Ontological Diversity in Environmental Education

Varieties of re-enchantment: nature and spirituality in contemporary societies

By Dr Ana Fernández-Aballí Altamirano from the University of Groningen.

Ontological Diversity in Environmental Education

“Education must prepare learners to understand the current crisis and shape the future. To save our planet, we must transform the way we live, produce, consume, and interact with nature.”

This statement, expressed by UNESCO's Director-General, presupposes that environmental education must engage learners in a comprehensive way, shaping their worldviews in order to "save the planet." But what kinds of worldviews are being envisioned under current paradigms of environmental education? What does "saving the planet" mean from different ontological perspectives? Can we find a way forward where a plurality of ontological positions—or "ways of being in the world"—are meaningfully engaged in environmental education? Is the dominant secular-scientific framework limiting the transformative potential of environmental education? In this discussion, we will explore these and other pressing questions, shedding light on how ontological diversity can offer new pathways forward.

Participation is free, but registration is required at:
https://bit.ly/Webinarseries24-25