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Rosewater Foundation
Core Values Statement
Let me be blunt—I am
the Rosewater Foundation. The core values of this organization are
my own, and in most cases, do not represent the values of the other
Board Members. That said, my intentions here are not to put off or
offend anyone, but rather to represent myself as honestly as I
possibly can.
First, let me start by saying it has not been an easy road. I have
not come about my opinions by heredity or environment. I am a
‘non-conformist’ not because my parents are non-conformists or
because my friends are non-conformists, but rather because I have
spent a long time being broken. In an effort to become a functional
member of society again, I needed to be ‘re-wired’. This process,
along with the people, places and things I have encountered along
the way, have all shaped my beliefs into what they are today.
What has been a journey of more than twelve years has invariably led
to me to ask myself these three questions:
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Why adhere to principles that produce
undesirable results?
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What is a desirable result?
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What principles should I adhere to in order
to produce this result?
It is well enough that your life might be good or that mine might be
okay, but somewhere, somebody suffers, and the knowledge of this to
anyone possessing the slightest connection to life beyond their own
creates a feeling that we can not idly move forward. So, how does
one go about the act of living and at the same time acknowledge the
great trials and tribulations that are going on in this world?
There is no one formula for creating a positive, socially conscious
lifestyle, so I will not pretend to have all the answers. However,
some things I believe very much to be true, and these principles
will be the focal point of this ‘Values Statement’. I can’t take
credit for the heading titles as I’ve adopted our ‘Core Values’ from
the religious sect ‘the Quakers’. The explanation of these five
things though is entirely my own.
Integrity –
Webster’s defines ‘integrity’ as, “uncompromising adherence to
moral and ethical principles.” Integrity, in and of itself,
uncoupled with the presence of ‘prudence’ changes very little. (Prudence
meaning to be fully aware of what our true circumstances are, and to
act in accordance with this knowledge.)
In his book, Small is Beautiful,
E.F. Schumacher quotes Joseph Pieper
to further explain: “The pre-eminence of prudence means that realisation of the good
presupposes knowledge of reality. He alone can do good who knows
what things are like and what the situation is. The pre-eminence of
prudence means that so-called ‘good-intention’ and ‘meaning well’ by
no means suffice.”
It is my opinion that any system of beliefs that negates or neglects
the life-sustaining forces of nature is both incomplete and
ignorant. You cannot have infinite growth in a world of finite
resources. Rapid increases over the last century in population, CO2
emissions, consumption, and species extinction are drastically
changing the environment for supporting life on this planet. A
person pursuing integrity cannot ignore these circumstances.
Likewise, any system of beliefs that makes false assumptions about
the existence and love of God also finds itself in an
error of ways. I cannot prove the existence of God and I am not
going to try to, to anyone convinced otherwise. That is not my
point. The point is faith, and like prudence, it is very
difficult to act in an appropriate way—that is, with
integrity—without divine guidance and wisdom.
I
would characterize integrity therefore, by anyone living in
accordance with the following principles:
1. A person living with integrity tries to maximize their
potential. It is not wrong to want to earn more money. Money has
the power to feed people, to shelter them, to educate and to heal.
It is not wrong to want this power. It is only wrong to squander
it. Work is an
essential part of a
healthy lifestyle; one that optimally allows us to use the gifts God
has given us. It is a calling that takes many forms: education,
volunteer work, employment, etc. The mix of these practices can
lead us to our full potential and ready us for the position God has
intended—the place where we can be most useful.
2. A person living with integrity tries to minimize their
lifestyle. There is something to be said for supporting the
economy, but it is not a noble excuse for mindlessly buying
more than one needs. All goods and services, bought and sold,
create some stress on our environment. The belief, though, that if
people lowered their levels of consumption, the economy would come
to halt, is a fallacy. It is not that a person with integrity does
not spend money, but it is through the businesses that they choose
to support which distinguish between the right and wrong.
Education, for example, whether for special interest or a career,
helps people maximize their potential, and helps to create and
sustain employment. Exercise helps us to maintain and better our
level of physical fitness and thus lowers the burden on the health
care system. In regards to minimizing one’s lifestyle, what I am
concerned with is the weeding out of those things in our lives that
are both impractical and detrimental. It is a shame to waste our
resources on things that do us no good. This is something a person
pursuing integrity consciously tries to eliminate.
3. A person living with
integrity tries to maximize their excess resources. Whether it is
time, energy, money or talent, the conservation of these things,
when meeting our basic needs, enables us to help others who don’t
have enough. An excess of resources can be put to use doing
whatever is of greatest value. I would hope that the thing of
greatest value, after my needs, is the basic needs of others. We
all have something to offer, whether we realize it or not. To some,
it may be obvious, while to others, very difficult to find. I,
myself, have stumbled on hidden talents not until much later in
life. This website, for example, is something I never imagined five
years ago.
