{"id":740,"date":"2025-02-13T13:37:48","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T13:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/social-and-applied-ecology\/?page_id=740"},"modified":"2026-01-13T09:29:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T09:29:02","slug":"nature-centric-catalyst","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/social-and-applied-ecology\/nature-centric-catalyst\/","title":{"rendered":"Nature-centric Catalyst"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t

We are a group of writers, academics and artists (from diverse disciplines including ecology, law, ethics and governance) working together to explore more successful ways to govern humanity. We are seeking to look beyond governance approaches that are based on a misplaced sense of human exceptionalism and, instead, are rooted in attitudes of deep care and reverence for nature. Guided by wisdom from traditional indigenous cultures, in combination with new scientific and social science research, we will apply these ideas to the modern \u2018western\u2019 context.<\/span><\/p>\n

To help make wiser governance approaches possible, we will help catalyse the shift in consciousness that is already underway\u2013 towards a human identity more deeply rooted in nature. We will gather diverse research to piece together evidence-based developmental pathways that decentre the human and embrace our reintegration into the web of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The full project title is 'Catalyst for nature-centric awareness and governance ' <\/em>and we acknowledge charitable funding from the V.Kann Rasmussen Foundation. See our project Theory of Change<\/a> here and the core research team<\/a> here.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Examples of 'nature-centric governance' approaches we will critically review include:<\/p>\n

- Putting 'Nature on the Board, where the voice of nature is represented in key organisational decision-making processes<\/p>\n

- Rights of Nature, for example granting legal personhood rights to rivers, mountains, woodlands, following approaches in the field known as 'Earth Jurisprudence'<\/p>\n

- Integrating nature into participatory decision making processes, for example by extending citizen assemblies to become what are being called 'multispecies assemblies' or 'interspecies councils'.<\/p>\n

We have run two workshops to date, and outputs will be available soon.<\/p>\n