by Jean-Philippe, European elections 2019

I am European. I am French, German, Romanian, human, a living being that came out of nature. I am sad to see all the destruction we are creating in the world – to ourselves, to our fellow humans, to our planet. Despite the seemingly dark prospects, I am optimistic. In the course of my life, I have met hundreds of creative, open-hearted and courageous people across the world that try to build a future with more sustainable modes of living. That embrace the fact that there are failures and errors on the way, since we are no machines, but never forget the direction towards a more cooperative, peaceful, happy, sustainable and respectful future for all living creatures. I am optimistic that even the most stubborn and narcissistic people in the world, among them so-called global leaders, will understand that all they will lose is their fear, sense of guilt and sense of senselessness. I am entirely sure that all that will be there in the future is already there in the hearts of the people. We just have to allow it to finally flourish, unleashing each and everyone’s unique potential, allowing the healing process (for our body and minds) to start, allowing ourselves to just be in the world as it is. To finally see all the beauty that there is. With no condition, with no limits, with no but.

Howevertoday marks a decisive point in history. The shadows of the past have gainedhold again. Fear, greed and destruction grow from the ashes of post-war Europe.A global arms race, record social inequalities and the apocalyptic degradationof our natural environment now call for a radical shift in how we live, work,produce and consume for us to survive. We don’t need to invest in spacecolonies or seek a solution out of space. As Einstein said, we cannot solve ourproblems with the same kind of thinking that created them. Instead of fleeingour problems, we need to tidy up in front of our door. Together.

Unfortunately,Europe risks becoming bitter and unable to forgive itself and to be forgivenfor the hundreds of years of misery it brought to the world: colonialism,industrial agriculture, the invention and commercialization of poisons for oursoils, water and air and a global economic system that leaves behind a deadplanet. Europe has to become adult and excuse for what it has done and finallystart to listen to others. At the same time, it should not forget what it canbring to the world: a transnational governance model able to overcome egoisticinterests, social security systems and relatively good education systems, amongothers.

As anadult, Europe has to finally acknowledge interdependency. Either we all becomehappier, healthier, more prosperous all together or we all lose. This is thelesson of the 21^st century. There is no other choice. By buildingwalls and letting people die in the sea, we create misery. By exporting oursubsidized agricultural products, our garbage, emissions, weapons and others,we create misery. This creates hate in the other parts of the world. And willcome back much worse, in forms of wars, in forms of millions of people tryingto come to Europe, in forms we don’t even want to imagine. We need globalreconciliation. A global new deal. A sincere new start. We need to develop aslow model for human evolution while quickly tackling climate change andrestoring biodiversity. Humankind has managed the pest, two world wars and manyother events. It will manage this one too, if we open up again. Speak to ourneighbours, become more mindful, more compassionate, more kind to ourselves,others, the planet, life itself. Every day.

The European elections 2019 were a historic day. Commentators may say it’s the start of the end. That the far-right has taken over Europe. That it’s the end of democracy, peace and prosperity is near. They are wrong. The war, the destruction, the end – they are already here. We just need to open our eyes to see the death, terror, the war on terror, the depression epidemic, the drug abuse epidemic, the plagues of climate change, the economic and cyberwars, the civic wars, the ecocides of forests, mass slaughterhouses, whales full of plastic and extinct Koala bears and Orang Utans.

Today isthe day of choice. Let’s choose creation over destruction. Let’s choose loveover hate. Let’s choose forgiving over bitterness. Let’s all look deeply insideof ourselves. Let’s all forgive ourselves for everything we have done that hascontributed to bring us into the deep shit we are in right now. Let’s help othersto do the same. Let’s acknowledge our deep bonds, our common roots, our commondestiny and common happiness and the contribution of each and everyone of uswith all our qualities and charming human errors. Let’s embrace all of it tobreathe, see and laugh again.

I want to breathe again. I want to inhale fresh, clean air, filtered by natural forces and not by chemical plants, filtered by trees and not by the aircon. I want to smell the freedom again, the passion for a better, sustainable and happy life – for all living creatures.

I want to see again. Remove the grey veil of fears, asphalt and most people’s clothing. I want to see friendship becoming a unifying, truly universal value, I want to see the magic that the love of friendship is able to create. I want to see smiles in people’s faces.

I want to hear laughter. The kind of laughter in which everyone laughs. The most powerful laughter which will not end. Because there is no barrier, no hate, an unconditional sharing of the beauty of the moment. I want to hear honest laughter from everyone.

Tomorrow isthe day of action. The solutions are all on the table: a global stop to landgrabbing, global reforestation, global stop of pesticide use, global organicfarming, local and regional food production (including urban gardening), globalocean cleanup, a global CO2 tax (also applying to trade), a global stop to armsproduction, global disarmament, global taxation of kerosene, global digitalplatforms for public infrastructure, more carsharing (building electric cars tobe used by one driver is an ecological nightmare), more cycling and more publictransport, fast transnational railways, remote work, shorter working weeks tohave time to be at the service of the community and to grow own food, citizens’assemblies to decide our own future and take ownership over it, global taxationof wealth, global investment in more sustainable materials, reuse, recycling (aglobal standard on plastics to allow recycling of pure plastic materials),massive waste reduction, community-based healthcare, a minimum income foreveryone, globally connected local currencies, strengthening local democracyand many more things you know about or will learn about. Let’s do it.

As Europeans. As humans. As feeling beings.