THE RIGHT LIVELIHOOD WAY: A Sourcebook for Changemakers Compiled by ANWAR FAZAL & LAKSHMI MENON ABOUT THE FUTURE “A new civilisation is emerging in our lives, and blind men everywhere are trying to suppress it. The new civilisation brings with it changed ways of working, loving and living; and beyond all this an altered consciousness as well… Most people… conceive of tomorrow as a mere extension of today, forgetting that trends no matter how seemingly powerful, do not merely continue in a linear fashion. They reach the tipping points at which they explode into a new phenomenon.” Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave “The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made. And the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination.” John H. Schaar “As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery “In all that we do …we represent future generations because the decisions we make today affect the well-being of all persons who come after us and the integrity and robustness of the planet they will inherit.” Edith Brown Weiss “It is no longer possible to believe that any political or economic reform or scientific advance could solve the life and death problems of the industrial society. They lie too deep in the heart and soul of every one of us.” E.P. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful THE RIGHT LIVELIHOOD WAY: A Sourcebook for Changemakers Compiled by Anwar Fazal & Lakshmi Menon Right Livelihood College & International People’s Agroecology Multiversity (IPAM) The Right Livelihood Way: A Sourcebook for Changemakers First published: August 2016 This edition: March 2018 Published by Right Livelihood College (RLC) C/o RLC Global Secretariat, Walter Flex Str. 3, 53113 Bonn, Germany Tel: +49(0)228/73-4907 Fax: +49 (0) 228/73-1972 Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Website: www.rightlivelihood.org/college & International People’s Agroecology Multiversity (IPAM) C/o PAN International Asia Pacific P.O. Box 1170 10850 George Town Penang, Malaysia Tel: +604-657 0271 / +604-656 0381 Fax: +604-658 3960 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ipamglobal.org Design & layout: Cecilia Mak Cover design: The graphic “DNA Tree of Life” on the cover is designed by B. Egan, a tattoo artist from the USA. See http://tattoosbybegan.deviantart.com/art/DNA-Tree-of-Life- 207411060 for more about her work. CONTENTS I Introduction 1 II Multiversities – 55 Inspirational Resources 4 III Projects of Hope – 170 Right Livelihood Champions 23 IV Doing the Right Livelihood Way 53 I. Social Justice: 1) Sima Samar, Afghanistan; 2) Raji Sourani, Palestine 55 II. Ecological Sustainability: Sulak Thai NGO, Sathirakoses-Nagapradeepa 60 Ecological Foundation; 2) Agro-ecology – IPAM-PANAP, Malaysia Sustainability: III. Cultural Vibrancy: 1) International Poetry Festival of Medellin, 66 Cultural Vibrancy: Columbia; 2) Jose Antonio Abreo, Venezuela 1) International IV. Economic Productivity: 1) Manfred Max-Neef, Chile; 2) Sekem / 71 Economic Ibrahim Abouleish, Egypt Productivity: V. Community Participation: 1) Shrikrishna Upadhyay / SAPPROS, 77 Community Nepal; 2) Visualisation in Participatory Programmes (VIPP) Participation: 1) V The Right Livelihood Way: Making it Happen 83 The Right • 99 Ways to Make it Happen 83 • Making Change – The 10 Ways 87 • The Power of Networking 89 • Wendell Berry’s 17 Rules for a Sustainable Community 90 • 10 Things Science Says will Make you Happy 91 • International Days of Action 93 • Winners and Losers 100 VI Our Earth Matters 101 Our Earth Matters • The Earth Charter 101 • Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth 105 • Chinook Blessing – Teach Us and Show Us the Way 107 VII Inspirational Quotes on Making a Difference 108 Inspirational VIII Right Livelihood Classics: Annotated Bibliography 126 Some Right Who is Disabled? by Tony Wong* If you fail to see the person but only the disability then, who is blind? If you cannot hear your brother’s cry for justice, who is deaf? If you do not communicate with your sister but separate her from you, who is disabled? If your heart and your mind do not reach out to your neighbour, who has the mental handicap? If you do not stand up for the rights of all persons, who is the cripple? Your attitude towards persons with disabilities may be our biggest handicap, and yours too. * Note: Author Tony Wong, a Jamaican, became paraplegic following an accident in 1978. He has been active ever since internationally on behalf of disabled people. I INTRODUCTION – THE RIGHT LIVELIHOOD WAY “The idea of ‘right livelihood’ is an ancient one. It embodies the principle that each person should follow an honest occupation, which fully respects other people and the natural world. It means being responsible for the consequences of our actions and taking only a fair share of the earth’s resources.” - The Right Livelihood Foundation e live in a world sadly dominated by the trinity of “badness” – the culture of violence, of manipulation and of waste. People everywhere are rising against