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Welcome to Forum for Holistic Transformation or Intsangano. If you wish to know what Intsangano means and how it relates to the subject of this website, please read the Intsangano page. If you find the concept Patriarchy somewhat sensitive, please read the page that defines and explains Patriarchy as it is used in the Intsangano website. It may put you at ease. And finally, if you wonder why the yin yang symbol is turned 90 degrees, just read on and it will become clear to you. Please enjoy the reading.
Introduction
"We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive."
Albert Einstein, German-born physicist, recipient of the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics (1879-1955)
Our beautiful world is under stress from a host of serious crises. Combined, the crises present a grave threat to the quality of life for societies and nature worldwide (reference 1 below). The crises all seem related to excessive economic activities. The negative side-effects of pursuing eternal economic growth, have been understood for many years. However, the crises have worsened, especially after the 1970s, when the neo-liberal model was introduced by the governments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Neo-liberalism is now endorsed by the majority of the world's politicians, and it has become the foundation of the so-called Globalization. Its promoters perceive the neo-liberal model as being a universal ideal with no valid alternative.
The neo-liberal model consists of a set of policies, which the international financial institutions encourage all governments to implement. The neo-liberal policies support introduction of free markets, free movement of capital, and free trade globally. The policies recommend privatization of public properties and functions, and prescribe deregulation of all economic activities. In general this extreme capitalist ideology promotes small governments and big markets. The assumption is that implementing neo-liberal policies will result in increased individual profit-making in society. With more income, citizens can afford to pay for their own public services. Therefore, state budget for public services is cut to a minimum, introducing private payment for use of health and educational facilities in many places. Consequently, the supporters of neo-liberalism believe that the policies combined will increase economic growth, which, they argue, will "trickle down" to all in society, resulting in poverty alleviation and increased well-being.
However, the framework is theoretical and the assumptions are false. In reality, the neo-liberal policies direct economic quantities to the global political and economic elites, while destroying a quality of life for society and nature worldwide. There has consequently been much criticism of neo-liberalism and opposition to Globalization. The following summary shows in brief how the neo-liberal policies and their one-sided economic focus are causing social crises and environmental problems:
The so-called "freedom" of markets and trade are dividing economic profits unequally, giving advantage to those with capital, especially corporations. It results in the rich becoming richer, while the system dominates others. This creates inequality and causes poverty. It manifests as the crisis of inequality and poverty.
Neo-liberal economists perceive economic growth and profit-making as never-ending activities, with no limits. Nevertheless, this infinite and linear thinking creates obstacles on a finite and circular globe: economic activities need natural resources as input, and its immense output of waste is dumped in the natural environment. Since natural resources are limited and nature cleans up waste slowly, unlimited economic growth will lead to destruction of nature. It manifests as the crisis of environmental degradation.
Exploitation of nature leads to resource scarcity, which has fostered hostile competition for natural resources and endorsed the appalling, unbalanced human characteristic of greed. The effects are increased aggression, crime, violence, armed conflicts, and wars. It manifests as the crisis of violence and war.
A world with inequalities and poverty, exploitation, scarce resources, domination, greed, aggressive competition, widespread violence, and increased conflicts has little concern for human rights. It manifests as the crisis of human rights abuses.
Adding up the overall impact of these devastating crises, one may conclude that continuing the eternal pursuit of economic growth and profit-making will inevitably result in eradication of life on Planet Earth.
"We cannot solve the problems that we have created with the same thinking that created them."
Albert Einstein
In spite of the gravity of the crises, our political leaders can only suggest more of the same, i.e. economic growth, as a remedy. However, since this "more of the same" was the cause of the problem in the first place, we cannot expect adequate solutions from the politicians. Their worldview is limited to money making only. We must, therefore, turn to the wisdom of ordinary people for alternative views and solutions. To understand, critique, and resist the current worldview, and to propose alternatives, is the focus of this website. The aim is to end the singular focus on economic quantities that is promoted by the political and economic elites (here called Patriarchy), and which is leading to our global crises. When we introduce different values, we can alleviate the crises and create a quality of life for society and nature worldwide.
In order to achieve that goal, we must educate ourselves about the structures that reinforce Patriarchal domination. This website is meant as a platform where people, from all walks of life, can contribute and share their findings and knowledge about the various dominative structures that are causing these crises. All input will be collected into an information-bank from which people can read and learn, free of charge. The About Intsangano page explains in detail the purpose and goal of the website.
"I cannot understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I am frightened of the old ones."
