Promoting Pathways to Sustainable Living

Rationale

In the modern world, the consumeristic behaviour suggests a yardstick for success: the more you own, the better your life will be. We tend to equate buying things with positive emotions. Subsequently, we think that purchasing new stuff makes us happy. While our lifestyles and consumption choices might fulfil our needs and aspirations; they also have important impacts on our environment and on our interdependent societies and markets.

Our consumption habits are putting our resource levels at great risk. The amount of stuff we use in order to live has exploded in many parts of the world, highlighted by the fact that the global extraction of materials has tripled over the past four decades, rising to an enormous 70 billion tonnes in 2010. If current trends continue, then this dramatic increase in the amount of material we consume will continue to rise as populations grow, the middle class expands, and incomes increase (UNEP, 2011).

Today, cities are associated with 60 to 80 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, consume 75 percent of natural resources, and account for 50 percent of all waste (UNEP, 2012). By 2050, the number of people living in urban areas is expected to reach 6.3 billion – roughly two-thirds of the global population. This will have a profound effect on what and how individuals and societies consume, especially when it comes to food, mobility, housing, consumer goods and leisure.

As a result, this urban shift carries with it immense social implications. The extra pressure these new urban consumers will place on the world’s increasingly scarce resources will exacerbate existing tensions between the world’s wealthiest 10 percent, whose lifestyles contribute half of global carbon emissions, and the growing numbers of urban poor, who are responsible for only 10 percent of carbon emissions (Oxfam, 2015).

If current trends continue, by 2030, humanity will need the equivalent of two Earths to support itself, according to some experts. This is clearly not viable in a world where climate change will make it even harder for the natural world to provide for our needs.

There are encouraging signs that society is beginning to understand the impact of our daily choices. Terms like “quality of life” and “sustainable lifestyles” regularly appear in the media, illustrating that people are already weaving sustainability into their daily decision-making. Carbon footprinting, food waste reduction campaigns, urban gardening, vehicle sharing models, and surveys to understand the values and motivations of youth are all ways that are helping people to live more sustainable lifestyles.

Yet these actions, in general, are piecemeal. They are not yet framed within a holistic vision of what constitutes a sustainable lifestyle. Living sustainably is not just about individual choice: it is also about ensuring that governments and businesses enact policies that guide people towards these types of lifestyles. Often ignored is the role that public sector institutions can play in shaping better policy and the role of businesses in providing more sustainable goods and services.

Fortunately, sustainable lifestyles are now solidly anchored in policy. The COP21 Paris Agreement made it clear that sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of consumption and production (SCP) will be key in the fight against climate change. The goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and intergovernmental processes like the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on SCP give further support to champions of sustainable lifestyles by acknowledging the powerful role they can play in lifting people out of poverty, ending hunger, and reducing inequality while protecting the environment. At least two of the eight themes of the World Economic Forum 2016 in Davos, Switzerland, highlighted the impacts of climate change on our lives and the effects of increasing wealth inequality on economic development. This clearly shows that sustainable consumption and lifestyles are growing in importance on the international stage (Akenji and Chen, 2016).

With this solid foundation in place, it is now time to develop a more structured, life-cycle, and evidence-based understanding of sustainable lifestyles to facilitate global dialogue and measure progress. This will enable us to focus on the ‘hotspots’ on where critical action can be taken.

For individuals, this means understanding the impacts of their daily decisions and embracing more sustainable lifestyles. For governments, it implies setting a conducive regulatory context, facilitating and inspiring better citizen decision- making, creating market demand through sustainable public procurement, and supporting research, development, and innovation. For the private sector, it implies integrating sustainability into core business strategies to develop innovative ways to meet the needs of people while reducing the pressure on the world’s dwindling resources. This includes communicating about product sustainability performance to enhance informed decision-making.

VK-NARDEP’s perspectives of sustainable living

Inspired by the Eastern wisdom of the Samagra Vikas approach, we at VK-NARDEP have learnt a deeper and broader meaning of Development. Our understanding of development goes beyond materialistic and quality of life indicators. We see Development as the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual growth of man in consonance with his family, community, patriotic and global identities and relations, helping him to live in harmony with Nature and live without impoverishing or endangering future generations.

The Samagra Vikas approach greatly emphasises on development with a human face.The modern science and economies see the parts as divorced from the whole. This approach sees trees and misses the woods. This vision also failed to see the interdependence of the parts of Nature, their underlying linkages and the overall utility. Synthesis and holism lost out the race for a place in man’s scheme of things. Thereafter, the economies got divorced from the social concerns of man and became the study of the management merely of the materials and wealth.

In this paradigm, social units such as family, community and cultural entities suffered the most. The new science and economies promoted lifestyle and a thought-pattern that led to the atomisation of the community. This resulted in isolation of the individual from his emotional and biological provenance and cultural background. The modern science and technology is emphasising on production of ‘over concentrated useful things’ like vitamins through intensifying the technology and leaving the rest of the things as waste. This is the central cause of all problems of today. Life is natural and cannot be compartmentalised.

In earlier days, man was slow, land-loving, Nature-lovers and family and community centred. He led a subsistent way of life, which kept him self-contented. The values and norms promoted by the institutions of the early days, guided the man to live in harmony with fellow human beings and Nature through sharing and caring. Commercialisation of social transactions degraded community values and created orphans, who could not ‘purchase their way out’.

The present paradigm of development, for sure, is leading to an irreversible destruction to the mankind. It is the responsibility of every individual human being to change the present situation. Each individual’s role in restoring our ancient lifestyles is inescapable. Everyone should keep doing at his/her own capacity towards this cause and one should not wait the whole society to change. “Be, but don’t expect”.

VK– NARDEP is committed to translating the grand concepts of sustainable living into packages for application in day-to-day life and take the same to the masses.

Digital Exhibitions

VK-Nardep has established an exhibition entitled Gramodaya Park, in the headquarters campus of Vivekananda Kendra at Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu. The exhibition gives insights into sustainable solutions to the problems encountered by the world. Presently Gramodaya Park has established permanent exhibitions on water management, agriculture, housing and health. The exhibitions are visited by thousands of  people per annum on an average.

Now, we propose to promote a digital exhibition in Gramodaya Park on “Promoting Pathways to Sustainable Living” with the following objectives:

Strengthening the individuals’ existing knowledge about sustainable lifestyles.

Motivating the individuals to adopt sustainable living practices.

Sharing best practices and partnerships among the practitioners, aspirants, implementing agencies, government bodies and policy makers.

Cultivating partnerships and networking among the different stakeholders.

To bring the contents of the exhibition to the knowledge of non-viewers, we have decided to present them simultaneously in print medium in the form of 3 volumes of Kendra Patrika with a title – “Promoting Pathways to Sustainable Living”. The first volume covers the five sections (i) Philosophical aspects (ii) Economy, Energy, Environment (iii) Inner Sustainability (iv) Thinkers and (v) Sustainable Development through stories.

The second volume will cover different verticals such as (i) Water (ii) Food (iii) Energy (iv) Forests (v) Agriculture (vi) Housing (vii) Mobility (viii) Markets (ix) Globalisation (x) Consumer Goods (xi) Communication (xii) Education (xiii) Health etc.

The third and the last is the most important volume – The Trend Setters which will have 4 sections such as:

1. Nations – Bhutan, Cuba, Germany, Costa Rica etc.

2. Movements such as Voluntary simplicity, Slow living, Slow cities, Minimalism, 
     Holistic Health, Organic Natural farming etc.

3. Individuals – Green Warriors, Sadhaks, Followers etc.

4. Book Reviews of a few important books related with Sustainable Development

Contributors of the first volume are mainly our colleagues who are practitioners of Sustainable Living such as:

Shri N.Krishnamoorti – who is our friend, philosopher and guide for the last four decades.

Shri Dileep Kulkarni, who worked for Vivekananda Kendra a few years before settling in Kokan area of Maharashtra and living in tune with Nature for the last 3 decades and motivating and guiding people of Maharashtra by conducting shibirs, giving lectures and writing highly inspiring books.

Shri T.Raghunandan who too worked for Vivekananda Kendra in the formative years, managed a 10+2 Senior Secondary School in Rajasthan for thirty-one years with his wife Vasantha and has now settled  down in Kerala for sadhana.

Shri Aravindan Neelakandan too is associated with Kendra since last two decades and who is now an associate editor of the famous magazine “Swarajya”.

Dr.Prakash Maithani retired as an advisor, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt. of India is also closely associated with us since last three decades.

In addition, to cover the gaps, we have added articles of the few individuals to make the volume complete.

Our close friend and well-wisher Shri Venkataraghavan alias Keshav added value to the Kendra Patrika by designing the cover page and illustrations in the pages of this issue. Hope, readers will appreciate our efforts.

                                                                                                            G.Vasudeo

The Unsung Heroes -2

 Sacrifice: The basis for a great nation

Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan trust is very happy to bring out the second volume of Vivekananda Kendra Patrika on unsung heroes. 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava' has provided the context and opportunity for India to look within to question herself as to why did we forget so many freedom fighters from all parts and all communities of India who fought sacrificing everything with British and what is the best way to remember them. As we forgot them we also missed the drives of freedom fights to pass it on to future generations. These freedom fighters fought not just for political freedom but for reclaiming and expressing 'Swa' of India in all systems of life which the British had destroyed. 

 

Swami Vivekananda whose message served as great inspiration for freedom movement realised that India was not just any other nation. But India was nurtured with truth of existence that is the world view of oneness of existence by the great sages, rishis, saints so as to guide the humanity to evolve spiritually. Thus, India's freedom movement was not only in India's interest but it was for the well-being of the whole humanity. 

 

Swami Vivekananda almost becomes poetic while describing India. He says, 'This is the ancient land where wisdom made its home before it went into any other country, the same India whose influx of spirituality is represented, as it were, on the material plane, by rolling rivers like oceans, where the eternal Himalayas, rising tier above tier with their snow-caps, look as it were into the very mysteries of heaven. Here is the same India whose soil has been trodden by the feet of the greatest sages that ever lived. Here first sprang up inquiries into the nature of man and into the internal world. Here first arose the doctrines of the immortality of the soul, the existence of a supervising God, an immanent God in nature and in man, and here the highest ideals of religion and philosophy have attained their culminating points. This is the land from whence, like the tidal waves, spirituality and philosophy have again and again rushed out and deluged the world, and this is the land from whence once more such tides must proceed in order to bring life and vigour into the decaying races of mankind. It is the same India which has withstood the shocks of centuries, of hundreds of foreign invasions of hundreds of upheavals of manners and customs. It is the same land which stands firmer than any rock in the world, with its undying vigour, indestructible life. Its life is of the same nature as the soul, without beginning and without end, immortal; and we are the children of such a country.'

 

The colonial rule of British destroyed India's well spread system of education for all communities, irrigation system and land policy which made India Sujalam- Suphalam, flourishing industry and commerce. As India relegated to poverty and ignorance, she forgot about her ‘Swa’ and her role in comity of nations.  The impact of British rule even after independence was not course- corrected. Additionally, political exigencies further compounded and prolonged the misfortune of India. Dharma is the life- center of India. Even though there were some emperors who politically had united India, India was always considered as one nation even when there were many political units or kingdoms or janapadas in India. It was Dharma that united India. The understanding of Dharma, the insistence for practice of Dharma were common. 

 

Thousands of freedom fighters sacrificed their life so that India is again established firmly, vibrantly and with conviction in oneness of existence, in divinity of human soul and divinity of the creation and for India mould her national life on Dharma. But we forgot, what is India, what is the life centre of India, how should we strengthen India, what is the speciality of India etc. Fortunately, by the penance and blessings of the great Rishis and Sadhus and the merit of sacrifice of crores of freedom fighters, over the period, an awakening is perceived, self-confidence is evident, and India appears getting ready to express her 'Swa'.  At such opportune time, 'Azadi ka Amrit mahotsav' also has provided an occasion for us to go deep into what India stands for; to understand and practice Dharma to raise our nation not to dominate other countries but to guide the whole humanity. 

 

Swami Vivekananda had said that Dharma is the life centre of India but unfortunately we equated Dharma with exclusive religions and thus we failed to understand that whatever may be the religious tradition of a person, Dharma is to be practiced by all. Dharma is our duty towards our expanded self that is the families, society, nation, humanity and whole creation.  

Though in the days of Swami Vivekananda religion word was used by him in his English lectures, what he meant was always Dharma. Swami Vivekananda pointed out, 'We have seen that our vigour, our strength, nay, our national life is in our religion. I am not going to discuss now whether it is right or not, whether it is correct or not, whether it is beneficial or not in the long run, to have this vitality in religion, but for good or evil it is there; you cannot get out of it, you have it now and for ever, and you have to stand by it, even if you have not the same faith that I have in our religion. You are bound by it, and if you give it up, you are smashed to pieces. That is the life of our race and that must be strengthened. You have withstood the shocks of centuries simply because you took great care of it, you sacrificed everything else for it. Your forefathers underwent everything boldly, even death itself, but preserved their religion. Temple after temple was broken down by the foreign conqueror, but no sooner had the wave passed than the spire of the temple rose up again. Some of these old temples of Southern India and those like Somnâth of Gujarat will teach you volumes of wisdom, will give you a keener insight into the history of the race than any amount of books. Mark how these temples bear the marks of a hundred attacks and a hundred regenerations, continually destroyed and continually springing up out of the ruins, rejuvenated and strong as ever! That is the national mind, that is the national life-current. Follow it and it leads to glory. Give it up and you die; death will be the only result, annihilation the only effect, the moment you step beyond that life-current. I do not mean to say that other things are not necessary. I do not mean to say that political or social improvements are not necessary, but what I mean is this, and I want you to bear it in mind, that they are secondary here and that religion is primary.'

 

Each soul is potential divine. The goal of life is to manifest that divinity by controlling the nature external and internal, so said Swami Vivekananda. The striving to manifest our divinity by performing our duties to all collectives is Dharma. Controlling the nature external and internal is Dharma. Getting rooted in one's own being is Dharma.  But what is my being, is in all the beings. Therefore, to interact with everything i.e. with man and nature with feelings of oneness is Dharma. Man is not just body, mind, intellect.  Man is an expanding consciousness which manifests as various collectives like family, society, nation and whole creation. Being part of all these collectives, naturally man is bound to fulfil his duty as part of the whole.  Simultaneously, we have a duty to perform and a function to enrich our larger self that is families, society, nation and the whole creation and ultimately realize our divine nature. 

 

In above quotation, we have to mark very important words of Swami Vivekananda, 'You have withstood the shocks of centuries simply because you took great care of it (Dharma), you sacrificed everything else for it.' We as a nation withstood the shocks for centuries because we sacrificed everything for Dharma. It is that sacrifice which is the need of the hour. Sacrifice not to die in the war necessarily today, but to rebuild our nation, to express the 'Swa' of India, the oneness of existence in all systems of national life.

The great work is done by great sacrifices alone. As Vedas say, 'Tyagen eke amritatvamaanasu'.  We got the freedom because of the great sacrifices by all these freedom fighters from all the parts of India, from all the communities of India, from different social stratas. For them the education or career, the job or status, the comforts or enjoyment were not important but making India free from colonial rule was important. Therefore, they sacrificed everything. For rebuilding of our nation too, we need to sacrifice. Nations are not built by selfish interests or from comfort zones. In whatever job or profession, we are, can we devote ourselves fully? Can we manifest excellence in each field? Can we spare our sometime to work for good of the society without any expectation? If yes, then we are really remembering all these great freedom fighters not just in words or memory but also in action. And that is what they expected from us. That was the only expectation of theirs when they went to the gallows smilingly, that after them, would come many more who would free the country and rebuild it with great sacrifices. May their lives as brought out in the second volume inspire us to sacrifice, to work, to manifest our excellence in the service of the people and our motherland.

                                                                                    

                                                                                        Nivedita Raghunath Bhide