Peacefully Protest, Protect and Build | The Holistic Environmental Movement

Millions of people around the world are engaged in actions for change. For the want of a better name, I call it the Holistic Environmental Movement (HEM). I attach the adjective ‘Holistic’ to indicate that this global movement is and needs to be committed to enhancing the natural environment, the social environment, and the spiritual environment.

I bring these three environments together because if the eco-system is not in good health, there can be no social wellbeing, as it is not possible to have healthy people on a sick planet. Similarly, without social justice, there can be no ecological justice because if large numbers of people are oppressed and struggling for survival they will not have the capacity, the energy, or the opportunity to be mindful of planetary wellbeing. And without spiritual values underpinning and informing our world view, ecological sustainability and social solidarity will remain superficial and skin deep.

We, the activists in this Holistic Environmental Movement, act at three levels simultaneously; we Protest, we Protect and we Build (PPB.)

First, We Protest

First of all, we Protest. We stand up against the unjust order, and against the forces which destroy the fragile ecological network and benign social systems.

All great movements of the past and present have used the way of Protest to highlight the unsustainable exploitation of the natural world and the unjust subjugation of vulnerable people, which has been and still is practiced under the guise of class, caste, race, religion, economic growth or under some other label. The actions of the Extinction Rebellion and the School Strikes of Greta Thunberg and thousands of other young people around the world are two of the recent examples of eco-activism using the way of the Protest. Similarly, worldwide demonstrations organized by Black Lives Matter are examples of Protest as social activism.

Of course Protest movements, in order to be inclusive of all ordinary citizens, must be carried out non-violently and peacefully. History shows that through non-violent activism and passive resistance great changes have been and can be accomplished. The movements led by Mahatma Gandhi for India‘s Independence and by Martin Luther King for racial harmony in the USA are two of the many shining stories of nonviolent resistance that applied the method of Protest against unjust social orders.

But Protest alone is not enough. We also need to Protect the existing cultures and systems which are good, decentralized, regenerative, and sustainable, such as local economies, Indigenous cultures, and human-scale organic farms. We need to protect biodiversity and cultural diversity.

Next, We Protect

In the name of progress and development, tried and tested social traditions and practices are constantly being destroyed. Indigenous communities are treated as backward, even savage, and forced to adopt the ways of so-called civilization. In this speedy urbanization, large numbers of thriving villages and rural communities are being devastated. In the process of rapid industrialization and mechanization, arts, crafts, and cottage Industries are being eliminated. Self-sustaining small farmers, who still produce 60% to 70% of the world’s food, are increasingly marginalized and their livelihoods are threatened. In pursuit of rapid globalization, local economies are emasculated. Of course, we Protest against these trends and against energy-intensive production, wasteful consumption, and limitless carbon emissions which are causing global warming. But we do more than Protest; we work to ensure that these coherent communities and ancient cultures are respected, cherished, and Protected.

This stride towards the Protection of existing, durable cultures is not enough. We also need to Build alternatives. We need to Build decentralized local economies, sustainable, small scale businesses, and regenerative farming projects such as agroecology and permaculture. We also need to create new educational institutions and learning programs to teach the young and the old how to live well, without damaging the integrity of our precious earth and without undermining the wellbeing of all life. Human life as well as other than human life. We need to build community-owned energy systems derived from wind, water, and sun. We need to build new and resilient communities of people who are committed to a way of life rooted in solidarity, cooperation, and mutual aid. Such successful alternative examples can and will inspire and persuade the unconverted to engage in constructive activities leading to a more resilient and regenerative future.

The trinity of Protest, Protect, and Build is not limited to external transformation only. To complement external transformation we need internal transformation which nourishes the spiritual environment.

In order to Protest successfully against materialism, consumerism, greed, and lust for power and money we need to embrace non-materialistic values. And in order to Protect community cohesion and social harmony we need to cultivate altruism and go beyond the egotistical chase for name, fame, recognition, status, and position.

For such inner transformation, we need a change of heart, a change of attitude, a change of values and philosophy, a change of our world view, and ultimately a change of consciousness. The external transformation has to go hand in hand with internal transformation. They are two sides of the same coin!

Our actions of Protest and Protect need to be rooted in deep recognition of the unity and dignity of life and in a profound conviction that all life is sacred. By embracing a sense of the sacred we cultivate compassion and reverence for all life. We cultivate frugality, simplicity, moderation, and restraint. We, ourselves become the embodiment of change while demanding external systems to change. Personal transformation and political transformation become a simultaneous process, like walking on two legs.

Finally, We Build

The global Holistic Environmental Movement goes beyond the dualistic trap of capitalism vs. socialism. Both these ‘isms’ are anthropocentric. Whereas HEM is bio-centric.

Capitalism puts financial capital and the profit motive at the center of all human activity. In capitalism, people become instruments of profit and nature becomes a resource for the economy. Whereas in HEM money and the economy are merely means to an end, and the end is to create wellbeing for people and for planet earth. Nature is not a resource for the economy to be exploited for financial gain, nature is the source of life itself.

Socialism, as the word implies, puts social interest above the interest of the natural environment. Historically socialism has turned out to involve large scale, centralized, and industrialized state capitalism. Democratic Socialism is of course better than capitalism but the word socialism is anthropocentric. Environmentalists advocate social solidarity and social justice but they do not adhere to any one particular political philosophy. Moreover social justice and earth jurisprudence are an integral part of each other.

HEM promotes local, decentralized, human scale, pluralist, and bottom-up economics and politics through participatory democracy. Environmentalists put the quality of life above the quantity of production and consumption. They focus on the growth of the wellbeing of people and the planet earth rather than on economic growth. Within the view of ‘deep ecology’ economies and politics should serve the interest of Mother Earth as much as the interest of people. The rights of Mother Earth are as fundamental as human rights. There is no contradiction between the two.

We may never accomplish a perfect state of natural harmony or social solidarity or personal enlightenment but we keep striving towards such a balanced way of being. Transformation is a lifelong journey and not a destination. Transformation is a process and not a product. Transformation is a continuous evolution and not a static state.

Peace activist and environmentalist, Satish Kumar is one of many inspiring presenters at Global Days of Unity. You can view his profile and offerings HERE.