In the documentary, "Ancient Futures," dimensions of human life, principles, and outcomes are much different when compared to the western world. Property, relationship with land and natural environment, housing, and justice fulfills the principle of land holdings that are passed on to family and friends. The outcome is cooperation instead of competition and planning for the future. What happen to the days when people sustained economic development and lived on the principle of self reliance to local economy and the outcome was strong local economy that was self reliant? The people of ancient times and people in faraway places had meaningful relationships and lived in small remote communities, and shared special bonds with each other. They pride themselves on golden principles like share equal amounts of water for drinking and farming, share resources, work hard, rejoice and grieve with family and friends. The outcome was favorable. People saw the impact of their actions and got involved to make decisions that were in the best interest of the community.
What happen to the days when equity and equality matter among humans? The outcomes use to be contentment, satisfaction, increased engagement, and stewardship. What happen to the days when technologies were only as fast as humans. There was a time we use to have a relationship with the natural environment; we didn't throw anything in the water or pollute the atmosphere.
In western civilization we struggle to involve everyone in decision making (blacks, whites, homeless, disabled, homeowners, blue collars, white collars, etc.) There is no justice and we live in a time of separation and division. Once there was a time of early detection of problems. There was a time when critical issues were really critical issues for the entire community. Where did the sense of community go? What happen to the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child..?"
I can not begin to imagine western civilization practicing the principles of "Ancient Futures." We have more technology than those individuals in the documentary, yet we still live savagely in the 21st century!
3 comments:
James,
I think you are correct in your summation of what use to be and what is. In the video Ancient Futures, the time before technology there was no crime and people got along. The people lived and worked together, ate together and even slept together. Everyday life was based on the earth and relationships. People depended on one another and felt security in knowing that they could depend on one another. Once the modern world moved into the village by creating a road to go in and out of the village, the village and village life was never the same again. With the western modernization, the Ladukh are choked with pollution, rubbish piled up, water in the streams are not fit to drink from and the people in the village are reliant on the outside for food, clothing and drink, all the things they use to provide for themselves. It seems there is always a price to pay for technology.
Technology is to blame for the resulting poverty and crime in Ladakh. The documentary depicted harmony among the people and the people and nature. The people realized that they depended on nature to sustain them and therefore they respected it. When the road was built leading into their rural home, they were fast talked into believing that western modernization would improve and ehnance their living conditions. What resulted was quite the opposite and all in the name of technology. It is really out of control. We better catch up!
James,
Your chioce of picture was an inspiration for me. Just like the signs that were given by Norah again and again and ignored so too are the actions of people in our communities. Daily we see the warning signs and ignore the environment. Truely there must be a special place for us to go to have our needs met once we completely pollute and destroy the natural resourceshere on earth. We act as though we have a special place just waiting for us. Ancient Futures redefined the importance of family, neighbors, communication and the passing of knowledge and skills to the next generation. Morally we must be better stewards of our community,our nation and the world.
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