Acknowledging The Past, Shaping The Future

Women are expected to be self-reliant and capable of protecting themselves and their dignity when men—partners, family members, and others—are not present. This is not feminism. It is a long-standing principle that was considered normal and passed down through generations in particular societies. For this reason, ancient Indonesian communities designed weapons specifically for women. The idea was that, unless they were female warriors, ordinary women should conceal their weapons so as not to disturb or alarm those around them.

These weapons were small daggers, discreet enough to be hidden beneath clothing or worn as hair ornaments. Such weapons were known as kris, though in much smaller forms than those carried by men. Women were understood to have certain physical limitations, and ancient Indonesian philosophy sought to regulate life so that both men and women could coexist according to their respective capacities and natural roles.

The “invasion” of the Majapahit Kingdom from Java into the Malay Peninsula around the 14th century brought new knowledge of the kris to regions such as Pahang, Tumasik, southern Thailand, Kelantan, and Kedah. This knowledge took root and became part of the local culture of the Malay Peninsula, whose people were themselves migrants from South Sumatra during the era of the Srivijaya Kingdom, which existed from the 7th century onward. Over time, the kris was adopted as part of their ancestral heritage, shaped by historical journeys and shared understanding of traditional weaponry among the people of what is now Malaysia. 

Illustration: A morning in Singosari

When survival means stepping aside

In reality, the Malay Peninsula was not an empty, uninhabited land when migrants from Sumatra (or perhaps Java) first arrived. To this day, there are around 98 indigenous ethnic groups in Malaysia that had lived on the peninsula long before the arrival of newcomers from various regions. Among these indigenous peoples—known in Malay as Orang Asli—are the Negrito groups, often described as shy and regarded by later settlers as guardians of the forest, or Semang.

By reinterpreting the very limited sources available about these indigenous Malaccan groups, it can be concluded that Semang Faith was shaped by the idea that humans do not live alone in the natural world. As a result, various rules were established to regulate daily behavior and hunting practices. These ways of life were meant to ensure that their presence did not cause discomfort to other beings, as many conflicts were believed to arise from feelings of disharmony.

Semang Faith prepared the indigenous people of Malacca for the possibility that outsiders might one day arrive in the land they had inhabited for dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of generations. When Malay explorers landed on the shores of the Malay Peninsula around 1400 CE, the indigenous groups—who had been observing from a distance—chose to retreat deeper into the forests and into hard-to-reach mountain slopes. They made space for the Malay explorers to establish settlements, which would later grow into kingdoms.

Respecting the ‘True Natives’

The rise of nationalist sentiment in many countries in recent years should serve as an opportunity to better understand the land we live on today and its history. As the saying goes, you cannot love what you do not know. Losing touch with the origins of a place forces people to guess at the right actions when faced with challenges related to where they live.

The two ethnic groups discussed above chose opposing strategies to deal with potential danger. One created the kris as a weapon, while the other chose withdrawal as a means of survival. Both approaches proved effective. The Javanese and the Semang peoples continue to exist in the modern Malay Peninsula, each navigating the complexities of contemporary life in their own way. (dswas)

How to Profit From Nature Without Breaking It

A kind of “magic” called technology has given rise to many remarkable devices that humans once did not even know they needed. This ingenuity has generated enormous financial gains for its creators, opened up job opportunities for millions, and kept the wheels of the global economy turning. A new motivation has emerged, inspiring young people across the world to eagerly study technology in all its complexity, hoping their futures might be as bright as those of today’s tech trillionaires.

As technological devices continue to multiply, both in number and in variety, those working in the tech industry face a major challenge: access to raw materials. The rare minerals that form the basis of microchips—the brains of the devices we now rely on—cannot be mined just anywhere. They are rare in the truest sense of the word.

One location often mentioned as holding vast reserves of these rare minerals is Greenland, the world’s largest island and a territory under Danish jurisdiction. Before the 2000s, Greenland was largely seen as a massive slab of ice with extreme temperatures, perched at the northern edge of the Earth. Exploiting Greenland’s resources would have required enormous costs when its ice sheets were still as thick as they were in the 1980s or 1990s.

