This doesn't sound like a cult. Cults separate you from your friends and people you care about. They keep you from the truth, this community is the exact opposite.
The artist always sees the flaws. It's a good reminder of how we see the world judging us. We see all our flaws and little things, but everyone else sees someone nicely put together and lovely.
Our wedding photographer decided that the pictures she took weren't good enough and deleted them all. She couldn't understand our rage because she gave us our money back, so there's no harm...
It seems to me that the real test of Awra Amba will come when Zumra Nuru dies. If his faith system can perpetuate itself without his presence, then it will have the chance of perpetuating the positive things its done for that community.
My thoughts exactly. Seems he is a man who decided to use his skills as a charismatic leader not to justimprove his own wealth but to 'trick' people to create a more progresses societal model. But his biggest challenge will likely be to establish these principals within 1lifetime so that after he is gone the society doesn't have to rely on his successor doing the same.
His best bet would to be to disperse power amongst all his disciples so that the ideals of equity and education or perpetuated and cannot be manipulated by any one individual in power. Depending on how popular he becomes he may also start a new religion. Death frequently makes dieties out of those who have a following.
@@samanthaburns6956 Questionable though if the coherence of a communty built on charismatic leadership can be sustained without a charismatic leader. In that case he would need to take power away from himself in advance of his death so people start believing mor ein his cause and less in him.
I think the real challenge would be not falling to corruption afterwards. Considering its already a cult in name if not practice it would be easy to slip into the classic model of one.
Lol lol that isn't happening in my own glorious country at this very moment. I was more focused on these peoples willingness to set their own cultural an religious differences aside and live together under the ideals of acceptance and tolerance. No doubt there is some corruption of the leadership, as is the case pretty much everywhere, but at least they have the right idea
UA-cam demonetizing this shows the shortcoming of their algorithm, a real person having watched this would have looked past the stigma of the world cult at the positive underlying story of hope and rebellion against the norm. This is what UA-cam is made for!
@@RareEarthSeries Oh, didn't know that. Too bad youtube thought this was not deemed fit for monetization. Even sadder is that the word "cult" and some AI probably played a role in this
They usually do when the first line is different most youtubers just post everything in a template and the middle parts get changed so nobody notices it but here the first part is always different and you can see that even without clicking "show more"
“Somehow, this community has unlocked the secret to success.” Secular, egalitarian society based on investing in education… huh, I wonder how they did it? Seriously though, if you’re not always fighting, or denying some members access to productive lives, there is so much more than can be accomplished.
yeah they are just being normal non political? religious and focus on being skeptical, doesn't seem like a cult to me, but the religious cult people call it one, haha
@@buddymoore6504 "yeah they are just being normal non political?" - literally the opposite. They did away with a lot of the status quo, that's deeply political.
They did it by not forcing it on people who didn't want it, as much as they think it's in the best interest of those people. They don't have to focus resources or manpower on forcing people to live their way, so they can focus them elsewhere.
Sometimes, people are so comfortable with what is, that they refuse to see what can be. The relationship between this commune, cult, whatever you want to call it, and it's neighbors is a great example of that.
... or another way to put it.... Sitting in a pile of shit can become comfortable because it's warm and smells familiar... until we are removed from said pile of shit can we say to ourselves, " OMG I was sitting in a pile of shit.! "
I truly hope that this ideology spreads through the rest of the region, through the country, and across the continent. Religious conflicts are archaic, and only enrich those at the top of the pyramid, while sacrificing the people for the contents of their wallets and the fruits of their labor. It warms my heart though, to see these people thriving in the face of the opposition surrounding them from all sides. Sincerely wishing the best for these wonderful people
You did an amazing job with only 20% of the footage shot. It reminds me of the (probably) apocryphal story of how J.S. Bach ran into money troubles and ended up selling some of the pipes from his personal organ for metal scrap. According to the story, he just composed around the missing notes using what remained. I'm sorry for your troubles, but you really pulled this one together. Your "chops" are getting better and better! As for the cult (or whatever it is), your description of the founder's ideas reminds me of this speech from, of all things, Dr. Who :-) "Winning? Is that what you think it's about? I'm not trying to win. I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, or because I hate someone, or because I want to blame someone. It's not because it's fun. God knows it's not because it's easy. It's not even because it works because it hardly ever does.. I DO WHAT I DO BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT! Because it's decent! And above all, it's kind! It's just that.. Just kind. " Funny how that kind of sentiment is automatically suspicious to people. Funny and...sad.
Good evidence that the best way for us to prosper is to work collectively to remove systems of oppression and build a society based on the common interest rather than personal profit.
The bigger the scale, the harder it is to maintain common interest, you get too many people what things opposite of others and than you get arguments and splits. So yeah, great for them that they could get themselves going like this. I’m Christian, would probably like it better if there was Christianity but hey don’t seem to be as bad as what we got here in the states.
The towns around Awra Amba seem more cult like than Awra Amba. Attacking them because they don't have a church or for working on religious holidays is much more cult like than getting an education. If I was rare earth Id have come down harder on their neighbors than Awra Amba itself.
