This is a reflection written by Dr. Tiffani Betts Razavi on the recent Bahá’í Chair for World Peace Annual Lecture, a Conversation on Climate Science, Policy & Justice with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson held on September 17, 2020.
On 31 October 2019 I made a tiny, insignificant response to our planet’s environmental crisis. It was the kind of thing that prompts people to say, “why bother?”, the kind of thing that makes people remind you of the scale of the problem, as if you cannot possibly have understood it if this is your idea of a response. It wasn’t like I didn’t already reuse or recycle, or turn off the water while brushing my teeth, but it was another little thing in my consciousness, another habit, an action however feeble, connecting me to efforts to address climate change it. I stopped leaving my hair dryer plugged in when I wasn’t using it. It was Halloween and I didn’t want to boost ghost power (thank you, National Geographic).
On that day, it was what I could do.
Reflecting on the Bahá’í Chair’s Conversation on Climate Science, Policy, and Justice with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson reinforced the notion that expanding consciousness of the interrelated and often seemingly unsurmountable issues that face humanity is critical to our capacity to respond, individually and collectively. Dr. Johnson flagged the intersection between issues of racial equality, social justice and the climate crisis, identified the participation of people of color as critical, and indicated that problems cannot be solved when essential contributors are forced to combat racism. Prejudice is a barrier not just theoretically but in very practical terms – there isn’t time and there isn’t energy to do battle on two fronts. Though the no-nonsense presentation of the overwhelming and incredibly complex co-dependent crises of climate change and racism was a striking feature of the interaction, in the face of issues that can be divisive and paralysing, the conversation was even more impressive for its inclusivity and spirit of empowerment.
The human values – ethical and moral considerations – implicit in that conversation are fundamental to meaningful, lasting social and environmental change at whatever level of analysis one chooses to focus. At the core of the value set is a conception of human nature based on the innate nobility or dignity of every human being, a true nature that transcends circumstance. Such a conception of human nature carries implications both for the way we conduct ourselves and the way we treat others. Too often, discourse slips into the use of the term “natural” to justify attitudes and behaviors that run counter to human dignity – human beings are naturally aggressive, or competitive, or jealous – and certainly history furnishes ample evidence. However, human beings are also naturally caring, collaborative, and empathetic. We have a choice about how we orient to ourselves and others, and this choice impacts our personal lives and collective social progress.
In one group of primary educators I worked with years ago, a participant asked how one could discern the true nature of a child, since children often behave “badly” but at other times astonishingly well. Another participant was quick to reply that the indicator of a child’s true nature is the best behavior a child has ever shown. To consistently express that true and dignified nature takes effort, and is a uniquely human struggle, but it must be that nature that we choose to define us as human beings, that nature that can be strengthened in service to the common good, that nature that in turn can call fellow human beings to a higher standard. The thought of one child can serve as a reminder in any context, from classroom to climate science conversation, of the scope for development and progress that is created by placing human dignity at the center of a values framework.
The Bahá’í Chair conversation also underscored the importance of human capacity – the potential of every human being, regardless of background or expertise, to positively contribute to the health of the planet – taking shape through qualities and attitudes such as open-mindedness and creativity, community and service, humility and readiness to learn. This is a value base that promotes sustainable change through participation that is potentially universal and conceptually diverse, responsibility that is personal, and ownership that is shared. It encourages willingness to look at issues with our own eyes, to ask questions, to share information, to come up with ideas and try them out. Most of us are not climate scientists or policy makers, but we each have a set of knowledge, skills and abilities, experiences, opportunities and connections that can be applied to the problems of our time.
So rather than pressing me to simply ask myself if there is anything I can do for the environment (to which the answer might be, no, not really), this was a conversation that reminded me that I have dignity, I am a thinking person, I have skills, I care about the environment and I am part of it, a conversation that made me excited to explore what I can do. What is my part? How can I uniquely and more meaningfully connect to this issue?
Today, this is what I can do.
You can watch the video of the Annual Lecture Conversation with Dr. Johnson here.
About the Author:
Tiffani Betts Razavi (DPhil. Oxon) is a Visiting Research Professor at the University of Maryland Bahá’í Chair for World Peace and a senior staff writer for The International Educator. Her research and writing explore people and their environments, the changing nature of work and education, and the conversations that connect observation and insight with practice.
A helpful reflection. Always good to hear your thoughts Tiffany. Hope you’re keeping well.