A Vilagbank es Environment Canada segitsegevel 1996 ota fenntartunk egy
honlapot amin a a vilag kulonbozo reszein folyo, fenntarthato fejlodesi
indikatorokkal kapcsolatos projectekrol nyujtunk informaciot. Iden az
adatbazist felujitjuk, es jo lenne ha tobb hazai kezdemenyezest lehetne
kozzetenni. Egyelore egyedul a Csanady Andris kuldott be informaciot a KTM
munkajarol. Ha tudtok barmilyen mas, regionalis vagy telepules-szintu
projectrol, megkoszonnem ha jeleznetek.

Csatolom a honlap felujitasarol szolo kozlemenyunket.

Udv, Laci

Laszlo Pinter
Program Officer
Measurement and Indicators Program
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
6th Floor, 161 Portage Avenue East
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0Y4  CANADA
Tel: (204) 958-7715
Fax: (204) 958-7710
Email: 
http://iisd.ca


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THE POLITICIANS, THE TEACHER, AND THE PEOPLE

So strange, this orgy of political retribution, coming to a climax at
Christmastime.

It's the time when I go back and read not only the story of the birth of the
great teacher, but also the teachings.  The amazing teachings.  Two thousand
years old and they still ring like bells in the soul.

He taught in simple language (even in the antiquated King James translation). 
But the teachings are not simple.  Nor easy to hear, not in their entirety.  (I
doubt that he meant for us to pick out our favorite parts and ignore the rest.)
 
Especially not easy to hear in the present political context.

For example: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt
not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to
lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart....  And
if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy
whole body should be cast into hell."

No legal quibbling there.  No arguments about what the meaning of "is" is.  But
then, in the same great sermon, comes: "Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For
with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete,
it shall be measured to you again.  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in
thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  ....
 
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye."

I could go into a rant about how steadfastly our politicians are ignoring one
or the other of those linked lessons, but what most strikes me is how
steadfastly our citizens understand and embrace both of them.  The opinion
polls have been consistent for almost a year now -- yes, the president did
wrong, and no, those with motes in their eyes are not called upon to judge and
humiliate him.  The people disprove both the cynics who believe the masses can
be tricked into anything and the moralists who fear that the old teachings are
forgotten.

The people are not stupid.  They know right from wrong.  That's why democracy
is a good idea.  Whatever is happening in Washington these days, despite all
the sanctimonious appeals to the Constitution, is not democracy.

"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you."  Whatever is
happening in Washington these days, despite all the sanctimonious statements
about voting one's conscience, is not morality.

Whatever it is, it is out of control, forcing men and women who represent us,
people who DO have consciences, who DO believe in democracy, to get sucked into
a vortex of hate and lies and vengeance and self-protection.  It is ugly.  It
shames us before our children and before the other nations of the world.

When people collectively start producing a result that no one wants, that
offends everyone's conscience, that hurts individuals and the collective, then
there is a system problem.  Somehow rules or procedures have gone wrong. 
Important feedbacks have been broken.  Crucial balances have been upset.

We know perfectly well what has gone wrong with our government system, and it's
not the despicable behavior of this particular president, special prosecutor,
or Congress.  This sordid affair is just one symptom of much larger structural
problems.  The politicians no longer believe they are beholden to the people;
they are beholden to people with money.  The media that carry information from
people to government and vice versa are devoted not to their democratic
function but to money.  The politicians speak to the people through cynics who
believe the masses can be tricked into anything.  The privileged play the game
of government almost entirely for the purpose of protecting and expanding their
privilege.

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also."

It's a system that brings out the worst in our leaders.  No matter how pure
their consciences or their original desire to serve, the system demands of them
small or large corruptions.  The good news is that so many of the people are
still in touch with the teachings.  The bad news is that the people are so
disgusted that they turn their backs on the government, feeling powerless in an
arena where there seems to be no room for truth or love or generosity or
forgiveness.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

I turn off the self-serving speeches emanating from the capital city of the
sick system and go back to the teachings, to remind myself of the principles by
which I want to be governed.  Please, folks, let's not turn our backs; let's
insist that our system be fixed, so that it does not make us ashamed, so that
it brings out the best in us, so that it is worthy of our own understanding of
our great teachings.

(Donella H. Meadows is an adjunct professor of environmental studies at
Dartmouth College.)