@@RareEarthSeries I think that is painting with a extremely broad brush. From the information you gave us they meet hardly any of the requirements to be considered a cult. On top of that they are not even doing anything wrong, but you calling them a "dirty stinking cult and I don't like it" (paraphrasing). It seems like a bias based on the cults that typically come out of north america that are sick and destructive. Awra Amba from the information you provided doesn't come across and sick and destructive. That is why I disagree with your video :)
@@Sirmenonottwo You've paraphrased me incorrectly. If that's what you think this video said, I'd recommend watching it again. Cultism isn't by definition sick and destructive. But the environment it offers is a fertile breeding ground for sickness and destruction. It has nothing to do with me being Western. That's universal. The video isn't saying they're sick. It's saying this is what a cult looks like. Whether the soil grows into the commonly understood seed, time will tell. I certainly hope not, as I say in the video.
@@RareEarthSeriesyou say you think Awra Amba is a cult and cults are breeding grounds for sickness and destruction, but then say in Awra Amba you didn't find any of that badness but then still end the video by calling it a cult. The video is full of contradictory statements. You say its a paradise and on track for success but still cynically distrust it even tho you found no reason to distrust it while you were there. Then you wish it the best despite considering it a cult. As for "it having nothing to with being western" , I don't know how you can say that considering you admitted at the beginning of the video that is was a cynical view. I think you should have examined your own biases in this video. There is something in you personalty that is informing your opinions on Awra Amba. You don't think it has anything to do with Jonestown or Charlie Manson or heavan's gate or Scientology or what have you? "The video isn't saying they're sick. It's saying this is what a cult looks like." I think the video does not come across this way. There are too many contradictory statements. Do you want us to hear the pro-cult parts or the anti-cult statements? You can't have it both ways because that is cognitive dissonance. Ive liked your videos in the past and have been subscribed for a while BUT this video is bad because you framed the topic so poorly. Ill paraphrase a typical video that you do well "here we are at a place, this is its history, how sad, how interesting, heres what some people think, what is the future? its uncertain." Today's video was not like other rare earth videos, it was biased and the message was unclear. Once again, I like your videos but I don't like this video.
@@Sirmenonottwo "You say that there is ripe soil and in ripe soil plants grow, but I don't see any plants. You're contradicting yourself saying there is a potential for a seed to be growing because that seed isn't visible yet." I didn't say they are evil. I said that they are set up as cults are, and have the capacity to turn in the way that cults are known to do. I specifically then state I hope that doesn't happen. Considering in this series I've already been to very similar utopian-style cults with incredibly dark secrets, it isn't hard to see why I am trying to see below the surface of what they show on tours. They don't need to have committed horrible acts to be in the same position as those who took advantage of the cultish behaviour negatively. Cultish behaviour isn't by definition bad. But the structure it builds allows for an easy switch into the horrors we all now associate with cultism. Cynical isn't Western. It is human. The people surrounding their community, all Ethiopian, are *far* more distrusting of them than I was. They are far more cynical about Awra Amba's goodness. Calling my view of their community 'Western' because it disagrees with you is in no way representative of reality. You've never been to this community. You've never met its people. You don't understand their god or their prophet, and have no relation to them. But you are certain I'm wrong in my assessment because it doesn't line up with yours. You then prescribe this as a fault of my racial/cultural bias, rather than your own. If that's how you need to see the story to be happy, I'm cool with that. But it wasn't the reality I saw when I was there.
"We must unite for our perfect dream, to resist our oppressive neighbours." Its easier for a community to accept the personal sacrifices for efficient rule, if they are convinced that their needs are less than that of the community. The easiest way to achieve that is to have a common enemy. Once "the oppression" is removed and the founder dies, then the *real* test of the community begins. I hope that Zumra Nuru's legacy will be successful and kind, (and if it is, it will be the first example.)
From what you said about it, this isn't a cult, it's missing quite a few things for it to be a cult. A cult separates itself from others as much as possible; prevents individual liberties and freedoms, instead valuing service to the cult above all else; and tries its best not to allow its members to leave.
The biggest problem tends to be getting resources to the right spot, my uncle has been involved for a while with aid that was intended for education of the native Papua population of New Guinea. Without having your own people handling it there (which depending on the situation may not even be allowed) expect to see more than half of the money intended to go to education to end up "lost somewhere" and I'm not including unavoidable overhead like paying staff and such in that. The amount of nepotism (putting family members in jobs regardless of qualifications), corruption (needed bribes, etc) and just racist bias towards the population they are meant to be helping sometimes sounded like it was maybe not even worth trying. Similar situations are probably happening all over the world with education initiatives. The best scenario I guess when it comes to education would be setting up schools while having some own staff on site and gradually transfer day to day business to the locals over time, but that's easier said than done.
I remember first hearing about this story. It is amazing how stupid the other villages and towns how they can't emulate that village to hope to achieve a similar standard that the village has. I just hope that his community doesn't decay when he passes. I could easily see people trying to wipe the community out when he is gone. I hope he has raised a successor.
THOSE PEOPLE THAT THREATEN THIS COMMUNITY BY HURTING THEM PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY ARE THOSE WHO HAVE RELIGIONS AND GODS. HOW IRONIC. THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS THEIR GODS HAVE TAUGHT THEM. WTF. Edit: I have seen the description. This video is so well done despite the odds. Great work! We appreciate it.
A cult is what you call a religion you do not approve of, a paradise ? Nope, they are attacked from time to time, that is not paradise & as someone else here observed their neighbors will probably destroy it all or murder everyone . This is the e gift of a wise man. It shows what we do not need to have a happy life.
"There are few things that set off more alarm bells in me than a splinter society with its own religion, its own laws, and its own way of being." That's how wars start.
honnestly thank you for your videos. You and your team are doing a great job with a fantastic style which is better than most TV documentarys. I love your videos!
