8

Repudiation of all physical, cultural and philosophical & religious justifications for macho-patriarchal beliefs, rules and practices

Promotion and institutionalization of genuine respect between the sexes

Promotion of equality of opportunities for all individuals regardless of sex or gender preference

Attainment of Equality view as institutionalized standard and, upon this premise, focusing on work for Holistic Harmony between the sexes.

  1. Total Human Development and Harmony Through Synergism

  2. Holistic Health Care and Medicine

  3. Deep Ecology and Harmony with Nature 

  4. Sense of History and Sense of Mission

  5. Civics and Democratic Governance

  6. Culture as Community Creativity

  7. Light-Seeking and Light-Sharing Education

  8. Gender Sensitivity, Equality & Harmony

  9. Reconstructive/Restor-ative Justice

10. Associative Economics, Social Capital and Sustainable Development

11. Synergetic Leadership and Organizations

12. Appropriate/Adaptive Technology

13. Mutual Enrichment of Families and Friendships

14. Human Dignity and Human Harmony: Human Rights and Peace

15. Aesthetics Without Boundaries: 'Art from the Heart'   

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‘Feminine Principle’ for All Humans:
An Editorial

By Earthlite Sparks & Reflections

[This comes from the editorial of the March 2000 issue of EarthLite Sparks and Reflections, the now defunct newsletter of the Earthlite alternative place in Cubao, Quezon City. It was written by Ding Reyes, the paper’s volunteer editor.]

DEVELOPMENT of human consciousness has not yet reached the level where there would no longer be any need for an International Women’s Day, now being marked worldwide on the 8th day of March every year. The fact is that it is still a long way off from even just the decisive general emancipation of half of humanity from the institutionalized domination, nay oppression, by the other half, in a half-conscious but very real system called patriarchy.

Science has long freed humans from many myths and fallacies but has largely left undisturbed the superstitions that perpetuate the gross imbalance between the genders when it comes to opportunities for leadership, creativity, materially compensated productivity, comfort and security and appropriate overall care.
It is a sad reality to note that even among men who are advocates of justice in general terms or in occupational-sector contexts, the issues raised by women are viewed to be in the interest only of women.

By way of responding to this, we can only seek to emphasize what SanibLakas Foundation said two years ago, in a short statement we now carry in this issue: “The liberation of women from patriarchal ideas and practices is in the best interest of entire human communities. Both the womenfolk and the menfolk should synergize for this liberation, and synergize further on the basis of this liberation. No positive social change is possible without it. No social change can be complete without it.” (underscoring ours).

Such acknowledgment of joint interests of the male and of the female of the human species, along with enough awareness to see dynamic synergies, unities and commonalities among diverse entities instead of seeing only conflict and antagonism among them, reaches a realm beyond the mere recognition and redress of the gender imbalance. This reflects an advance in consciousness by shifting to the “Right Brain,” which is more closely identified with women and girls. The Right Brain, which controls the left side of our body, is our feminine component, though its truly neither male nor female. (This has no connection at all to physical attributes or behavior, like some men being limp-wristed or some men being homosexual. Confusion crops up on this matter because of semantics or language sense, where the word “feminine” has been simplistically equated to “female.” or “female-like.”).

The “Right Brain,” or the “feminine aspect,” is the seat of our psychic, intuitive, aesthetic, nurturing and emotional aspect. Even without explanation or even articulation, it knows that oneness is all there is. Both the menfolk and the womenfolk need this aspect to be completely human. However, because women are perceived to be stronger in this, society built up a defense mechanism for men where they have been molded to deny, to shun and to dominate this aspect and to focus on developing the aspect where they, on the average, have had the slight advantage — physical strength, cold logic, and the propensity for dichotomies and competition.

Ever prepared for strife, even if almost always unnecessarily, the Left Brain usually looks at Reality and usually sees only division, separateness, conflict and the quest for domination.

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