Spiritualism: The Highest Form of Political Consciousness
- By members of the Haudenosaunee tribe. Home! A Bioregional Reader.
“Spiritualism is the highest form of political consciousness,” declares this manifesto of sorts written by members of the ancient Haudenosaunee culture. They argue that the damage and exploitation wrought by Western civilization must be analyzed so it can be undone, and suggest that to fight it we “need to break with the narrow concept of human liberation, and begin to see liberation as something which needs to be extended to the whole of the Natural World.”
The Fourth World Declaration
- By John Papworth. Home! A Bioregional Reader.
Another sort of manifesto, this one proposing a “Fourth World” in which “power is fully shared by the people in societies which are modest enough in size to do justice to the majesty of the human spirit.”
Strategies for an Alternative Nation
- By Bill Mollison. Home! A Bioregional Reader.
Bill Mollison discusses the need to develop “a global, interdependent and cooperative body of people.” He explores the philosophical and practical reasons behind this goal, as well as the conditions necessary for it to be met, especially “assembling sufficient common-sense people in one area.”
A Proposal of Marriage
- By Michael Crofoot. Home! A Bioregional Reader.
Bioregionalism and permaculture, argues Michael Crofoot, have undergone parallel evolutions with similar goals but separate strengths, and could increase their effectiveness by teaming up with each other.
Bioregional Economies
- By the North American Bioregional Congress Economics Committee. Home! A Bioregional Reader.
The Economics Committee at the third North American Bioregional Congress, held in 1989, produced this vision statement describing the principles that underlie a bioregional economy and the strategies that can be implemented to create it.
LETS: The Local Exchange Trading System
- By Michael Linton and Thomas Greco. Home! A Bioregional Reader.
A local currency system, argue Michael Linton and Thomas Greco, is “a remarkable tool for building and strengthening local communities.” They delve into why, and outline the essential characteristics the system must possess to truly be effective.