John Cage, American composer, writer, philosopher, and artist (1912-1992)
The ideal situation for human beings, and for all other life, is to exist in a state of balance. The yin yang sign symbolizes balance. When there is a dynamic tension between the black, feminine yin force and the white, masculine yang force, balance is established and harmony follows. Our world lacks such yin yang balance. There is too much masculine yang energy that is dominating the feminine yin energy. The excessive yang force manifests as a structure called Patriarchy, which is an unhealthy and violent society plagued with the above mentioned crises. In order to end Patriarchy and create a quality of life for society and nature worldwide, we need to limit the dominative yang force by adding more of the subtle yin force. In this way, we can create dynamic tension between yin and yang, which will lead to balance. To illustrate the situation graphically, the yin yang sign is in this website turned 90 degrees, placing the black yin on top of the white yang. This symbolizes the current need to prioritize the feminine yin energy, as a necessary limit to the free-floating masculine yang energy. Yet, since the ultimate aim is balance, the two are still in perfect dynamic tension.
In order to add the essential yin force, it is indispensable that people from the whole world cooperate: women and men, young and old, people from every background, of any color, race, class, and religious faith, living in the North or South, East or West, being rich or poor, tall or small. Although we are all unique and diverse, we still have our humanity in common, and we all want to enjoy a quality of life, defined by ourselves; and we want the same for our children and grandchildren. Since Patriarchy does not promote a quality of life for society and nature, we must resist its unbalanced structures and together create a balanced world. The Intsangano website invites people from all walks of life to help add a healthy amount of social and natural feminine yin quality into our current unbalanced, unhealthy economic and quantitative masculine yang structures, restoring balance, creating harmony, and saving our world.
"We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk!" Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmental and political activist (1940-2011)
In order to understand Patriarchy and its "run-away" masculine yang force, please read the Problem page. It explains in detail the root cause of the current global crises and what is meant by the feminine yin force and the masculine yang force.
The Intsangano website is initiated by Jytte Nhanenge. The values in the website are based on the content of her book, "Ecofeminism: Towards Integrating the Concerns of Women, Poor People, and Nature into Development." The Background information gives more details.
Reference 1) In this website "nature" refers to everything that is not human made. The concept is all embracing including animals, birds, fish, insects, plants, trees, forests, waters, mountains, air, soils, stones, minerals, and more. "Society" refers to any kind of social organization created by human beings.
Consecutive reading: if you did not already read it, have a look at the Intsangano page. Please read the Navigation information, which also has an index of the full website. Then go on to the menu headline Problem.
You are on the Home page.
Welcome to Forum for Holistic Transformation or Intsangano. If you wish to know what Intsangano means and how it relates to the subject of this website, please read the Intsangano page. If you find the concept Patriarchy somewhat sensitive, please read the page that defines and explains Patriarchy as it is used in the Intsangano website. It may put you at ease. And finally, if you wonder why the yin yang symbol is turned 90 degrees, just read on and it will become clear to you. Please enjoy the reading.
Introduction
"We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive."
Albert Einstein, German-born physicist, recipient of the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics (1879-1955)
Our beautiful world is under stress from a host of serious crises. Combined, the crises present a grave threat to the quality of life for societies and nature worldwide (reference 1 below). The crises all seem related to excessive economic activities. The negative side-effects of pursuing eternal economic growth, have been understood for many years. However, the crises have worsened, especially after the 1970s, when the neo-liberal model was introduced by the governments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Neo-liberalism is now endorsed by the majority of the world's politicians, and it has become the foundation of the so-called Globalization. Its promoters perceive the neo-liberal model as being a universal ideal with no valid alternative.
The neo-liberal model consists of a set of policies, which the international financial institutions encourage all governments to implement. The neo-liberal policies support introduction of free markets, free movement of capital, and free trade globally. The policies recommend privatization of public properties and functions, and prescribe deregulation of all economic activities. In general this extreme capitalist ideology promotes small governments and big markets. The assumption is that implementing neo-liberal policies will result in increased individual profit-making in society. With more income, citizens can afford to pay for their own public services. Therefore, state budget for public services is cut to a minimum, introducing private payment for use of health and educational facilities in many places. Consequently, the supporters of neo-liberalism believe that the policies combined will increase economic growth, which, they argue, will "trickle down" to all in society, resulting in poverty alleviation and increased well-being.
However, the framework is theoretical and the assumptions are false. In reality, the neo-liberal policies direct economic quantities to the global political and economic elites, while destroying a quality of life for society and nature worldwide. There has consequently been much criticism of neo-liberalism and opposition to Globalization. The following summary shows in brief how the neo-liberal policies and their one-sided economic focus are causing social crises and environmental problems:
The so-called "freedom" of markets and trade are dividing economic profits unequally, giving advantage to those with capital, especially corporations. It results in the rich becoming richer, while the system dominates others. This creates inequality and causes poverty. It manifests as the crisis of inequality and poverty.