As to what you all went through to make this video, you know you're onto something when the resistance you meet is pathological. And I genuinely couldn't tell any difference, likely, this turned out way better than the original for igniting your passion and requiring you all to bust your ass to make it happen. Thank you for seeing it through.
I didn't even know the video was cut short because of that guy, that shows you have great craftsmanship and know how to work with very little. Keep the videos coming, I love history.
I think that what people should arrive for is a perfect Utopia. What works for this community, and what I believe could work for others is the ability to address hardships and struggles head on, as a community, always evolving to be better.
I'd say it was about 80% as good as usual. Pareto strikes again! ^^ Tbh though, I doubt I'm alone in thinking that the textual content of these videos takes precedence over the quality of filming. I mean, you could make a video with just 2 sock puppets and I'd watch it through and through if the story is as good as it usually is (and as good as it was here). And yes, that does mean that I'm requesting a spin-off channel, "Puppet Earth", where you'd remake all your videos in sock puppet format. ^^
Ha! Elementary my dear Chris. They allowed women to be educated, work for pay, equality of tasks and minimising other ridiculous dogma. A great and hopeful clip. Well done mate. I think that others have also acknowledged that giving women education is the key.
I have tons of questions. How much authority is given to the cult's leader? If he's not the only authority figure, how do they select other authorities? If he is the only authority figure, what happens when he perishes? With their level of education, how many cult members choose to move to other communities? Do you know if the cult's leader has multiple female sexual partners? (very common in cults.) What are their sexual ethics like in general? How are needs like health care and childcare taken care of? How much time does the average person work per day/week? Are they at all armed for the possibility of even more serious hostility from outsiders? How has the growth of their community affected their life? How do they deal with disputes within the cult? Do they avoid involving outside authority? Are individuals within the cult allowed to practice their own religion? What are the boundaries? There's lots of others I could ask. Religions and cults fascinate me. I get that you lost most of the footage on account of your cameraman so you might have had some answers. Cheers.
My goodness! That Ethiopian girl who was acting as your translator is GORGEOUS! But I haven't seen many Ethiopians who aren't tall, willowy and gorgeous, both men and women. Ethiopia is the only African country that was never colonized by Europeans, and they remained in control of their own country. The foods that Ethiopians eat today are much more what nearly all Africans ate before being colonized and having their food turned into African-European fusion cuisine, even though they really had no say in what foods the colonizing Europeans handed out. I really enjoyed this video, and I can really get behind a "cult" that worships education rather than a handful of imaginary gods and prophets. And their various preachers who preach intolerance, hate and violence against anyone who doesn't believe exactly as they believe.
We were the first tour she ever gave. She was very nervous, especially since we were brought before Zumra in her presence. Yet, she did great. I was incredibly impressed with her ability to articulate the collective's mission while avoiding the areas that would clearly cause concern. She was very obviously intelligent and thoughful. We all really liked her.
I want to give you credit for pulling this together, I didn't notice the dip in quality because your monologue was so well thought out. This was one of my favorite episodes in a long while.
i think that what defines a cult is that you can't leave, it's not clear whether that's the case here or not. also this video was great even though the footage was lost. keep it up man.
It is generally that you can leave, but there is intense pressure not to. My wife left scientology, for example. But I would still define it as a cult.
@@RareEarthSeries yeah, definitely. i didn't mean to imply that it's impossible to leave but rather that there are mechanisms to dissuade you or even prevent you from doing so. i'm glad to hear about your wife! thanks again for the great video as usual.
Sounds a bit like "North Korea done right". Or, stated differently, a society based around humanist / secular humanist ideas that managed to not fall apart because of squabbles about the small details or because somebody tried to dominate it for their personal gain or goals. A truly rare thing, unfortunately.
Great episode. A viewer wouldn't even realise that you had to stitch it together from remaining footage. Don't be so hard on yourself! You made a great video despite the difficulties and it was a story worth telling, too
New subscriber... I've watched several videos and they are done well. Just wanted to say keep up the great work. Don't short change your research, or attempts to view topics from both sides, this will keep you above other channels that have fallen short over time. Great job
It doesn't sound like a cult, there doesn't seem to be any isolation or control going on. Just looks like some people deciding to do better for themselves and each other. Looks pretty nice there. We could all benefit from such a commune.
For once I have watery eyes, it's beautiful what a few like-minded individuals initiated by a single man with a different view of the world and resolve by the future can accomplishing something so incredibly in terms of society. I really loved this episode of Rare Earth you deserve all my appraisals. Thank you for the video.
Sorry To hear about the unhelpful person you hired to film, I do agree the visuals were a little less than you normally put out, BUT, the story is what I come for and that was told (as per normal) with finesse and rich detail. Hope you can put this "experience" in your back pocket, learn from it, and keep making better and better journalism/docs, I'm loving them!
All it takes is to treat everyone fairly/equally and you'd be amazed how much better a society can become. Equality isn't just a matter of morality or whatever. It actually benefits everyone.
As a Muslim I find this video fascinating as an example of a celebration of humanity and what it can possibly achieve without the organised religion aspect of it...the message has always been more important then the messenger. Thankyou Rare earth.
Could this be a formula for developing a truly African modernity? It's not forcing absurd standards from top down, it's a roadmap for a gentle, rewarding transition from tribal society to dealing with the modern world on an equal footing.
