Document(s) 2 of 10

AT THE UNITED Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (the Earth Summit), where one hundred and seventy-nine countries were represented, a global developmental strategy, which became known as 'Sustainable Development', was proclaimed. This strategy received a further and renewed impulse at the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002. The basis of the global strategy for the survival of humanity is founded upon the principles that all forms of development must conform to environmental, social, and economic goals and that development must achieve a balance among the economic, social, and environmental interests of all sectors of society that must be implemented according to national strategic action plans. 63 These objectives and principles seem obvious from the viewpoint of the natural laws of harmony or the coexistence of humans and nature. They are also vital if not obvious from a solely practical viewpoint—if these objectives and principles are not enshrined, then humanity faces the realistic threat of extinction from the face of the earth.

There is, however, one 'but'. Co-ordination and balance may only be achieved on the condition of the voluntary acceptance of restrictions. This acceptance can be achieved by way of restricting the voracious appetites of wealthy nations and, in particular, the monopolistic trans-national manufacturers; restricting the flagrant permissiveness in attitudes towards nature which results in dramatic transformations of landscapes and ecosystems; and by constraining the total dominance of those economic and political regimes which emerged towards the end of the twentieth century and brought about the degradation of many traditional ethical norms relating to humanity's relationship with nature. There must be systemic restraints imposed upon or self-imposed by these states, societies, monopolies, and individuals in both the material and spiritual dimensions of human existence. This conscious acceptance of systemic restraints is, in itself, a change in psychology and view of the world. It implies a dramatic revision of life's values and, therefore, a change in life's philosophy. There is an ancient but vital Hindu axiom which states that "all obstacles on the path of human development are overcome through the renouncement of commonly accepted views of the world."

In historical terms, the 'life without limitations' approach to human civilisations evolved at the beginning of the Holocene epoch, that is, following the Neolithic revolution, when people mastered agriculture and animal breeding. Thereafter, human beings began to create artificial ecosystems and the artificial circulation of matter in nature, or 'second nature' began to evolve. Coincidentally, at this time people began to detach themselves definitively from the rest of the living world. They began to view themselves as conquerors of the world and the net result was that a considerable part of contemporary humanity is now obliged to those conquerors for their standard of living, life expectancy, and prosperity. But, at the same time, this leads to ecological and spiritual impoverishment.

In the process of these developments, humanity has infringed upon the principle of 'sustainability'. We became monopolistic and acted in a way that disregarded the vital development of his home—the biosphere. The indispensable harmony between the development of humankind and environment disappeared, the principle of harmonious coexistence was disturbed.

The noted and prominent Russian scientist-ecologist N.N. Moiseyev pointed out that not only has the number of the earth's inhabitants soared, but the needs of each of them have as well, especially over the last century. The load on the biosphere began to increase and, according to the academician V.I. Vernadsky, humankind became the fundamental and dominant geological force on the planet. Animate nature began to deteriorate. The available resources that are indispensable to humankind's survival began to decline. The pollution of the planet reached a critical point, which reminds us of a fundamental truth that no living species may exist in an environment consisting of its own waste. Humans have reached the abyss. People have gradually begun to realise that the potential capabilities of modern civilisation are exhausted, or close to it. We are now overwhelmingly faced with the urgency of establishing a new paradigm of civilisation, a new philosophy of life. 53 The philosophy of human existence is complex and has evolved through different historical periods and paths. Eastern and ancient Greek philosophies harmonised our way of life with the wisdom of animate nature. But at a later historical period, our philosophy came into conflict with the natural laws of harmony between ourselves and nature and turned into an ideology serving the advocates of consumerism. Philosopher-materialists and Cartesian scholars played a significant role in this materialisation of philosophy. They splintered the harmonious completeness of nature into elementary parts. One of the scholar-physicists, Werner Heisenberg, a Nobel Prize laureate, came to his senses in time. He perceived the ruinous force of the Cartesian world view and wrote the following in his book Physics and Philosophy:

The divisive nature of the Cartesian philosophy has profoundly penetrated the human consciousness over three centuries and it requires time to be replaced by other attitudes to the problems of reality. (quoted in 35)

Apologists for this materialistic philosophy, relying on the authority of other prominent scholars of the 20th century, namely Heisenberg, Erwin Schrodinger, Niels Bohr, and Albert Einstein, extended the influence of this ideology on the consciousness of so-called educated humanity. It bode well for certain political and economic elites. And, just like their communist opponents, these elites used this materialistic philosophy for profit and drove humanity to the edge of an immense ecological crisis, if not utter catastrophe.

