This Statement Was Adopted By Eighty
International
Holistic Educators At Chicago, Illinois, June, 1990.
As we approach the twenty-first century, many of our institutions and
professions are entering a period of profound change. We in education are beginning to
recognise that the structure, purposes, and methods of our profession were designed for an
historical period which is now coming to a close. The time has come to transform education
so as to address the human and environmental challenges which confront us.
We believe that education for this new era must be holistic. The holistic
perspective is the recognition that all life on this planet is interconnected in countless
profound and subtle ways. The view of Earth suspended alone in the black void of space
underscores the importance of a global perspective in dealing with social and educational
realities. Education must nurture respect for the global community of humankind.
Holism emphasises the challenge of creating a sustainable, just, and
peaceful society in harmony with the earth and its life. It involves an ecological
sensitivity - a deep respect for both indigenous and modern cultures as well as the
diversity of life forms on the planet. Holism seeks to expand the way we look at ourselves
and our relationship to the world by celebrating our innate human potentials - the
intuitive, emotional, physical, imaginative, and creative, as well as the rational, logic
and verbal.
Holistic education recognises that human beings seek meaning, not just
facts or skills, as an intrinsic aspect of their full and healthy development. We believe
that only healthy, fulfilled human beings create a healthy society. Holistic education
nurtures the highest aspirations of the human spirit.
Holistic education is not one particular curriculum or methodology; it is
a set of working assumptions which include the following:
Education is a dynamic, open human relationship.
Education cultivates a critical awareness of the many contexts of learners' lives -
moral, cultural, ecological, economic, technological, political.
All persons hold vast multi-faceted potentials which we are only beginning to
understand.
Human intelligence is expressed through diverse styles and capacities, all of which
we need to respect.
Holistic thinking involves contextual, intuitive, creative and physical ways of
knowing.
Learning is a lifelong process. All life situations may facilitate learning.
Learning is both an inner process of self-discovery and a cooperative activity.
Learning is active, self-motivated, supportive, and encouraging of the human spirit.
A holistic curriculum is interdisciplinary, integrating both community and global
perspectives.
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