In the 21st century, it is obvious to us that the world is a global village. Thanks to the Internet, multimedia and telecommunications, we can be anywhere, anytime, in constant contact with everyone. There are no borders, at least in theory… The economy is already transnational, the flow of goods and capital knows no borders, and the brands of large corporations shape lifestyles in every corner of the world. The culture is also homogenising.

They say – POP culture, or popular, common culture. Everyone has almost unlimited access to it through a variety of media, and global trends have never had such an impact before.
The third element of the world is nature. Culture and the economy feed on its resources, in pursuit of ideas of globalisation that are nothing new for nature. The air we breathe, the water that circulates from the seas to the clouds, the sun and moon that constantly accompany us – they have always been transnational and universally available. This simple freedom, the freedom to live, the freedom of space, the freedom to draw on ever-renewing resources, has been a feature of nature for centuries. Modern culture and economy also put freedom on a pedestal.

The media give us free information, allowing culture to spread unhindered. But how hard it is in this storm of ‘news’ to find something that is not a sensation or a tragedy. With all this freedom of information, does anyone remember the freedom from information.

The capitalism that drives the global economy promises us freedom of choice, breaking down boundary after boundary of consumption, flooding us with ever more competitive offers. Do we really need to keep buying new clothes, cars and phones? Apart from the freedom to buy, who will offer us freedom from purchase? Isn’t freedom, as an abstract man-made concept, best realised precisely in nature?

It is worth taking a moment to switch off from the merry-go-round of Facebook, YouTube or Twitter and sit quietly on a bench, listening to the voice of what surrounds us… Let’s think about whether we want to hear birds singing or engines howling, the hum of the city or the trees, the whirr of factories or the murmur of a stream. Sometimes it’s worth turning off the phone or computer, closing the door of the house and meeting someone face to face. A good opportunity may be
be an event, a concert or a conference. These events allow personal contact with people, with culture, with nature. They allow you to experience things for yourself – to open your senses and feel how nature, culture and economy intermingle. In this intermingling, freedom can manifest itself as self-will and indulging one’s own desires without looking at others.
and the consideration of others. True freedom, on the other hand, presupposes responsibility, which manifests itself in respect and understanding of each party, leaving freedom of action for future generations. And this is exactly what Green Events are, an idea that we, as the Aeris Futuro Foundation, have been promoting with great commitment for more than 12 years. Art, then, is not only culture, but also living in harmony with nature!

JOANNA MIESZKOWICZ
President of the AERIS FUTURO Foundation