ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL JUSTICE
Reinventing and Revisioning A Better World
BY LAURIE TIMMERMANN
$VRIWKHHQGWKHWRSRIKRXVHKROGVLQWKH86KHOG RI WKH FRXQWU\¶V ZHDOWK ZKLOH WKH ERWWRP KHOG RQO\ . The wealthy few at the top of ownership and control of corporations and the ultra-wealthy billionaire class have amassed enormous power. 7UDQVQDWLRQDO FRUSRUDWLRQV DUH GRPLQDWLQJ WKH SURFHVV RI ¿QDQFLDO JOREDOL]DWLRQXQGHUPLQLQJGHPRFUDF\GHJUDGLQJ(DUWK¶VOLYLQJHFR - systems, and exponentially widening the gap between the ultra-rich DQGSRRUZRUOGZLGH7KHPXOWLFULVLVVWDWHRI86DQGZRUOGD̆ DLUVLV extremely dire. +RZHYHU LQ WKH IDFH RI WKLV MXJJHUQDXW D OHJLRQ RI PDQ\ WHQV RI PLOOLRQVRISHRSOHJOREDOO\DUHHQJDJHGHYHU\GD\WRIDFHR̆ DJDLQVWWKH pervasive, progressive corruption of a rigged economic system and a rigged political system. They represent legitimate civil society groups, networks and actions that tackle the issues of social and economic justice, human rights, peace advocacy, community and humanitarian assistance, environmental protection, public legal defense, anti-cor- UXSWLRQH̆ RUWVUHJHQHUDWLYHIDUPLQJDQGLQYHVWLJDWLYHPHGLD ,¶GOLNHWRWDNHXVRQDQDUPFKDLUWRXUWRH[SORUHVRPHRIWKHSLYRWDO LQLWLDWLYHVWKDWFURVVHGP\OLIH¶VSDWK EXW¿UVWOHW¶VWXUQWROHDUQIURP key thought leaders who dissect and diagnose the forces that human- ity is facing. Calling Out Corporate Influence ,QKLVERRN &DSWXUHG 7KH&RUSRUDWH,Q¿OWUDWLRQRI$PHULFDQ'H - mocracy , U.S. Senator and attorney Sheldon Whitehouse describes KRZFRUSRUDWHIXQGLQJDQGGDUNPRQH\EX\VLQÀXHQFHRYHURXUJRY - HUQPHQWDQGSROLFLHV,QMXVWRQHH[DPSOHWKHSURFRUSRUDWH6XSUHPH Court decision in &LWL]HQV8QLWHGY)HGHUDO(OHFWLRQ&RPPLVVLRQ en- sured no limits on and no complete transparency of campaign funding VRXUFHVYLUWXDOO\JXDUDQWHHLQJWKHSXUFKDVHRIHOHFWHGṘ FLDOV &RUSRUDWLRQV LQÀXHQFH WKH YHU\ JRYHUQPHQW DJHQFLHV DQG UHJXOD - tors enforcing the laws that govern them. For far too long, Big Pharma KDV FRQWUROOHG WKH &'& 1,+ DQG )'$ %LJ $J LQWHUHVWV KDYH KHOG VZD\DWWKH86'$ ,QGXVWU\3ROOXWHUVKDYHGRPLQDWHGWKH(3$DQG %/0 %XUHDXRI/DQG0DQDJHPHQW %LJ7HFKKDVFDSWXUHGWKH)7& while Wall Street controls the SEC. )XUWKHUPRUHFRUSRUDWHLQWHUHVWVLQÀXHQFHWKHSODFHPHQWRIELDVHG SURFRUSRUDWH MXGJHV DQG SURVHFXWRUV ZLWKLQ WKH MXGLFLDO V\VWHP ,Q turn, these courts, who should be protecting the public interest and VDIHW\ LQVWHDG DVVLJQ DQG Ḋ UP WR FRPSDQLHV WKH ULJKWV RI SHUVRQ - hood that should be reserved for living human beings under the con- stitutional Bill of Rights. Let’s call this merger of corporations and the state, and the related suppression of free speech and dissent, what it UHDOO\LV DXWKRULWDULDQWRWDOLWDULDQLVP $FFRUGLQJ WR HFRQRPLVW 'DYLG .RUWHQ DXWKRU RI When Corpora- tions Rule the World WKH ¿QDQFLDOV\VWHP RI :DOO 6WUHHW FDSLWDOLVP DQG LWV ELJ ¿QDQFLDO LQVWLWXWLRQV KDYH JRQH FRPSOHWHO\ URJXH :DOO 6WUHHWRSHUDWHVLQWKHSXUVXLWRIPD[LPL]LQJ¿QDQFLDOUHWXUQVZKRVH \LHOGV GLVSURSRUWLRQDWHO\ EHQH¿W WKH ULFK :DOO 6WUHHW DFWRUV HQJDJH in speculation, stripping company assets, predatory