Helena Norberg-Hodge on ANCIENT FUTURES and John Seed on THE RELIGION OF ECONOMICS

A benefit for the Los Cedros Biological Reserve and for Local Futures

Also in Sydney on Oct 21.

Ancient Futures: Recovering our Sacred Connections

Today humanity has a choice between two diametrically opposing paths: on the one hand global economic forces, with the help of “green” arguments for “carbon colonialism”, are pulling us into an ever-more competitive, fast-paced, urban future. At the same time, from the bottom up, there is a widespread cultural turning, bringing us back to our spiritual, evolutionary connections to the web of life. People are recognizing that connection, both to others and to Nature, is the true wellspring of happiness, and long for more cooperative, feminine, community-based, ecological futures. In almost every country, farmers’ markets, permaculture, community co-ops, local finance and business alliances, place-based education and nature reconnection testify to this great shift in values. In these ways, people are already sowing the seeds for a very different future, and demonstrating the way forward, towards a localised future.

In this talk, Helena Norberg-Hodge will argue that shifting economic policies from global to local is a systemic path away from a fragmented, confused and ever more violent world dominated by distant economic forces, towards a more interconnected world that is the foundation of both human and ecological wellbeing.

The Religion of Economics

The fact that economics, the most pious religion the world has ever known, has managed to audaciously disguise itself as secular is the real key to its unprecedented success. Not only secular but a science. Not just a science but the only one of the social sciences hard enough to have its own Nobel prize. The first step to killing this false god and freeing the Earth from its thrall is to unmask it, to name it, to say it like it is. John Seed will tell the story of this strange religion, one whose Sabbath lasts five days out of seven, while for the truly devout, maybe 6 or even 7 days are spent worshipping in huge complexes of temples that scrape the sky, foul the waters and scorch the Earth. When not in their office temples, the pious congregate in malls to shop unto exhaustion of the spirit and of the Earth itself. Advertising can then be understood as religious education and we learn that more money is spent worldwide on propogating this religion than all other education combined.

John will focus on the Atlas Foundation. With a billion dollars a year from the fossil fuel and mining mafia to generate disinformation and confusion via "think tanks" in over 100 countries, the Atlas Foundation is polluting the information landscape and greasing our slide to oblivion.

John will conclude with the story of deep ecology and propose that reconnecting with the living Earth is what we are actually hungry for and The Work That Reconnects dissolves the need for all the “stuff” that the advertising industry is trying to sell us to fill the gaping hole that is left when we are torn from our original Nature.