Meet The Future Icons: Satish Kumar

‘And all those people loved me back; love begets love.’

Satish Kumar once walked 8,000 miles for peace without a single penny, and he would like every nation, with the UK leading, to appoint a Minister of Peace.

What do you do and why does it matter?

I write regular articles for Resurgence & Ecologist magazine. My subjects are concerning Nature. I present the idea that humans are also as much Nature as mountains, forests, oceans and animals.

I also teach at Schumacher College. My teachings are about Deep Ecology, which means that Nature has intrinsic value and we should not value Nature only in terms of how useful she is for humans. I also speak and teach at national and international events. I get so many invitations that I can’t honour them all!

What first made you realise environmental or social impact was something you wanted to be part of?

When I was walking from India to Moscow, Paris, London and Washington, I was an integral part of Nature, every day. During that walk I realised that the Earth is a living organism and it is our responsibility to care for the Earth on a daily basis.

Presently humans see Nature just as a resource for the economy. This is not right. Nature is life itself.

What’s the achievement you’re most proud of – and what made it possible?

I made a walking pilgrimage for peace; I walked 8,000 miles through 15 countries, without a single penny. It took me two and a half years to go around the world. I travelled over the oceans by boat, otherwise I was walking. That is perhaps the most important achievement of my life.

It was made possible because of the kindness and hospitality of strangers. In Muslim countries I said to people, ‘You are Muslims, I love you.’ In Christian countries I said, ‘You are Christians, I love you.’ In communist countries, I said, ‘You are communists, I love you.’ In capitalist countries I said, ‘You are capitalists, I love you.’ And all those people loved me back; love begets love.

Where have you had the most measurable, tangible impact?

I established Schumacher College in 1991. During the past 36 years, more than 20,000 people from 90 countries have come to study at Schumacher College. I often hear from our alumni that their experiences at Schumacher College had changed their lives.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about your field – or about the change you’re trying to make?

One of the misconceptions people have is that humans are incapable of protecting Nature, and humans are selfish by nature. This in my view is incorrect.

I believe that humans can rise to a higher level of consciousness, and they are capable of loving and protecting Nature. There may be a small part of selfishness in humans, but we are fundamentally altruistic.

If you could change one thing systemically – policy, culture, industry practice – right now, what would it be?

There are 194 countries in the world. Altogether nations spend $3,000 billion ($3 trillion) on arms, weapons and the military. Nations spend zero on peace-making and peace-building.

Therefore, one policy change that I would like to see is that every nation should appoint a Minister of Peace, who will be responsible for solving disputes and conflicts through negotiation, and going to war would be the absolute last resort. Let the UK be the leader and appoint a Minister of Peace.

Who or what is your biggest source of inspiration right now?

Bhutan is one country that pursues the idea of ‘Gross National Happiness’ instead of Gross National Product. I have been to Bhutan several times. It is a beautiful country and has the most wonderful people. Bhutan is my greatest source of inspiration.

What keeps you up at night – and what gives you hope?

I worry about factory farming. Countless numbers of cows, pigs and chickens are kept in confinement, in closed environments, and they never see the light of day; they never have fresh air to breathe or fresh grass to eat. That keeps me up at night.

However, there is a wonderful event in Oxford called the Oxford Real Farming Conference. They meet every year and promote the idea of compassionate, regenerative and organic farming. They give me hope.