As author David Korten took the stage, the lyrics of children’s folk singer Raffi resonated in the Old Museum of Fine Arts Auditorium, urging listeners to turn the world around for children.
In a lecture sponsored by the U environmental studies department, Korten spoke about his book The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community, which advocates exchanging the imperialism and domination of corporate society for a more community-based world.
Korten supports the idea of creating child-honoring societies. “If we create societies that truly work for children, we will have societies that work for everyone,” he said.
Highlighting problems with corporate corruption, racism, sexism, environmental destruction, crime, war and poverty, Korten expressed the need for change in society, criticizing the Bush administration and the imperialism of wealthy business leaders.
Korten said that 85 percent of world resources are used to support the wealthiest 20 percent of the population, while 14 percent of resources go toward the middle class-accounting for 60 percent of the population-and one percent goes toward the poorest 20 percent.
“The day of reckoning for our reckless days is now at hand-we are in a perfect economic storm,” Korten said.
Instead of division and a propaganda-based culture, Korten advised changing priorities to emphasize relationships and leadership. He advocates building an “Earth community,” changing “stories” of imperialism to stories of a living economy, democracy and culture.
Korten said that universities should also transform from “empires” to prepare a “new generation of deep social change.”
“This is the most exciting moment of creative opportunity,” Korten said, expressing the need to “break the silence, end isolation and change stories.”
Environmental studies chair Tasha McVaugh-Seegert said that the U emphasizes this positive outlook. “At the U, we focus on how humans interact with nature, with positive and negative outcomes, and how we as a community can have a positive outlook on the environment,” she said.
Korten emphasized activism to bring about change. After the lecture, SEED (Sustainable Environments of Ecological Design), a student group in conjunction with the Associated Students of the University of Utah and the Bennion Center, promoted its goal to change the U into a sustainable campus.
Viewing the university as a microcosm of society, SEED hopes to make teaching, energy, landscape and water use more efficient and sustainable through education, forums and volunteer opportunities.
SEED director Lindsay Clark said that tomorrow is Campus Sustainability Day, during which members of SEED will “focus on educating people on why sustainability is important,” she said.
SEED’s first forum will be held Nov. 13 in the Union Theatre from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Kim PetersonAuthor David Korten emphasizes an environmental need for change in society during a lecture in the Old Museum of Fine Arts Auditorium on Monday.