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Pricing options

We offer a sliding fee scale to accommodate peoples' situations.

Our regular rate is €300 to sustain our work. We are a very modest artist-philosopher led independent education initiative and our fee reflects the value of our knowledge and the costs of online platforms we use to host the course material.

Our fee is also €300 if you are being sponsored/funded for this course for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through an Award or your Organisation/Institution. You may wish to follow other learners who included this course fee in their funding applications to funding organisations.

We offer a reduced fee for people with a Low Wage or No Wage of €210.

The Benefactors €510 rate allows you to book the course and donate extra to support another creative.

Like to pay in instalments, please contact Cathy to arrange this

EMAIL: [email protected]

Thank you.

For all adults, for all areas of life – become fluent in communicating inclusive holistic values for system change

Values education is essential for everyone to for an equitable, sustainable, just and peaceful world

Learn to communicate a life-promoting vision and values with Cathy Fitzgerald and philosopher Nikos Patedakis by exploring the accessible and holistic peoples and UNESCO-endorsed Earth Charter

Through exploring the Earth Charter and the Childrens’ Little Earth Charter, become fluent in more expansive values and the shift globally toward Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

Values education is now seen as fundamental to guide: individuals’ creative work, teaching, curating; cultural institutions' sustainability communications, programming or education outreach; to foster inclusive community dialogue for ecosystem restoration endeavours; and to deepen sustainability and social justice understanding for those working in science, law, industry, politics, faith communities or business.

Building on the popular 'Values module' of the Ecoliteracy course, learn with Cathy Fitzgerald and Nikos Patedakis about why the holistic ecosocial values of the Earth Charter, advanced by peoples' from diverse cultures from across Earth since 2000, is an inspiring ethical moral compass to guide and communicate our actions toward a thriving, more just and peaceful world.
  • Photo - it's not too late to care by Cathy Fitzgerald

The Earth Charter is the next BIG thing that is coming ...

The world is waking up to the urgent need to become more fluent in an inclusive vision and integrated social and environmental values to guide just, equitable and sustainable action for personal, collective, planetary and intergenerational wellbeing


But how do we solve the social justice and sustainability puzzle for our schools, ecosystem restoration endeavours, businesses, education institutes, cultural organisations, faith communities, philanthropy, law and politics or even understand it on a personal level?

Many of us have rushed to embrace and employ the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) BUT we have overlooked we need an integrated vision and values framework to guide our learning and actions for environmental and social challenges –in a systematic, just and ethical way.



In 2019, UNESCO endorsed the Earth Charter (2000) as the SYSTEMS learning framework so citizens everywhere can simply understand and communicate new integrated universal environmental AND social values for everything we do. The Earth Charter is unique as a world peoples-led ethical framework that has developed since the early 1990s.

In 2022, on the 30th Anniversary of the first UN Earth Summit in Rio in '92, the Earth Charter School Seal Initiative to advance systems literacy values in education worldwide was launched.
Read our blog post on the Earth Charter

Others who urge integrated values for system change

Addressing environmental and social challenges TOGETHER is fundamental for advancing
PERSONAL-COLLECTIVE-PLANETARY WELLBEING AND A CULTURE OF PEACE

“In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground.

A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other.

That time is now.”

Earth Charter Ambassador

The late Dr Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Kenyan ecosocial activist, community forest planter

“The Earth Charter that was put together by visionaries 20 years ago provides an ethical template to work out a better way forward, to move toward a new way of interacting with the natural world, and a new respect for people.

- On the 20th anniversary of the Earth Charter 2020”

Earth Charter advocate
since 2001

Dr Jane Goodall, DBE,
UN Messenger of Peace

“Since there are no binding agreements that safely put us towards a safe future for life on Earth as we know it, that means that we have to use morals, and we have to be able to feel empathy with one another. That is all we have right now. Some people say that we shouldn’t use guilt or this sense of morality. But that is, quite frankly, the only thing that we have to use.
- Washington Post 27 Dec 2021”

Systems Change not Climate Change"

Greta Thunberg, Youth Activist

HAUMEA ECOVERSITY courses include:

SO MUCH GREAT LEARNING AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT

  • Transformative holistic learning

    For systems change learning we follow leading international holistic educational and values frameworks for cultural renewal and a just sustainability as recommended by UNESCO and Earth Charter International, who both advance the global move in formal and lifelong learning toward Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Planetary Citizenship and well being.

