Editorial: When the Nature Speaks, Feb 7, 2004, 13:36

Editorial: When the Nature Speaks By CEB WPNews Chief Editor Feb 7, 2004, 13:36

All beings that share this planet earth are natural beings; we are from the nature, in the nature, with the nature, part of it, and we are the natural beings. But, the only problem we have so far, is that almost all of the beings speak the language of the nature, and not human beings anymore. Human beings as one of the beings that share this planet began to speak a different language since what human beings call Renaissance and Industrialisation. This particular being of the beings thought of himself or herself as superior to other beings, having more rights upon the rights of other beings. This particular misconception has changed the face of the world, the map, and the fate of our planet earth.

Since we started preaching of industrialisation, modernisation, civilisation, democratisation, and other -sations with our socialism, capitalism, modernism and other -isms, we have come to the point to realising that we in fact, already separating ourselves from the nature itself; starting from speaking a different language, behaving unnaturally, and living unnaturally. We thought it was development, progress and modernism. We thought it was a linear move from one line to the other end: -better end, a wealthy end, and an everlasting life?

Since then, we began to loose our contacts with other beings in this planet, becoming and behaving against other natural beings. We started with colonising, domesticating other beings, looking at them as inferior classes of beings. Even human beings ever came to conclusion that certain races of human beings are lower in racial rank than the others. It is not surprising to learn from our history that in fact selling and buying other human beings has painted the face of our humanity.

Human sufferings as we know now, be it famine or be it poverty, underdevelopment or overdevelopment, unemployment or debts, are all human-made disasters to our humanity. We also created social and natural phenomenon, including terrorism, suicide acts, depressions, flood, drought, famine, and finally, we are facing the danger of global warming that causes climate change.

Yes, we are the beings, the "superior beings" that are, unfortunate to say, bringing disaster to this planet more than fortune. We are the only beings, responsible for these realities. We have done so in the name of development in the forms of colonisation, modernisation, de-colonisation, civilisation, and now globalisation. We have done so "successfully", because we are in fact, not ashamed of it, but we are unfortunately, proud of it.

We should not forget or be ignorant about the other reality that this planet does not belong to only human beings. It belongs to all beings that share her. Or this planet owns us all, without any distinction in terms of ranks or kinds. But we have so far regarded other beings as "nothing." But, should we assume that other beings are just inferior beings and should not react to anything that the "superior" beings do? Wait a minute! The reality is, that "When the nature speaks!," humans become nothing, and nobody.

Human-Made and Natural Disaster?
We then end up by categorising disasters that this planet's face into two: one is human-made and the other is natural. Which actions should be "natural" and which ones are human-made? Or should we see the disasters differently? Aren't these disasters created by us human beings? Should we, because we are "superior" beings, then blame the nature that brings disaster? Or natural disaster is just something that is not categorised based on cause-and-effect interpretation? Should we say that there is a difference between human-made and natural disasters? Are we not part of the nature, or the nature ourselves? Who is making the differences? and Why?

What is real is that in fact we started perceiving ourselves as separate from the "nature" since we invented machines and began to destroy the earth. That is why we call disasters caused by human activities as human-made ones and those beyond human-interventions are referred to as natural. This is the outcome of our perception and consequently we begin and accustomed to separate ourselves from the nature. Yes, we are not part of or one of the natures, are we? Who is making us un-natural? This question should be questioned again by human beings.

Does the Nature Speak?
This question raises another question: "Do the humans, as part of the natural beings, speak?" If so, then, the answer is of course, "Yes!" What should be questioned is, "Do the other beings speak?" Everybody will say, "Yes, they do!" All will say, "Yes, they do, but they do so in varieties of languages. Bu commonly, some speak in words, others in signs.

What we need to ask is not "Does the nature speak?", but rather "Can we understand what the nature says?" or "Why can't we understand the nature?"

If humans do speak, if nature does speak, then what is wrong here is "Why can't we understand each other?" or "Why can human beings as the 'superior beings' not understand the language of the 'inferior beings'? Again, we come back to the original comments; "Humans have separated ourselves from the nature!" As a consequence of this separation, we now speak our own language, behave in our own ways, act for our own interests, based on our own rights. For the sake of human rights, we have sacrificed the rights of other beings. For the sake of our "development", "modernisation", and "progress" we have violated the rights of other beings, who are supposed to share this planet, equally in our rights. For the sake of these activities, we further sacrificed our own human rights. Wars in varieties of forms are basically started from the violations of the rights of the nature and followed by the violations of the our human rights. In other words, those who successfully violated the rights of the natural beings are in fact those who also successfully violated the rights of humans. One plus one is two, and that is how the violations work.

Recent Proofs in West Papua that the Nature Does Speak
We have so many examples in this planet to proof that the nature does speak. But perhaps it is too difficult for us humans to grasp and explain. We only, therefore, need to learn some lessons from some proofs in West Papua, to give a glimpse to the reality that nature does speak.

