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.
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
“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.
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
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"
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
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.
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.
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.
"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.)
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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 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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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!
The other shoe might drop after the leader dies. The next person to take on the mantle of leading the community might not be so benevolent. Of course, this can be mitigated by properly dividing the power to a government of sorts, planning ahead and passing the knowledge of how to lead the community justly. Fingers crossed they have all of that figured out already and nothing bad will happen in the end.
I don't think it's a miracle. This feels like basic socio-economics. Zumra Nuru set out to make a commune, and if you don't mind my ideological proselytizing, i think it worked.
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.
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? ;)
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.
I'd love to live in a community like that. Reminds me a little bit of Anarchist communities like the ZAD in France (which, Evan, if you ever do go to France you MUST do an episode on. It's fascinating), though of course they're more about politics than religion. I've actually toyed with the idea founding a similar little community like that as a project when I retire some day. Buy some land, grow crops, build some huts, a library, town hall, and just invite people to come live with me in my final years. Not with any particular motivations. Just something positive to leave behind.
I'm planing to retire early like that, get a terrain, build a house and a permanent garden so I have my basic needs met, and can do wtf I want. I'd also like to write a book on making everything from scratch.
It's only a cult because other adversarial cults call it that. Labels are used to fence people out or in, not to actually define them. Organized religions, political groups, and myriad petty power seekers always try to drag down any endeavor that surpasses their own standards of action. I say, Good for these folks, let them follow their own path towards fulfillment and enrichment. I hope they make it to establish whatever form of society they chose. Sadly, good works are often chewed up and spat out by the ruthless leaders that every nation seems infested with.
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. ^^
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.
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.
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.
Even if it's impossible for us to have Utopia, that shouldn't stop us from doing everything in our power to move in that direction. At any rate, all humanity needs education, the education to know how to live and prosper with your fellow humans, the education to be able to see the wider picture and ones place in it.
eh...that's unlikely. From the description this isn't really a religious cult, it's a commune. And they are encouraged to be free thinking and well educated. I doubt they will do something stupid like following his son or some random person that wants to take the mantle. The way I see it when this leader dies they will probably form a council of elders or something.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A man seeks freedom and to some extent succeeds. But will it last? Religion, the political system, the other societies won't accept them. It is indeed an interesting place.
I wouldn't be so sure that the other societies won't ever accept them. It seems that they are wildly successful, and that, in and of itself, can win hearts and minds. I believe that love wins over hate-- eventually-- every time. The grasp of religion is loosening all over the world. Each generation is less dogmatically religious than the last, and it's not just an American phenomena. Europeans are *much* less religious than Americans, and even Muslims are starting to drift away from religions with madmen at the wheel who insist on hating/destroying others as a part of their dogma. There has been far too much hate in the world for far too long. Most of us are sick to death of it, some in war zones are quite literally sick to death. Think about the current war zones for a minute. What we have are one religion, warring on other, _slightly_ less restrictive sects of the *SAME* religion! It's really ridiculous! WE are only involved because of ONE insanely rich, ultra-religious Muslim Saudi who decided that he hated America and started planning terrorist acts of war, like 9/11.
In the country a town like that, their isn't a town like that anywhere else in this world. That is a great place if more were like that this world would be great .
A year older than your brother? Your brother would have died in those conditions let alone learn how to read and write. It is truly exceptional for anyone if you think about it.
Honestly I could probably write a long winded essay on the thoughts I have about this place, but I'll spare all of you from that. I think the important thing here more than anything is the importance of secularism and education. However I can't help but feel that a society based on the idealism of one person is going to be doomed after their death unless they move beyond that before the time comes. Although I have no idea what the governing structures of this place are like.
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.
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
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.
Every religion has to have a hat. At least his is awesome silly.
"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.
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!!!!!!!
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
“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 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....
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.)
As twitter wasn't invented yet, he decided to do something.
Wow, this hit too close
He didn't let twitter stop him.
I wish my community was half as progressive as Awra Amba.
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.
We need to do the same thing everywhere, not just impoverished places
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.
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.
The funny thing is, that pretty much just sounds like he forcefully modeled himself a town similar to a first world country.
Communes don't last for long for the very reasons you mentioned: their neighbors' violence and religious cults.
Could you do a video on the Ethiopian battalion that fought in the korean war?
I'm sorry about the cameraman, thank you so much for working so hard to provide such amazing content.
"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.
I'm so glad you guys went ahead & produced this video in spite of difficulties. I love it. 🌟
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.
Love the random confused locals walking around,
I only can imaging how the air is clear 24/7 from the disturbing sounds of the Church's and Mosque's.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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
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.
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!
Thanks for sharing the story despite the production issues. This is worth seeing and knowing about
thank you so much. i loved this episode. its a great look at another world that comes off as just positive and hopeful.
Coexistence is beautiful and pure.
Shame only one episode on this, would love to have seen more from your perspective
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.
Really glad you were able and willing to complete this episode despite the 'setback'. Keep up the awesome work.
I appreciate you posting this video despite all the filming issues! This was such an interesting story and town!
The other shoe might drop after the leader dies. The next person to take on the mantle of leading the community might not be so benevolent. Of course, this can be mitigated by properly dividing the power to a government of sorts, planning ahead and passing the knowledge of how to lead the community justly. Fingers crossed they have all of that figured out already and nothing bad will happen in the end.
