Shortsighted solutions
I have spent the last 18 months of my life working solely in the non-profit industry and so have learnt a lot about what is going on in the world, the challenges, what we are doing to meet them and everything in between. What is beginning to seriously worry me is that whilst there has been an enormous shift in consciousness in that we are actually attempting to meet these challenges, we are doing so by old and ineffectual habits.
I recently learnt about a water project that meets the needs of inadequate drinking water in Africa by installing pumps in various rural communities. All very well and good, poor water contributes towards more deaths than AIDS and the conditions really are appalling. So meeting this need is admirable and produces great impact.
But.
What about the repercussions of the solution? What about the environmental studies of the impact of boring for water in that area? What about educating the community so that the new water source does not also become polluted? What about the greater impact of weather and ecological ramifications?
I’ve dedicated my life to being one of the people who actively work towards making our world a better place and so I am in no means critising any contribution that is made. I am fully aware of the difficulties that we collectively face and how changing them is a massive undertaking. But these questions should be raised.
I can’t help thinking that we are still unable to project our minds and vision outside of our own lifespan to truly understand the bigger picture. I suppose that would require the true release of ego and attachment. Because if we were working on projects that would only bare fruit in a time past our deaths we would not have the satisfaction, pride or even participation of the completion thereof.
So in working tirelessly and altruistically in creating change, are we not in actuality delusioning ourselves? Are we not in truth still being the selfish and shortsighted human beings that got us into this mess in the first place?
