What is CES?
CES is an education, imagination, dialogue, and action center for an ecological age.
What is the mission of CES?
The mission of CES is to advance ecology and culture as the organizing principles of societies.
We do this by informing, inspiring, and encouraging people in the Great work of co-creating the Ecozoic era.
What is the vision of CES?
CES’s vision is of full human development in a flourishing Earth community.
What are the logo and tagline of CES?
The logo in CES symbolizes that Earth is primary and the human is derivative, that in the Ecozoic humans will be involved in every dimension of life, and that our task is to become coherent with the functioning of Earth and live in mutually enhancing relations among humans and the larger community of life and life systems.
What is the Legal Status of Status of CES?
CES is a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of North Carolina. It is a tax-exempt, publicly supported organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code.
What are the tasks of CES?
- To provide education concerning the “Ecozoic era” and the “Great Work,” so that these terms and their meanings may become part of the global lexicon.
- To support research, education, art, and action concerning ecozoic societies.
- To assist in the sharing of critical reflections, stories, dream experiences, and practices of an Ecozoic era.
- To provide support and resources for individuals and groups engaged in the Great Work.
What are the activities of CES?
CES’s activities fall into five broad areas (1) Media, (2) Education, (3) Nurture, (4) Collaborative Action, and (5) Enabling Services.
What is “Ecozoic”?
“Ecozoic” means “house of life.” The term, coined by Thomas Berry, comes from two Greek words—oikos meaning house, and zoion meaning living being). A more complex meaning is that for the first time in human history we are living in the end of a geo-biological era as human impact is bringing to an end the current Cenozoic era. The Ecozoic era represents the promise that the succeeding era will be one of mutually enhancing relations among humans and the larger community of life.
What is the Great Work?
The Great Work is to move on from the terminal Cenozoic era to an emerging Ecozoic era in the history of the planet Earth. It is a task exceeding in its complexity all great works offered to humankind.
Who is an Ecozoan?
An ecozoan is a person who
- is a lover of life . . . of all kinds of life,
- sentipiensan (feels-thinks) with Earth community, and
- seeks the wisdom of the lifeworld.
What Are Ecozoic Societies?
“Ecozoic societies” are “societies of life.” If it is true, that the ecological footprint of humanity exceeds the carrying capacity of Earth, humans are causing global climate change, oceans are in a critical state, and other Earth systems are degraded, then a fundamental decision facing humanity is whether to live in societies of life or societies that lead increasingly to death.
Building blocks of ecozoic societies include the New Story of an integral, evolutionary Earth community, bioregionalism, and ecological spirituality.
In ecozoic societies people
- Live within Earth’s means,
- Provide sufficiency for all humans,
- Foster biological diversity and healthy ecosystems, and
- Provide for the needs of future generations of all species.
What is the premise of the work of CES?
The premise of the work of CES is that we are in the midst of two great transitions: (i) a geo-biological change from the terminal Cenozoic Era to the emerging Ecozoic Era, and (ii) a historical change from industrial-economic societies to ecological-cultural (ecozoic) societies. This premise creates a need to understand these transitions, advance paradigms for new modes of human presence on Earth, support people in their journeys to the ecozoic, and take action to foster ecozoic societies.
What is the relation of CES and Thomas Berry?
CES was inspired by the work of Thomas Berry and continues to be influenced by his teachings. We believe that Berry identified critical issues in the transition to ecozoic societies and provided foundational guidelines for this transition. CES is engaged in the study, teaching and further development of Berry’s ideas.
Where is transformational leadership needed?
The following were identified as areas where transformational leadership is needed in books by David Orr and D. Paul Schafer:
(i) creating a new theoretical, practical, historical and philosophical framework for the world of the future (with an emphasis on the importance of the cultural dimension of life and of strengthening this dimension);
(ii) dealing with the intimate relationship between people and the natural environment,
(iii) providing uncommon clarity about our best economic and energy options;
(iv) helping people understand and face what will be increasingly difficult circumstances; and
(v) fostering a vision of a humane and decent future.
This list gives focus to the projects and teachings of CES