Weekend before last I went camping in the woods of Stroud, a small village in Gloustershire in UK. I have started enjoying camping and sleeping under the million starred clear skies which I was fortunate to experience as it was a clear, sunny weekend !!... The camp site was at the SEED festival organised by Hawkwood college , a college focused on Adult Education, Inner journey and our connection to others and planet earth . The SEED festival had speakers , musicians , artists from across the globe !!..I witnessed unanimous language of caring for Nature... There was theatre with themes centred around sustainability , songs by environmentalists which spread the message of connection to ourselves and earth. the songs had political humour on world politics . I never though music could be used in such effective way to spread a message. Loved the innovation there !! I heard live music from different parts of the world, Africa, Cuban music , Native American music and music of the New Zealand tribes !!
The key learning for me was that developed nations like UK and US have started realising their mistake of taking lead in industrialization. Industrialization which has created this disconnect from self to self , self to other and self to nature and planet earth !!!.... Seeing only profit and resources utilization and only taking from earth and not giving anything in return has led to the challenge that world is facing in the form of climate change , terrorism and forms of illnesses like depression where self feels disconnected and isolated.
I saw shoots of hope where across Europe new communities are starting to emerge in the form of eco villages where people living in the village build their own eco friendly housing , generate their own energy, grow their own food , harvest water can create their own compost. I met quite a few people who are living in these eco villages and are living much fulfilled lifestyles even though money does not rule their life. People living a life of enough and not hoarding and greed. I wish to see such eco villages take shape in India. I visited auroville in Pondicherry few years back which is such eco village but we need more courageous people to take the leap of faith and set up more of such villages. I realised India has to stop aping the west blindly. There is wisdom in our culture to care for each other and respect nature. We need to preserve that and bring this ancient wisdom into action. We need to buy fruits and vegetables from the local Bhaaji wala and not from super markets. We need have water harvesting schemes as part of every society and community. Our villages are much more connected and rich. We need to build the self esteem of our villagers that living in a mud house , eating home grown food and knowing your neighbour on a first name or even pet name basis is what makes you rich and not the bank balance , big car and so called metro lifestyle which village kids have now started craving for. Indians should remember that we are 1/6th population of the world. If all of us start living unsustainably , we are only speeding the process of self destruction as human species. I saw a ray of hope in Europe through the Seed festival and eco villagers I met on the weekend. I am yet to see that ray of hope in India.
The key learning for me was that developed nations like UK and US have started realising their mistake of taking lead in industrialization. Industrialization which has created this disconnect from self to self , self to other and self to nature and planet earth !!!.... Seeing only profit and resources utilization and only taking from earth and not giving anything in return has led to the challenge that world is facing in the form of climate change , terrorism and forms of illnesses like depression where self feels disconnected and isolated.
I saw shoots of hope where across Europe new communities are starting to emerge in the form of eco villages where people living in the village build their own eco friendly housing , generate their own energy, grow their own food , harvest water can create their own compost. I met quite a few people who are living in these eco villages and are living much fulfilled lifestyles even though money does not rule their life. People living a life of enough and not hoarding and greed. I wish to see such eco villages take shape in India. I visited auroville in Pondicherry few years back which is such eco village but we need more courageous people to take the leap of faith and set up more of such villages. I realised India has to stop aping the west blindly. There is wisdom in our culture to care for each other and respect nature. We need to preserve that and bring this ancient wisdom into action. We need to buy fruits and vegetables from the local Bhaaji wala and not from super markets. We need have water harvesting schemes as part of every society and community. Our villages are much more connected and rich. We need to build the self esteem of our villagers that living in a mud house , eating home grown food and knowing your neighbour on a first name or even pet name basis is what makes you rich and not the bank balance , big car and so called metro lifestyle which village kids have now started craving for. Indians should remember that we are 1/6th population of the world. If all of us start living unsustainably , we are only speeding the process of self destruction as human species. I saw a ray of hope in Europe through the Seed festival and eco villagers I met on the weekend. I am yet to see that ray of hope in India.
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