Making A Better World in the New Year

It is only a few weeks into 2016 and I'm excited by the commitments I’ve seen around the world in the movements to turn a death economy, based on wars and ravaging the earth’s resources, into a life economy that supports socially just political systems and environmentally sustainable and regenerative economic systems. The idea that our economy can continue destroying the very resources upon which it depends has been exposed as a lie. People everywhere are waking up to the need for change. The Consciousness Revolution is in full swing.At the same time, the status quo—the corporatocracy, those who believe they benefit from continuing on a course that is failing—is digging in. My new book The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, to be published February 9, describes how economic hit men and jackal assassins not only have increased their efforts in the economically developing countries but also have come home to roost in the U.S. and Europe. They employ the tools I used in the 1970s of fear and debt, divide and conquer, to attempt to maintain a system that ultimately will destroy them, as well as the rest of us. The book, however, focuses on what we—you and I—can do to change this.For me personally, the highlights of this past year were events that demonstrated the power of this Consciousness Revolution—from Dream Change’s Love Summit in Portland, Oregon; to taking groups to Guatemala in January, Ecuador in August, and Colombia in December; facilitating workshops in Aruba, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, and the U.S.; the Pachamama Alliance's extraordinary week of consciousness-changing events in San Francisco in November; and sailing and speaking on the Japanese Peace Boat. My greatest thrill continues to be getting out there and sharing times with people who are eager to understand that there is another way. I feel so blessed to be in a position where I have the opportunity to inspire people and be inspired by them—by you.Part of my getting out there involved thinking, feeling, and researching this new book. That process helped me understand the importance of this era, this revolution we are experiencing, and the incredible opportunities presented to us by the very crises we face. I am excited to share, through the pages of The New Confessions, my findings and my strategy for transforming a Death Economy into a Life Economy.  I look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas. Pre-order it here.Let’s commit to making 2016 the year when our awakened consciousness creates new actions. More ideas about specific steps to take are suggested in my latest blog posts and detailed in the book.Looking to the future, I'm excited for my upcoming trips and conferences in Guatemala, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Please join me. On many of the trips, I'll be facilitating exchanges between trip participants and the local indigenous people; historically indigenous cultures understand the importance of living within the limits of their environments because they experience the immediate consequences of their actions, while we in the industrialized world haven't been forced to see that—until now. I’ll also be speaking at many venues in the U.S.; that list will constantly be updated at www.johnperkins.org.The world might seem vast to us, but it really is a rather tiny, fragile space station. Our geographic boundaries are limited: there are no new land areas to discover and exploit on this Living Earth. And there are no escape shuttles. So we must not only develop sustainable systems, but also regenerate our devastated environments and resources. Let us celebrate the magic and joy of working together in the new year toward this important and life-affirming goal.