Thanks to global warming, this effort may no longer be as costly. Greenland’s thick ice has begun to thin, making it far less complicated to extract rare minerals that have been stored beneath it for millions of years. According to basic market logic, the scarcer an item is, the higher its value. Greenland’s future may therefore look very promising. It is not impossible that the region could grow wealthy from rare mineral mining. 

Illustration: Man-made lake built on Lahor River, South Malang 

Honoring the “Sacrifice”

But who are the people who stand to benefit from this sudden prosperity? They are known as the Inuit, one of the Indigenous groups who have lived for centuries in the coldest regions of the Northern Hemisphere. According to historians, the Inuit of Greenland originally came from North America, specifically Alaska, where large Inuit populations can still be found today.

Long ago, the northern climate was far colder than it is now. Areas that are currently open waters were once solid ice sheets, safe to cross. From Alaska, the Inuit traveled as far as Russia and Greenland, carrying with them everything they owned—not only their families and hunting tools, but also their knowledge systems and spiritual beliefs.

Surviving extreme temperatures—often reaching tens of degrees below zero Celsius in winter—is no simple feat. The Inuit are among the few ethnic groups in the world who chose this difficult path. Their environment shaped them into a people with a strong sense of individual resilience. Even so, Inuit Indigenous Faith does not encourage disconnection from the surrounding natural world.

Nature is the foundation of Inuit life. Their belief system does not forbid taking or using what nature provides. Living in such harsh conditions has long made the Inuit dependent on hunting for food. At the same time, Indigenous Faith views animals and plants as beings equal to humans, as all possess life. Respect is therefore shown to hunted animals before their meat is consumed or their skins are used for clothing. For example, a simple offering of fresh water may be presented to a hunted seal as a gesture of gratitude for the animal’s “sacrifice.”

“Humans Are Not the Rulers of Nature”

Changes in the Earth’s climate inevitably affect Inuit life as a minority community that has relied on hunting traditions for thousands of generations. Deeply rooted Indigenous Faith guide the Inuit to see environmental change as something that can happen at any time. They do not see themselves as rulers of the world, nor do they claim to know what nature ultimately intends.

In the coming years, hunting may no longer be a viable way of life for the Inuit. Animals in the Arctic, like those elsewhere on the planet, have already been exposed to toxins from environmental pollution. Will the Inuit then become workers in rare mineral mines instead?

From the perspective of Inuit Indigenous Faith, prosperity from the use of natural resources can only be achieved by maintaining balance. If a rare mineral mine were to open in Greenland in the near future, large offerings would need to be made as expressions of gratitude and as requests for permission to take something from nature. Humility is not only good for human mental health, but also for the preservation of the natural world itself.  (dwas)

When Victory Feels Hollow

Qualifying for the World Cup should be a moment of immense pride for a nation. It is the culmination of countless hours of physical and mental training, sustained focus, and enormous financial investment, all finally rewarded with an achievement meant to be remembered for generations. Yet for Iranian football supporters, this was not the case.

Iran’s internal political turmoil has led fans of Team Melli, the nickname of the national team, to respond coldly when FIFA officially confirmed Iran’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup some time ago. There were no words of praise, no euphoria, and certainly no celebratory parades in the streets to welcome the success of the only Asian team that performed so consistently throughout the Asian qualifying rounds. This was despite Iran collecting an almost perfect total of 23 points and suffering just one defeat in 16 qualification matches.

This domestic unrest is also one of the reasons the United States, one of the host nations of the 2026 World Cup, imposed an entry ban on Iranian citizens for the duration of the tournament, with exceptions only for players, coaching staff, and officials. The ban does not apply to members of the Iranian diaspora who have long resided in the United States or Canada, meaning Team Melli will still be able to play in front of some of their supporters during the 2026 World Cup.

