Not Sweating on Others Waking Up – thoughts after a Temazcal

The analysis and message of Breaking Together has been resonating with some people who work closely with indigenous leaders across Latin America. That is one reason we published it in Spanish as Cayendo Juntos. Due to their work with indigenous elders, my hosts organised a Temazcal, or spiritual sweat lodge, for my birthday. It was led by Don Alvaro, a cofounder of the Elders of Teotihuacan. That’s the area where he and his ancestors have lived, which is famous for its Aztec Pyramids. My experience that day helped me to realise I still have a long way to go in ‘letting go’ of attachment to the impact of my efforts, and the importance of such letting go for my future in this era of collapse.

Don Alvaro’s comments before we entered the sweat lodge may have been influenced by the fact it was October 12th, the day when Columbus first stepped foot in the Americas in 1492. Some call it ‘Invasion Day’. Don Alvaro explained some of the basic ideas of his culture that have been suppressed in the 500 years since then. Such as the obvious fact that we are part of nature and not in charge of it. Plus, the reality that the natural world is itself sacred, rather than just parts of it, or those aspects that we imagine to be separate from nature. 

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The Freedom in Truth – launching ‘Cayendo Juntos’

Transcript of speech given at the Monterrey Book Festival (Feria Internacional del Libro Monterrey), Mexico, 6th October 2024, to launch Cayendo Juntos, the Spanish edition of Breaking Together.

I am pleased to have reached you here in Monterrey just before the close of this remarkable event – one of the largest book fairs in the world. It is probably best that I was kept back until the final day, so that I wouldn’t spoil the mood of your previous days here. Because what I am going to talk about is not very fun. In fact, it is so heavy that I don’t talk about it much in public. But coming to Mexico felt important to me. That’s because I believe that Latin America, more generally, can play a significant role in softening the collapse of modern societies around the world. Three different areas of wisdom and struggle from this region offer signposts for how our human race might cope with the consequences of having overshot planetary limits and poisoned our living home. Those traditions are liberation theology, anti-imperialism, and indigenous cultures. So I’m honoured to be invited to offer my own ideas into your rich mix of intellectual traditions in Latin America.

For over 30 years this event has showcased a breadth of ideas in the Spanish language. Both fiction and non-fiction. I believe that is still a valid distinction, is it not? I know some people do wonder. I saw a sign in a bookshop that they had moved their apocalyptic fiction books into their current affairs section. Maybe one day they’ll move their current affairs books into the section for apocalyptic fiction.  

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Falso cuento de hadas verde

Ensayo compartido para coincidir con mi discurso en Monterrey y CDMX, Octubre 2024 sobre Cayendo Juntos.

El autoengaño es algo muy común en la profesión y el movimiento ambientalistas. No es sorprendente que haya cierta negación o desautorización, debido a lo perturbador que resulta centrarse en una tragedia que se está desarrollando. Pero nuestra vulnerabilidad al autoengaño ha sido secuestrada por los intereses personales de los ricos y poderosos, para inventar un “falso cuento de hadas verde”. Su historia nos distrae de la verdad del daño causado, del que está por venir y de cuáles podrían ser nuestras opciones. De hecho, su cuento de hadas nos impide rebelarnos para intentar que este sea un desastre más justo o un colapso más suave y justo de las sociedades en las que vivimos. Evitar una rebelión más amplia podría ser la razón por la que el cuento de hadas recibe montones de fondos para libros, premios, artículos y documentales, así como vídeos para canales populares de YouTube. Por eso, como yo, es posible que no te hayas dado cuenta durante años de que es un cuento de hadas. En este ensayo explicaré las nueve mentiras que componen este “falso cuento de hadas verde” antes de explicar cuánto daño se está haciendo tanto a las personas como al planeta debido al predominio de esta historia dentro del ambientalismo contemporáneo.

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