Lacy Cagle Director of Learning and Engagement, Northwest Earth Institute Seeing Systems NW Earth Institute s Model for Community Building and Transformative Learning
About the NW Earth Institute Founded in 1993 150,000+ participants Sustainability Education Behavior Change
Audience Question: How familiar are you with NW Earth Institute s programs? 1 I ve participated in a NWEI discussion course. 2 I ve participated in the EcoChallenge. 3 I ve organized a discussion course or EcoChallenge team. 4 I haven t participated in any of NWEI s programs.
NWEI s Model (Connect) (Act) (Reflect)
Learning Objectives To help participants make the connections between peace, justice and environmental sustainability issues and solutions. (Connect) To introduce and offer opportunity for practicing systems thinking. (Reflect) To inspire participants and provide tools to take real action toward sustainable and holistic solutions in their communities. (Act)
Working Definitions Systems thinking: a way of approaching problems that focuses on how various elements within a system are related to and influence one another Peace: both a means of personal and collective ethical transformation and an aspiration to end human-inflicted destruction Justice: a concept of moral rightness; can refer to legal, fair, reciprocal and/or moral action or behavior Sustainability: the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely
Circle Question What sustains you?
Systems Thinking: It s All Connected
Systems Thinking: It s All Connected
Systems Thinking: It s All Connected
Systems Thinking: It s All Connected
Peace, Justice and Sustainability Aldo Leopold s Land Ethic (1949) The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.
Peace, Justice and Sustainability Aldo Leopold s Land Ethic (1949) That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.
Peace, Justice and Sustainability Aldo Leopold s Land Ethic (1949) We can be ethical only in relation to something we can see, feel, understand, love, or otherwise have faith in.
Peace, Justice and Sustainability Aldo Leopold s Land Ethic applied to Environmental Justice Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. (EPA definition)
Peace, Justice and Sustainability Aldo Leopold s Land Ethic applied to Environmental Justice Fair treatment means that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental consequences. Meaningful involvement means that: (1) people have an opportunity to participate in decisions that affect them; (2) the public s contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision; (3) their concerns will be considered in the decision making process; and (4) the decision makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.
Peace, Justice and Sustainability Climate Change Environmental degradation Climate refugees Scarce resources Unrest
Peace, Justice and Sustainability What are some issues that you care about in which you can see the interconnections of peace, justice and sustainability? What are some solutions to these issues that succeed in using systems thinking approaches?
Co-Creating Living Peace Practice Engage Allow Create Emerge
Co-Creating Living Peace Friends of North Creek Forest Ecova Judy Alexander Vestas
Start Right Now EcoChallenge Discussion courses What one action will you commit to?
Co-Creating Living Peace
What are your questions?