On November 15th, our Vancouver civic election came to a close with a landslide win for Gregor Robertson and the Vision Vancouver party. Gregor won the mayor’s seat by a 14 point margin, while the party sent 15 of 16 candidates to City Council, School Board and Park Board. The NPA, the traditional ruling party of Vancouver politics, was handed a devastating defeat, electing only a single candidate elected to council.
Like the presidential election, the theme of our campaign was change. However, the change we are seeing recently goes well beyond a simple swing in political leanings from left vs right or from one candidate to the next. The new change represents the leading edge of a new emergent consciousness. It is not coincidental that Barack Obama’s personage, and transparent, participative campaign emerged hand in hand with a massive global economic downturn, a sharpening environmental crisis, and wars of scarcity that have not been experienced in our generation. The traditional systems of supply side economics, oil based economies, closed door politics, and a singular focus on bottom line deliverables are the cause of the frightening and emerging challenges we’re now facing, and it will take nothing less than a complete remaking of our economy, media, culture, and politics to meet those challenges.
As American philosopher Ken Wilber says, new modes of consciousness arise, and are supported by, new economic and informational systems. You can’t support an industrial economy with papyrus scrolls. Likewise, you can’t support the emerging post modern and integral consciousness with the strict empirical measure of short term bottom line gain.
Obama has seemingly embraced this emerging world fully. After running the most participative and publicly engaged campaign in history, he’s carrying that forward as President Elect. Change.gov is the first hint of a new style of world politics and democracy that people will be demanding in the decades to come, and as the National Post reported, he has committed the White House to the continuation of this approach by establishing a new cabinet position with a mandate for transparency and the ongoing engagement of the American public.
Gregor Robertson has the potential to create similar change on a civic level. Time will tell if he chooses to do so. For now, my work with Vision is complete and I’m grateful for having been able to contribute in a small way to the betterment of the city, and with luck, to the first steps in reshaping the way government works.
PS – special thanks to Jason & Jordan of Communicopia; Christine, Catherine, Emily, Darko and Phillip of Agentic; and Tim and Nicholas at Biro Creative. You kept me going throughout the campaign.
I’m home now in Vancouver, with the daunting task of summing up and integrating a journey that covered four continents and more than eight months of my life. It can leave a person wondering how to bring that much home, or what home even means.
That said, there are a few common themes that became clear over the course of the journey. A major one concerns the views and assumptions that tend to guide the actions of our culture with the rest of the world, the damage of which becomes obvious when viewing there effects on some of the most impoverished nations on Earth.
In the case of Rwanda, we have been told that there horrific genocide was the culmination of tribal conflicts that stretched back centuries. After a mere days in that country, the truth became quickly and overwhelmingly obvious – that the division between Hutus and Tutsis was a colonial weapon established by the Belgians, and exploited by the French, in order to gain greater control over the population and later to profit by selling the weapons of genocide.
In rapidly developing India, they are celebrating their initiation into the world's nuclear fraternity, while domestically, the moral stance of the Dalai Lama has been criticized and questioned on the grounds that it may threaten Sino-Indian relations. One of the world's greatest ironies may explain India's true motivation. In 1999 , Major William Corson, intelligence aide to US President Dwight David Eisenhower, alledged that India agreed to grant the the Dalai Lama asylum in exchange for US help in developing nuclear weapons.
The case is similar in the issue of global warming, where western governments, in particular the US, points the finger of blame at developing countries while it is responsible for maintaining the worst mileage standards, consumes the most beef (one of the largest greenhouse gas contributors), and uses the most crude oil while they continue to propogate a war over oil to maintain the status quo.
That word, responsibility, is the key. Western morality is anchored on a bastardization of Adam Smith that assumes ultimate good will magically prevail for all by pursuing our own individual interests. However, unless balanced by an equal sense of our personal responsibility, what we perceive as our rights quickly turns into indulgence, and there begins most of the world’s problems.
An embrace of responsibility, alongside of our personal rights, makes it obvious that while we have a right to trade and deal diplomatically with African nations like Rwanda, we equally have a responsibility for the outcome of that trade when we market in weapons of destruction to an oppressive regime. It makes it obvious that the moral rights of an entire people are not appropriate negotiating items in diplomacy and trade. It also becomes obvious that the country responsible for the most environmental damage needs to take the lead in forming environmental solutions.
