Haumea Ecoversity

21 Sept of Love– IMMA 2023 Earth Rising

I’m delighted to share the recording of a very special 2-hour seminar of 4 presentations, short ecopoetic films & paintings, by myself, Grace Wells, Prof Michael Cronin and Phoebe Cope that we presented in the Screening Room at the Irish Museum of Modern Art -IMMA’s 2nd Earth Rising Festival last Autumn.

What was the seminar about?

We talked about how the dominant culture has viewed humanity as separate and superior to the wider community of life over centuries.

The presenters shared how ecoliteracy (holistic systems thinking) is hindered by entrenched habits of human privilege, making it a challenging task to fundamentally re-orient education and creative practice.

However, cultivating a broader ecological mindset through creativity, cultural diversity, and compassionate, holistic values, reflected through more appropriate linguistics, can centre us on a more equitable, sustainable path.

✨The day of the seminar, 21 Sept 2023, coincided with the International Day of Peace that the Earth Charter promotes. And in 2023, it was also the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the Earth Charter encompasses. And the week 18-24 Sept., 2023, was also the midpoint mark to reconfirm global attention for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and growing awareness that much deeper change is needed across the world.

The Presentations:

Ecopoet and writer Grace Wells facilitated the meeting. Dr Cathy Fitzgerald was the first speaker, followed by Prof Michael Cronin (Trinity College Dublin), then painter, Gaeilgeoir Phoebe Cope, and Grace Wells concluded the seminar. There was a lively Q & A session afterwards. Thanks to all who attended.

Click on the images to see the presentations, and click on the play arrow, (bottom left of each talk) to read and hear the transcripts.

---

Subsequent article by Cathy Fitzgerald for the global Earth Charter International Magazine, Dec 2023:

Subsequent to this event, I was asked to write a reflection on the potential of the sustainability education and ecological art practice fields to deepen understanding of the social power of employing creativity to catalyse social change for a more equitable, healthy, sustainable and peaceful world.

Read about the article here

---

Acknowledgements

Grateful thanks to IMMA Curators Julia and Siobhan of the Earth Rising Festival and to Annie Fletcher, Director of IMMA for her extraordinarily inclusive Earth Rising vision and for the financial support to take part.

My deep gratitude to Grace Wells for the many supportive conversations and her enthusiasm for being Haumea Ecoversity’s first ecopoet-in-residence in 2020. Congratulations also to Grace for being longlisted for the 2023 Laurel International ecopoetry Prize for her latest, extraordinary collection The Church of the Love of the World (2022). My thanks also to author and workshop organiser Margaret O’Brien, and Ray O’Foghlu of Hometree.ie who have supported Grace and me in working more closely together.

Also to Gaeilgeoir painter Phoebe Cope for her great interest in ecoliteracy (she’s accompanied me and Nikos through all our courses) and her vision to translate the Children’s Little Earth Charter An Ghaeilge – into Irish and then her commitment to translating the Peoples’ Earth Charter, for all in Ireland.

To Prof Michael Cronin, Trinity College Dublin, for so willingly contributing to our seminar and for writing the important small book that I recommend in all my courses, Irish and Ecology.

Creative Ireland Carlow for Creative Drummin Druimín Cruthaitheach Bog project funding 2021-22 that partly funded Phoebe Cope to undertake the official translation of the Earth Charter into Irish.

ArtLinks: Carlow – grateful thanks to the Carlow Arts Office for a 2023 Bursary that enabled me to have mentoring with Prof Peter Blaze Corcoran, research fellow of Earth Charter International, Costa Rica; to join Earth Charter masterclasses and the 2023 Trailblazery Irish language and heritage programme and put forward a successful proposal to present at Earth Charter International’s global conference in Florida, April 2024: Reimagining Education for Ecological Civilisations/

To Prof Emeritus Peter Blaze Corcoran (USA), Earth Charter International and my collaborating philosopher Dr Nikos Patedakis (California) DangerousWisdom.org – they lent their ideas to the title and much of the wisdom of my presentation.

Also to the late Fearghal Duffy, storyteller, medieval Irish scholar and wetland lover who immediately supported Haumea Ecoversity and the translation of the Earth Charter.

Many thanks to Martin Lyttle, Alan Price and Haumea Ecoversity learners and supporters, including Lisa Fingleton, Rena Blake, Jen Castle, Jules Michael, Aiseling Noone, Dr Marilyn Lennon, and also to Kilkenny Arts Officer Mary Butler and especially to the Cope family.