Initial Discussion Post, Culture, Interconnectedness, and Sustainability Interconnectedness is the notion that people, s

Initial Discussion Post, Culture, Interconnectedness, and Sustainability

Interconnectedness is the notion that people, societies, cultures, and natural ecosystems are closely intertwined in a way that the decisions made in one region will inevitably have an impact on other people. Interconnectedness to me is the appreciation of the fact that human well being, cultural practices, economic activities and environmental health cannot be separated. The sustainability lies in the knowledge of these relations and in the responsible attitude to these relations. In the case of societies that do not consider interconnectedness, it leads to the intensification and spread of environmental damage, social inequalities, and crises of people in the health sector, including the ones noted in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I feel connected mostly because of my community around, and my workplace environment. In my own culture, the collective responsibility, environmental respect and mutual support are some of the shared values that and sustainability behaviors. Community-based strategies to the utilization of resources, including water conservation, collective agricultural activities, and minimization of waste, are a good example of how cultural norms can define the environmental impacts. The interconnectedness that I can observe on my career area is how the decisions of organizations impact the lives of the employees, as well as the communities, ecosystems, and future generations. Professional practice sustainability thus involves ethical decision making that will take into account the social, environmental, and economic effects at the same time.

One good example of a strong popular culture that depicts the aspect of interconnectedness and sustainability is the animated movie Avatar (2009). The film shows the spiritual and cultural association of the Na'vi people to their surroundings, as well as the unity between man and nature. Avatar, by means of the idea of Eywa, a planetary system united all living beings, clearly shows that cultural systems, sense of community, and environmental sustainability are inextricably connected. The loss of nature in the movie endangers the entire Na'vi culture directly and the film emphasizes the effects of not taking into account the interconnectedness by focusing on exploitation.

This is closely connected to the knowledge gained in the TEDx talks offered. The article by Rachel Kornhauser about the climate change and sustainability in the context of COVID-19 focuses on the fact that global health, environmental mechanisms, and social equity are interrelated. In the same fashion, the Indigenous perspective TEDx talk highlights the significance of traditional ecological knowledge and shared accountability to the survival of the earth. Both emphasize that sustainable solutions involve cultural knowledge, respect towards community knowledge and because of the connection between man to nature.

In general, Avatar is a well-established example of how cultural systems, community, and sustainability can be connected with each other, as environmental destruction is cultural and social destruction, as well. Together with practical views of the real world as presented by the TEDx talks, the message is simple sustainability cannot be achieved without an interdependent, culturally conscious solution that puts into consideration both the people and the planet.

References

Cameron, J. (Director). (2009). Avatar [Film]. 20th Century Fox.

Kornhauser, R. (2020). Climate change and sustainability in the age of COVID-19 [TEDx Talk]. TEDxOneonta.

TEDx Talks. (n.d.). An Indigenous perspective on humanity’s survival on Earth. TED. https://www.ted.com