I believe that all humans are born equal.
I believe in solidarity and respect.
I believe in education and experience.
I believe in science and intuition.
I believe in planning and action.
I believe in the future.
…but I’m living in the present. I believe that change can only happen bottom up, by people, by individuals, groups, communities, taking action. I believe that governments and organizations have the power to influence and incentivize good behavior, they can inform and sponsor efforts, but at the end of the day, it’s up to individuals to make the change. I believe that every little act of each one of us counts. And I believe that starting with awareness, each small step, change, effort matters, because it will trigger someone else to do the same, until eventually, all the drops create an ocean. I believe in action more than words, I believe in trying out and failing and trying again, I believe that imperfect results are better than no results. I believe that it all starts with respect, respect for people and their talents, their believes and their fears, for nature and everything we don’t understand in it. Human-triggered climate change is a proven fact and not a matter of believe. I believe that we can learn from each other, that if we give people trust and freedom, they will use it wisely and create better outputs than if they are regulated and controlled. I believe that we are at a point in history, where we realize, that some patterns – believe and action patterns – need to be changed. I believe that the past 300 years of Western domination and feeling of superiority are over and that is important to do a universal check of values, to search and combine old wisdom and knowledge that has been around in east and west but got lost through dark ages and religiously motivated brainwashing. I believe that the single best thing to invest in, as a state or individual, is education. I believe that we can’t go on living as we do, in a globalized, stock market driven, fuel fueled, consumption- and debt-oriented economy and that if we don’t change our behaviors, we’re going towards a big bang. I believe that our societies are all built as hierarchical-patriarchal systems and all our role models sit on top of these pyramids. And contradicting to that I believe that we would be better off with having more flat, matriarchal, egalitarian, self-organized systems and role-models. I believe in governments and taxes. I believe that the main role of the government should be to redistribute and take care of the ones that can’t do it themselves, to foster positive change and actions and invest in education. I don’t believe in borders and nationalities. I don’t believe in God. I believe that there is more out there than we understand. I believe in science and I believe in skepticism. I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I believe that technology is bringing us huge advantages but that we need to be extremely aware of its dangers. I believe that humans can’t handle ultimate freedom and individuality and there currently is a backswing and search for orientation happening – be it in nationalism and extremism, religions and cults, consumerism, entertainment and adrenaline or isolation. Therefore I believe that we need something positive, unifying, wholistic but flexible, a manual or guideline more than a law or rigid ideology, something that people can hold on to, that gives them a perspective, that tells a story of hope and happiness, rather than fear and uncertainty, something that is skeptical about the present, conscious of the past and flexible about the future. I believe that Permaculture could be that something.
Furthermore, I believe that my journey is one that could be interesting for other people. I believe that there are like-minded or differently-minded people, who struggle with the same questions, who might find the same answers useful as I and who might be inspired by my steps taken, reflections made and conclusions found. So I’m setting up this blog to further follow and describe my journey, not knowing where it will lead me.