Illustration: a restaurant in Malang District, where an ancient water spring lies 

Tracing the Roots of the Problem

Centuries before being shaken by what seems like an endless wave of crises since 2022, Iran was in fact one of the world’s oldest centers of civilization. The meeting of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers created a valley that was not only vast but fertile, capable of sustaining successive ancient civilizations that rose and fell over time, from the Sumerians, Assyrians, Akkadians, and Babylonians to the Parthians, Sasanians and Persians, spanning roughly from 10,000 BCE to 539 BCE.

These peoples were initially nomadic tribes who roamed the Euphrates–Tigris region as herders. They competed with one another to become the strongest, seeking to unite all tribes under the leadership of the victor. Various strategies were used, including forming alliances to overthrow rival powers, such as the Persians aligning against the Assyrians and Babylonians.

Interestingly, all of these rival civilizations in ancient Iran once shared a common belief system known as Ancient Iranian Religion, which in many respects closely resembled the Vedic religion of India. However, because leaders of this ancient belief reportedly used intoxicating substances during religious rituals, combined with widespread corruption among religious elites of the time, a rebellion emerged under the leadership of Zoroaster around the 10th century BCE. He founded a new religion, Zoroastrianism, which gradually displaced the earlier belief system. This, at least, is the prevailing assumption among historians.

Stopping the Repeated History

The refusal of many Iranians today to support their national football team echoes a much older pattern, one that resembles the moment when young followers of Zoroastrianism rejected the authority of the ancient Iranian religious elites. Due to the loss of historical records from that era, scholars can only speculate about the exact event that drove ancient Persians to abandon their original faith. Still, the repetition of painful moments across history can be seen as a reminder that something has gone wrong in the path chosen. Like a problem in one organ of the body that spreads and develops into tumors, cancer, or other chronic diseases, unresolved issues tend to worsen over time.

Human civilization after Mesopotamia has continually struggled to find stable ground, striving to ensure that positive outcomes emerge from hard work, that effort leads to fulfillment and light rather than disillusionment. This has been a universal human goal across all eras, a goal that connects people of the past, present, and future together. A goal that, perhaps, can finally prevent dark chapters of history from repeating themselves again and again. (dswas)

Competition Without Catastrophe -- Is It Possible?

Although not the bloodiest World Cup in history, the 1982 World Cup is still remembered by millions of football fans who watched it. One tragedy from that tournament was so severe, ironic, and haunting that it continues to be preserved in football lore, as a reminder for future generations.

“The Night of Seville” (known as Night of Seville, Nacht von Sevilla in German, and Nuit de Séville in French) was the name given by the media to the 1982 World Cup semifinal between West Germany and France, held at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville, Spain. The match was heated. Not only because the temperature in Seville that night reached 32 degrees Celsius at 9:00 p.m. local time, but also because of the historical rivalry between Germany and France, two nations that had faced each other as enemies in two major wars: World War I and World War II.

The climax came when German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher crashed into French defender Patrick Battiston while trying to stop Battiston’s attack inside the penalty box. The collision was brutal. Battiston was knocked unconscious, lost two teeth, suffered three broken ribs, and sustained a spinal injury. Yet Charles Corver, the Dutch referee in charge of the match, handed down no punishment for the incident.

Football observers later recalled the moment as a reflection of unresolved resentment between the two sides. Ironically, France and Germany never refused to “go to war” on the football field even after World War I and II had ended. They first met in 1931, when Germany was still known as the Weimar Republic, a former empire that had recently been defeated by France. 

Competing without destruction: an old idea 

Competition of any kind is a natural trait of all living beings. The idea of survival of the fittest was understood by human ancestors tens and even hundreds of generations ago, as they lived and built their civilizations on Earth. They realized that competition could not be eliminated, because each side believed in its own version of truth, shaped by its own perspective.

Waringin Branjang Temple, the location of Mt. Kelud hermitage

Guided by their vision of the future, they initiated many efforts to protect both nature and its inhabitants amid competition that grew more intense over time. 

