BEFORE WE BEGIN ....

“We have not weaved the web of life
We are merely a strand in it
Whatever we do to the web
We do to ourselves”

Chief Seattle
The Braves and most respected
American-Indian Chief

Recited many centuries ago these lines hold profound meaning even today, when environmental threats loom large.  Ancient cultures are replete with such wisdom which compels us to reflect on the present course of development.  Are we headed in the right direction?

Hackneyed though it may sound, sustainable development or its new avatar ‘sustainable well-being’ is the goal we are headed for.  We may not be very close to it, but our endeavour is to be on the right track.  Sustainable development to us is not a horizon on the sea which everyone is sailing towards without knowing whether they will ever reach it.  To us it represents a real situation where people and nature are in complete harmony as symbolised in our logo.  Life (represented by the tree and the human being) is at peace with itself and its basic elements - earth, water, air, fire and ether (space) which represent the physical environment.

Such optimism is central to our approach to environment management; and the writings in this issue reflect this optimism.

The first section highlights Initiatives by individuals and organisations to find solutions.  They show us that environmental problems are solved not just by raising an alarm or waiting in helplessness.  All initiatives may not result in success but they definitely are a step beyond mere dooms-day predications.

If seeing is believing, then doing is making the world believe.  From the “what” we come to the “how” in the section on Tools where we discuss some of the techniques used in environment management.

Moving on from the present we look ahead into the future in the section on New Areas.  These are areas in which we anticipate to play a more dynamic role in the near future.

We are optimistic, yes.  But we do not for a  moment forget that “we are merely a strand in it”.  In all humility, we dedicate this issue to those who are making a difference to build a better future for this planet.

Madhavi, Nina & Prema

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