The realization of this ecological crisis brought about a new ecological paradigm—a recognition of an ecological system of values, notions, and perceptions founded upon the harmonisation of the relationship between people, society, and nature. And this can, indeed, form a new systemic vision of reality. This new ecological paradigm can provide an impulse towards the formation of a 'new' and contemporary philosophy of life.

Paradoxically, however, it ought to be recognised that this new life philosophy was essential primarily for the 'golden billion'* population of the earth. The remaining five billion steadily held to the postulates of the more traditional eastern or ancient Greek philosophies of life which are founded upon a harmony between human nature and the environment. However, the 'golden billion' elite proclaimed the natural environment of the whole planet within its sphere of vital interests. The tentacles of the ecologically ignorant world elite penetrated into all of the earth's natural storehouses!

Today, there is an increased need to reanimate the wisdom this harmonious approach to human nature and the environment as a world outlook, to use it to comprehend reality and to meet the numerous challenges posed by practical issues. Only on the basis of a harmonious combination of experience and reason can we meet these problems.

One example is the desire to retrieve from apparent oblivion the ecological teachings of Vernadsky on noosphere, or of S. A. Podolynsky on the sun's value-added energy. Both are modern perceptions of the means, methods, and mechanisms for harmonising human development.

The Ukrainian philosophers M. M. Kyseliova and F. M. Kanak 37 argue that the concept of wisdom today is the understanding of proportion, moderation, and universal harmony and that these acquire a special role in our contemporary stage of development. They regard the lack of a sense of moderation as a premise for imminent evil. The sense of proportion and harmony embodies a perception of outer as well as inner worlds. The ancient sage Seneca called wisdom the mentor of the human soul. He associated knowledge and comprehension of the world with compassion and beauty.

Humanity inherited the true sense of proportion, synergy, and harmony from the natural environment. The cognition of nature was first and foremost a means of drawing humanity closer to the earth and the universe.

Furthermore, a sense of proportion and harmony leads to the formation of various manifestations of wisdom, such as sagacity, moderation, prudence, a sense of reason, responsibility—all of which are qualities that contempo-

* 'Golden billion'—the population of the economically (as opposed to spiritually) most developed countries of the European Union and North America.

rary humans are critically short of. Wisdom is, therefore, proportional to the experience acquired in the process of humankind's self-determination. It is appropriate to assume that this is the foundation on which all morality, as well as the mechanisms for societal prohibitions and customs, rests.

Human beings do not need to divine the courses of action for, historical details of, or the optimal path for development. However, we are capable of envisioning dangers that may await us in the near future. And this ability is sufficient for establishing a certain system of interdictions capable of diminishing the negative impact of possible difficulties and, sometimes, of avoiding them If we exercise this capacity we may well increase the stability of our species' existence. That is how Moiseyev explains the "mechanisms of wisdom" in his work Fate of civilization. Wisdom's Path. 53

In response to this 'new life philosophy', the notions 'ecological consciousness' and 'ecological wisdom' have recently been widely discussed as self-con-straining principles of contemporary economic and technical thought. These ideas call for a fundamental change in the structure of our scientific methodology and technological approaches, in addition to a fundamental change in our attitudes towards nature. Today, the consumerist approach towards nature still prevails, and as a result so does our dominant attitude towards the immorality of humankind. The establishment of a genuine environmental consciousness, as well as the formation of an ecological culture and wisdom, will automatically bring about the desperately required spiritual recovery of society and the replenishment of its spiritual forces.

