4: The Earth Charter and the Development of a Planetary Consciousness in Brazilian Higher Education Institutions

Planetary consciousness is a social movement that brings together ideas, values, and projects of which the Earth Charter is a faithful expression. The supremacy of the Cartesian paradigm together with technological progress, the irresponsible consumption of natural resources, and the effects of colonialism have proven to be a threat to the Earth’s balance and peace. In Brazil, colonialism has blocked the path to a just and equal society due to the unfair treatment given to Indigenous and Afrodescendants, resulting in racism, invasion of Indigenous and quilombola’s land, and contempt for their native knowledge, art, and culture. The emergence of a planetary consciousness embodied in the Earth Charter principles of Respect and Care for the Community of Life, Ecological Integrity, Social and Economic Justice, Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace influences science, relationships of human beings with the environment and with other human beings. In this chapter, four academics from different areas show how the Earth Charter principles, highlighted in italics, permeate their work.