  • Money Back Guarantee

    Not completely satisfied? Our courses come with a 2-week no questions asked money back guarantee. Although we welcome your feedback to keep improving our offerings.

  • Community

    Our courses provide knowledge of how to live well for ourselves, others and the wider community of life. But our focus is to continue to evolve an ecology of caring compassion for all our learners too.

Benefits to you

What's so special about the Earth Charter?

  • Wide cultural, education & business application

    For your business, education or cultural organisation, faith community, local government or creative practice, The Earth Charter's four pillars and 16 principles can help you more easily communicate universal shared values for sustainable, just living encompassing:–

    ecological integrity,
    social & economic justice & equality
    democracy &intergenerational sustainability
    for an enduring culture of peace for all.

  • An independent global
    People's Treaty

    The Earth Charter is an inspiring, visionary grassroots' peoples planetary citizens' framework for TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING for society-wide SYSTEM CHANGE.

    The Earth Charter is remarkable as it has been strengthened by over two decades of global citizens' contributions - it is the pre-eminent Peoples' Treaty for personal, collective planetary and intergenerational wellbeing and for advancing a culture of peace.

  • UNESCO-endorsed since 2019

    The Earth Charter is the UNESCO-endorsed ethical framework for guiding all citizens' actions toward the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.

    The Earth Charter is also the recognised inclusive, SYSTEMS literacy learning tool for the UN's efforts to advance global learning toward Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

COURSE OUTLINE AND SCHEDULE:

A self-paced ONLINE pilot course for ADULT learners.

Duration: 7 weeks. Time Commitment: 2-6 hours/week.

When the course starts you will gain access to the WELCOME ORIENTATION MODULE.

Each week a new module is released.

The Heart of Haumea Ecoversity Courses is joining in with others for collective learning in Weekly Online Group ZOOM Meetings. You are, however, also very welcome to take this course, without joining the weekly live meetings.

We meet weekly on WEDNESDAYS 7 pm Irish / UK time

Each week participants will have access to video lessons and resources that can be engaged independently.

WITH AN OVERVIEW IN THE GLOBAL SHIFT IN EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ESD), EACH WEEK WE USE ONE OF THE 4 PILLARS OF THE EARTH CHARTER TO UNDERSTAND THE HOLISTIC ECOSOCIAL VALUES THAT ARE NEEDED TO ADVANCE A JUST, FLOURISHING EARTH.

Lessons, with exercises and resources, including articles, videos and podcasts on key topics and figures from the Earth Charter will provide an overview of the history, ambition and potential, for the Peoples' Earth Charter to help 'TURN CONSCIENCE INTO ACTION.
4 pillars of the Earth Charter

COURSE SCHEDULE:

When the course opens You will be sent an email on how to log on to the course and access a self-paced Orientation module.

ORIENTATION The first 'Getting to you know you' Live Group Zoom Meeting is at 7 pm Irish / UK time.

There are 7 group meetings.

The welcoming 'salon-style' group meetings are the heart of the course, learning is accelerated when we come together.

Please note: You can do the course without attending the group meetings but the course experience is much diminished.

  • ZOOM MEETING DATES: We offer weekly Online Group Meetings (via ZOOM) as follows: 24 Jan. (WELCOME MEETING), 31 Jan. (WE DISCUSS The EC Preamble); 7 Feb. (MODULE 1 - EC Pillar 1); 14 Feb. (MODULE 2 - EC Pillar 2); 21 Feb. (MODULE 3 -EC Pillar 3); 28 Feb (MODULE 4 - EC Pillar 4), 6 Mar. (MODULE 5 - EC Way Forward - Applying EC for your work)

  • ORIENTATION WEEK; you will have access to a Welcome Module for one week before we first meet as a group.

