The power behind words - Sustainability

Sustainability is an interesting word. Recently a classmate of mine broke the word down into the two words that are inherent: sustain and ability. The ability to sustain--what are we trying to sustain? In Portland, I have heard a community leader often mention that poor people are not trying to sustain their current impoverished situations. But sustainability is not about maintaining. It is about sustenance, the basic nourishment and support we need to get through life. So what do we then define as basic. Of course food, clothing, and shelter fall under this category. but those are outcomes of something else.

I believe that our sustenance comes from healthy community. I am not talking about just a neighborhood or a church or what we usually jump to when we think of community...because they may or may not be examples of a HEALTHY community. In healthy communities, hard problems are tackled with open decision processes. All people interact on an equitable level, because each person's perspective is valuable to the whole. The goal is the betterment of the community, not the individual, and thereby every individual is uplifted. Poisonous behavior and destructive behavior is self-policed. The key to a healthy community is around communication...it is that which must be nourishing and supportive, not judgmental and destructive.

So sustainability is derived from healthy communities, which are rooted in good, democratic communication, where all voices are heard and valued. Healthy communities also seek self-preservation in balance with the natural environment, by practicing stewardship. If one sees their individual responsibility to protect and nurture others and their environment, in return they will feel whole and fulfilled by the gifts they will receive in return.

Brown people have been taught to be dependent on an economy that takes advantage of us. We are disempowered daily through the myth of scarcity. This has been destructive in our sense of community, as we've strived for independent wealth and power, at the expense of those around us. When truly we are abundant. We have talent, skill, ingenuity, compassion. We can choose to not participate. Seeing participation in this vacuum economy (where the money goes up, but it doesn't come down)as a calculated choice, rather than a necessity. But it can only be done in community.

Sustainability is sustaining our ability to thrive, not just survive. And that can only be done when relationships to one's full environment where both nature and people are in balance.

There is power in this, by claiming sustainability as one's own right, you are claiming entitlement to your health and your happiness for today and generations to come.