Jacques de Gerlache & Patrick Corsi

Abstract In order to address the challenges of the Anthropocene relating to the fractured relationship between humans and nature, and in line with the objectives of No Limits to Hope, we propose innovative educational practices that can be adopted as policies. These practices aim to empower educators and practitioners to drive systemic change, incorporating existing knowledge, including traditional and indigenous wisdom. This paper particularly proposes establishing a transdisciplinary reconnection of knowledge systems. This vision requires the integration of all planetary components — ecological, spiritual, cultural, social, economic, and political — while respecting socio-cultural diversity and epistemological pluralism. This approach transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, creating a holistic transformation of minds, mentalities, science, and worldviews. At the heart of this methodology lies René Magritte’s surrealist technique, which shows how art and science can come together to break free from fixed ways of thinking. Magritte’s paintings and their accompanying titles establish a dynamic relationship between reality and imagination, revealing the invisible through the visible and prompting shifts in consciousness. His work exemplifies the interplay of concepts and knowledge that is necessary for paradigmatic shifts. This transformative agency aims to overcome economic drifts, democratic fatigue, and divisive pseudo-truths through education and collective solidarity. The Alliance aspires to create a global agora, fostering shared experiences and mutual trust in order to realize a multicultural, symbiotic planetary destiny. The ultimate goal is a harmonized planetary community that functions like an Olympic convention, where cultures share experiences rather than compete, creating a planetary symphony based on mutual trust, solidarity, and benevolent compassion, and escaping the contemporary threats of nihilism and pseudo-truths.

Keywords: Transdisciplinarity – Planetary Governance – Reconnection – Magrittean – C-K theory.

1. A Planetary Vision Within the Human Dimension

1.1 A planetary alliance for rights and duties
“Reconnect” is the theme of the next World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) in 2026. The Congress aims to contribute to the in-depth reorganization of knowledge, structures, and laws towards interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. These dimensions are essential to the integration of all the physical, chemical, biological, and sociological components of the planet. Through transdisciplinary education, we can reconnect humanity and nature in a new covenant, reconnecting peoples and cultures. This approach takes full account of socio-cultural diversity, biodiversity, the relationship between humans and nature, and the role of epistemological pluralism. In this context, we could contribute to the adoption of an international Alliance and Convention on Planetary Rights and Duties. Real-time operational controls that ensure compliance with governance rules would establish this reconnection of all components of our planet, including the human dimension, within their specific conditions and ways of life.

1.2 The complexity of planetary life
Planetary life is a complex multiplicity that cannot be separated into its ecological, spiritual, cultural, social, economic, and political dimensions. Many forms of energy — spiritual, cultural, and material — can be mobilized and gathered within multiple groups or associations, from families to local, regional, and national communities. The challenge is to catalyze the emergence of a harmonizing movement in solidarity with an equitable and shared planetary ideal, while respecting the identity and societal autonomy of all biological communities and individuals. In this context, the question for No Limits to Hope is how to reorganize knowledge, structures, and laws toward interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in order to produce a holistic metamorphosis capable of changing minds, mentalities, science, paradigms, and worldviews in each community, affecting all dimensions of planetary life in its complex multiplicity: ecological, spiritual, cultural, social, economic, and political. This recognizes the value of reactivating individual and collective memory, as Theodor Adorno puts it: “The only thing that distinguishes man from the animal is the ability to see the world through the eyes of another human being.” We must face the holistic challenge of catalyzing the emergence of a harmonizing movement in solidarity — a planetary ideal that is equitable and cooperative, and which respects the identity and societal autonomy of all biological communities and their individuals. This requires us to reorganize knowledge, educational practices, structures, and laws.

1.3 Escaping contemporary threats
The weakening of community belonging, a consequence of increased individual freedom, requires the reconstruction of educational pathways that promote harmony. This enables us to escape the barriers of pandemic frustrations generated by primary delusions that make instrumental not only facts but also feelings. Examples of this include Brexit, as expressed by Frans Timmermans in his book Fraternity: Reweaving Our Links. There are threats that attempt to restrict access to courses leading to reasonable outcomes, due to the significant weakening of the sense of belonging to a community — a logical consequence of increased individual freedom. Therefore, it is a matter of education to rebuild this path harmoniously, in order to escape the cancers of hatred and barbarism that some people are trying to impose on us. Steve Jobs captured this intersection beautifully: “I love living at the intersection between arts and sciences. This junction point itself has a magical aura.” We envisage a future of community and planetary diversity, with coherent borders that operate as gateways rather than barriers — like the boundaries between tissues within the same organism. This evolution could be realized by organizing a planetary mobilization resembling an Olympic Convention — a kind of agora where participants share experiences rather than compete. The finals would become a harmonized planetary symphony performed by all communities. This vision is realized through mutual trust and collective solidarity, combining sharing and benevolent compassion with altruism.

