Laudato Si'

Laudato Si’ Goal 5: Ecological Education

Ecological education is about re-thinking and re-designing curricular and institutional reform in the spirit of integral ecology in order to foster ecological awareness and transformative action, promoting the ecological vocation of young people, teachers and leaders of education.

We recognise that education is a life-long process, not only for one stage of life or from formal institutions. At this time, we need to ask ourselves how we can learn to make better choices and design solutions based in our Eco literacy: learning from living systems, valuing traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous wisdom. Living the questions together about how to put life at the centre of all actions and decisions can create community as well as thriving ecosystems.

Ecological education has been a strong emphasis of several Mercy ministries for many years, especially the former Rahamim Ecology Centre and now Seville Mercy Conference Centre. Since 2020 an educational program has been delivered to membership and staff via Zoom on a broad range of ecological topics, broadening our understanding of Earth’s natural systems and our place within them.

What have we achieved?

  • Multiple presentations, campaigns, meetings and webinars on a wide variety of integral ecology topics both internally with our Sisters and staff but also with several external partners
  • Included Key Performance Indicator for Institute Managers relating to an ecological or environmental initiative within their own team.

 What are we doing?

  • Explore opportunities to partner with Mercy ministries and partners to deliver sustainability initiatives
  • Included Key Performance Indicator for all staff to identify with their manager an initiative relating to an ecological or environmental aspect
  • Delivering a Fellowship for Integral Ecology Emerging Leaders to help initiate ecological conversion of educators
  • An annual formation calendar will be prepared with programs of different styles (workshops, retreats, rituals, conferences, and celebrations) for members and staff which cover all 7 Goals each year. Topics will include cosmology, the Universe Story, integral ecology, Eco-spirituality, and theology, creating rituals/prayer, advocacy programs, climate crisis, carbon footprint, bioregionalism/localisation, simple living, increasing biodiversity locally, water conservation and rehydration of landscapes/gardens
  • Continue to collaborate with our networks (Faith Ecology Network, CRA, ARRCC and others) to reach smaller groups of religious, diverse and vulnerable communities for education programs especially the Fellowship, conferences and celebrations.