The right to freedom

This week we want to prove to you that the answer to the question: can a peaceful revolution save the planet? is yes!

The Carnations Revolution

46 years ago today the right-wing dictatorship, that terrorised the Portuguese people for 48 long years, was defeated. A historical moment not just for our beloved country but for the whole humanity. This revolution had been in the makings for years. Many men and women were tortured and killed for wanting freedom. Freedom to speak, to read and to hear what they wanted. People lived in constant fear of the brutality of the police force. However, and against all odds, this dark power was overthrown by a peaceful revolution.

With the help of many discontent military man, and thousands of Portuguese people, the regime came to an end. Only 4 people died that day, and less than 50 were injured.

Carnations were kindly distributed to the soldiers fighting for freedom.

 

A peaceful Revolution for a sustainable world

The carnations Revolution was made in a time when information was scarce and social media was far from being invented. In this day and age, we have the knowledge and mediums to make our own global peaceful revolution.

The hardships are undeniable, but aren’t they always?

There were never so many educated people in the world and the quality of life was never higher. Even in the middle of a global pandemic, we are able to send you this article, all the way from Lisbon to your hands.

 

Why now?

Our planet is sick and we are close to a point of no return. The truth is, we have always treated Nature as a never-ending resource, when it’s not. Somehow we got disconnected. We truly believed that the only way to survive was to act against each other while exploiting Nature.

Right now, we are facing a product of global warming and disregard for life. COVID-19, a global pandemic that is making us acknowledge that the systems we built are actually unsustainable.

 

The lockdown and the decrease of green gas emissions

To fight the pandemic, we stayed at home. Everything went quiet, inwards. Wild animals returned to the streets, rivers became clean and the overall green gas emission declined immensely.

We used less, and the planet took a deep breath in. Here you can find an article that shows how much was accidentally accomplished.

So here we are, facing a tragic present and an uncertain future.

 

We have a choice to make

This is where a peaceful revolution can save the planet. We can demand that these low consumption rates become the norm.

We need to demand a sustainable economy where the end goal isn’t profit and constant growth. The end goal should always be, to serve the people. To work with Nature and not despite it.

It would be easier to simplify everything, regulate everyone, and see the world as a machine. We tried as hard as we could, but Nature can’t be tamed. Money can’t be eaten.

We have contradictory feelings that must be felt. Some days we aren’t productive and that’s ok. We are love and community. We thrive when we live in oneness with ourselves, with others and with Nature.

 

yes, sustainability can be economically viable!

Instead of a larger gap between the rich and the poor, we would have an evenly distributed wealth. The health of our eco-systems would be part of every company’s goals.

The trick is, we have to rethink these goals. Like Jack Dangermond mentions in this article the planet must be considered a critical stakeholder.

Thankfully many companies are already doing this, and many more are being born with sustainability as its backbone.

Here is an article about how you can live a more sustainable existence.

 

 

Sustainable economy is a Circular economy

Circular economy is a system that leaves no waste. Everything thing is reused, recycled or upcycled. Its foundation lies in how it relates to people and Nature. It flows and it is adaptable. It celebrates the differences and it thrives off of them.

It’s slow. It means we would have 10 strong products that will last years, instead of 100 fragile things.

When we talk about sustainability and circular economy we talk about living in one with Nature and Technology. It’s evolution in its prime. We can take all the skills we have learned and use them to save the planet and build a better future.

All lives matter

When the focus is living in peace, everything changes. We can no longer pretend we are separated beings. We can’t see superior and inferior people. We won’t feel the need to judge others so that our actions are justifiable. For the simple reason that if we want to live in peace, we will soon find that there is no space for discrimination.

Life is hard and complicated. People are hard and complicated. Living in peace with everyone isn’t easy. But it’s possible. And it’s our only chance of survival.

Animals aren’t inferior to us. Plants aren’t lifeless décor. They are all part of us, and we need them more than they need us.

Remember those holidays when all you cared about was spending time with your loved ones and enjoying the Ocean? Remember how good that made you feel? Well, that doesn’t have to be a feeling you get once a year. Living in peace and in joy is something we can accomplish every single day. We just have to shift our perspective and surrender to love.

All together now!

We can’t talk about such deep and profound feelings without mentioning music. The Beatles definitely made some great tunes for a peaceful revolution.

If we work together and respect one another. Have empathy for the ones who have it harder than us. And the patience to see this through. We can defeat COVID-19.

 

We can give ourselves and our planet a second chance. If we allow ourselves to deeply love ourselves and all life around us. That vulnerable place, that takes so much bravery to reach. We can turn the Oasis into a reality.

Have a beautiful day,

NAE