The United Nations designated July 4, 2009, as the
International Day of Cooperatives. The theme of this year's observance was
“Driving Global Recovery Through Cooperatives”.
The Corporation dominates daily; the Cooperative is less known. While the
corporate model tends to be global, remote and profit-oriented, the cooperative
is more local and people-centred. Cooperatives provide strong alternative
business models and institutional diversity for resilience, particularly in
times of distress.
A Cooperative is a mutual self-help society, “an autonomous association of
persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural
needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled
enterprise”. It is not a charity, nor is it not-for-profit, but doing business
at a fair wage and price with any surplus at year's end distributed to
customers/workers/members.
One of the earliest cooperatives, the Weaver's Society, was formed about 250
years ago in Fenwick, Scotland, to sell discounted oatmeal to local workers. Its
services expanded to include assistance with savings and loans, emigration and
education. Today we find housing cooperatives, agricultural cooperatives,
consumer's cooperatives, and banking cooperatives, to name a few.
Cooperatives are united by a sense of social responsibility and concern for the
community in which they operate. “Common to the whole cooperative movement are
the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and
solidarity”. One of the lessons to be learned from the history of the movement
is that by identifying common interests and uniting them with deep values,
people make a difference in their own lives, the lives of those around them and
in the world.
The Secretary General of the U.N. declared: “Cooperatives deserve greater
support. The economic model of cooperatives is based not on charity but on
self-help and reciprocity. In countries hit by the credit crisis, the
cooperative bank and credit union sector expanded lending when other financial
institutions had cut back, easing the impact...on the most vulnerable.”
Like other groups, to be stable and effective, Cooperatives need leaders and
members who embody serenity, imagination, creativity, initiative and wisdom, the
development of which underlies the work of New Acropolis in its person-centred
Philosophy training.
Despereaux is not your regular mouse. At school, he is reprimanded for drawing a
cat on his workbook, for refusing to scurry and cower in a corner, for willingly
setting off more than 20 mousetraps…
His teacher tries to reason with him: “There are so many things to fear in this
world. You just need to recognize them….”
At the library where his older brother tries to teach him to nibble on the
corners of books, he discovers a tale of chivalry. Honour, courage, generosity,
fraternity… His world is suddenly turned upside down.
Banished for bravery, incompatible with the life of a mouse, he begins his quest
to free the princess of the country of soup… Generous in spirit, he dares to do
what even the humans have given up on.
This movie, recently released for home distribution, will appeal to the noble
heart of any parent whose own inner flame of heroism continues to flicker in
hope.
Over the past few years, the world of children’s movies and television has been
overflowing with cynicism and superficial agitation. Movies are sometimes for
blasé parents who are looking for a little sociological analysis. We watch them
with our children, but each of us is in our own world. And it is the magic that
gets left behind… But Despereaux, in the footsteps of Ratatouille, brings an air
of freshness, beauty and nobility.
For parents who are philosophers, choosing children’s movies can sometimes be a
challenge. Despereaux the mouse will provide you with a lesson in humanity and
will inspire in your children some of the confidence in life and knightly
courage that
the disillusionment of Shrek may have taken away from them.
Michael Jackson, like every human being, was a mystery of
consciousness.
Before he had the power to be responsible for himself, he was foisted into
celebrity culture, which he shaped – and was shaped by – for the remainder of
his life. For 45 years in the spotlight, he endeavoured to give the best of
himself to others. A talented, professional, hardworking entertainer, Jackson
genuinely loved and appreciated his fans. He touched people in an inexplicable
way, demonstrated by the craze that followed him wherever he went and the
outpouring of grief upon his death from millions of people around the globe. And
while our materialistic culture expresses “shock” at the death of a relatively
young celebrity, the grief experienced by his fans is genuine.
This may give us pause to reflect on the “cult” of celebrity that our world
worships … How undisciplined minds fantasize a persona about their idols,
develop affection and feel deeply connected to strangers that don’t even know of
their existence …
Like each human being Jackson was fraught with idiosyncrasies and consequently
subject to the opinions of others: intense public scrutiny, in his case, from
being in the glare of an omnipresent spotlight. Larger than the average life,
the paradoxes of Michael Jackson can serve as a mirror for our own. Each person
has knots, shadows and challenges deep within the personality – which we suffer,
live with, or successfully overcome. Each person is blessed with gifts and
opportunities that can be developed and pursued to benefit oneself alone or to
benefit others as well. Jackson gave everything that he could – of his talents,
advantages, and earnings – during his time, although his life served to remind
us that money and fame don’t buy happiness.
Like anyone’s death, Jackson’s invites us to reflect on our own lives and
legacy.
What is the message of his life – beyond all of its tribulation, and the media
frenzy that pursued him? Jackson brought much joy, love, and kindness to
millions of people on the planet. He used his celebrity status to actively
support many causes that benefited children around the globe, as well as other
health and animal welfare causes. He often stepped out of the spotlight to
conduct this work, too. It was his mission to bring healing to people,
especially children in difficulty and to a humanity suffering much pain and
ignorance.
