Southern African Journal of Environmental Education (Dec 1998)

Sharing ecological wisdom through dialogue across worldview boundaries

  • Peter A. Raine

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18

Abstract

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This paper aims to build a bridge between worldviews, a bridge capable of connecting what are often incomensurable perceptions of environmental issues. A model for communication which goes beyond argumentation and dialectics is derived and outlined from the various works of Raimon Panikkar. Panikkar's diatopical model offers symbolic discourse as a means to link theological, philosophical, and ecological aspects of environmental issues. The example of Fijian rainforest conservation is used to show how ecological wisdom may be exchanged across worldview boundaries.

Keywords