Surviving Capitalism (Not) : The importance of envisioning “community” (part 3)

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, March 1, 2010

The importance of envisioning “community” (part 3)

by Gary Clausheide from Energy Bulletin. For 99% plus of human history...

we evolved within community, the spirit that arises naturally amongst relatively small groups of people who live and work with and for one another and as equals, and with the land as commonwealth. That spirit was lost when ruling elites took control of societies and organized “the people” to work for them. Moved then out of villages where they could cooperatively take care of themselves, into cities where they became extremely dependent on governments and corporations. We can regain community when we are ready to accept one another as equals and learn to live and work with and for one another-- when we are ready to organize ourselves for our ends rather than to allow more dominant forces to organize us for theirs.