Of course, the idea of ‘maximizing our excess resources’ assumes
that we have complied with the other two principles. Without the
development of our talents, employment, wisdom and compassion, we
may not have much left over, after taking care of ourselves. It is
essentially important that that we meet our basic needs, as well as
to meet the needs of our calling. In the long run, not maximizing
our potential may deprive those in dire need. Only
by initially bettering our circumstances can we
develop the full capacity to help others. The importance of divine
guidance through all steps, in my opinion, is crucial. Only God
knows where our best fit is, and the steps to get us there.
Simplicity –
Initially, I wanted
to introduce the principle of ‘sustainability’, but after seeing
that the Quakers used the word ‘simplicity’, I thought it
appropriate to follow suit. Regardless, I am going to define both,
as one is the means, and the other, the end result.
Webster’s defines
simplicity as, “absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament, etc.”.
In my opinion, the two key words in this definition are ‘luxury’ and
‘pretentiousness’, for the pursuit of the former usually involves the
aspiration of the latter. To have luxuries—those things that most
people do without, is to have a higher standard of living. Having a
higher standard of living equates one to being of ‘higher class’.
And, when one can carry themselves with an air of ‘higher class’,
due partially to the luxuries they possess, they may perceive
themselves as being dignified and important—above those not in
possession of these same things. This is pretentiousness.
Mahatma Gandhi said the
following about the righteousness of simplicity: “The Golden rule is
resolutely to refuse to have what millions cannot. This ability to
refuse will not descend upon us all of the sudden. The first thing
is to cultivate the mental attitude that will not have possessions
or facilities denied to millions and the next immediate thing is to
rearrange our lives as fast as possible, in accordance with that
mentality.”
Gandhi, one of the greatest revolutionary leaders of the twentieth
century, was a huge advocate for simplicity. Whether for its
aesthetic value (the beauty of austerity), or an effort to grow
closer to God, I can only guess, but I believe part of Gandhi’s love
for simplicity was due to the solidarity it gave him with the humble
masses. These aspects all have their obvious merit, but it is not
my case to expand on this further here and now. Rather, the point I
would like make about simplicity is that it is a means to an end,
with the ends being sustainability. If one were to hear the pleas
of the scientific community, it is the opinion of the majority that
our current way of life has put us on a suicidal path. This I have
taken in faith to be true and there is ample evidence to support
it. Everything else is just contrarian research, funded by special
interest groups, for the purpose of undermining the truth. The
truth is that things have gone astray, and
if we don’t take actions to change, we will feel the consequences in
our lifetime. We can consciously make a choice to limit our
consumption, or we can eventually have those limits imposed on us.
One thing is for certain though, we cannot continue in the direction
we are heading.
“Human
beings are not an all powerful life form that is going to destroy
the planet, you know. We shouldn’t give ourselves airs. We’re
simply another highly successful species that is fast approaching
the point where the usual controls kick in. And the usual
environmental controls, I’m afraid, are quite harsh. Mass die-offs
are commonplace and extinctions are not unknown. What we need now
is a new kind of human being who’s adapted to living in a global
culture many billions strong. A global villager who can treat all
the planet’s people as neighbours.”
– Gwynne
Dyer, Human Race
Equality –
While I haven’t studied a lot on this subject, I
have read a lot about ‘compassion’, and I understand how the two
interrelate. To begin, I don’t believe people are created equal.
It is a nice sentiment if it was true, but it doesn’t seem the
case. While we may have equal worth, we were born with various
degrees of intelligence, strength, and physical beauty. We were
also born into different environments—economically, geographically
and socially. As it is, our various situations do not give us equal
opportunities to succeed, or even to meet our basic needs. Thus,
the point of equality is not to create an argument suggesting how it
all adds up (meaning that if you don’t have one advantage, you have
another to compensate). The argument for equality stands on the
belief that we should each have a right to a base standard of
living. We should all be treated equally under the law, and we
should treat each other as equals in our day-to-day interactions.
This equality, however, can only be attained through ‘compassion’.
Compassion is
misunderstood. It is not pity. When I feel compelled to help
someone in need, it is not because I feel they are less than me; it
is because I feel that they are me. Compassion—the ability
to see oneself in the lives of others—is fundamental to treating
people as equals. This principle is summed up best in the words of
Jesus: "Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you." (Luke 6:31)
Matthew Fox puts this
principle another way in his book, A
Spirituality Named Compassion:
“Compassion, one might say, works from a strength born of awareness
of shared weakness, and not from someone else’s weakness. And from
the awareness of the mutuality of us all. Thus to put down another
as in pity is to put down oneself.”
