What do you stand for?

anyone who has read past blogs or who knows me has a pretty clear idea what i stand for...

1) the recognition that "other-ness" is an illusion: we are all human together, and we humans are all connected to all other life on this beautiful earth. every woman is my sister/ mother/ grandmother, every man is some relation to me, every child is my child. the gorillas and chimpanzees are my first cousins. the other mammals are my second cousins, all other animals are my third cousins. the trees and plants are my relatives too. the rocks and waters and all systems of our living planet are somehow akin to me as well. when we forget these things, we create loneliness, suffering, even war, as well as ecological destruction. a tactical error, as well as an impoverishment of our human souls...

2) the protection and support of the vulnerable: most especially, children and their mothers. we have so much information about optimal parenting now, and it seems like it doesn't make it to the people who most need the information. one feels as if one is "preaching to the choir" often; whenever, for example, someone asks for advice about breastfeeding, that person is already aware of the importance of nursing her child and interested in doing it. but what about all the thousands of other women who don't know enough to make a truly informed choice? what about the ignorant government agencies & programs that are not structured around best-case parenting practices? a society can best be judged by the way in which it supports its most vulnerable and/or politically voiceless members. take a look at what happens to mothers, children, people living in poverty, people without health-care, the elders, the public lands and wildlife in america and tell me how you think we are doing?

3) the elimination of false dualities and hierarchies: much of global religion, politics, and secular philosophy is polluted by unjustifiable ranking structures. do we need these beliefs? are they fostering a secure, peaceful, just global future? has it been helpful to believe that men are better than women, that my religion is better (more true) than yours, that my tribe/country/caste/whatever is better than another's, that people are "higher" than other life-forms, that the mind is better than the body, that the earth is here to be used, altered, contaminated, demarcated, mined, exploded, etc? i would say not...so why do we continue to have religious, scientific, political, personal patterns based on these destructive rankings? why do we continue to instill them in our children?

4) the creation of societal structures that reflect the above-mentioned values: we need to transform our work practices and economies to support humane and sustainable ways of living. this means changing our minds and our hearts and allowing them to change many areas of our societies: work, childcare, eldercare, education, religion, economic development, urban planning, health care, land management, investments and securities, government, protection of physical and intellectual commons, manufacturing, military/ industrial practices, environmental policy, international diplomacy.

5) integrity and joy: searching for truth, as pertaining to one's own life. living in ways that align with that truth. living with enjoyment and appreciation. integrity keeps you honest, and joy keeps you going. the two combined make your life worth living and allow you to give something to others.