About the project

A Discipline for Change

      The field of environmental education and communication is inherently predisposed to the idea of change. We are dissatisfied with our current reality, and are looking to acquire the knowledge, skills and experience to be more effective creators of a different world. In many ways, we are looking to tell a new story about humanity, and change our relationship with nature from one of dominance and control to one of interconnectivity and cooperation. This sense that there is something fundamentally wrong with our current way of life sits deeply within the psyche of all of us committed to finding a different way. Suppressing these feelings of anger, anxiety, despair and grief may be impeding our ability to truly work for the changes we are seeking in the world (Macy, 2006).  

      Why Silence?

      We chose silence as the primary approach for dealing with hope and despair because it was an experience that spoke to each us individually.  We recognized the courage it takes for individuals to become mindful and present in their lives, and saw its potential for positive transformation.  Outer silence is almost impossible to find in the modern world.   Our daily lives are usually full of distractions, time constraints and appointments. In addition, sound and light pollution adds to the daily assault on our senses. As a result, our emotions are often shoved beneath the surface because we do not have enough time to deal with them or to even find the tools to begin that inner work. We live in a time of moving very quickly through life (Orr, 1996). 

      As a group, we realized that our definition of silence for the purposes of this project went far beyond the standard definition of ‘the absence of sound’. We saw silence as a metaphor for a deeper connection to the inner self through contemplative practices that teach mindfulness, compassion and the interconnectedness of all life on Earth.