Hugo Novotny (Argentina) / New Horizons in Latin America and the World

Hugo Novotny (Argentina) / New Horizons in Latin America and the World

Hugo Novotny (Argentina)

В свет вышла статья аргентинского ученого Уго Новотного, посвященная отношениям стран БРИКС и Латинской Америки, а также новым парадигмам, которые начинают вырисовываться в разных областях жизни общества этих стран.

The US, Japan and the European Union nations are gradually losing their dominant positions in the world. At the same time, powerful countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China (close partners at the BRICS) do not try to enforce their political and cultural values in less developed countries, but rather they intend to base their relations on a mutually beneficial cooperation. Thus, the new system of international relations taking shape due to the growth of Asian, Latin American and African nations plus the recent agreements between Rusia, China and Latin American countries, between BRICS and UNASUR, is erasing the fragile dependency and colonial servility inherited from the history of the last few centuries by means of convergence of interests. There is hope that this will turn the current global crisis into a true opportunity for global change.

For international affairs, the new paradigm that is been configured could be defined as the power of agreement, reciprocity and convergence in diversity as opposed to the failure of hegemonies and homogenization. The success of this model depends on whether the participants in the game seek to impose their will – economically or culturally – on others.

But the global crisis we are going through requires a deep change in the model of growth. Asia, Africa and Latin America could not follow the path trod by the US and the EU, with its promotion of false freedom at the cost of social fractures, consumption for all, indebtedness for the majority but accumulation by only a few. A radically different vision should be defined. In other words, the global change crisis should generate an entire new social paradigm in which the idea of development does not only mean economic growth, as it is the case nowadays, but also includes the integral growth of all human beings grounded on the essential understanding that “progress for a few ends up being progress for nobody” (Silo, 2004).

In the Latin American continent, the rise to power of Evo Morales as the first Bolivia´s president of native origins marked a watershed in the history of the Americas, a doubtless signal of new times beginning for the whole continent. The creation of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (CELAC) demonstrates the resolution to move towards a real integration of the continent, and points to the decisive departure of Latin America from the orbit of the political, economic and military influence of the US.

In my opinion, this phenomena is closely related to the spiritual renew of native cultures all along Latin America, reaching special strength in Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico; although in the latter country, this process is developing in an open confrontation with the government and the US interests in the region.

This crucible of cultures is immersed in a common spiritual atmosphere, in a sensibility that highly values the bond with the ground (the PachaMama), the ecologically harmonic and reciprocal coexistence between human beings and nature; the convergence in the diversity of cultures (interculturalism); the right of ethnic and social groups to their self-determination; the public and qualified health and education for everybody with an intercultural approach; the integrality of body, soul and spirit for the Well Living (Suma Qamaña) of individuals and communities.

We find a strong resonance between this Latin American sensibility and the millenary cultures and spiritualities of Asia and Eurasia; especially with those currents which developed great philosophical schools and highly inspiring meditation practices, like the multiple branches of Shaivism, Buddhism, Taoism and Hesychasm. Schools that also promote the harmonic and reciprocal coexistence between human beings and nature; the wholeness of body, soul and spirit for the well-being and self-development of each one; the access to the experience of the trascendent. Schools that have been spread out through the ages and today are renewing and attempting to open new ways in the critical transition of the XXI century towards a new evolutionary spiral of human history.

Rich and mightily diverse cultural traditions in Africa, cradle of humankind, are also called to be relevant to overcome the global crisis, contributing to the necessary transition process with progressive elements that will be a basis for the next evolutionary stage. It´s the case of the Ubuntu concept -the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity-, as well as many others components of the African ancestral sensibility.

At this point, the world community should realize that the expansion of one country or culture at the expense of the others must come to an end. Horizontal expansion would not work any more. We – humankind - should take the vertical way: to develop the space and ocean depths through joint efforts towards common benefits. And only using the same approach, instead of competition, we can solve the problems of poverty, starvation, illnesses, providing people of the world for healthcare and education at a worthy level for all. This root envisages not only new international agreements on disarmament but a real change of mentality from the habitual philosophy of violence and confrontation to a new culture of nonviolence; from the “clash of civilizations” concept to the dialogue of civilizations, the unity in diversity of cultures and interests.

In my opinion, one more question specially deserves our attention. As soon as the human being went outside the limits of the Earth and saw by his own eyes our fragile world wandering among billions of stars and galaxies, he has awoke to the vision that there are no real frontiers separating people; he felt, deeply in his heart, an ineffable love to human life and to every creature existing in the Universe. This feeling is capable to inspire people on a real change of worldview and behavior, on deep changes toward humanization of the Earth.

In the same sense, human conscience is at this very moment thriving to get rid of the corset that means linear temporality and discovering simultaneity, resonance, synchrony, new laws and phenomena of nonlinear complex systems and quantum physics which are radically modifying the way of structuring reality.

It is fundamental to think about the consequences of the human conscience breaking free from the ties imposed by natural, spatial and temporal determinations of its physical prosthesis. We are not talking only about the experience of living in weightlessness, or some undeniable and subtle technological accomplishments such as virtual reality or telepresence. We are talking also about the real possibility that, in a brave and intentional act, human conscience would decide to break up with its internal contradictions, to yield its heart to love and mercy towards all living kind and, in this way, gain enough inner unity allowing to project itself beyond the body and time.

In my opinion, a new spirituality that would be able to kindly include the most progressive of the extremely diverse cultures and traditions worldwide, without limiting, but highlighting the identity of each nation; an spirituality that, at the same time, includes the technological language and the experiences of a human being flying across the cosmic space, may be the most adequate incubator of the new human civilization. Unrestricted access to the experience of the Profound, the contact with the fountain of the Sacred from the interiority of everyone without intermediation; the possibility of sharing this fundamental experience among people belonging to different cultures and confessions, may be meaningful elements for the spirituality of a new human nation worldwide.

Latin American (Argentine) philosopher and writer Silo (Mario Rodríguez Cobos, 1938-2010), founder of the current of thought named Universalistic Humanism, tells in his books about the need of an spirituality where “the non-meaning of life can be converted into meaning and fulfillment” for everyone without external limitations or conditions; an spirituality that enphasizes on “joy, love of the body, of nature, of humanity, and of the spirit”, where “the worldly is not opposed to the eternal”. Silo's Message tells about the possibility of “the inner revelation at which all arrive who carefully meditate in humble search” and shows how to “mastering the Force in order to achieve unity and continuity” beyond the physical existence; it tells about the essential priority of “learn to surpass pain and suffering in yourself, in those close to you, and in human society”, “learn to resist the violence that is within you and outside of you”, “learn to recognize the signs of the sacred within you and around you”. Silo suggests “do not imagine that you are alone in your village, in your city, on the Earth, or among the infinite worlds”, “do not imagine that you are enchained to this time and this space”.

 

The fully interconnected world where we are living today makes possible and necessary to move towards a common intercultural civilization. Horizontal and reciprocal interaction between cultures and nations, non-violent methods of social transformation, real participation of people on making key socio-political decisions will allow the integration of the diverse communities as avant-garde of the human nation in development. In our vision, the previously mentioned experience of the Profound is actually capable to open a new spiritual horizon, indispensable for the realization of this paradigm. As well as it happened on other axial moments of human history.

It´s named The Overview Effect http://overviewinstitute.org