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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Incandescence

Like this little one’s incandescent wing Life already shines brightly Though we do not heed it Though we do not allow it To permeate its existence in this world full of writ and developmental strife It would be enough For us to live incandescently...

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TEACHING IS THE ACT OF LOVE

Teaching is an act of love and care. Awareness is the initial step towards change. The Earth is sending us warnings and we need to hear its voice and learn....

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THE POWER OF WATER LIES IN RESPECT

‘He who respects water will rise, He who neglects it will fall.’ Zhenizhock (Ötö) Kökö uulu (1860–1918), ‘Flowing Water’....

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THINK LESS ABOUT BUILDING AND DEVELOPING LAND

We need you to think less about building and developing land, and more about growing and protecting environment. We want to continue seeing the animals that you got to see when you were a child. We want to stroll around the garden, hand pick few...

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RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF ALL LIVING AND NON-LIVING BEINGS

My ancestors have taught me that we are supposed to be custodians of all life on Earth. This means that we should not just plant trees and keep the environment clean where we can, but we should take the extra step to ensure that the rights of every s...

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COMPASSION FOR NATURE AND IT’S RESTORATION

Compassion for nature and plants is a vital part of both our lives and nature’s survival. Our task is not only to preserve the environment – but to restore it. The choices we make today will shape a better future for ourselves and for generations...

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OUR ABILITY TO ADAPT AND CHANGE

I find hope in our ability to adapt to the challenges that we may face down the road. I am excited that we always have a chance to turn it around and witness a more inclusive and sustainable future!...

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Common Worlds Research Collective

How might common worlding pedagogies foster new ways of learning and living on our damaged earth? Common worlding pedagogies refuse to separate us humans off from our fellow earthlings. Instead of thinking about the world ‘out there’ as something...

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RECIPROCITY

I believe everything that is treated well will thrive and give you the same treatment. I’ve learned this from taking care of animals and plants....

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NATURAL BALANCE

The words of Tajik poet Rudaki in his poem Shahri Maydon (The City Square): “When a person disrupts nature’s balance – suffering is inevitable, for the Earth avenges its wounds.” These lines remind us of nature’s fragility and the consequen...

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AWARENESS

Each person can make a difference by recycling waste instead of throwing it away....

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CHANGE OUR LIFESTYLES

Our lifestyles must change if we want to leave a livable planet for future generations. ...

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RETHINK. TRANSFORM.

I vividly remember sitting at the table with my grandmother two years ago, talking about life, when she said, ‘Only death is irreversible…’ I thought how perfectly that cap- tures the strength of life and its endless possibilities. That phrase...

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TRANSFORM BEYOND THE CONFINES OF WESTERN STANDARDS

We need to learn how to change and progress in modern ways without being confined to Western standards. In this way, we may let our Earth breathe again...

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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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CARE FOR THE LAND

In Hawai’i, we learn the importance of mālama ‘āina - care for the land. This value is at the core of Hawai’i’s ancestral past where if we care for the land, the land will care for us. We do not own the land but are rather the stewards of i...

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CONNECTION WITH THE LAND

I see in this generation a great openness to change and a great capacity to find a connection with the land and all others....

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NATURE IS THE SECOND MOTHER

Nature is the second mother from whom I learn the lessons of four elements essential to life. Water teaches me how to calm and keep going when meeting any obstacles. Fire teaches me how to be a burning star. Earth teaches me how to be patient. Air te...

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LEARN TO COEXIST

Many species are in danger of extinction. This black-faced spoonbill was originally a common species in the wetlands of East Asia, but its habitat has been destroyed by humans for their convenience. Our life is already convenient enough, so please do...

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