In the Western world, economic growth is highly valued. We focus on profit and growth; one of our measures of success is a country’s GDP (the monetary value of the goods and services a country produces). Yet behind this way of existing is a very unhealthy belief: that human beings are superior and can take what we want from the planet. In our pursuit of profit, we behave in ways which are entitled and greedy; we’re destroying ecosystems and the climate, plundering resources and generally wreaking havoc across Earth. The long-term consequences of this are catastrophic; it’s reckless and irresponsible behaviour underpinned by short-term, profit-driven thinking. If we view this kind of behaviour through the lens of the OK Corral, it’s ‘humans OK, other species of life and Earth not OK’ (‘I’m OK, you’re not OK’).

Life on planet Earth is like an exquisite crown of jewels, of which we humans are just one gemstone. Earth jurisprudence is a way of seeing and relating to the world which recognises that humans are part of the interconnectedness of all life. As such, it recognises that humans have evolved from the planet and are just one example of life on the planet, living in relationship with all other species of life and planet Earth itself. It recognises that we’re not separate from the rest of life, nor superior and that the wellbeing of all life is important. In this way, an Earth jurisprudence approach seeks to create fairer systems to live by, which account for other species of life on the planet, rather than seeing humans as being at the centre of life.

Earth jurisprudence is an eco-conscious way of looking at the world, and as such is an example of an ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ way of existing. It was first conceived of by Thomas Berry, in his 1999 book, ‘The Great Work’. Today, there is a growing global movement which seeks to change our relationship with the rest of life around us. In 2009, the United Nations set up Harmony with Nature, a platform to create systemic change, through changing our production and consumption patterns, and learning to live in ways which are sustainable and in harmony with the planet. You can read more about their work here www.harmonywithnatureun.org

If you have a story about a person, group of people, organisation, concept, policy, system etc which exists in an ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ way, please share it by clicking the nominate button below.