Diversity and Sustainability

Being green is more than just a way to “clean-up” the environment.  While we work together to achieve the goals of a sustainable community, we build bridges and relationships around shared interests and needs.  The bond between these community concerns is strong.  Many organizations around the world have shifted from a focus on green “items” to one that takes our shared responsibilities, and our diverse perspectives, to a new level.

Recognizing the contribution and unique forms of appreciation that all members of the community bring to the table makes the move toward a sustainable world even more meaningful.   Each person, with lessons learned from experiences gained from their cultural identity, shares new ideas, new solutions, and new ways to recognize and respect our critical interrelationships.

Looking towards inclusion and sustainability leads us to many insights;

Clear and respectful communication to everyone about the “what and why” of sustainability is both better for the environment and better for the community.

Looking at natural resources as shared resources allows children and adults to see how their actions matter to other people, as well as other species.

When children see the need to “act” on behalf of the environment, they realize they are acting on behalf of their friends, family, classmates and city.  This responsibility and empowerment can profoundly affect their feeling of ownership in the community.

Biodiversity and cultural diversity are linked in complex ways.  Both here and in the remote places on earth that we strive to protect, our understanding of human evolution and health relies on an unbiased understanding of how culture and the environment interact.

Here’s a great description of how recycling and reusing materials can bring people together.  As Costas’s wife states at the end, recognizing the value in things in new ways is way to recognize beauty.