Abstract
Action on climate demands a reckoning with the intradependence of human well-being and the health of our earth systems. Intradependence, as defined by Paul Theobald in Teaching the Commons: Pride, Place and Renewal of Community (1997, 2018) is “dependence within a place, dependence on the land and dependence on the good will and wisdom of the people with whom the land is shared. The greater the intradependence, the greater the sense of community.” Walking raises awareness of the intradependence of human, more-than-human, ecosystem, and planetary health and wellbeing. This paper shares how walking is being used across multiple communities in 12 countries, with teachers and students ages 14-18 in two global online classrooms, and with municipal employees and elected mayor and council in one major Canadian city. Drawing on data gathered over 2024-2026 as part of community walks, recorded working sessions, open-ended semi-structured interviews, walking maps, written and audio reflections, and other course materials, we will share how walking as a method allows participants to deepen their understanding of intradependence and co-design sustainable actions and policies proposals.
Presenters
Caroline BomfimPostdoctoral Fellow, Campus Saint-Jean, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada Sheena Wilson
Professor, Media, Communications & Cultural Studies, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada Carrie Karsgaard
Assistant Professor, Education, Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia, Canada Lynette Shultz
Professor and Co-Director of the Centre for Global Citizenship Education and Research, University of Alberta, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Multi-Species Ethics, Research-Creation, Land-Based Learning, Relational Research, Petrocultures