1.4 A new form of planetary mobilization
As Frans Timmermans quotes Albert Camus, “The only thing that distinguishes man from the animal is the ability to see the world through the eyes of another human being.” This implies a destiny of community and planetary diversity with coherent borders that are not walls but passages, like those between the tissues of the same organism. This capacity for empathy and perspective-taking is crucial for creating dynamics that facilitate holistic metamorphosis, encompassing intuitive and emotional dimensions, drawing on contributions from both science and the arts. The path to wisdom and universal love is exemplified by Buddha’s teaching: “The teaching is like a raft that is made to cross, not to be clung to.” This evolution could gradually materialize through a planetary mobilization such as an Olympic Convention, where participants share experiences to inspire others rather than compete. The finals would be a harmonized planetary symphony performed by all communities. Education should encourage a destiny based on mutual trust, collective solidarity, sharing, benevolent compassion, and altruism, promoting the realization of a multicultural and symbiotic ideal shared by all humanity. “Let the wise man live in his village like the bee, gathering nectar without damaging the flower in its color or perfume.” For this Convention of Planetary Rights and Duties, the question is how to agree on a new course that escapes storms and passive indifference, particularly in the face of economic drifts and democratic exhaustion. As Régis Debray and Frans Timmermans put it, this route must be adapted to the terrain and obstacles, with foundations, verges, and borders that structure and facilitate mutual exchanges and tolerance, enabling control of excesses. This tolerance is particularly important in the face of the impasses of nihilistic and stereotyped pseudo-truths that claim to be absolute and are progressively imposed by supposed economic, political, cultural, or religious saviors.

2. A Methodological Transformation Through Art

2.1 Introducing the Magrittean approach
A methodological approach to transforming learning and reconnecting humanity with nature could lead to a new alliance for a better future. As Paul Watzlawick said, “It isn’t how things really are that constitutes the problem and should be changed, but the premise of how things should be seen.” Reuniting arts and science requires a transformative agency capable of expressing both. René Magritte (1898–1967) challenges the perceptions of those who observe his work. While contemporary art is often characterized by its ability to abruptly trigger awareness, Magritte engages in a more gradual and unexpected process. His paintings teach key lessons about reconnecting and bringing about holistic change that can transform mindsets, mentalities, science, paradigms, and worldviews. The resonance between the objects in his paintings and their titles reveals how the invisible emerges from the visible, transcending common sense.

2.2 Diving into creative unknowns
In Magritte’s style, the artist of the unconscious reveals the unknown by engaging with the interplay of concepts and knowledge. Moving between reality and imagination, he hybridizes the world, reuniting the mundane with speculative propositions. Rather than using analogies or metaphors, he frames the emergence of a whole as a dynamic unity of painting and title. This overcomes fixed and reductive thinking, offering long-term solutions to alter thought patterns. His work exemplifies a paradigmatic shift, raising awareness of overlooked perspectives on matter, life, and consciousness.

2.3 Calling for a resonant method
Magritte provides a model for transformation. His titles function as undecidable propositions that challenge conventional thinking. Through his method, a poetic dimension emerges — an intuitive dynamic between knowledge, the object, and the image — recalling Saussure’s distinction between signifier and signified. The C–K theory of design models innovation through the interplay of Concept (C) and Knowledge (K) spaces, generating new ideas rooted in established knowledge.

2.4 Exemplifying with C–K theory
C–K structures creative reasoning through four operators: (1) generating root concepts (K→C); (2) expanding concepts (C→C); (3) producing new knowledge (K→K); and (4) reintegrating concepts (C→K). This iterative process builds systemic innovation, such as educational frameworks integrating indigenous knowledge into modern curricula.

2.5 Learning to transcend space and consciousness
For Magritte, both thought and life share thermodynamic processes. His art compels the viewer to “find an elsewhere,” transcending representation to stimulate consciousness. Space becomes a mathematical and conceptual category, transforming how we perceive relationships — a metaphor for the shift needed in education and governance to reconnect the human and planetary dimensions.

