Eco-Human Theory and Practice
ISSN 2713 – 184x
Ecophilosophy
Ecopsychology
Ecotherapy
Eco Art Therapy
Ecological Education
The "Green" Arts
Eco-aesthetics
Volume 4 (2023) Issue 2
Current Issue
Current Issue
EDITORIAL: THE HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND
CURRENT ISSUE KEY ARTICLES
CURRENT ISSUE KEY ARTICLES

 

Is it possible to understand the human-animal bond from the eco-human perspective? What would the human-animal bond be like from the viewpoint of ecopoiesis? We are ourselves animals, with distinctive capacities perhaps, but not fundamentally different from other living creatures. If ecopoiesis is the way in which we have made our world and all that is in it, does that not also imply an aesthetic responsibility to all that lives? In that case, it would be our responsibility to enable other creatures to flourish, in so far as that is possible. The human-animal bond is first of all a bond in which we recognize our kinship with other living creatures. To be kin implies to be kind. Just as we think it cruel to be unkind to members of our own family, is there not cruelty in the way that we are with other animals? Our hope is that our perspectives on this bond will show us not only new ways to think about other creatures but also to act in what used to be called a more “humane” way in relation to them.

 

COLONIZATION - DECOLONIZATION: ENVIRONMENTAL, CIVILIZATIONAL, GEOPOLITICAL ASPECTS
CURRENT ISSUE KEY ARTICLES
CURRENT ISSUE KEY ARTICLES

 

Several experts in expressive arts, therapy and ecopsychology share their views on various aspects of colonization and decolonization. The participants in the discussion refer to the current situation in the world, characterized by the transition from a globalized monopolar world order to a multipolar/multilateral one. The issues of colonization and decolonization are considered in this discussion from an ecopoetic point of view, taking into account the ecological and cultural-historical perspective. The discussion is built in the form of a polylogue, where different authors use scientific and biographical discourse, academic and poetic language in order to convey the drama of the current situation and their response to the existential challenge associated with the decisive historical moment of ecological, cultural and geopolitical decolonization.

ECOPOIESIS: A MANIFESTO FOR ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION
CURRENT ISSUE KEY ARTICLES
CURRENT ISSUE KEY ARTICLES

 

The Manifesto of Ecological Civilization contains the main provisions related to a new type of civilization, which should replace the industrial civilization, which has actually exhausted the potential of its development and has become the leading force for the destruction of humans and the living environment. A Manifesto for Ecological Civilization is the basis of the scenario for the development of culture and various public institutions, recognizing the potential of people to control their own destiny, to take effective steps to preserve life on earth.

 

Featured Articles
2711.23

The new section of our journal, “Poetic Anthology of Eco-Human Experience”, presents poetry, which reflects the human connections with the natural world. In this issue we offer a selection of poems about plants and fungi, written by poets of the 20th and 21st centuries, allowing us to see the eco-human, ecopoietic dimensions of these relationships, and human ability to generate new meanings and forms of experience through interaction with these forms of life. We invite readers to contribute to this selection of poems. Please feel free to send us poems on plants and fungi that you find relevant.

1311.23

The article is interdisciplinary in nature, covering relational cybernetics and epistemology, biology, ecology, and systems theory. The authors define life as a relational unit, ecopoiesis, which is a constant spiral dance between differentiation and the maintenance of integrity. Based on the concepts of relational cybernetics, new ecological concepts, the category of ecopoiesis, the authors claim that the relation is the basis by which and upon which we say that, as observers, we draw differences and that those differences drawn from the relation are argued as distinctions. Strictly speaking, it is a trifference since the process implies the one that generates. In this process, information is the first step of trifferentiation. This leads us to the proposition that all cognitive processes occur in an entity capable of generating trifferences and processing them as information. On this basis, we have called the process that explains life as a relational unit, ecopoiesis, since it is a constant spiral dance between differentiation and the abduction of its complexity.