Throughout Jackson’s work over the decades, emerge themes of hope for humanity,
a call to change ourselves and the world, and a cry to respond to the injustices
rampant on our planet. An idealist, Jackson invited people to move beyond
conflict and to build bridges of tolerance. Let us learn from this legacy as we
build our own, towards a world with more goodness, justice and harmony.
According to a new film documentary, Food Inc., the
industrial food production system is riddled with greed, inhumanity, impurity
and dishonesty.
The purpose of the food business is profit not nourishment. Four or five large
agro-businesses control 80% of the food industry, including the lives of
workers, animals and plants, and to a large extent the health of citizens.
Crowded living conditions of chickens, pigs and cattle are so appalling and
their treatment so inhumane that outside observation is prohibited. In addition,
the industry power dictates that government regulatory bodies are often led by
former officials or advisors of the said corporations. Their advertising and
public relations departments paint a rosy picture that hides the true state of
affairs of the food we buy, including the use of chemicals and growth hormones,
and the integration of corn in prepared foods.
Centralization of the industry started about 40 years ago with the advent of the
fast food industry that demanded standardized and cheap products that could be
handled by young and inexperienced labourers performing one standard repetitive
task. Likewise, on large factory farms and slaughter houses, unskilled workers
and migrants process carcasses on dirty and dangerous “assembly” lines.
Farm operators, too, find themselves beholden to the corporations who lend money
to finance large costly buildings, and demand constant upgrading keeping the
operators in a continued state of bondage. Patent protection on genetically
modified plants prevents farmers from harvesting their own seeds, thereby
forcing them to buy new seed every year from a supplier such as Monsanto.
Life is a gift of Nature, an interconnected mystery. Animals and plants exist as
beings in their own right, not just to pleasure and benefit human beings. Modern
society has much to learn from older and traditional societies that treated
plants and animals with respect, often ceremoniously thanking them for
sacrificing their lives for the welfare of the tribe.
But what can we do? Take initiative. Know the story behind the supermarket
shelves. Study the ingredients of prepared foods before buying. Try to find
locally produced food and be prepared to pay more. Make a small garden if
possible. Cook at home. Often emulate vegetarian friends. Take responsibility
for our lives to build a better world and diminish the power and control of
external agents.
Former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Bill
Russell, who played in the NBA from 1956 to 1969, was a player who rejected
individual honours in pursuit of the greater good of the team. He was five times
named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, twelve times an All Star, and won 11
championships in his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics. A rounded player
who contributed both offensively and defensively, many consider Russell one of
the game’s greatest players. “Individual stats are great for golf, tennis and
most track and field [events]…but I played a team sport.” To Russell’s mind,
“the only important thing is how does my play impact my team’s winning or
losing.”
This healthy, philosophical attitude is one that could allow us to obtain
positive outcomes if we considered the impact of our actions on the great web of
life which connects us all. Questions to ask: How do my actions impact me,
physically and mentally? How do they impact my fellow beings, the society in
which I live, the Earth which sustains me?
Russell goes on to speak about his practical approach to varying situations,
both on and off the court. “…You come to a situation and it’s neither good nor
bad, it just is, and what it means to you is what’s your take on it. But the
second part of the equation is what are you going to do about it? A lot of
times, I’m completely wrong, but all you do is back up and start over.”
Russell’s perspective on life echoes the attitude exemplified and taught by many
of the great philosophers in history, from the Vedic sages to Plato and
Shakespeare. We come across myriad situations in life, none intrinsically ‘good’
or ‘bad’, but all situations requiring attention, consideration and action. We
can allow them to stress or exhilarate. We can also, with elevated perspective,
manage each in turn with our own capacities, manifest or hidden, and guide each
situation in such a way that they not only aid in the accomplishment of our
goals, with individual and collective goods in mind, but also so that they aid
in shaping our character and strengthening us as human beings.
“The Earth is a miracle. That which is living remains a
mystery.” This wonderful proclamation is made by the narrator of the movie Home,
a veritable love song to the Earth.
If Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s movie is a celebration of the beauty of our planet
through arresting images of the natural world, its urgent message about the
accelerating and tragic degradation of our world is itself a manifesto directed
at the heart, conscience and intelligence of humanity.
Twenty percent of the Earth’s population consumes 80% of its riches, says the
photographer, who became a cinematographer to respond to the urgent needs of
this cause. We know this, but do we understand the true scale of this reality?
Life on Earth took billions of years to develop into the complexity we know
today and, in the space of 50 years, we have disrupted this balance. “We are in
the process of breaking the cycle of life that was given to us,” we hear in the
just narration of this well-documented movie.
“Everything is accelerating,” highlights the narrator, while the impact of human
activity on the environment is increasingly dramatic. We know this truth, but we
do not want to believe it. Isn’t this denial rooted in another belief: that of
endless progress based on material comfort?
