Here is an extract of a piece written by french writer Eve Gabrielle Demange, (author of ‘La Petite aux Aigles‘) shortly after her participation in the Creative Factory directed by Swarm and Place to B during UNCOP21. Click the link below to read the full article.
***
Why is it so difficult to get people to act in the face of climate change? Why do the media cover ecology in such a negative way? The more I research, the more complicated it seems and the deeper the causes closely linked to our western way of thinking.
But, first, let me tell the story of the tree people.
The story of the tree people
Once upon a time a community lived in a tree lost in an endless desert. Compared to the size of the desert, the tree was tiny. But, for these people the tree was everything. It was huge and reassuring. These people were aware of themselves and their mortality – they experienced fear, suffering, pain, but also joy, happiness and fulfillment. Since ancient times, they were born, ate, loved, hated and died in harmony with this tree of life.
Thanks to their intelligence, these people developed a language and shared knowledge. They made marvelous discoveries and mastered complex arts. They were so successful and healthy that they reproduced and became numerous. Over time, they forgot to pay attention to the health of the tree.
But, one day, they noticed that the tree was not reacting like usual. The leaves fell more quickly, the buds didn’t grow as densely and the new fruit weren’t as beautiful. Sometimes, the tree trembled producing serious damage. What was happening to the tree? Who was responsible? How could they solve the problem? After thorough research, the community’s elders declared that the problem came from the people living in the tree and the solutions must also came from, and only from, them.
This announcement seemed so incredible that most people didn’t want to believe it. Others remained stunned. Until then, the tree had maintained its natural balance by itself without anyone needing to worry about. But, now they needed to understand everything, start again and change what had led to such a catastrophic situation? ….
TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE, CLICK HERE:
