Awakening a New Relationship With Water

In tandem with the first ever UN Water Conference this spring, Tzu Chi USA hosted a series of parallel events at the Tzu Chi Center in New York City on March 24th & 25th. One of them included a panel on “Eco-Affinity: Water and Climate Activism Through Contemplative and Faith-Based Practice.”

During the session, panelists highlighted the concept of eco-affinity, or a sense of oneness with nature. From her perspective, Knellee Bisram of AHAM Education describes this lack of harmony with “this separation that we tend to walk around with – of there’s me and then there’s nature.”

However, she says, if we reframe our thought, our attitude toward nature can change: “but I am walking through the world and I really have a sense of connection. Then, what happens is… I feel like I have no other choice but to take care of [nature].”

With this in mind, Idelma Quintana Commissioner of District 6 explains how this concept can make a positive difference: “if, for example, city planners could plan a city with eco-affinity as one of the values, it would look really different than what we’re currently living with.”

Learn more about eco-affinity and its importance in the video.