Quote:
Posted by
blufire
Quote:
Posted by
Sierra
think your well known Monsanto agenda is driving your position of condescension, hostility and negativity towards these farmers. (Oh and you dislike and criticize Bill's Ecuador project as well)
Bill’s Ecuador project???? What project would that be??? He has a friend (Christine Breese) that has been working building a community for the past year or so but I had no idea he had any kind of interest in it other than she is a personal friend and he was supporting her endeavors.
Clarification: that's correct. Christine Breese's website is here.
http://umsonline.org/ecuador/UMS-Cam...at-Center.html
Regarding the questions asked of Jena's project, about which I know very little, it strikes me that there's a certain amount of unpleasantness being shown here for reasons that are not easy to understand.
1) If an Avalon member asks for help or at least requests a chance to express themselves because something unwanted and hurtful has happened in their lives, we should offer support and understanding. These are my own strong values and I would very much like this principle to be upheld.
2) Avalon is a virtual but wholly international community. We have members from many dozens of countries in every part of the globe. There's a wonderful opportunity here for all of us, especially those of us who may not have traveled much or who speak other languages, to learn about other cultures, worldviews, and ways of living.
(How many of us speak Chinese as well as xidaijena speaks English? And how many of us have ever visited China or have any real qualifications to make any informed comments about the culture there at all?)
3) It's crystal clear to me that anyone who aspires to be trying functionally and practically to create a better world, or examples of a better world, and has made significant and risk-laden personal commitments to do that, should be supported and not criticized as if they're somehow doing something out of line.
We need more people in the world like xidaijena, and we're privileged to have her in our Avalon community. Any new visitor to Avalon might be forgiven for thinking that they can see a certain degree of xenophobia and myopia on this thread.
4) To me, some of the responses to xidaijena have appeared offensive and in direct opposition to Avalon's values. Her own replies here so far to one or two fairly barbed comments and questions have done her great credit.
5) There can be all kinds of reasons for human beings doing anything at all that seems violent or freedom-restricting. Students of world history will know full well that for thousands of years there's been an ongoing battle between the vectors of personal freedom and the vectors of control and suppression. This continues today as strongly as it ever did in the days of Chairman Mao, Attila the Hun, or Herod the Great. China, despite its recent very successful conversion to a western-style economy, is not yet well-known for championing human rights.
Here's what it all boils down to, in my opinion:
If we don't do all we can to stand for and support those of us who are here this lifetime to continue that mission, Planet Earth will be lost pretty much forever and we may all just as well start to plan to reincarnate somewhere else next time round because the battle is lost. We have to get this right this time. Every action counts, even posting a response on the forum. It all adds the balance of energy, in one direction or another.
http://projectavalon.net/Earth-in_the_balance.jpg