People For Earth

The Session Six hosted by Dong Joon Lee (representative of Incheon Culture Center) started with Keijiro Suga (Meiji University)’s presentation under the theme of Rewilding: From the Coast of Fukushima. Suga said that rewilding means restricting human intervention in order for the land returns to its original state. He showed a short documentary film (2016) which he wrote the script. The film was shot in the rural town of Minami Soma immediate north of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to follow the ever-renewing force of the land. Suga shared his experience how nature protects itself and how wild animals live in the wilderness where human footsteps no longer exist in the region. 

Yunjeong Han (The Center for Process Studies, Claremont) presented with the theme of The Role of the Environmental Humanities in Ecological Civilization. Han said that the humanities are dying with the majority of humans and proposed a new concept of environmental humanities for the attempt to change the viewpoint of humans and literature. Existing ecological criticism has reconstructed the entire history of literature from an ecological point of view and has played an important role in correcting an anthropocentric view by paying attention to human-nature relationship. However, in order to expand the genre and to overcome the anthropocentrism, it is necessary to expand to the environmental humanities. Han concluded her presentation with the emphasis on humanities role in solving environmental problems and overcoming ecological crises. 

The third presentation was by Hong-Gee Kim (Seoul National University) under the theme of Exploring a New Paradigm for Ecological Education. Kim said that ecological civilization education which is the most specific and small practice has already begun and a new world view in philosophy and science research can be formed through this. He added that ecological education is a practical step for mankind to evolve harmoniously with the Earth. Pointing out that human-centered environmentalist movement and education in the framework of existing science and technology can be temporary and makes matters worse, he stressed that the paradigm of ecological science should be acknowledged in the scientific community as an excellent alternative of current mechanical science and technology. 

The last presentation was by ‘Small Questions’ a youth group of People for Earth under the theme of Sustainable Change Starting with ‘Small Questions’ with three presenters about their paths to seeking answers to their own questions. The three presenters are; Jae-min Lim who planned and implemented “Youth Train Trip, Road to the Future”; Young-deok Kang, an actor who expressed ecological questions with dance performance; Jiyun Jeong, an artist who expressed the relationship between nature and humans in painting. They said that they focus on the process of asking questions rather than seeking answers regarding ecological civilization transformation and they constantly ask questions with the hope that it will be internalized in their lives.