2018 Winter Seminar
Paradise Lost - Paradise Restored?
A weekend reflecting on what we have lost in the de-greening of the earth and exploring ways in which we might grow our
understanding of inclusion and diversity to create a new paradise which honours Ecumenical, Economic and Ecological
values.
The theme is loosely structured from The Greening of Christianity by the trust’s former theologian and lecturer Rev.
Professor Sir Lloyd Geering. His thinking covered the territory of Naomi Klein’s later book This Changes Everything –
when we really take the challenges of climate change seriously it changes everything.
Klein names capitalism as the foe but Lloyd’s analysis was broader. The book made plain that the future of the earth is
in our hands, social solidarity and altruism need to be at the heart of what we do, democracies can only act to make the
needed changes when they have broad public consensus. Significant and urgent change is required internationally if
unstoppable climate change is to be averted. To do that we must recognise our inter-dependence and respond to the
ecological imperative for the benefit of future generations.
We have structured the conference theme around Sir Lloyd’s 10 suggested resolutions. Summarised they suggest a need to:
• Adopt an attitude of wonder and reverence towards the world
• Develop a philosophy of care for the world
• Build a society-wide altruism & community towards the globalised world
• How can external (public institutions) and internal factors (cleaving to our highest values and our humanity)
help us to address the challenges ahead?
• From the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to local government public institutions are shaped by people
• Our faith traditions, emerging traditions, new understandings and philosophies to live by provide the internal
factors.
When: Friday 22 June, 7 - 9 pm, (Tea & Coffee from 6:30 pm
Saturday 23 June 9:30 am - 3pm (Morning tea and Lunch Included)
Where: St Andrew's on The Terrace - in the church
Costs: (Friday Only) $10 one person $15 2 people/couple
(Friday & Sat (or Sat alone) $30 (waged); $20 (unwaged); $15 (student)
Speakers:
Confirmed speakers
• Wellington’s Deputy Mayor Jill Day
• Associate Professor Niki Harré
• Lawyer Andrew Butler who has worked on the case for a NZ constitution with Sir Geoffrey Palmer.
• Professor Paul Morris
• Rev. Dr Susan Jones Minister St Andrews on the Terrace
• Nick Laurence is a psychologist and one of the founders of Mindfulness for Change
• Ros Jiko United Nations Association NZ