Aropa

This is my ideal life, a quiet, simple life of mutual respect and the upmost goal of the common good. Maybe I should move...

Aropa- an attitude of giving and sharing, a lifestyle

In the heart of Polynesia, in the middle of the Solomon Sea, lies the isolated yet highly populated Anuta Island. The small volcanic island is a barely more than 800 feet across with one of the highest population densities in the world comparable to Bangladesh. The people of Anuta Island have a simple lifestyle consisting mainly of fishing and farming. At the heart of the Anuta culture is the idea of Aropa, an attitude of mutual giving and sharing. The idea of aropa is most closely translated to our english word compassion. The 300 member community manages its minimal resources responsibily, ensuring that everything is shared equally, no one goes out and no one takes more than their share. The concept of preserving the economy and the future for generations to come is highly evident in the way that they live.
This idea of aropa is one that I hope to incorporate in my own life and I encourage and implore my fellow mankind to consider what we are doing, how we are living and what we are leaving behind.