Vandana Shiva: "Making Peace with the Earth is a Survival Imperative"
By Steve Kinsman, 20th Jun 2012 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutNewsEnvironment
Vandana Shiva is one of the world's great environmental activists, and the world would do well to heed her words.
Making peace with the earth
Indian environmental activist Vandana Shiva has worked tirelessly for over twenty years to raise consciousness around the world of the need to work toward a sustainable, eco-friendly economy that puts the welfare of people and the planet ahead of the selfish interests of profit. She is presently attending the Rio+20 United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in Rio de Janeiro which begins today, June 20, 2012.
In an interview yesterday with Salim Rizvi of Free Speech Radio News, she called for a paradigm shift away from the pervasive short-sighted growth model we see failing all around us, which has, among other things, resulted in over a million Indian farmers committing suicide. "You cannot separate the issue of sustainability from the issue of justice from the issue of access to resources from the issues of peace," she says. "Making peace with the earth" is now "a survival imperative."
Shiva maintains that the future of India will be very bleak if it continues on its present course. She said that twenty years ago, at the first Rio summit, India played a crucial role which was very important, but that now "India is playing second fiddle to the United States," which "wants to dismantle Rio. None of us are immune to the crisis, or the response to it. none of us are bystanders. We are immersed in processes that are either threatening the planet and our own future, or finding creative ways to find a sustainable and just future."
Shiva pointed out that Indian society is based on "compassion and sharing. you cannot sacrifice that very open generous civilization for a short-term growth model that is failing all around us."
Personally, I would like to see this amazing woman, who works tirelessly to raise the public's awareness regarding the most critical issues of our time, be nominated for the Nobel Prize.
Preview photo from commondreams.org
Comments
21st Jun 2012 (#)
We need to hear the voices of reason than just close our eyes for selfish reasons. We self-destruct if we go the way we do now without a second thought. People like Vandana Shiva are tireless activists for a good cause. Another good share, Steve - siva
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21st Jun 2012 (#)
Thank you Siva. I appreciate your comment.
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23rd Jun 2012 (#)
Ditto what Siva said. thanks for writing this. Wonderful!
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23rd Jun 2012 (#)
Thank you rama devi. I appreciate that. Are you back in India?
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26th Jun 2012 (#)
wonderful piece...thank you...
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26th Jun 2012 (#)
Thank you cnwriter. I appreciate that.
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