Sustainability, Humanities and the Environment

Description - The Sustainability, Humanities and the Environment Alliance (SHE) sought to explore and analyze the natural world as conceived and portrayed in the belief systems and conceptual themes of a variety of humanistic disciplines. Through experiential, interdisciplinary programs that promoted consciousness of the interconnectedness of life and of a sustainable future, the SHE Alliance engaged scholars in a discussion of the philosophical, ethical, historical, literary and social role of humanity in the natural world.

Foundation - In association with the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability at Hendrix College, the foundation of this Alliance was a partnership among the Associated Colleges of the South, Center for Respect of Life and Environment, Heifer Project International and other institutional partners such as:

• Center for Process Studies, Claremont School of Theology
• Center for Women in Ministry, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
• Forum on Religion and Ecology, Harvard University
• Honors College, University of Central Arkansas
• Meadowcreek Center for Environmental Education

Spearheaded by efforts at Hendrix College, this partnership offered a number of unique experiential learning opportunities, including:

• Pilgrimage to Assisi (July, 2000) - Attended by 10 faculty, 6 students and 1 staff member from 5 ACS institutions, an international conference on Spirituality and Sustainability was held in Assisi, Italy, home of St. Francis (the patron saint of ecology in the Christian tradition).
  
  
• The Powers of Place: Cedar, Salmon, and People (June, 2001) - Conference participants experienced the "powers of place" from an ecological, historical, sociological and spiritual perspective at Whidbey Island, Puget Sound, Washington.
  
  
• Holistic World Views, Spirituality, and Sustainability (June, 2001) - Participants in this core course at Heifer Project International (Perryville, Arkansas) were introduced to unique life-approaches such as Deep Ecology, Christian Process Theology, Native American traditions and Buddhism.
  
  
• Literature, Landscape and Spirituality of the Southwest (June, 2001) - Traveling through Arkansas, New Mexico and Arizona, students in this course explored Native American culture and experienced first hand the way in which these traditions promote sustainable living.

Program Areas - A goal of the SHE Alliance was to provide a package of academic activities (service learning, experiential components and workshop participation) while offering students academic credit at their home institution. Because of its history with the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability, ACS was uniquely positioned to institutionalize and strengthen the SHE Alliance by continuing to support the program elements described below:

• Course on Sustainability, Humanities and the Environment - This course provided the opportunity for students to address issues of sustainability and spirituality for an extended period of time and through a variety of experiences, including service learning.
  
  
• Pilgrimages - The SHE Alliance offered travel seminar experiences incorporating activities that exposed students to cross-cultural ideas and directly addressed issues of sustainability. Faculty leading these efforts were specialists in the cultures and environments visited.
  
  
• Annual Conference - A Sustainability, Humanities and the Environment conference featured fine arts and rituals connected to a place and people who are indigenous to a region was held annually. These conferences involved partnerships with non-government organizations involved in environmental action and justice programs throughout the world. Other conference activities included workshops, roundtable discussions, a bioregion experience, informal interest meetings and presentations on indigenous people.
  
  
• Sustainability, Humanities and the Environment Surveys - SHE devised and administered instruments to collect data on all aspects of the program as a means to gauge interest in program features and participation in Alliance initiatives.