I have a vision for a future world where people recognize themselves as part of the ecosystem, and endeavour to serve and protect ecosystems as much as ecosystems serve us. Everybody has the right to grow up surrounded by nature and continue the cultural traditions that rely on healthy ecosystems, to foster a deep sense of identity and connection to their community. This means that protecting the environment goes hand in hand with protecting and listening to the voices of the people that live there. Including Indigenous voices in conservation efforts is critical to reverse generations of governmental neglect and has the potential to introduce new solutions by offering different perspectives. I think educating our youth on these issues is critical to encourage a new generation to not shy away from more difficult conversations that don't necessarily have an easy solution. In cases where action is needed to protect the environment that may negatively affect people's livelihoods, everybody that will be involved in the potential repercussions needs to have a say in the decision making; and the relational values of people must have as much weight and importance as the economic ones. True justice is only possible if everyone can make their case and have their perspectives respected. By encouraging respectful relationships with other humans, we are better able to look after our planet.
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Hi, Amy, I agree, all three dimensions of justice (distributional, procedural, recognitional) need to be incorporated into the decision-making process. I think you suggested an important intervention to achive this goal: education of youth. Youth education is worth investing energy and effort into, because they are still developing their identities and way of thinking.
I totally agree that all voices need to be heard when we are discussing conservation. There are so many knowledgable people in the world and they should have a chance to share their thoughts, especially when it could cause negative effects for them.
Hi Amy, I agree that inclusiveness is an important aspect to improving our world as a whole. It is important important to include the voices of Indigenous people as they likely have much deeper knowledge of the land than any of the rest of us given that they've ancestrally resided here since time immemorial.
Thank you for sharing. Education and seeing them as part of the ecosystme is important!
Hi Amy, I agree that, as much as we focus on physical changes, just as much of a focus must be placed on societal changes, as well. Making sure that everyone has a voice, integrating diverse perspectives to ensure fair and just policy-making, and listening to all voices can go a long way in creating a more sustainable future.
Yes! Education and encouragement are keys to spreading awareness and raising the voice on behalf of our deserving Indigenous communities. Initiating meaningful conversations might still be a challenge in our daily lives but we definitely can practice and allow more trust to build up.
I really like that you talked about respectful relationships with the land. I agree that the solution to climate change is social. If we see the planet as a living creature worthy of our respect, we are more poised to take care of it.
I love your vision, Amy!Your very first sentence summarizes a practical vision for the future. I really do hope that people begin to recognize themselves as part of ecosystems and will protect ecosystems since they are integral components of life and serve us in various ways. I agree with your idea of educating youth and think that perhaps engaging workshops in schools is one way to address environmental justice and reconciliation.
Hi Amy, first of all this is an amazing post! From my experience I was definitely never taught about climate issues until I came to Canada. I totally agree that youth education is a very necessary step towards improving our relationship with the planet Earth!
This is such a beautiful post, Amy. I especially like your vision of people seeing themselves as part of the ecosystem and carry a sense of responsibility for the ecosystem, in turn. I could not agree more. The Relational Values resonate a lot with me and I hope to internalize them to a greater extent.
Hi Amy! I couldn't help but think of The Lorax movie as I was reading your post HAHA I truly hope that we don't get to the point where our future generations aren't surrounded by the beautiful nature around us. I fully support your ideas in this post and feel that educating our youths so that they'll speak up one day is a great start :)
Great vision! I love your idea of people recognizing themselves as part of the ecosystem.
Great ideas, our society feels so disconnected from the environment. Greater work needs to be made in schools, in homes, and in the workplaces where individuals are encourage to spend time in nature and view themselves as part of the ecological world rather than separate from it.
I also believe that educating our youth is a critical step in progress. However, I think that we need to do more than just shift the burden to the next generation. It's a point where I always struggle as well, because it would be so easy to just bring up our hopes for a fresh and idealistic mind of kids and young adults, but it would be even better if we can make the situation for them already much better than it is for us.
Respecting and listening to different worldviews is so important!
Hi Amy, I also believe that we need to protect the ecosystems more when it comes to decisions and connecting with local communities who have a better understanding of the environment is a great way to do that!
I also agree that in order to protect the environment, we should listen to the voices of people who are most connected to the land.