If we strike another person, that blow is not the fault of the person receiving it. A gun owner is responsible for their weapon falling into the hands of young children. Unintentional murder is deemed involuntary manslaughter and is not the responsibility of the murdered. Likewise, the direct harm caused by our consumer, policy, and business decisions is not the fault of our trade partners, but the responsibility of those perpetrating the actions - exploitative businesses, the government’s that those businesses lobby for profitable trade policies, and we, the citizens, who value what we call prosperity over the human rights of other nations affected. The solutions, then, rest with us.
Responsibility can begin at home. The United States, Canada and my own city of Vancouver have a lot of work to do this fall. It’s time to get to it.
It was meant to be a side trip to the Philippines where a good friend is doing anthropological research in a traditional Kalinga Valley village. Unfortunately, I let myself get bluffed out by the weather and never made it.
My arrival date earlier this month in Manila ended up being the day after a second of two typhoons rolled through the country. Conditions on the newsreel looked pretty tenuous and I opted to disembark at our stop-over in Bangkok rather than risk being stranded in Manila for two weeks. As it turns out, the route north to the village was fine, much to my disappointment.
Sooooo, I tried to go to the Philippines and all I got were these stunning photos of Thailand....
The past few weeks have definitely been a different flavour. Heading steadily to the north of India, the people and country side have both shifted towards mountainous and Buddhist, culminating in Ladakh which is called the closest thing to Tibet on the subcontinent. It was far and away one of my favorite places in the country.
The main city of Leh is almost indescribably beautiful. The town is a fertile strip of green nestled between the desert hills of brown and a back drop of Himalayan peaks. Set against crystal clear skies the view is an every changing Crayola box of greens, blues, whites and brown.
The culture is also an interesting departure. The area only opened to tourists in 1974 and until then a remarkably self sufficient society had braved the high desert and -50C winters for centuries, key to which was a strong sense of environmental values and strict population control. In addition to a large population of Buddhist monks and nuns, the area is one of a handful of cultures that actively practiced polyandry - the taking of more than one husband by a single woman (pause for applause from my female readers.....)
Polyandry is now a thing of the past (pause for tears from my female readers...), however the strong position of women and an intimate sensitivity to the natural environment has remained, giving the place a far more progressive spirit then many other places in India. I spent
most of my time there hiking up the nearby hills and visiting the centuries old Buddhist ruins, the centre piece of which was the palace looming above the town of Leh itself. Extensive restoration is going on, but despite that it was mostly just me wandering unobstructed
through 9 stories and 400 years of ruins. It was fabulous.
Fabulous and, as I mentioned, solitary. On the verge of departing from India that has probably been one my biggest surprises. This has far and away been the most isolated period of travel I've ever had. There are other travelers around, but the entire time in India has been a strange anti-confluence, like a trip to a parallel universe as if I disembarked in Bombay at platform 9 3/4.
Even where I've been following what should be the beaten path, things turn up empty. The most recommended hotels are barren, restaurants are strangely empty, and when I do things that seem to be the most natural cultural or tourist events there's nobody around.
In a day-trip outside of Leh I visited the active monastery at Hemis, the richest in the province and a 'must see' stop to witness the monks during morning prayers. The monastery again is impossibly beautiful, tucked high into a side valley away from the Indus River and surrounded with green trees and flowers. It was just myself there, taking a humble and uninterrupted seat at the back of the gompa (Buddhist temple) where I was graciously welcomed and served hot tea along side the monks. It was a stirring experience, admittedly made more so by the lack of outside distraction.
It was a similar case a few days later during June's full moon. It was one of my last days before leaving and the natural thing to do (as I saw it) was to climb to the "Shanti Stupa" - a stunning brand new Buddhist monument gifted by the Japanese. It's the highest point in town and the
only vantage point complete with a tea house/cafe. Again, mysteriously, it was virtually tourist free for the rise of the moon, which I can happily say was completely breathtaking.
None of that is to take anything away from the incredible time this has been. There have been countless things to see and there are the more than enough encounters with friendly locals, shop owners, and traders. However, over the course of some weeks, or months, I find I need a
little more than the same two conversations, "What country?" and "Very long man!...How long?", "....that's none of your business sir!."
