“I realised this isn’t new, this interconnection, this view of holistic understandings of who we are… back to indigenous cultures” - Sam Crowell This podcast utilises the audio from the webinar that took place on 30 April 2021 on the Planetary wellbeing platform by AnimalConcepts. Let us welcome Dr Sam M. Crowell Jr. He is a professor emeritus from California State University, San Bernardino. He founded the MA in Holistic and Integrative Education and is a founding member of the Network in Spirituality and Education. He serves as a faculty member of the Earth Charter Education Center for Sustainable Development and has been engaged in the Earth Charter movement for several years.Sam informs us how his beginnings with his doctorate in the social foundations of education, influenced his career as a teacher. He enthused about how teaching, allows for collaboration and further learning. Furthermore, he highlights how his indigenous heritage has given influenced his teaching style and sense of identity. They then discuss the influence of culture, both animal and human, and how understanding them could be used to encourage a peaceful future. “All my relations are our saving grace, it points to the truth that we are all connected. The most important word is ALL, not just those that behave like me, all, every person…” - Sam reading from Richard Wagamese’s book Embers. The podcast concludes by explaining the prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor. The eagle represents human technological advancements, the condor represents spirit. The prophecy states that every 500 years their prevalence switches, however, currently, both birds are flying. Read about Sam Crowell HERERead about the Visible and Non-Visible Nature of Collaboration in Education HEREFind out about the book; Embers by Richard Wagamese HEREFind out about Sam’s Science and Spirituality course HERE
“Education can change minds, if you can change minds, you can change mindsets, you change the behaviours and change the collective, so it is crucial”. - Alicia This week’s podcast utilises the audio from the webinar interview led by Alicia Jiménez which took place on the 29th of January 2021 from the AnimalConcepts platform. Let us welcome Alicia Jiménez, the Director of Programmes at the Earth Charter International Secretariat in Costa Rica. She has been working in the field of conservation and sustainable development since 1998. The conversation discusses why it is essential to work together to maintain nature. However, this would require a new mindset, through cultural transformation to expand our perception and rethink our values. Education is a key player in this and can influence change. The Earth Charter can be used as a guideline to produce lessons. The Earth Charter is a working document, containing sixteen principles within four pillars in sixty languages to promote a global impact by teaching a new way to relate to other living beings. “Across zoos and aquariums, not many people I have spoken to have heard about the Earth Charter. So it is wonderful that we converse together to spread the word, the message and the values”. – Sabrina Alicia, Irma and Sabrina then discuss the benefits of weaving stories into education especially in a zoo environment to create relatability and therefore teach people how valuable all life is. “The Earth Charter has a global effect, putting together how we should live on this planet”. - Irma Read about Alicia Jiménez HERERead the Earth Charter preamble HERE
This week’s podcast utilises the audio from the webinar interview led by Irma Verhoeven which took place on the 31st of May 2021 from the AnimalConcepts platform. Let us welcome Tracey Starke, the founder of the environmental news website Ecolightenment, which brings together positive environmental news from mainstream media, as well as smaller NGOs to highlight the important work these groups are carrying out. The circular economy is a way of living in harmony with our ecological systems and restoring them. It is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. The conversation begins by discussing what a circular economy means to them and their industry. Circular economy is a method to live and restore the ecological systems by dealing with waste and keeping materials in use. From this, they examine methods in which to reduce waste within the animal industry, including the importance of stories in promoting change and the outcome of shifting minds. Read about Ecolightenment HERE
“Crises offer an invitation to do things differently. Embracing this opportunity clearly demands an overhaul of what is considered ‘leadership’ in our society. We need to up our game! What we need are masterful warriors with a crystal clear vision and the ability to incite the necessary inspiration, creativity and faith that catalysis transformational change. We need wise leaders instead of smart managers.” - Rolf Winters Let us welcome Rolf Winters to WeBuzz. He is an explorer of life, a leadership coach, a public speaker, and Wise Leaders Ltd founder. Rolf starts by explaining how the meaning of success is fluid and changes every few years, as well as being subjective to the individual and what they had aimed to achieve. He explains how in his profession, he aims to promote the spirit of an individual and groups. Rolf shares with us about when he and his family lived with a clan of native Americans. They took themselves out of the Western system to live with nature and learn a new perspective of life. This five-year journey, which includes a year of global travelling, taught them to view everyone, no matter the age as equals, and all hold wisdom which we can learn from. Following this, Rolf produced the documentary DOWN to EARTH intending to spread the brilliance of the clan. In later years, he noted that the Earth Charter shares similar visions to the clan. Critically, Irma and Rolf highlight that being a leader is to serve your community and remain empathetic. He works with corporations around the world to promote change for the betterment of the Earth. Irma concludes by saying “The wiser we get, the more we realise how little we know”. Find out more about Wise Leaders Ltd. HERE Find out more about DOWN to EARTH HERE Find out more about the Wisdom-based Leadership master class HERE Become a member HERE
"It’s important to emphasise that a key purpose of the Earth Charter is to expand and deepen a consciousness with regards to how we ought to relate not only with ourselves, and with others, but also how we ought to relate with the large living world." - Mirian Vilela Let us welcome Mirian Vilela who is the Executive Director of the Earth Charter International Secretariat and the Centre for Education for Sustainable Development at the University for Peace (UPEACE). Additionally, Mirian coordinates the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter. Mirian first introduces us to her upbringing in Brazil on her father's farm, and how this cultivated a connection to nature. Irma and Mirian then discuss what is the Earth Charter, how it was born from common human shared values and how the Earth Charter played a key role in Mirian’s life, giving her a voice. They also share the importance of telling stories to promote system thinking to establish relationships with everyone including the Earth. “Our favourite story is the flight of the hummingbird, it's an inspiration to act on behalf of the world’s limited and precious resources, this is very much in line with the vision of the Earth Charter” – Irma Verhoeven Mirian concludes by telling us a couple of stories, including one where a relationship formed with the Earth in that instant. Read about the Earth Charter HERE Become a member HERE