The connection between ecology and spirituality has profound historical roots, which extend back thousands of years. This connection was lost in the abyss of the centuries, which led civilisations to their present crisis, if not doom, but it has now resurfaced, and is being revived. Even though our comprehension of the secrets of wisdom, the understanding of the natural order and harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature have been the objectives of science since antiquity, over the last two to three hundred years this connection has been corrupted and manipulated in the interests of profit-seeking science. Beginning in the 17th century, exploitative knowledge applicable to farming and the so-called stewardship of nature became of primary importance. 35

A contrary view, namely an unbiased view of reality, a sober evaluation of realities and an orientation towards results in the future, that is, the ability to forecast the future from current phenomena and processes, serves as an indication of wisdom.

Kysel'ov and Kanak emphasise that attempts to separate the world of organic nature from other phenomena of objective reality have been made since ancient times. Aristotle considered entelechy, the moment of eternity that permeates the body with life, as evidence distinguishing the living from the dead. Later, as counterpoise to the mechanistic interpretation of life processes, the term vis vitalis was introduced, meaning "a special vital force." (L. Duma, I. Drish)

The definition of life may be approached either from a naturalistic/scientific or a socio-humanitarian position. Normally, the former is interpreted as a mechanism for the self-support, self-regeneration, and self-development of large systems consisting of complex organic structures that are created as a result of internal metabolism and the exchange of matter between them and the environment, as well as the result of the influx of energy (Reimers). The natural law of harmony is the unity of physical/biological and spiritual life. If we infringe upon this natural law, ecological and social crises will result.

The movement of contemporary ecological-philosophical thought and, to a greater extent, the presence of ecological threats and the growing number of incidents of grave concern compelled political leaders of many countries to gather in 1992 in Rio for the Earth Summit. The aim was to develop common approaches and principles for the further development of humankind without causing harm to nature and for the conservation of nature for future generations.

The very fact that a global ecological and social conference, along with the follow-up world summit later in Johannesburg, was held is testimony to the profound uneasiness and concern about our global ecological crisis. The concept and principles of sustainable development were developed using a balanced approach to ecological, economic, and social elements.

Nonetheless, the last ten years have failed to produce the expected results. Some environmental scholars attribute the failures on the path to sustainable development to the poorly selected approaches for assessing the values of life and to an inappropriate methodology.

Moiseyev notes: "Following the Congress in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 the term sustainable development appears. It is a poor combination of words since under current circumstances the term can only be applied to local fulfilment of provisions of sustainability. This realisation could be an important step towards the epoch of noosphere, that is an agreement (or harmony-author's suggestion) between 'nature's strategy and humankind's strategy'. We ought to master the tools we possess in order to use them wisely. Landscapes, which seem attractive from an environmental point of view, may be considered such a tool. Their number is constantly decreasing while their value is on the rise. In recent years the urgency of the problem (noospherogenesis) significantly exacerbated: noosphere eruptions may become the spark for a global ecological movement, capable of directing the development of global community to avert an ecological catastrophe." 52

The Dnipro basin, from this point of view, is one such 'ecologically attractive regional landscape'. It could become the spark for a 'basin noosphere area', that is, an area of harmonious relations among the peoples of the Dnipro basin and within the habitat of the Dnipro basin, as well as the establishment of a regional ethno-scenic balance—a harmony of vital forces.

Why the Dnipro and the Dnipro's vital forces?

The Dnipro is now entrenched in human history, alas, as a result of the Chernobyl disaster. One wishes, however, that the Dnipro could serve as the starting point of a genuine rebirth of divine and natural laws, genuine in the sense of an ecological and naturalistic-spiritual renaissance of nations. One is not possible without the other today. Only the unity of ecological and spiritual regeneration will save the planet. A strategy of eco-spiritual regeneration will balance national and global interests and will alter our system of values. Only then may one speak of a sustainable society on the basis of a new eco-spiritual philosophy of global structure without the dictates of young civilisations with totalitarian democracies or commercialised societies devoid of spirituality. We should acknowledge that society is often reluctant to develop. Yet, societies often enjoy prosperity. Development can be viewed as coercion of traditions, order, and customs. Society may be afraid to develop. What if we choose the wrong path where the contradiction between society and state become apparent? The fact that states adopted a strategy for sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro does not necessarily mean that society or nations have done so. The expediency of the sustainable development approach should be proved by way of specific examples.

