Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh

Summary

                This documentary movie Ancient Futures is based on the book written by Helena Norberg-Hodge and produced by John Page. It explains the causes of crises around the world that threatening the security of people, such as environmental issues, unemployment, uneven development and growing conflict among people.
Ladakhis live on 40,000 feet high mountain ranges and thrived for their culture. Until recently, before the globalization comes in, Ladakhis live in peace and happiness. The people there produce their own food, clothing, materials they need for their live. They help each other for closeness relation and sense of community rather than for money. In 1970, the globalization is introduced to the region, the subsidize goods are carried by subsidize trucks on subsidize petroleum and destroy the local market of Ladakh. From then on, poor is known to people in the region, unemployment is present, conflict among different group of people occur: Muslim and Buddhist. The movie points out the root cause of the problems of today world with the case of Ladakh. The breakdown of Ladakh reminds us to re-think about the concept of development which we (people all over the world) accept and practice.  

Commentary

The movie Ancient Futures, cover many aspects in one documentary. It explore deep down to the root causes of the problem that we are facing in the world today. Currently, we are living in the environmental crises, economic crises, and conflict era. Scientists, scholars study the nature, the human activities, about history under hundreds of subjects in order to explain the root cause of the problems. Helena Norberg-Hodge is one of the scholars who can show the process of environmental degradation, economics crises, and human’s aspect by the analogue case study of Ladakh.

            In 1970, the western world was well developed. There were infrastructures, technology advancement, and there characters of development were already there. In contrast, Ladakh was still a closed region and the people could sustain themselves. Since 1970, Ladakh trade outside world. Produce products which will make money rather than the community consumption. By the book Ancient Future was published, in 1991, Ladakh was spoilt, the capital Leh have been polluted with trash. The streams which flow by cannot be used as drinking water. The government needs to provide the water with trucks. The hepatitis and other unknown water born disease are also presented to them. The movie “Ancient Futures” could point out the bad impact of the globalization through the case study of Ladakh, which were change within four decades. The movie provides a time machine to witness the causes of the today’s problems.

          As Ladakh region open for free market, the advertisements, consumerism and western notions come along with free market. So called “Development” measurements are applied to the people in the region. As a result, people are busy working for money, rather than for closeness relationship like in the past. People started to feel they are not happy as they were in the past. People compete each other to get more access to the resources. The group division, according to the movie, Muslim and Buddhist are intense situation for the struggle.  

            The movie did provide some solution for the better future. That is to cut the food, good and services voyage. To consume local product is the most important for sustaining and reducing the poverty. Energy consumption of today is high due to the long distance that the good and services travel. The producers, farmers get very less amount of payment in free market. In contrast, in local market, farmers get almost 100% of its product value.

             To sum up, ladakh is a remote region and free trade was introduced to the region which is not necessary for them. The western notion of development is applied and create the own problem as every other places in the world such as, unemployment, sanitary problems and conflict among groups. For solutions, consuming local food can cut the energy consumption and lead to sustainable lifestyle. 

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