21 – 25 September 2009
Mphatheleni (Mphathe) Makaulule, Colin Campbell, Liz Hosken
One week course
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Climate change and the associated ecological, social and economic crises are symptoms of the dysfunctional relationship the dominant industrial society has with nature – our source of life. For most of human history, diverse cultures around the world have developed a profound understanding of their local ecosystems, and their governance systems are derived from this understanding. How are communities in Africa reviving community and ecosystem resilience in today’s context of climate change and the continuing scramble for land and resources in Africa?
This course offers participants an opportunity to share experiences and learn how, in Africa and through a global alliance, community governance initiatives are drawing out Earth Jurisprudence thinking: recognising that our personal and community ethics, practices and governance systems have been inspired by nature for millennia. Nature is both source of life and source of the order into which humans are born. Human resilience, physically and spiritually, is derived from governing ourselves such that we do not undermine the wellbeing of the Earth. This requires ecological literacy, which elders at the heart of traditional ecological governance systems pass on to the next generation through rigorous learning experiences.
Over the last 10 years, the Gaia Foundation and the African Biodiversity Network (ABN) have been nurturing community leaders in six African countries to evolve an elder-centred process to revive ecological wisdom and practices. An integrated approach has emerged, rekindling experiential learning, young learning from elders, the role of sacred natural sites in governance, traditional seed diversity, the ecological calendar of ceremonies, the ecological reordering of community relationships to land and more. In essence, through reconnecting with the ecological and ancestral knowledge and norms of place, community cohesion, resilience and wellbeing are being restored.
Drawing on lessons from Africa, as well as the Amazon and Europe, the course leaders will share their experience of this journey towards resilience. They will explore together with participants the nature of how humans learn and transmit living knowledge, and reflect on initiatives to rebuild community and ecological resilience in places where wisdom traditions have been smothered by the industrial mind. The challenges we are facing are global: beneath our cultural differences lie universal principles and norms of life, which have sustained planetary wellbeing until recently. The challenge for us all is how we reconnect with our own wisdom traditions to regain personal, community and planetary equilibrium and resilience.
This course is run in association with The Gaia Foundation.
This course is intended for:
Mphatheleni (Mphathe) Makaulule is a dynamic community leader from South Africa, where she is engaged in a process of rediscovering ecological knowledge and practices with the elders and youth of her community. She is currently involved in supporting a legal challenge with other custodians of sacred natural sites of the Venda people. As with other traditions, these sites are understood as vital in maintaining the ecological and energetic equilibrium of ecosystems. Mphathe’s father was a chief and a traditional healer. Mpathe grew up mostly in a traditional way, with a great love of nature, culture and her traditions. Her inspiration is to revive Africa’s wisdom traditions.
Colin Campbell was born in Harare Zimbabwe, and was in training from a young age to become a traditional doctor. Later Colin was initiated as a Sangoma (spirit medium) under the tuition of Porogwane Kaote, a Sangoma and initiation master. At present Colin co-runs a traditional training school and initiation center for traditional doctors, sangomas and koma diviners. He also has a practice in Cape Town, South Africa from which he consults and runs programs based in the traditions of Southern Africa. Colin graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1988. Subsequently he has studied process oriented psychology, gestalt therapy and other human potential work.
Liz Hosken is Director of the Gaia Foundation, an international organisation working in partnership to restore cultural and biological diversity and ecological governance. Born in South Africa, Liz was active from a young age in both ecological issues and the anti-apartheid movement. She was exiled to the UK in her early 20s, and co-founded the Gaia Foundation in 1984, now at the hub of a global network of grassroots actors committed to rebuilding cultural and ecological integrity as the foundation for resilience. Gaia’s commitment over the last two decades has been to identify and nurture initiatives and associates that recognise our need to shift from a human-centred to an Earth-centred mode of governance.
For businesses: One week £1,200
For individuals, NGOs, Educational & Public Sector Organisations: One week £700
All course fees include accommodation, food, field trips and all teaching sessions.
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Discounts
10% for residents of South West England
20% with five or more people coming from the same organisation on the same course
(only one discount applicable per booking)
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