A Different Vision of the Path To International Security
by Elizabeth Sawin
— March 20, 2004 —
If there is such a thing as a universal human wish, it must be to have security – to live one’s life in peace, to be safe and know one’s family is safe, to have shelter, food and freedom from violence.
The wish may be universal, but ideas on how to realize that wish definitely [...]
Bringing Our Feelings Into The Work Of Changing The World
by Elizabeth Sawin
— January 20, 2004 —
A Brazilian friend of mine has created a slideshow out of images of the Earth and its life. The other week, at a training session for environmental leaders, I had a chance to watch it.
Amalia’s slides took us to the base of towering mountains and over endless glittering oceans to see sunlight flashing through [...]
The Best City In The World? Making a solid case for better urban planning
By Donella Meadows
–Fall 1994–
Residents of Curitiba, Brazil, think they live in the best city in the world, and a lot of outsiders agree. Curitiba has 17 new parks, 90 miles of bike paths, trees everywhere, and traffic and garbage systems that officials from other cities come to study. Curitiba’s mayor for 12 years, Jaime Lerner, has a 92 percent approval [...]
The Dream of a Better City Is Always in the Heads of its Residents
By Donella Meadows
–June 2, 1994–
The citizens of Curitiba, Brazil, think they live in the best city in the world, and a lot of outsiders agree with them. Curitiba has 17 new parks, 90 miles of bike paths, trees everywhere, and traffic and garbage systems that officials from other cities come to study. Curitiba’s mayor for 12 years, Jaime Lerner, has [...]
Brazil Has Yet to Learn the Meaning of Sustainable Development
By Donella Meadows
–July 28, 1993–
Since the assassination of Chico Mendes those who govern Brazil have been trying desperately to recover their image as fit leaders for a large, dynamic, civilized, sustainably developing country. The government stopped its subsidies to destructive cattle-ranching and set aside “extractive reserves” in the Amazon. It hosted the Earth Summit. It ousted a corrupt president.
Those were [...]