1011.23

We are pleased to introduce a new section of our journal, "In Resonance with the Earth." We see poiesis as providing the basis for human beings' creative responses to their environment. The arts in particular offer forms that crystallize these responses in ways that touch and move us. "In Resonance with the Earth" containыs poetry, artworks, photography and poetic essays relevant to our theme. We encourage readers to find their own poietic ways of responding. This issue embraces a selection of poems by Beverley A’Court (Findhorn, Scotland).

0611.23

The failure to effectively confront major challenges facing humanity, most importantly, the global ecological crisis, it is argued, is due to the failure of those analysing the root causes of these challenges to engage with and invoke political philosophy to find a way out, and concomitantly, the failure of ethical and political philosophers to effectively engage with the deep assumptions, power structures and dynamics actually operative in the current world-order. It is claimed that this is due to a tacit acceptance of a cultural dualism manifest in the opposition between the sciences and the humanities, with the humanities having been marginalized by the sciences. To overcome this dualism and marginalization of the humanities, and to defend communitarian ethical and political philosophy in a way that both challenges mainstream thinking and engages with the world as it is, with the potential to inspire and orient people for effective action, it is shown how communitarian ethical and political philosophy can be defended and developed through ecology incorporating the notion of ecopoiesis. It is shown how this can serve to create an effective counter-hegemonic culture, integrated as a dialogic grand narrative, uniting and orienting people to create a multi-polar world-order as an ecological civilization.

0908.23

In this photo essay, Carolina Herbert explores her passion and connection with animals and the intimate and unconditional relationships they have with people. As she collects images and stories from people in her local community, she learns how vitally important animals are in people’s lives and the roles they play in supporting wellbeing, mental health, healing from trauma, depression and isolation. How they bring joy and play into the lives of families and teach children about loss and letting go. Animals connect us more deeply to what matters between us and to who we really are. She explores how animals also need our unconditional care and support especially when injured and how we can learn the gift of being able to deeply listen, attune and respond to their needs. In times when we are increasingly separated from our natural world, and, as animals’ lives are threatened in our escalating climate crisis, there is no greater time than now to restore our relationships to these unconditional love and joy bringing beings.

Название
Book reviews and interviews
News and Events
THE 16th CLAREMONT INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION
2023-05-27 20:59:33THE 16th CLAREMONT INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION
The Claremont International Forum on Ecological Civilization (a.k.a. the Claremont Eco Forum) is the earliest and largest forum on ecological civilization in the West. The Forum is organized by Institute for Postmodern China and Center for Process Studies since 2006. The 16th International Forum on Ecological Civilization & 5th International Youth Forum on Ecological Civilization have been held on May 25-27, 2023, fully online, and their main theme was Deep Transformation for Ecological Civilization. The mission of the forum is to bring together creative academics, non-profit leaders, governmental officials, and leading activists, Chinese and Non-Chinese, to explore new worldviews, new way of thinking, new models of development, new way of organic farming, and new models of education in the transition toward ecological civilization.
 
MEMORIAL TO NEWTON HARRISON, A FOUNDER OF THE ECO-ART MOVEMENT
2022-10-02 08:59:20MEMORIAL TO NEWTON HARRISON, A FOUNDER OF THE ECO-ART MOVEMENT

Newton Harrison, who, with his wife, Helen Mayer Harrison, was a founder of the eco-art movement, died on Sept. 4, in Santa Cruz, Calif. He was a Research Professor and Director of the Center for the Study of the Force Majeure at the University of California at Santa Cruz, Director of Harrisons Studio, and Professor Emeritus at the University of California at San Diego, an Advisor of the “Ecopoiesis: Eco-Human Theory and Practice” journal

TOUCHING NATURE: TOUCHED BY NATURE: AN ENVIRONMENTAL ARTS THERAPY EXHIBITION REVIEW BY STELLA PHIPPS
2021-05-07 17:59:03TOUCHING NATURE: TOUCHED BY NATURE: AN ENVIRONMENTAL ARTS THERAPY EXHIBITION REVIEW BY STELLA PHIPPS
Stella Phipps shares her perception of TOUCHING NATURE: TOUCHED BY NATURE: AN ENVIRONMENTAL ARTS THERAPY EXHIBITION she attended in north London on last November. The exhibition aimed to raise awareness about environmental arts therapy and the many benefits it can offer artists, expressive/creative arts therapists, and the communities in which we live.
THE DEEP WEALTH OF THIS NATION SCOTLAND
2021-05-07 17:34:09THE DEEP WEALTH OF THIS NATION SCOTLAND

