“Prout and the creation of a socioeconomic system that reconciles justice with freedom, and which is very different from both capitalism and Stalinist type of communism” by Carlos Molina Camacho, a former National Superintendent of Cooperatives, Professor of Cooperative Law in Post Graduate courses at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV). Member of the Bolivarian Society of Venezuela. Author of several books on cooperatives and Bolivarian Values for Young People of the 21st Century. Listen to the English audio file. – Read the original Spanish text.
I want to mention the institution that has made possible the holding of this event: Prout, whose creation is owed to that great master of India, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar.
PROUT is an acronym of the Progressive Utilisation Theory, which gives an idea that the great changes needed in modern capitalist society, will not happen in a single day, but are the result of a long process of education in the creation of new human values such as solidarity, social justice, freedom, initiative, responsibility, teamwork, etc.
We in Venezuela are fortunate that an extraordinary group of social advocates of various nationalities has come here, led by a man of towering moral qualities, Dada Maheshvarananda. With his book, After Capitalism, and especially with their gifts of simplicity and sincere friendship, they have managed to raise awareness among quite a few Venezuelans that it is possible to have a better Venezuela.
This is possible if we help those who are in financial need to organize small and medium cooperative enterprises, and also to dedicate time cultivating spirituality. Because without the forging of a new Venezuelan, with new values based on solidarity and cooperation, it will not be possible to help forge a new society that is free and fair, as the founder of Prout wanted.
We pray for the success of this event and that new volunteers come to assist in the creation of many cooperatives: agricultural, industrial, cottage industries, savings and loans, health care, housing, consumer food, etc., in the towns and cities of Venezuela.
Dada Maheshvarananda says in his book After Capitalism: “Imagine a world in which no one need worry about getting enough money to buy food, clothes, housing, education and medical care for his or her family!”
That world, my dear brother Dada, is possible, if we undertake your creation with courage and determination, confronting the countless obstacles that we find on the path. The pitfalls we find in this march should be mere signs that we are on the right track, and should serve as encouragement to continue the struggle.
We want a free and egalitarian society that is very distanct from both savage capitalism and and wild statism. We want a society of participatory democracy, self-managed enterprises, where the profit motive that has characterized capitalism is absent, but where the bureaucracy that distinguished the so-called real socialism is also absent.
This society that we want is possible. The Higher Intelligence that guides us all is on our side and will help us in all the difficult circumstances we encounter. We believe that if we will put our body and soul into building this beautiful human community, where only social justice, liberty and fraternity reigns. In this task, there is no rest. The rest will come when our time comes to leave for better planes of existence.
Meanwhile, as Simón Bolívar said: “Patience and more patience, perseverance and more perseverance, work and more work to make a country.”
Thank you very much.
[Translated by Dada Maheshvarananda]