  • INTRODUCTORY MODULE: VISION OF THE EARTH CHARTER - the Earth Charter Preamble

  • MODULE 1: PILLAR 1 OF THE EARTH CHARTER - Communicating values of 'Respect and Care for the Community of Life'

  • MODULE 2. PILLAR 2 OF THE EARTH CHARTER - Ecological Integrity - learn all about why respecting flourishing living ecosystems is a cornerstone of a better world

  • MODULE 3. PILLAR 3 OF THE EARTH CHARTER - we consider intersectionality through values for 'Social & Economic Justice'

  • MODULE 4. PILLAR 4 OF THE EARTH CHARTER - we consider 'Democracy, Non-Violence and Peace'

  • MODULE 5: - THE EARTH CHARTER - TOWARDS A CULTURE OF PEACE

  • Follow up resources - 'THE WAY FORWARD' AND FAREWELL (week 7).

    Applying EARTH CHARTER PRINCIPLES to your work or situation

    and an Invitation to join our inspiring Haumea Earth Charter community

Facilitators(s)

Founder - Director Haumea Ecoversity

Living in the home of her Irish ancestors, New Zealander Cathy Fitzgerald is a popular educator offering accessible ecoliteracy and values systems change training.

Pioneering doctoral ecological arts practice and research, Cathy is also an accredited ESD transformative learning Earth Charter educator and an alumnus of Earth Charter International which holds the UNESCO Chair for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

With her arts background and previous careers in research science and professional development, she is passionate about empowering adult learners for this urgent era of sustainable cultural renewal for personal, collective and planetary wellbeing.

dr cathy fitzgerald

ecological artist | educator | researcher and student of forests

Facilitators(s)

Founder - Director Haumea Ecoversity

Nikos is an experienced philosopher and educator whose transdisciplinary work arises at the intersection of Nature and Culture—the sciences, the arts, and the wisdom traditions (particularly the traditions of the Ancient Greek, Roman, and Hellenic periods, Eastern philosophy, and Indigenous traditions).

Nikos left academia to focus on helping professionals of all kinds learn to think the way nature works, by taking advantage of what he sees as the single greatest untapped cultural resource humanity has: The philosophical traditions of the world, and the storehouse of practical wisdom they contain for solving complex personal and global challenges. Nikos sees art as having a special relationship with philosophy. Both philosophy and art seek to see the world with fresh eyes and an awakened heart, and they seek to offer this insight and inspiration to the culture at large, for the benefit of all citizens and the broader community of life. To bring about a more just and thriving culture in the most direct and intelligent manner, we need to empower the arts by making philosophy as a way of life available to artists and to arts education. Nikos offers training to artists that transforms both their experience of life and their practice of creativity and art-making. Learn more about Nikos and his work at www.DangerousWisdom.org

dr nikos patedakis

US philosopher, mentor, artist and student of horses

What people are saying about the Haumea ESD- Earth Charter course

“Cathy is a wonderful and kind educator, who is always open to sharing all her knowledge and experience with the community she’s teaching in Ireland and abroad. I was lucky to attend her ‘Earth Charter: Vision and Values’ course in 2022 through the Arts Council ‘Invitation to Collaborate’ 3 Local Authority Arts Office Gnáthoga Nádúrtha 3-wetland habitats programme (for Carlow, Kildare and Meath), where I had the chance to comprehend the social power this peoples’ document has in encouraging people to make a positive and gentle impact in the world, as well as connect with plenty of like-minded and brilliant people from different backgrounds. Thanks to HAUMEA Ecoversity I could see how Cathy, her collaborating philosopher Dr Nikos Patedakis and her peers involved in this project and from the Irish creative sector are becoming more aware and connected with people, and especially with the community of life.” – Doctoral Thesis researcher on ‘Ecosocial education for Visual Art Teachers in Secondary Education’ Silvia Laguna-López, doctoral researcher in Equity and Innovation in Education at University of Oviedo, Spain”

“It was a privilege to participate the Cathy’s Earth Charter course. I was so impressed by the breadth of her approach incorporating spiritual, moral and practical guidance on the Earth Charter.

Also, I was moved by its relation to me as a human, an artist and a part of a World community.

She and Nikos were inspiring and provided me with a huge injection of new knowledge. I will continue to pursue the path of the ecosocial path that I find my practice on but with now a framework of the Earth Charter and an awareness of other practitioners who are similarly engaged.”

