Activism

Profile: John Revington

John Revington was a volunteer with the Rainforest Information Centre (RIC) in Lismore, New South Wales, and editor of its quarterly journal, the World Rainforest Report. He lived from 1986 onward at …

As soon as there is awareness of wholeness, every moment becomes sacred, every movement is sacred.

Buddhism without social action is not complete Buddhism.

Deep ecology is not just a pragmatic, short-term social movement. It attempts to question and pre...

Deep ecology is not just a pragmatic, short-term social movement. It attempts to question and present alternatives to conventional ways of thinking in the modern West.

Deep ecology is not just an intellectual movement, it's a way of being in the world.

Deep ecology is not just an intellectual movement, it’s a way of being in the world.

In the sanctuary of silence / beauty comes to life. / Freedom is the blossom. / Love is the perfu...

In the sanctuary of silence / beauty comes to life. / Freedom is the blossom. / Love is the perfume, / compassion its graceful way of walking.

In this era, to become a spiritual inquirer without social consciousness is a luxury that we can ...

In this era, to become a spiritual inquirer without social consciousness is a luxury that we can ill afford, and to be a social activist without a scientific understanding of the inner workings of …

The challenge awaiting us is to go much deeper as human beings, to expand understanding to a glob...

The challenge awaiting us is to go much deeper as human beings, to expand understanding to a global scale, integrating the totality of living, and to become aware of the wholeness of which we are a …

The creative resistance is to maintain alive the vision that we have other possibilities of living.

The environmental/ecology movement has been a response to the awareness by many people that somet...

The environmental/ecology movement has been a response to the awareness by many people that something is drastically wrong, out of balance in our contemporary culture.

Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to ...

Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement Satyagraha - the Force which is born of Truth and Love or nonviolence.

We are not in the Anthropocene; we are in the time of creative resistance.

We will in all our actions be whole, total, natural, without effort. Every action or nonaction wi...

We will in all our actions be whole, total, natural, without effort. Every action or nonaction will have the perfume of wholeness.

When awareness of the totality, of wholeness, dawns upon the heart, and there is awareness of the...

When awareness of the totality, of wholeness, dawns upon the heart, and there is awareness of the relationship of every being to every other, then there is no longer any possibility of taking an …

Profile: Bill Devall

Bill Devall (1938-2009) was an American sociologist who co-authored Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered (1985) with George Sessions. The book introduced deep ecology philosophy to North …

Profile: Bayo Akomolafe

Bayo Akomolafe is a Nigerian psychologist, author, and philosopher who offers decolonial perspectives on mental health, spirituality, and environmental activism. Trained in Western psychology but …

Profile: Helena Norberg-Hodge

Helena Norberg-Hodge is a Swedish author, filmmaker, and activist who promotes economic localization as an alternative to industrial globalization. Through Local Futures, the organization she …

Profile: Mohandas Gandhi

Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), known as Mahatma (“Great Soul”), developed the concept of satyagraha - nonviolent resistance - during the Indian independence movement. His philosophy of …

Profile: Sulak Sivaraksa

Sulak Sivaraksa is Thailand’s most prominent Buddhist social critic and one of the founders of the international Engaged Buddhism movement. For over five decades, he has articulated a Buddhist …

I believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that itself creates new potential

“I believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that itself creates new …

A temperature rise of more than two degrees C risks altering the Earth system irreversibly.

“A temperature rise of more than two degrees C risks altering the Earth system irreversibly.” — James Lovelock

Gaia is a very simple idea: that the Earth works as a single, complex, self-regulating system.

“Gaia is a very simple idea: that the Earth works as a single, complex, self-regulating system.” — James Lovelock

Humanity is not separate from Gaia; we are a part of her body. To harm her is to harm ourselves.

“Humanity is not separate from Gaia; we are a part of her body. To harm her is to harm ourselves.” — James Lovelock

If we go on wrecking the biosphere, our technical and moral loftiness will count for nothing.

“If we go on wrecking the biosphere, our technical and moral loftiness will count for nothing.” — James Lovelock

Let us hope that humanity will see through science that it must live in harmony with all life, not just exploit it.

“Let us hope that humanity will see through science that it must live in harmony with all life, not just exploit it.” — James Lovelock

Our task is not to save the Earth. She will endure. It is our civilization, our children, who are at risk.

“Our task is not to save the Earth. She will endure. It is our civilization, our children, who are at risk.” — James Lovelock

Quote: Joanna Macy; "Despair and gratitude can coexist; embracing both expands our capacity to act."

