WEAVING THE CONNECTIONS
The Newsletter of the Center for Women, the Earth, the Divine
Volume 10 Autumn 2004 Number 2
Earth Values in Action
Eleanor Rae
On Wednesday September 8, 2004, I moderated a workshop on behalf of the Earth Values Caucus at the annual department of public information gathering at the United Nations. The workshop, entitled "Earth Values in Action," was one and one-half hours, divided equally between presentations and interaction with attendees. Our presenters were May East, an ecofeminist from Brazil (see more input from May on page three of this newsletter), Mitchell Capitan, a Navajo from Crownpoint, New Mexico and Suzanne Golas, a Sister of St. Joseph from New Jersey. Following are brief summaries of their talks from this well-received workshop.
May East first offered a basic understanding of ecofeminism (ecology/feminism), then commented that "developed" countries have a different lived experience of this movement than do "developing" countries. Based on her grassroots work in the forested areas of Brazil, she has found that the women there still have a direct relationship to the land. She has also found that they are able to work with nature rather than against it through the grassroots projects that rely on the sustainable use of the forests. There seems to be a basic understanding that the degradation of the forest can only lead to future poverty. In these projects, gender equality is a prominent feature.
Mitchell Capitan spoke of his experience in co-founding and working with Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM). In November, 1994, his wife Rita brought to his attention an article on the front page of a local newspaper. Its headline was "Crownpoint Mining Gets Approval." Based on his past experience (while working for Mobil Oil) in testing water following uranium mining activities, Mitchell became convinced that there was little possibility that water affected by mining could be returned to drinking quality. This led to his opposing the mining by founding ENDAUM, a fight that he is still waging for his people and for the Earth.
Suzanne Golas spoke of her experience with a program in the USA and Canada that is sponsored by WATERSPIRIT, an ecological/spiritual organization. In this program, she works to bring attention to the local situation on water issues. She begins with the premise that water is sacred, a perspective shared by many religions. She explains the hydrological cycle and its role in shaping our planet. She then elicits from the local people how they treat water and asks what they can do locally. When she asked this question at our UN workshop—following a discussion on the privatization of water—one attendee was moved to go out and sell her stock in Cola Coca, one of the major companies engaged in privatization.
May we all be moved to such direct action for the future of our home: beautiful planet Earth.
TEN KEY VALUES
Committees of Correspondence—1985—a draft
I write this before the presidential election, although you will probably receive it after the event. I am troubled in that I have heard neither Bush nor Kerry even mention the state of the Earth, although the destruction that the USA government has wreaked on our planet has been well documented by groups such as the Quakers. I am more and more convinced that we need a whole new vision and program in politics—one that will be truly grassroots. One possibility is the Green Party. Back in the ‘80s—when the era of greed had just begun—the Greens developed these ten key values. For me, they resonate now more than ever. What do you think? (Following are listed the ten values and a few of the questions they raise.)—Eleanor Rae
1. Ecological Wisdom. How can we operate human societies with the understanding that we are part of nature, not on top of it? How can we live within the ecological and resource limits of the planet, applying our technological knowledge to the challenge of an energy-efficient economy?
2. Decentralization. How can we have a decentralized, democratic society with our political, economic and social institutions locating power on the smallest scale (closest to home), yet remaining efficient and practical? How can we encourage the flourishing of regionally-based culture rather than a dominant monoculture?
3. Grassroots Democracy. How can we relearn the best insights from American traditions of civic vitality, voluntary action and community responsibility? How can we ensure that representatives will be fully accountable to the people who elected them?
4. Cooperative Economics. How can we restructure our patterns of income distribution to reflect the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy: those who take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community volunteer work, etc.? How can we restrict the size and concentrated power of corporations without punishing them for superior efficiency or technological innovation?
5. Global Responsibility. How can we help other countries make the transition to self-sufficiency in food and other basic necessities? How can we cut our defense budget while maintaining an adequate defense and a non-violent global influence that is sufficient to promote these ten "Green" values?
