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Photo: independent.co.uk/
‘What the left needs is an account of how the suffering we experience in our personal lives stems from capitalist values, and to replace this system with one built on values of love and caring’
A Time for Reflection and a Time for Soul searching
Last night, the politics of fear and grievances won and progressiveness failed. Already many millions of words have been written on why the Progressive parties lost the election, on what went wrong; and moreover, how we might steer the path to progressiveness which might encourage us to take action in the interest of the common good.
I was searching for some answers myself. And then, I remembered a gem of an article I had read by a good friend of mine, Rabbi Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun Magazine, addressing the same question about the loss of elections by the Progressives in the US.
I returned to the article and read it again. I found that it answers my question/s: Why and How the Progressives are losing elections to the right-wingers, and moreover, what the Progressives need to do to overcome their shortcomings and get their message out.
I have noted some key excerpts from the article below. At times I have quoted them directly and at other times I have paraphrased Rabbi Lerner’s words and sentences to relate them to the UK- when I changed the US to the UK, or Americans to British, etc.
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Photo: Klaus Tamm/GDT Nature Photographer of the year 2015
Not long ago I posted a Blog Nature the Best Teacher: Re-Connecting the World’s Children with Nature where I noted that if we wish to build a better, more sustainable world, and to enable people to lead a happier, more content and peaceful life, then, we should try to learn from our wisest teacher, nature.
Today I was reading a very interesting and eloquent article by John Sauven, director of Greenpeace, very relevant to what I have been writing, namely, that we should respect nature, learn from its wisdom, and then be guided by it in our daily lives. Due to its importance to the crises our world is facing, I very much wish to share the gist of this article with you.
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UK General Election 2015
Dear Friends,
Not long to go to polling day on Thursday 7 May. I have a long held wish that I very much want to share with you. I dearly hope that this is your wish too:
Let us make this day the day that we chose the common good
By the "common good" I'm referring to a broad evolution beyond values and actions that serve narrow self-interest, and towards those guided by inclusiveness -- supporting well-being, happiness, economic prospeity and success, security, human rights and stewardship of resources for the benefit of all, rather than just for some, as it currently is.
The principle of the common good reminds us that we are all responsible for each other – we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers – and must work for social conditions which ensure that every person and every group in society is able to meet their needs and realise their potential. It follows that every group in society must take into account the rights and aspirations of other groups, and the well-being of the whole human family.
The rise of the common good reflects a sense of global citizenship and an obligation to be a good ancestor to future generations who inhabit this planet. Moreover, the practice of the common good is beginning to emerge as a transformative, inspirational and aspirational alternative way to approach our polarised socio-political/economic, spiritual and cultural existence. It is at the heart of a profound generational shift that has the potential to strengthen civil society and place human dignity at the heart of economic and political decision-making.
Photo: virtuesforlife.com
In the country I wish to see, we value ourselves, and we value each other. In this new country, it is an honour to serve, where the highest good is the common good
The future is full of risk and perils for our planet and all peoples. If we are to survive we must surely build cultures of peace, justice, kindness, and trust, and we must walk together to face the future. The journey, for sure, will be much more secure and fruitful if we begin to walk the walk together for the common good.
Imagine a political system that puts the public first. Imagine the economy and markets serving people rather than the other way round. Imagine us placing values of respect, fairness, interdependence, and mutuality at the heart of our economy. Imagine an economy that gives everyone their fair share, at least an appropriate living wage, and no zero-hour contracts. Imagine where jobs are accessible and fulfilling, producing useful things rather than games of speculation. Imagine where wages support lives rather than an ever expanding chasm between the top 1% and the rest. Imagine a society capable of supporting everyone’s needs, and which says no to greed. Imagine unrestricted access to an excellent education and healthcare. Imagine hunger being eliminated, no more food banks and soup kitchens. Imagine each person having a place he/she can call home. Imagine all senior citizens living a dignified and secure life. Imagine all the youth leading their lives with ever-present hope for a better world. Imagine a planet protected from the threat of climate change now and for the generations to come. That’s the country I wish to see and I believe we have the means to do it, if we all vote in the interest of the common good.
Imagine voting with our conscience for the common good on Thursday 7 May 2015 and to consider that voting for reasons greater than our own self-interest would be in our mutual self-interest, well-being and security.
Read more on why we should take action in the interest of the common good on Thursday 7 May 2015:
UK General Election 2015: Breakthrough for the common good – Dare to imagine that
- World Congress of Faiths 2015 Annual Lecture: London School of Economics
- “We’re teaching our kids wrong: They worship wealth and celebrities”
- Nature the Best Teacher: Re-Connecting the World’s Children with Nature
- In Praise of ‘Enoughness’ and 'Lagomist' Economy
- Policies must be for the common good- Lord Harries of Pentregarth