We are NOT

What We are NOT

7 Deadly Sins of A Modern Mind

1. Separating human beings from Nature;  This is the origin of all sins of modernisation, of a modern mind. 

In real matter of fact, humans are nature and nature is human.

2. Considering that human beings have more rights and privileges above other beings. This is the largest contributing factors in modern human actions destroying Nature. 

In real matter of fact, all communities of beings are equally rightful to live according to the roles and functions they play as fellows of communities of beings.

3. Insisting that conservation work is done by counting how many plans and animals on a geographical area and protecting those documented areas.

The reality is that those rich bio-cultural diverse regions that we have today are outcome of our previous generations’ work, done without science, done by submitting to the Laws of Nature, not by manipulating the nature with modern human science and technology. 

The reality is that this planet earth and life we have today are results of non-scientific, traditional human beings who lived according to the laws of nature.

 

4. Considering that conservation work is human efforts to save nature.

The matter of fact is that human as part of nature are not doing good deeds to himself/ herself, because modern human beings already realized today that violating the rights of other beings is the source of humanitarian catastrophe.

 

5. Not realizing that human rights violations start from violations of the rights of other communities of beings, and that to protect the rights of human and human dignity, one must start by acknowledging and protecting the rights of other than human beings.   

6. Believing that scientific discoveries and modernisation will save life and this planet Earth.

The reality is that scientific discoveries are the catalysts of all destruction that we enjoy today. This life and planet Earth that have been kept for millennia without science and before modernisation

7. Not realizing that saving life on this Planet Earth is about saving the “spirit”, the element that makes life become present, the one that makes no life upon its absence.. 

Enacting Laws related to Environment and climate change without any concern with the storylines is the biggest mistake that modern humans have ever made.  The Melanesian Way is to save life and protect the Nature: spirit, plants, animals, mater and landscapes where we live.. Legalizing the storylines is the way forward for Melanesian peoples to restore and preserve the stories of identities, integrity and destiny of all Melanesian peoples who represent the identities, integrity and destiny of humanity on planet Earth. Legalizing the storylines is writing “Customary Laws” belongs to clans and ethnic groups so that the people and modern nation-states where the groups live to collectively acknowledge, appreciate, protect and promote the norms, values beliefs and systems of the Melanesian peoples that passed down to us.

What We DON’T Do ?

Mind-Led Anthropocentric Conservation

Mind-led conservation emphasizes science and logic: rationality and self-justification in the mind as the solution to environmental problems.

We do not do conservation in Melanesian in order to satisfy sponsors and guidelines provided by donors. We carry out conservation based on our own experience for generations that have proven successful in keeping Melanesian as green and blue as they are right now.

We don’t Speak “Spiritual ecology”

Spiritual ecology is an emerging field in religion, conservation, and academia recognizing that there is a spiritual facet to all issues related to conservation, environmentalism, and earth stewardship. Proponents of Spiritual Ecology assert a need for contemporary conservation work to include spiritual elements and for contemporary religion and spirituality to include awareness of and engagement in ecological issues. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_ecology>

First of all, The Melanesian Way of Conservation says “We ARE the NATURE” and the nature is us, which means this is not part of contemporary religion, Majority of Melanesian peoples are Christians by religion, but at the same time, we recognise and declare that we are Melanesians, who live in the South Pacific region, who have One Storyline that identify and describe our being.

“We are the nature” means the we human beings are taking care and doing good to our own self. We are not doing anything to anyone else. 

“We are the nature” means “nature is not god”, the objects to worship, but nature is ourselves, our own image, our own identity, our own life. 

“We are the nature” means nature is not resources for humans to utilize and exploit.

 

Secondly, The Melanesian Way of Conservation says  “Follow the Laws of the Nature”, that is the laws that exists in the nature, according to the continuous “balancing motion” of the nature.

We are NOT Talking about Westerners Coming here to Teach Melanesians on How to Protect the Nature, but the other way Around….

We have experienced western and modern environmentalists, who in matter of facts DO NOT have their land and forests protected but rather heavily destroyed come to indigenous us peoples and teach us how to protect the nature.  It is a shame to note our experience that foreigners come and teach Melanesians about environmental conservation work.

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We declare that we are the ones to teach the modern people how to protect the nature.

We are saying “Stop!” to westerners and modern peoples who come to Melanesian islands, villages, individuals, families, clans and tribes teaching us how to protect the nature even though they do not have any proof of successful protection of their lands, water

We are inviting all to come and learn from us how Melanesians have kept our Melanesian Islands and seas so green and so blue as they are called “PARADISE”.

We are natural beings, we are one of the natural communities of beings, who partly form and live according to the jurisprudence of the nature . 

Following the laws of the nature is our human natural way of life, because otherwise the nature maintains her laws. 

That is why modern human beings today need to re-learn to obey these laws in order to leave this planet earth a habitable planet and in order to have sustainable living today. 

When human beings break the law of the nature, then the nature automatically and organically upholds the supremacy of the laws of the natural by “checking” and “balancing” the interrelations and interconnections among the communities  beings. 

We DO NOT talk to Scientifically Back-up Spirit-Led Conservation but for Science to Appreciate Traditional Conservation Approaches and Results!

The era of scientific revolution have come to the point where all human beings today realize that science have not only brought about progress and material happiness, but it has brought us to catastrophe that no-one ever imagined in human history. The Melanesian Way of Environmental Protection says no-matter it makes rational sense or not, the reality is that Melanesian archipelago has been kept blue and green for millennia before we even knew anything about science.  The call for modern and Melanesian peoples today is to come together as human beings to learn from each other what has worked for a sustainable, simple and joyful life.

I call this “World Five”, not the Fifth World, where science and spirits are merging into a unit of reality, where dream and awake worlds will become one, where spiritual and scientific will complement each other. (Wewo Kotokay)

I know many times I have been regarded nonsense for challenging science as deadly weapon humans ever created. At the same time, I am waiting patiently to welcome anything science can offer to bring solutions to our environmental problems that mostly created based on science. (Wewo Kotokay)

We are NOT talking based on Dreams, but Daily Realities of Life…

Environmental conservation here in Melanesia is not a theory, a theology, a philosophy that we understand in our brain, but it is our daily breath and blood. Environmental conservation in Melanesia is not what we expect for our future generations or in the coming years, but it is our daily experience, right now and right here. The Melanesian Way of Environmental Protection does not start from the mind, but its starts from the heart. The Melanesian Way is the Heart-Based Conservation. 

When you feel that you are the nature and the nature is you, then the conservation work is your action and reaction to yourself, not to anything or anybody else. (Wewo Kotokay)

Organising Team

Vanuatu Environment Advocacy 
Network, Port Vila, Vanuatu

Lembaga Sahabat Alam Melanesia, Port Numbay, West Papua, Indonesia

“Melanesian Spirit and Nature Foundation Incorporated, established in 2021, based in Port Moresby PNG