Beautiful, short video of village life in Uganda.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR5bqaAe/ (aketchjoywinnie on TikTok — if you love this video check out her others as well!)
Observations from the standpoint of an eco/social activist, permaculture design educator of Anglo-European descent, living in the USA:
Our idea of “advanced” and “developed” seems very backward to me. For example:
- We build buildings out of concrete and other energy-intensive materials that are super expensive to build and maintain. And expensive to repair/rebuild when hit by hurricane, earthquake, or other natural disaster. And require a whole class of “licensed professional” engineers, architects, codes, zoning, etc.
- Meanwhile, indigenous cultures all over the world (such as in Uganda and other African countries) build their buildings out of readily available local materials such as fast-growing trees, grasses, local earth. And, everyday people know how to build and repair their own houses and other buildings. And build just what they need and will immediately use.
- So-called “developed” countries build millions of miles of paved road, which exacerbates heat and flooding. Now some western cities are discovering the concept of “de-paving” — actually removing pavement! The advanced cultures never got around to paving so much land in the first place, so they are way ahead.
- So-called “developed” countries have widespread malnutrition and other health issues as people have forgotten the importance of growing food near where the people are. Huge amounts of petroleum & other resources are dedicated to planting sodgrass and keeping it manicured. What a primitive, backward culture!!!
- Some of us who live in “developed” countries are aspiring to get back to more natural, land-based ways of living. However, we are impeded by the mental limitations that our hyper-individualistic, consumerist culture has indoctrinated into us. So we keep trying to do “permaculture” in a hyper-individualistic, consumerist matter. We are doing “cottagecore” instead of “VILLAGEcore.” And we are hogging far more than our share of resources.
- I strongly believe that decolonizing our minds is an essential step for any of us Anglo/Euro-descendant people who are attempting to practice a truly green way of life. Anyone wanting to join me in this, I recommend you check out my TikTok feed, which I have carefully curated to be packed with brilliant, caring grassroots educators who are passionately dedicated to helping us all learn and practice anti-racism, decolonization, #LandBack, and other genuine cultural evolution! 💚💚💚 @jennynazak on TikTok