Theatre -visual artist-teacher: Wexford, Ireland

Jeni Roddy

“It is testament in itself that I take every opportunity to work with Cathy, Nikos and Haumea.

Having just completed the 'Earth Charter Values' course the richness and kind learning has served to offer me new forms of practice. The course has had a marked, immediate impact on what and how I engage with others through my practice. Learning the guiding principles of The Earth Charter, acquiring the language to share them through discussion, dialogue, examples and research has had a profound change on how I view my practice and place within this living world.

The philosophies of care and compassion that underpin the Earth Charter are beacons of hope and positivity in very challenging times.”

Tom Duffy: socially-engaged artist, art facilitator, visual and percussive artist, Ireland

“I was first introduced to the Earth Charter during one of Cathy's courses about Ecoliteracy, and immediately I wanted to learn more.

Taking part in the Haumea Earth Charter course has helped me to understand the scope of the work of caring for our planet, and to begin to find a personal role I can take in the work.

I met a wide range of people from all over the globe which helps me to understand the deep nature of the work, as well as sense the connections all around our globe.”

Judith Lardener: Non Violent Communication and Restorative Justice facilitator, Ireland

“I had not heard of the Earth Charter before. World religions and sustainability form the bones of the Earth Charter. Together with the UN Sustainability Development Goals –SDGs a more holistic worldview is created which gives me more confidence that their principles are sustainable and a higher chance they will be achieved, which will benefit all humanity and wildlife.

I found this course incredibly informative and inspiring and have recommended them to several ecology friends.”

Mary Hoy, visual artist, gardener, Dublin

“I would like to thank Cathy for all her work on the Ecoliteracy and Earth Charter courses, for her generosity in sharing her knowledge and experiences, and for her energy and effort protecting the planet.

It has been a truly transformational journey for me.”

Project Coordinator / Facilitator, Dublin, Ireland

Estibaliz Errazquin

“As a science teacher in the New Zealand vocational education sector, I have for some time been wanting to find a way of encouraging learners to explore the wider environmental impacts of their chosen fields and thought it might provide a useful lens through which students could view and analyse the activities of the various industries they were hoping to work for in their careers.

The content of the course comprehensively covered the EC pillars in a way that was both engaging and sympathetic to the audience.

I particularly enjoyed being part of the eclectic group taking the course, as it allowed a wide range of opinions to be aired using everyday language. This experience will greatly assist me in communicating wider concepts to my own groups of learners, who also come from diverse ethnicities and social backgrounds.”

Dr Rhys Jones, PhD (Paris XI, Otago) Senior Lecturer, Centre for Applied Science and Primary Industries WINTEC (Te Pukenga), Hamilton Aotearoa New Zealand

FAQ's

answers to your questions below

  • How much time will this take?

    2-6 hours per week. A total of 7 weeks of content, connecting and sharing. It is a self-paced course – you can dive deep or skim the surface and still find great benefit.

    MEETING WEDNESDAY EVERY WEEK (7 PM IRISH/UK TIME) is when the course instructors host the live group learning sessions. You will get so much more out of the course by joining us for the weekly Live Group Meetings—that is when the learning will really come alive, and you will get a chance to meet new friends and colleagues who can expand the ecology of mind, bringing mutual insight and inspiration.

    We highly recommend setting aside a specific time each week, after new material becomes available each THURSDAY, to go through the weekly module lesson.

    The course material is also available to access for TWO months after the course ends.

  • What if I'm busy?

    You will be notified each week by email when next week's module lesson is available.

    You will have a week to view videos, read and listen to other resources and time to complete short and simple exercises. That means there is plenty of time to do your homework and to prepare yourself for the Live Group Meetings a week later!

    The course material is also available to access for TWO months after the course ends.

  • What do I need?

    An Internet connection, and a computer with a camera and audio to join the online (Zoom) meetings and to view the course video material. It is not advised to use a mobile phone to take this course.

    Also, your presence and commitment. You will gain more if you participate more. The group meetings, where we can listen and hear how others interpret the learnings, are the special magic sauce for appreciating the value of ecoliteracy. We tend to develop an ecology of mind among participants as we move through the weeks.

