You have watches but we have time

By Enrique Cifres

Our stubborn and haughty western worldview, destroyer of our environment, is obfuscated on changing the nature to turn it into what we think it would be our convenience, instead of learning from it and accept their gifts. 

We need to learn many things, most of them already known as humankind, which we have already forgotten, neglecting other cultures, other times, stupidly thinking ourselves superior.

"The Tuareg people say that God created some land with water so that men could fill, and also created dry land so that men could experience thirst. In the Tuareg wisdom it is said that God created the desert so that men could find themselves". (Pablo d'Ors - El amigo del desierto -Ed. Anagrama).

Living in the desert, unfeasible for us, requires adapting to the environment, but not as an enemy. When night comes, with no light, day is over and the family is gathered in the tent. The father, unable to extend their workday for a materialistic improving their "quality of life", is able to be with their children and talk to them, transmit his values, their tradition, their memories, the teachings of his own father and grandfathers, having chance an time for listening to their children and learn their concerns and feelings. There is not a console that separates them, not the only one thought to invade and capture the minds of their offspring.

Each “jaima” is a school, and the diversity of people becomes cultural diversity, diversity of thinking that is as important as biodiversity, which we resisted so long to realize as essential for life wealth. Cultural diversity of ideas, sources, ways of interpreting spirituality, meaning of life, ethical values, etc .. is an indispensable good for the human race.

But the West, once again sails in reverse and instead of talking to your son, you buy a television for his room, and leave him watching at that TV contest, identically played in all countries of the world, which works modeling him as one more repetitive being.

It is time to realize that exporting an unique model has a terrible price, the disappearance of cultural diversity. Only a few songs, just a few menus, just a few bestselling authors, reduce to nothing our culture while others are despised.

As a Tuareg who returned to his desert after finishing a doctorate in Paris said: "I return to my homeland, here you have watches but we have time."