Occupy London Stock Exchange - and Ancient Futures

So the Wall Street demonstration has gone global. In London we have the Anti-capitalist demonstrators from Occupy London Stock Exchange camping in the churchyard surrounding St Paul's Cathedral. Today the huge main doors have been closed to the public because of health and safety issues surrounding the demonstration. I have to say I am in some sympathy with the demonstrators. I have joined other commentators for years in lamenting the unsustainable economic system that we have across the world, based as it is on growth, debt and spending. I’ve blogged about this quite a few times, even have a chapter about it in Healing….with suggestions for change. But even now, when we seem to be a crisis point, what do the governments continue to urge? Spending!! And I have seen very little to indicate that the powers that be may be considering any of the other ideas that have been floated for a sustainable economy. It seems that the answer may have to come from ourselves at local level – with our own currencies for example - small, after all, is beautiful.
But all this reminded me of a wonderful book that I reviewed for Amazon quite a while back. It’s called Ancient Futures: Lessons from Ladakh for a Globalizing World, and it is by Helena Norberg-Hodge , an analyst, it says on her Amazon bio, “of the impact of the global economy on cultures and agriculture worldwide and a pioneer of the “localization movement”. So she is clearly on my side in the debate. Her book is an urgent call to foster ancient values of compassion and wisdom before Western values of consumerism and growth.

This is what I said in my review:
“Ladakh (part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir), is a beautiful part of the Western Himalayas. It used to be a synergistic society. That is, the economy was shaped by mutual aid or co-operation, not competition. This concept of sharing everything was seen in the conduct of all aspects of the people’s lives, from farm work to funerals, animal herding to partying. There was no waste; everything had a further use, all was recycled. Even human waste, mixed with ashes and earth, was spread annually on the fields. Money was scarcely needed, only being used for a few luxuries such as jewellery, salt, tea and a few metals for cooking pots. Otherwise the people were self sufficient, living a life of frugality in the true sense of the word, not being mean or stingy, but rather using scarce resources in a careful way, getting more out of little, being “fruitful.”
And most important of all, the people were really and truly happy. They shared a deep contentment, a strong self- respect and sense of their own individual values. Women had equal status and respect with the men, the old people had active and respected roles in their extended families, even the boys were brought up to help with the nurturing and compassionate care of the young and old alike, and this was in no way deemed to be “sissy” or unmanly.
Then in the mid 1970’s the Indian government opened the region up to Western tourism.
Over the preceding centuries changes had occurred, but at a pace whereby they could be absorbed into a gently adapting culture. Now the changes were rapid. The people were exposed to money and a seeming Western wealth that they could not comprehend; but of course they were tempted by what they saw. The youngsters saw the fun their Western counterparts were apparently having, with cars and consumerism. The adults saw technology they could not have dreamed of. And a “need” developed that they never knew they had before! And with that need came greed, and all the inevitable trappings of a global economy that relies on continuing growth and consumerism for its furtherance.
The problem was that neither side really understood the other side. The Western tourists only saw what they perceived as poverty, deprivation, lack of education, lack of “basic” conveniences. The Ladakh did not see the darker side of Western society, the aggression and stress, the cancers and heart disease, the pollution, the lack of respect for many of our old folk, left to stare at walls in nursing homes, unloved and lonely.
The author is well qualified to write of this. She has spent much time with the people of Ladakh, since the mid 70’s just as these changes were beginning to happen, to the present day. She speaks their language and has many friends amongst them. She can therefore readily observe and understand both sides of the equation.
In Part One she writes with sensitivity and with first hand knowledge of the traditions and ancient wisdom of the people, witnessed in time before they became tarnished by Western values. In Part Two she charts the changes she saw over the ensuing years not only on their material culture, but more worryingly on their minds, as their lives were significantly and substantially changed, their culture severely damaged. And of course many of those Western societal afflictions came to Ladakh.
In Part Three the author then writes of the lessons to be learnt, and how we should react and behave to limit the evident damage brought by Westernization.
How long is it going to be, she asks us, before we sit up and take notice of the damage inflicted on our world by our global economy, based as it is on unsustainable consumerism and material growth.

We can learn so much from the Ladakh story. When will we listen to our hearts not our minds?”
Norberg – Hodge makes an urgent and vital call to us all to challenge our assumptions that economic growth is good. Influenced by Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful, her work continues within the International Society for Ecology and Culture, promoting locally based alternatives to the global consumer culture, and “a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of cultural and biological diversity, and the strengthening of local communities and economies worldwide.”

I am with Norberg-Hodge all the way on this one. This has to be the way forward. We cannot go on in the same unsustainable ways. And that is pretty much what the demonstrations are about I guess.

Book Review - Ancient Futures

The other day I tuned in to BBC Radio 4, my favourite radio station and heard the tag end of a discussion on the AntiSocial Behaviour Orders, or ASBO's, that we mete out to youngsters who are determined to disrupt our UK neighbourhoods with their less than sociable behaviour. The idea being mooted was that parks for skateboarding and roller blading provided for our youth should be located adjacent to the swings and roundabouts frequented by the smaller children in our play parks. The theory was that the presence of the younger children would have the effect of "softening" the otherwise macho and "tough" youth attitudes.
There may well be something in this. I have just finished a book by Helena Norberg-Hodge, Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh. Ladakh is a beautiful desert land in the Western Himalayas. It has limited resources and an extreme climate. But for 1000 years or more the people there have lived a synergistic life, a life based on mutual aid and cooperation rather than competition, sharing scarce resources and being virtually totally self sufficient. Everything was recycled, there was no waste, and most importantly of all, the people have been undeniably happy. And that happiness incorporates a deep contentment, sound emotional health borne out of a sense of security and belonging to an extended family in a sound community, a strong sense of self worth, with an accompanying strong self respect.
Why did I think of Hodge's book? In Ladakh the children of all ages mix together, along with the adults old and young. From a very early age the children learn to look after those even younger than themselves, and also those of more mature years. There is total respect and compassion between those of all ages and abilities. Jobs seem to get done within the family without any obvious planning or demarcation of roles. Caring and nurturing is not seen in any way as sissy. In fact it is seen as a clear strength amongst the boys. And the older people are an active part of the family, respected for their wisdom and knowledge, up to the day they die. There is little evidence of mental or physical deterioration.
Sadly the incursion of Western tourism into the region has damaged the traditions and the happiness and health of its people. Hodge has a vast experience of these people and their ways, speaks their language, and is superbly qualified to observe and write of the breakdown of their society and values. Her thoughtful and sensitive analysis of all the issues involved is a wake up call to us all. We seriously need to examine and challenge our assumptions in the West that economic growth is the best, indeed the only, measure of success.
You can read my full review of this excellent book on Amazon.
Hodge continues her work on finding a middle way for the economy through The International Society for Ecology and Culture which exists to promote locally based alternatives to the global growth culture. It is a worthy organization to support.
We have come a long way since Hodge first wrote her book, but there is a long way still to go. Nonetheless books such as this give me hope.