The Interface of Environmental and Humane Education as an Emerging and Relevant Dialogue - A Point of View from Brazil

Oct 15, 2026

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This article examines the interface between environmental education and humane education in Brazil as an emerging theoretical and practical field. It first identifies conceptual affinities that, in the authors’ view, justify strengthening connections between research and educational practice. The paper then reports an educational workshop in Campinas-São Paulo using a Brazilian documentary on the meat industry for screening and discussion. It argues that integrating both areas can support ethical change in favour of all forms of life.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Environmental and Humane Education: A Relevant Dialogue Frameworks that Support the “Naturalization” of Oppression

The Interface of Environmental and Humane Education as an Emerging and Relevant Dialogue: A Point of View from Brazil Maria Castellano, Andréa Quirino de Luca, & Marcos Sorrentino, University of São Paulo, Brazil Abstract This article addresses the interface between environmental and humane education, as a theoretical and practical emerging ﬁeld in Brazil. We begin by presenting conceptual similarities that, in our view, underpin and justify the need for a growing connection between the two ﬁelds of research and educational practice. We then describe an experience of an educational workshop conducted in CampinasSao Paulo that sought to bring the two ﬁelds closer, involving the screening and discussion of a Brazilian documentary about the meat industry. We consider the possibility that drawing environmental and humane education together may contribute to changes in favour of all forms of life. Résumé Le présent article aborde l’interface entre l’éducation environnementale et l’éducation humaine, nouveau domaine théorique et pratique au Brésil. Nous commençons par présenter les ressemblances conceptuelles qui, selon nous, causent et justiﬁent le besoin d’un lien plus étroit entre les domaines que sont la recherche et la pratique éducationnelles. Nous décrivons ensuite une expérience dans laquelle un atelier éducationnel mené à Campinas-São Paulo et visant à rapprocher les deux domaines, mettant en jeu la préparation d’un documentaire brésilien sur l’industrie de la viande etune discussion à ce sujet. Nous examinons lapossibilité que le rapprochement de l’éducation environnementale et de l’éducation humaine contribue à changer pour le mieux toutes les formes de vie. Keywords: environmental education, humane education, complexity, plurality of life, Brazil Introduction Environmental education, as observed in Brazil, currently oscillates between two approaches: one that is conservationist and one that is more critical in nature. The latter appears as an important strand in this country, since the environmental education that developed in Latin America, and in Brazil in particular, had an important foundation in the counter-culture social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. In their conception, these social movements repudiated simple, preservationist approaches and emphasized the need to address political and social issues as interconnecting with environmental issues (Leis, 1999; REPEC/CEAAL, 1994) . Furthermore, according to Gudynas and Evia (1991), the Latin American environmental movements that inﬂuenced environmental education proposed Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 16, 2011 93 a reconstruction of society based on respect for life, and demanded a new concept of policy that rejected all forms of power manifested in domination. In societies inﬂuenced by dominant Western approaches, science and technology have served to legitimize a utilitarian approach to human and nonhuman animals, turning life into a commodity, often due to concerns related to the accumulation of capital. The critical form of environmental education in Brazil has positioned itself in opposition to this logic of “commodiﬁcation” of life, pointing out the need to educate for a new ethic that respects life in all of its forms. Asa result, environmental education approaches encompassing ideas inherent to humane education are emerging. This article raises some theoretical and practical questions that aim to overcome gaps between the two ﬁelds. It should be highlighted that the term “humane education” is adopted herein reference to a ﬁeld that, according to Humes (2008) and Kahn and Humes (2009), began to build up in the 1990s with an intent to incorporate, in an integrated manner, environmental issues and human and animal rights, with a particular focus on violence, oppression, and injustice toward nonhuman animals. This approach seems most relevant for a dialogue between environmental and humane education, as discussed in this pa

FAQs

What is the main focus of the article?

The article focuses on the interface between environmental education and humane education in Brazil, treating it as an emerging and relevant dialogue with both theoretical and practical implications.

How do the authors connect the two fields conceptually?

They begin by presenting conceptual similarities that underpin and justify a growing connection between environmental and humane education across research and educational practice.

What educational experience do the authors describe?

They describe an educational workshop in Campinas-São Paulo that brought the fields closer through screening and discussion of a Brazilian documentary about the meat industry.

Oct 15, 2026

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