Ecological Education
Ecological education means education with ecological thoughts and actions. The dynamic ecological sense is missing in our mainstream education system. We cannot read all the things in a holistic way. If we want to learn from soil or from plant or from frog how can it be possible? So the education structure is shaping in an extreme ethnocentric paradigm. However, ecological education does not only focus on human being, it connects all the living being with their diversified ecosystem. Ecological education respects the local, indigenous and traditional knowledge of different communities in different geographical locations. The core spirit of ecological education is that it tries to understand the local interdependent relationship between the nature and the social context.
Diversity and culture is the structural pillar of ecological education. Diversity includes both natural and cultural diversities while the ecological education perceives the multi-layer connection of both of these diversities. For instance, it explains and discusses about the relationship among frog and rice field, rainfall pattern, insects, insecticides and the methods of farming! BARCIK believes in the existence and flourish of multi-cultural and multi-occupational solidarity in the society and community. It is seen that most of rural occupation depends on local ecosystem and natural resources. Local community can protect their ecosystem and surrounding flora and fauna through their indigenous knowledge and customary rights. So, the biodiversity or cultural diversity conservation/protection depends on the social and natural harmony. BARCIK tries to disseminate and enclose this learning to the youth generation through ecological education. These processes also bridges among the different age, ethnicity, language, gender and occupational groups in the society. Through the ecological education approaches human can easily contemplate regarding their identity, role and their relationship with the nature. They can define their responsibilities for the cultural and natural harmony. BARCIK organizes Storytelling and ethnographic narratives, intergenerational dialogue, local ethno-taxonomy training, seed and natural resource fair, exhibition and contest and ethno-science workshop and dissemination through the ecological education approaches.
Climate Justice
On the other hand, BARCIK feels the importance of justice in a very simple way of all living things. They deserve the justice in their day to day life and should get everything without any form of discrimination and condition. Justice differs in application in different contexts and cultures. It is seen that people want justice for their fundamental rights but most of the time they ignore their environmental justice. In the mainstream discourse, justice is shaping through the anthropocentric views and violating the rights of other living organisms. So, we need to think in a holistic approach that we, all living beings are the part of nature and as humans being we have more responsibilities to think for the sound health the Mother Nature. Without the environmental pluralism we cannot strengthen our resilience regarding the climate emergency. Equal and non-discriminative space for all that can help to uphold each climate resiliency is also justice for us in the context of climate crisis.
Climate crisis is a global phenomenon. But the vulnerabilities and coping strategies are dependent on different contexts. Extreme heat, salinity or floods are not hampering all life in a similar way. If we understand the context through the gender crunch model or unequal context then we can see who is more vulnerable and who is trying to cope with disasters. People especially women, children, indigenous peoples, peoples of global south, persons with disabilities, senior citizen, urban poor are mostly the extreme climate victims compared to others. If we want to give the peace for our mother earth, first it is our personal thinking and need to clarify our individual responsibility. Need to change the stereotypic ideas and change the lifestyle. We need to think for all climate victims in the earth from global north to south but act locally where we live. BARCIK believes inclusion is the key to resilience. BARCIK respects the core theme of SDGs that no one should be left behind. BARCIK thinks of an inclusive network with individual, organization, academic, government, policy maker, NGOs, research organization, youths and communities. This inclusive network can march together for climate justice for all. For climate justice BARCIK organizes climate field school, local forecasting and climate calendar, youth climate camp, climate march, policy dialogue, evidence based advocacy and campaign and community led adaptation etc.