In a youth interaction organized recently, students of different Delhi University colleges underscored on how simplicity and minimalism offered transformative approach to sustainable development. They talked about how approaches to simple living were inherently characterized by mindful consumption, building of resilient communities and resource efficiency.
The author who conducted the session discussed at length on the significance of mindfulness in modern life. He highlighted how mindfulness can serve as an antidote to the distractions and chaos of contemporary society, enhancing personal well-being, improving relationships, and contributing to peaceful communities. Drawing from his experience in nonviolent communication and conflict resolution, he offered practical tips for incorporating mindfulness into daily life and how it can help in embracing the principles of simplicity, practice mindful consumption and minimalism. It was pointed out that mindful practices and mindful consumption played significant role in uncluttering of our mind and our physical spaces.
Preeti of Ramanujam College, Delhi University stressed on the need of young people to embrace voluntary simplicity. She said it would entail embracing simpler lifestyles as a counternarrative to consumer culture. The world today needs citizen’s motivation to make voluntary simplicity as a habit worldwide which can lead to sustainable coexistence and enhanced well-being.
Meanwhile students like Astha Singh and Prachi of Kamla Nehru College talked about how simplicity and mindful consumption behaviour played important role in emotional well-being and happiness. They said how many young people contrary to general perception of heavy spenders were actually steadfastly following the dharma of simplicity and minimalism; such practices help in fostering positive experiences.
According to Vaishnavi of Gargi College, embracing simplicity and minimalism was a powerful strategy to develop clarity in life and was a path towards a more balanced and meaningful life. Most of the students while talking of the challenges to adopt simplicity and minimalism as life choices felt that expansion of mindful practices could definitely help them to look at their needs through the lenses of sustainable behaviour.
While expressing concern at rising overconsumption and its consequences on not only individuals but also its social and economic costs, the youth discussed at length Mahatma Gandhi’s prescriptions. Gandhi had said, “I suggest that we are thieves in a way. If I take anything that I do not need for my own immediate use, and keep it, I thieve it from somebody else. I venture to suggest that it is the fundamental law of Nature, without exception, that Nature produces enough for our wants from day to day, and if only everybody took enough for himself and nothing more, there would be no pauperism in this world, there would be no man dying of starvation in this world. But so long as we have got this inequality, so long we are thieving.” (Selected Works of Gandhi) This profound thoughts of Gandhi can be considered the basis of simplicity and minimalism.
According to the students the embracing of simplicity, mindful consumption and minimalism was not only connected to the present, but also to the future. Some students quipped, “What are we going to leave behind?” They argued that in the backdrop of the present consumerist and disposable culture which was taken as normal by very large number of people across the globe, a youth-led campaign on mindful consumption and simplicity was the need of the hour. This was now a necessity to reduce our carbon footprint, they stressed.
Further, there were discussions on how just reducing waste was not the solution; instead this should be coupled with a new way of thinking on how materials and things are designed. The author talked on the need of looking at the whole issue holistically- for instance using an object should not only entail the type of materials that are used to make it, it should also entail how it was going to be used and finally how it could be disposed of. The materials that should be used for the development of the object need to be renewable, they should have low environmental impact, should be able to reduce the carbon footprint and finally should be biodegradable or recyclable.
Finally, Amya Begum, a first year student of Kamla Nehru College felt sustainability education was a must and should start right from schools. It was felt that simplicity, mindful consumption and minimalism should form part of citizenship education and awareness needs to be created that these were part of responsible citizenship.