Besides having a special ecological, economic, and social significance for Ukraine, the Dnipro basin also has a special spirituality, a special national value, whose roots reach back thousands of years. The Dnipro and Ukraine—these are the father and the mother of the Ukrainian nation. They cannot possibly live without each other.

The Dnipro basin has been a cradle for many cultures and civilisations for a period of over ten thousand years (Trypillian, Indo-European, Scythian, Cimmerian, Hellenic, Slavic, and others), which are the roots of the ethno-scenic cultures of the Ukrainian oblasts of Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy, Kyiv, and Chernihiv and the Russian oblasts of Smolensk and Briansk. Through its trade routes, it connected the 'Varangians to the Greeks', the 'Bulgarians to the Greeks and Europe', and Iranian, Pre-Sumerian, and Greek cultures.

The Dnipro's vital forces do not come solely from its water, nor from one of the best black soils in the world, nor just from the beautiful scenery of small and large influents. They come from the spirituality of the Slavic ancestors of the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian nations. Today, this inherent spirituality continues to be charged by the inexhaustible power and incomparable beauty of the Dnipro's natural habitat. The habitat is still capable of self-regeneration, despite the disastrous technogenic harm to the ecosystem of the Slavutych basin. These include the Chernobyl catastrophe, artificial reservoirs that buried fine soils and meadows, and riverside towns-technopolis which have turned a river of national pride into a sewer.

We have the capacity to destroy our physical and spiritual powers, and to kill our souls and nature by contaminating the soil and water with waste, regardless of where we live, but specifically in the upper and lower reaches of the Dnipro.

The ancient Slavonic peoples had a custom of toloka—joining hands in a community effort. The entire community participated in solving everyday problems and assisted in times of need. This custom has survived among the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian peoples of the Dnipro basin. The time has come now to join hands in a national ecological community effort to respect the source of our vital force.

The word ecology, translated from Greek, means study of one's own house. Moiseyev added, "as well as norms of conduct required for living in this house." The ecosystem of the Dnipro basin is our common house and we are the basin's inhabitants and an integral part of it. Our conduct should establish a harmony of vital forces of people and nature in the Dnipro basin, throughout its course from Valdai to the Black Sea.

The Dnipro, known throughout the world as a beautiful and generously endowed natural body of water, may serve humanity by providing an ethno-scenic balance—an alternative model of existence for the peoples of the three riparian states, based on the principle of systemic co-evolution and harmony of vital forces between the Dnipro and its peoples. Contrary to the model of global sustainable development, wherein the dominance of the economic component is maintained (there is even a term 'sustainable economic development'), models of harmonious existence have the objective to harmonise the coexistence of humankind (ethnos, society) and the environment (river basin, landscapes) on the basis of noospherogenesis. This objective is more understandable and may appeal to everyone. A state policy on development to improve specific environmental sites, in this case the basin of a large Slavic river, the Dnipro, will become comprehensible to all. It harmonises the interests of people, society, and state.

Humanity may rely on the thousand-year experience of the Hindu civilisation, founded upon the harmonious co-existence of humans and nature. The concept of 'development' is not inherent in oriental philosophy. The term 'change' is more familiar and more understandable. Historians and archaeologists find Indo-European roots in the Slavonic culture. In contemporary India, there is a custom of water cleansing in the river Ganges (the sacred river of life) and other rivers. The Orthodox faith has a cult of purification with water, expressed in the rites of baptism and blessing by the sprinkling of water. The present day custom of bathing in icy waters, practised in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, is a way of regeneration and the strengthening of vital forces. However, only in India is the religious rite of cleansing with water harmoniously associated with the customary sustenance of the ecological purity of water bodies at the subconscious level. It is worth mentioning here how relevant the questionable existence of the 'philosophy of water', or rather the 'philosophy of live and dead water' as we know it from childhood fairy-tales (fairy-tales, like dreams, come true) is.

