Healing our “ environments ” through compassionate action
PEACE SIGNS
Healing our “ environments ” through compassionate action
by Dawn Shattuck
Humanity , as we now know it , seems to be on a dangerous path of self-destruction that requires getting our collective hearts and heads wrapped around healing the damage we have done to our environment . If we think about the challenges we face , climate change , pollution , and our ability to curb greenhouse emissions often come to mind , but we have many “ environments ” that impact our collective wellbeing physically , emotionally , spiritually , and certainly psychologically . The worlds of war , poverty , hunger and mental illness , for example , are also environments we might experience directly or be affected by indirectly through the media .
So where is the good news about any of our environments ? There are now hundreds of organizations and millions of people focused on and committed to making significant changes in these troubling environments with or without governmental assistance . Thankfully there are also many organizations like the United Nations , Greenpeace , 350 . org , Sierra Club , Audubon , USC Center for Science and Democracy , Save the Children , World Wildlife Fund , Co-op America , Rainforest Action Network , World Watch Institute , and the National Geographic Society among many others , that are working very hard to create hope for a very different future .
We know intuitively that it will take a long time to turn the Titanic , but we must be relentless and not give up . One of my favorite quotes is by Margaret Meade : “ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful , committed citizens can change the world ; indeed , it ’ s the only thing that ever has .” We are now collectively a world of a single fate — and only together can we make the monumental changes necessary for our survival .
• Limit influences and opportunities for problem behavior ; and
• Promote psychological flexibility , which is a mindful approach to pursuing one ’ s values even in the face of emotional , cognitive , and real-world challenges .
Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals . The United Nations continues to be one the greatest champions for the world and our varied environments . These goals encompass many realms of concern such as poverty , hunger , climate action , gender equality , etc .
The 16th goal is “ Promote just , peaceful and inclusive societies .” A few of the specific targets of this goal are to reduce all forms of violence ; end abuse , exploitation , trafficking and all forms of violence and torture of children ; ensure equal access to justice ; and promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies .
Big strokes for Earth Day Network . The first Earth Day on April 22 , 1970 , activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement . Twenty years later , Earth Day went global , mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage . More than one billion people now participate in Earth Day . Earth Day Network is the world ’ s largest recruiter to the environmental movement , working with more than 50,000 partners in 196 countries to build environmental democracy . They work through a combination of education , public policy , and consumer campaigns . Together we ’ ve reached 2,023,365,347 Acts of Green . Help us reach 3 Billion !” www . earthday . org
Keys to a nurturing environment . New research and a book by Anthony Biglan , PHD , The Nurture Effect : How the Science of Human Behavior Can Improve Our Lives and Our World , posits that no matter the context or the problem at hand , “ nurturing environments ” should do these four things :
• Minimize toxic social and biological conditions ;
• Teach , promote , and richly reinforce prosocial behavior ;
34 IMAGINE l FALL 2016