Wthis badness – a phenomenon that Paul Hawken calls “Blessed Unrest”. We see springs of action, candles of hope, sparks of courage that are making a difference. There is a trinity of “goodness” that gives a vision of (a) balance and harmony, (b) the culture of stewardship of Mother Earth and, (c) accountability for the future. This book hopes to share and spread these ideas and suggest actions to make them happen. Sins against Humanity The essence of making the difference is embodied in the concept of “Right Livelihood” – ethical and caring way of living. It is also to stay away from actions that are irresponsible and makes the world ‘bad’. The late Mahatma Gandhi is attributed to having have warned us about the “seven social sins” against humanity. I have expanded them to eleven by adding four more (numbers 8 to 11) as follows: 1. Politics without Principles 7. Religion without Compassion 2. Wealth without Work 8. Rights without Responsibilities 3. Enjoyment without Conscience 9. Power without Accountability 4. Knowledge without Character 10. Development without Sustainability 5. Business without Morality 11. Laws without Justice. 6. Science without Humanity Each of the eleven issues is a clarion call for vigorous and deep action “For a Better World – The Right Livelihood Way”. The Panchasila of Right Livelihood This sourcebook attempts to share with changemakers, information, wisdom and actions that we hope will inform, inspire and ignite the future we need. Justice and sustainability are the pillars to a culture of happiness which will blossom and glow with the spirit of vibrancy, empathy, creativity and productivity. I have developed those values into a five-point framework for Right Livelihood. I call it the “Panchasila” (five principles in the Sanskrit language) of the Right Livelihood Way and it involves the following: 1. Social Justice 2. Ecological Sustainability 3. Community Participation 4. Economic Productivity 5. Cultural Vibrancy. The materials in this sourcebook are using the above framework in its compilation and sharing of field experiences and stories of people and issues. This Sourcebook will always be a dynamic work in progress, growing with the ideas of the community of changemakers. Creativity and practicability for organisations will be the aim in ways that are needed and helpful. It’s about people, places, passions, about books, field stations and good practices. It’s about getting things done with inspiration from those who are already doing it. It is to help you to tell those who say it cannot be done to get out of the way – people are already doing it! Spreading the Message It is therefore to stimulate a proliferation of civil society changemakers through sharing the great ideas and actions already there and to generate more of five platforms that are essential for innovative change. 1. Hubs 2. Incubators 3. Catalysts 4. Multipliers 5. Accelerators. We share models of these especially in the section on Multiversities. The Power of Five How do we make changes? What are the operating principles that I have called “galactic” organising? I have proposed the “Power of five” or what I call the “Panchasila of Power”. They are as follows: 1. The Power of “One” – never underestimate the power of one individual as an incubator and catalyst; little actions by little people in little places can change the world. Everyone has the possibility to be a “miracle worker”. 2. The Power of “Many” – build on the power of alliances and networks of people; link with the gender, ecology, justice, workers, health and many other movements and create the strength of family and community. 3. The Power of “Halo” – draw from our spiritual traditions and global international legal instruments. Make them real on the ground and make them work for us. 4. The Power of “Information” – access to good research and creative communication skills is central and we have to make the internet work for us like never before. 5. The Power of “Success” – every victory, however small, must be celebrated; share it and remember it. Good work inspires more good work. Acknowledgements This initiative was inspired by the innovative “Summer School” programme of the Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) in association with the Royal University of Bhutan, the School for Wellbeing and the Right Livelihood College (RLC). Together we cooperated to make this Summer School initiative in Bangkok, Thailand and in Bhutan. 2 The Right Livelihood Way: A Sourcebook for Changemakers I am also particularly grateful to the following; (a) Lakshmi Menon, my coauthor, for sharing again her amazing talent in making sourcebooks, (b) Dr. Timmi Tillmann and Dr. Maruja Salas, a couple who have made the process of community planning called “Visualisation in Participatory Programmes” (VIPP), a global movement for empowerment, (c) Sarojeni Rengam, Director of Pesticide Action Network – Asia Pacific (PANAP) for supporting this venture and giving a grant for its compilation and printing and, (d) my personal assistant, R.