A Message from a European Woman to the People of Colombia

Abstract

Originally published in 1994 and reproduced in this issue, this reflective essay by English psychologist Jenny James, founder of the environmentalist community Atlantis, recounts her experience of leaving England to settle in Colombia in 1983. The author develops a critique of the European development model, characterizing it as a hyper-organized society disconnected from nature, in contrast to Colombia, a country that, despite its violence, retains vitality and a more living relationship with the natural environment. The text closes with a call to value simple living and a harmonious relationship with nature as a path to genuine progress.