RELATED EXHIBIT and PODCAST:
Five Regions of the Future
with futurists, Joel Barker and Scott Erickson
EARTH DAY has a new significance this year. Perhaps, it is the heartbreaking realization of just how far we have gone as humans in allowing our beautiful our earth to become an wide open stage for GREED instead of GREEN. Although I get the importance of all the deeply crucial conservation measures required to arrest the catastrophic implications of man's deeds on global warming --- shower less, turn off lights, get off the grid et al --- I find myself deeply concerned about how we raise consciousness on these critical actions, when we are so consumed and addicted to our VIOLENT PASTIMES and GREEDY, POWER-DRIVEN INTENTIONS that we easily sell out our families, our jobs, our trade agreements, our young people, our old people, our hard working people, our neighbors, our animals, our environment, our corporations, our politics --- even our churches and our integrity for the want of POWER and the almighty DOLLAR.
How do we expect the same humans, capable of sending our young people to war on lies and then leaving them there, long after we know the whole war is seen clearly as profiteering sham, to be the people who care about honoring the EARTH by turning out their lights?
How do we expect the same humans, capable of leaving people starving in places like Darfur and would rob and rape the land and steal natural resources in places like Nigeria, exploiting and displacing millions from their own countries, to be same people who are to care enough to stop for the good of all?
How do we expect the same humans, capable of creating movies, video games, TV and an Internet that are filled with levels of incomprehensible VIOLENCE, which is poisoning our children's minds and all our own minds to the point, we don't even recognize the sweeping influence on our neighborhoods, our communities, our children, our schools, our workplaces, to be the same people willing to step and speak out for the good of our society and our world?
"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed."
Mahatma Gandhi
On this EARTH DAY, we must be willing to look in the mirror at ourselves on many levels and ask, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO US?
It is not my intent to sound like Debbie Downer. I'm a person known to have great optimism, but the biggest part of fixing a problem is admitting it exists. On this EARTH DAY, we have much to admit to ourselves.
A RAY OF HOPE
It seems the good that appears to be emerging from ongoing tragedy in the world, such as the rising casualties in IRAQ (nearly 350 "coalition forces" dead in 90 days), in the conversation that IMUS sparked with his disregard and disrespect, the Virginia TECH Massacre and events like the shooting at NASA workplace, is that perhaps, we are beginning to wake-up---wake-up enough to realize we can contribute to being the the catalyst --- the tipping point of human consciousness and action that will begin to change our course. Perhaps, if we can stop filling our minds and lives with our addictions to this VIOLENT existence we have allowed to take us over, we will have room to concern ourselves with shepherding and guarding the EARTH which we hold in our hands. Future generations are counting on us.
People before us have tried to enlighten us with their wisdom:
"Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money."
Indian Proverb
Signed, HOPEFUL and PRAYING for our success!
Debbe
Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center
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