TURN IT
AROUND!

How to

TURN IT AROUND! is a toolkit to help us radically reimagine education in response to the climate and ecological emergency.  There is no one right way to use them, but here are some ideas that may get you started in turning this emergency around.

 

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WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED

We have everything we need in this moment to solve our problems....

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SOMETIMES ANIMALS ARE MORE GENEROUS THAN PEOPLE

Humans can be arrogant and selfish. Sometimes, they refuse to do even what’s in their own best interest. Of course, human intelligence may surpass that of any other living being – but it’s essential for every creature – human, animal, or plan...

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RECONNECT WITH NATURE

I have a friend who comes from one of the sacred lands in West Java. From him, I have learned how people from modern communities like mine have been displaced and disconnected from nature. I believe that humans can thrive together by re-learning thin...

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BUILD RESILIENCE

Southeast Asia has a lot of archipelagic areas that will sink in the future. From this point, don't just think about the big cities and harbours but also lands and places for native people. Many people will be displaced from home without knowing what...

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LET EARTH CATCH HER BREATH

Empowered with knowledge and equipped with empathy, education has the potential to shift minds and attitudes to let Earth catch her breath....

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COOPERATION

Nature taught me about cooperation or gotong royong. Plants are related to each other and complement each other to create a balanced ecosystem. Sometimes a plant's life depends on other plants, such as the endangered Rafflesia flower. Rafflesia flowe...

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THE SACRED

For centuries, the Kyrgyz people lived in harmony with nature, showing it deep respect. Mountains, rivers, and forests were not just landscapes – they were sacred, an inseparable part of life. The epic Kojojash warns us of the consequences of break...

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NATURE HEALS!

Nature heals! Ancestral knowledge about medicinal plants that are passed on in traditional communities can save lives. Including traditional knowledge and young indigenous scientists is a major step forward in the advancement of science and technolog...

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LEARN ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

Climate education should be included in our curriculum today to change our attitudes and behaviors in order to respond to the global climate emergency. Environmental literacy would encourage people to become agents of change. Climate education will h...

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THE SEA

I wish I could see the sea my grandmother once told me about....

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HOLD CEREMONIES, EXPRESS GRATITUDE

My ancestors in Indonesia always taught us that we must care for and protect the universe. Nature and humans live side by side in mutual support of each other. My ancestors have taught us to hold ceremonies to express gratitude for what the universe...

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HONESTY

The honesty of nature is not like of anything that could be taught to us at school. So when nature speaks, we shall listen and when nature cries we shall console. The stark beauty of nature's honesty gives us direction for what we should do next and...

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EMPATHY

Humans often think in an anthropocentric way considering only what is best for an individual human, in a given moment. We build over environments and corral animals to suit our needs. This has led us to the brink of planetary disaster. The future...

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The Grandmothers’ Gift of Fibrous Yarning

This gift comes from an ancestry of strong women. Across continents and generations, they’ve been weaving and sewing the fabrics that sustain life while crafting subversive stories. We pick up the stitches cast by our grandmothers, which they’ve...

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CLIMATE FACTS

The Earth is warming faster than expected. The Paris Agreement (2015) aimed to keep warming below 2 °C, ideally 1.5 °C. Above this, the IPCC (2018) warns, raises the risk of irreversible tipping points: emissions should be halved by 2030 and cut to...

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A VAST WORLD OF PHILIPPINE MYTHOLOGY

One of our popular local myths involves Maria Makiling, the resident diwata (fairy) of the namesake mountain in Laguna. She once walked among humans but was distraught by the environmental destruction they’ve caused and was never seen since. I like...

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GROWING SEEDS FROM SOIL

The beauty of growing seeds from the soil. It’s so amazing how plants grow. School hasn’t taught me to plant trees, vegetables, crops and make our planet green again.  ...

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CARING FOR EVERYTHING AROUND YOU

In spring, we admire the flowers, mountain rivers, and beautiful landscapes – and we want them to last forever! Just as our parents care for us, we must care for Nature, which brings us joy today and will bring joy to our children tomorrow....

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DRESSING IS A POLITICAL ACT

Dressing is a political act, our clothes tell a story. I come to talk about my concerns as a young Indigenous artist denouncing the absurd practices of deforestation in Brazil. I make fashion a space for reflection. What story do your clothes tell? &...

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