From the community of bacteria living in your gut, to the community of planets circling the sun, there is community. And you are in it. We cannot exist in isolation as individual beings. The blinding insight of the "Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin, was not the "survival of the fittest", but the Co-evolution of species, and the symbiotic relationships that allowed the incredible diversity of life forms to emerge. The "survival of the fittest" paradigm suited the colonists in their pursuit of dominion, and thus slavery and white settlement were justified.
Other Interesting "Community" links
Global Eco-village Network (GEN) - Well . . . as the name implies . .
What is a Hamlet ? - An interesting article by David Camplin (reproduced from Permaculture One)
Communities / Eco-villages we know and are connected with . . .
Pinakarri
- An intentional community and mixed equity housing co-operative in the
Perth suburbs
Carters
Rd - A Permaculture community and demonstration farm near Margaret River,
Western Australia
Gaia Foundation of WA - a community of intention and celebration
These links will each open in a new window . . so we don't lose you!
We are starting to come full circle, from native land rights, to the commercial whaling ban, fur coats, animal rights, forest rights. We are trying to amend past mistakes, and outdated values, and recognise the right of other species to exist for their own intrinsic values. Trouble is, we go into our nuclear homes each night and watch it on TV! In isolation. Now our lives are so efficient and easy with all those white goods. Gone are the days of he community wash house or bake house, places where one gathered to hear the news and keep in touch with the world. Everything is designed to enable people to move as quickly as possible, no time to stop and chat! Read the glossy magazine instead!
Gradually we have become isolated from our world. Firstly we had the isolation from nature, pharmaceutical’s were used in place of herbs, and industry made us all slaves to the machine! We become divided, those that have, and those that don’t. Barriers, both physical and metaphysical are built between people, and the process is exacerbated by governments that don’t see the world as a whole, but as distinct departments. This is changing, one step can only lead to another, but the process can seem interminably slow.
The community of Western Australia is united in it’s isolation. Perth is the most remote capital city in the world. It makes great pioneers of people having to “make do”. Nowadays of course we have white goods a-plenty, and are ruining the environment and wasting natural resources like any other so-called civilised society! It is art and culture where innovation is strong. We have to make our own entertainment! Big shows don’t often find there way to small country towns 100s of kms from the nearest city, but plenty of top class local talent does.
