Good life?

Modern capitalism has taught us to use some of our rights – property, other property rights and consumer rights, and so on. From that we had to accumulate, we often wanted to buy more stuff, get more real estate than we really needed.

We did not notice how we separated from nature, we started dreaming about living in a city. We pay huge loans and we do not see storks in the yard, we spend most of the day in offices, we, people, in an unnatural environment and we see the nature of nature in a movie or at a grandmother's house …

an endless desire to take the lead in technology emerged. The state and scientific institutions promote technological development, but they do not care about the spiritual or other development of society, the support of starters, technological innovations, portable, when the factory is open after the Factory, because that is the technological progress of the company. , good life for the man … There is a rhetorical question: where does such a good life lead?

Eduardo Gudyn, a scientist in South America, points out that a good life (ISP Buen Vivir) is a life of harmony with other people and the nature. People are not the owners of the land and its resources, they are the only leaders. Natural capital is the most important, not the accumulation of people. In South America, Buen Vivir formed a theory based on the belief that true well-being occurs only within the context of a community. The goodness of the community is greater than the individual. The community is understood in a broad sense: nature, plants, animals and the earth. Nature needs care and should be respected as an important part of the community. Earth can not belong; it must be respected and protected. Communities need to develop their skills and enrich their knowledge without harming human health or the environment. People are part of nature, and their quality of life depends on all living things that share this planet with people

Why Buen Vivir is it from Latin America? But because governments, cooperatives and development banks have started to implement patently damaging projects that are not in the community's interest, such as oil extraction in the Amazon rainforest. Ecuador, intensive lithium mining in Bolivia. These development projects had to increase the wealth of the Latin American countries, but the resources used and poverty were exploited and destroyed.

An example is the world-wide practice of the company Chevron in the rainforests where the company released more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater and so the inhabitants were forced to endure various diseases. Thus, in Ecuador and Bolivia, the resistance of society to the influence of capitalist enterprises, which was manifested by the Buen Vivir was highlighted. Buen Vivir ideas were even established in 2008. Ecuadorian Constitution. Buen Vivir has a legal basis. The Constitution of Ecuador also includes natural rights. Article 71 states: "Nature, or Pasha Mother ", in which life is continually renewed and continuous, has the right to full respect for its existence, life cycles, structures , functions, as well as the maintenance and relaunch of evolutionary processes.

Bolivia 2010 The Mother's Rights Act was pbaded recognizing the seven rights of Mother Earth: to life; in the diversity of life; in the water; clean air; in balance; to read; to life without pollution. In both countries, individuals and groups can take action by appealing to the court to protect the violated natural rights. It's a shame but Buen Vivir remained the only idea in these countries, no laws, because the state did not train its people to the interests Foreign capitalist enterprises …

In recent years, the Ecuadorian and Bolivian authorities decided to increase the revenues of oil refiners, issued decrees to increase the taxes on profits that these countries pay. In addition, Ecuador has received more than $ 10 billion in Chinese bank loans in exchange for the right to extract oil, the government has entered into new agreements with Chinese companies to drill into the national park of Yasuni . In addition, the Ecuadorian government began to repress civil society organizations, for example, decided to end the activities of the non-governmental organization [19459011Acción Ecologica which has been seeking for 30 years to protect the Amazonian forests; organize violent media demonstrations in the media, disrupt activities, etc.

Nevertheless, the ideas created by Buen Vivir also penetrate widely into other continents, cultures and communities. Buen The theory of Vivir can be interpreted differently, taking into account the individual needs of each community. According to E. Gudyn, Buen Vivir does not mean that we must return to the primitive community or not use technology. In the long term, technologies must be used, but only to the extent necessary, while natural resources and production methods must be geared to local or regional needs and must not be used to capitalize on the needs of the global market. . Buen Vivir depends very much on the cohesion of the community, the harmony with the strengthening of nature and the maintenance of local sovereignty. In principle, it allows us to see the world differently.

Perhaps even before it is too late, the time has come to look at the world differently and look for a different life

Audronė Urmanavičienė is a PhD student at the Institute of Management Mykolas Romeris University

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