Water is not simply H2O. It is a stream of vital forces. Water preserves the great mystery of nature. It gave birth to life on earth and continues to support it. "The principal purpose of water is to serve as an informational base for biological life in the Universe. It is namely water which is the basis of all processes in the plant and animal kingdoms of our planet," as stated by the Russian scientist V. D. Plykin in his book In the Beginning was the Word... A Mark on the Water. 60 We also consist of 80% water. Plykin finds special informational properties in water, which form the basis of live organisms and matter. They also form a part of the informational system of global order in the universe. In this context, it is the basis of harmony in life, the lack of understanding of which has resulted in a crisis in modern science, ecology, energy, and spirituality.

What could be more valuable than water, soil, or air? Their value is life itself! For now, 'live' water continues to flow from the Dnipro, although its vivifying properties are on the verge of depletion. The community as a whole must assist in the rehabilitation of the Dnipro waters. And not just the waters, but the entire basin ecosystem. Only great aims awake the Great Spirit. Harmonising the vital forces of the Dnipro and the peoples that inhabit it is a great spiritual and ecological goal. It will awaken and lift the human spirit to such an elevated state that humankind will become incapable of causing harm to itself or nature. We will come to understand that we are part of a live organism, whose name is nature or universe. We will fulfil our biblical predestination: "The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it." (Genesis 2:15)

Interestingly enough, great scientists throughout the ages have seen the divine laws of harmony in all phenomena of nature. Arthur Compton, physicist and Nobel Prize laureate, wrote the following:

For me, faith begins from the notion, that a higher intelligence had called the Universe into existence and created man. It is not difficult for me to have this faith since it is incontestable that where there is order there is reason. Order of the Universe is a testimony to the truth of the most magnificent assertion: 'At the beginning there was God'. (cited in 44)

Sincere faith does not reveal itself in the Pharisaic observance of rituals and rites, but in the way humans perceive their fellow human beings and nature, the way in which we adhere to divine and natural laws in everyday life. These laws teach harmony, namely love, moderation, order, spirituality, respect, and self-restraint, all which guarantee safety to us, family, ethnos, and society within the bounds of natural landscapes and habitat.

The thousand year history of the harmonious coexistence of eastern civilisations and nature (India, Tibet, Thailand), as well as the thousand year history of relations between the Indo-European and Slavonic cultures, reassures us of the rightly chosen goal of rehabilitating the Dnipro basin. The shutdown of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, the establishment of a Trypillian culture centre in Cherkasy Oblast, and the establishment of an Association of the Dnipro Basin Cities in Russia, are a good start and a first practical step in the right direction.

A school of new ecological thought has already been formed in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Its mission addresses the most diverse aspects of the entire problem of the interdependence of people and nature and the harmonious development of their coexistence. The issue now is for this school to gain recognition at both the national and international levels.

The objective of this work is to demonstrate the possibility of an alternative approach to social development on the basis of wholeness and the unity of vital forces of people, society, and the Dnipro environment and to awaken consciousness and a sense of responsibility, as well as natural wisdom, en-wrapped in life's misfortunes.

We hope that our sometimes sombre and sorrowful reflections will awaken the desire to find and define our place in nature and to recognise the lack of other alternatives as a way out of the present impasse into which we have driven ourselves, bewitched by our ephemeral powers over nature. We have teachers to learn from, people who continue to live in harmony with nature today, namely the eastern philosophy of life. We have our forebears who deified the forces of nature and the forces of the spirit. Yet, shall we have enough time and patience for another lesson? 'Dead' water (deuterium) has already played a fatal role for the peoples of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. We believe that the deadly effects of the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown evoked a reaction from the UN in 1992, as seen by the convening of the Rio Conference. The Chernobyl catastrophe stirred the consciousness of the world. It inspired the hearts and souls of the peoples of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia with a burning pain. It placed critical and pressing problems and the reality of failed political measures at the forefront. Our system of values must change. A basin model for the harmonisation of life must be created; a model intergovernmental action plan for the 21st century based on a new philosophy of life for the peoples of the Dnipro basin must be established.

Good which comes from water
benefits all creatures, and
never contests with them

"Anthology of Thought"
Tao: Harmony of Universe

Document(s) 2 of 10