After the planetary launch of the movie, the Home event continues. An invitation
has been extended to as many individuals as possible to view the movie by June
14. The number of people who have seen the documentary will then be compiled and
will serve as a manifesto addressed to the world’s leaders.
Following the film’s release, the David Suzuki Foundation is asking the
population to hold forums and discussion tables on the theme “Imagine the world
in 10 to 15 years.”
These are so many opportunities to reflect on ourselves and the links we have
with nature, to gain an awareness of our responsibilities and to learn from the
world we live in. As philosopher Delia Guzman Steinberg writes, “Studying nature
makes one humble.” If our times demand action, they demand action that is
enlightened by a love of wisdom.
This week Canada's Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, stated
that the year's deficit will be $50 billion dollars: the government will spend
$50 billion more than it collects in taxes. Future generations must pay it back,
with interest, over and above their regular commitments, similar to mortgages
and student loans.
Some of the money will provide temporary relief to those suffering from loss of
income and employment. Some will go to corporations and shareholders in danger
of bankruptcy. Some will be used to build long term infrastructure and create
jobs. But in the light of justice, what is the correlation between those who
will pay the debt and those benefiting from it?
Individuals and families whose desires have driven them to bigger homes,
luxurious automobiles, fashionable clothes and unbridled consumerism, encouraged
by corporations and governments, are turning to money/credit card debt with high
interest rates to buy “happiness”. This temporary solution can only delay for a
short time the day of reckoning when simplicity, frugality and the intangible
will demand attention.
While we tend to equate wealth with money and material things, money is only a
medium of exchange. True wealth is found in Nature - pure water, clean air,
sunshine and rich earth on which life depends. Nature is the real source of the
economy, politics, education and spirituality. Nature is Life.
For our interconnection with other beings on land, below the surface, in the
air, and in the waters, human beings are a privileged part, and our debt is an
enormous one. We are part of the web of life, its magic and its mystery.
To our ancestors, heroes and teachers who have helped us to become individuals
by showing us how to conquer virtues by defeating faults, we owe more than we
can imagine. The legacies of Confucius, Plato, Marcus Aurelius, Buddha and our
Native Shamans, among others, have left a body of Wisdom and ways of elevating
humanity so truth, beauty, generosity, elegance, respect and other sacred values
can be part of our relationships and communities.
New Acropolis is part of those legacies in more than 50 countries where Timeless
Values are learned and where stability, serenity, creativity and initiative are
developed in order to build a better world.
This was the theme of the 5th World Environmental
Education Congress, held in Montreal this past May 10 to 14.
The subject certainly grabs our attention and requires serious consideration
since it underscores the major challenges facing us and future generations.
This environmental congress involved hundreds of lecturers and delegates from
all five continents who came together to discuss and contribute reflections on
the following issues:
? How can environmental education add meaning to our lives?
? How can environmental education contribute to social innovation?
? How can environmental education contribute to political innovation and
influence public policies?
These major questions help us with our necessary reflection on the environmental
crisis we are confronted with. However, the challenge is considerable when we
understand that our modern societies no longer know how to recognize the
intelligence of nature.
“People have lost their connection with nature. We believe that environmental
education must restore this connection, and we must find concrete ways to
achieve this,” explains Ms. Lucie Sauvé, Congress Co-chair.
If it took us four centuries to lose this connection with the Earth, with all of
the imbalances it brings, we will undoubtedly need generations of education,
love, will and the transmission of a culture in harmony with Nature in order to
restore it, to revive the meaning of life and profoundly human values in order
to rediscover, once again, the art of living together.
The philosopher Pythagoras said, “I am not wise; I am a friend of nature and
nature is wise.” It is high time for us to return to that which is essential and
sow the seeds for a new and better world, which can only take root in the heart
of each and every one of us.
Recent media coverage have brought to light allegations
of unethical, perhaps illegal, conduct of people in positions of trust: a
(former) prime minister accepting secret cash payments in clandestine meetings,
a member of parliament mistreating recent arrivals to the country, a mayor
buying off a challenger prior to an election.
Other disturbing pictures (which we aren't allowed to see) relate to
dehumanization: the use of torture to extract confessions to justify war, use of
drones and robots with ordnances firing white phosphorus, cluster bombs and
depleted uranium to kill, maim and poison people and the environment for years
to come.
Words today such as insurgent, terrorist or militant, as in Alice in Wonderland,
mean “just what I choose it to mean.” The euphemism “collateral damage” is used
as a cover for the truth of civilian casualties.
President Eisenhower on leaving office in 1961 warned against “the acquisition
of unwarranted influence by the military industrial complex...and the disastrous
rise of misplaced power.”
Eisenhower in 1961 could have been talking about the current financial crisis:
“We must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own ease
and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow...(and) mortgage the material
assets of our grandchildren... risking the loss of their political and spiritual
heritage”. With corporate bailouts and war expenditures, there is a colossal
transfer of “wealth” from the have-nots to the haves by mortgaging the former
into long term indentured servitude.
