Climate Action Ilkley is to host an online talk by Australian researcher Dr Kylie Harris where she will discuss her personal journey through crisis and mental illness to hope.
Kylie works on a rewilding project in Tasmania with the aboriginal community to harness their ecological and spiritual wisdom to help prevent destructive forest fires such as those seen in Australia in the summer of 2019-2020.
Kylie believes that the current ecological crisis may be seen as a collective spiritual emergency. She says, “A spiritual emergency is a process of awakening that can be psychologically challenging and is sometimes expressed through mental illness in the form of psychosis, anxiety, and depression. However, a spiritual emergency also offers a unique opportunity for personal transformation. The current environmental crisis could be viewed as a collective spiritual emergency and a potential ‘rite of passage’ for humanity. Facing the truth of our planetary emergency is painful and daunting, but it doesn’t have to leave us paralysed. By working collectively in the present moment, we can unleash our individual and collective power and create healing solutions.”
As well as her academic work, Kylie is also a writer and activist. She will discuss her rewilding project along with the psychological tools we can use to become part of the solution to issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
Mike Daw of Climate Action Ilkley said, “We’re really lucky to have Kylie speak as part of our series of events leading to COP26 [the imminent international climate meeting]. I saw her give a talk to another organization recently and what she had to say was fascinating and inspiring. I’m glad she accepted our invitation, especially as it means her having to get up at 4am!”
Kylie will be speaking at 7.30pm on Thursday 28 October (UK time!) via Zoom and you can register for the event here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/treating-the-climate-emergency-as-a-spiritual-emergency-tickets-172533982787
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