Actions cannot be postponed concerning potentially irreversible social and environmental processes!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The scientific, academic, artistic and intellectual communities, in short, cannot remain indifferent given the seriousness of the moment at global, regional and national levels. 

Some years ago, I wrote this on several occasions, Exxon Mobile reacted to the announcement of the Academy of Sciences of the United States that not only carbon dioxide emissions were excessive but its recapture decreased progressively, deteriorating the phytoplankton in the ocean, creating a Foundation that, with hired pseudo scientists, declared just the opposite for their own benefits. In the end, after several years, the lie was discovered and published to its full extent in Newsweek Magazine (The Truth of Denial). Nothing happened. The largest international consortium commits a crime of such magnitude that can affect the habitability of the Earth ... and the voice of millions of people around the world, who think about the legacy they are leaving to the future generations to live a decent life on Earth, is not heard. 

Now, in a time when we can express freely and raise our voice and outcry to the conscious –which is incredible- action of Volkswagen, a large German company, that pollutes rather than attempts to reduce the effects of combustion, putting a cheating "software" in car engines produced by them ... Silence. 

And, the EU, rather than punishing as this vile act deserves, "stick together" in Germany ... without raising the indignant voice of Europe's citizens. 

Given the terrible outrages of the named "Islamic state" ... and the uncoordinated action against extreme fanaticism, due to the absence of a democratic and effective multilateralism, that neoliberalism substituted by completely inefficient plutocratic groups (G7, G8, G20) ... silence. 

In case of terrible suffering of migrants and refugees ... silence. In case of neoliberal policies that increase social gaps ... silence. 

In case of the interference of economic institutions in educational and conceptual domains ... silence. 

In case of the subordination of social justice to the markets ... silence. 

"We must not remain unaware of the great problems of our time," Professor Yolanda Valdeolivas, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid, pointed out last September 30, in the inaugural lecture of the academic course, in memory and tribute to Prof. Francisco Tomas y Valiente, killed by ETA almost 20 years ago. "The university must faithfully reflect society. We must not resign expecting events, because it is an essential part of our responsibility to inspire, originate or avoid them. The university proceeding should be free, critical and creative”. 

Yes: we cannot remain silent. We cannot remain as passive spectators of what happens, otherwise we would become complicit. The scientific, academic, educational, artistic, intellectual and creative communities, in short, should be at the forefront of popular mobilization. It is necessary they act now, with great urgency, to ensure that points of no return are not reached in the habitability of the Earth and the living conditions of citizens. 

Not one more day submitted to traders, not one more day accepting the plutocratic groups’ governance, not one more day being indifferent to the daily genocide of thousands of people who die of hunger, most of them children, while more than 3 billion dollars are invested in weapons and military expenditures. Not one more day in Europe accepting to support a strictly monetary union without political, economic and fiscal ordinance which is essential. 

Now human beings can speak freely, know what is happening, and women, the cornerstone of the new era that is coming, plays an important and non-mimetic role in decision-making. But the popular outcry requires catalysts, promoters that guide, foster and follow up on the voice of the people. Then, there will be "genuine democracy", and then there will be a clear distinction between the urgent, the important and the secondary. The time of submission and indifference is over. Crime of silence.

1 comment

Unknown said...

A very intelligent observation! Took the liberty to share on my Facebook! #joimanush #globalcitizensofconscience

October 28, 2015 at 9:26 AM