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A common view of sustainability is from the United Nations--- "Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Who could disagree? But, when it comes to actually changing the way we do things, the UN never challenges, but instead embraces economic globalism and growth oriented solutions.
A different view is that of Jakob von Uexkull, the founder of the Right Livelihood Award, who said: "you cannot simultaneously empower the people and the multi-national companies, you cannot combine local self-reliance with the primacy of global 'free' trade. The major components of the present order--- scientism, industrial developmentalism, and nation-statism--- tolerate no other gods."
Sustainability comes from the Latin Root meaning to "support from below." To sustain means to maintain, to supply with nourishment, and to support the vitality of something.
According to the Context Institute "A community must be supported from below - by its inhabitants, present and future. Certain places, through the peculiar combination of physical, cultural, and, perhaps, spiritual characteristics, inspire people to care for their community. These are the places where sustainability has the best chance of taking hold."
Spiritual growth is the foundation for a healthy society. Unless individuals develop the capacity for Love, compassion, sharing, self-control and self-governence--- no unified basis for cooperation would exist and true sustainability would be impossible.
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