Ecological Thinking

The Convergence team

Course Description
In this program we will use the Systems Thinking approach as a way to challenge ourselves to see the connections between the separate parts of what we do in order to view those parts as a whole. During the course we will explore different contemporary environmental issues and employ a systems perspective to see these issues from a new standpoint.

The first part of our Ecological Thinking course will provide a general overview of the approach and examine how systems or ‘joined up thinking' can help us to see the world in a more practical way. In the second half we will focus on practical examples from our own experiences, and employ a systems perspective to develop alternative understandings.

Throughout the course we will work to improve our ability to integrate and apply knowledge. What can we do to help ourselves make the connections? For example, in a practical sense, what does ecology have to do with society, spirituality and economics? What are the connections that will help these questions get answered?

In this workshop we take the time to recognize our own perceptions and patterns that trap us in contemporary lifestyles. Participants are given the space to "step out of the box" and reach for a deeper connection to the essence of self. This discovery allows the innate sense of ecological sensitivity to emerge, evoking the desire for change.

During the course of the five days, we will link the ideas of Phenomenology - a tool for reflective and transformative inquiry, exploring how we, as humans, deep down, experience and relate to the natural world, and Awareness through the Body - a tool for noticing limitations that we impose on ourselves and for allowing an expansion of our possibilities.
Come and join us for 5-days of Ecological Thinking and explore the connections that help to make sense of some of the world's problems. In the process we'll learn a new approach, a systems approach, for creating new and integrated solutions.

Dates and Times
 

Venue
Evergreen, Auroville

Registration

For more information please see our website at www.thepointofconvergence.org

write to us at creatingchange@thepointofconvergence.org or call 2623255 / 2622983

Presenter Bio
The Convergence team: We are 2 families, 9 residents, 5 adults, 4 children, it all depends on how you want to look at it. The 9 of us live at Evergreen in Auroville and are happy to welcome you into our home for Convergence. We come from India, South Africa, Israel, Canada and England with professional backgrounds as diverse as insurance, international development, ecology, yoga instruction and education.
Our staff is also an integral part of our family. We employ 4 people from nearby villages who help us with everything to do with the forest and our lives in it. Erumalai, Rajaswari, Kala and Kamla are integral to what we do and we feel blessed to be able to work with them.