Question 1 to Prof. Scoullos
For the 3 levels of human involvement (recognition of different values within nature), is it necessary for the whole society to evolve from egoist value to social value and eco-centric value?
Answer:
There is no person that I know who doesn’t include all of these 3 values. The intrinsic value is sometimes hidden and understood differently by people from rural areas and urban areas. People might be surprised that urban residents probably need this value more than people living in rural areas. It is in the hands of educators to somehow stimulate the thinking of those 3 different values, and it is not difficult.
Question 2 to Prof. Mammadova
It is vital for the next generation to understand that they are part of the nature. What’s the role of local/traditional practices and knowledge in this process?
Answer:
In terms of traditional practices, we are doing a lot in Japanese BRs, engaging local people and their knowledge with the conservation and education practices. But there is one big issue: those traditional practices are not always applicable in the modern world anymore. Without innovation, traditional knowledge of conservation and living harmonically with nature is going to extinguish in the very near future. And we should encourage students to be enthusiastic about innovating those traditional models.
Question 2 to Prof. Mammadova
What’s the influence of the ongoing pandemic on the ESD practices in BRs?
Answer:
Yes, there is a big impact posed by the Covid-19. During the pandemic, we have turned most of our hand on education projects into online programs. We are surprised to find that online programs also have their advantages, for example, people could visit the rural and remote areas which are impossible to visit before, or the translation/interpretation process is much more convenient online. Nevertheless, BRs are NOT the places only for virtual tours. People must visit the BRs physically to appreciate and celebrate their beauty and greatness. So, we still hope that the pandemic could come to a turning point as soon as possible.