Joe Brewer’s Invitation to a Bioregional Earth
Calling Us All to Organize Toward Bioregional Earth
Dec 15, 2024.
This is a special invitation by Joe Brewer to join around a planetary vision for 2025 — to help us organize into local “life places” as bioregional and living landscapes. Join us and get ready for the financial flows and partnerships that enable millions of people across the plant to live into the Story of Bioregional Earth. Go here to join Bioregional Earth: https://www.bioregionalearth.org/
Hello Joe Brewer and friends,
I just watched Joe Brewer’s December 15, 2024 video Calling Us All to Organize Toward Bioregional Earthand it sparked the following thoughts.
In a sense, what Joe is calling for is governance beyond nation states. It is the opposite of what has been called a one-world government such as advocated by the World Economic Forum. Governance (and self determination) at the bioregional level. This is related to what is termed “subsidiarity”. Societal decisions should be made at the most local level possible. It grants a much higher level of freedom to the world’s people that is currently possible in which nation-states (national governments) dictate to their citizens what they can or cannot do.
When I was younger, I came across the concept of 4th world countries. As I initially understood it, it granted nationhood to every indigenous people around the world who were currently under the control of nation states. For instance, the Kurds would have their own nation instead of being divided between Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. This was the result of nation state lines being drawn by colonial powers as happened in so much of today’s world. This lack of nationhood by Kurds has led to much conflict and suffering ever since. This could have been avoided if Kurdistan was allowed to run its own affairs. Similarly in the “nation” of Myanmar (Burma) there has been continuous conflict since the Karen people and many other indigenous minorities were put under the control of a nation state. This tragedy has been repeated hundreds of times across the world as indigenous people were deprived of their self-rule. This of course has not escaped notice and Indigenous people continue to fight for their rights across the world. A good place to find out about this is the Center for World Indigenous Studies.
Every tribe (First Nations) in the United States and Canada continues to advocate for their sovereignty and rights.
Later in life I become part of the “Bioregional Movement”. Which advocates for bioregions being the basis for self-governance rather than nation-states. A bioregion is a geographical area defined by ecological systems rather than by political boundaries. Generally smaller than nation-states. Bioregions may include areas that cut across nation-state borders. Bioregions are often defined by watersheds.
The initiative of 1,000 Landscapes for a Billion People predicates decisions being made by “Landscape Partnerships”, internal self-organizing coalitions of people making decisions for their watershed.
Of course, all these decentralizing movements generally have to contend with nation states that want to maintain their grip on power over the people in their boundaries. This is one of the defining struggles of the present time. It is a 3-way battle. Decentralized decision-making vs. nation states vs. supranational decision-making by the likes of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) the WTO (World Trade Organization), the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum.
My sympathies go towards decentralization of governance for bioregions and Indigenous peoples. I support Joe Brewer and his efforts towards bioregional organizing. These are themes that we will explore at the Global Earth Repair Convergence & Festival , May 9-13, 2025 which will be held in the Cascadia Bioregion in the territories of the First Nations of the Coast Salish tribes and other regional Indigenous peoples.
~ Michael Pilarski, December 15, 2024
