Democracy Now! is something of our big sister program. For a number of years they have spearheaded the progressive radio and internet movement by bringing the world to us, the world as it is often unseen by the dominant corporate media.
On November 26th, they hosted two really compelling leaders, thinkers, and actors on sustainability. Watch it here.
The first is Manfred Max-Neef, a Chilean economist who has worked to understand poverty as it really is instead of an idealized version that we can create by valorizing it or by thinking that it is universally horrible. If you listened to our show with Donaldson Conserve and Shanai Haywood these issues of poverty came up strongly. And, if you listened in just a couple of weeks ago, you heard my interview with Alfredo Sfeir-Younis, also a Chilean economist who is working on some of these same issues. For both, sustainability is a central issue to any kind of development. And sustainability means doing less while being in love and loving everything. "We all know exactly what should not be done but we do it. How do you change that?"
Then Derrick Jensen came on the show and in typical fashion dropped proverbial and verbal bombs about modern society. In short: the modern industrial state must be stopped by people resisting it.
Where are we going? More importantly, what do you think of Max-Neef's assertion that the university is where we need to change things?
Both Alfredo Sfeir-Younis, and Manfred Max-Neef use such engaging language. I find their ideas are so complementary, one serves as the other's overtones. Sfeir-Younis calls for a higher level of consciousness. Max-Neef believes we have all the knowledge we need, the world cries out for understanding and coherence.
ReplyDeleteAs individuals, their ideas are compelling enough, their language is rhythmic, reflecting a poet's sensibility. Collectively, their ideas represent hope, for if there are two, there could be a third or more, with a voice that matches the vision.
From steam engines to human consciousness
ReplyDeletehttp://www.makingitmagazine.net/?p=1605
Industrialization will continue to be the most important avenue of future development, but Alfredo Sfeir-Younis believes that that the world needs a new industrial revolution that is all about people.