Hi, Barry, The notion of thinking about one's impacts on future generations seems straightforward, but what to you mean by effects on past generations? This is intriguing...
Cheers, Lawry -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Barry Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 10:37 PM To: Darryl or Natalia Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Futurework] FW: Map of Middle East -- Statehoodcriteria andconquest Natalia, As I understand it, different native groups have had somewhat different perspectives on the idea at different times, but it comes down to considering what effects major decisions may have on previous generations (parents, grandparents, ancestors) and on future generations (children, grandchildren, etc.). Both the Iroquois and the Cherokee followed this philosophy, and had specific individuals who would speak for the perspective of various groups. You may want to look at http://www.interspecies.com/pages/7th_gen.html for one interpretation of what this meant. As for how to implement it today, I am much less clear.... perhaps a somewhat extended form of the environmental impact statements that are required for new developments - to include both consideration of past/future generations and to be applied to the introduction of new/significant products? I don't know, but.... Barry On Dec 2, 2006, at 3:09 AM, Darryl or Natalia wrote: > Barry wrote: > >>> Or, perhaps a revival of an old religion. I'm thinking that many of >>> our problems would be relatively easily handled if we took seriously >>> the 7 generations idea of many Native American cultures. >>> >>> ********************************************************* >>> >>> > Could you please list the principles of the 7 generations idea? And > how you think they could be resurrected effectively? This could be an > overwhelming request, but perhaps you feel strongly enough about it to > see a way through today's dispirited affect on youth. > > Speaking of old religions, and then something much older that science > finds awesome indeed, two news-worthy items you may have heard: > >> Ancient Botswana's python would qualify to be reinstated as a god. >> Canadian archeologist Sheila Coulson, working with U. of Oslo, told >> CanWest news that a six-metre-long serpentine rock carving made >> 70,000 years ago by a prehistoric, python worshipping people was >> discovered in the petroglyph-rich oasis of rock hills in the middle >> of the Kalahari. This discovery, reportedly pushes the roots of >> religion back some 30,000 years, and moves its origins from Stone Age >> Europe to ancient southern Africa. Two metres of sediment below the >> icon revealed evidence about the age, and unearthed stone carving >> tools used for the piece. >> > The find deems humans to have been more organized than previously > thought; that they had the capacity for abstract thought at a much > earlier point in history. I suspect they'll have to push that date back > further still, in good time. > > In the alternative, the discovery of a meteorite in 2000 on > frozen > Tagish Lake, on the B.C.-Yukon border, may claim first place for object > worship. Rather, the stuff of which it is comprised, some may consider > rather more interesting: globules, clumps of the most basic chemical > compounds from which life on earth is made -- including, of course, > amino acids. It had been drifting since before the solar system formed, > and helps support the theory that others like it could have > kick-started > life here by literally dropping to Earth. The Tagish Lake meteorite is > estimated to be 4.5 billion years old, and somehow escaped > contamination > from Earth's own organic materials, or even from collisions with other > space rocks. > > Unlike most other meteorites comprised of hard chunks of nickel > or > iron, this one was softer, largely ordinary carbon, and far older than > any asteroid, planet or even our sun. The first in-depth analysis shows > tiny, hollow carbon spheres mixed with hydrogen and nitrogen -- organic > material. It is the first study identifying structures older than the > solar system. And we didn't have to spend billions to retrieve it! > > Natalia > > > >> >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [email protected] > http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
