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Green Leaves features on Share-Net and news from Japan - the concept of 'Mottainai'

During December 2008 Green Leaves was featured in the Share-Net Newsletter and people were invited to join the network!

For those interested Share-Net is co-ordinated from the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA)
in the Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal. The office operates alongside the SADC Regional EE Centre to provide stronger support to environmental education initiatives in the southern African region. The Share-Net project is
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Claire Peddie is responsible for coordinating Share-Net and shared the following news from a visit to Japan in the Newsletter:

"A word many of us were introduced to during this Japanese visit was “Mottainai”. In Japan, mottainai is used in everyday conversation to express the regret when something that could still be used is not, or when something is thrown away or otherwise wasted. Mottainai is like the English word wasteful, but what makes it different is its suggestion of respect and affection toward nature and the objects around us. International interest in mottainai was initiated by a visit to Japan in 2005 by Professor Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental activist who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. When Professor Maathai heard about mottainai, she decided to spread the word to the rest of the world. She felt that this single word expressed the basic concept of the environmental conservation movement "reduce, reuse, recycle" but also included a fourth important element, respect for the earth’s limited resources."

Maybe the concept of mottainai is something we should consider on Green Leaves - how do you feel?

Elna

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Commento da Massimo su 5 Gennaio 2009 a 23:04: It's a wonderful news, Elna!
Thanks!
I hope good things from this contact with Share-Net. (http://www.wessa.org.za/sharenet.asp)

The concept of "Mottainai" is very interesting.

If I think at "Mottainai" I think about all things I used and I don't need more, but I can't throw away, because there is a link between them and me.

If I think at "Mottainai" I remember ... many years ago ... when people didn't throw away nothing! Everything was reused, with imagination and creativity.

If I think at "Mottainai" I think to all people arriving in the western world from the poorest parts of Africa, India, Latin America, .... and that behave as we behaved many years ago ...

If I think at "Mottainai" I think about nature, which doesn't throw away nothing!

If I think at "Mottainai" I think about how much damage we do every day to our environment!

Thanks to the meaning that Japanese people gives to word "Mottainai" we can better understand ethical and sacral value that have things surround us. And above all the value of the "things" of nature.

Very thanks to Professor Wangari Maathai!
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This is the interesting Wikipedia definition of the word "Mottainai...

For Italian people ...

La via nipponica all'ecologia - forum

" ... "Mottainai" è una di quelle parole giapponesi che si sono diffuse nel Mondo. E' una parola negativa che si usa rimpiangendo l'atto di aver sprecato qualcosa. Questa parola deriva da uno stile di vita tradizionale giapponese in cui si usano le cose per molto tempo fino a che non servono più. I fratelli minori mettono i vestiti che mettevano i fratelli maggiori; questo tipo di vestito si chiama "o sagari" ("sagari (sagaru)" significa "scendere"). Tante madri dicono spesso ai loro figli "mangia il riso fino all'ultimo chicco". Ma adesso ci sono molte più cose nella vita quotidiana e questo spirito tradizionale giapponese sta andando via... mi dispiace."
dal sito: http://massa.typepad.com/dal_giappone/

"Adesso è nota in tutto il mondo un’espressione giapponese, “mottainai” utilizzata da Wangari Maathai, una attivista keniana nel campo dell’ambiente e vincitrice del premio Nobel per la pace nel 2004.
Secondo lei, la frase comprende tre ‘R’ importanti per l’ecologia: ridurre, riutilizzare, riciclare.
In giapponese questa espressione ha due accezioni. Una è “essere riconoscente per qualcosa di troppo buono”. L’altra significa “e' un peccato buttare via qualcosa di utile ....”

Dal sito: www.il-centro.net