Over 25 years ago Jorge Livraga, among others, foresaw the beginning of a Middle
Age. Some skeptically conceded that it might happen at some very distant date,
but not soon. Middle Ages are periods of insecurity in all aspects of life with
abject poverty affecting large segments of society. The last Middle Age in the
Europe lasted about 1000 years from the fall of the Roman Empire about 500 CE to
1500 CE, with the Renaissance.
Recent events suggest that we are indeed at headed to another Middle Age. It's a
human crisis with the descent of the higher values of respect, generosity,
fraternity, dignity, kindness, integrity and community. Greed, denial, ignorance
and corruption are gaining ground.
Let's be inspired and live by the moral, intellectual and spiritual values
contained in the traditions of Antiquity and transmit them to future generations
with the hope of another Renaissance in less than ten centuries!
New Acropolis recently held an international philosophy
symposium in Croatia, attended by more than 500 researchers from the
approximately 50 countries where our international organization is established.
The proposed theme was the New Middle Ages.
The participants worked to verify if, in fact, as some thinkers say, today’s
signs of the times present neo-medieval characteristics, given that we have been
in a transition phase for some years now in our political, cultural and economic
models — the kind of transition that has been seen many times throughout
History.
Thirty years ago, when Jorge Angel Livraga, Furio Colombo and Umberto Eco, among
others, proposed this neo-medieval hypothesis, many thought that it was a
metaphor that, if it was to become reality one day, would only happen far into
the future.
Today, the Middle Ages seem to have taken root in our world, with the specific
characteristics that differentiate this period from the preceding one, that is,
the period following the disintegration of the Roman Empire in the West.
The financial and economic crisis we are currently experiencing, the result of a
more profound moral and psychological crisis, is one symptom that should lead
citizens to greatly modify their attitude toward life and review their values
and perspectives.
The works tabled during the symposium signal the variety of nuances and
intensity of these new Middle Ages, based on many factors, including the
geographic origin of the researchers presenting their research.
One characteristic appears in all Middle Ages in general — and in the current
Middle Ages in particular: the insecurity that sets in in all areas of life (and
not only an insecurity affecting cities), combined with the ongoing threat of
poverty and marginality that affects whole swaths of the population.
The future is ever more uncertain. A person’s integrity is threatened, even in
the simplest daily movements, because the danger spreads everywhere. Uncertainty
also threatens health, since it is possible to identify sources of contagious
diseases that appear as pandemics, recalling the terrible medieval plagues that
decimated the population.
Faced with this situation, with its apocalyptic undertones, New Acropolis
reaffirms its educational role, since developing spiritual and moral qualities
is the best way to uncover new keys to guide the Renaissance we all wish for. We
must continue to increase our efforts to help the most disadvantaged transition
through this era with as much dignity as possible.
It is time to draw once again on the immense reserves of knowledge and wisdom to
rediscover the keys to a new, more just cycle that will enable humanity to
overcome disasters and crises, as at other times in history.
A gambling addict in Ontario has recently launched a $3.5 billion lawsuit
against the Ontario Lottery and Gambling Corporation (OLG) for failing to stop
him for gambling, which had caused him his fortune and his family. In the
lawsuit, the gambler argues that OLG allowed him to keep gambling even though he
had authorized them through a self-exclusion program to stop him from entering
casinos. This lawsuit has revealed a growing concern in gambling addiction and
that it affects thousands of people, yet it also shows an interesting twist in
the sense of responsibility (or lack of).
Since gambling has become legalized in Ontario, it has become a very lucrative
business for the government. The OLG has marketed gambling as fun, and put
solely the responsibility to the gamblers to control themselves. Meanwhile,
problem gamblers think that through a self-exclusion program, they can totally
disown their responsibility in dealing with their addiction, and depend on
others to stop them.
In ancient Greece, when people did not see that they could control their own
destiny, when they did not see the cause and effects of their own actions, they
resorted to worship Tyche, the goddess of luck and fortune, hoping to get her
favour, and that random chance will make their life better, somehow.
Interestingly, study shows that people with gambling difficulties also cite
emotional problems of loneliness and depression, as well as financial and
spousal problems. Somehow, they are using gambling as a means to resolve (or
escape) their problems.
So we have citizens hoping that luck will help them out of their problems, and a
government that is taking advantage of the fragility of her citizens. Nobody
wants to take any responsibilities. It is very far from Plato’s ideal state
where a government inspires and elevates her citizens to reach the best of
themselves and individuals can blossom as a human being.
Wisdom traditions are teaching us that change comes from taking responsibility
of a situation, and that we can build our own destiny through intelligent
action. At the moment of crisis and crossroads, we need to call upon the best
and ethical of ourselves to build a new and better world, not luck’s favour; be
actors, not spectators.
