Can Psychology really help to build a sustainable world?

Yepes Gomez Ana Karina1

FACULTEIT GENEESKUNDE EN FARMACIE
Vakgroep Menselijke Ecologie
Postgraduate and Master Programme in Human
Ecology

1. Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Master Program in Human Ecology. Laarbeeklaan 103 1090 Brussel
e-mail: ayepesgo@vub.ac.be

Our actual patterns of behaviour as a society have been framed

by some wrong ideas about development that makes our world
be in crisis today. Is it really important that humans become
aware of the change in attitude that is needed, in order to
preserve our environment? Yes, an urgent change in human
lifestyle and cultural practice might be a good solution for the
world to escape ecological disaster, and psychologist should lead
the way in helping people adopt sustainable patterns of living. Its
time for people to really act and be grateful to our planet. Its
about time that people make a transition between our old
development ideas, to the new and more sustainable ones, to
restore the beautiful garden of the Earth. (Oskamp, S. 2000)

Transition Movements
We are now in a historic moment that has to move on from
this threats of behaviour, particularly overpopulation, and
overconsumption to a new one that involves the dreams of
people about a future life with a better relationship with our
environment.
This transition into a new and more
sustainable society is part of the multiple movements found
nowadays as facts and not fiction to build in a sustainable
world. (Raskin et al 2002).
Psychological Perspectives
There are mainly six different psychological approaches that
have something important to contribute to the project of
building a sustainable world: Freudian psychology, Social
psychology, Behavioural psychology, physiological and Health
psychology, cognitive psychology and other holistic
approaches like Gestalt and Ecopsychology. Each of them
provides insights about changing individual behaviour,
thoughts, feelings, physiological reactions, or beliefs. (Dun
Nann, D and Koger, S. 2004.)

La Atlantida Eco-village. Cajibio Colombia in a womens

ceremony where a elder woman from the cofan nation
(Colombia) teaches about women behaviour and traditional
knowledge related to womens care of the moontime
(menstrual period) and gestation and birth

La Atlantida Eco-village. Cajibio Colombia in his 5th aniversary, after

dances camp in 2008. Works on universal dances of peace and
huitoto nation (Colombia) traditional dances.

All the psychological approaches have different answers to

these questions, but we should look for a common vision
because ecosystem will collapse if we just dont act. What
matters at the end is the thing that we do to improve the well
being of an individual, so that it in turn changes others, so it
does not matter which theory a person choose to act on; the
most important thing is to choose to act.
According to Du Nanns (Dun Nann, D and Koger, S. 2004),
there are six principles on how to proceed, psychological
rationale that connects to psychological theory and research.
These principles are: Visualize healthy ecosystems, Work with
small steps and big ideas, Think circle instead of line, Consider
ways in which less is more, Practice conscious consumption,
Act on personal and political levels, especially community
participation.

According to these principles it is of considerable importance to build motivation

Therefore people began to think about solving the poverty problem and
from a positive possible future, rather than a negative source. We really need
disparities between women and men and the environmental issues. Although
those positive futuristic images to commit ourselves and others to solve
many people struggle to change the social evolution, people realized that it was
environmental problems. (Dun Nann, D and Koger, S. 2004).
just looking at the personal level, at the inner transformations and that
Thinking globally and acting locally can be thought also for the spiritual emergence
afterwards, by collective effect, and critic mass, will transform society.
that we are facing today. The spiritual movement began by the hand of the
ecological movement during the 1960s and 1970s because collectively we had
achieved enough wealth.
In Occidental societies there was an emergence general
interest for oriental religions and thoughts and tools as Yoga,
martial arts, and meditation acquired great popularity. During
the 1980s it was so obvious for everyone turning into
spiritual paths that even traditional churches turned into the
essential, and as more and more people were involved in this
local and personal action, the emergence of the so called
new age became a popular word all over the world. (Redfield,
J and Adriennne, C. 1995).
Ancient spiritual traditions from world cultures envision a
future Golden Age of truth and heaven on earth, when the The 13 baktun cycle shows the mayan prophesies according to the anthropologist
The inclusion of sustainable traditional agriculture for a more
Divine will manifest in the mundane world, after dissolving Jose Arguelles and his peace movement for a change to the 13 moon calendar.
healthy diet without chemical substances or pesticides.
http://www.tortuga.com
the soul's night. The futurist Moira Timms, in her book,
Beyond Prophecies and Predictions, explores such visions, and with corroboration from scientific, seismological and environmental documentation, asserts that the
interconnections of these visions predict the current millennium as the time of planetary initiation and evolutionary shift. "Different descriptions of the same picture are
presented, but what emerges is a single prophecy, a single theme," she says. Despite conflicting fundamentalist interpretations, these prophetic visions, though unique
and different in their external trappings, have an essential core planetary vision, providing a coherent framework for the future of humanity and earth (Prabhath. P, nov
REFERENCES
6th 2008).
Ben brangwyn and rob hopkins. 2008. Transition initiatives primer - becoming a
Educational activities that involves the iteraction of indigenous community knowledge
and scientist to promote ecological awareness in the community.

THE ECOVILLAGES MOVEMENT

The Rainbow Family, is a group of individuals committed to
principles of non-violence and non-hierarchical egalitarianism. It is a
reflection of both the emphasis on welcoming people of all races,
religions, ethnicity, and social status, as well as a spiritual focus
towards peace. They come from all walks of life, and work together
for a variety of goals, among which intentional communities,
ecology, spirituality, and an expanded tolerance for others are
traditional themes. The ENA Ecovillages Network of the Americas
engage the peoples of the Americas in common effort to join the
global transformation towards an ecologically, economically, and
culturally sustainable future.

flag, One

The Colombian Network Association of Natural Reserves of the

Civil Society (Resnatur) is a leading national non-profit
organization, whose members farmers, nongovernmental
organizations, private land owners, and conservation projects of
organized rural or urban communities are the weavers of a
social fabric that articulates different territories and cultures.

Transition Town, City, District, Village, Community or even Island.

http://transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/TransitionNetwork#pr
Dun Nann, D and Koger, S. 2004. Chapter 8. Putting It together: Using psychology
to Build a sustainable World. The psychology of environmental problems. Second
edition. Lawre Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. pp211-255.
La Atlantida Ecovillage (2008, December 1st ) http://ecoatlantida.blogspot.com/
Oskamp, s. 2000. A sustainable future for humanity? How can psychology help?
American Psychologist. Vol 55, No 5, P496-508.
Planet Art Network http://www.tortuga.com
Prabhath P(November 6th ,2008) Heaven on Earth. E-magazine Life positive. Life
Positive foundation.
http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/New_Age/Heaven_on_Earth32006.asp
Rainbow Family. (2008, September 22th). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Retrieved 22:27, November 6, 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rainbow_Family&oldid=240268201
Raskin et al. 2002. Great Transition The Promise and Lure of the Times Ahead.
Stockholm Environment Institute Boston
Redfield, J and Adriennne C. 1995. The Celestine Prophesy: An experiential guide.
From a Spanish translation by Cristina Sardoy. Editorial Atlntida. Buenos Aires. Pp.
44-45
Schmuck, P and Vlek, C. 2003. Psychologist Can do Much to support Sustainable
Development. European psychologist, Vol 8, No 2. June 2003, pp. 66 76.

Some signs created by different communities and peace

movement involving the rainbow family and its critical thinking.
They include PAN/RAP Planetary Art Network, Roerich Peace
Flag; One Earth, One people, One time, The Rinri project,
among others.