Society Takes Over Politics

Living simple vs. modern lifestyle? – Commerce without morality

What does “living simple” mean for those of us who believe in nonviolence as a way of life and struggle?

I am really curious of how much of Gandhi’s philosophy and ideals are still in progress and how much of those need to be improved or re-imagined in order to be passionately and consciously embraced. On my last trip to India I visited Gandhi’s ashram in Wardha. There was a sign stating “seven social sins” that called my attention.

“Politics Without Principles

Wealth Without Work

Commerce Without Morality

Education Without Character

Pleasure Without Conscience

Science Without Humanity

Worship Without Sacrifice”

As good as these principles sounded, I’ve been wondering if it is really possible to embrace them within the fast pace of our modern society that never seems to take a break. Following this inquiry, I was reflecting on the importance of Gandhi’s principles of “living simple” and “no attachment to material things”. Gandhi used to say that people struggling nonviolently should not fear death. I understand this in the way that the more desire you have for material things, the less you are capable to struggle free of the fear to die. It is a fact that Gandhi and the Satyagrahis were not looking to put their lives at risk without strong motives, but they were definitively willing to die for their conviction. I have been realizing how important “desire” is part of our lives and lifestyle, how much we are attached to material things, which makes it hard for us not to desire more and more. Must of us have grown up in a system that has constantly worked toward increasing our level of desire and consumerism and which has done little or nothing to rise our awareness of how much of what we consume we really need. Certainly times have changed since Gandhi changed the course of the world, but I wonder if we are still looking for the same ideals that aimed for more fairness and justice in the world we share.

We just came out of a huge winter holidays season and like a slap in the face, I recognized how much our capacity of desire surrenders to a good sale in the stores and gives significance to “love” through buying. Our holidays are completely related to consuming and shopping. While this is not an unexpected fact, I have not been able to acknowledge how we are roughly treated like a herd of sheep. Even worse, in fact we seem to enjoy it. Don’t you feel awkward when a store’s neon sign is ordering you to buy on a specific day? Where does sense of reasoning find meaning in having to wait 15-20 minutes in lines to pay? It’s not because I am opposed to buying something, but it is morally crushing to be “forced” into this dynamic. It is stunning to see thousands of people spending their money trying to get the most out of a deal and thereby relieving a shopping desire. What does this consumerism mean for our life? Does it dehumanize us at all? What does this mean for the people who believe in nonviolence and living simple? How are we playing the role of the bystander with those who are behind the scenes (those behind the counter, in the maquila, in the fields, people in the streets not having anything to eat…)?

A couple of months ago I went to IKEA, eye catching colors, nice furniture, space visualization and a well done ‘walk through’ in the store so you would not miss any section. As I came down the escalator I noticed the advertisement on the wall: “Grab a shopping cart! You’re about to have your hands full…” Of course the idea is to buy as much as we can! There were masses of shopping carts pilled one after another, just waiting to be grabbed. This sickening image made me realize how a corporation like this one cares little or nothing about its costumers treating them like people without minds and/or compulsive shopping animals. At the cash registers, there was a huge picture of a hot dog selling for 50 cents! In small letters they had to clarify that the hot dog in the picture was not the actual size. How bizarre can this get? The level of infantilization to the client was written out loud. Does anyone consider him/herself not capable of thinking that a hot dog cannot be the size of a huge wall sign? Most of us would not see anything wrong in this because we have normalized it and at the end it is part of the experience.

How can personal consumption meet social justice? We can find virtue in Gandhi’s remark “There is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed”. We put the trust of our happiness in the goods we buy. What can we do to develop an effective and moral practice of “living simple” nonviolently rather than a moralizing mechanism that condemns what we should or not do?

Paloma Ayala

Have you ever disobeyed an inhuman order?

Dear readers, I am posting some images of resistance and dignity.  Our motto is “Disobedience to all inhuman orders” (Juan Carlos Marin)

How and under which circumstances have you disobeyed an inhuman order? Please share your thoughts with us and write a comment.