One approach taken by our ancestors was to “sacrifice” their greatest achievements for the sake of harmony among heirs to power and their supporters. King Airlangga, for example, sacrificed the Kingdom of Kahuripan, which he had built from the ground up as the successor to the Hindu Mataram Kingdom, for the welfare of his descendants. He divided Kahuripan into two kingdoms, Kadiri and Jenggala, effectively ending Kahuripan’s existence in 1042 CE, according to historical records.

However, a group of Brahmins descended from the Keling tribe, who lived on the slopes of Mount Kelud, objected when they were asked to join one of the two new kingdoms. They requested to remain neutral, maintaining their land as a place of retreat that anyone could visit to seek knowledge and guidance from scholars. The request was granted. The hermitage on the slopes of Mount Kelud still stands today, well preserved and used according to its original purpose, thanks to the descendants’ deep understanding of neutrality.

“Neutrality isn’t cool”

As time has passed, the path of neutrality has proven difficult and winding. Institutions like the United Nations and the International Criminal Court are increasingly seen as less neutral. Even the referee in the Night of Seville failed to uphold neutrality as expected. Observers have suggested this was because Corver was Dutch. At the time, the Netherlands had a better relationship with Germany than Germany did with France in many respects.

In politics, choosing neutrality has become ever more difficult, as opposing sides constantly try to win public sympathy and shape opinion in their favor. Preserving neutrality to maintain harmony and public welfare is often seen as incompatible with group interests. Neutral parties are even labeled as terrorists or radical ideologues, accused of obstructing certain groups from achieving their goals.

If competition is to remain healthy and productive, neutral groups should continue to exist as a form of catharsis, a space that accommodates voices from both sides. Of course, this vision will only resonate with those who understand that competition is not something to fear. It is a reality of life, one that shapes character and develops survival skills from generation to generation. (dswas). 

In Search of Endless Energy

Stress is not the only thing that motivates people to experiment with drugs. For a small number of users, these illegal substances are used to boost stamina and physical strength. The logic behind how some drugs work is simple: they briefly and instantly increase dopamine levels in the brain after being consumed, creating a sudden feeling of euphoria. Because of this sense of pleasure, the body no longer feels tired during strenuous activity, such as exercise.

I am not talking about an athlete caught in a doping scandal, but about a personal story from my own “dark age.” Several years ago, when I was still an active user of a drug called Lexotan, I took it shortly before swimming on a hot afternoon. The sensation of flying through clear blue water made my body feel light, free from fatigue even after hours of swimming. It felt as if I were receiving a constant injection of energy, without any need to pause and climb out of the pool.

After swimming, my body did not feel sore. I was still fit enough to do household chores and complete my daily work as a freelance writer and translator. New ideas seemed to flow effortlessly, saving me the time I would normally spend reading, doing online research, and so on.

However, Lexotan is also commonly consumed by punk kids before pogo dancing at music gigs, often with the intention of finding an outlet to release grudges against old enemies. I, too, experienced how easily emotions could explode under the influence of this substance. For example, I once dragged my youngest child (who was eight years old at the time) out of his room simply because he refused to eat. 

Illustration: private collection

From Unlimited to Limited

Although Moldova has been independent from the Soviet Union since 1991, the term “native faith” there usually refers to Slavic Native Faith, which also exists in other former Soviet countries such as Ukraine and Latvia. This belief system, also known as Rodnovery, holds that all discomfort in life stems from a disconnection between humans and nature, a spiritual and existential crisis caused by human choices themselves.

A harmonious relationship between humans and the natural world means giving nature the time it needs to renew itself, so that what it contains will always remain available and never truly run out, even as it continues to meet human needs. In the Rodnovery worldview, traditional systems of resource management are based on taking from nature only what is necessary. Nature is not treated as a lifeless object responsible for human survival, but as part of a vast interconnected network: a silent partner that never speaks, yet consistently provides everything we need.

Failure to respect and honor this silent partner gives rise to excessive desire, to endless consumption and extraction. Eventually, a turning point is reached, when nature can no longer provide, due to modern humans’ inability to control themselves and their urges. As natural resources are depleted, basic needs can no longer be met as they once were. Abundance turns into scarcity, and an economic crisis emerges.

