42 Acres describes itself as “… a retreat space nestled within a secluded Somerset valley.” And it has just established a beautiful centre in a deconsecrated church in the heart of Shoreditch, East London. The other night I attended the inaugural talk at their new venue. It was a very intimate gathering and Soil Soul Society was delivered by Satish Kumar, the peace and environment activist whom I have long wanted to meet and hear in person.
Born in Sri Dungargarh, in Rajasthan, Satish became at nine a Jain novitiate then at 18 ran off in search of relevance, becoming a campaigner for land reform. In the 1960s he was inspired by Bertrand Russell in the cause of peace. At 26, he and fellow peace campaigner E P Menon walked 8,000 miles from Delhi to Washington via Moscow, Paris and London (without money, living only by the generosity of strangers) in support of nuclear disarmament. At the end of their journey, they delivered a packet of peace tea to the leaders of the world’s four nuclear powers.
Until retiring recently, Satish was also editor for many years of Resurgence magazine (now Resurgence and Ecologist) and his talk was the first of a new collaboration between 42 Acres and The Resurgence Trust. Resurgence “… was founded in 1966 by John Papworth, a well-known peace campaigner with connections to the Committee of 100 and the Peace Pledge Union, but rapidly broadened its critique from the nuclear nightmare generated by the Cold War to pollution, intensive farming and food production and the related political problems of centralisation, bigness and the growing separation of economics from ethics.” David Nicholson-Lord)
Soil Soul Society – a new trinity for our time is the title of Satish’s latest book. He talked about the importance of soil – which is fundamental to survival as without it we cannot feed ourselves – and on how it is also important and possible to take up the cause of sustainability in urban areas like London. And of being the change that we want.
As one who is in the process of trying to be the change and in the process of being made to fail (for reasons I won’t go into here) I wanted to know how to overcome this perennial problem, but Satish answered the question before I asked it. He talked of remaining hopeful and optimistic. I also found the answer in Satish’s book in the form of this poem – a favourite also of Mahatma Gandhi – by Rabindranath Tagore:
Walk Alone, Walk Alone
If no one comes at your call, then walk alone
Walk alone, walk alone, walk alone
If no one comes at your call, then walk alone
If no one speaks, unlucky as you are
if no one speaks,
If everyone looks away,
if everyone fears
If everyone looks away,
if everyone fears
then open your heart,
find words for your thoughts
and speak alone
find words for your thoughts
and speak alone
If no one comes at your call, then walk alone
If anyone, when the path gets tough,
loses the will to go on
If anyone, when the path gets tough,
loses the will to go on
Then bloody your feet with its thorns
and tramp alone
Then bloody your feet with its thorns
and tramp alone
If no one comes at your call, then walk alone
If they offer no light, unlucky as you are,
If they offer no light
If in storm and rain and on dark nights
they shut their doors
If in storm and rain and on dark nights
they shut their doors
then with the lightning
kindle a fire in your ribs
and blaze alone
kindle a fire in your ribs
and blaze alone
If no one comes at your call, then walk alone
Walk alone, walk alone, walk alone
If no one comes at your call, then walk alone
The 42 Acres talk was filmed for the Resurgence Trust and will be added to Resurgence’s You Tube channel. In the meantime, please enjoy the above presentation of Satish talking about Soil Soul Society in Exeter.
Poetic Mapping: Walking Into Art 
Had a few occasions to share this poem. There are many who thinks they (we) are alone.
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Yes, I’m getting that, too. One the one hand, I can find this encouraging. On the other, it’s sad.
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Very fine speech – a bold and clear message from one who apparently walks alone and persists. To be on a good path is reward enough, or so they say. And to be on that path with others is some sort of reward too.
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Satish is a very gifted speaker. And humble. In the You Tube vid, he spoke to many. The gathering I was at last week was very small, as it is a new venture. He was willing to put himself out to help others ‘be the change’.
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When I was a therapist in a hospital back in the day we tried to provide a therapeutic milieu – which meant us, the staff. Everybody has an effect.
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Absolutely. We are all connected.
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What an inspiring man and the poem really speaks to me right now. I am feeling that walking alone regardless of what others say or think is the way forward at present.
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Yes, he is inspiring. And it seems there are a lot of us all walking alone together! See that shadow? That’s me!
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Stunning poem! Needed to hear that today.
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I needed it too. I’m sorry you did, but it is the way of the world. There is comfort to be had in knowing that though we ‘walk alone’ sometimes we walk alone with others! I am looking into ‘Asemic Writing’ at the moment and finding its possibilities quite exciting. I thought you might find it interesting, (just in case you’ve not already been down that road).
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I got to know about asemic writing through the book collaborations I’ve taken part in via Cheryl Penn. A very interesting concept. Enjoy!
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I knew you’d have been down that road. 🙂
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Found this just this second! Thought I’d share re asemic writing: http://artlovenature.co.za/artwork-week-karoo-script-maria-tupay-duque/
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Thanks for the link. Lovely work. Given me ideas. I was also reminded of a Thomas Hardy poem: Drummer Hodge, second verse: “Young Hodge the drummer never knew —
Fresh from his Wessex home —
The meaning of the broad Karoo,
The Bush, the dusty loam,
And why uprose to nightly view
Strange stars amid the gloam.”
Is ‘Karoo’ also a language/script?
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It’s a place. A semi-desert in South Africa. It’s a huge area. If you look up The Owl House and/or Helen Martins, South Africa’s most famous outsider artist, you’ll get a glimpse of the place. It can be beautiful although most people kind of just ‘get through it’ on the way to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town, not necessarily in that order. Should one travel by car that is. The train trip is magnificent. Wish trains were safer, would love another journey. It takes 26 hrs!
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The Owl House is amazing. She peopled her own world. Or ‘owled’ it! Those haunting crushed glass eyes. 26 hours through the Karoo? That’s some semi-desert. So there is no Karoo script. I am looking forward to doing some asemic writing and realised I used to do it – sort of – for a living – using wax and here I am at it again.
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Re Walking Alone – I’d like to add it isn’t a burden, there are many gifts on such a road.
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It’s the snipers who are the burden. I’m fed up plugging bullet holes.
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I’ve just dodged a sniper or two myself. It’s heartbreaking work.
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Yes it is heartbreaking. But you’re right, the ‘lone walk’ has great rewards. I don’t know if this will help (and I have no reason to think it will!) but I was just recently convinced that when it happens (to me) it’s NOT MY FAULT. That was a burden I didn’t need to carry any longer. 🙂
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I’m beginning to get there though I remind myself to remain mindful of my actions and even my thoughts. I’m in a bit of a spin at present so it’s hard work.
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Wow! Just started practising ‘mindfulness’ this week in respect to food/nutrition as I am not too well at the moment. It has been immediately revealing. Working on mindfulness in general.
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Sorry you’re not well! What’s wrong?
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General malaise – back/hip/ankle pains. No big deal.
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Be well Ann.
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Working on it! Same to you.
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