The Future of Progress: Reflections on Environment and Development

The papers in this volume come from participants at two recent conferences. The first was held at Biskops-Arno, Sweden, and was jointly organised by the International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC) and Friends of the Earth, Sweden. The second, which took place in Leh, Ladakh, India, was organised by ISEC and its sister organisation, the Ladakh Ecological Development Group. These conferences sought to bring together thinkers and activists from around the world to discuss the root causes of the environmental and social crises facing the planet-in both 'developed' and 'developing' societies alike-and to explore some of the principles upon which to build a new model of development. The papers cover a broad spectrum, from the very global to the very local. Some are theoretical works, others more based on personal experience; some were written specifically for this collection, others were excerpted from longer, previously published pieces, others still take the form of statements of principle. Despite the variety of styles and content, the essential message is very clear: namely, that the process of development-whether in the North or the South-must change direction quite radically if we are to avoid ever more serious social and ecological problems. 'More of the same' can only be a recipe for disaster. If there is one word which sums up the perspective which is now required, it is diversity. The notion of'progress' -the dominant ideology of our age-implies the imposition of a single industrial model everywhere on Earth. What is needed instead is a model of development based on the capacity of people around the world to find ways of living based on their own cultural traditions and the full use oflocal resources, knowledge and skills. This fundamental principle is one which urgently needs to be recognised in the current debate on environment and development.

Editors' note: Some of the pieces which follow were written by people whose first language is not English. Although we have made changes in these papers when it was needed for the sake of clarity, we did not think it appropriate to 'anglicise' them completely.