A Common Root of Environmental and Multicultural Issues
If all the insects on earth became extinct, all life as we know it would come to an end in the next 50 years. If all humans became extinct, all other life would flourish in the next 50 years. This simple fact brings home to me the extent of the environmental crisis we are facing. We are facing a similar cultural crisis being perpetrated by dominating groups of people around the world. I wonder how the insect fact would play out if ‘dominating people groups’ were to become extinct. These two crises are connected. They are connected most deeply and profoundly in us human beings because we are the perpetrators of both crises. They are connected in the very nature of our existence, our conditioning and manner of thinking.
In this reflection, I lay the groundwork to explore the connection between environmental and multicultural issues. This groundwork will form the basis of future explorations on the nature of the connection, its impact on education and ways to address this connection through education.