Virtual disk: In the “Localization” chapter, you give the percentages for item allocation: 60% local, 25% national, 15% global. How did you determine these percentages? What is the impact of adhering to these percentages?
SK: The percentages I’m talking about are just a guideline. It is not a fixed number. What I mean by localism is that what can be produced locally should be consumed locally. We need to reduce the number of miles our goods travel. In the past we have always traded in tea, spices or silk. But daily necessities and food are provided locally. We don’t need to use as much fossil fuel to transport everyday items. If we keep this principle in mind and design our trade policy accordingly, these percentages will more or less work themselves out. Regionalism is not a narrow mind. We should think globally but shop locally. We should study literature, culture, philosophy and art of other countries. But our economic footprint on the planet should be lighter. That way we don’t face big problems like climate catastrophe.
Virtual disk: can you explain in more detail what current affairs (meaning “household management” in Latin, the root of economy) is and how did it become a force for good and lead to a love economy?
SK: in my understanding current affairs It is the basis of regenerative economics. The whole of this beautiful planet is our home. The birds in the sky and the deer in the forest are members of our planetary home. All members of our planetary home should be treated with respect. Humans are important, but so are forests, rivers, and animals. While we uphold human rights, we should also respect the rights of nature.this is what i said Oikonomia.
Virtual disk: You said that 2 million people is the maximum size of a city. why is that?
SK: Cities exist for people. They should be joyous places to live. Currently, our cities are full of cars, roads and railways. We’ve lost our sense of community and community. My dream city is one where I can walk to shops, schools, surgery, library and restaurants. I want to live in a city where I have friends so there is no social isolation – a city where I feel like I belong. Urban design needs to be based on the concept of “small is beautiful”. So a city with a population of two million is my ideal city. But of course, this number is an approximation. I don’t have any dogmatic views. My point is, how do we plan cities where business is compatible with compassion and human dignity? A city should be a community, not an urban jungle.
Virtual disk: You describe your work as “poetry”. How does one find a profession that is poetry?
SK: The word “poetry” comes from Greek etymology.it just means to make;: Make it with imagination, skill, creativity and love instead of just copying someone else’s recipe or recipe. Any occupation can be poetic if done with these ingredients. A beautiful garden is poetic, as is any work of original design or craftsmanship, imaginative food preparation is poetic, building a beautiful home is poetic, and so on. Poetry is more than imaginative words on a page, poetry is much more than that. Words on a page are poetic when they come from imagination and love. Love and poetry are twins.
Virtual disk: Your description of the walk is such a joy! Can you talk about the first time you walked many miles without protective footwear?
SK: I started walking barefoot My feet when I was four. My mom and I would walk three miles from our house to the farm. When we walk, we experience nature. We watch birds, observe animals, and feel the warmth of the soil beneath our feet.then i walk naked Nine years as a Jain monk.so, I didn’t wear shoes until I was 18. I walked 8,000 miles from India to Moscow, from Paris to London. Then from New York to Washington, then from Tokyo to Hiroshima. Go barefoot often. When I walk without shoes, I feel connected to the earth. I feel grounded. My feet are stronger and the skin on my feet is more elastic. I recommend walking without shoes.
Virtual disk: Can you define what elegant simplicity means to you? How does one balance life between elegance and simplicity?
SK: Simplicity should not be associated with ugliness or lack. Beauty, aesthetics, comfort and elegance are food for the soul. We talked about poetry. Grace brings poetry to life. Our industrial civilization based on mass production has proven to be an ugly civilization. Waste is ugly. Pollution is ugly. Luxury is ugly. It is ugly to have many material possessions. I prefer culture to civilization. Culture is the cultivation of beauty, grace and dignity. That’s elegant simplicity. Simplicity by itself does not express my ideals in life. Our lives and our world are complete when simplicity is also elegant.
the author
Vivien Dinh started her career in traditional non-profit organizations and recently transitioned into a marketing and communications professional in the publishing industry, currently working for Parallax Press, a non-profit organization founded by Thich Nhat Hanh. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, tending to her many plants, and her dog Lucy.
Satish Kumar is the founder of Resurgence Trust, ecologist Online and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Resurgence & Ecologist.
SMALL IS THE FUTURE will take place on Saturday 17th June 2023 at Paintworks in Bristol. Speakers include Satish Kumar, Dr Ann Pettifor, Charlie Hertzog Young, Professor Herbert Girardet and Gareth Dale. buy tickets here.