It is always interesting to look into the meanings
assigned to words because they often reveal certain aspects of a society’s
values. In our contemporary world, for example, the word “responsibility” has
become charged with meaning. Once understood as the state of being responsible
for one’s actions, it is now too often reduced to the notion of guilt, to the
point where all other meanings have been eliminated. The person responsible has
thus become the guilty party, as though responsibility and culpability are one
and the same.
This explains why we can no longer find out who is responsible and why we see a
collective denial of responsibility. In times like ours, it is rather difficult
to find those who are responsible. However, we cannot face the challenges of
today’s world without reviving the meaning of human responsibility.
An article by philosopher Laura Winckler published recently in the French
magazine “Acropolis” explains the etymology of the word “‘responsibility,’ which
comes from the Latin ‘responsum’ and ‘de respondere,’ meaning to vouch for, to
be aware of what we can be answerable for.” Responsible individuals are able to
assume their actions and face reality by taking on collective duties.
In a recent text, Quebec editorialist Michel Venne wrote, “The time has come for
responsible individuals. It is a demanding time. We are finding it a bit
difficult to enter into this new era. This is due in part to the fact that, to
assume responsibilities beyond our personal interests, we need to believe that
others will do the same. For this to happen, some kind of consensus must exist
around a shared ideal, a common mission, a unifying aim.”
Visions of the world founded on the laws of life, present in all traditional
philosophies, provide us with this shared ideal that humanity currently needs in
order to act in a coordinated manner. As philosopher Jorge Angel Livraga wrote,
“Our freedom comes not in abandoning obligations, but in assuming
responsibilities.”
All large corporations today must display their values on their websites. It is
a question of image. It could be a question of governance, but this would be too
far from reality. Still today, we have the impression that CEOs of large
organizations systematically provide a Ronald McDonald smile when they are asked
about values.
Just think of the director of a multinational seen in the documentary The
Corporation. He is seen filming a segment on corporate values and symbols,
evoking the image of an eagle with its nobility, power, elevation, penetrating
gaze, etc. At the end, not realizing that the camera is still filming, he stands
up and lets slip the comment, “OK, guys, enough bullshit.”
It’s all there. Corporations need values but don’t yet know it. They give in to
pressure from the public, which demands behaviour that is a little bit more
ethical, but they still do not believe in it.
Those sincere efforts that have been made are still immature. There is confusion
between values and professional codes of ethics. A value is not simply a rule of
behaviour. According to René Villemure, founder of the Institut québécois
d’éthique appliquée [Quebec institute of applied ethics], “True values are not a
means to an end, but the end in themselves. A value must not answer the question
“how” but “why.”
A new accounting-related term has made its appearance: “return on value.” But as
long as businesses continue to perceive the human being as strictly a
stakeholder or a consumer, they will find it difficult to develop a genuine
interest in values.
There is one considerable obstacle: human beings must live with the consequences
of their actions and words. A corporation can sell its name or go bankrupt and
reappear under another name on the same day, free from any obligation,
responsibility or scruple…
The criterion of truth is always production for stakeholders and managers, who
are themselves human beings with families and who live in a society. But as
stakeholders or CEOs, they become dehumanized abstractions. As proof, we need
only recognize that the stakeholders, without realizing it, are often you and
me…
Is our appetite for ever more and cheaper goods part of
why we have an economic crisis? That’s the question and discussion that have
been generated recently in a newspaper column.
Shoppers want a bargain, and with the economic situation worsening, more and
more want to buy cheaper goods. But does this very act get us into trouble in
the first place?
There may be a tendency to equate cheap with bargain. We want more, and yet not
wanting to pay the price. However, have we noticed that the clothes that we buy
do not last two washes? The CD player that does not work after three months?
Drawers that do not close properly? What have we traded for? Quality, of course.
Fashion changes constantly, and nobody can catch up unless things are cheap, one
may reason, and since things are so cheap, there is less reluctance to throw
things out. In a global market, the cost of production has to be kept low for
competition. So, in recent years, more and more of cheaper goods are produced
and we keep throwing them away. And at what costs? Costs that cannot be
quantified, e.g. impact on the environment, working conditions.
Worse still, we have lost the ability to recognize and appreciate quality. Where
can we find quality these days even if we want to? Brand name? Price? Brand name
now equates more with prestige than reassurance of quality, and price indicates
more the ability of merchants to squeeze out of workers and consumers than the
true value of the merchandize. And without noticing, when quality is lost, we
try to compensate it through quantity.
We have to relearn the art of quality, of things well done, of appreciating
beauty beyond fashion, of recognizing true values. We may be surprised to find
that with quality, we can be happier with much less.
Cultivating the art of quality within ourselves and in our actions is at the
centre of philosophy in the classical manner, which shows us the way to a
fulfilling and sustainable life, respectful of the community and its
environment.
The global collapse of financial systems has been a long
time coming. Since its unwelcomed, though foreseeable, onset, there has been
much finger pointing – individuals, CEOs, CFOs, companies, unions – those
responsible for putting the rest of us in such a mess! In reality, it is
impossible to isolate any single cause.