Neo-liberal economists perceive economic growth and profit-making as never-ending activities, with no limits. Nevertheless, this infinite and linear thinking creates obstacles on a finite and circular globe: economic activities need natural resources as input, and its immense output of waste is dumped in the natural environment. Since natural resources are limited and nature cleans up waste slowly, unlimited economic growth will lead to destruction of nature. It manifests as the crisis of environmental degradation.
Exploitation of nature leads to resource scarcity, which has fostered hostile competition for natural resources and endorsed the appalling, unbalanced human characteristic of greed. The effects are increased aggression, crime, violence, armed conflicts, and wars. It manifests as the crisis of violence and war.
A world with inequalities and poverty, exploitation, scarce resources, domination, greed, aggressive competition, widespread violence, and increased conflicts has little concern for human rights. It manifests as the crisis of human rights abuses.
Adding up the overall impact of these devastating crises, one may conclude that continuing the eternal pursuit of economic growth and profit-making will inevitably result in eradication of life on Planet Earth.
"We cannot solve the problems that we have created with the same thinking that created them."
Albert Einstein
In spite of the gravity of the crises, our political leaders can only suggest more of the same, i.e. economic growth, as a remedy. However, since this "more of the same" was the cause of the problem in the first place, we cannot expect adequate solutions from the politicians. Their worldview is limited to money making only. We must, therefore, turn to the wisdom of ordinary people for alternative views and solutions. To understand, critique, and resist the current worldview, and to propose alternatives, is the focus of this website. The aim is to end the singular focus on economic quantities that is promoted by the political and economic elites (here called Patriarchy), and which is leading to our global crises. When we introduce different values, we can alleviate the crises and create a quality of life for society and nature worldwide.
In order to achieve that goal, we must educate ourselves about the structures that reinforce Patriarchal domination. This website is meant as a platform where people, from all walks of life, can contribute and share their findings and knowledge about the various dominative structures that are causing these crises. All input will be collected into an information-bank from which people can read and learn, free of charge. The About Intsangano page explains in detail the purpose and goal of the website.
"I cannot understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I am frightened of the old ones."
John Cage, American composer, writer, philosopher, and artist (1912-1992)
The ideal situation for human beings, and for all other life, is to exist in a state of balance. The yin yang sign symbolizes balance. When there is a dynamic tension between the black, feminine yin force and the white, masculine yang force, balance is established and harmony follows. Our world lacks such yin yang balance. There is too much masculine yang energy that is dominating the feminine yin energy. The excessive yang force manifests as a structure called Patriarchy, which is an unhealthy and violent society plagued with the above mentioned crises. In order to end Patriarchy and create a quality of life for society and nature worldwide, we need to limit the dominative yang force by adding more of the subtle yin force. In this way, we can create dynamic tension between yin and yang, which will lead to balance. To illustrate the situation graphically, the yin yang sign is in this website turned 90 degrees, placing the black yin on top of the white yang. This symbolizes the current need to prioritize the feminine yin energy, as a necessary limit to the free-floating masculine yang energy. Yet, since the ultimate aim is balance, the two are still in perfect dynamic tension.
In order to add the essential yin force, it is indispensable that people from the whole world cooperate: women and men, young and old, people from every background, of any color, race, class, and religious faith, living in the North or South, East or West, being rich or poor, tall or small. Although we are all unique and diverse, we still have our humanity in common, and we all want to enjoy a quality of life, defined by ourselves; and we want the same for our children and grandchildren. Since Patriarchy does not promote a quality of life for society and nature, we must resist its unbalanced structures and together create a balanced world. The Intsangano website invites people from all walks of life to help add a healthy amount of social and natural feminine yin quality into our current unbalanced, unhealthy economic and quantitative masculine yang structures, restoring balance, creating harmony, and saving our world.
"We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk!" Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmental and political activist (1940-2011)
In order to understand Patriarchy and its "run-away" masculine yang force, please read the Problem page. It explains in detail the root cause of the current global crises and what is meant by the feminine yin force and the masculine yang force.
The Intsangano website is initiated by Jytte Nhanenge. The values in the website are based on the content of her book, "Ecofeminism: Towards Integrating the Concerns of Women, Poor People, and Nature into Development." The Background information gives more details.
Reference 1) In this website "nature" refers to everything that is not human made. The concept is all embracing including animals, birds, fish, insects, plants, trees, forests, waters, mountains, air, soils, stones, minerals, and more. "Society" refers to any kind of social organization created by human beings.
Consecutive reading: if you did not already read it, have a look at the Intsangano page. Please read the Navigation information, which also has an index of the full website. Then go on to the menu headline Problem.
You are on the Home page.