I have a tremendous respect and admiration for what you do. Your work entertains, educates and provoke critical thinking. I am terribly sorry for the footages that were lost but like many I would not have know unless I read your description, it just shows the how amazing the quality of your work. please keep the good work going and I hope to meet you and work with you one day. Dennis tan
I am absolutely awestruck, I am sorry you had to deal with such a situation. If its worth it the video quality was only slightly lower and I didnt mind a slightly shorter episode. Overall, great work guys! This one really gave me a mind rager.
This is amazing. Things we take for granted in our land is seen as messiac in this land. It makes you realize how fortunate we are. Also it is a shame that guy threw away the footage.
Top video as usual. Sorry for the struggle you went through whilst filming. But the important thing is to know about this place. Why can’t all the world be like this?
He was logical and intelligent in a society that was uneducated and didn't appreciate the development of intellect. But more than anything else, he acted on it. And people were impressed by it, because it was unlike anything they'd ever seen before, despite it being the course of all progressive societies, even if it was a bastian in an a conservative, traditional society.
Don’t worry about the footage man. It was great like always as far as I could tell. (I mean I mostly focus on what you’re saying rather than pay too much attention to footage
This is the community that i have always wondered what the world could be like. Honestly I would love to join that community. I have always been told world peace is unattainable and that we can't work for the good of everyone. We can attain Awar Amba. We can have world peace.
Doing so well cause its faith is focused on bettering the the people not holding up a god who may or may not exist to such high praise then demonizing those who don't follow their faith/beliefs with zealous discrimination and hate, religion does not trump their laws and nor is anyone allowed to thrust their beliefs on them, a truly inspiring people. Even with only 20% of the footage this video is great.
Your video's are amazing and an inspiration for me as a starting videographer and storyteller. Im sorry to hear you had to go through all that trouble with your old videographer. It's disgusting that someone would do such things! Stil looking for a new camera operator? ;)
To me, what defines a cult is whether or not they let you leave, or if they apply abusive tactics to discourage it (like stopping you from talking to people still part of the cult).
Join the cult of Rare Earth: www.patreon.com/rareearth
I'm not someone that's easily persuaded into joining cults... But this looks like one that I could get on board with!!!
considering the circumstances this video was killer man good job.
Proud & highly Satisfied member 👏
This doesn't sound like a cult. Cults separate you from your friends and people you care about. They keep you from the truth, this community is the exact opposite.
@@commodoresixfour7478 I'm not as certain as you that Zumra being a prophet of the one true God is the truth.
looking at the description... I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I couldn’t tell that it was bad though
The artist always sees the flaws. It's a good reminder of how we see the world judging us. We see all our flaws and little things, but everyone else sees someone nicely put together and lovely.
The cameraman probably got drunk from tej.
Our wedding photographer decided that the pictures she took weren't good enough and deleted them all.
She couldn't understand our rage because she gave us our money back, so there's no harm...
@@Animaniac-vd5st I would have taken her to court. I'm so sorry that happened.
only the last is really bad, all the others are better, nearly very good.
It seems to me that the real test of Awra Amba will come when Zumra Nuru dies. If his faith system can perpetuate itself without his presence, then it will have the chance of perpetuating the positive things its done for that community.
My thoughts exactly. Seems he is a man who decided to use his skills as a charismatic leader not to justimprove his own wealth but to 'trick' people to create a more progresses societal model. But his biggest challenge will likely be to establish these principals within 1lifetime so that after he is gone the society doesn't have to rely on his successor doing the same.
Not possible
His best bet would to be to disperse power amongst all his disciples so that the ideals of equity and education or perpetuated and cannot be manipulated by any one individual in power.
Depending on how popular he becomes he may also start a new religion. Death frequently makes dieties out of those who have a following.
@@samanthaburns6956 Questionable though if the coherence of a communty built on charismatic leadership can be sustained without a charismatic leader. In that case he would need to take power away from himself in advance of his death so people start believing mor ein his cause and less in him.
I think the real challenge would be not falling to corruption afterwards. Considering its already a cult in name if not
practice it would be easy to slip into the classic model of one.
This is a fantastic video despite the... production difficulties. And the story still came across, which matters a lot more.
EXACTLY! One of the best I felt. Afterwards I read the description & was amazed that it got made at all. Editing GENIUS!!!!!!!
"But as Twitter had not been invented yet, he decided to actually do something."
BURRN
Best line I've heard in a while.
I enjoyed that line perhaps too much
That line made me mad, I'm gonna rant on twitter about it
#DoingSomething
Thoughts and prayers.
The story of how this video itself got made seems to me like a topic for a video itself. What the hell happened?
I second the question, and move for it to be addressed.
It's in the description.
He released a video on it. Pretty shocking...
@@rangergxi it didn't contain enough details.
@@GGReyes-oc3kp more details. I need a play by play.
It kinda sounds like it’s really everyone else who is in a cult.
Very good observation
Organized Religion = Cult
I mean, most religions are just better financed cults
Can't spell "culture" without "cult"!
@@jessstuart7495 ha, at this point any organization can be considered a cult
I have to say that honestly helped reaffirm my faith in humanity a little... Thanks man your videos are unparalleled
Nick Abrams Until you find out that there was the theft of community funds by the communal leaders for their selfish pleasures and vices. 😐😐😐😐
@@John77Doe do you have any information on that? I would like to read about it.
Lol lol that isn't happening in my own glorious country at this very moment. I was more focused on these peoples willingness to set their own cultural an religious differences aside and live together under the ideals of acceptance and tolerance. No doubt there is some corruption of the leadership, as is the case pretty much everywhere, but at least they have the right idea
@@nickabrams2016 ideas are incredibly easy to come by, no one acts on them
You: Reaffirms my faith in humanity
Religion: Hold my beer....
