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A Call To Action
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per Philip E. Thrap
Correu-e: cascade_rebel@yahoo.com |
16 oct 2003
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Bioregional deevolution in North America. |
I am a Cascadian. I prefer this to being described as an American or a Californian. My interests lie in my homeland. Yes, I care about oppressed people everywhere, but this is my home. I live in Eureka, on the north coast of California. I find I have more in common with the people of Victoria, B.C. than I do the people of Los Angeles, CA. I certainly don’t feel the politicians and bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. can make wise choices about my life.
Here, In the Pacific Northwest of North America is a movement called Cascadian, after the mountains that dominate the region. Here, many of us seriously talk of south coastal Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Northern California seceding from the United States, and British Columbia, from Canada to form a new union, Cascadia. The books Ecotopia and Ecotopia Emerging are more than mere Utopian political fiction; the books are a vision of a quite possible, if somewhat fanciful, future. Yes, I am a Cascadian.
Cascadians are thoughtful people. We feel strongly about civil rights and liberties. People matter to Cascadians, their well-being and their opportunity to live personally fulfilling lives. Genuine democracy, in political and economic life, is vital to us. Among Cascadians, you will find a strong distrust of big business and big government; frequently we view mainstream politicians and bureaucrats as tools of the multinational corporations.
Cascadians feel deeply about our home. Its natural beauty is fundamentally important to us. We seek to use all the resources available to us to conserve, preserve and restore the natural ecology. A large number of Cascadian even advocate the re-introduction of grizzly bears and wolves to the region (It is rumoured that there have been covert re-introductions of these predators). Cascadians believe that it is possible and critical for humans live softly on the earth.
Self-supporting communities are a central part of Cascadian thinking. Anything that can be done at this level need not be passed on to a “higher authority�. The community, whether it is a neighbourhood, a watershed or a rural village, is the foundation of the society, politically and economically. We Cascadians can easily imagine communities where everything, especially work and schools, are within walking distance. We envision communities that are self-reliant, having all the necessities of modern life; medical clinics, parks and playing fields, retirement homes and care homes, shopping areas (not life destroying malls), community centres and outdoor plazas for concerts and dances. These would be cities built on the human scale, meeting all the needs of neighbourhood residents at the neighbourhood level.
Cascadians are not, in the main, isolationist. We realize that we cannot set ourselves up as an ecologically balanced, free and egalitarian island amid a sea of self-destructing continents. Cascadians support the self-determination of Native Americans, and indigenous people everywhere. We heartily endorse the various non-violent and democratic movements for sovereignty of people worldwide. The majority of Cascadians would embrace a statement from the book A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander, The progressive architect and city planner, “Do what you can to create a world government, with a thousand different regions, instead of countries.� Throughout the world, groups like the Cascadian Movement can be found. It should be understood that by “world government� we are not endorsing a super state, a global manifestation of the hierarchical nation-state, but rather a network of federations and leagues which endeavour to implement collective security protocols, areas of broad based agreement on rights and the global environment, and projects of great scale such as transportation or environmental protection which benefit all of humanity. There is much information on the Internet about most of them. The Cascadian movement is tied in a very real way to the hopes of all those who lack a homeland. We are especially linked to the hopes of indigenous people desiring sovereignty, as this is a primary facet of the Cascadian movement. http://www.constitution.org/cs_separ.htm and http://www.secession.net/ .
Those of us in Cascadia advocating secession (I must include myself here, sadly) are fond of talking and short on action. The revolution (even a peaceful one) will not happen without hard, some times tedious work. It is time to meet each other face-to-face, to start organizing neighbourhoods, to build an alliance of substance. I am proposing an All-Cascadia Conference in early 2004, prior to the conventions of the U.S. national parties.
Tentatively, I am proposing that the All-Cascadia Conference be held in March southern British Columbia. This is due to the travel restrictions within the United States. I would like to have representatives from South Coastal Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Northern California. Especially, people from the First Nations should be represented. Are you a Cascadian? Then participate in this historic event, please contact me through the Bioregional Research Collective and I will keep you posted. Others who do not live in Cascadia but want to help build a new North American Confederation are urged to participate. Too, I would invite bioregionalists from Europe and Asia to attend. We can use your input and build personal relationships worldwide. An international confederation is our strongest. Weapon against government intimidation.
The Bioregional Research Collective (BRC) is a group of individuals, world wide, with a common goal of decentralizing nation states into bioregional confederations. While we hold diverse opinions on a number of topics, on this we stand together. BRC’s purpose is to research decentralization and community building. The group develops position papers and articles relating to the research. The BRC is also the current home of Cascadia People’s Alliance, which works for an independent Cascadian Confederation. I will use the BRC site for information on the Cascadian conference. Too, I am including on this site a proposed United Cascadia Manifesto. The Manifesto reflects our desire for independence, peace, justice and egalitarianism. It is not a radical statement because Cascadians of all political persuasions must be united under a common banner. After independence we can hammer out the details of our new homeland. Being united in our drive for sovereignty is vital. The office of the Bioregional Research Collective is in Eureka, California. BRC can be reached by email at cascade_rebel ARROBA yahoo.com and our list server is at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bioregion_research/ . |
