Holistic Education for a Better World: Holistic education takes in a wide range of philosophical orientations and pedagogical practices which can meet the needs of all types of learners and can be the source of fulfillment, satisfaction and enjoyment for teachers and that prepares future citizens who will contribute a concern and mindfulness for others, for their communities, and for the planet. Its focus is on the principles of wholeness, interconnectedness and interdependence by attempting to avoid the exclusion of any significant aspects of the human experience. It is an inclusive movement whose key attribute is the notion that educational experience fosters a less materialistic and a more spiritual worldview along with more dynamic and holistic views of reality. It also proposes that educational experiences should promote a more evenhanded development of the different aspects of the individuals (cognition, connation and affection), as well as the relationships between the individual and other people, the individual and natural environment, the inner-self and external world. It is compatible with both global education and environmental education, which are based on the principles of interdependence and connectedness. Based on this interdependent perspective, holistic education seeks to create a society where we live in harmony with the surrounding environment.
The seminar focuses on holistic education on the following broad characteristics: 1) it nurtures the development of the whole person; 2) it revolves around relationships (egalitarian, open, and democratic relationships); 3) it is concerned with life experiences (instead of “basic skills”); 4) it “recognizes that cultures are created by people and can be changed by people” (instead of conforming and replicating a established culture);and 5) it is founded upon a “deep reverence for life and for the unknown (and never fully knowable) source of life.”
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