I am delighted to see the level of discussion that is occurring in Vincentian Mindwalk! As I have said before the purpose of this site is to provide a space where a cross-section of the Vincentian Movement can respectfully explore questions that matter and share experiences and insights.

In that context I offer this “guest post” from Dee Mansi in Great Britain. She explores “How can we live better?” and the core, key Vincentian question “What must be done”. 

As in many good discussions, she concludes with two further questions…

  • Can we continue to absolve ourselves as massive consumers? 
  • Can we try harder to keep what is good from our lockdown life, and continue to confine consumerism?

Enough is Enough

There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself” Laudato Si 118.

As a social experiment, our cocooning community in quarantine lockdown has produced some interesting results for us as a consuming culture.

Reflecting on the state of our world, two questions come to mind “How can we live better?” and the core, key Vincentian question “What must be done”.  These questions are a call for endless improvement and continual growth— individuals and community.  

After the initial panic buying of food and consumables, people stopped buying clothes and items that would not be needed in the privacy of our homes. We were buying flour and home cooking ingredients instead. Closed restaurants and places of entertainment saw our bank balances stabilize. Reports of spending less and saving increased.

“Globally, population confinement has led to drastic changes in energy use and CO2 emissions” 17% or 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide on 7th April 2020 – a drop down to 2006 levels. In Europe the drop was 27%; the biggest decrease since the end of World War 2 in 1945. Humorous social media videos of wild animals moving in streets are also lessons of how quickly nature will recover!

 The Vincentian charism right from the start, is for continuous improvement in a mixture of contemplation and action, and that combination seems particularly relevant right now.

 “We need to reimagine the shape of the progress. Today, we have economies that need to grow whether or not they make us thrive. What we need are economies that make us thrive whether or not they grow; this requires a profound shift in mindset.” Kate Raworth. She is an English economist known for her work on the ‘doughnut economics’ which she understands as an economic model that balances between essential human needs and planetary boundaries. Listen to her TED talk here.

There is a huge problem with using Gross Domestic Production (GDP) as a measure of a country’s wealth. A high GDP person will buy prepared food, uses a lot of energy in electric devices and drives a high fuel-use car. On the other hand, “those who grow their own vegetables, use public transport or limit their demands on energy aren’t as useful to society, measured by traditional economic worth” Jon Gertner, New York Times

But GDP does not allow for the health of our people, the quality of their education or joy of life. It does not include the beauty of music, poetry or the integrity of our public leaders.

Anything that ensures a worthwhile life is not measured. 

“Education for sustainable development challenges individuals, institutions and societies to view tomorrow as a day that belongs to all of us or it will not belong anyone” UNESCO.

  • Can we continue to absolve ourselves as massive consumers? 
  • Can we try harder to keep what is good from our lockdown life, and continue to confine consumerism?