Fun Fact: "Awra Amba" means "Top of the Hill" in Amharan.
The idea of a "city on a hill" to be a shining example to all others is more than apparent.
Xarlyle0 Bible quote
UA-cam demonetizing this shows the shortcoming of their algorithm, a real person having watched this would have looked past the stigma of the world cult at the positive underlying story of hope and rebellion against the norm. This is what UA-cam is made for!
I thought Evan purposefully didn't monetise any of the Rare Earth videos. Might be remembering somethi g wrong here...
@@pedroff_1 I monetize now, and for some reason this of all my videos is the one UA-cam decided wasn't agreeable.
@@RareEarthSeries Oh, didn't know that. Too bad youtube thought this was not deemed fit for monetization. Even sadder is that the word "cult" and some AI probably played a role in this
The irony being that real cults don't call themselves cults and so will get past the filter.
@@RareEarthSeries Might be Because you have the Word drunk in the description
Every religion has to have a hat. At least his is awesome silly.
I'm impressed that people actually read descriptions these days!
They usually do when the first line is different most youtubers just post everything in a template and the middle parts get changed so nobody notices it but here the first part is always different and you can see that even without clicking "show more"
This is the only channel I actually scroll down to read the comments so I knew to go read the description.
“Somehow, this community has unlocked the secret to success.” Secular, egalitarian society based on investing in education… huh, I wonder how they did it?
Seriously though, if you’re not always fighting, or denying some members access to productive lives, there is so much more than can be accomplished.
yeah they are just being normal non political? religious and focus on being skeptical, doesn't seem like a cult to me, but the religious cult people call it one, haha
@@buddymoore6504 "yeah they are just being normal non political?" - literally the opposite. They did away with a lot of the status quo, that's deeply political.
They did it by not forcing it on people who didn't want it, as much as they think it's in the best interest of those people. They don't have to focus resources or manpower on forcing people to live their way, so they can focus them elsewhere.
I was too immersed in the story to notice any differences in the production. It's a great episode, as always.
your script writing is so good that I can just play the video while I drive and listen only and it's like listening to an audiobook. really good
Sometimes, people are so comfortable with what is, that they refuse to see what can be. The relationship between this commune, cult, whatever you want to call it, and it's neighbors is a great example of that.
Agreed!!
... or another way to put it....
Sitting in a pile of shit can become comfortable because it's warm and smells familiar... until we are removed from said pile of shit can we say to ourselves, " OMG I was sitting in a pile of shit.! "
I truly hope that this ideology spreads through the rest of the region, through the country, and across the continent. Religious conflicts are archaic, and only enrich those at the top of the pyramid, while sacrificing the people for the contents of their wallets and the fruits of their labor.
It warms my heart though, to see these people thriving in the face of the opposition surrounding them from all sides.
Sincerely wishing the best for these wonderful people
You did an amazing job with only 20% of the footage shot.
It reminds me of the (probably) apocryphal story of how J.S. Bach ran into money troubles and ended up selling some of the pipes from his personal organ for metal scrap.
According to the story, he just composed around the missing notes using what remained.
I'm sorry for your troubles, but you really pulled this one together. Your "chops" are getting better and better!
As for the cult (or whatever it is), your description of the founder's ideas reminds me of this speech from, of all things, Dr. Who :-)
"Winning? Is that what you think it's about? I'm not trying to win. I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, or because I hate someone, or because I want to blame someone. It's not because it's fun. God knows it's not because it's easy. It's not even because it works because it hardly ever does.. I DO WHAT I DO BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT! Because it's decent! And above all, it's kind! It's just that.. Just kind. "
Funny how that kind of sentiment is automatically suspicious to people. Funny and...sad.
Good evidence that the best way for us to prosper is to work collectively to remove systems of oppression and build a society based on the common interest rather than personal profit.
Pecu Alex “USA is an example of that in theory” sorry what?!
@Pecu Alex the USA is definitely not a good example of this. It's probably on too big a scale to do this effectively
The bigger the scale, the harder it is to maintain common interest, you get too many people what things opposite of others and than you get arguments and splits. So yeah, great for them that they could get themselves going like this. I’m Christian, would probably like it better if there was Christianity but hey don’t seem to be as bad as what we got here in the states.
The towns around Awra Amba seem more cult like than Awra Amba. Attacking them because they don't have a church or for working on religious holidays is much more cult like than getting an education. If I was rare earth Id have come down harder on their neighbors than Awra Amba itself.
A cult that everyone agrees with is a culture. I come down hard on them in other videos. :)
@@RareEarthSeries I think that is painting with a extremely broad brush.
From the information you gave us they meet hardly any of the requirements to be considered a cult. On top of that they are not even doing anything wrong, but you calling them a "dirty stinking cult and I don't like it" (paraphrasing). It seems like a bias based on the cults that typically come out of north america that are sick and destructive. Awra Amba from the information you provided doesn't come across and sick and destructive.
That is why I disagree with your video :)
@@Sirmenonottwo You've paraphrased me incorrectly. If that's what you think this video said, I'd recommend watching it again.
Cultism isn't by definition sick and destructive. But the environment it offers is a fertile breeding ground for sickness and destruction. It has nothing to do with me being Western. That's universal.