The way you started talking about them I somehow was reminded of Bokonon 👀
I don't think it's a miracle. This feels like basic socio-economics. Zumra Nuru set out to make a commune, and if you don't mind my ideological proselytizing, i think it worked.
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.
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? ;)
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.
In a world full of egotism, negativity, prejudice, hate and destruction, how is it that Rare Earth comes up with so many stories that give hope?
Cult maybe one name for it, I would suggest, commune, cooperative or experiment. As an experiment it seems to be working. Maybe it will spread.
It's neither a cult nor a paradise. It's just an intentional community with an outward focus that it open to the world.
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
Kind of poetic that a video about the half destroyed but resiliant people was half destroyed yet resiliant to attempts made on it.
What an amazing community. That's a very decent ideology.
Why have I been binge watching these videos? I do enjoy them.
They live better off than their neighbors BECAUSE ironically they’re less cultish than their neighbors.
It's not a cult or paradise. It's a community.
I'd love to live in a community like that. Reminds me a little bit of Anarchist communities like the ZAD in France (which, Evan, if you ever do go to France you MUST do an episode on. It's fascinating), though of course they're more about politics than religion. I've actually toyed with the idea founding a similar little community like that as a project when I retire some day. Buy some land, grow crops, build some huts, a library, town hall, and just invite people to come live with me in my final years. Not with any particular motivations. Just something positive to leave behind.
I'm planing to retire early like that, get a terrain, build a house and a permanent garden so I have my basic needs met, and can do wtf I want. I'd also like to write a book on making everything from scratch.
I thought this was a normal episode until the description. Shows how good of a story teller you are.
Problems notwithstanding ... good documentary! Maybe should be more of these "cults"?
It's only a cult because other adversarial cults call it that. Labels are used to fence people out or in, not to actually define them. Organized religions, political groups, and myriad petty power seekers always try to drag down any endeavor that surpasses their own standards of action.
I say, Good for these folks, let them follow their own path towards fulfillment and enrichment. I hope they make it to establish whatever form of society they chose. Sadly, good works are often chewed up and spat out by the ruthless leaders that every nation seems infested with.
That is why a good prince must be victorious before any virtue they possess may matter.
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. ^^
I'm really glad you guys were able to make the video work still. These tales must be told.
They are praising the man for being intelligent, not for being a god. Seems like a nice change of pace.
Despite setbacks its still a compelling story. Thank you.
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.
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.
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.
Gotta love how the follower on the left at 1:00 can stand at a 45-degree angle from the ground.
20% of the footage and yet it came out really good. Wish I could live in a place like that with no restrictions in mind.
Truly wish these people the best. Sad that we couldn't have seen more.
Even if it's impossible for us to have Utopia, that shouldn't stop us from doing everything in our power to move in that direction. At any rate, all humanity needs education, the education to know how to live and prosper with your fellow humans, the education to be able to see the wider picture and ones place in it.
Is that a green car sponge 🧽? You know the ones you can put your hand into, and he’s using it as a hat? He is incredible.
The problem is when the cult leader dies, and comes somebody corrupt that can take it easy because the cult mentality
eh...that's unlikely. From the description this isn't really a religious cult, it's a commune. And they are encouraged to be free thinking and well educated. I doubt they will do something stupid like following his son or some random person that wants to take the mantle. The way I see it when this leader dies they will probably form a council of elders or something.
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.
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
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.
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.
This village is the Gift of Wisdom.
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.
What a wonderful community. I wish it were possible for it's tenants to sweep across Africa, or even the world.
A man seeks freedom and to some extent succeeds. But will it last? Religion, the political system, the other societies won't accept them. It is indeed an interesting place.
I wouldn't be so sure that the other societies won't ever accept them. It seems that they are wildly successful, and that, in and of itself, can win hearts and minds. I believe that love wins over hate-- eventually-- every time. The grasp of religion is loosening all over the world. Each generation is less dogmatically religious than the last, and it's not just an American phenomena. Europeans are *much* less religious than Americans, and even Muslims are starting to drift away from religions with madmen at the wheel who insist on hating/destroying others as a part of their dogma.
There has been far too much hate in the world for far too long. Most of us are sick to death of it, some in war zones are quite literally sick to death. Think about the current war zones for a minute. What we have are one religion, warring on other, _slightly_ less restrictive sects of the *SAME* religion! It's really ridiculous! WE are only involved because of ONE insanely rich, ultra-religious Muslim Saudi who decided that he hated America and started planning terrorist acts of war, like 9/11.
This is the type of thing that gives me hope. False hope. But still, hope.
I don't know why, but this place seems like something out of a Tom Robbins novel. I'm getting a strong "Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates" vibe.
we call this an intentional community
This episode didn't look rash to me, sorry for what happened, you all did a great job!
In the country a town like that, their isn't a town like that anywhere else in this world. That is a great place if more were like that this world would be great .
A year older than your brother? Your brother would have died in those conditions let alone learn how to read and write. It is truly exceptional for anyone if you think about it.
That's the quality content I was waiting for, well done Hadley.
Excellent video. Thanks for this, great job.
Honestly I could probably write a long winded essay on the thoughts I have about this place, but I'll spare all of you from that. I think the important thing here more than anything is the importance of secularism and education. However I can't help but feel that a society based on the idealism of one person is going to be doomed after their death unless they move beyond that before the time comes. Although I have no idea what the governing structures of this place are like.