Resilience Is Not Built Against Nature

Major, unforgettable events, including natural disasters, can become forces that reshape the mindset of a community or even an entire nation. Throughout their lives, our ancestors were forced to face countless challenges in the form of natural disasters, pushing them to find ways to survive. It was through these experiences that they came to understand something essential: nature must be “conquered” with compassion. By caring for and preserving it, nature, in turn, will offer its care to humanity.

That awareness, however, can only emerge after individuals or communities move past the initial shock and emotional outpouring that arise from being victims or even mere witnesses. Commenting on disasters is far easier than living through one. For this reason, the public deserves access to education on preparedness and disaster prevention, because, as I have written many times before, prevention is always better than cure. 

Illustration: private collection 

A major disaster at the end of 2025, on November 26, claimed thousands of lives in western Sumatra, Indonesia. As of today, roughly one month later, hundreds remain missing and thousands more have lost their homes due to flash floods that are strongly suspected to be a direct result of excessive forest exploitation in the region. 

The level of destruction in parts of West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh is severe, almost indistinguishable from the impact of the 2004 Aceh tsunami. Local governments have effectively given up, unable or unwilling to take responsibility for the safety of their people. The central government seeks to preserve its image as a resilient nation. Meanwhile, the victims are left in despair, understandably longing for their lives to return to what they once were.

Finders keepers 

Indigenous beliefs have always accompanied the birth of civilizations across the world, including in Ukraine. Due to political dynamics, Ukrainian Native Faith was once forgotten by later generations who inherited its foundations. A single major event, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, became the starting point for its revival. This belief system is now known as Ridnovira.

The shift in citizenship from Soviet citizens to Ukrainian citizens carried deep meaning for Ukrainian society. As with many other communities that have experienced or are currently experiencing similar transitions, sudden change is often followed by an emotional surge known as euphoria. Yet Ridnovira is not merely a belief system that honors nature through rituals and sacred practices alone.

For its adherents, Indigenous Faith is not simply about identity. The search for identity should end once a person consciously chooses to become part of an entity, whether spiritual or non-spiritual. Honoring nature means openly acknowledging that one is part of it. This, however, is only possible because followers of Ridnovira already possess a firm sense of self. 

A “Happy Ending”

No human being in this world desires instability in life, and no one wishes for disaster. Followers of Indigenous beliefs across the globe, including Ridnovira, understand that stability can only be achieved if it also exists beyond their own circles. This is the core essence of all belief systems that continue to exist today: everything in this world is interconnected and constantly influencing one another, not standing alone or acting solely according to individual free will whenever it pleases.

Friction will always arise, as the thoughts and perspectives of different groups within society, at both regional and global levels, are never identical. Yet forcing everyone to speak with one voice, by whatever means necessary, often leads to greater instability and pushes us further away from the “happy ending” that everyone hopes for. (dswas)