6. Inclusiveness. How can we assist disadvantaged people to empower themselves, rather than render them ever more dependent on government? How can we respect cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity without turning the USA into an "anything goes" society?
7. Feminist Values. How can we replace the cultural ethics of dominance and control with more co-operative ways of interacting? How can we learn to respect the contemplative, inner part of life as much as the outer activities?
8. Personal and Social Responsibility. How can we have a community-controlled education system that effectively teaches our children academic skills, ecological wisdom, social responsibility and personal growth? How can we encourage such values as simplicity in moderation?
9. Nonviolence. How can we, as a society, develop effective alternatives to our current patterns of violence, at all levels, from the family and the street to nations and the world? How can we eliminate nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth without being naïve about the intentions of other governments?
10. Future Focus. How can we induce our government and other institutions to practice fiscal responsibility? How can we make the quality of life, rather than open-ended economic growth, the focus of future thinking?
Statement by May East at the UN on September 10, 2004
Good Afternoon. My name is May East. I am here to report on the workshops exploring the theme of the environment. During our days together we have shared the deep insight of the interconnectedness of all life and that water, soil, air and all species need to be considered as we engage, with no delay, in the process of restoration of the living Earth. This moment in history is calling forth the best and strongest in each one of us. At the NGO grassroots level, we are not postponing actions. By holding a systemic approach and Earth-based values, we are dedicating our actions, campaigns and programs to the future of all species, including the human community. However, we are aware that some environmental concerns and programs, funded by massive fiscal resources from both government and the corporate sector, do not share the same view. Some of us wonder, who benefits from such top down activities? We know sustainable societies are built upon sustainable communities. Programs where people and the planet are making a difference are in fact locally based. Our local communities and the whole web of life, considered and benefiting from such activities, are re-working with the natural systems rather than seeking to dominate them. A government speaker shared with us on Wednesday: "Governments are not made to serve the poor." Can we admit in broad lines that the globalization trend, transnational corporations and governments’ appetites are often self-serving. Our generation is sitting around the same table in a planet with limited resources—but as Gandhi has said, "There is enough for everybody’s need, but not for everybody’s greed. "The great call for our generation is to learn to live sustainably and interconnectedly if we are to survive as a species into a future with future. And so we ask, "How can we act together to prevent local, national, or multinational unruled exploitation of the Earth’s natural resources? How can we act together to minimize resource demands upon the Earth while maximizing the well-being of the whole system? How can we act together to open up direct channels of funding to finance the restoration of the Earth by communities to communities?
May East, an ecofeminist, alternatively lives in Scotland at Findhorn (where she is a trustee) and in her native Brazil (where she works with grassroots communities).
ENOUGH
(The following is a wish shared by an unknown family for generations and sent to C:WED
by Jane Blewett, a long time associate in the environmental movement).
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
Associates of C:WED:
Eleanor Rae, Ph.D., founder
Giles E. Rae, publisher
Anne Andersson, editor
Representatives at the United Nations:
New York: Rosalyn Dischiavo
Lina Gupta, Ph.D.
Alayne O’Reilly, Ph.D.
Vienna: Susanne Schaup, Ph.D.
Mission Statement
The Center for Women, the Earth, the Divine is dedicated to exploring the parallels that exist between the imaging and treatment of women and of the Earth, and how our images of the Divine are related to these parallels.
We began by exploring these relationships within the context of our own tradition--the Christian. While we continue our exploration in this tradition, we have also engaged people of other traditions such as the Buddhist, Goddess, Hindu, Indigenous, Jewish and Muslim. Our work is made available through talks, workshops, writings and retreats. The immediate purpose of the Center is educational, while the ultimate goal is the healing of the Creation.
The founder of C:WED is Eleanor Rae, Ph.D., author of Women, the Earth, the Divine, President Emerita of the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology and founder of the United Nations Earth Values Caucus.
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