After being turned back by fictitious concerns about the twin typhoons that recently rolled through the Philippines, I'm now in Bangkok - heading to the beach and the slow lead up towards heading home.
Here's the photo show from Ladakh.
"The present era is rampant with the five forms of degeneration, in particular the red ideology (....)
These were the words of Thubten Gyatso, the 13th Dalai Lama of Tibet, spoken two years before his death in 1931 (pictured above). With the exception of the demise of the Dalai Lama himself (the 'triumphant Father), all that he stated has come to pass. The scope and power of the prophecy culminated in 1995, when at the age of 6, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was kidnapped by the Chinese government mere days after being recognized as the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet (i.e. the 'son' and second most important leader in Tibetan culture). Nobody has seen him, nor his parents, since.
"In future, this system will certainly be forced either from within or without on this land that cherished the joint spiritual and temporal system. If in such an event we fail to defend our land, the holy lamas, including the "triumphant father and son" will be eliminated without a trace of their names remaining; the properties of the incarnate lamas and of the monasteries along with the endowments for religious services will all be seized. Moreover, our political system will be reduced to an empty name; my officials, deprived of their patrimony and property, will be subjugated like slaves by the enemy; and my people, subjected to fear and miseries, will be unable to endure day or night. Such an era will certainly come!"
I am writing now from Dharamsala, India - home of the current Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile - where the lead up to the Olympics, the complete lack of tangible support from other governments, and the combined weight of 59 years of Chinese atrocities are the central issues of daily life for the town's Tibetan population.
Since China's invasion in 1949, an estimated 1.2 million people have lost their lives through murder, starvation and disease. Six thousand monasteries were destroyed and the Chinese have continued with an unabated policy that seeks the destruction of Tibetan culture ever since.
It is against that historical backdrop that the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2008 Summer Games to China. The move is sometimes compared to the 1936 Games in Nazi Germany; however, Germany was awarded those games in 1933 prior to Nazi control of government, and the games were held prior to the Nazi invasion of Austria and prior to their systematic extermination of Jews. By comparison, China was granted the games after being the demonstrable perpetrator of an invasion against an independent nation and the systemic annihilation of a culture.
In the 59 years since the Chinese invasion the western response and characterization of China's policy has become increasingly miasmic. It is enlightening to return for a moment to 1960, when a report by the International Commission of Jurists called the Chinese invasion and actions in Tibet what they always have been - genocide. To quote:
"According to the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December, 1948, human groups against which genocide is recognized as a crime in international law are national, racial, ethnic and religious. The committee found that acts of genocide had been committed in Tibet in an attempt to destroy the Tibetans as a religious group..."
Further, we often hear about "human rights abuses" committed by China. That is a television friendly phrase that sheds little light on what has been perpetrated against the Tibetan people. Again, the Jurists' report leaves little room for speculation,
"The Committee came to the conclusion that the Chinese authorities in Tibet had violated the following human rights,
Article 3 - the right to life, liberty and security of person was violated by acts of murder, rape and arbitrary imprisonment.
Article 5 - Torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment were inflicted on the Tibetans on a large scale.
Article 12 - Rights of privacy, of home and family life were persistently violated by the forcible transfer of members of the family and by indoctrination turning children against their parents. Children from infancy upwards were removed contrary to the wishes of the parents.
Article 16 - The voluntary nature of marriage was denied by forcing monks and lamas to marry. (Allow me to paraphrase so as to ensure we are being crystal clear here. Buddhist monks and nuns who had taken voluntary and spiritual vows of celibacy were forced to fuck, sometimes each other, by Chinese authorities.)
Article 18 - Freedom of thought, conscience and religion were denied by acts of genocide against Buddhists in Tibet and by other systematic acts designed to eradicate religious beliefs in Tibet.
Article 26 - The right to liberal education primarily in accordance with the choice of parents was denied by compulsory indoctrination, sometimes after deportation (see Article 12), in communist philosophy.
Article 27 - The Tibetans were not allowed to participate in the cultural life of their own community, a culture which the Chinese have set out to destroy."
I could go on. Those were merely the most harrowing of the 16 human rights violations China was found guilty of.
