| 2. UTOPIAS: THE WINGS TO FLY |
2.1. What is the meaning of a utopia today?
These difficulties make us ask ourselves about the value or actual meaning of utopias.
"Utopia, for today's Latin, is neither the Hegelian nor the Marxist dream, or the romantic future, it is the present, it is rather the day by day, dynamic and conflictive vital environment, in which most of the countries live today to change completely the existing perfidy and the pretexts to imitate them and explain them..." (IP, 4.7.03)
"Every utopia is a change and sometimes there is conflict and pain in changes... among those who encourage changes and those who had little need to change because they weren't excluded and (though they have the best of intentions) don't need to change their present situation... what is given... and they even oppose to changes..." (IP, 4.12.03)
"You can dream outside the environment, but today it would be something hollow in life... where it isn't easy to imagine even our own place since we mustn't dream on behalf of others" (IP, 4.7.03).
A margin of possibilities is left to dream in a context of respect to diversity in relation to every aspect as a ground for exchange, reproaching conflicts without allowing the possibility of exclusion in all its forms.
"...And maybe the utopia is to accept the conflict and to seek ways of sharing life despite strong differences... of vision and interests... of culture and priorities, the utopia is to learn how to defend yourself of those who impose power without adopting their exclusive style... of justifying exclusion..." (IP, 4.7.03)
We could ask ourselves, to sum up... "Can a technocrat build utopias?... probably yes, and it will be different to that of a humanist... (IP)
2.2. Between dream and reality a second escapes from eternity.
During all the process of Utopista, a constant feature of thought has been the need of having all dreams linked to reality; because we understand that utopias are built by the purposes that sustain it, they are born and consolidate struggling for power. That is why, as Bibiana suitably says, they aren't unworthy of the past, but as a result of experience of life new existence perceptions and utopias can be idealized.
"If dreams aren't born from a careful scrutiny of what is stalking the dream consciously and unconsciously, it can turn into a nightmare of biblical proportions" (Mapa, 4.22.03).
Consequently, we suggest the need of having the
cognitive abilities and reflection upon reality articulated congruently in the VC, and it is right there where all the other learning strategies have a place. (JP, 4.30.03).
"Everyday there are new needs to merge the universe of our dreams with that of our daily lives... to mix alchemically our dreams and our reality" (JP, 4.23.03).
And in that sense, Paulo Freire also talks about: "...To me, the term utopist isn't what is unrealizable, it isn't idealism. Utopia is to turn the acts of revealing the dehumanizing structure into a dialect, and the act of announcing the humanizing structure. For this reason it is a historical commitment as well. The utopia demands to be critical. It is an act of knowledge..." (guest from GC10
, 4.22.03).
"Utopias are built because there are 'purposes'... Utopias aren't unworthy of the past, but rescue memories, even the painful ones. They don't tear pages out of the books. They don't destroy. They don't show up - as new - by decree. The utopias need struggles to begin with and most of all to consolidate. Especially among those who want to have power forever at all costs" (Bibiana A., 4.25.03).
Beginning from this assertion and the revealed distopical situation:
"I'm not satisfied with coming back to a tight, rude, and immaculate structural context. Just talking about utopias, they are built because - 'there are needs', this devastating context doesn't contain purposes (referring to Argentina: we are here, in such a chaotic situation, that if we don't turn to poetry, at least me, I'd die)" (Bibiana A., 4.25.03).
From our Latin culture and soul, which adores pleasure, beauty and love, where passion is the resin that allows the alchemy among these three essential elements of life and the search for happiness amid this scenario of distrust, is still alive and our capacity to go beyond our circumstances emerges and we can think, decide and act creatively.
"I think you don't need it (referring to Bibiana's affirmation about those who dominate have no utopias) and that will hold them back. Unlike us, we really can have and besides we must. But we must build it! And modern times (even those so present as Chaplin's!) demand utopias" (VS, 4.25.03)
"In other words, the thing is to know how to incorporate (in its literal and strong sense) the shared dream in its reality and daily activities. How to integrate it in its 'habitus'" (AR).
For those who are very young, these words: "at least in a special school from the city of Mexico, they aim at a different reality, I can feel, toward a better society, more ethical and fairer and why not, more comfortable. (Mapa, Collaborators Synthesis).
There are three requirements to start dreaming:
- Avoid disguising dreams in order not to confront reality;
always touching the image (sometimes blurred) of reality with your middle finger11
and consequently, that implies �preventing from dreaming of a world where annihilation is disguised as justice for all. When nothing is left, only misery is distributed" (Mapa, 4.22.03).
- Always dream aware of the uncertainties bubbling under the shared truths. �those who feel they own the truth (especially the one and only) experience totalitarian temptations and utopias
might be turned into the ideological food of fanatics and fundamentalists of every kind" (Mapa, 4.22.03)
- Change the paradigms holding time and space, and how, with whom and for whom is society being built.
"The beautiful world I stand up for, proposed by Senaida, Daniel, Corrado, Irene, Bibiana and surely everyone in this gigantic wish called MISTICA, in order to be reached or imagined, needs an original and custom construction far different from that ruling today, at least in my culture (AR).
In how many forums the most important questions aren't answered? LOADS OF THEM. In how many forums the participants have no idea about where they are or where they are going? A lot of them, too. In how many forums it looks like the moderators are much more important than the participants? In how many forums the information is manipulated to convince or make the participants do this or that? Many. Too many (JP, 5.22.03).
2.3. Utopias nourish and enlighten the soul. They have their own room in the heart
Despite the difficulties to socialize individual dreams projecting as collective ones, there are some who have felt in company when participating in spaces like MISTICA and this, is already a part of the dream
"My first feeling was one of enormous happiness when I found out there were so many people in the world thinking and feeling the same, and working so passionately to accomplish their ideals, which I share and at the same time try to add my bit. This lone emotion is by now part of a dream come true, of what SI can be." (Roxana G, 4.8.03).
"Yes, dreaming is worth it anyway. No one should take that away from us" (Adri�n Rozengardt, 4.2.03)
"It's nice to encourage people to dream of a better humanity even when your hearts aches... (Irene, 4.7.03)
"No matter whose opinions, I like that other world. Firstly because it is possible and secondly because we have to make it possible. And all from the past was burnt there. We must conceive other forces to realize the model of progress making it come true." (VS, 4.14.03)
Nevertheless it is acknowledged that utopias are part of our memory, as Galeano says in the book of embraces, it is going back through the heart:
"...Utopias are also settled with memories" (Bibiana, 4.15.03)
[10]
Paulo Freire, "El mensaje de Paulo Freire: Teor�a y pr�ctica de la liberaci�n", ["Paulo Freire's Message: Theory and Practice of Liberation"] Fondo de Cultura Popular, Marsiega, Madrid, 1972, p.38. (GC guest)
[11] That is the heart finger, when the energetic points are worked out (tai chi, acupuncture, chi kun, etc.). And the heart is the place where all the emotions from our body get together, and are stored in our brain's hard disk.
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