January letter 2026

First of all: Happy new year to all who read this letter!

While winter is holding is white and frozen hand over all nature around us, we can imagine the majority of life on the Northern hemisphere are in different ways hibernating. It is like a sleeping family with stable bonds between trees, bushes, mushroom muycel, moss and a myriad of insects and earthworms. All are connected, all are important, all are included, all have their special mission for the totality of what we call nature around us. It is like a family, and it has stood up against the most fierce attacks over multiple millennia.

The human species containing subgroups like homo sapiens, homo ludens, homo eroticus and several more, can also be seen as a family, – the ever extending family of human beings still living on our sole habitat in the Universe.

Although many emphasize the difference between human subgroups, we can still see that from the perspective of the Universe, we are all very much alike, and we share one single home in space. We are a family!

All Nature has over the span of millions of years developed the intricate and sustainable interactions between all parties involved. Our species has not as of yet reached such a point of stability.

Seen from the Universe, the greatest threat to our global home is us.

How can we develop human family values apt to sustain us on this globe?

Religions have tried by proclaiming any other as the other, our neighbour. Religions honour peace but have thus far not gained enough momentum for that thought to succeed into reality. Neighbours seem to be limited to fellow believers.

Politics have tried to reach a state of world peace but have thus far not gained enough momentum for that endeavour to succeed.

Good leaders have advocated for love within all of the human family. Love does not exclude, love can see the value of every family member. Still, in isolated families we can mourn their own descent be torn for being different. Families fall apart, love is replaced with hate, rejection and grief.

True human family values, value the human in all our shades and variants.

Human family values value our common ancestral origin.
Human family values are sustainable and conflict reducing.

Human family values share the values and riches at hand in a way that no one will be left behind.

Human family values welcome all that is human, be it common or unusual.

Human family values see to the garden Earth, that it is tended and protected.

Human family values value every birth of a new global citizen, at the same time as we protect our habitat against too many consumers and polluters.

Human family values are for all human beings, not limited to the uttermost privileged ones.

Our world is run by “values” that exclude and degrade neighbours, values that collect riches for the few and share poverty for the many. “Values” that act contrary to true human family values.

When will we ever learn?

Esben Esther Pirelli Benestad

President EFS