Sustainability and Providential Economics, how far do these ideas connect, given that they deal with the conscious use of available resources and their preservation for future generations?
The idea of sustainability has always been linked to the attempt to reconcile economic growth with environmental preservation, with the economic-environmental issue as the central axis of discussion since the first discussions on the subject.
The first publication to highlight the term Sustainability appeared in the report ‘The Limits to Growth’ published in 1971 by the Club of Rome.
The term was coined in 1980 with the publication of the ‘World Conservation Strategy’ by the IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature and, in 1987, the concept of Sustainability gained worldwide prominence with the ‘Brundtland Report’ published by the CMMAD – World Commission on Environment and Development. According to the Brundtland Report:
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
The meaning of sustainable development is development that is viable over time, the essential condition of which is the ability of the socio-economic system not to lose its energy and still be available to future generations. In this context, capacities would be limited by technological and institutional development, as well as by ecosystems. This vision restricts the incorporation of society’s demands beyond the material resources available, which could be incorporated into the idea of providential economics.
Providential economics is an idea worked on within the framework of Cafh’s spiritual path as a tool for broadening the individual’s awareness of existence and acting responsibly in the process of building and living collectively in the search for a more harmonious society.
According to Cafh, practicing Providential Economics ‘…means using the resources at our disposal – both personal and social – for the good and advancement of life on Earth’ (The Work of Cafh, Providential Economics, 2006). In other words, it means applying wisdom to the use of available resources, both for personal advancement and for the good of all human beings. In this sense, three aspects are considered: 1- The use of the resources at one’s disposal; 2- The reserve of resources, savings; 3- The multiplication of the volume of resources.
This concept brings with it the sense of non-possession, of detachment from extrinsic goods (material, intellectual and other) that encourage possession and are transitory goods, and of valuing intrinsic goods. The latter are those that belong to the essence of being (magnetic, mental, soul and spiritual), being inexhaustible and able to expand to the whole of humanity. Explaining this view a little further is a passage from the ‘Spirit of Cafh’ course, in the teaching ‘The Intrinsic Goods’, which says:
The cause of the world’s misery is not the system of property, but the sense of selfish possession. Goods that are possessed in order to increase production and distribute it appropriately at the right time are a source of wealth for human beings, while goods that are accumulated out of greed, speculation and for unbridled enjoyment are a cause of misery for the world.
By focusing on the equitable distribution of resources for the well-being of society as a whole, an idea is offered that gives an amplified sense of contribution and, even more so, of individual responsibility in building a more inclusive world.
At the heart of the Providential Economy concept is the notion of occupying just one place in the world, not two, as is emphasized:
To live the Providential Economy in the social sense is to occupy only one place in the world and in the enjoyment of wealth, and no more; it is to transform one’s own energy into mental strength for the world and to generate, both with what is useful and with what is unnecessary and what is left over, necessary, real goods, a source of future wealth for oneself and for all. (Spirit of Cafh, The Intrinsic Goods, 2011).
In practice, we can understand that occupying only one place means recognizing and working so that everyone has the same rights, has the resources available (material, intellectual, soul), and enjoys the freedom of choice. In the ‘Doctrine’ course, the teaching ‘Content of the Doctrine, Providential Economy’ stresses that:
When each one occupies only one place in life, when he has what he needs and no more, and gives others the same right, there is more than enough to provide for the needy, assist the sick, support souls in their development and build a world of peace and harmony.
By referring to the ‘wise use of the energy of life’, energy that is contained in the cosmos, the planet, animate and inanimate beings, in all that is manifest, providential economics takes us back to a holistic vision of the relationship between human beings and all that exists, incorporating a dimension that goes beyond the economic-environmental dimension. By valuing the intrinsic goods of the human being, it expands beyond the concept of sustainability, going beyond material resources and including soul resources and a spiritual vision in its approach.
There is a point of confluence between providential economics and sustainability, which lies in the awareness that all of nature’s resources must be ‘equitably’ distributed among all living beings, and must be preserved for both current and future generations. Here lies the interface between the two ideas.
The challenge imposed on both is to awaken the human being’s awareness that every individual action/thought reverberates in themselves, in their immediate surroundings, on the planet and in the cosmos. And to awaken awareness of the responsibility we have towards the equitable use of all available resources (material and immaterial) for living humanity, and also for future generations. And so be able to realize that changing the world starts with changing yourself. And this is only possible if we continually reflect deeply on what we are doing and generating and understand that ‘The world is my home. Humanity is my family’ (Ana Cristina Flor, Message of the Plenilunium, 2024).
Ana Luzia Fregonazzi Bottecchia Senn
References:
‘The Limits to Growth’ was a study carried out by a team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), at the request of the Club of Rome, which generated a lot of controversy when it concluded that, if humanity continued to consume natural resources as it did at the time, these resources would be exhausted within 100 years. (https://collections.dartmouth.edu/content/deliver/inline/meadows/pdf/meadows_ltg-001.pdf)
Lima, S. Ferraz, Introduction to the Concept of Sustainability Applicability and Limits. UNIBRASIL. Cadernos da Escola de Negócios. Number 14. Vol.4 Number 04 – Jan/Dec 2006.
