United Nations Harmony with Nature Stresses Justice for All

The need for a "rewilding manifesto" to overcome "the rage of inhumanity": The importance of the Earth Jurisprudence perspective

The United Nations Harmony with Nature Dialogue provides a rich, interdisciplinary, and global perspective on what is happening to our magnificent planet and lays out the foundation for action that could change the course of what is happening in an increasingly human-dominated world. Historically, "In 2009, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 22 April as International Mother Earth Day. In so doing, Member States acknowledged that the Earth and its ecosystems are our common home, and expressed their conviction that it is necessary to promote Harmony with Nature in order to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations. The same year, the General Assembly adopted its first resolution on Harmony with Nature." For more on the chronology of the Harmony with Nature initiative please click here.

Individuals partaking in the virtual dialogue who are members of different groups are listed here and their contributions are posted here. I am a member of the Holistic Science group. I've long been interested in animal protection and social justice (please also see Dr. Hope Ferdowsian's essay called "Why Justice for Animals Is the Social Movement of Our Time") and was very pleased to be asked to contribute to the U. N.'s initiative.

Participants were asked to answer four questions and here's what I wrote.

1. What would the practice of your selected discipline look like from an Earth Jurisprudence perspective? How is that different from the way that your discipline is generally practiced now? And, what are the benefits of practicing the selected discipline from an Earth Jurisprudence perspective?

I'm viewing Earth Jurisprudence "as a philosophy of law and human governance that is based on the idea that humans are only one part of a wider community of beings and that the welfare of each member of that community is dependent on the welfare of the Earth as a whole." Thus, societies of humans are part of a wider community that incorporates societies of nonhuman animals (animals) and their homes and all community members are dependent on one another. No individual is an island and we all depend on one another to thrive and to survive.

Embracing Earth Jurisprudence is essential in the Anthropocene, often called "the age of humanity." Given how human animals are plundering our magnificent planet and surrounds, I call the Anthropocene "the rage of inhumanity," in which the interests of humans regularly trump the interests of nonhuman animals.

The idea that all of Earth's residents are part of an interconnected community forms the basis of my ideas about personal "rewilding" that are outlined in my book called Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence. The ideas are novel and call for personal and some might say individual spiritual transformations that serve to reconnect people to nature and to embrace the magnificence of our planet. All individuals are stakeholders who must work together.

The growing international field of compassionate conservation also mandates that all individuals are stakeholders, and is based on the principles of (i) First, do no harm, (ii) all individuals matter, and (iii) we must strive for peaceful coexistence among all of Earth's residents.

Currently, while many people talk about how all individuals matter and how all individuals must work together, in the end human interests regularly trumps those of nonhumans, and this has produced a chaotic world that is falling apart daily. Personal rewilding and compassionate conservation can change how we go about "business as usual" and can come to the rescue and reverse these destructive trends. As such, I've called for a "rewilding manifesto" based on compassion and biophilia -- our innate drive to connect with other nature -- that will help to foster hope for the future.

Along these lines, what I call "the ethology of rewilding" entails focusing on what we know about who other animals truly are and using this information to come to a deeper appreciation of the similarities and differences among nonhuman animals and between nonhuman and human animals.

2. What promising approaches do you recommend for achieving implementation of an Earth-centered worldview for your selected discipline? (Note: depending on the discipline, approaches could also be theoretical, although practical approaches should be prioritized).

"The only real hope is taking direct action to reduce the key drivers of extinctions and environmental degradation: over-population and overconsumption. The only effective measure is a rescaling of the human enterprise." (Gerardo Ceballos, Anne Ehrlich, and Paul Ehrlich, The Annihilation of Nature: Human Extinction of Birds and Mammals, p.175)

Environment Essential Reads

Climate Heats Up Youth Across the Political Spectrum

Is Viewing Water Outdoors More Restorative Than Green Spaces?

“Our relationship with the earth involves something more than pragmatic use, academic understanding, or aesthetic appreciation. A truly human intimacy with the earth and with the entire natural world is needed. Our children should be properly introduced to the world in which they live.” (Thomas Berry, “Human Presence,” in The Dream of the Earth, 13).

I lean toward the side of offering practical solutions. We don't need "more science" to know that we must change our ways, and we already have enough information to mandate making positive changes. We must redefine our relationship with other nature and we must rapidly do it and act on the feelings that emerge. We also need to reconsider our relationships with other humans and do away with resolving conflicts using violent means. A rewilding manifesto would clearly state that we will indeed, and with deeply passionate and motivated intention, reconnect with other humans, other nonhumans, and their homes with as much positive energy as possible.

One trait we share with many other animals is a strong tendency to be compassionate and empathic, rather than inherently violent, and we need to tap into these predispositions as we move forward. The Earth Jurisprudence perspective mandates that we need to harness our powerful and positive biophilic impulse and exploit it for all it's worth, and then some, as we move into the future. And, let's be sure that youngsters know just what we are doing and then, they too, can continue to do the good work that is necessary for our magnificent planet and for all beings to thrive and to look forward to, and joyously welcome in, many new days.

