Some called it a political tsunami, some called it a perfect storm. Whatever it was called, what is clear is that Malaysia's 12th General Election on 8th March 2008 was a spectacular happening. The true significance of it went beyond politics. It is the humble voices of ordinary you and me found their strength in the collective of everybody-all-at-once. This is but the beginning....
No-one yet knows whether swine flu will become a global pandemic, but it is becoming clear where it came from – most likely a giant pig factory farm run by an American multinational corporation in Veracruz, Mexico.
These factory farms are disgusting and dangerous, and they're rapidly multiplying. Thousands of pigs are brutally crammed into dirty warehouses and sprayed with a cocktail of drugs -- posing a health risk to more than just our food -- they and their manure lagoons create the perfect conditions to breed dangerous new viruses like swine flu.
Let's call on the United Nations World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation to investigate and regulate these farms to protect global health. Big agrobusiness will try to obstruct any attempts at reform, so we need a massive outcry that health authorities can't ignore.
You can participate by signing the petition organized by Avaaz.org.
At the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio she made a timeless speech to the gathered delegates and to the world. Her message is more urgent and more relevant now than ever...
Below is from an interview with Severn Suzuki 11 years later:
Severn Suzuki: Over the last few years, after Rio, I was invited to many, many different conferences. Over time I've realized: this is not where we're going to see change. We've seen positive activism happening in the last ten years at the grassroots level, in small communities. It's about the individuals that make up the statistics about consumption and pollution, as well as the people who feel the negative impact, who are actually going to be the change.
It is powerful, because you realize that each individual really does count. And the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized that each person is a role model to all the people around us. Not only the children, but everybody. That's how cultures evolve and things become cool--the influence of a few individuals that catches on. (Severn Suzuki 1992, 2002, 2003, 2007, NOW)
Yes, Severn Suzuki was talking about Makkal Shakti, the collective power of ordinary you and I. Real change is not going to come from our culture or political leaders, but from each and every one of us waking up and catching on. It will probably take a bit of time - but it is a lot simpler than it sounds.
Consider this little gem by a 12 years old girl. Subject matter aside, there is a timeless quality to it. It speaks directly to the heart. It touches something deep in our heart. It transcends all superficial differences.
There is a true power and an unbroken unity at the heart of every being. This is the time for it to come forth. It is the only real power that will carry us through this most trying moment in human history.
"All have suffered. All are equally full of nonsense. Therefore, in principle, there must be a new and universal politics — a politics of no praise and no blame. By these means, reconciliation must be achieved — cooperatively, in a disposition of mutual tolerance, trust, and respect."
"By its sheer numbers, the all-at-once collective of everybody is in the position to insist on rightness... Political and cultural leaders are not, themselves, going to be able to make this change occur. Such a profound degree of change can only be brought about by the force of humankind as a collective whole, or the "everybody force". The inherent collective of everybody-all-at-once actually is (always) the only true power — but that collective is not currently exercising that power, because that collective is dis-united and in chaos…."
I vowed to have nothing to do with politics. But I find myself getting very involved in politics since the recent political tsunami in Malaysia. I have not changed my despise for politics, but our collective existence has changed so drastically in recent years that unless a different cultural/political process arise soon, we will not have a livable world very soon. This new culture process requires active participation from everybody – including yours and mine.