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Big City Problem...

Small Town Solution

By Michael ThielmannPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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Grassroots politics for human freedom.

I want to highlight an interesting concept for a grassroots movement that has the power to create human freedom that we have yet to see implemented in our world.

The Ubuntu Movement as talked about by Michael Tellinger has at its core one small town that can set a positive precedent to move the world in a better direction. In my view, it really embodies the principle of "think globally, but act locally."

Basically, the idea is to create abundance at a local level by involving people in community projects that serve to create abundance first and foremost for people in that community.

The eventual goal is for a small town to be able to be completely self-sufficient in their food production and resources and eventually break the dependency on central banks and the global system altogether.

The way to do this that is closest to my heart is by empowering people in local food production and energy sufficiency. The town I live in is on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. We have a climate here that is conducive to food production for longer than most of the country, and yet we import the majority of our food from California and elsewhere.

This creates a cyclical problem involving inflated food prices and a dependency on transnational corporations to provide food that could be easily grown closer to home. It also means that people have to work longer hours to buy food at inflated prices, due to the many stages it passes through to go from farm to table.

A mayor of a town with the Ubuntu model would realize the power of converting their economy to truly empower and benefit the citizens of that community. Many jobs could be very easily created in food production which could help deal with unemployment.

In addition to this, local gardening jobs would serve to boost morale and bring people together in working for a common goal. Everyone in my town regularly complains about the high cost of food and the solution is very simple: make food production the central focus of the town and take control of the economy in an efficient and mutually beneficial way.

As a counselor I have worked with many people who have had addiction and mental health issues. Gardening and food growing is actually a great way to help people recover by connecting to the Earth, each other, and to good nourishing food.

Lack of job satisfaction is a real problem in a world dominated by corporate interests and a sense of isolation and stagnation in the workplace. We then use what little money we do make to pay for food and other resources that would be much cheaper if they were produced closer to home.

Imagine waking up in the morning and walking or biking to the local community garden or greenhouse. You work for a few hours with friends and neighbors, like-minded people who want to see their community truly flourish. You take home a basket of fresh produce in addition to a fair wage for an honest day's work. The rest of the day can be spent on creative projects and recreation with friends and family.

If the local government directly invests in the basic needs of the community, many middle-men are automatically cut out. The efficiency of keeping the food economy as local as possible is one of the key aspects of the Ubuntu movement. You can check out this article about some initial successes in a small town in Northern Ontario.

The implications of taking our sovereignty back are far reaching and exciting to consider and we have more power than realize if we work in terms of a small community framework. We need not wait for "the powers that be" to make our world better. We all have the power within if we are able to harness our innate skills and abilities in a positive way.

Contact me at www.seedsoflove.ca for a free initial counseling session and to discuss ideas of human freedom and empowerment. Thank you!

agriculture
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About the Creator

Michael Thielmann

I am an addiction and mental health counsellor living in Salmon Arm British Columbia. I love engaging with people about overcoming any challenges in their life and being vulnerable and open about my own process as well. <3

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