Rewilding also calls for "undoing the unwilling" that comes from sitting in classrooms, from media that misrepresents other animals, and from getting lost in busyness. It also means that youngsters must get out into nature and experience first-hand the community in which they live.

It is essential to redefine our relationship with other nature and we must rapidly do it and act on the feelings that emerge. We also need to reconsider our relationships with other humans and do away with resolving conflicts using violent means.

3. What key problems or obstacles do you see as impeding the implementation of an Earth-centered worldview in your selected discipline?

“That the universe is a communion of subjects rather than a collection of objects is the central commitment of the Ecozoic. Existence itself is derived from and sustained by this intimacy of each being with every other being of the universe.” (Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry, The Universe Story, 243).

One of the major problems is that at the end of the day, the interests of nonhumans are trumped in favor of humans. Many people who work in the environmental movement forget that nonhumans are part of the landscape. They don't necessarily do this with any ill intentions, but rather, they simply don't factor these nonhuman beings into the equations for solutions when push comes to shove.

The thinking behind the trumping of nonhuman interests lies in the application of principles of animal welfare in which the supposed costs to nonhumans are deemed to be less than the benefits to humans, so it's perfectly okay to do something even if other animals experience harm and death. We need to get out of the welfarism frame of mind and heart.

In our forthcoming book called The Animals' Agenda: Freedom, Compassion, and Coexistence in the Human Age (Beacon, 2017), Jessica Pierce and I argue for a revolutionary paradigm shift to what we call "the science of animal well-being" in which the interests and lives of all individuals matter. When these ideas are employed our decisions will not routinely or conveniently favor humans over nonhumans.

These ideas are totally in line with the holistic principles of Earth Jurisprudence, namely, that all individuals matter and all individuals are part of an integrated Earth community, and we must all work together to foster this community of subjects (to play off of some of Thomas Berry's ideas).

4. What are the top recommendations for priority, near-term action to move your selected discipline toward an Earth Jurisprudence approach? What are the specific, longer-term priorities for action?

The priorities for short- and long-term action center on recognizing that all beings are essential to the community of Earth, and that we must all work together to maintain the integrity of Earth and to move beyond "the rage of inhumanity" that is plundering our planet into shambles. We need to let our hearts lead as we move ahead in a challenging and frustrating world.

We also need to give people hope for the future, because it's all too easy to give up in despair and to get into, and remain in, the mindset that things are so bad that there is no hope. Surely, we won't be able to return to what Earth was like in the past. Some call it "the good old days," but really they weren't all that good. Life and values evolve, and we need to come to terms with what we're facing right now, and focus on what works rather than what doesn't work. How can we expect people to get involved if all they hear about is the failures? How can we expect youngsters to care and to get involved if they feel that no matter what they do the future is gloomy and there is no hope for many better tomorrows?

I'm a card-carrying optimist and I really believe there is hope for the future, and personal rewilding, as a form of direct action, and however one chooses to do it, can help us overcome the gloom and doom to which we're constantly exposed, for this negativity gets us absolutely nowhere because we can easily get trapped in a vortex of despair and hopelessness. By embracing what we're learning from fields such as conservation psychology, anthrozoology, and cognitive ethology we can comfortably move ahead and forcefully and truthfully argue that we are, indeed, a compassionate and empathic species and that the future can be a far brighter one than if we give up and think that others will do the necessary work.

To sum up, personal rewilding and applying the principles of compassionate conservation are totally consistent with the perspectives of Earth Jurisprudence and it's high time that we put aside all barriers and work together for better tomorrows for future generations -- for our children and theirs. We really can do no less, and who can argue that spreading our own individual compassion footprints is a bad idea (for more on this please see The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons for Expanding our Compassion Footprint)?

I hope no one would disagree. So let's move on right now and stop making excuses that the problems are too big, or that someone else will do it, or that what I do doesn't matter. All individuals matter and the Earth Jurisprudence perspective provide an excellent template for moving forward in many different and positive ways.

As I see it, the U. N.'s Harmony with Nature initiative and the Earth Jurisprudence perspective mandate freedom and justice for all. What a splendid lesson for all humans to embrace in their hearts as we move into the future as an integrated community working together -- despite our differences -- for better tomorrows for all.

I hope that these responses and those of others play a strong role in working toward a more peaceful and compassionate world in which there truly is justice for all.

Marc Bekoff's latest books are Jasper's Story: Saving Moon Bears (with Jill Robinson), Ignoring Nature No More: The Case for Compassionate Conservation, Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed: The Fascinating Science of Animal Intelligence, Emotions, Friendship, and Conservation, Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence, and The Jane Effect: Celebrating Jane Goodall (edited with Dale Peterson). The Animals' Agenda: Freedom, Compassion, and Coexistence in the Human Age (with Jessica Pierce) will be published in early 2017. (Homepage: marcbekoff.com; @MarcBekoff)