Many people around the world, including civil society, scientists, youth, and policymakers are concerned about the future of our common home and the choices we must make today to ensure that we change our course and stop contributing to our current planetary crises. To do this, all decision-makers, including governments, the private sector, and individuals must come together to achieve our global goals for justice, sustainability and peace, guided by common values. Through this intercultural dialogue, we will explore what it means to work towards an ecological civilization and what we can learn from the knowledge we have and what we have accomplished so far.
This webinar is the second one in a webinar series leading up to the 2024 Earth Charter Conference: Reimagining Education for Ecological Civilizations.
In this webinar we will continue the conversation started in November 2023, with the panel tackling the following questions:
- What does an Ecological Civilization look like?
- What are some good examples paving the way towards this vision and how can we scale up these efforts?
- What are some additional paths and driving forces to building these just, sustainable and peaceful societies?
Click here to access the recording from the November 2023 conversation with Chen Xia, David Korten, Andrew Schwartz, and Sukhyun Park.
For more content on the topic of Ecological Civilizations, click here to access the recordings from our 2020 webinar series.
Speakers
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
Jinfeng Zhou
China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation
Zhihe Wang
Former member of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Julia Kim
Gross National Happiness Centre Bhutan
Moderators
Amanda Bennett and Sifan Jiang, Earth Charter International
Mary Evelyn Tucker
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Mary Evelyn Tucker is Senior Lecturer and Research Scholar at Yale in the School of the Environment, the Divinity School, and the Department of Religious Studies. She teaches in the MA program in religion and ecology and co-direct, together with John Grim, the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology.
Mary Evelyn’s concern for the growing environmental crisis, especially in Asia, led her to organize with Grim a series of ten conferences on World Religions and Ecology at Harvard (1995-1998). They were series editors for the ten volumes from the conferences. She co-edited Buddhism and Ecology (Harvard, 1997), Confucianism and Ecology (Harvard, 1998), and Hinduism and Ecology (Harvard, 2000). After these conferences she and Grim founded the Forum on Religion and Ecology. They wrote Ecology and Religion (Island Press, 2014) and with Willis Jenkins they edited the Routledge Handbook on Religion and Ecology (2016). They also are series advisors for the Ecology and Justice Series at Orbis Books.
Jinfeng Zhou
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Dr. Zhou Jinfeng is Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), a China-based NGO participating at the leading edge of biodiversity conservation, environmental protection and sustainable development.
Born in 1962, Dr. Zhou has earned a global reputation as a seasoned supporter of sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, and poverty alleviation. Dr. Zhou Jinfeng graduated from Peking University and earned a PhD in Chemistry from Perdue University. Dr. Zhou was the proponent and one of the creators of China’s famous Guangcai (Glory) program which integrated the expertise, and efforts of the government, NGOs and private enterprises in creating sustainable businesses in the poorest areas of China. As an innovative business leader Dr. Zhou founded one of China’s first Internet providers, and subsequently built China’s largest and most reputable media/scientific laboratory supply companies.
Dr. Zhou has played leading roles in the development of his country which include: Being a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for the ninth, tenth and eleventh session, Standing committee member of the All China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and Vice-Chair of the National Association of Vocational Education China (NAVEC) for the ninth and tenth session.
Zhihe Wang
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Dr. Zhihe Wang, a former member of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, received his Master’s Degree in Western Philosophy from Peking University, China, his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from Claremont Graduate University, USA, and is a leading figure in constructive postmodern movement in China. He has published numerous books and more than 160 articles. His recent books include Process and Pluralism: Chinese Thought on the Harmony of Diversity, Second Enlightenment (with Meijun Fan). He also helped establish more than 30 research institutes on process thought and constructive postmodern studies in China. As co-director of CPS China Project, his major responsibility is to charge the communication between the Western Process community and Chinese community by organizing international conferences, arranging lectures, translating process books, and Chinese visiting scholar program.
Julia Kim
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Dr. Julia Kim is the Program Director for the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Centre Bhutan www.gnhcentrebhutan.org. She joined the GNH Centre in 2013, after serving as a member of the International Expert Working Group for a New Development Paradigm (convened by the Royal Government of Bhutan).
Through local and international partnerships, the GNH Centre leads initiatives that promote a more flourishing, equitable and sustainable world – based on New Economics principles, alternative progress measures, the growing science of wellbeing, and sustainable development (The Global Wellbeing Lab: Transforming Economy & Society Global Wellbeing Lab and The RIght Livelihood & GNH Program).
Prior to living in Bhutan, Julia worked as a physician and HIV researcher in Africa and Asia, before serving with the United Nations (UNDP and UNICEF) in New York. She brings a background in programs, policy, and research in the fields of global health and sustainable development, and is an associate of the Presencing Institute – a global network that views the integration of compassion and mindfulness-based practices as a core capacity of 21st-century innovation and leadership. Julia holds degrees from the University of Manitoba, Cornell University, Tufts University, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.