Democratizing the Conversation on Earth Citizenship: Indigenous and Western Perspectives

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Venue:MMC SIPA103

Global Indigenous Forum -- Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs

Democratizing the Conversation on Earth Citizenship. An Intercultural Dialogue from Indigenous and Western Perspectives on Humans and Nature

In our relationship with the Earth and with universal Nature, we have much more in common than divides us. Every major religion, East, West and Indigenous, has a creation story based in a Power greater than ourselves in the origin of our planet and of humankind. We differ in the details, but in the acknowledgment of a creative Force, we agree. Western science has created the most complex physical representation of the earth’s journey ever seen, one whose evolutionary and ecological dynamics closely parallels the spiritual truths of many established religious accounts. Yet, at the same time, we are creating environmental destruction, including loss of biodiversity, pollution, ecosystem disruption and climate change. How can spiritual traditions and practices, especially those of indigenous peoples, help us to envision and establish a sense of balance between humans and the earth, a confluence of modern science and ancient wisdom?

Speakers

Thomas Pliske is Lecturer Emeritus in the Dept. of Earth and Environment, and the Department of Religious Studies at FIU. He is the author of numerous articles in scientific journals and the books, Light, Truth and Nature and A Himalayan Hope and a Himalayan Promise. He holds a PhD in evolutionary biology from Cornell University. He teaches a new Global Learning course with Indigenous content in spring, 2020. Spirituality and Sustainability (REL-3161)

Rubi Hurtado is traditional musician, dancer, researcher, and professional journalist from the Xauxa-Quechua people of Peru. She is a founding member of both the Kuyayky Foundation, and the FIU Global Indigenous Forum. She holds a BS in Journalism and a BA in Anthropology from FIU. Her MA in Biology Conservation from Miami University in Ohio focused on Indigenous environmental relations in Peru, Mexico, and India.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information see indigenous.fiu.edu, or 305-348-2247.

Organized by the FIU Global Indigenous Forum. Co-Sponsors: Dept of Global and Sociocultural Studies, Dept of Religious Studies, student club Global Indigenous Group, and Council of Student Organizations.

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