Law of the Heart
18Mar/102

The New Consciousness

The new consciousness on the planet, represented by million of indigenous people, proclaims that Dignity trumps Longevity; Autonomy trumps Obedience; Oneness trumps Separation.

For 40,000 years human did whatever was necessary to survive: manipulate, dominate, subjugate, invade and enslave.... In the deepest sense, all of this horrific activity was done by one human to his fellow human for survival, for possessing and controlling food sources, energy resources, and means of production. In the old days occupation, exploitation and domination was done with no shame, and without excuses: Owning slaves, for example, made people proud and even dignified. But as human consciousness evolved, a moral cause had to be invented and a lip service had to be attached: Thus, unlike the Roman empire, or even the British Empire, which did not need to invent excuses to occupy and dominate other countries, the United States had fought all of its wars under a guise of a higher cause, be it "freedom," "democracy" or "liberation."

However, this stage in human history and human consciousness is about to be over with. Most humans on the planet understand now that dignity trumps longevity; that autonomy trumps obedience; that it is better to live with your head up and fight for your rights than to live safe lives in shackles.

This is why the autonomy and dignity movement is so strong now in South and Central America. For 500 years - since the colonization by the Spaniards - these people been subjugated exploited, manipulated and enslaved by the European colonizers. They were called "savages" by Columbus and his ilk, and then "primitives" by the white European “civilization.” For 500 years the indigenous people of the Americas were subjugated to a devastating hardship, poverty, economic exploitation, massacres, the destruction of their language, culture, religion and dignity. For 500 years they have been in shackles and remained submissive. Why is it then that in the end of the 20th century they began to rise and demand their rights?

A new consciousness is evolving on the planet, catching us all, those who are aware, and those who are not aware, those who are being the change and those who resist it: Dignity trumps longevity; Autonomy trumps obedience; we are all one, one with each other and one with mother earth (Pachamama). There are many reasons for this new consciousness: global warming and climate change, the bankruptcy of endless consumerism, the rise of technology with no purpose other than profit, the end of petroleum and coal as a source of energy, population growth and many other factors. But most of all the indigenous people were awaken by globalization and neo-liberalism as presented by the Free Trade Agreements. After 500 years of abuse they found their very lives and existence threatened by mining, oiling, drilling, logging, and agriculture transnational corporations. They found that not only their governments will not protect them from the transnational corporations, that in fact their own government had sold them and their sacred land to the transnational corporations. And so the idea of Oneness became very clear: There was no escape, the "primitive" life of the indigenous people and the lives of the Euro-American transnational corporations became intertwined.

The idea of Dignity became very clear to all: there was no escape, collaborate with the transnational to make money or protect the people and the rain forest.

The idea of Autonomy became very clear to all: there was no escape, no one will protect the lands, no one will protect the people but the people themselves.

And the old idea of survival now wears a new outfit: no longer it is made of dominating,  subjugating, invading and enslaving: In the 21st century and beyond, human survival depends on cooperation, Collaboration, autonomy, local organization and governance, protection of the land, the forests, the water... The new consciousness of oneness is springing out of the indigenous communities.

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