Social Movements, Ecological Spirituality and St. Therese Couderc's Bonte (Goodness)
The critical question of the future being addressed by this movement is neither the national debts nor the trade deficits of countries, but rather the ecological debt-deficit, the rapid decline of the gross earth product (Thomas Berry, 1990). Even in areas of medicine, law and national security, it is evident that people cannot achieve genuine well-being on a sick planet, not military security but ecological security and not anymore inter-human law but inter-species law (McDaniels, 1990).
In the Philippines, in the late 1940s to the 1970s, the region of CARAGA is considered the timber corridor of the country. Butuan City earned the nickname "Timber City of the South”. Thirty years hence, Butuan and CARAGA lost the "glorious" reputation. A host of economic, cultural, social, and political factors contribute to the denudation of its forests. Bouncing back after fifty years, through a private-public partnership between Butuan City Water District (BCWD) and the Balik-Butuan BBY2K20, an “Adopt-A Forest-Legacy Project” was launched. This will benefit the 40-hectare Taguibo Water Shed Forest Reserve, the source of water of the city.
This paper will elaborate what an ecological spirituality-inspired social movement is, the vision of Bonte (Goodness) of St. Therese Couderc.r.c, Foundress of the Cenacle Congregation, and common spiritual beliefs not only held by the indigenous peoples but by modern century. Key objectives include exploring and comparing the beliefs and practices that promote the growth and decline of forests. Key informant interviews, focus groups discussions among various stakeholders and review of existing data will be done. This study will recommend public policies to maximize the potentials for social capital through social movements to arrest ecological deficits.