Newton Harrison produced a work entitled The Deep Wealth of This Nation Scotland. In it, in 10 images and 10 texts, he proposed how the country of Scotland can move successfully and abundantly through a heatwave. Some images and texts of The Deep Wealth of This Nation Scotland when it was last shown in the TaiPei Biennial illustrate his new project. It will soon be shown again in Scotland, as the country is going into a discourse on its well-being given temperature shock.

MUSIC AT TIMES OF THE ECO-HUMAN CRISIS: CARRIE HERBERT AND ‘THE ALCHEMY OF THERAPEUTIC SONGWRITING‘
2021-02-08 15:11:15MUSIC AT TIMES OF THE ECO-HUMAN CRISIS: CARRIE HERBERT AND ‘THE ALCHEMY OF THERAPEUTIC SONGWRITING‘

At times of crisis, environmental and human challenges and transitions, music is a powerful force that can connect people across borders, touch people’s hearts and build empathy, trust and understanding. Music has an incredible therapeutic power to heal through expression of deep feelings and experiences in the current times of the eco-human crisis. Music is a universal language interwoven in all cultures. It is from this universal heart of music that ‘The Alchemy of Therapeutic Songwriting’ project, initiated by Carrie Herbert, musician and songwriter, was born.

Recent videos
NEWTON HARRISON. SENSORIUM: THE THINKING
2021-08-07 20:48:01NEWTON HARRISON. SENSORIUM: THE THINKING

Sensorium is both a work of art and of science that sets out to synthesize the survival problems that the world ocean faces in our emerging heat shocked future. The work is designed by Newton Harrison, and emerges from the Center for the Study of the Force Majeure, located at the University of California Santa Cruz. Personally, Sensorium is his most recent effort in addressing the ongoing degeneration of our world ocean’s life web. Sensorium is presented as a work of art and an interface for our human interaction and dialogue with our world ocean’s life web. In this video he is proposing a form of expression that references the whole systems knowing that our ancestors practiced as their everyday survival motif and that has now faded to a whisper in everyday western life.

ALEXANDRA KIRILLOVA - VOICE WORK AS A WAY OF ESTABLISHING CONNECTION WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
2020-05-04 14:37:35ALEXANDRA KIRILLOVA - VOICE WORK AS A WAY OF ESTABLISHING CONNECTION WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Alexandra Kirillova, singer, psychologist and vocal practitioner, talks about how singing and voice work are based on synchronizing a person’s state and inner nature with the environment, establishing a deep healing connection with the natural world and a specific landscape.
VLADISLAV GRISHIN: THE ROLE OF DOCUMENTARY FILM IN SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES.
2020-04-22 22:28:55VLADISLAV GRISHIN: THE ROLE OF DOCUMENTARY FILM IN SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES.

Vladislav Grishin, director and screenwriter of the documentary film “Bears of Kamchatka,” shares his impressions of working on the film and the film’s ability to convey the direct experience of interacting with the natural environment and its inhabitants, which may support the spectator’s yearning to be closer to nature.

LEONID TISHKOV: ART AS AN ECOLOGICAL ACTION
2020-02-09 13:54:32LEONID TISHKOV: ART AS AN ECOLOGICAL ACTION

The artist Leonid Tishkov talks about his participation in a number of projects that help to draw attention to environmental problems and emphasizes the role of art in promoting environmental values.

VADIM RYABIKOV ON PSI-GEOGRAPHICAL MUSIC
2020-02-09 13:52:36VADIM RYABIKOV ON PSI-GEOGRAPHICAL MUSIC
Psychologist, musician, composer Vadim Ryabikov speaks about psi-geographical music as a special way of human interaction with natural landscapes, turning the experience of the landscape into aesthetic images that can change our attitude to the environment and have a healing effect.
Featured artists

An artist from St.Petersburg, Alexandra Dvornikova, gave an interview to our journal, talking about her work and its connection with nature, about the artist's role in promoting environmental values and ecological culture, developing an environmental awareness, about communicating with the natural world as a source of inspiration, beauty and healing.

