Hippies learned early that we could not rely on the establishment for our security and happiness. One key part of our vision was to get back to the utopian ideal of a healthy community.
 Hippies saw themselves as the leading edge of an emerging society based on peace and love. Our lifestyles were based on an emerging global awareness. We were among the first to “Think globally, but act locally.”
Eldridge Cleaver said “If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.”
Hippies were one of several social movements that believed solutions could only be achieved if people worked together. We worked along side the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, and the anti-war movement. We shared common values, including the importance of nonviolence, civil disobedience, freedom, equality and creativity. Our strength was not only in our growing numbers, but how we joined together in common struggle against the establishment elite.
Hippies believed strongly in community. We knew that by working together we could accomplish more than by working under the pull of economic self interest. Hippies formed alternative groupings as a way of distancing themselves from the consumer culture. Hippies created free clinics, food cooperatives, and other community ventures. These serve as models for the future that can be shared.
Hippies also formed communes of various sizes and with mixed results. There are many valuable lessons from these intentional communities. We found that together we have all the talents and tools we need. Such arrangements came in a wide variety of forms. Many are still successful around the world. The media tended to focus on the negative influence of communes as exemplified by Charles Manson, Jim Jones, or other psychopaths.
The Internet and wireless communication provide us with amazing opportunities to organize and make our voices heard. The recent phenomenon of flash mobs provides a perfect mechanism for getting together for fun and to promote change. We need to reestablish the sense of shared responsibility and community that the hippies tried to achieve. There are few limits to the types of changes that can be made if we work together. We also must support each other on a more personal level. Don’t rely on the government or any other bureaucracy to make you happy or keep you secure.
How to Get Together:
* All change must start at the grass roots level. Get involved with local politics, your schools, and community groups. It is particularly important to give our young people the freedom and opportunities they deserve. You can have an important influence by building grassroots networks within your geographic area, and increasingly around the globe.
* Start talking with your family and friends about some of the topics we have covered on this site. Reach out to others in your community who share your views. Use the Internet and various on-line services to find like-minded people in your own area or anywhere else in the world. Establish community bulletin boards and invite contributions from others.
* Hold community festivals to mark holidays, changing seasons or for any good cause. Feature local artists, performers, and activists. Arts can promote community cohesion and cooperation. These could be used as fund-raising events for local organizations and public needs. Slow down and look for opportunities to get to know other people.
* Study and model successful counter-culture communities around the world. Some that have lessons for us include Portland, Madison, Vancouver, and Amsterdam. Emulate these and other places where innovation and creativity flourish, along with a high standard of living.
* Government needs to be responsive to the needs of more people than the elite group now in power. We all need to support the Democratic party in the upcoming election in order to remove the root cause of our problems. It would be nice if there was a third-party in the near future. We also need more women, minorities, and young people in power.
* In 1968, the Hippies tried to stage a Festival of Life during the Democratic convention in Chicago. Scared off by Mayor Daley’s threats, the bands all pulled out and most hippies stayed away from the violence. The police outnumbered the demonstrators and soon lost control. They hurt many demonstrators and innocent by-standers. The media played a very important role when they featured the protestors shouting “The whole world is watching.” It would be great if hippies could make their presence felt at the upcoming political conventions.
* Get away from the scarcity mindset. We need to stop competing among ourselves. The only way for one of us to be happy is for others to be happy. By working together and sharing our talents we can build prosperity for ourselves and future generations. We must lead the way by simplifying our own lifestyles and providing more assistance to developing countries. We are all on this planet together and there are no alternatives but to survive or fall together.
Comment on this article
You must login to leave comments...
Other Visitors Comments
|
HipHappy Habits 