In 1995, trader Nick Leeson was working for Barings Bank where, for years, he
had been hiding losses in the tens of millions of dollars, while reporting
fictitious profits. Many within the company benefited financially from these
reported ‘profits’. When everything came crashing down, Leeson had lost more
than a billion dollars and a jail cell became his new home. While incarcerated,
he penned his autobiography Rogue Trader.
Upon reflection, however, there was nothing rogue about Leeson or his
activities. They were generated, encouraged and supported by the system in which
Leeson placed himself. Business professor Ian Greener writes that “whenever
significant fraud occurs, the central protagonist is always portrayed…as acting
alone and subverting the system. But …for significant fraud to occur, the
fraudster must be trusted and even protected by those around him or her.” As
Leeson admits, his actions were such that Barings management “had to know
something was wrong.”
Leeson was not unusual in the financial industry. He was not a rogue. He simply
operated in an environment in which “incentives are all geared toward the
maximization of profit.” Each of us, in our actions – business or personal –
supports one system or another, one way of thinking or another, one way of life
or another. The question is: Do we consciously support systems in line with our
values or beliefs or do we allow ourselves to go with the current, unaware of
the impacts of our actions? Each action we undertake is a choice and each choice
generates consequences. We ought, then, to strive toward consequences achieved
consciously and in harmony with our values.
Many parents and educators are concerned by the
increasing challenge faced by many children to focus, concentrate and pay
attention. Consequences of this challenge include poor academic performance,
difficulty learning and remembering, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulty
to forge sincere, meaningful friendships. Unable to control one’s own mind
leaves young people vulnerable to external mental influences such as peer
pressure, negative media and a generally superficial culture.
Pharmaceutical companies advocate for the administration of drugs such as
Ritalin as a “fix” to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. After many years
of this approach, some psychologists, psychiatrists and parents are seeking
drug-free alternatives and are drawing inspiration from various initiatives.
Educators, psychologists and psychiatrists are coming up with “staggering
results” in the improvement of children’s attention skills using more
traditional methods of development such as calming the mental landscape which
then opens it up as fertile ground for attentive learning.
“Mindfulness education” has been implemented in some West Coast elementary
schools, using breathing and imagination exercises to calm the students’ minds
for ten minutes each day before lessons begin. Researchers and teachers have
noticed that children are calmer, more focused, have better academic results.
Additionally, they are more inclined to respond to situations rather than to
automatically react; as children become more attuned to their inner reality,
they also develop more empathy toward others.
The programs run by New Acropolis internationally, for children and adults, also
herald similar results: individuals that are more attentive, self-controlled,
other-centred and happy, as a result of a conscientious training of our mind. By
strengthening attention, memory and imagination, we give ourselves the
opportunity to exercise more fully the limitless power of our mind. Traditional
teachings around the world insist that human beings need to harness and develop
this fabulous tool, as the foundation for living harmoniously with oneself,
others and the planet.
If it is true that the challenges facing civilization
today are forcing us to re-examine our values and priorities at a profound
level, now more than ever, we must also re-evaluate our skills and ask ourselves
what we will need to face a future that we ourselves have cast a shadow over.
In his book Five Minds for the Future, psychologist Howard Gardner asks what
aptitudes and qualities we must cultivate to meet the current global crisis.
In the contemporary social landscape, his conclusions are surprising.
Intelligence can no longer be understood in terms of IQ or mental agility, but
more in terms of human capabilities. He has chosen five that he believes are key
to a successful transition through unstable times: discipline, a synthesizing
mind, creativity, respect and ethics. These virtues are not new; they have
always served as a foundation for character formation in traditional societies.
Reviving these timeless values, some of which seem to have been rejected long
ago by our culture, is essential today for the survival of humanity. But again,
we must ask ourselves how we can bring these qualities out in individuals when
the way in which our society transmits knowledge does not reflect them.
On the contrary, the temporal values of modern society continue to give
precedence to an accumulation of intellectual knowledge instead of encouraging
individuals to develop the art of thinking for themselves. Intelligence is
measured as an ability to absorb quantities of data that are then, for example,
regurgitated under pressure in an exam.
The growing phenomenon of “smart drugs” (Ritalin, Alertec, etc.) among
university students and professionals, the subject of a recent report in a
Quebec magazine, is an example of this. We are thus quite a long way from
stimulating the forms of intelligence we will need in the future.
These virtues have nonetheless been developed by humanity in all schools of
philosophy in the classical manner, which aim to train happy, fulfilled
individuals who are masters of themselves, creative and thus able to assume
responsibilities within the city and contribute to social harmony and peace.
This is how character is developed. We would no longer try to resolve our
problems by accumulating knowledge or by developing new technologies or
techniques, but rather by fostering the ability to embody a quality of being.
This week's news highlights attempts to fix the economic
system. While toxic assets, bonuses, and bailouts take centre stage, the
background beliefs, ethics and values get much less attention.
