(This is an extract only; as Facts and Fiction Magazine is entirely independent, and largely run by a single person, we do not wish to undermine the effort it takes to create the aforesaid magazine by posting an entire article here. There is a link to the Facts and Fiction website at the foot of this post.)
Storytelling for a Greener World by Alida Gersie, Anthony Nanson and Edward Schieffelin – Reviewed by Janet Dowling in Facts and Fiction Magazinee
Storytelling brings with it many gifts and pleasures. None more so than the introduction to this book written by Jon Cree and Alida Gersie which is a very well crafted testament to the wealth and value of storytelling in all its elements. It draws out the principles that the work is based on
- Both nature and culture are our teachers
- Sustainable behaviour is an individual, social and community practice
- The real world is our optimum learning environment
- Sustainable living in all its facets and manifestations is rooted in a deep knowledge of place and an intimate relationship with it.
It explores how a well-placed story can be the catalyst for change and gives some examples of people whose life has changed by a simple story. The work is tied in with “Tales to Sustain” the environmental movement, and the authors say “Living sustainably is, we believe, fundamental to human and ecological wellbeing and resilience.
