Consciousness

Consilience

In Search of the Unity of Knowledge by E. O. Wilson I have recently returned to reading the biologist and polymath’s 1998 book in search of some answers to why there is an absence of political leadership capable of addressing our current ecological and environmental crises. I have adapted and summarised some of the earlyContinue reading “Consilience”

EMOTIONS AS A BASIS FOR ECOLOGICAL BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE

The question is urgent: emotions about climate change do not directly lead to behavioral change, what is needed? Yesterday de Volkskrant published an interview with Martha Nussbaum, following her latest book ‘Justice for animals: our collective responsibility.’ I really want to share the last paragraph of the interview with you:“Making people feel guilty is not theContinue reading “EMOTIONS AS A BASIS FOR ECOLOGICAL BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE”

REGENERATIVE CULTURES:LEARNING AND UNLEARNING

In an earlier blog I suggested that we are beginning to see evidence of avoiding using the word “sustainability.” “Sustainability is steadily falling into disrepute, mainly because of its reformist piecemeal applications, which exclude wholesale systems change.” In its place terms such as “regenerative paradigms” have come into play. In its broadest sense this encompassesContinue reading “REGENERATIVE CULTURES:LEARNING AND UNLEARNING”

TRANSFORMING UNIVERSITIES IN THE MIDST OF GLOBAL CRISIS:A UNIVERSITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD

From the Times Higher Education Book Review. No one paying attention needs reminding that universities are “in crisis”. We are beset by critiques of their complicity with neoliberal and extractive capitalism, dispossession of First Nations, top-heavy administrative regimes, and pedagogical shifts away from critical thinking toward so-called job-ready, marketable skill sets. When we turn aContinue reading “TRANSFORMING UNIVERSITIES IN THE MIDST OF GLOBAL CRISIS:A UNIVERSITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD”

HISTORY NOW

I encourage anyone reading this on New Year’s day to watch Simon Schama’s BBC TV series called “History Now” Schama is always a compelling presenter but in this series, he is more than a messenger, offering something of a call to arms as he emotionally recounted memories of watching Václav Havel address crowds of CzechContinue reading “HISTORY NOW”

NEW ECONOMY based on NEW SYSTEMS

The role of human agency is an essential element of the authors of this new books analyses, evaluations, and prescriptions. If humanity is to live in harmony with itself, with other creatures, and in balance with the planet’s ecological systems, then we must be clear about what we can and cannot do, and what weContinue reading “NEW ECONOMY based on NEW SYSTEMS”

IS UNESCO STILL THE CONSCIENCE OF HUMANITY ?

According to a recent and challenging publication there are growing concerns that UNESCO might be being influenced by the prevailing neoliberal ideology( as neuroliberal) to the extent that its distinctive role as the conscience of humanity is being compromised : (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057925.2022.2129956) As the paper argues UNESCO came into existence at a particularly prescient utopian momentContinue reading “IS UNESCO STILL THE CONSCIENCE OF HUMANITY ?“

Neoliberalism: the idea that swallowed the world

The word has become a rhetorical weapon and an ideological political meme, but it properly names the reigning ideology of our era – one that venerates the logic of the market and strips away the things that make us human. And its most recent admirer Liz Truss our much-reviled former PM became a celebrated maleficent proponentContinue reading “Neoliberalism: the idea that swallowed the world“

Should We Abandon the Concept of Climate Refugee?

Climate change is expected to force millions of people to relocate this century, as rising seas inundate small islands and intolerable heat makes life impossible in tropical regions. But is the world really facing a mounting climate refugee crisis? It is entirely reasonable to assume that as climate change intensifies, it will result in moreContinue reading “Should We Abandon the Concept of Climate Refugee?“

COHORT 2040 CHALLENGE

How Can Future Leaders be Better Prepared for a Future of Worsening Environmental Crisis (https://www.ippr.org/files/2022-01/cohort-2040-jan-22.pdf   ) This report from the Institute for Public Policy research(IPPR) is yet another wake up call for all of those who are asking where the leadership will come from to tackle a worsening environmental and social crisis created by humanitiesContinue reading “COHORT 2040 CHALLENGE”