TreeSisters and the Fountain are delighted to announce the release of “Rooted in Ethics: The Community Tree Stewardship Framework”. A collaboration five years in the making, this framework redefines ethical tree growing to include and honour the inherent rights and intelligence of all beings and communities of Nature.
Rooted in Ethics blends input from representatives of Original Peoples and Nations with expertise from law, philosophy, NGOs and community experiences to propose holistic solutions for forest conservation that strengthen our connection to trees. Established through deep listening and collaboration and built on trust and mutual understanding, Rooted in Ethics addresses a need for systemic change in reforestation methods, organisational frameworks, and community-led initiatives.
Rooted in Ethics is an invaluable resource for those working in community-focused land and forest restoration and those wanting to contribute to a more ethical world.
“Collaborating in this way makes us greater than the sum of our parts. TreeSisters, the Fountain, and the Mother Earth Delegation of United Original Nations have been united in focusing on the best long-term care of trees and communities. This work is a special and timely gift, and it feels like TreeSisters was uniquely placed to bring this forward.”
Suzi Steer, Lead Author for TreeSisters
“Working on Rooted in Ethics has been very meaningful because, at the beginning, we were looking at ethics from the Western point of view related to Nature. Then we saw that those kinds of ethics, the rational ethics coming from humans, encounter these other ethics coming from Mother Earth and Father Sky. They complemented each other, and it's beautiful because it's an intention, a way of bringing together this ancestral wisdom, and it's very powerful. We not only have ethics as humans, but these are ethics for all species.”
Mindahi Bastida of the Otomi-Toltec of Central Mexico and Lead Author for The Fountain.
Rooted in Ethics is currently accessible to our partner organisations, and we warmly welcome your support, feedback, and any relevant case studies you may have. Beginning May 2024, we will formally unveil the Framework to the public, whilst tailored events, toolkits, and applications catering to diverse audiences will soon follow.
As part of this public release, we are hosting two launch events. The first is a free online panel and discussion event on May 22nd with the authors and some key contributors. The second is an in-person celebration featuring a ceremony led by co-author, Mindahi Bastida, on June 18th in Oxford, UK. TreeSisters extends heartfelt gratitude to all contributors to this edition.
For further inquiries about Rooted in Ethics, please visit our dedicated landing pages or contact us at learning@treesisters.org.
Notes:
Rooted in Ethics landing page: https://www.treesisters.org/rooted-in-ethics
Named organisations contributing directly to the text: The Fountain, TreeSisters, International Tree Foundation, Trees for the Future, and WeForest
Groups and expert editors: The Mother Earth Delegation of United Original Nations, facilitated by The Fountain, Erin Axelrod and Kevin Bayuk of LIFT Economy, Mike Hannis of Bath Spa University, Myra Jackson of the UN Harmony with Nature Program and Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.
Named organisations in the wider consultation: The Converging World, Coherence Lab, Earth Restoration Service, Fauna & Flora International, Global Canopy, the Global Forest Coalition, GreenHouse PR, The Lever Room, My Green Pod, Positive TV, Pristine Media, the Sumatran Orangutan Society, Urquhart & Hunt, Tree-Nation, Treeconomics, Verdant World and the World Land Trust. Be The Earth, The Tedworth Trust and Paul Bechtner Foundation
Co-created with representation from Original Peoples and Nations, Rooted in Ethics calls for and champions land and forest restoration that respects and honours the rights of Nature, communities, and cultures.