Human history is well acquainted with violence, oppression and suffering. Societies across the world have been involved in reprehensible practices at different times. Such practices include colonisation, war, genocide, rape, racism, sexism, ecocide and slavery. These practices have been carried out by Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Mongolians, Portuguese and the British, as well as many other groups of people throughout history. One questions what "civilised" actually means.
In light of such points, it is not intelligent to vilify certain groups of people, Europeans for example, above others. Conversely, it is important not to idealise certain groups, Amazonian tribes for example, above others. To solve our greatest contemporary problems, such as the Climate and Ecological Crisis, we need to have an honest, critical discussion about history and how it relates to contemporary issues. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (George Santayana). In order to understand an issue, we invariably need to put it into context, and it is only by accurately understanding problems that we can begin to resolve them.
In order to be fully effective and inclusive, it is essential that Extinction Rebellion, as well as other protest movements, understands the connections between different forms of oppression. All forms of oppression, such as racism, sexism, ableism, animal cruelty and environmental devastation, derive from the same toxic mindset.
People are oppressive because they fail to understand that everything in the world is related. In reality, everyone is an expression of the universe. We are flowerings of nature. This isn't only mysticism. It is science. We are all inseparable aspects of a continuous natural process. We cannot, in reality, be divided from the soil, the air, the water, the sun or each other. Whether we are aware of it or not, we depend upon nature for our physical and emotional survival. Unfortunately, many people “other” the outside world and see it as separate from who they are. When we fail to see that nature is an extension of our bodies and that all people are family, we start to feel small and insecure. We may feel insignificant and isolated, and that life has no meaning. Then, to make ourselves feel more important, we start trying to control and oppress the outside world.
All groups fighting injustice, whether such injustice is ecocide, racism, sexism, poverty or war, would benefit from finding common ground and connecting with each other. This isn't to say we should conflate all forms of injustice, as though they were the same. Obviously, racism greatly differs from environmental destruction. But the attitude that the outside world is yours to defile and exploit, as opposed to respect and co-operate with, is the same despicable attitude that leads to both racism and ecocide. It is an attitude prominent in Western history.
The Scientific Revolution, which developed in Europe during the 16th century, forms the basis of our modern, globalised world. This revolution was pervaded by the outlook that nature is composed of inert matter and is ours to control. One of the founders of modern science, Francis Bacon, enunciates this attitude perfectly "let the human race recover that right over nature which belongs to it by divine bequest". European women, during this period, were deeply marginalised and deligitimised. This imperialist, oppressive mode of thinking also lead to the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which, like the Scientific Revolution, was initiated by Europeans in the 16th century.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade entailed the forced removal of Africans from their homeland over a period of about 400 years. An estimated 17 million Africans were enslaved, excluding the large percentage who died while being transported. This enslavement was carried out by European imperialists and colonisers. It seems colonisers and imperialists are those who feel the outside world is theirs to conquer and exploit, as opposed to co-operate with and respect. This way of thinking also lies at the heart of the Climate and Ecological Crisis, which is based on a profound exploitation of the natural world. In this sense, colonialism and imperialism never ended. It only transformed. We thus need to decolonise nature.
Only when we start thinking about the world contextually and truthfully will appropriate action ensue. "If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything" (Musashi Miyamoto). Unfortunately, we live in a period where truth and evidence have little value. Those in power are perfectly aware that if the majority of people knew what was going on in the world, there would be revolutionary changes in our societies and power would be distributed much more evenly.
The UN and the WHO have concluded that recent pandemics have stemmed from an unhealthy, disrespectful relationship with nature. Specifically, our recent pandemics have stemmed from the industrial exploitation of animals. Thus, Covid19 has forcefully emphasised that we need a healthier, more respectful relationship with nature. Our decision-makers really need to understand and act upon this knowledge. If they don't, activists will have to peacefully teach them to.
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