3. Conclusion
The key challenge for societies is to implement a metamorphosis of educational policies that empower systemic change. Inspired by Magritte’s topos — the bridge between art and science — this methodology fosters transdisciplinary transformation, reconnecting all planetary components while respecting cultural and epistemological diversity. It paves the way toward a multicultural and symbiotic human destiny built on trust, solidarity, and compassion. By integrating ecological, spiritual, cultural, social, economic, and political energies into a coherent whole, we can achieve civilizational transformation. Education, as the catalyst of this evolution, must cultivate inner values that harmonize knowledge and empathy — enabling humanity to walk a shared path toward wisdom and universal love.

Introduction

With a mere 2% of Earth’s total landmass, India has 8% of world’s biodiversity and sensitive ecosystems like Himalayas, Coral reefs, Sundarbans mangroves, Thar Desert, Western Ghats (1). Environment education is a process of creation of environment literacy and development of respect towards nature so that informed and responsible decisions are made (2). The pillars of environmental education are sustainable development, emphasis on real world problem, practical activities, interdisciplinary approach. Practical implication can be created by properly understanding environmental education and its role in shaping attitudes for environmental protection especially by young environmental stewards. ‘Think globally, Act locally’- the slogan related to environmental education has been famous since three decades. With only five years left to completion of target achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, there must be new ways to commensurate actions for solving global problems. It is high times to translate knowledge into practice. Now-a- days students are merely information careers and its high time to turn them into something more so that they act too.

The National Education Policy 2020 is a paradigm shift in Indian education system as it focuses on many aspects that can provide fertile ground for practical approach towards environmental education. It talks about fostering unique capabilities in each student by encouraging logical decision making, creativity, critical thinking, ethics, human and constitutional values like spirit of service, scientific temper, respect for others and empathy. The NEP 2020 focuses on the fact that during these times of Triple Planetary Crisis its very important for children not only to learn but most importantly how to learn. Ancient Indian education system also focused on eternal development and knowledge acquisition not only for school or job but for complete realization and liberation of self (NEP 2020).

Citizen science engages public in scientific research often in collaboration with professional scientists by collecting, analyzing data, reporting finding to contribute to scientific research and policy making (3,4). The student-scientist partnership in a citizen science project is unique as it offers a platform for scientist to work with students, teachers and other community members (5) and students also get real time exposure of the prevailing environmental conditions of their area. In United States there has been a shift in approach to promote interest and understanding of science, there teachers are engaging students in hands-on activities giving them a real-world science away from memorization of facts and rote learning system (6). India could also follow the same model of using citizen science as a tool for real environmental education to youth which also aligns with NEP 20202 principles.

While there are studies on both the concept NEP 2020 and citizen science but there is a significant gap in research that analyze the combined potential to cultivate environmental stewardship in Indian context. So, the authors are interested in knowing how can citizen science be incorporated into the curriculum of Indian schools involving NEP 2020 framework? And what are the key pedagogical benefits to students and overall environmental benefits?

Merging NEP 2020 and citizen science for environmental education

Piaget posits that in traditional method of learning it is not realistic to expect mutual communication between teacher and student. He further argues that what the teacher is saying may not be same as what is heard and perceived by students (6). According to Piaget there are four principles of active learning:

1. a) Students learn best when they interact with concrete materials and are active.
2. b) Learning should be individualized and student-centric.
3. c) There must co-operative work and social interaction in the classroom.
4. d) Students must construct their knowledge to make it meaningful.

Thus, it can be concluded that learning is constructive knowledge and is effective with concrete materials and hands-on activities.  The above all four principles aligns with tenets of NEP 2020 like- experiential learning; recognizing, identifying and fostering unique capability of each student; ethics; life skills- communication, teamwork, cooperation, and resilience. There is a paradigm educational shift in NEP 2020 in its recommendation such as emphasis on critical thinking development, moving away from rote learning system.