    Please note, 'The EARTH CHARTER' course can be taken without joining the weekly live Zoom meetings but the experience is somewhat reduced.

  • What technology platforms will we use?

    Each weekly module contains videos, reading resources, practices and occasional, optional written exercises.

    The weekly LIVE Group meeting will be done over Zoom.

    A supplementary private Soundcloud playlist complements each week's module for learning on the go.

    Topic sharing will happen in a private ONLINE group that respects your data. A weekly email will be sent to keep you up to speed.

    At the end of the course, you can APPLY THE COURSE LEARNING, EARTH CHARTER VALUES for your situation, and receive written feedback from the course instructors.

  • What if the course doesn't suit me?

    Because we want you to be completely happy with your decision, we will let you test-drive and evaluate the Haumea Ecoversity -Earth Charter course for 14 days. Enroll today.

    If the course doesn’t suit, let us know before the 14 days are up and we'll return 100% of your money back—no questions asked (although because this is a unique course, we'd really love feedback).

  • Is remote learning good value?

    Our Haumea Ecoversity Online course tuition fees are much lower than what you would have to pay at a traditional educational institute—if you could find such courses elsewhere. Our students have found this material to be both rare and valuable.

    As with any good educational experience, you will get tremendous benefits from our expertise.

    Education is not a matter of information exchange. From that more limited perspective, our courses contain a great deal of information that would require a lot of time and many headaches for you to gather alone. But, more than that, we offer an experience—not only our experience of working with these ways of knowing, being, living, loving, and creating, but also our experience at fostering insight and inspiration.

    You will find our courses an empowering investment in yourself and your work.

  • I live in a different timezone - advice to join the weekly LIVE group meetings

    Check the time of the Live Group Meeting in your region– see worldtimebuddy.com.

    Please check to make sure the Live Group Meeting time will work for you, before you book!

The Haumea Ecoversity courses offer holistic transformative learning

A life-sustaining worldview and sustainable cultural renewal – involves the head, heart and hands

UNESCO recognises advances in education for sustainable development (ESD) through lifelong, transformative learning, which advances the necessary understanding, experiential, contemplative and embodied practices for individual, collective and planetary, and wellbeing.

'At the Transformative Learning Centre in Adult Education (Toronto), transformative learning is defined as the experience of a deep, structural shift in basic premises of thought, feelings and actions. It is a shift in consciousness that dramatically and irreversibly alters our way of being in the world.

“Such a shift involves our understanding of ourselves and our self- locations, our relationships with human beings and the natural world; our understandings of relations of power in interlocking structures of class, race, gender; our body awareness; our visions of alternative approaches to living; and our sense of possibilities for social justice and peace and personal joy” (O'Sullivan 2002; p.xvii).

In other words this is a shift toward embodied ecological consciousness. Transformation is used here in the sense gleaned from systems theory.'

–Eimear O'Neill, In: Radical Human Ecology (2012, Routledge)

Acknowledgements

My sincere thanks to the Irish Arts Council for the 2020 Professional Development Award to allow me to attend the 5-month Earth Charter Education for Sustainability accreditation course and meet with such inspiring educators and other cultural workers from around the world.

 Also HUGE THANKS to former Haumea  Ecoversity course participants (especially Lisa Cahill, Thomas Duffy, Phoebe Cope,  Paola Catizone, Rhys Jones, Jeni Roddy, Mary Hoy, Rosie O'Gorman, Jules Michael) & collaborators (Nikos and Mary Carty) who reflected their enthusiasm for the Earth Charter back to me, which in turn inspired me to research and develop this course for the cultural sector. 

My sincere thanks to the Earth Charter International team and my fellow ESD - Earth Charter learners.
 


Our courses have been featured in:

  • green foundation ireland logo
  • Climate Cultures Net UK

Who is Haumea?

Haumea is Earth Goddess of fire and creation in the Pacific, who across voyaging and time, became the male God of harvest, in Aotearoa New Zealand, where Cathy Fitzgerald was born. Haumea is also the first Indigenous name given to a dwarf planet discovered in our solar system in 2004. Some say the discovery of Haumea corresponds to awakening planetary ecological consciousness and a renewed interest in other non-Western cultures’ more life-sustaining world views.