Ideally, the strong
would take care of the weak. I am of the firm belief that society’s
problems are best solved by individuals accepting responsibility for
those less fortunate, as opposed to some government body imposing
its will upon us. Unfortunately, due to apathy and lack of
organization, I know this is not enough. Political systems need to
be put in place to address social concerns, not just domestically,
but globally as well. Let me be clear: I am not a supporter
of right-wing politics. Jungle law creates conditions that allow
the strong and greedy to exploit those unable to defend themselves.
As well, my conservative opponents are often quick to negate the
existence of the eco-crisis, preferring a system
that not only
allows them to dominate others, but nature as well. Given the
condition of our environment, it is not only fair to say that there
should be a base level of existence all people are entitled to, but
that there should be a ceiling for what any individual is allowed to
accumulate. Being that there is only so much to go around, if any
one person were to take more than their fair share, they would be
directly depriving others of getting enough—if not at home, then
elsewhere; if not now, then in future generations. Equality starts
in the hearts of people in the form of compassion, but can never be
apolitical.
Peace - If peace
were only the absence of war, than its pursuit might seem futile.
“World peace” may be a farfetched dream. Evil forces will always
exist in this world and the pursuit of justice will, at times, lead
to violent conflict. These conflicts, unfortunately, can lead to
war. So, what is the point I am trying to make? The point is
‘hope’, and hope instilled in the human heart brings new meaning to
the word ‘peace’. It is with hope that we pursue the seemingly
impossible, and in doing everything we can to achieve it, we find
peace. This peace is the absence of restlessness and worry; it is
the feeling we have done the best we can do. It is the quiet
stillness that allows us to focus, as both individuals and
communities, on developing our higher faculties.
I can only speak from personal opinion on this matter. In my adult
life, I have never been able to validate the popular phrase,
‘ignorance is bliss’. Having some knowledge of the
conflicts and imbalances that exist around me, it
has been an impossible task to wilfully step away and find ‘peace’.
There is something shamefully wrong about our present
circumstances. Apathy and ignorance have become commonplace, and
have led us down the wrong path, so much more than the conflicts and
suffering that we are constantly turning away from.
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
-
Albert Einstein
Peace is an issue best
pursued by the relief of conflict. Integrity, in the aforementioned
sense, is something we develop to minimize our own struggles,
allowing us the freedom to alleviate the suffering of others. The
resolution of these things brings us peace, but it does not end
there. We must realize there will always be conflict and the
conditions that precipitate these conflicts are things we must try
to understand and overcome. When people see themselves as victims
of oppression, the tendency is to strike out against their
oppressors. Treating others as our equals and respecting our
differences is vital if we hope to remain peaceful.
“Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the
people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.”
-
Dalai Lama
Community
– Isolation and loneliness are a common struggle in our society. It
is not that there aren’t people around us, but rather that we cannot
find people with whom we truly connect. Because of the increasing
dominance of an overbearing ‘pop-culture’, it is becoming more and
more difficult to meet people who don’t fall into line. Voicing
negative opinions, about the current state our society is in, is
often greeted with hostility and ignorance. And yet there are so
many of us that disagree with the way things are. It is has become
necessary that we communicate and organize in order
to change our prevailing circumstances. Community can be a venue to
do this.
“Still and all, why bother? Here's my answer. Many people need
desperately to receive this message: I feel and think much as you
do, care about many of the things you care about, although most
people do not care about them. You are not alone.”
- Kurt Vonnegut
The global
media has had its advantages though. It has allowed us to do many
things including provide much needed aid for disaster relief.
Catastrophic events would be much harder to respond to if they were
going unseen or presented in some form that was not accessible to
the masses. Information and knowledge is out there and it is
important that important ideas are expressed and received. People
need to be allowed to participate in the ongoing development of
solutions to problems that affect them. There needs to be
communities in place where concerned citizens can go to voice their
opinions, fellowship in doing something constructive, and above all,
be heard.
"There is no
reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of
anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as
angels, I hope that they are organized along the lines of the
Mafia."
- Kurt
Vonnegut
I am a
believer in Community and the potential it possesses. Community is
the reason for this whole project coming together: to network
people of like-minded ideals and intentions. Perhaps I am a
disillusioned, but I am not without hope. One only needs to look at
the structures and systems that are currently in place to realize
that at some point, people did get together. They still do, but for
the average person participation in things, they are expected to
conform to, is usually very limited. There are too may misguided
leaders these days and way too many vacant minded followers. Not
that I am expecting to fill a leadership role, but I hope that this
organization can create an environment capable of giving people the
ability to expand on their own horizons.
Jim Heil,
2005
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