While NEP 2020 has great visions for integrating environmental education but there are some weaknesses causing inconsistent and ineffective implementation in a diverse country like India. Following are some challenges and shortcomings:

1. Lack of dedicated subject for environmental education- The infusion approach leads to environmental topics being treated as secondary topic in other subjects.
2. Teacher training- Complex environmental subjects like climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and sustainable development has been put into lessons. It is difficult for teachers with lack of robust and standardized training to teach students these subjects effectively. This can again lead to rote learning approach where students are only passive information carrier rather than fostering critical thinking and problem-solving attitude development.
3. Centralized and local issues- The terms like climate change and biodiversity loss are too generic. Environmental issues are highly context specific for example a student residing at desert area of Rajasthan, India must be facing water scarcity and a student living in New Delhi India must be familiar with pollution. A one size fits all curriculum fails to address immediate and local environmental problems that students are familiar with hence making lesson feel irrelevant for them.
4. Theoretical knowledge over Experiential learning- While NEP 2020 advocates experiential learning through activities, the practical implementation is challenging due to lack of infrastructure, funding, collaborations between scientific community and schools and clear roadmap for fieldwork and community engagement. This often leads to a gap between knowing facts about current environmental issues and feeling empowered to take action.

Citizen Science as a solution for above limitations

Several studies have reported benefits of citizen science in formal and informal educational settings. A study involving Australian undergraduate science students in a citizen science project related to phenology increased their environmental knowledge. The inquiry-based learning increased retention capacity of students by evoking deep thinking in them (7). If a child has to recognize that putting hands in hot water can cause him burn, he needs to try it himself. This can best demonstrate him burn, hotness and what is dangerous. This is called learning from experience. The concept of citizen science gives students and scientists an opportunity to collaborate and learn from experience. The thinking capability is developed when people encounter difficulties in life. This learning by doing is important aspect of Dewey’s educational theory (8). Moreover, students can have real time experience, hands-on learning, knowledge about local environmental condition and issues related with them. For Indian schools involving students in citizen science projects is again a big task. But involvement of multiple stakeholders like school, scientists, policymakers and local government can help in smooth running of any project for multiple benefits to science, society and environment.

References:

1) Thukral, S., Thambi, R., Bhati, R., Gupta, A., & Durve, N. C. (2025). A Review-Biodiversity Conservation Efforts in India and Connection to Climate Change. Ecology, Environment & Conservation (0971765X), 31.

2) Vladova, I. (2023). Towards a more sustainable future: The importance of environmental education in developing attitudes towards environmental protection. In SHS web of conferences (Vol. 176, p. 01009). EDP Sciences.

3) https://www.oecd.org/en/blogs/2025/04/what-is-citizen-science-and-why-should-policymakers-care.html

4) https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/citizen-science-article/

5) Krasny, M. E., & Bonney, R. (2005). Environmental education through citizen science and participatory action research. Environmental education and advocacy: Changing perspectives of ecology and education, 292-319.

6) Pardjono, P. (2016). Active learning: The Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, and constructivist theory perspectives. Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Negeri Malang, 9(3), 105376.

7) Mitchell, N., Triska, M., Liberatore, A., Ashcroft, L., Weatherill, R., & Longnecker, N. (2017). Benefits and challenges of incorporating citizen science into university education. PLoS One, 12(11), e0186285.

8) Li, Y. (2023). Judging John Dewey’s Views on Education Especially on Hands-on Learning, Student-Centred Learning Approach, and Learning by Doing. Curriculum and Teaching Methodology, 6(22), 58-62.

Dear Professor,

Based on your efforts and the texts I have read, I thought you would be interested in my latest publications on contemporary issues related to environmental issues and the state of the world.

Please see them below.

With my best wishes for your seminal work.

Kind regards.

André F. Pilon / Assoc. Prof. University of São Paulo International Academy of Sciences, Health and Ecology

Public Profile and Selected Publications:
https://www.unccd.int/science/former-spi-members/andre-francisco-pilon

PILON, A. F. (2025). The Bubbles or the Boiling Water? Ways to regenerate the Earth and Humanity, Katoikos:
https://katoikos.world/analysis/the-bubbles-or-the-boiling-water-ways-to-regenerate-the-earth-and-humanity.html

PILON, A. F. (2024). “The Party of the Dead”: a Tale that Repeats Itself, MPRA Munich Personal RePEc Archive:
https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/121869/1/MPRA_paper_121869.pdf

PILON, A. F. (2021) Pandora’s Box A Metaphor for today’s World? Researchgate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355684440_Pandora’s_Box_A_Metaphor_for_today’s_World

PILON, A. F. (2024). The Bubbles or the Boiling Water? A Course on Environmental Capacity Building [ppt presentation] Research gate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381996602_The_Bubbles_or_the_Boiling_Water_A_Course_on_Environmental_Capacity_Building