21. Sustainable Futures & Counter Development

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I recently discovered a great book called ‘Futures by Design, The Practice of Ecological Planning. It is a book for anyone who is interested in self-reliance, self-government, improved quality of life, and wise use of technology, social justice, and ecological health. It brings together the thoughts and experience of a remarkable group of social change activists. I found this extract particularly relevant:

‘In Ladakh I have had the privilege to experience another, saner way of life and to see my own culture from the outside. I have lived in a society based on fundamentally different principles and witnessed the impact of the modern world on that culture. When I arrived as one the first outsiders in several decades, Ladakh was still essentially unaffected by the West. But change came swiftly. The collision between the two cultures has been particularly dramatic, providing stark and vivid comparisons. I have learned something about the psychology, values, and social and technological structures that support an ancient, nature-based society. It has been a rare opportunity to compare our socio-economic system with another, more fundamental, pattern of existence - a pattern based on co-evolution between human beings and the earth.’ - Helena Norberg-Hodge

There is a documentary called ‘Ancient Futures’ which explains more about this. If you would like a copy, just contact me. I am currently putting together a database of films, which you are all welcome to. I plan to organise a local monthly film night when I get home. I urge you to do the same.

It’s clear that as a species we have ‘progressed’ so quickly that we are not sustaining ourselves any longer. Oil has given the average American (and European probably) the power of 200 slaves. But the cheap energy bubble is about to burst. We cannot continue along the same energy intensive path any longer. The time for taking and not replacing is coming to an end. We are destroying ourselves, but more importantly we are destroying this magnificent eco-system and everything that exists within it. We are possibly the only species on this planet that can take a conscious decision in what part we want to play in this crazy mad experiment. It’s time to stop thinking as individuals and start thinking as one whole thriving and breathing system. To do this, we need social change. Somehow, the message needs to get out there that the economic forces driving the current ‘development’ and ‘progress’ is causing irreversible damage. We don’t need further development. We need ‘counter-development’. And this does not necessarily mean a reduction in ‘quality of life’. It could actually result in an increase of GNH (gross national happiness!)

I believe that most people need and want this change, even if they don’t realise it yet! (Hmm.. am I starting to sound like an eco-facist by any chance!?)

It's time we stopped relying on centralised power hungry governments. This system of wage slavery is sickening. It’s time to start taking responsibility for our families, our communities, our bioregions, our countries, our continents, our planet, and ourselves. If governments can meet us in the middle, then woOOoopie do da. But lets not rely on the people holding the purse strings to make decisions in our best interest. The history is evident. People in positions of power are only interested in maintaining those positions through whatever means necessary.. religion, science, medicine, war, deceit, fear. It all comes down to maintaining control. It’s time for people to take back control of their basic needs, at the very least!

‘The primary goal of ‘counter-development’ would be to provide people with the means to make fully informed choices about their own future. Using every possible form of communication, from satellite television to storytelling, we need to publicise the fact that today’s capital and energy-intensive trends are simply unsustainable. Ultimately, the aim would be to promote self-respect and self-reliance, thereby protecting life-sustaining diversity and creating the conditions for locally based, truly sustainable development’.


- Systems not isolated things
- Patterns not categorical order
- Co-operation not competition
- Process not prescription
- Quality not quantity
- Connection not separation
- Biocentric not anthropocentric
- Decentralisation not centralisation

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