Society for Earth Law
LEADER SPOTLIGHT - STEVEN CHANANIE
What Are We Being Called to Do?
Why is the Society for Earth Law (“SOEL”) so important to me and why did I agree to act as its Deputy Executive Director as a volunteer, in addition to my law practice and my weekly work as an interfaith hospital chaplain? Each of us who are now committed to the mission and values of SOEL have their own reasons for their commitment. I have been a lawyer for many years, and – yes – I feel we are called to fight for legal and political and economic reform and for a Renaissance of Values that holds the hope of creating a workable foundation for a truly transformative paradigm change. But for me, in the end, the call to action is a deeply spiritual one.
At the heart of my personal motivations is a profound heartbreak on seeing the cruelty and callous disregard we exhibit and the suffering we are inflicting on other living creatures (and on our fellow human beings) and on the forests and the trees, the rivers and oceans, and on so many ecosystems. The suffering is real and pervasive. If I step aside from our legal, academic and intellectual analyses – which are so vital and important – and open my heart even a little, my heart breaks. I feel anger and my own profound sorrow and sadness. But, as Joanne Macy said (to paraphrase), it is when our hearts break that the universe can enter into us.
So, what are we called to do, and how is that a “spiritual” matter for me personally? For me, the divine presence surrounds us and flows through all life, human and non-human, tying us together with unbreakable cords of light and love, whispering to our souls, and calling to us with overwhelming power and love. It is a matter of “faith” more me in the end, but not faith in some “idea” of a Supreme Being off in a distant heaven, but rather faith in an unbounded and infinite present reality – a divine presence, if you want to call it that – that is somehow with us, here and now, in ways that are far realer than we can comprehend and that is far greater than any limited name we might have for God. And, it is also a matter of faith for me in ourselves and in the light of our own humanity, no matter how obscured, ignored or lost in the darkness that light might be.
We are not saints or Bodhisattvas, but I nevertheless feel that we are being urged to engage in an intentional practice of looking and seeing with an open heart the precious miracle and worth of each and every life. When I engage in such a practice, I feel sorrow and pain in the face of all the suffering and devastation, but I also see the divine light shining in all life. And, in so seeing, I don’t know how I (or anyone) can then turn a blind eye to the reality of the suffering, to our righteous indignation in the face of the violence and injustice, and to the disbelief at the depth of the callous disregard of so many humans. Indeed, in so seeing, I believe deeply that our hearts cannot help but be filled with love, and indeed reverence, for the lives of all living creatures and for the beauty of this planet and its ecosystems – and for each other.
We can and must advocate for new laws and a new jurisprudence of reverence, for a politics of compassion, and for new modes of corporate and economic governance as well. But while all of that is absolutely necessary (and is a necessary pathway to meaningful change), I don’t believe we will see real and lasting change until we respond to the inner calling (however felt or defined) to see life through the eyes of compassion, love and reverence. Indeed, in looking through those eyes, we cannot help but experience a revolution of values that puts the inherent value and wonder of all life on this planet (and the value of our own lives) far above our glorification of “things,” above our desperate grasping for more material growth, and above our insistence that we are here to serve greedily only our own narrow self-interests.
In short, seeing through those eyes of compassion and reverence and love (and sorrow), is for me deeply spiritual, and leaves me – and SOEL – no choice but to act in ways that seek to honor and protect the miracle and wonder of all life. For me personally, this is what SOEL is about.
MISSION
The mission of the Society for Earth Law is to transform law for an ecological age based on the meta-principles of relationality, reciprocity, and responsibility.
VISION
Earth Law calls for a holistic way of caring for all life and all that supports life on Earth. We envision a world in which legal, economic, social, and governance systems foster collective commitment to nurturing, regenerating, and sustaining our Earth community at local, bioregional, national, and planetary levels.
Origins:
Our Story of Becoming
Why We Exist
Earth is not just a set of resources to be used. Earth is our home—the place that gives us life, feeds us, gives us air to breathe and water to drink. We share Earth with other species. Earth’s interacting, dynamic, and natural systems make all life possible. But today, we are at a crossroads. We are failing to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and the health of our forests, oceans, rivers, and soils. While there are many inter-human problems, those concerning human-Earth relations are primary. Many people feel powerless, like they have no say in the decisions shaping their future. Big corporations and the ultra-wealthy exercise control of our governments, economies, and legal system across the world. They have tried to convince us that their way is the only way—that we must choose between jobs and a healthy planet, between security and fairness, between energy and a stable climate, between sustenance and regenerative agriculture. These are false choices.
We believe the law should serve all of us, not just the powerful. Our legal systems now favor property, profit, and accumulation of wealth at the expense of sufficiency for all and protection of Earth—the foundation of life itself.
Our Approach
The Society for Earth Law (SOEL) seeks to operate at a transformative scale—not merely addressing the symptoms of environmental and social degradation but also developing a transformative new paradigm for overall health and well-being. SOEL challenges the old paradigms of the existing legal, economic, and cultural power structures. We aim to reflect the diversity of humanity in our membership, chapters, and leadership. We intend to promote interdisciplinary scholarship, with widespread collaboration as a pillar of our efforts. SOEL recognizes the wisdom of Indigenous laws, customs, and practices as vital. We will value and incorporate this wisdom as well as the wisdom of women, of science, of classical humanistic and religious traditions, and of contemporary thought in our efforts to care for Earth and develop Earth Law. By building a new intellectual and legal infrastructure for ecological health and well-being, we seek to heal humanity's relationship with Earth and bring into being a true sense of Earth community. We do this from the perspective of Thomas Berry’s famous principles: “The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects;” and “Ecology is not a part of law, law is an extension of ecology.”
Take Action
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