That is a good question. I have been angry with society for a long time. This anger is gradually changing to acceptance. The inability to change things in society has gone into the power to change things in small ways. That is what I want now and what I believe in. I may not be able to change the society directly, but certainly the people around me. I still do not have the right answer on how to deal with injustice. I want to do something about it but no longer with anger. I now know that with passion the same counterforce/power on the other side is called. Eventually, you will not achieve anything.
How? I do not have the right answer yet. What do I do when someone is beaten up in the street? I’m trying to do something about it. What do I do if people in Palestine live under miserable conditions? I have decided not to buy any Israeli products anymore. But is that enough?
Am I outside society? With one leg I think, but that other leg is entirely in it. Why? I do not want to be outside of the community. I would prefer that society would function differently. However, if I go out, I do not influence at all. That is something like not voting.
I buy so I exist. The basis of our society is the Economy. First comes the economy, then the people. Anno 2010 you can buy anything you want. The products come from all over the world. By purchasing you are entirely part of the global society. By buying you are cooperating in the activities of companies that sell these products. Even if these activities damage people / animals or the environment. I have decided to do as little as possible with this. Why as low as possible and not entirely? It is quite difficult to know the origin of all products and furthermore, I am a human being, and I sin sometimes. However, I do have a number of purchase rules that I try to keep to:
Only organic meat. If you treat the animals you eat poorly, how much respect do you have for mother nature and yourself?
As many Fair Trade products as possible. The slave trade has been abolished for ages. However, we do the same by having people work 12 hours a day for a hunger wage.
As many local products as possible.
Sustainably cut wood or two FSC wood.
Buy something only if you need it, preferably 2nd hand.
Only discard something if it is broken or give it away or put it on the marketplace.
If something is broken, I try to repair it first.…