The video isn't saying they're sick. It's saying this is what a cult looks like. Whether the soil grows into the commonly understood seed, time will tell. I certainly hope not, as I say in the video.
@@RareEarthSeriesyou say you think Awra Amba is a cult and cults are breeding grounds for sickness and destruction, but then say in Awra Amba you didn't find any of that badness but then still end the video by calling it a cult. The video is full of contradictory statements. You say its a paradise and on track for success but still cynically distrust it even tho you found no reason to distrust it while you were there. Then you wish it the best despite considering it a cult.
As for "it having nothing to with being western" , I don't know how you can say that considering you admitted at the beginning of the video that is was a cynical view. I think you should have examined your own biases in this video. There is something in you personalty that is informing your opinions on Awra Amba. You don't think it has anything to do with Jonestown or Charlie Manson or heavan's gate or Scientology or what have you?
"The video isn't saying they're sick. It's saying this is what a cult looks like." I think the video does not come across this way. There are too many contradictory statements. Do you want us to hear the pro-cult parts or the anti-cult statements? You can't have it both ways because that is cognitive dissonance.
Ive liked your videos in the past and have been subscribed for a while BUT this video is bad because you framed the topic so poorly. Ill paraphrase a typical video that you do well "here we are at a place, this is its history, how sad, how interesting, heres what some people think, what is the future? its uncertain." Today's video was not like other rare earth videos, it was biased and the message was unclear. Once again, I like your videos but I don't like this video.
@@Sirmenonottwo "You say that there is ripe soil and in ripe soil plants grow, but I don't see any plants. You're contradicting yourself saying there is a potential for a seed to be growing because that seed isn't visible yet."
I didn't say they are evil. I said that they are set up as cults are, and have the capacity to turn in the way that cults are known to do. I specifically then state I hope that doesn't happen. Considering in this series I've already been to very similar utopian-style cults with incredibly dark secrets, it isn't hard to see why I am trying to see below the surface of what they show on tours. They don't need to have committed horrible acts to be in the same position as those who took advantage of the cultish behaviour negatively. Cultish behaviour isn't by definition bad. But the structure it builds allows for an easy switch into the horrors we all now associate with cultism.
Cynical isn't Western. It is human. The people surrounding their community, all Ethiopian, are *far* more distrusting of them than I was. They are far more cynical about Awra Amba's goodness. Calling my view of their community 'Western' because it disagrees with you is in no way representative of reality.
You've never been to this community. You've never met its people. You don't understand their god or their prophet, and have no relation to them. But you are certain I'm wrong in my assessment because it doesn't line up with yours. You then prescribe this as a fault of my racial/cultural bias, rather than your own.
If that's how you need to see the story to be happy, I'm cool with that. But it wasn't the reality I saw when I was there.
they're so perfect that all of their problems come from their neighbors
"We must unite for our perfect dream, to resist our oppressive neighbours." Its easier for a community to accept the personal sacrifices for efficient rule, if they are convinced that their needs are less than that of the community. The easiest way to achieve that is to have a common enemy. Once "the oppression" is removed and the founder dies, then the *real* test of the community begins. I hope that Zumra Nuru's legacy will be successful and kind, (and if it is, it will be the first example.)
I think it's a collective of like minded people who are setting a great example of how a society can function. I hope they flourish
As twitter wasn't invented yet, he decided to do something.
Wow, this hit too close
He didn't let twitter stop him.
From what you said about it, this isn't a cult, it's missing quite a few things for it to be a cult. A cult separates itself from others as much as possible; prevents individual liberties and freedoms, instead valuing service to the cult above all else; and tries its best not to allow its members to leave.
B.I.T.E. me 😀
A cult is merely a burgeoning religion.
We need to do the same thing everywhere, not just impoverished places
I'm so glad you guys went ahead & produced this video in spite of difficulties. I love it. 🌟
I wish my community was half as progressive as Awra Amba.
I'm sorry about the cameraman, thank you so much for working so hard to provide such amazing content.
All the monetary and material aid given to poor countries is worth little compared to good education.
They need to come together though, material aid to relieve the kids duties and then education which they can spend their free time with.
The biggest problem tends to be getting resources to the right spot, my uncle has been involved for a while with aid that was intended for education of the native Papua population of New Guinea. Without having your own people handling it there (which depending on the situation may not even be allowed) expect to see more than half of the money intended to go to education to end up "lost somewhere" and I'm not including unavoidable overhead like paying staff and such in that. The amount of nepotism (putting family members in jobs regardless of qualifications), corruption (needed bribes, etc) and just racist bias towards the population they are meant to be helping sometimes sounded like it was maybe not even worth trying.
Similar situations are probably happening all over the world with education initiatives. The best scenario I guess when it comes to education would be setting up schools while having some own staff on site and gradually transfer day to day business to the locals over time, but that's easier said than done.
I remember first hearing about this story. It is amazing how stupid the other villages and towns how they can't emulate that village to hope to achieve a similar standard that the village has. I just hope that his community doesn't decay when he passes. I could easily see people trying to wipe the community out when he is gone. I hope he has raised a successor.
THOSE PEOPLE THAT THREATEN THIS COMMUNITY BY HURTING THEM PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY ARE THOSE WHO HAVE RELIGIONS AND GODS. HOW IRONIC. THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS THEIR GODS HAVE TAUGHT THEM. WTF.
Edit: I have seen the description. This video is so well done despite the odds. Great work! We appreciate it.
I wish those people all the best of luck. I don't think it fits the definition of a cult or of a paradise but the positivity of it is wonderful!