The British governments chief scientific advisor warns of a perfect storm of
food shortages, scarce water and high energy costs that will hit the global
economy in the next ten to twenty years. To continue a course using personal and
national debt to feed high levels of economic growth is unsustainable. There is
also the debt to nature: the constant depletion of topsoil, forests, fresh water
and biodiversity.
Chris Hedges, graduate of the Harvard Divinity School and former correspondent
for the New York Times notes that “we kneel before the cult of the self,
elaborately constructed by the architects of the consumer society, which
dismisses compassion, sacrifice for the less fortunate, and honesty...Success,
always defined in terms of money or power, is its own justification. The
capacity for manipulation is what is most highly prized.”
John Ralston Saul writes that values have been crushed. “Imagination,
creativity, moral balance, knowledge, common sense, a social view wither...what
is encouraged is growth of an undisciplined self-interest in which winning is
what counts.” University graduates often accept the ways of questionable
corporate culture because they have not been taught to think morally or
ethically.
Confucius, 2500 years ago, made a link between personal ethics, politics and
leadership. To have a just harmonious society we need to start with ourselves
because outer order comes through inner order. He taught that there is no
difference between ethics and politics.
This great master, like many others, emphasized the importance of education to
cultivate ones own inner being of love, beauty, harmony, justice and compassion,
and to want the same for others. When we overcome our own tyranny, there would
be order in us, order in the family, and order in society. An awakened leader
who leads by example gives space for others to cultivate their own human and
spiritual qualities.
In 1998, the United Nations General Assembly special
session (UNGASS) reviewed the existing global drug control policy and decided to
continue with elimination and prohibition: to reduce the cultivation of the coca
bush, the cannabis plant and the opium poppy by 2008, and to punish dealers and
users.
In March 2009, the UNGASS meeting in Vienna admitted to losing the global war on
drugs. The use of cannabis, cocaine, heroin and other drugs had not decreased,
HIV/AIDS and hepatitis rates globally continue to escalate, trade often
expanded, and crop spraying in Columbia and Bolivia threatened public health.
Existing policies have indirectly created “a criminal market of macro-economic
size”, having an estimated value of $300 billion. They affect the health of
users and result in the murder of thousands, including innocent bystanders, as
drug cartels claim and defend economic turf. The U.S alone spends nearly $15
billion a year trying to eradicate the illicit drug trade.
Opposition to change comes from those who benefit - the prison industry, defence
companies and paramilitary firms - as well as voters who regard drug trafficking
and use as a criminal activity. If the war on producers, sellers and users has
failed, what can be done?
Antonia Maria Costa, head of the UN Office on drugs and crime believes that we
still need law enforcement. “But the heart of the matter is to bring back
health, prevention and treatment to the centre of drug control.” Replace fear,
prejudice and punitive prohibitions with common sense, science, public health
and human rights.”
Eight years ago, Portugal decriminalized marijuana, cocaine and heroin. It has
enabled them to manage drug related problems more effectively and .the nightmare
scenarios warned by decriminalization opponents have, quite plainly, never
materialized.”
Should we criminalize, eradicate, prohibit, assist or legalize? What is the best
way to remove the greed and the profit motive for the growers and the cartels,
and to assist those endangered by physical and existential pain? The problem is
multi-faceted, affecting people directly and indirectly all across society.
There are numerous questions, few clear answers and much to deliberate on.
Whatever the course of action of our own government or of international bodies,
we can expect controversy, opposition, and difficulties along the way – fitting
right in with the times!
Recent corporate financial troubles have sent shock waves
across society, effects felt by many, of people losing their jobs, their
businesses, their homes or their savings. Most of the focus, thus far, has been
on the economic impact, primarily around discussions of how to bail out failed
businesses, and how to help people cope financially with the economic
challenges. Some, finally, are asking how we got to our current situation in the
first place.
Dr. Peggy Cunningham, the director of a Canadian business school, recently
recalled someone having pointed out to her that business schools have “created a
generation of monsters”, and she thinks that business schools have to take a
hard look at themselves “to see the kind of people we are graduating and take
our responsibility very much to heart in terms of the models we use to graduate
these people.”
She thinks the model focuses too much “on individualism – not only of individual
success but individualism of one business pitted against another…businesses and
individuals who don’t believe they are embedded in a wider social system and are
accountable to this wider system.” She notes that the competitive and
individualistic models have become unsustainable. Indeed, if greed is the
motivator, and if what makes “one person rich is to make two-thirds of the rest
of the world poor”, it is not only unsustainable, it is unethical. Recognizing
this, she is building a business program around the concept of responsible
leadership and corporate social responsibility.
The wise have taught that with crisis comes opportunity, if we are able to
recognize our lacks and perform corrective actions. Recognizing in all our
activities that we are part of the great web of life, business activities
included, will give us a different model of reference. “Whatever we do to the
web we do to ourselves.” It is clear that our societies need responsible
leaders; we need leadership coming from those capable of leading themselves,
those who dare to conquer their own smaller selves and lead more ethical lives.
