Laudato si’, mi’ Signore - does it matter for me?
Interdisziplinäres Projekt
- Beschreibung
Laudato si’, mi’ Signore - does it matter for me?
Die folgende Projektbeschriebung ist auf Englisch verfasst, je nach Teilnehmerwunsch kann das Projket aber auch auf Deutsch durchgeführt werden.
"Praised be You my Lord through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, producing varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs" Saint Francis of Assisi was singing almost 800 years ago in his famous canticle to praise God as creator. Five years ago Pope Francis in his encyclical letter Laudato si’ wrote: “This sister earth now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our modern live style and economy that irresponsibly uses and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her."
We only need to have an unbiased look at recent facts to see that ecosystems at regional and global scales are falling into serious disrepair. According to the Living Planet Report 2020 of the World Wildlife Fund, animal populations around the world have declined by almost 70 % between 1970 and 2016. The main reasons for this rapid decline are deforestation, expansion of agriculture, and the widespread use of pesticides. Although the European Union has enforced increasingly stringent regulatory regimes governing the registration of plant protection products, some of the most precarious pesticides are increasingly marketed in African, Asian and South American countries with lower standards of environmental and consumer protection (Pretty and Bharucha, 2015, Insects 6, 152-182). At the same time, traditional systems of land use are replaced by industrialized forms of agriculture. Not only in newly industrialized countries, but also in Europe more than 40 % of soils are at risk of a rapidly proceeding degradation of soil fertility, which has been attributed to the inadequate use of agrochemicals, intensive tillage, unbalanced crop rotations and erosion (Ray et al., 2012, Nat. Commun 3:1293; Thiele-Bruhn et al., 2012, Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain. 4:523-528; Orgiazzi et al., 2016, Sci. Total Environ. 545-546:11).
While ecological sensitivity might be growing in richer countries, harmful habits to externalize environmental costs to poorer countries, rather than decreasing, appear to be growing all the more. Global legislations to ensure the protection of ecosystems and seek the common good of all humans are missing. The growth of technical and economic possibilities is not matched by an equal development of our moral energy and an integral culture to adequately confront the crisis is lacking.
The aim of this Humboldt Reloaded project is to see and better understand the role of agriculture in the current ecological crisis with emphasis on its cultural and spiritual dimensions in order to discern which approaches can contribute to an integral ecological concept of agriculture reaching beyond one-sided technical solutions.
In this process, we want to consider carefully how we can contribute to adequate conversions in agriculture, society and lifestyle to shift from widespread indifference towards an increased attention to hear the beautiful song, but also the accusing cry of creation. Learning more from St. Francis of Assisi about Lectio divina on the “book of creation” and from St. Ignatius of Loyola about the discernment of spirits may help us to respond adequately to the cultural and ecological challenges of today and act with courage and responsibility to care for our most vulnerable neighbors and the world in which we live.
The project may also comprise an excursion to contrasting landscapes such as beautiful nature reserves and areas degraded by ruthless exploitation as well as the preparation and conduction of an evening event in cooperation with the Ecumenical University Congregation (Ökumenische Hochschulgemeinde) Hohenheim to present the topic to the broader public.
- Beschreibung des interdisziplinären Teils des Projekts
- The interdisciplinary dialogue conducted in the frame of this project may not only raise increasing awareness for the importance of environmental problems. By understanding the situation as a challenge to rethinking and conversion, the chance to critically discuss with other students should be intensively used for active leaning and finding creative inspiration to overcome the crisis.
- Projektzeitraum
- Wintersemester 2020/2021
- Bewerbungszeitraum
- 05. bis 15.10.2020
- Durchführung
- nach Absprache
- Details zu Projektzeitraum und Durchführung
The project is conducted during winter semester 2020/2021. The detailed schedule will be prepared together with the students at the beginning of the project.
The work load can be adapted to the interest and availability of the participants.
- Studienfach
- offen für alle Studienfächer
- Betreuende
- Dr. Markus Weinmann
- Institut
- Institut für Kulturpflanzenwissenschaften (340) (Ernährungsphysiologie der Kulturpflanzen (340h))
- Sprache
- deutsch/englisch
- Teilnehmendenanzahl
- min. 1, max. 10
- Arbeitsaufwand
-
ca. 180 Stunden pro Teilnehmende:r
| 6
ECTS-Punkte
Arbeitsaufwand (Stunden und ggf. ECTS) sind ungefähre Angaben. Die tatsächlich vergebenen ECTS-Punkte ergeben sich aus der tatsächlich geleisteten Arbeit.
- Für dieses Projekt ist kein Motivationsschreiben des Studierenden erforderlich
- Projektart
- theoretisch/nicht experimentell
- Lernziele
-
Die Teilnehmende lernen in diesem Projekt:
Literature research, structured appropriation of the topic, composition of scientific presentations and posters, critical analysis of established knowledge and scientific paradigms, interdisciplinary dialogue with other students, if possible preparation and conduction of an evening (or online) event for the broader public in cooperation with the Ecumenical University Congregation Hohenheim.
- Anmerkungen für Studierende
Concerning further questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact
Markus Weinmann, Tel.: 0711 459 23121, markus.weinmann@uni-hohenheim.de- Schlagworte
- spiritual, cultural and ecological crisis, natural science, ethics