A cult is what you call a religion you do not approve of, a paradise ? Nope, they are attacked from time to time, that is not paradise & as someone else here observed their neighbors will probably destroy it all or murder everyone .
This is the e gift of a wise man. It shows what we do not need to have a happy life.
A cult is a small/burgeoning religion.
"There are few things that set off more alarm bells in me than a splinter society with its own religion, its own laws, and its own way of being." That's how wars start.
honnestly thank you for your videos. You and your team are doing a great job with a fantastic style which is better than most TV documentarys. I love your videos!
I appreciate you posting this video despite all the filming issues! This was such an interesting story and town!
As to what you all went through to make this video, you know you're onto something when the resistance you meet is pathological. And I genuinely couldn't tell any difference, likely, this turned out way better than the original for igniting your passion and requiring you all to bust your ass to make it happen. Thank you for seeing it through.
That's the quality content I was waiting for, well done Hadley.
Love the random confused locals walking around,
I didn't even know the video was cut short because of that guy, that shows you have great craftsmanship and know how to work with very little. Keep the videos coming, I love history.
thank you so much. i loved this episode. its a great look at another world that comes off as just positive and hopeful.
I thought this was a normal episode until the description. Shows how good of a story teller you are.
Really glad you were able and willing to complete this episode despite the 'setback'. Keep up the awesome work.
Communes don't last for long for the very reasons you mentioned: their neighbors' violence and religious cults.
Thanks for sharing the story despite the production issues. This is worth seeing and knowing about
The funny thing is, that pretty much just sounds like he forcefully modeled himself a town similar to a first world country.
Could you do a video on the Ethiopian battalion that fought in the korean war?
I think that what people should arrive for is a perfect Utopia. What works for this community, and what I believe could work for others is the ability to address hardships and struggles head on, as a community, always evolving to be better.
I'd say it was about 80% as good as usual. Pareto strikes again! ^^
Tbh though, I doubt I'm alone in thinking that the textual content of these videos takes precedence over the quality of filming. I mean, you could make a video with just 2 sock puppets and I'd watch it through and through if the story is as good as it usually is (and as good as it was here). And yes, that does mean that I'm requesting a spin-off channel, "Puppet Earth", where you'd remake all your videos in sock puppet format. ^^
Ha! Elementary my dear Chris. They allowed women to be educated, work for pay, equality of tasks and minimising other ridiculous dogma. A great and hopeful clip. Well done mate. I think that others have also acknowledged that giving women education is the key.
I'm really glad you guys were able to make the video work still. These tales must be told.
I have tons of questions.
How much authority is given to the cult's leader?
If he's not the only authority figure, how do they select other authorities?
If he is the only authority figure, what happens when he perishes?
With their level of education, how many cult members choose to move to other communities?
Do you know if the cult's leader has multiple female sexual partners? (very common in cults.)
What are their sexual ethics like in general?
How are needs like health care and childcare taken care of?
How much time does the average person work per day/week?
Are they at all armed for the possibility of even more serious hostility from outsiders?
How has the growth of their community affected their life?
How do they deal with disputes within the cult? Do they avoid involving outside authority?
Are individuals within the cult allowed to practice their own religion? What are the boundaries?
There's lots of others I could ask. Religions and cults fascinate me. I get that you lost most of the footage on account of your cameraman so you might have had some answers. Cheers.
My goodness! That Ethiopian girl who was acting as your translator is GORGEOUS! But I haven't seen many Ethiopians who aren't tall, willowy and gorgeous, both men and women. Ethiopia is the only African country that was never colonized by Europeans, and they remained in control of their own country. The foods that Ethiopians eat today are much more what nearly all Africans ate before being colonized and having their food turned into African-European fusion cuisine, even though they really had no say in what foods the colonizing Europeans handed out. I really enjoyed this video, and I can really get behind a "cult" that worships education rather than a handful of imaginary gods and prophets. And their various preachers who preach intolerance, hate and violence against anyone who doesn't believe exactly as they believe.
We were the first tour she ever gave. She was very nervous, especially since we were brought before Zumra in her presence.
Yet, she did great. I was incredibly impressed with her ability to articulate the collective's mission while avoiding the areas that would clearly cause concern. She was very obviously intelligent and thoughful. We all really liked her.
You guys write and shoot so well, your paste-togethers are as good or better than most big-team productions.
I want to give you credit for pulling this together, I didn't notice the dip in quality because your monologue was so well thought out. This was one of my favorite episodes in a long while.
i think that what defines a cult is that you can't leave, it's not clear whether that's the case here or not.
also this video was great even though the footage was lost. keep it up man.
It is generally that you can leave, but there is intense pressure not to. My wife left scientology, for example. But I would still define it as a cult.
@@RareEarthSeries yeah, definitely. i didn't mean to imply that it's impossible to leave but rather that there are mechanisms to dissuade you or even prevent you from doing so. i'm glad to hear about your wife! thanks again for the great video as usual.
Another great episode, the quality of your series is really exceptional. Your scripts are really well written too.
Coexistence is beautiful and pure.
Sounds a bit like "North Korea done right". Or, stated differently, a society based around humanist / secular humanist ideas that managed to not fall apart because of squabbles about the small details or because somebody tried to dominate it for their personal gain or goals. A truly rare thing, unfortunately.
It worked because it's small.
@@unfetteredparacosmian Probably. Unfortunately.