CTRL+Z

CTRL+Z

Imagine that every time we would have the chance to UNDO something we did wrong. “Ctrl+Z” is a shortcut that computer users use on a regular basis, I would say, very often. This handy shortcut allows us to go back to the prior stage and thus modify our work. We can UNDO as long as the software allows us and mistakes can be easily fixed. A couple of years ago, after having worked for a long time on my computer I went for a glass of water and this suddenly slid out off my hands. I am sure this has  happened to you, but the first reaction I had was trying to UNDO my accident by pressing (in my imagination) CTRL+Z and of course nothing happened because the water was already spread in the floor. It was a fraction of a second but I instinctively thought about UNDO-ing it. UNDO would be perfect! It would allow me to go to the prior stage and correct my mess.

I was thinking how many of the mistakes committed by (in)humanity during the last centuries could have been undone. I thought about creating a fictional animation project called “UNDO” with the objective to reflect on the behavior that we, by ignorance or convenience have executed against others and which has helped to escalate the spiral of violence. Understanding these actions as those that are seen as “normal” or “common” (stereotyping, prejudice, sarcasm, name calling, gossiping, threatening, to name a few) but which affect with heavy impact the way our humanity is being (un)developed. A couple of years ago I was exposed to the radical consign of “the necessary disobedience to all inhuman orders” by Juan Carlos Marin, an Argentinean sociologist. Many of us were taught to obey the doctor, the teacher, our parents or the authority. Disobedience, from the perspective of an authority/power should be forbidden or punished. Imagine this fictional animation that give us a control with a new opportunity to CTRL+Z those actions in which human beings, us, were part of the chain of violence. It might be just an illusion that we could tackle down all inhumanity at once. It should at least give us the idea that it is in each one’s hands to start UNDO-ing our beliefs that our body is an instrument to obey blindly rather than a body that struggles against inhumanity.

Now 2009 is ending but 2010 continues exactly where we left it – with conflicts and  issues but also with actions of resistance and disobedience against inhumane orders. In which way we are educating ourselves to start UNDOing the wrongs so we can exist in a meaningful human manner?

Paloma Ayala

Please check out our new STOP issue!!

Dear readers, we have just released our new STOP issue in Spanish. Unfortunately the English edition is not ready yet but will be posted soon. This is a special edition that is focused on the “work in the streets” in Cuernavaca, Mexico. As you may know, thousands of people are losing their job as a consequence of the economical crisis. In Mexico, according to the INEGI (National Institute of Geography and Estatistics) there are 2,451,132 Mexicans that lost their job by February 2009. Also, the INEGI says that the work in the streets generated  more jobs in the Mexican economical activity between 2007 and 2008. Taking this information into consideration, the authorities of the city of Cuernavaca, ironically have approved a policy that forbids people to work in the streets…please, download this issue and get to know the facts of this inhumane policy and how people are struggling.

Please get the word out and help us spreading our project

Bring something to sell, playing music or juggle ;-)

Dear Readers: In solidarity with workers in the street (window cleaners, vendors, artisans, and franeleros…)

We invite you this Friday June 5, 4 PM, at the cine Morelos (Rayon and Morelos). Bring something to sell, playing music or juggle

Remember: THE STREETS BELONG TO EVERYBODY – YES TO THE FREEDOM TO WORK IN THE STREET

Queridos Lectores: En solidaridad con los trabajadores de la calle: limpiavidrios, vendedores, artesanos, franeleros y contra el artículo 129 del bando de policía y buen gobierno de cuernavaca, que prohibe y criminaliza el trabajo en la calle..

TE INVITAMOS este Viernes 5 de junio, 4 PM, en el cine morelos (rayón y morelos). Trae tu franela, algo para vender, tocar música o para malabarear.

Recuerda: LA CALLE ES DE TODOS – SÍ AL TRABAJO LIBRE EN LA CALLE

Download “Periodico Trabajo y Libertad” (en Español)

Por favor lee esta carta a los miembros del cabildo (Español) ,-) super excelente!

Erasing ‘racism’

Dear readers, a good friend, teacher of mine and activist Julia Chaitin, shared these news about an action that has been taking place around Israel. Hundreds of volunteers from the north to the south went out on May 28 and painted over racist graffiti. For a long time they have made a diversity of peace and non-violent actions in order to construct bridges of peace among the two regions devastated by the violence. This is an example of  high commitment to stop inhumane acts. Please visit their website: www.othervoice.org

International Encyclopedia of Peace

Hey guys, I just wanted to pass on this info to you. “The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Peace” by Nigel Young  has been published now. For those of you that are interested, here is the link:http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/The-Oxford-International-Encyclopedia-of-Peace-Hardcover/3964535/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=11998118