4NT Manifesto / Plan of Action

This is an outline of a plan that addresses the difficult problems that are damaging our environment. It facilitates ordinary people to join together and take collective action.

 The Problem

The problem is the loss of species, the destruction of habitat and the changing of the climate. This is an unintended consequence of the way we humans live.

The situation is not stable or improving, it is getting worse. Society is becoming less sustainable by living and pursuing livelihoods in urban industrial settlements based on consumption. While being disengaged from natural life sustaining systems such as localised organic farming and forestry.

People who are part of and promoting the unsustainable activity are more organised and cooperative on a level which makes them more effective. Compared to people who are aware of the problem but are acting individually because they do not have a shared vision and plan of what to do.

Addiction

As is said the first rule of holes is to stop digging if you are in one. Our society is addicted to fossil fuels. Like any addict we have tried everything short of cutting the addiction. We have witnessed years of meaningless words, bogus schemes for profit, conjuring tricks and false accounting. All the while emissions grew and grew. When the economic downturn caused a fall in emissions it is restoring economic growth that is the priority. Addiction springs from attachment. Enlightenment is the cure.

General Solution: Turning our words into action

Cause large scale change in behaviour away from destructive consumption towards sustainable living. We can turn these words into actions in our own lives by focusing on three areas:

• To Educate ourselves and others on the issues so we can form an agenda to reform society, economy and the law. Take practical direct actions to promote and highlight these issues.
• To Empower ourselves by learning and teaching practical skills. With these skills create working examples of sustainable living and livelihoods as direct demonstrations of what needs to be done and as a refuge for those pioneering the way.
• To Practice how to cooperate and gain a shared understanding of how we can work well together over longer periods. Use the social teachings and concepts of the Buddha as practical tools to help us build a successful social movement. Through dharma study, reflection, self enquiry and dialectic.

Inspiring Stories

We can learn from inspiring people and projects that worked in the past; examples such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, Climate Camp, Sarvodaya village project and Deassartation Trust. Taking their best practice and re-applying it to the current situation.

Ways and Means: Activity to focus on

The steps that need to be taken initially can be summarised as follows:-

Find Supporters and resources

Organise and deliver recruitment and education workshops

Gather pioneers

Provide training for dialectic and collective consensus decision making. .

Find locations and support for training events and camps.

Deliver skills training workshops and camps

Organise, publicise and deliver actions for reform

Bob Smith and Jules Wagstaff, support this manifesto.

Get in touch and email us your name and contact details if you also support this manifesto. We will put your name on the website. Thank you