The Interconnectedness of Healing
- Lauren Paris
- Jul 23, 2021
- 3 min read
A Look Into Our Desperate Need for Reconnection Within the Climate Crisis
“The elders were wise. They knew that man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard; they knew that lack of respect for growing, living things, soon led to a lack of respect for humans, too.” – Chief Luther Standing Bear, Sicangu and Oglala Lakota Chief.
One might argue that we are living in a society that is overly connected—drowning in the hyperconnectivity of social media, a 24-hour news cycle, and technology that allows us to track, research, and connect with practically anyone we desire.
Simultaneously, we have created a world that has become painfully disconnected from nature, ourselves, and each other—oftentimes blinded by the greed that fuels the structures ruling our society.
This past year alone has shown our dire need for reconnection, understanding, and healing. From political division and racial tensions resulting from far too many instances of police brutality and systematic racism to vengeful natural disasters uprooting communities and taking lives due to the progression of climate change—it is evident that we are desperately in need of change.
For centuries, we have defined ourselves and others by our differences—placing each other into boxes when it comes to race, gender, sexuality, wealth, culture, etc. Instead of appreciating our differences, we have used them to marginalize, discriminate, exploit, and leverage power at the expense of certain identities—losing touch with each other and our true selves along the way.
Similarly, our environmental crises are largely rooted in our failure to connect our commodities, consumption, and daily practices to their origin. Everything from our food, jewelry, and clothing to the water and lights that fill our home has a natural origin and, thus, a natural consequence that oftentimes affect people and the planet.
We have formed a lifestyle that has become accustomed to fastness and overabundance—a society that relies heavily on extracting resources from the Earth for wealth, power, and comfort—failing to honor the power and beauty the land holds.
Our disconnection from the land has inevitably led us to disregard and marginalize those who hold the most sacred wisdom and knowledge of the Earth.
This history of racial discrimination is interwoven with our environmental crises. The disproportionate burden of climate change and fossil fuel pollution on communities of color is a direct result of unjust policies and our struggle to recognize the impact of our energy consumption, not only on the environment but on the health and well-being of our communities.
We believe our social and environmental crises are rooted in disconnection.
Given this, we are calling for visionary healing, in hopes to usher our society into a place of reconnection—recognizing that ecological, racial, and spiritual renewal are interdependent.
We can do this through honoring and uplifting voices that have often been sidelined. This means promoting the inclusion and community leadership of BIPOC communities, Native peoples who have been tending to the land for millennia, and eco-womanists—providing space for them to reclaim their power, while honoring the intersectionality of our crises.
We invite you to join us in exploring ways to heal our connection to our land, body, mind, spirit, and community at our 2021 Green Team Summit this September. From walking through vividly green wetlands in Shawnee National Forest, to touring a farm and gathering in a racial healing circle, this virtual Summit will honor our interconnectedness and inspire our environmental work through healing.
We will kick off the summit with a “kitchen table” panel discussion on what “Rooted in Healing” means from an Eco-Womanist perspective, learn how water is used as a sacred source of connection in different faith and cultural traditions through joining a water ceremony, and discuss how food is a source of connection—featuring a vegan cooking demonstration from Chef Tsadakeeyah Ben Emmanuel of Majanis, a Black-owned vegan soul food restaurant in Chicago.
We hope that you will join us in this journey of healing, learning, and listening to the ways people from diverse walks of life foster and maintain meaningful connection to people and planet.
