A good life a new way

   

Our world is going through a profound crisis due to globalization, neo-liberalism and the economic model of development that exploit natural resources. This system of development promotes a systematic way of living known as the throw-away culture; this perverse economic model also generates a violent social exclusion that impedes the access of millions of human beings to food and other basic necessities.

This conventional model of the “good life” concentrates wealth in the hands of a few and at the same time causes the death of the poor and marginalized. The obsession for wealth and the ideology of development of a nation promotes exaggerated fast profits, and consumerism. A cruel capitalist system that triggers environmental, ideological and economical crises.

This system that exploits the environment is taking the planet at risk of sustainability. To combat this, there is need to create awareness. There are huge investments in capital expenditure and others centered on human and social works, but none of them opts for nature as important to the integral part of all beings. In contrast, comes the other meaning of “good life”: living in communion with others: nature and mother earth, with animals, and indigenous peoples with their ancestors. Native peoples have a mystical aspect extremely strong that overwhelms the crave for consumerism.

To include the concept “good life” in development for indigenous peoples. They prefer to talk about a good life that means collective, in community, in communion and where human beings coexist with one other and with nature, not individualistic. For them, the good life is awareness not to destroy nature, but to care and live in harmony with it.

The meaning of the good life also signifies a world different from the way Jesus planned it. A place in which peace reigned, also solidarity, and fraternity. In this understanding, it is important to create only one project of good life or else we would be repeating the same thing that was invented which a determined culture or idea shaped us. We need to see diversity to understand the good life, but at the same time establish some common principles. There is a need to accept from every aspect and turn our dreams into a common one.

The good life is personal conversion, to consume less, promote less so-called ‘development’ that affects nature. Practice sharing, and not all for one-self, but for other persons to taste and have a part to play in the same thing. The good life is for all, not just for the privileged and elites. To live the good life is to live like the indigenous peoples where there are no abandoned children nor rich or poor in their villages (outsiders tell them that they are poor), to live happy with little. It also means to reach out to those who are different in religion, ideology etc. The good life is above all of this which calls for us to respect it. The good life also means dialogue because there is no dialogue without respect. We can´t say this or that is more important. It calls for profound love. This paradigm of the good life will not happen today or tomorrow. However, we can bring about this dream of the good life with little steps.

M. Abraham