Dear Reader,​
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It’s not often that an ecoartist-educator receives an invitation from the Vatican…

But next month, 1–3 October, I’ve been invited to Italy!! - to attend a special, invite-only interfaith and civil society 'Raising Hope Conference' gathering hosted by Pope Leo—marking the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’ (Praise Be to You), the late Pope Francis’s powerful ecological encyclical to all who live on Earth.

It will be hosted at the new centre for Laudato Si' higher education at the Vatican's Castel Gandolfo - 'a village outside of Roma that Pope Leo has recently inaugurated as Borgo Si' ('your village'), an area spread across 135 acres of gardens, villas, archeological sites, and farmland, the ['eco-village'] project integrates history with a forward-looking commitment to education, sustainability, and community life.' Praise be, indeed!

Pope Francis' radical holistic ecological encyclical, with an integrated vision of care for Earth's ecological integrity, social, economic and intergenerational justice, deeply influenced the 2015 Paris Climate Accord and helped inspire global commitment to the then newly announced UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. It was an extraordinary call to people of all faiths and civil society to protect our shared common home.

🌱 Why this moment matters
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​“Systems don’t change just by new policies or technologies- we must also change hearts, minds, and values.” - inspired by systems thinker, Donella Meadows

The upcoming Vatican conference marks a turning point ahead of the next UN climate summit. For the first time, in November 2025, a UN COP climate meeting will publicly acknowledge that solving the climate crisis requires more than cutting carbon or advancing technology. It calls for a cultural and ethical shift, guided by care, respect and conscience for the community of life and intergenerational justice.

That is why Pope Leo’s gathering brings together such a remarkable mix of voices—environmentalists, writers, Indigenous leaders, policy-makers, and faith figures. Among them is Brazil’s Minister for the Environment Marina Silva, who, alongside UN Secretary-General António Guterres and others, is leading the call to all people to take part in Global Ethical Stocktake Dialogues for a better world. Communities worldwide are invited to reflect and submit their ethical visions back to the UN in the lead-up to COP30 in the Amazon this November.

This echoes the original calls ahead of the first UN Earth Summit in Rio (1992) for an Earth Charter. Since then, Earth Charter International has grown into a global movement, with its principles translated into 67 languages, inspiring education across disciplines, and influencing 27 legal instruments for ecological integrity and intergenerational justice—including last July’s landmark decision by the International Court of Justice for intergenerational climate justice, initiated by Pacific Island youth. It is also shaping proposals for a future UN Earth Trusteeship body for Earth's global commons. However, attention for eco-ethics in education and politics has largely been overshadowed, until now.

I’ll be attending Pope Leo’s conference in Italy alongside long-time Earth Charter colleagues from the US:

• Prof Emeritus Peter Blaze Corcoran, a dear friend, mentor, and much-loved Haumea Ecoversity guest webinar speaker on the Earth Charter (some readers will have seen Peter give a webinar for the County Carlow Environmental Network (CCEN) Summer Get Together in July, co-organised by the committee of An Gairdin Beo, Carlow's community garden, long-inspired by the holistic principles of the Earth Charter
• Dr Rick Clugston, Earth Charter Council member and Co-Director of the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future who I have met several times at Earth Charter conferences

I am especially grateful for this invitation to Pope Leo's conference to:

💚 Dr Lorna Gold (the new CEO of the global Laudato Si’ Movement, based at Maynooth College in Ireland). Some years ago, my husband Martin invited Lorna to speak at a County Carlow Environmental Network CCEN event at An Gairdín Beo community garden, where a large crowd gathered to hear her work on the film The Letter with Pope Francis. Laudato Si’ will now also help shape the UN’s Global Ethical Stocktake. (If you haven't seen this inspiring 2022 film, you can watch it on Youtube here)

🌍 Earth Charter International, who have so generously sponsored my participation in attending this Vatican conference.

📜 Want to take part in this global Ethical Stocktake Conversation?

Former President Mary Robinson, as appointed European Convenor for the Global Ethical Stocktake, is inviting all people to host their own Ethical Stocktake Dialogues (open to all communities, organisations, and faith groups).
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👉 Click here to access the comprehensive Open-Source toolkit that Mary Robinson's team at her global climate justice Dandelion programme has produced for everyone: with script templates, a case study, so you can confidently and inclusively host your informal in-person or virtual dialogues and make your collective submission to the UN ​

🧵 For the Irish public and diaspora, Mary is inviting you to sew and contribute to an Irish quilt on the theme of interdependence called "Interwoveness -Fite Fuaite"—to be brought to the COP30 meeting room in Brazil. https://www.maryrobinsoncentre.ie/interwoven.html​
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​You can also use the Earth Charter principles and it's 67 translations (including Irish) and Earth Charter symbols to activate your group discussions (see Earth Charter.org). Also, if you wish, you can make posts on social media about your dialogue gatheri, and tag The Dandelion Project and Earth Charter International, who will AMPLIFY your gathering. Because creating noise about how much you care will alert the UN how important this is to you.

📝 Resources: Download this Earth Charter guide PDF to help host a dialogue: ECI Dialogue Flyer Digital.pdf​
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​I mentioned the Earth Charter Position Paper for the Global Ethical Stocktake in my last newsletter, you can read it here​

🔓 Want to know more about topics mentioned above?
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This is your invitation to join us for transformative ecoliteracy, including transformative eco-ethics learning, grounded in beauty, care, creativity, courage and community.

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From rewilding Hollywood Forest to being invited to a Vatican Conference… my work continues to be humbling, surprising and so rewarding as it's a collective, co-creative effort. Who knows what's next!

It all comes back to one thing:
​Creating a more beautiful, wise, and compassionate world—together is magic.

If you feel ready to deepen your learning and connect with others walking this path…
​We’d love to welcome you to Haumea Ecoversity as a learner or supporter.
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PS We have a new brochure for Haumea Ecoversity
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📄 2025 Haumea Ecoversity Email Brochure - Cathy Fitzgerald.pdf​​​​​

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​Haumea Ecoversity empowers creatives, educators, researchers, and cultural leaders with holistic, transformative ecoliteracy, including ecoethics—helping them respond to today’s ecological and social challenges with clarity, care, and creativity.

Founded by Dr Cathy Fitzgerald, and drawing on her pioneering ecosocial art project The Hollywood Forest Story, her PhD (The Ecological Turn, NCAD 2018), and postdoctoral work with Earth Charter International, Haumea Ecoversity offers peer-to-peer learning grounded in the UNESCO-endorsed Earth Charter.

In collaboration with philosopher and podcaster Dr Nikos Patedakis (California, DangerousWisdom.org), we’ve supported 400+ learners through innovative ecopedagogy and mentoring—many now leading impactful, values-based work across Ireland and internationally.

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