Helena Norberg-Hodge is Director of the International Society for
Ecology and Culture. For the last 16 years she has worked in
Ladakh, a region in Himalayan Kashmir. A Tibetan dialect is spoken,
and for a thousand years Ladakh has been an enclave of Tibetan
Buddhism. The generous humanism of the Ladakh way of life, the
universal co-operation, the ingenious and respectful use of the
resources of the difficult terrain, are being eroded as Western
technology and attitudes take hold. This intelligent and moving
book asks us to learn from the peaceful and impressively organized
Ladakh people, while accepting that they are entitled to the fruits
of the world's progress. (Kirkus UK)
Ladakh, or "Little Tibet", is a beautiful desert land up in the
Western Himalayas. It is a place of few resources and an extreme
climate. Yet for more than 1000 years, it has been home to a
thriving culture. Traditions of frugality and co-operation, coupled
with an intimate and location-specific knowledge of the
environment, enabled the Ladakhis not only to survive, but to
prosper. Everyone had enough to eat families and communities were
strong the status of women was high. Then came "development". Now
in the modern sector one finds pollution and divisiveness,
inflation and unemployment, intolerance and greed. Centuries of
ecological balance and social harmony are under threat from
pressures of Western consumerism. "Ancient Futures" is much more
than a book about Ladakh. It raises important questions about the
whole notion of progress, and explores the root causes of the
malaise of industrial society. At the same time, the story of
Ladakh aims to serve as a source of inspiration for our own future.
It shows us that another way is possble, and points to some of the
first steps towards kinder, gentler patterns of living.
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