

Obviously there is much more to be added, but a bird is singing outside among new green leaves, calling me out to listen and look at Nature in all her beauty..

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