Let's talk about values

I assume that seeing the Global Inclusive Pride Flag on a blog about SustainableSailing will surprise some, for some it will provoke anger. So why do it?

We use SustainableSailing believing that Sustainability is more than just environmental impact. It is the total impact of what we do. The impact on people now and in the future. The impact on people, local and global. For us, it requires justice and non-violence, it requires equality, inclusion, recognition and celebration of difference and diversity. We, therefore, (often implicitly) include a wide range of ethical values when referring to Sustainable, while applying them (mostly) to the field of Sailing.

However, we recognise that too often these are values that we aspire to rather than ones we always achieve. We also recognise that we are limited in our understanding, in our knowledge and our actions.

From Britannica:

sustainability, the long-term viability of a community, set of social institutions, or societal practice. In general, sustainability is understood as a form of intergenerational ethics in which the environmental and economic actions taken by present persons do not diminish the opportunities of future persons to enjoy similar levels of wealth, utility, or welfare.

We want to be clear that when we use Sustainability in these terms, it is not just about environmental impact (although that remains absolutely central to our understanding). We believe the long-term viability of a community requires social justice, it requires all people to be accorded their full human rights (see The YOGYAKARTA PRINCIPLES 2006 and 2017).

Why state this now?

Because people and their rights are under increasing attack, and we do not think it is right to be silent. We are horrified by, for example:

• the genocide in Gaza
• the violence and abuse of human rights in Sudan
• the hate against and exclusion from life of our Trans friends in the UK
• the rise of a fascist, authoritarian regime in the US
• the rhetoric, hate and violence against people who are refugees and/or asylum seekers
• the failures to tackle rape and abuse that often fail the victims and surviivors
• the failures to tackle poverty and inequality
• the failures to respond to the climate emergency

We are not going to be silent.

Our focus is modelling living out our values which we believe contribute to building a better world, one that we can leave for future generations. Please join us!