Philosophies of Hope in an Age of Ecological Rupture

The Kabbalistic phrase, Tikkun Olam, means, in essence, to repair the world. The original interpretation is spiritually esoteric, describing the imperative to repair our souls and our connection to God. More modern perspectives inspire grounded social and ecological work that seeks to repair the damage inflicted by our modern world. At the Tikkun Institute, we believe these two meanings work synergistically.

We find our values and philosophy are also well represented in the concept of Interbeing as described by the gentle Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Naht Hahn. Interbeing recognizes and celebrate the fundamental interconnectedness of all Life - on Earth and throughout Creation - and reminds us to be mindful, peaceful, respectful and compassionate.

The fact that Thich Naht Hahn practiced his philosophy even as bombs were falling around him in Vietnam’s war inspires us to deepen our commitment to regenerative work, even as the future threat of climate change becomes our daily reality.

We believe it is a moral and spiritual duty to urgently address the threat of climate change to ensure a healthy, sustainable and just future for our children, our grandchildren, and all beings on Earth.

At Tikkun, we know the climate crisis is real. For many years we’ve watched the seasons and weather drift out of balance. In 2023, we experienced the most extreme heat and drought in local memory. The rains failed, our farm suffered, and all our campesino neighbors lost their field crops. As growers, we know the fragility of human agriculture, and believe current projections of near-term food insecurity due to climate change are grossly underestimated.

The future of water is also deeply concerning, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions like ours. Rural agricultural villages around the world already suffer water depletion due to massive over-use by export agribusiness. Short-sighted development projects proliferate, without acknowledging the day when our overtaxed aquifers run dry. In San Miguel, that date is expected in less than 10 years.

Climate change will exacerbate every ecological, social and political problem, driving mass migrations. Though the most vulnerable will suffer first, ultimately there is no security for anyone - rich or poor - in such a destabilized world.

How we respond to our current ecological and climate crises will determine the nature of our survival as a species and the shape of the world to come. Will our response be based in wisdom, compassion and in mutual aid, or will we choose the “armed lifeboat”? Will democracies survive, or will a fear-based and violent politics grab the reins for the self-serving few?

In dark and chaotic times, it is easy to become lost. How do we find guidance?

At Tikkun we find our way by turning to and learning from Mother Earth herself. Through studying the climate, the water cycle, the soil-food web and the vast fungal forest networks, we understand our planet as one living being, with all life systems functioning in interconnectedness. We learn that our way back to balance is to respect and prioritize Earth’s natural boundaries and limits, and to restore the biodiverse ecosystems necessary for the survival all Life, including humanity.

We recognize that an effective response to the climate crisis must also be interconnected and holistic, from our personal choices to our political actions. Those of us who can must educate and organize as families, as neighbors, and as citizens. While only some of us can effectively engage in the larger work of mobilizing grassroots and NGO support for meaningful climate policy, nearly all of us can immediately engage in ecological repair work.

Through our restoration practices at Tikkun such as organic agriculture, rebuilding soils, restoring eroded watersheds, capturing rainwater, planting forests, and fostering biodiversity, we have discovered that the Earth heals quickly when we simply support her health and wellbeing.

Repairing the world means creating the conditions from which life can reorganize itself.

We do not have all the answers to the challenges of these times, but we do have faith that together, if we choose, we can gently and compassionately heal our broken world.