At times of crisis, environmental and human challenges and transitions, music is a powerful force that can connect people across borders, touch people’s hearts and build empathy, trust and understanding. Music has an incredible therapeutic power to heal through expression of deep feelings and experiences in the current times of the eco-human crisis. Music is a universal language interwoven in all cultures. It is from this universal heart of music that ‘The Alchemy of Therapeutic Songwriting’ project, initiated by Carrie Herbert, musician and songwriter, was born.

This essay was written in response to Alexander’s Kopytin’s questions inviting Shaun McNiff to expand upon his presentation at the Ecological/Earth-Based Arts Therapies Conference in August of 2020 where he discussed the need for a depth psychology of art and nature. Based on an all-inclusive idea of nature and with reference to the ideas of James Hillman and Thomas Berry, the author presents his understanding of art as a force of nature. He illustrates his statements with his own art.

In this excerpt from their book, Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens explore the realms of ecosexuality as they became lovers with the Earth and made their mutual pleasure an embodied expression of passion for the environment. Since 2008, they have been not just pushing but obliterating the boundaries circumscribing biology and ecology, creating ecosexual art in their performance of an environmentalism that is feminist, queer, sensual, sexual, posthuman, materialist, exuberant, and steeped in humor. 

Moscow artist Maxim Demin gave an interview to our journal, in which he talks about the connection of his work with traditional iconography and its interaction with the environment, time, space, his study of natural dynamics and life cycles of natural materials and objects, and spiritual sources of creativity.

Musician, composer, poet and singer Riya Volkova talks about her creative endeavors related to playing the Russian harp (the ‘gusli’), her attitude to the traditional musical culture of the peoples of North-West Russia and traditional music’s connection with new musical trends, as well as the importance of nature for her work.

Two artists from NYC, Jean Davis and Nancy Wu, gave an interview to our journal in which they talk about their environmental artistic endeavors linked to Resurrect Studio which entails gathering broken, discarded, but ultimately luminous pieces of glass fragments found on the ocean coastal line.  The glass sculptures collectively tell a story of hope and inspiration, of sacred and profane.

About the journal

In accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation on the Mass Media, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communications (Roskomnadzor) on September 22, 2020, the web-based publication - The peer-reviewed scientific online journal "Ecopoiesis: Eco-Human Theory and Practice" was registered (registration number El No. FS77-79134).

“Ecopoiesis: Eco-Human Theory and Practice” is the international multidisciplinary Journal focused on building an eco-human paradigm, disseminating eco-human knowledge and technology based on the alliance of ecology, humanities and the arts. Our journal aims to be a vibrant forum of theories and practices aimed at harmonizing the relations of mankind and the natural world in the interests of sustainable development, the creation of Eco-Humanity as a new community of human beings and more-than-human world. The human being is an ecological being, not separate from the world. The Ecopoiesis journal is based on that premise and aims to develop a body of theory and practice within that framework.

The Journal promotes dialogue and cooperation between ecologists, philosophers, doctors, educators, psychologists, artists, musicians, designers, social activists, business representatives in the name of eco-human values, human health and well-being, in close connection with concern for the environment. The Journal supports the development and implementation of new environmentally-friendly concepts, technologies and practices in the various fields of health and public life, education and social work.

One of the priority tasks of the Journal is to demonstrate and support the significant role of the arts in their alliance with ecology and the humanities for the restoration and development of constructive relations with nature, raising environmental awareness and promoting nature-friendly lifestyles.

The Journal publishes articles describing new eco-human concepts and practices, technologies and applied research data at the intersection of humanities, ecology and the arts, as well as interviews and conference reports related to the emerging eco-human field. It encourages artwork, music and other creative products related to eco-human practices and the new global community of Eco-Humanity.