Since that time, they have been condemned by other nations and NGOs for subjecting Tibetan women to forced sterilization and abortions and for systematically denying employment, health care and education to Tibetan citizens. Those who have escaped to India tell more graphic tales of torture including crucifixion, vivisection, disemboweling, dismemberment and burning. Women have been electrocuted on breasts and in their mouths and vaginas while other individuals were buried alive.
On August 8th, the nation that perpetrated these crimes, and that continues to engage in wide spread human rights abuses, will be hosting the world in the 29th Olympiad, an event that supposedly honours "universal fundamental ethical principles". The Beijing games are an offense that strikes the very core of these human values.
Having granted China the games, the IOC will do nothing to oppose them. Nor will there be a boycott from any of the 200 nations slated to compete in them. Action on this issue rests with us.
So in keeping with the themes I began several weeks ago in Generosity, Non-Violence and Non-Cooperation, here are a few meaningful actions that you can take in protest of the Beijing Games.
Athletes - You are the key individuals in the games. Without you there are no games. Given that governments will not boycott you can do so yourself. The higher profile you are, the bigger news it will be, and the more attention it will draw to the Tibetan cause. This legitimately may not be possible in light of corporate sponsorship deals. In this case, compete, and if you win a medal leave it behind on the podium or do not show up to accept it. Academy Awards have been refused. You can do the same with your medals.
In addition to dreams of victory, you may also have dreams of bringing home the medal itself, of displaying it proudly in your home, or making it an heirloom for you children. If so, know that the gold, silver or bronze of your victory was mined through the deforestation, pollution the destruction of the Tibetan environment while the Tibetan people received little to no economic benefit. Is this the heirloom you would leave your children? Or want around your neck?
Viewers - You are the second most important group of people. Through the sale of television rights the IOC has generated $2.5 billion in revenue. That is money networks anticipate getting back in spades through the sale of advertising time. But that is only a smart investment if people actually watch.
You are directly responsible for the profits that are realized by television networks from the games. Do not watch them. Don't watch an event, don't even watch the highlights. If you see your favorite newspaper, or magazine, with a cover story on the outcome of an event do not buy it.
If you think this sacrifices too much of your entertainment time, then I ask you 'what do you value in your life'? What values do you intend to communicate to your children? How important is this single entertainment event when you live in a world brimming with entertainment opportunities? Will you play your part in generating profits in an Olympics being held within a regime condemned for acts of genocide? Will you let your children watch that event? Is entertainment more important than the future of a peaceful culture and the lives of 6 million people? You can also ask yourself how much you remember from the last games, or better still the ones before that. Probably not much.
I am an avid sports fan and have followed every Olympics since 1984. I will not watch a minute of these games.
Shoppers - Olympic memorabilia and authentic Olympic sporting goods will be plugged mercilessly from now through Christmas. There is a fully functional and equivalent alternative available through competing brands for whatever equipment you need. Choose the alternative. Especially if it is a gift for your child. It is a chance to show them how their actions impact the lives and survival of others in the human family.
After your purchase, send a note along with the sales receipt to your National Olympic Committee (links available through the map here), and your national TV network, explaining why you didn't watch the games and why you are not supporting them as a consumer. If you are feeling extra motivation, send another copy to your Minister of Sport, Prime Minister or President.
Pass it on - individual action accumulates weight and effectiveness with numbers. Share these actions with friends, family, fellow students or workmates. If you are taking part in protests or actions, make these actions a part of your communications efforts. A two hour protest will leave little impact unless each individual who attends is empowered to take meaningful action in their own lives.
Most importantly, add your own ideas to the list above. These are only the actions that came immediately to mind and is by know means exhaustive.
Finally, if you feel that your actions do not matter, or won't amount to anything, then I leave you with the words of His Holiness the current Dalai Lama,
"It is therefore part of our responsibility towards others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier, than when we found it. This is not quite such as difficult proposition as it might sound. For although there is a limit to what we as individuals can do, there is no limit to what a universal response might achieve. It is up to us as individuals to do what we can, however little that may be. Just because (our action) seems inconsequential, it does not mean that we should not do it."
postscript - Incidentally, in light of recent protests do you know the history of the Olympic torch relay? It has no precedent in ancient Greece. It was introduced as a propaganda stunt to embrace other nations around the totalitarian ideology of, you guessed it, Nazi Germany.