Gary Reusche- Communities of the Future, Spiritual Insights from Rural Living

Communities for the future... a network of communities taking action for a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable world. What could the rural communities of the future look like? Perhaps social and digital “smart villages”?
"As the twenty-first century unfolds, it is becoming more and more evident that the major problems of our time - energy, the environment, climate change, food security, financial security - cannot be understood in isolation. They are systemic problems, which means that they are all interconnected and interdependent…" We have "a perception of reality inadequate for dealing with our overpopulated, globally interconnected world." (Capra, Fritjof)
We live in increasingly uncertain times. For many, this is a source of fear; for others, it is a source of inspiration. Our group observes, undertakes research, and discusses agricultural issues and the future. But agriculture is much more than just growing crops. The example of ‘Abdu’l-Baha when he created and taught the community of ‘Adasiyyah has inspired many of us. I call it a “cooperative”. Cooperatives involve individuals in communities that work together.
The global temperature has already risen 1.24 °C (2.24 °F) above the pre-industrial level, with glaciers melting and the sea level rising. The impacts of climate change also include flooding and drought, displacing millions of people, sinking them into poverty and hunger, denying them access to basic services, such as health and education, expanding inequalities, stifling economic growth and even causing conflict. By 2030, an estimated 700 million people will be at risk of displacement by drought alone. And what happens after 2030 the temperature continues to increase?
Spiritual insights from rural living... Studying and observing the changes that are taking place on the planet are important, and understanding the various factors that interact can cause changes that we might have never expected. But, at the community level, the members of the community-- families, children, and individuals working together-- can establish positive relationships in the community that can promote a spiritual life.
Communities need a food system that is sustainable, non-exploitative, and provides for the entirety of the population. Moving forward during the next 2-3 decades will involve a constant re-evaluation of methods and approaches, a focus on building consensus among an ever-widening circle of stakeholders to ensure that a sustainable food system bears fruit. The changes we have witnessed during our lifetimes might pale in comparison to those which lie before us.
Gary Reusche has worked in agricultural development around the world since 1975, from the Caribbean to Africa, continuing to South Asia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, and then Ukraine. He has a Ph.D. from 2 American Universities , and an MBA from the Netherlands which combined technical aspects of agriculture with business requirements, and managing rural communities. He has lived in Ukraine for 20 years now and has managed different projects including credit cooperatives, agricultural finance, and agricultural insurance.
As faculty at the Wilmette Institute his courses include agriculture, transformation of global culture and agriculture, and most recently a new course on consultation for businesses. His passion is to correlate Bahá’í social principles with current realities in the world and to work for a sustainable future in a united world. As a social activist, he lives on a small farm and runs a residential vacation school for groups of children, youth, and adults striving to build a culture based on universal spiritual principles.
Additional Reading:
Earth For All- A Survival Guide for Humanity- A Report to the Club of Rome
www.clubofrome...