The United Nations designated 22nd April as International Mother Earth Day, encouraging the need to address the growing environmental and ecological concerns confronting us, due to our own daily choices and actions. New Acropolis honours this occasion with events and celebrations across 60 countries globally, contributing to the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.
New Acropolis India carried out a series of events towards International Mother Earth Day, reminding us of our humble yet integral relationship with nature. Celebrations began with an overnight nature appreciation trip to Manav Bustan, an 11 acre centre amidst nature, where activities such as sapling planting, composting, and nature walks were followed by a night under the stars.
On 30th April, New Acropolis Mumbai Centre hosted an event entitled The Earth and I: Commemorating Mother Earth Day, where Director of New Acropolis India, Yaron Barzilay, spoke about our integral relationship with mother earth through examples of mythology across civilisations, as well as the many lessons and principles of life we can glean from living in harmony with nature. Nature enthusiast and senior member of New Acropolis Mumbai, Ubai Husein shared insights about sacred groves and their significance as one of the earliest interactions of humanity with the sacred. On the same evening, New Acropolis Pune Branch hosted a gardening session and discussion on the role of philosophy in helping us recognise our role within our ecosystem.
The April 2022 Issue of The Acropolitan magazine was also dedicated to this occasion, touching on topics such as the wisdom of tress, philosophical lessons from Permaculture, as well as the mysteries of megalithic monuments across civilisations and what we can learn from ancient traditions to enable us to live in harmony with nature’s principles.
As a School of Practical Philosophy, our aspiration is to implement philosophy not as a way of thinking but as a way of living and of improving our world. This event series therefore highlighted the need for a philosophical perspective in addressing our current ecological challenges, of first recognising and assuming our role as human beings within our delicate ecosystem, if we are to be able to find long lasting solutions.