lending, leverag- LQJVKLIWLQJULVNXVHRIH[RWLF¿QDQFLDOLQVWUXPHQWVOLNHGHULYDWLYHV FXUUHQF\WUDGLQJH[WHUQDOL]LQJSURGXFWLRQFRVWVDQGWKHOLNH'RHVQ¶W this sound like the pursuit of greed? ,Q .RUWHQ¶V ERRN $JHQGD IRU D 1HZ (FRQRP\ )URP 3KDQWRP Wealth to Real Wealth, he writes, “Wall Street’s phantom-wealth ma- chine has created prospective claims and related expectations far out RISURSRUWLRQWRWKHUHDOZHDOWK´7KHLQWHUQDWLRQDO¿QDQFLDOV\VWHP has become a parasitic predator bent on extraction and concentration
Photo by Inga Gezalian on Unsplash
RI ZHDOWK IURP WKH SURGXFWLYH HFRQRP\ ZKLOH RXU ¿DW PRQH\ XVHG for sales transactions are mere numbers digitally stored in computers, divorced from any real value. (Chapter 7) +RZHYHUWKHHFRQRPLFZRUOGYLHZGRHVKDYHRWKHURSWLRQV.RUWHQ¶V DOWHUQDWLYHSRVLWLYHYLVLRQLV³D0DLQ6WUHHWHFRQRP\EDVHGRQORFDOO\ owned, community-oriented ‘living enterprises’ whose success is mea- sured as much by their positive impact on people and the environment as by their positive balance sheet,” served by a system of decentral- L]HGFRPPXQLW\EDQNLQJ.RUWHQRXWOLQHVDQSRLQWSROLF\DJHQGDWR UHSODFH:DOO6WUHHW 6HHKWWSV GDYLGNRUWHQRUJ $WWKHORFDOOHYHO BALLE, or Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (livingeco- QRPLFVRUJ DQG$0,%$WKH$PHULFDQ,QGHSHQGHQW%XVLQHVV$OOL - ance (amiba.net) are both committed to strengthening local sustain- able businesses. $GGLWLRQDOSURJUHVVLYHLQWHULPVWHSVLQFOXGHPHDVXUHVOLNH OHJLVOD - WLYHO\GH¿QLQJWKDW³DFRUSRUDWLRQLVQRWDSHUVRQ´WKHPRGHORIEXVL - QHVVSUR¿WVKDULQJDQGFRRSHUDWLYHRZQHUVKLSRUJDQL]LQJEXVLQHVVHV as cooperatives, workers’ collective representation, ensuring full ac- countability for any business’ harm, social and environmental invest- LQJ DQGLPSRUWDQWO\DFDSRQ&(2DQGWRSVWD̆ VDODULHV These musings bring to mind the $ZDNHQLQJ WKH 'UHDPHU RQOLQH video course by The Pachamama Alliance, where you are invited to ³ORRN DW WKH FKDOOHQJLQJ VWDWH RI WKH ZRUOG UHÀHFW DQG GLVFRYHU RS - portunities to create a new future where you have a key role to play.” $IWHUYLHZLQJDVKRUW¿OPRQWKHGHJUDGDWLRQRIWKHSODQHWYLHZHUVDUH DVNHG :KDWDUHWKHDVVXPSWLRQVEHLQJPDGHIRUWKLVWREHWKHGLUH state of the world? (pachamama.org) ,QDVLPLODUYHLQ&KDUOHV(LVHQVWHLQDXWKRURI 6DFUHG(FRQRPLFV , articulates the perspective that the dominant reductionist worldview of separation and disconnection from each other and nature is driving PDQ\RIRXUVRFLHWDODQGHFRORJLFDOFULVHV+HSURSRVHVDGRSWLQJWKH “new and ancient” worldview of “interbeing,” focusing on intercon- nection and interdependence. This more quantum and reverent un- derstanding of our deep connections with each other and nature can JHQHUDWH PRUH KDUPRQLRXV DQG VXVWDLQDEOH VRFLHWLHV +H DGYRFDWHV for a deeper appreciation of the intrinsic value of the natural world instead of valuing nature only for economic gain. (Some of my most beautiful experiences were the chances to enjoy the last three retreats ZLWK&KDUOHVLQORYHO\%ODFN0RXQWDLQ1&,UHFRPPHQGKLVQH[WRQH Learn more at charleseisenstein.org.
continued on page 40
PATHWAYS—Spring 25—13
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker