Slideshows about nonviolence and nonviolent resolution of conflicts, economic alternatives, ecology, social change, spirituality : www.irnc.org , Slideshows in english The bad state of our planet The reasons to believe

1. State of the planet
and reasons to believe
Étienne Godinot
Translation : Claudia McKenny-Engström
15.01.2016

2. The planet is…
• … in a very
preoccupying state,
• but there are reasons
to believe and act

3. The state of our planet
Major ecological crisis
-pollution of the air, water courses, seas, soil
-destruction of our ecosystems
-resource depletion (fishing resources,
forests, ground waters, ores and fossil
energies)
-severe attacks on biodiversity
- climate change

4. The state of our planet
This ecological crisis is provoked by technological
power and the homo sapiens sapiens’ excesses
(or homo demens?),
his lack of spirituality and common sense, and his
links with the universe.
The way of producing and consuming initiated by
western countries – and largely copied by China,
India, etc. – is incompatible with the planet’s
resources.

5. The state of our planet
A financial and economic crisis
stemming from the rapaciousness
and irresponsibility of banks,
but which causes are much deeper
(e.g. :
- financialisation of economy,
- gap between financial
transactions and real economy,
- speculation on raw materials,
etc.).

6. The state of our planet
Food crisis
-loss of agricultural land (urbanisation, roads,
water and wind erosion due to the suppression
of hedges, etc.) and deforestation,
-disappearance of agricultural know-how,
-disappearance of biodiversity,
- disappearance of farmers

7. The state of our planet
Food crisis
•devastating effect of the liberalisation
of the food market: invasion of
southern markets by subsidised food
production from industrialised
countries (wheat, industrial production,
poultry, etc.)
•careless development of agrofuels for
vehicles to the detriment of man’s food

8. The state of our planet
Food crisis
- regression of family and farmer
agriculture in favour of
agribusiness, namely animal feed,
and encouraged by States in spite
of its social and environmental
drawbacks, since it generates
taxes and cash.

9. The state of our planet
• In the South
Expropriation of tribal populations
by multinational firms (mining,
agriculture, forests, tourism) with
the agreement or passivity of
public authorities.
Millions of uprooted men, women and
children, deprived from their basic
needs, wander about increasing
the population in African, South
American and Asian slums.

10. The state of our planet
When deprivation replaces poverty
Poverty – frugality, simplicity, rusticity –
has been man’s most ordinary
condition for millenaries.
It was integrated in a culture of
autonomy and solidarity, joy of living
and beauty.

11. The state of our planet
When deprivation replaces poverty
The so-called “development” has suppressed
ancient skills and subsistence networks.
Hundreds of thousands of human beings are
progressively being uprooted from their
traditional way of life and from their natural
and human environments where they lived in
sobriety, but also in dignity, from the fruit of
their work.

12. The state of our planet
• 1,4 billion human beings do not have
access to running water.
• 1 billion do not know how to read and
write.
• 20 % of the world’s population
possesses 80 % of the world’s wealth.
• The help given by rich countries is
inadequate both in quantity and
quality, and does not stop or
compensate the damages resulting
from a predatory economic system.

13. The state of our planet
Rich countries on the other hand, suffer from a
“meaning crisis” provoked by
the over-consumption and the depravation of others,
the deficit of spiritual life,
individualism :
- exacerbated competition in all dimensions of life
(economy, education, sport),
- occultation of the reality of old age and death,
- out-of-control technology following no ethical rules
- identitarian closure, etc.

14. The state of our planet
In rich countries, poverty and deprivation
remain and even progress (economic
inequalities, handicaps, exclusions,
discriminations).
Not being able to cover for one’s own basic
needs (housing, food, health care, transport,
expression, security) generates a feeling of
helplessness.

15. The vicious circle of exclusion
lack of education
and training,
of qualification
school failure,
illiteracy
Health problems
or addictions
family problems,
divorce,
single parenting
lack of money,
palliatives that lead
to drifting, debt
Housing
problems
feeling of failure,
incapacityunemployment,
inactivity,
poverty

16. The state of our planet
Individuals’ malaise
and society’s malaise
are inseparable :
-race for power,
-seduction of “the having”,
- deficit of meaning

17. The state of our planet
Domination, race for power,
race for weapons :
the world’s military spending
today represents 1 300
billion dollars.

18. The state of our planet
Seduction of “the having” and
material wealth :
the world’s spending in
advertisement represent more
than 700 billion dollars.

19. The state of our planet
Competition among each other or
with ourselves, no future, life
without goal, deficit of meaning :
the traffic of narcotics represents
600 billion per year.

20. New risks
Today, the risks of aggression, destabilisation or control of our
societies are new :
- assassinations and attacks by terrorist organizations like
Daech
- risk of coup or power accession by authoritarian or dictatorial
regime, grounded on an ideology of exclusion or xenophobia,
for instance following a serious food, economic, financial,
social and/or ecological crisis.
Photos :
-The Flag of the terrorist Islamic organization Daech
-Economic crisis today, that has only just begun.

21. Reasons to believe
- Fall of dictatorships (Latin America,
Philippines, USSR, Eastern Europe), of the
apartheid in South Africa, of corrupt regimes
(Tunisia);
- Construction of a political society at global
level (UN, Europe, Conference of Rio, Kyoto,
etc.);
- Irruption of the unexpected, including in
politics.

22. Reasons to believe
- The Arab Spring that started in
December 2010 : Tunisia, Egypt, Libya,
Bahrein, Yemen, Syria. Tunisia is today
the only country in which it lasted.
- The Indignados movement : Spain,
Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, the
UK, Belgium, Greece, the USA, which
consequences are difficult to evaluate.

23. Irruption of improbable
Edgar Morin gives examples :
•Improbable victory of the little Athenian democracy over
the great Persian empire, giant with clay feet;
•Improbable victory of the Christians over the Roman
empire (although a false victory, since it perverted
Christianity, which became the ally of political power…);
•Improbable victory of the Enlightment philosophy over
monarchy;
•Victory of the allies over Nazi Germany, improbable
until 1941. The French National Council of the
Resistance had even written, at the heart of the war, a
new social pact for the future.
Photos : Voltaire, Jean Moulin

24. Irruption of improbable
- Election of Vaclav Havel (1993) and Nelson Mandela
(1994), shortly after their release from prison, where they
had been detained as political prisoners.
- Election of a black man to the presidency of the USA in
2008.
- In 1960, Che Guevara asked Fidel Castro : “ When will
the USA recognise Cuba ?”, and Fidel Castro answered :
“ When they elect a black president and the Pope is
Argentinian !”.
Photos : Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela, Barak Obama, pope Francis

25. Reasons to believe
- Awareness of the gravity of the situation by
public opinion,
- Awareness of the role of women in
changing society,
- Emergence of a new spirituality and “citizen
interiority”,
- Intercultural and interreligious dialogue.

26. Reasons to believe
- New concepts to think and act (human
development index, carbon
compensation, social and environmental
responsibility of corporates, socially
responsible investments, etc.),
- New entrepreneurship models,
- NGO and alternative movements’
alliance.

27. Reasons to believe
- Reflection on a deep process of
change
- Awareness of the necessity of
action on three levels :
• personal transformation,
• quality of daily human relationships
in living environments and at work,
• societal change.
Photo : Patrick Viveret, Edgar Morin, Nicolas
Hulot

28. Reasons to believe
- New citizen, consumer
behaviours (recycling, car-
sharing, social tourism, etc.)
- Fast linking and mobilisation and
citizens via Internet and social
media

29. Reasons to believe
The film by Cyril Dion and Mélanie
Laurent released in 2015 explores the
world, seeking solutions capable of
saving our planet and humanity.
From the most accomplished
experiences in all fields (agriculture,
energy, industry, housing, economy,
democracy, education),
in diverse countries (France and the
Reunion Island, Denmark, Finland,
Belgium, India, the UK and USA,
Sweden and Iceland),
they present a possible future.

30. Reasons to believe
At the forefront of new schemes of
thought and means of action
can be found nonviolent
settlement of conflicts.
■
Photos : M. K. Gandhi, Rajagopal PV