...and they treat women as *equals*
If they grow too big, it will crumble. It might just fail. I hope it does not though
Great episode. A viewer wouldn't even realise that you had to stitch it together from remaining footage. Don't be so hard on yourself! You made a great video despite the difficulties and it was a story worth telling, too
New subscriber... I've watched several videos and they are done well. Just wanted to say keep up the great work. Don't short change your research, or attempts to view topics from both sides, this will keep you above other channels that have fallen short over time. Great job
Best pet of this video is when there are shots of the main guy talking...all the people behind and next to him wondering what’s going on haha
It doesn't sound like a cult, there doesn't seem to be any isolation or control going on. Just looks like some people deciding to do better for themselves and each other. Looks pretty nice there. We could all benefit from such a commune.
Why have I been binge watching these videos? I do enjoy them.
The way you started talking about them I somehow was reminded of Bokonon 👀
I honestly didn't realize this video was hard to produce until I saw the comments referencing it, good job on rescuing this story, I enjoyed it
This village is the Gift of Wisdom.
For once I have watery eyes, it's beautiful what a few like-minded individuals initiated by a single man with a different view of the world and resolve by the future can accomplishing something so incredibly in terms of society.
I really loved this episode of Rare Earth you deserve all my appraisals. Thank you for the video.
Despite all the BS that you went through to get this vid done. The quality is pretty good and the content was great.
They live better off than their neighbors BECAUSE ironically they’re less cultish than their neighbors.
Very watchable regardless of how hard it was for you to put together. The story is inspiring and curious!
Shame only one episode on this, would love to have seen more from your perspective
That was a decent piece of journalism. Thank you. Interesting.
Sorry To hear about the unhelpful person you hired to film, I do agree the visuals were a little less than you normally put out, BUT, the story is what I come for and that was told (as per normal) with finesse and rich detail. Hope you can put this "experience" in your back pocket, learn from it, and keep making better and better journalism/docs, I'm loving them!
I only can imaging how the air is clear 24/7 from the disturbing sounds of the Church's and Mosque's.
All it takes is to treat everyone fairly/equally and you'd be amazed how much better a society can become. Equality isn't just a matter of morality or whatever. It actually benefits everyone.
As a Muslim I find this video fascinating as an example of a celebration of humanity and what it can possibly achieve without the organised religion aspect of it...the message has always been more important then the messenger. Thankyou Rare earth.
Truly wish these people the best. Sad that we couldn't have seen more.
Kind of poetic that a video about the half destroyed but resiliant people was half destroyed yet resiliant to attempts made on it.
Could this be a formula for developing a truly African modernity? It's not forcing absurd standards from top down, it's a roadmap for a gentle, rewarding transition from tribal society to dealing with the modern world on an equal footing.
What an amazing community. That's a very decent ideology.
I have a tremendous respect and admiration for what you do. Your work entertains, educates and provoke critical thinking. I am terribly sorry for the footages that were lost but like many I would not have know unless I read your description, it just shows the how amazing the quality of your work. please keep the good work going and I hope to meet you and work with you one day. Dennis tan
Great video yet again, I need to watch it a few more times to really understand the message, as per usual :)
Excellent video. Thanks for this, great job.
I am absolutely awestruck, I am sorry you had to deal with such a situation. If its worth it the video quality was only slightly lower and I didnt mind a slightly shorter episode. Overall, great work guys! This one really gave me a mind rager.
It's not a cult or paradise. It's a community.
This is amazing. Things we take for granted in our land is seen as messiac in this land. It makes you realize how fortunate we are. Also it is a shame that guy threw away the footage.
what a great video maybe one of your bests so far visuals dont matter the story does! and this is some great story you have here
I know it wasn't expected or pleasant BUT I think that the handycam feel of this episode goes well with its more intimate text
Top video as usual. Sorry for the struggle you went through whilst filming. But the important thing is to know about this place. Why can’t all the world be like this?
It's neither a cult nor a paradise. It's just an intentional community with an outward focus that it open to the world.
Despite setbacks its still a compelling story. Thank you.
Funny how peaceful and prosperous a society can be once religion is removed from it.
Or at the very least its influence of unsubstantiated dogma is diminished or relegated to secondary importance.
He was logical and intelligent in a society that was uneducated and didn't appreciate the development of intellect. But more than anything else, he acted on it. And people were impressed by it, because it was unlike anything they'd ever seen before, despite it being the course of all progressive societies, even if it was a bastian in an a conservative, traditional society.
Don’t worry about the footage man. It was great like always as far as I could tell. (I mean I mostly focus on what you’re saying rather than pay too much attention to footage
This is the community that i have always wondered what the world could be like. Honestly I would love to join that community. I have always been told world peace is unattainable and that we can't work for the good of everyone. We can attain Awar Amba. We can have world peace.
Doing so well cause its faith is focused on bettering the the people not holding up a god who may or may not exist to such high praise then demonizing those who don't follow their faith/beliefs with zealous discrimination and hate, religion does not trump their laws and nor is anyone allowed to thrust their beliefs on them, a truly inspiring people. Even with only 20% of the footage this video is great.
Your video's are amazing and an inspiration for me as a starting videographer and storyteller. Im sorry to hear you had to go through all that trouble with your old videographer. It's disgusting that someone would do such things! Stil looking for a new camera operator? ;)
To me, what defines a cult is whether or not they let you leave, or if they apply abusive tactics to discourage it (like stopping you from talking to people still part of the cult).
This series is amazing. Bravo.
Wow, what a great society. Thank you for yourgreat videos.