Greed must give way to an enlightened sense of self-interest. A sense of ‘self’ that is aware of its connection and its responsibility towards the nature around it.

In the true spirit of sharing their knowledge and their concerns, in equal parts, the indigenous people and intellectuals from several fields of science and reason from all over the world came together and found common ground at the Indigenous Terra Madre in Shillong to discuss the food and agro-ecological issues. There was so much to take away from the event.

When the songs from everywhere sang about the same virtues of nature and how precious it is to these indigenous cultures.

A culture of resilience that has been passed on from generation to generation among these indigenous communities.

The kind of resilience that has held its ground against the pace of industrial and technological changes. A resilience that fights for the environment that provides for it.

The issue of the environment is not just a radical chic movement anymore, but an urgent call to corrective measures.

It is time to take lesson from the mistakes of our repeated histories.