Subject: sust-development mailing group (fwd.)

From: Larry London <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1993 12:47:21 -0400 (EDT)

>From [email-masked] Sun Sep 26 12:31:24 1993
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 16:56:59 -0700

From: Mark Harrington <[email-masked]>

                    CREATING THE NEXT....MYTH
                SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW CULTURES

Statement of Purpose: The World is at a cross-roads! The Industrial
Revolution has erroded the very earth from beneath it's crumbling
foundation. The architecture, (belief systems, lifestyles,
technologies, economics, social structure etc..) of the developed
world are crumbling, surpassing it's limits to growth. The current
path of development is absolutely non sustainable.

Many developing countries have been coerced or seduced into following
this same dead end path. They are often two-fold losers. On the one
hand they often trade their traditional values, wisdom and experience
for "modern development". On the other hand, few if any, will achieve
a fraction of the affluence of their "mentors". Indeed, most will
experience a diminished sense of self, culture, and environment, as
they take the non sustainable path North.

"Development", as life in a sustainable world, will of necessity be
very different from our current experience. Sustainable development is
the process of cultures moving toward a global community, where
diversity and co-evolution are cherished assets. A biosphere in which
the collective-all are co-participants. This will require new
relationships of respect and cooperation with all-life; both human and
non human, animate and inanimate, for life in it's totality is
interconnected.

The Ecozoic era is waking. It is essential that humanity aquire new
conceptual landscapes, navigational tools, and modes of being.
Intercultural and biospheric relationships are in metamorphosis, a new
context is growing. We live in a time of great portent! Will we take
the next evolutionary step? Or continue as we are... histories echo
resounds, reminding us of the consequence of continued
disequillibrium.

We need to re-evaluate and gain deeper knowledge of the multi-cultural
realms of science, myth economics, time, anthropology, lifestyles,
agriculture, technology, religion etc. We need to understand and flow
with the common tides which wash upon their shores. We need to draw
upon the experience and genius of all cultures, in order to create a
greater vision, a deeper "wisdom", and the multidimensional landscapes
of possibility, which a sustainable world requires.

I envision a computer conference where mythical meetings are
commonplace! A multi-cultural exploratorium, where participants
converge to meet on new plateau's of partnership, understanding, and
co-creation. Where cultural seeds, tools and ideas are freely shared
and our collective humanity is deepened from the experience.

Discussions will range from practical and specific ideas for
integrating daily living, to wild philosophical voyages in future
possible worlds. We are the modern myth-makers and visionaries! Take
Communion...

                INTRODUCTION FOR DISCUSSION

Sustainable Development is a process. As a prerequisite a non
sustainable culture must first become aware that it's values,
activities and relationships are out of balance with itself and the
biosphere. During this initial period of introspection a culture (as
an individual or communtiy) becomes self critical and takes inventory
of it's excesses and abuses, belief systems, attributes and
traditions. This critique includes all aspects of a culture (eg.
social, theophilosophical, scientific, environmental, economic and
technical tec..)

Through this introspection a culture can realize the full costs,
limitations suffering and constrains of non-sustainable activities,
policies and lifestyles. Cultural participants (individuals,
organizations, groups, governments) will come to a point where they
decide whether to proceed with their current faltering path, or they
will stand up, take the reigns of change and create new developmental
paths which are life honouring. Development which serves to deepen our
humanity, and nurture the biosphere.

A sustainable world must acknowledge the inter-relatedness and
interdependence of all cultures with the biosphere. In a sustainable
world new relationships will be forged. These new partnerships of
possibility are currently being born. Much of our dillema has sourced
from "development" which has been largely parasitic and egocentric in
nature. This has led to inter-human and environmental exploitation and
degradation of life in it's entirety. These relationships must now be
transformed to relationships of cooperation and partnership.

Sustainability means that 8% of the worlds population will not be able
to continue using 30% of the worlds resources as the US currently
does. Sustainability requires that humans cannot exceed the carrying
capacity of the local bioregion. Sustainability will require a very
different mind set from the status quo. Sustainability is the path by
which human cultures strive for cooperation and partnership amongst
themselves and all constituents of the biosphere. This will require a
rediscovery of an earth (or pangaean) based ethos, where all life is
sacred. Including plant, mineral, bacteria, virus etc. Dis-ease will
be understood as a process by which an imbalanced individual, society
or ecosystem, is called to in-tegrity, wholeness and harmony with the
larger forces of life.

The current trend of near-sighted development will of necessity be
transformed. The emerging ethos will favor activity and relationships
which move toward cooperation, acceptance of all cultures and
religions, permancence and sustainabiltiy over current trends of
egocentrism, racism, indulgence, exploitation and greed.

Economics will have a much different context, it will reflect the true
costs of human activity, up front, and will express the
interdependence between individual and societal/global success. The
rigid and frenetic march of imperial culture (ego), characterized by
dominance, dependency and crucifixion; into a dance of celebration for
life in it's diversity and cooperation. Values and perspectives awill
be melded in new synergistic partnerships of possibility.

Technology will also have a very different face in a sustainable
world. It will be created out of humanities genius and attributes not
out of it's current context; with baser craving and shadow often often
the design parameter goals. Technology cannot continue it's "falling
leaf" (or trickle down) rationale for development, (such as NASA space
program immense fiancial subsidy, rationalized because of the useful
technologies which may fall out as by-products) Technologies blinding
race for speed and time efficiency as it's ultimate self-serving
priorities. Temporal values will be significantly different in a
sustainable culture. We have less time, are farther from the now, and
are less satisfied with our temporal experience with each passing day.

In a sustainable society artificial "consumer needs" will not be
manufactured! Partnerships will be created between diverse
disciplines, organizations and cultures, to create technology which
deepens our collective humanity and nurtures the biosphere.

While these limited examples may seem utopian, they are sketches of
the possible. I have attempted to paint a glimpse of "A GREAT
LANDSCAPE" OF POSSIBILITY HERE, we are in need of much collaboration,
embellishing, detail work and temporal space to continue her
completion. Your partnership is essential and welcome. In
Sustenance...

-- Mark Harrington

email: [email-masked]
phone: (H) 707-526-0867
       (W) 707-576-2434