“Despair and gratitude can coexist; embracing both expands our capacity to act.” – Joanna Macy Source: Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age (1983)

Quote: Joanna Macy; "If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people..."

“If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people…” – Joanna Macy Source: Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without …

Quote: Joanna Macy; "The work that reconnects helps us transform despair into constructive action."

“The work that reconnects helps us transform despair into constructive action.” – Joanna Macy Source: Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy (with Chris …

Quote: Joanna Macy; "When you look at what is happening to our world and it is hard to look at whats happening..."

“When you look at what is happening to our world-and it is hard to look at what’s happening to our water, our air, our trees, our fellow species-it becomes clear that unless you have some …

The Gaia hypothesis tells us that life and the Earth are inseparable, two sides of one great process.

“The Gaia hypothesis tells us that life and the Earth are inseparable, two sides of one great process.” — James Lovelock

The planet we abuse will find ways to restore balance, but not necessarily in ways that are kind to us.

“The planet we abuse will find ways to restore balance, but not necessarily in ways that are kind to us.” — James Lovelock

We are part of Gaia’s experiment. Whether we remain part of her future depends on how we live now.

“We are part of Gaia’s experiment. Whether we remain part of her future depends on how we live now.” — James Lovelock

We have to accept that we are modest parts of the functioning of Earth, not its masters.

“We have to accept that we are modest parts of the functioning of Earth, not its masters.” — James Lovelock

We need to see ourselves not as stewards of nature, but as participants in a vast, living system.

“We need to see ourselves not as stewards of nature, but as participants in a vast, living system.” — James Lovelock

Profile: John Seed

John Seed is an Australian environmental activist who co-created the Council of All Beings practice and founded the Rainforest Information Centre. His work connects direct action rainforest …

Profile: Pat Fleming

Pat Fleming is a deep ecology facilitator who co-authored Thinking Like a Mountain (1988) with John Seed, Joanna Macy, and Arne Naess. She has conducted experiential deep ecology workshops for over …

Quote: Joanna Macy; "Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an active engagement."

“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an active engagement.” – Joanna Macy Source: Active Hope, 2007

Quote: Joanna Macy; "We dont have to surrender our individuality to be part of a collective movement."

“We don’t have to surrender our individuality to be part of a collective movement.” – Joanna Macy Source: Active Hope, 2007

Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "It is possible to be joyful and peaceful even while we work for change. Hope is important, but it is not enough. We must also be peace and joy in every moment."

“It is possible to be joyful and peaceful even while we work for change. Hope is important, but it is not enough. We must also be peace and joy in every moment.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: …

Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "Real change will only happen when we fall in love with the Earth. Falling in love means to see her beauty, to touch her deeply and to rejoice in her."

“Real change will only happen when we fall in love with the Earth. Falling in love means to see her beauty, to touch her deeply and to rejoice in her.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: Love Letter …

Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "The Earth is not just our environment. We are the Earth and we are always carrying her within us. We need to wake up and realize that the Earth and we are one."

“The Earth is not just our environment. We are the Earth and we are always carrying her within us. We need to wake up and realize that the Earth and we are one.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: …

Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community showing the way to collective awakening."

“The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community showing the way to collective awakening.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: …

Quote: Thich Nhat Hanh; "We need to consume in such a way that keeps our compassion alive. Reducing consumption is the way to reduce violence toward ourselves and the Earth."

“We need to consume in such a way that keeps our compassion alive. Reducing consumption is the way to reduce violence toward ourselves and the Earth.” Thich Nhat Hanh Source: The World We …

Film: On The Brink

https://youtu.be/_e_liXJf5aQ A tale of endangered species featuring David Attenborough, David Suzuki, David Bellamy, Jack Thompson, Olivia Newton John, Koala, Owl, Quoll & Glider. For the young at …

Gandhi, Non-Violence & the Rainforest Movement

From the Rainforest Information Centre archives — a letter exchange between Harsh Prabhu and John Seed on the influence of Mohandas Gandhi on the Australian rainforest movement. Reproduced with …

Profile: Vimala Thakar

Vimala Thakar (1921-2009) was an Indian philosopher, social activist, and spiritual teacher who pioneered the integration of meditative inquiry with social justice work. A woman who challenged the …

Video: Give Trees a Chance – The Story of Terania Creek

Essay: Deep Ecology is not Enough – By John Revington

By John Revington. Originally published by the Rainforest Information Centre; republished here with permission. Publication date not stated on the original page; estimated from internal references …