Roots For Change: Using Values, Culture And Spirituality To Restore Ecosystems
Center for Earth Ethics
Download
Abstract: This report, developed by the Center for Earth Ethics in support of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, explores how values, culture, and spirituality can serve as catalysts for more lasting and inclusive ecosystem restoration. Framing environmental healing as both ecological and societal repair, the report presents ten guiding principles?such as honoring sacredness, restoring relationships, and integrating rituals?to help anchor restoration in community identity, intergenerational narratives, and spiritual meaning. It features five case studies, including one from Mombasa, Kenya, where the Brain Youth Group restored mangroves through culturally grounded engagement. The report argues that successful restoration requires not just technical knowledge, but also emotional, ethical, and cultural dimensions that foster belonging and care. It promotes biocultural coherence, healing from colonial legacies, and the use of spiritual practices to sustain climate and biodiversity outcomes.