Comments on: Letters from Sri Lanka – The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, and the Ten Basic Needs

By: Genie Dillard

Genie Dillard — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:22:05 +0000

I was thinking along the same lines as greg, as I read this. I am very much opposed to ridiculous, destructive waste (in both senses of the word) that ends up destroying the quality of the whole environment.

If I were queen I’d give the companies of the world a year, or some irreducible minimum, to clean up–nothing made that had residual toxicity or piled up in oceans, etc. Everything made, that was toxic or subject to piling up as junk, would have to be un-makeable.

BUT, I am not drawn to a life of enforced agrarian simplicity (though it is a choice I would honor) for everyone. Gothic cathedrals are over the top, from a standpoint of physical necessity. I would put no restrictions on what a person could make or have, except that of consideration for the whole environment and other people.

By: greg

greg — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:35:47 +0000

What more do we need? How about music, poetry, entertainment, dancing… places and tools to do and learn those things. Valuable work. Maybe that’s all rolled into “cultural needs”, but that term expands into a pretty huge set of needs.

I think a lot about minimalism, and I’ve decided that “necessary” is different than “optimal”. For example, if PA had lived with just his needs and not had a workshop, metalworking equipment, books, and supplies, he wouldn’t have designed his plough. Countless examples abound.

Essentially, do we want to be only lifeforms, sitting as still as possible, consuming nutrients and excreting wastes? Or do we want more for ourselves, society and humanity? If so our material “needs” expand beyond just the basics to keep us alive and healthy.

Yes, yes, I know much of how our society has “progressed” has just meant more destruction of the earth, but there is a counterexample to go with each example. Humanity is both beautiful and ugly.

By: Marcin Gerwin

Marcin Gerwin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:07:30 +0000

The values promoted by Sarvodaya are soooo remote from those of current Western culture… Can you imagine a politician speaking in the election campaign about ten basic needs instead of economic growth and increasing consumption? That would be something!

The great thing about the Sarvodaya movement is that it places spirituality in the heart of rural development process. By spirituality I don’t mean religion, but the quest for awakening and nurturing compassion. Thanks to this the petty materialistic desires are reduced and in consequence the ecological footprint as well. It is interesting that when you speak with someone engaged in spiritual practice then he or she can easily grasp the need for ecological solutions or change in lifestyle.

By: Jamie Pomfrett

Jamie Pomfrett — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:05:22 +0000

Thankyou Craig for posting these two uplifting accounts of grass roots social movements. Being someone who is intensely interested in social change, I have come to conclusion that change must occur on a deeper consciousness level. To hear of a movement, which can bring together 650, 000 people to mediate is quite profound.
In my experience with social movements in Australia, often contest policy, or CEO’s decisions, however rarely is the question raised, what does it mean to be alive? However, this seems to be what was at the crux of Ariyaratne question to the villagers when he started the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement. When humans ask this question, and self reflexively answer it, we will see in ourselves that living in a capitalist consumer world is not what it means to be alive.
The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement is truly inspiring. The question now sits before, how do we play out something like this in Australia?
Does of any groups in Australia who are doing similar things, please let me know. Also, has there been any book or papers written which are available?
Peace to all