Seeds of Hope

‘The D D Kosambi Festival of Ideas’ is organised every year in Goa. Different speakers share their ideas. One of the speakers this year was the environmental proactivist and author, Vandana Shiva who shared her vision and mission through her presentation on the topic ‘Diversity & Pluralism: the foundations of Indian Civilisation’.

Her ideas seemed lofty as well as grounded as they are already being implemented through ‘Navdanya’ – a movement born of a perspective of an Earth Democracy in which every species and being has a future, every farm and all food is free of toxins, and no one goes hungry. The action plan involves the conservation and exchange of indigenous seeds in a sustainable, community centred and decentralized manner.

Vandana Shiva urged the audience to actualise the idea by planting the seeds of hope in the fields of action. Every possible space could be transformed into a garden of hope by cultivating organic crops, free from toxins. The gardens at home, the spaces in the school compound and even the balcony at the apartment could become a garden of hope.

When the seeds of hope unite a garden of hope is formed. Many such small gardens of hope unite to create a positive transformational impact on our collective predicament. But it is important to ensure the diversity of the seeds or the diversity of the methods is not sacrificed for the lure of illusory goals that seek toxic shortcuts.

So often, in other spheres of life too, choices are made which derail diversity. In a plural, interdependent world we cannot walk the selfish path that ignores the common good. So often, we embrace toxic negativity to get shortcuts to success but eventually we end up killing the rights of the others to live with dignity. The seeds of hope must celebrate the diversity paradigm.

The seeds of hope will ‘unite to impact’...

When the common good guides every act!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.