in 2010 the (then) Prince of Wales wrote a book called “Harmony : A New Way of Looking at Our World” in collaboration with Tony Juniper and Ian Skelly. In it, the authors propose seven principles for living in Harmony with each other and planet Earth. These principles are:
There are clearly opportunities to apply this to teaching in primary and secondary school currucula, as holistic, cross-curricular, initiatives.
The Harmony Project and Bloom Education are two UK-based organisations developing initiatives based on the seven Harmony Principles. Much more information about these initiatives can be found on their excellent websites.
The Principles are:
The principle of Interdependence reveals that the elements within natural systems are wholly interconnected; each element has a value and a role to play.
The principle of the Cycle illustrates that Nature’s regenerative, cyclical systems are models of sustainability, reusing resources and eliminating waste.
The principle of Diversity is expressed in natural systems which are healthy and resilient, and better able to adapt to change.
The principle of Adaptation shows that living things are always adapting to their place and to the ecosystems they are part of. This ensures each species is able to survive and thrive.
The principle of Health demonstrates that the balance and well-being of natural systems is maintained by the dynamic relationships that exist within them.
The principle of Geometry and Beauty reveals that the patterns we see in Nature, in micro and macro form, also exist in us. Far from being separate from Nature, we are Nature. Connecting with the beauty in nature, appreciating that we participate in that beauty, can bring harmony of itself.
The principle of Oneness unites all these principles, revealing their interconnectedness and helping us to understand that – like all life on Earth – we are part of something greater than ourselves.
[Adapted from Why harmony? by the Harmony Project and the Seven Harmony Principles by Bloom Education.]
There are clear overlaps with the “Big ideas” that form the foundations of the Stories from Nowhere Wood. I have created seven new categories for the site:
Adaptation
Cycles
Diversity
Interdependence
Geometry and Beauty
Health
Oneness
and have cross-referenced the stories against each of these categories.
You can access the stories from the home page by clicking on the appropriate Harmony Principle – which all start with upper case letters.
