items of interest

with contributions from Sarah Ruth van Gelder, Marilyn Elias, Terry Mattingly

"I DO NOT ALLOW MYSELF to be overcome by hopelessness, no matter how tough the situation. I believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that in itself creates new potential

"And I've learned from the Bhagavad Gita and other teachings of our culture to detach myself from the results of what I do because those are not in my hands. The context is not in your control, but your commitment is yours to make, and you can make the deepest commitment with a total detachment about where it will take you. You want it to lead to a better world, and you shape your actions and take full responsibility for them, but you have detachment. And that combination of deep passion and deep detachment allows me always to take on the next challenge because I don't cripple myself, I don't tie myself in knots. I function like a free being. I think getting that freedom is a social duty because I think we owe it to each other not to burden each other with prescription and demands. I think what we owe each other is a celebration of life and to replace fear and hopelessness with fearlessness and joy."

Excerpted from "Earth democracy: an interview with vandana Shiva"
by Sarah Ruth van Gelder
YES! A Journal of Positive Futures
Winter 2003
www.yesmagazine.org