Unlimited Energy Is Not a Myth

So does this mean that unlimited energy is nothing more than a hoax? Looking back at the story from my dark years at the beginning of this text, unlimited energy can indeed be created, even summoned, with the help of drugs—along with all their consequences. Clearly, this is not a wise choice. Human stamina has limits, but with a healthy lifestyle and proper exercise techniques, we can slightly extend the distance between our current condition and the boundary we cannot cross in terms of physical fitness.

Rodnovery shares a similar view regarding both human vitality and the surrounding natural world. Attention and care are required by all living and moving elements in this world, so that harmony can emerge through interconnectedness, maintained by various actions that symbolize reverence—such as rituals and offerings. This harmony ultimately brings a sense of joy to everyday activities, without dependence on external substances like drugs. (dswas)

Is Stress Really an Art of Living?

Drug abuse is often treated as a minor issue and is frequently used as a convenient distraction from other, more urgent problems—problems that may determine the political life or death of a public figure, for example. Data show that for decades, almost no country has been truly free from drug abuse. Large, developed nations, and even those ranked among the happiest countries in the world, appear on that list.

Some countries have tried to address this long-standing problem by legalizing one of the lightest drugs: marijuana. The hope is that by providing a legal outlet, the desire to use drugs can be contained, allowing users to restrain themselves from experimenting with more dangerous addictive substances. However, this decision has not entirely eliminated the urge felt by a small segment of people to seek happiness through drugs that are far stronger than marijuana.

We often mock those who lose their way because of these illegal substances, seeing them as fragile individuals who cannot withstand pressure and are easily swayed by circumstances. Yet, stress—one of the main factors that pushes people toward drug use—also manifests in our everyday lives in other forms. Overeating and frequent illness are just a few examples.  

Illustration: private collection

Not nature's responsibility 

Although some people regard stress as an art that adds color to life, members of a society clearly differ in their capacity to manage it. For this reason, Latvian Native Faith, known as Dievturība, views stress as the result of disharmony caused by a disconnection between the individual, nature, and their ancestors. Nature never lies; what the eyes see is reality. Ancestors, meanwhile, represent the entities that made human existence itself possible, enabling life to come into the world.

Many people turn to, or even seek solutions to their life problems through, various belief-based rituals. What they often fail to realize is that the disharmony in their lives is not caused by nature or by any of its elements, including the ancestors. Followers of Indigenous beliefs are prohibited from entering sacred places when they are overwhelmed by sadness or grief. Whatever the source of their negative emotions, they must first resolve this inner disharmony before rebuilding their connection with nature.

Native Faiths are not painkillers, because that was never the intention of the ancestors who shaped them. For harmony to exist, humans—as the most complete of beings—are given the broadest freedom to empower and utilize nature’s potential for their well-being, both now and in the future. By the same logic, humans should be equally free to develop the capacity to withstand all of life’s waves, even those as powerful as a tsunami. 

Drugs Are Hard to Eradicate, But …

Recent tensions between the United States and Venezuela reflect the Trump administration’s response to drug abuse in the U.S, which ranks at the top of the list of countries with the largest drug problems in the world. Many have criticized U.S attacks on drug-smuggling vessels, sanctions on oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela, and the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as excessive measures. Yet if you have ever watched YouTube videos of fentanyl addicts wandering the streets like zombies, you may understand why such extreme decisions were made.

As someone who has once been involved in this dark world, I can tell you that drugs are extremely difficult to eradicate. The principle among those who profit from this business is simple: they sell because there are buyers. Drug dealers are, in their own way, visionaries. They know that no matter how strong the religious, spiritual, or mental foundations of a nation or community may be, there will always be lost young people—and even adults—who try to find their way home through drugs.

Latvian Native Faith closes its doors to such individuals not out of indifference, but as a form of education. It teaches them how to “drive” themselves and resolve the negativity they carry within. Once they succeed, they are encouraged to express gratitude for that success by offering tributes at sacred places. (dswas)