Ekoterveyskasvatuksen luonnos

Abstract

Our article formulates the basic idea of ecological and life-centered health education, eco-health education. Ecological health education is a nature-based solution that, when implemented, includes both the emergence of various nature-based health promotion tools and rethinking the prevailing health philosophy. The starting point for eco-health education is the need for ecological reassessment of health-related thinking and practices in the era of climate change and other eco-crises. This article focuses on identifying existing ways of thinking and scrutinizing their need for change. We analyze the philosophical foundations of current health promotion and related health education and justify the need for eco-health education. As a practical example, we refer to the Finnish Comprehensive School Curriculum in Health Education, which individualistic and human-centered underpinning we articulate. Our basic assertion is that a person separated from natural cycles does not produce health or good education in a sustainable way. Eco-health education is based theoretically on eco-justice education, where human and other organisms are valuable beings whose well-being belongs to the field of good education. Only by producing health and well-being for all living beings and their common well-being, i.e. ecosystems, we can produce health for ourselves.