Sometime ago, we were surprised when five top-level government officials in Papua Province (Military and Police Commanders, Chair of the Indonesian Parliament for Papua Province, and Head of Papua Court and another important person in the province), died in a plane-crash. As far as any human beings here know, with all the skills and modern knowledge, unfortunately, no one ever be able explained why and how it happened.

Another example was the "natural disaster" in Manokwari (2001) and Biak (1998). In both incidents, hundreds of people died, and hundreds of others were hospitalised. While the estimation of the economic lost is surprising. One was called Elnino and the other was earthquake.

Last year, we have also heard another natural disaster at the Freeport Mining Area. We were told some people died due to another natural disaster. The Freeport Mining operations were suspended for weeks, and even months. Is this particular incident really a natural one? Typical human nature, blaming others and other beings is one of the human natures that no one should love to own it.

Headline news on the Indonesian media today is about yet another natural disaster in Nabire, near the neck of New Guinea Island. The office of meteorology and geophysics in Papua Province gave its explanation of territorial lines potential for earthquake in the Province. Did the office predict the possibility of the earthquake? No, and never, nowhere whatsoever. Why? Meteorologists have the answer. My answer is, "Of course, they do not understand the language of the nature. They can only explain the phenomenon and possibilities, but not the exact ones. They even cannot explain the entire phenomenon. Even though we are humans, the "superior beings", we have limitations, because we are just natural beings.

Will we understand the language of the nature? Or does anybody understand it at all?
The answer is simple, "We must understand it!" If not, we are going to kill ourselves. Human beings are reporting news on suicidal acts in the world, as if they are not doing the same as we are all doing as human race. We think we are "superior", and therefore we are closer to the image of God, the Creator. But in fact, we are not that superior in the way as we perceive. We are in fact, I am afraid, creators of all disasters to this planet.

But we must remember that, this planet does not only own us human beings. Or that we are not the only beings that own this planet. Likewise, we are not the only ones that have rights above the others' rights.

Therefore, those other beings that share this planet are not just sitting and watching the madness we are bringing to this planet. They are not 'inferior" as we think. They are in fact, equal to us, and in some ways superior. One simple reason is that we cannot understand their language, even though they do understand ours.

We do know from the nature that it does understand our language? It does not have verbal languages as that of ours, but it has the basic and natural languages, i.e., the language of signals. Floods, famines, earthquakes, Elninos, plane-crashes, forest fires, climate change and global warming are samples for us.

Yes, there are human beings on this planet, who do understand the language of the nature. They are the ones who live with and as part of the nature. They are natural beings themselves. They are not part this proudly-proclaimed developed, modernised, civilised and advanced societies. But they are part of that simple, basic, and natural lifestyle, whom the developed people call primitive, cannibals, underdeveloped, and so on.

But one thing is for sure, if we are still in this planet, if we are the owner of and owned by this same planet earth, then we are supposed to accept this absolute reality that all beings are 'beings', with the same and equal rights to inhibit and enjoy this planet. We all should speak to and understand each other. And more importantly, we human beings, as "superior" beings are supposed to understand and speak to others beings in the way we govern our countries, the way we develop our communities, the way we manage our world and its resources, and the way we live in it. We should, as "superior" beings, be able to become the examples for other beings.

But the reality is that in fact we have failed. Yes, we definitely did. This is really why this planet is speaking again and again in varieties languages; in different places, and at different times, telling us to be natural and humane, i.e., to be ourselves. The reason is obvious, because "When the nature Speaks!" no one will be able to answer. We are in fact unable to understand, let alone respond to it.

Yes, when the Nature Speaks, hardly no one will be able to understand it nor will be able to respond. And no one will be able to argue with it. Not anyone from the superpower states of the USA and Britain, not from Saddam Hussein, neither from Osama bin Laden. Yes, when the nature speaks, no one has the language to understand, and reply. All human beings are in fact accepting these as realities, as natural disasters. That is the point where human beings are just human beings. Not more than that.

When the nature speaks, surely human-race is bound to respond, not by modern technology, not by human inventions, not by verbal languages, but in the language of the nature, i.e., signs. We need to change our perceptions about this planet and all beings. We need to re-start to position ourselves in this planet. We need to see ourselves as the "real" us, not "us" as we want or as what we dream of. And we need to do so by our actions (signs), not in our debates, lectures, preaching or dreams.

Enough signs in West Papua have spoken to us that we Papuans need to re-position ourselves; in the way we see ourselves and the way we behave, as part of and as the nature itself. We need to forget the rhetoric of development, modernisation, progress, civilisation and globalisation. It is shameful to be proud of such suicidal acts. It is embarrassing to claim that doing the business of managing ourselves and our worlds in the Western way is a good example, and therefore it is our way forward. And, it is more then shameful to say that we Papuans want to be alike and behave like those killers of this planet with all its inhabitants. Because when the nature Speaks, we become Nothing, and Nobody! What we do is we die, don't we?
© Copyright 2003-2004 by watchPAPUA

Posted via email from papua's posterous