Flourishing Diversity
Members of the Ashaninka at the Flourishing Diversity Summit, London, 2019
Flourishing Diversity grew out of the seed of an idea planted in conversations between Synchronicity Earth co-founder, Jessica Sweidan, and Dr Jerome Lewis, Reader in Social Anthropology, Co-Founder of ExCites and CAOS at University College London.
Flourishing Diversity aims to contribute to a deeper shift in those cultures driving ecocide and to garner greater respect and support towards Indigenous Peoples and local communities whose practices significantly uphold biodiversity and planetary health.
“For us, we don’t separate anything from nature, we believe that everything is nature. Everything that breathes, that is alive, the land, or elements, is part of nature and a part of us. We are one and in that sense, we maintain our belief as Guarani people, as Indigenous Peoples, that we must continue to fight for our land, our territory, and for our nature.”
– Kerexu Yxapyry, Mbya Guarani Indigenous leader and Executive Coordinator of the Guarani Yvyrupa Commission
Learning to listen
Flourishing Diversity co-creates spaces to invite audiences to listen, exchange, envision and act upon three foundation principles:
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Life on earth is possible because of biological and cultural diversity, where each part is equally vital to the whole.
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The ecological crisis is calling us to deepen our connections to the planet and all its living species.
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Humans have an inherent ability to be guardians of the environments we inhabit and directly enhance them in ways that support all species to flourish and thrive in their own way.