Now is the Time for Systemic Change |
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by Jim Tarbell and Ruth Caplan
Declaring “the issue is not issues, the issue is the system,” Ronnie Dugger, Alliance for Democracy's founder, put AfD on the forefront of promoting systemic change to solve the most perplexing problems of our economic and political systems as well as our relationship with nature.
With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement this summer, it is essential that we imbue our relationship with each other with respect and honor. The existing system of white supremacy comes out of 400 years of global conquest and enslavement of people of color. Systemic patriarchal domination rose in prehistoric times to conquer peaceful partnership cultures of the Mediterranean. It has subsequently been enshrined in religious doctrine. Both of these systems have to be replaced by a partnership culture.
Now, with the world aroused by:
The world will be different when we emerge from sheltering-in, after who knows how many
months or years. Let's make sure that it is a world that we all want, a world with:
This Justice Rising is dedicated to these visions, along with the system changes that will be necessary to make them come true. JR thanks Ruth Caplan and Nancy Price for all their help putting this issue together.
Let us take heart and use this moment to imagine building a new economy from the ground up with public banks anchoring the soil so new endeavors can become deeply rooted. We will need a diverse ecosystem of local economies returning nutrients to the economic soil, not a monoculture of Wall Street banks and investment firms stripping the earth of its mutually beneficial local businesses. And we will need to water the earth with local dollars generated by public banks, not flood it when the high dams of Wall Street banks suddenly break, washing away the nutrients along with our local communities.
As Rianne Eisler says, “Every one can play a role in the cultural transformation from domination to partnership. Working together, we can build the foundations for a more peaceful, equitable, sustainable world.” And as Emily Kawano elaborates, “The question is: can we do better by constructing a more just and sustainable economy grounded in our better angels — our impulses of love, solidarity, cooperation, mutualism, and compassion rather than narrow self interest and competition?”
Let us create a political system that is not powered by corporate money barons, but rather by engaged citizens developing public policies for our common good. Only then can we have a political system dedicated to empowering democracy and making space for everyone's voice.
Following the principles of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, let us contribute to the health and integrity of the whole Earth community, recognise, respect and defend the rights of all beings; reject the commodification of Nature; evoke gratitude and humility regarding our place within the universe; and recognize the wisdom and leadership of Indigenous Peoples for their respect for Mother Earth.
Let us continue to come together by rolling up our sleeves and working in our communities and the good earth to grow a new economy and politics for people and nature grounded in the Rights of Nature, not the rights of corporations. Let us live life in fullness, life in splendor; or in the language of Ecuadorian Indigenous leader Luis Macas, sumak kawsa.
Image by Niek Verlaan from Pixabay.
Declaring “the issue is not issues, the issue is the system,” Ronnie Dugger, Alliance for Democracy's founder, put AfD on the forefront of promoting systemic change to solve the most perplexing problems of our economic and political systems as well as our relationship with nature.
With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement this summer, it is essential that we imbue our relationship with each other with respect and honor. The existing system of white supremacy comes out of 400 years of global conquest and enslavement of people of color. Systemic patriarchal domination rose in prehistoric times to conquer peaceful partnership cultures of the Mediterranean. It has subsequently been enshrined in religious doctrine. Both of these systems have to be replaced by a partnership culture.
Now, with the world aroused by:
- The failure of our political system to effectively deal with the pandemic and even guarantee that we will have free and fair elections;
- The failure of our economic system as bankruptcies, evictions and unemployment explode;
- Our domineering relationship over nature causing climate chaos with starvation and mass migrations; and
- Our failure to dismantle white supremacy and domineering patriarchy after our country was founded on the principle that all humans are created equal;
The world will be different when we emerge from sheltering-in, after who knows how many
months or years. Let's make sure that it is a world that we all want, a world with:
- An empowering, inclusive democratic political system;
- An economic system with equal access for everyone where people can develop to their full potential and income equality is paramount;
- A new relationship with nature that recognizes we are all one and that nature has rights of its own, above the rights of property and equal to the rights of humans;
- A new partnership relationship between each other, where no race or ethnic group dominates over others and where all genders of whatever choice are equal and embraced; and
- A truly classless society where the rich no longer use their money power to dominate our economy, politics and culture.
This Justice Rising is dedicated to these visions, along with the system changes that will be necessary to make them come true. JR thanks Ruth Caplan and Nancy Price for all their help putting this issue together.
Let us take heart and use this moment to imagine building a new economy from the ground up with public banks anchoring the soil so new endeavors can become deeply rooted. We will need a diverse ecosystem of local economies returning nutrients to the economic soil, not a monoculture of Wall Street banks and investment firms stripping the earth of its mutually beneficial local businesses. And we will need to water the earth with local dollars generated by public banks, not flood it when the high dams of Wall Street banks suddenly break, washing away the nutrients along with our local communities.
As Rianne Eisler says, “Every one can play a role in the cultural transformation from domination to partnership. Working together, we can build the foundations for a more peaceful, equitable, sustainable world.” And as Emily Kawano elaborates, “The question is: can we do better by constructing a more just and sustainable economy grounded in our better angels — our impulses of love, solidarity, cooperation, mutualism, and compassion rather than narrow self interest and competition?”
Let us create a political system that is not powered by corporate money barons, but rather by engaged citizens developing public policies for our common good. Only then can we have a political system dedicated to empowering democracy and making space for everyone's voice.
Following the principles of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, let us contribute to the health and integrity of the whole Earth community, recognise, respect and defend the rights of all beings; reject the commodification of Nature; evoke gratitude and humility regarding our place within the universe; and recognize the wisdom and leadership of Indigenous Peoples for their respect for Mother Earth.
Let us continue to come together by rolling up our sleeves and working in our communities and the good earth to grow a new economy and politics for people and nature grounded in the Rights of Nature, not the rights of corporations. Let us live life in fullness, life in splendor; or in the language of Ecuadorian Indigenous leader Luis Macas, sumak kawsa.
Image by Niek Verlaan from Pixabay.