A summary of the situation in modern terms
Humanity has been working together for thousands of years to harness nature and
use its generous laws to make civilization possible. After thousands of years of
“open source” agriculture, we are now in the “Microsoftization” era of
agribusiness.
When seeds no longer bear fruit
If you have ever tried to grow tomatoes using seeds from your own tomatoes grown
from commercial seeds, you have probably been disappointed… Yes, seed merchants
have made the impossible possible: they have secured a captive clientele. This
is possible only by confiscating life, since life is generous and reproduces
free of charge.
More than ever, faster than ever, but at what price? The fruit born by these commercial seeds, known as F1 hybrids, carry
degenerative seeds. When grown, they often generate more revenue, but require
irregular conditions—more fertilizer, more pesticides, more water—because we are
trading in the natural adaptability that makes plants more robust for
characteristics that make them more commercially viable. This exposes
populations to disasters because any cultivable surface dominated by hybrids
becomes vulnerable to various kinds of damage.
F1 hybrids capitalize on biodiversity while killing it off Seed multinationals need to use very different species to produce
commercially viable hybrids. Unfortunately, the domination of hybrid seeds on
the markets and in ecosystems threatens this biodiversity. Thousands of
varieties of plants used in the past have already disappeared. Only plants that
grow dollar bills interest seed merchants.
Another philosophical question: Why? For whom? The commercial control of the global food trade through subterfuges such as
the spread of sterile seeds and patents on life is clearly detrimental to the
human race. Without being against free enterprise, we think it should be framed
within certain obvious facts. It should quite simply be illegal to use trickery
to circumvent the intelligent laws of nature only to selfishly confiscate life
in order to resell it.
The existence of a worldwide crisis is undeniable; yet
the colours of hope and change have been raised and are still floating in the
air.
Denis Bricnet, Philosopher and Communication Consultant, recently presented
useful reflections on the topic. The following paragraphs capture some key
points that Mr. Bricnet developed in a recent seminar.
Hope is a positive force that points to the future and is easily aroused.
However, fulfilling hope is very challenging as it takes efforts. We can not
dream or expect change to simply happen: we must feel responsible, and act to
produce it.
As philosophy in the classical manner teaches, the problems that we face are not
external to us: the world we build is a projection of what we are within. As a
consequence, change is to be generated first in men and women, through their own
transmutation, that’s to say, a global deep transformation.
To make of the crisis a success story, we must question the system, that’s to
say, the mindset that prevails today. We all are the system, with a set of
beliefs, assumptions, and feelings that determine how we interpret and respond
to situations.
In order to change the system, we must have or acquire a number of
prerequisites:
1. Clear understanding that we, as human beings, are the result of the past, and
the builders of the future.
2. Firm determination to accept our responsibility
3. Clear knowledge of all aspects of the situation: driving forces, mobiles,
true motives.
4. Courage and sincerity to acknowledge and positively regret our mistakes
5. Courage to express our enduring will to correct these mistakes, and to build
a different and wiser way of life
6. Understanding that optimism stands for considering the situation as a
starting point. Change calls for action!
7. The process of change involves learning and practicing different ways of
thinking, feeling and acting based on discernment, actively fighting
selfishness, empathy and sympathy, and reconnect with the rich and luminous
heritage of humankind.
The current crisis gives humankind the opportunity to re-polarize its attitude
towards life, society, and the planet. If we are aiming for a way of life that
is harmonized with nature, we must engage in a path of self-transmutation.
Controversy about morality in technologically generated
fantasy worlds revives the question about what is “real.” This may seem like a
useless academic exercise, until we consider the increasing demand for games in
which “gamers” can partake of morally taboo/reprehensible behaviours, without
physical consequences. The attitude is that these are “just games” and there is
no impact in “the real world.”
Many people say that these games serve as an outlet for aggressive feelings,
without bringing harm to others. However, even if “no one is hurt,” is
fantasy-violence – generated by one’s own hand through a console – really okay?
Even if someone does not go out and purchase a prostitute or murder someone
after playing video games, what kind of an inner culture/mental landscape do we
nurture? Does the momentary exaltation during the game morph into courtesy
toward other people or a desire to build more harmonious relations with others?
Our modern culture often forgets what our ancestors understood: the mind is not
virtual. Our mental activities have consequences in daily life; thoughts are the
seeds of visible reality. In traditional aboriginal societies, people would
offer gifts to those of whom they had thought ill, seeking forgiveness. Modern
psychology coined the term “self-fulfilling prophecy” to describe the phenomenon
of our thoughts or beliefs manifesting themselves in our lives.
Rape, torture, pedophilia, brutality – will these be tolerable in fantasy games,
where “no one gets hurt”? Or will we start to recognize that even virtually
playing with these realities desensitizes and dehumanizes us? We are not
improved as human beings by the consumption of such mental fuel, nor is humanity
ennobled. Let us bravely assert that morality indeed stretches into the
“virtual” – mentally real – world.
