Global Oneness Project

Our conversation series with environmental leader Vandana Shiva offers ten short clips from an interview recorded by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, in which Dr. Shiva explains the sacredness of water and its role in solving global environmental issues.

Connecting students to the natural world inspires meaning and strengthens learning. Water education helps us comprehend and value the role of water in our collective future. The study of watersheds, rivers, lakes, and bays, and their ecological and cultural relevance—offers students opportunities to be aware of the importance of water, not just of ecological health, but of the history of civilization and our cultural development. Students who know where their water comes from and how watersheds are impacted by human and natural activities can become more engaged community members, better environmental stewards, and investigative witnesses within their local and global environments.

"Climate Change and Water Wars"
In the sixth short film of this series, Dr. Vandana Shiva asserts that because survival, not money, comes out of water harvesting, governments are not preparing for the potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/interviews/climate-change-and-water-wars

Image: "Botanical Study, Attributed to Mary Delany (ca. 1772–82), Paper collage, from the Met Museum art collection.

This story is a journey into the memories of a 400-year-old Japanese White Pine bonsai tree that witnessed and survived the atomic blast in Hiroshima.

"The Atomic Tree" by Adam Loften and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, explores the unbroken chain of living stories held within the tree’s rings—from Japan’s ancient cedar forests and Buddhist temples to the family home in Hiroshima where the pine was nurtured for five generations.

The film was adapted from the acclaimed book "The Songs of Trees" by David Haskell. This passage gets to the heart of this story and the interconnection between humans and plants: “Because life is a network, there is no ‘nature’ or ‘environment,’ separate and apart from humans. We are part of the community of life, composed of relationships with ‘others,’ so the human/nature duality that lives near the heart of many philosophies is, from a biological perspective, illusory…..Our ethic must, therefore, be one of belonging, an imperative made all the more urgent by the many ways that human actions are fraying, rewiring, and severing biological networks worldwide. To listen to trees, nature’s great connectors is, therefore, to learn how to inhabit the relationship that gives life its source, substance, and beauty.”

This virtual reality/360 film takes you on an immersive journey. Watch on Desktop 360°, Mobile & Tablet 360° (YouTube or Within) or through a virtual reality app with a headset, like Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard, or the Oculus Go. For the best experience, turn on your volume and make the video full screen.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/films-virtual-reality/atomic-tree

"We limit ourselves when we think of maps as only two-dimensional. A map may be something we heard from our grandmother about a place. There are maps in songs. In prayers. There are maps that are etched in stone and woven into textiles."

In this film, we meet Jim Enote, a traditional Zuni elder, farmer, and former director of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center in Zuni, New Mexico. Enote is working with Zuni artists to provide an alternative way to understand and create maps which offer an indigenous voice and perspective rooted in place.

“Counter mapping” by Adam Loften and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee challenges the western notions of geography and the arbitrary borders imposed on the Zuni world. This perspective is not based on ownership and imposed names, but rather on memory, ceremony, song, and a deep relationship to the land.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/films/counter-mapping

Counter Mapping A traditional Zuni elder in New Mexico works with artists to create maps based on ceremony, song, and connection to the land.

Our conversation series with environmental leader Vandana Shiva offers ten short clips from an interview recorded by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, in which Dr. Shiva explains the sacredness of water and its role in solving global environmental issues.

Connecting students to the natural world inspires meaning and strengthens learning. Water education helps us comprehend and value the role of water in our collective future. The study of watersheds, rivers, lakes, and bays, and their ecological and cultural relevance—offers students opportunities to be aware of the importance of water, not just of ecological health, but of the history of civilization and our cultural development. Students who know where their water comes from and how watersheds are impacted by human and natural activities can become more engaged community members, better environmental stewards, and investigative witnesses within their local and global environments.

"The Mythology of the Green Revolution"
In the fifth short film of this series, Vandana Shiva (Vandana Shiva) illustrates how civilizations were destroyed in the name of creating the excessive irrigation needed for chemical farming.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/interviews/mythology-green-revolution

Image: "Male Papaya Tree" (ca. 1790–1800), India, Calcutta, Watercolor on paper, from the Met Museum art collection.

"The story of Kiribati, located in the central Pacific Ocean about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, is a complex one and the rising sea levels are by no means the only threat the country faces. Severe and imminent problems include the freshwater supply and soil salination killing plant life.

I travelled to Kiribati for a month to witness firsthand the problems and challenges of everyday living in the small island country. Kiribati aroused my interest and curiosity after I read an interview with the president of the small island nation, Anote Tong. He warned that his country, just a few feet above sea level, is becoming uninhabitable due to rising sea levels and increased salination. Tong said, 'Kiribati might already have reached the point of no return. To plan for the day when you no longer have a country is indeed painful, but I think we have to do that.'"

"Kiribati is Gone" by Ciril Jazbec

This image depicts a house that was lifted and placed on stilts to prevent flooding. The house is a kiakia – a small traditional building - that’s easily deconstructed if it needs to be moved. Due to overcrowding in South Tarawa, some houses are built in unusual locations. This house was built next to a trash dump. Temaiku, South Tarawa is one of the most endangered villages.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/photo-essays/kiribati-gone

Our conversation series with environmental leader Vandana Shiva offers ten short clips from an interview recorded by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, in which Dr. Shiva explains the sacredness of water and its role in solving global environmental issues.

Connecting students to the natural world inspires meaning and strengthens learning. Water education helps us comprehend and value the role of water in our collective future. The study of watersheds, rivers, lakes, and bays, and their ecological and cultural relevance—offers students opportunities to be aware of the importance of water, not just of ecological health, but of the history of civilization and our cultural development. Students who know where their water comes from and how watersheds are impacted by human and natural activities can become more engaged community members, better environmental stewards, and investigative witnesses within their local and global environments.

"A Shift to the Feminine"
In the fourth short film of this series, Vandana Shiva shares her belief that if we are to protect the life of the earth, we need to first recognize it is alive; then, we can create a culture that recognizes the sacred once again.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/interviews/shift-feminine

Image: Untitled (1804), Aquatint and stipple engraving printed in colors with hand coloring, from the Met Museum art collection.

"It was in the late 1990s when I first began to see Mixtec migrants in the farm fields around my hometown in California's Central Valley. The Mixtecs, or Ñuu Savi, were once one of the great civilizations of meso-America, but they were pushed out by collapsing corn prices and severe land erosion. Now, they were here—just a few hours north of Los Angeles—coming like so many groups before them, to provide the labor that fuels California's multi-billion dollar agricultural machine.

When I started photographing this migration about a decade ago, there were approximately 50,000 indigenous Mexican migrants in the U.S. Now the number is closer to 500,000. In California, Mixtec has become the state's most widely spoken indigenous language. In Mexico, I have visited dozens of Mixtec communities that have lost so many people to migration; they have become ghost towns."

"The People of Clouds" by Matt Black

A boy inside his family's tin house in Santiago Mitlatongo, Mexico.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/photo-essays/people-clouds

How to Use the Global Oneness Project Lesson Plans

We’ve created our lesson plans to help teachers bring multimedia resources into their classrooms. Our platform contains stories—in the form of articles, films, and photo essays—to deepen learning and empower change. These interdisciplinary stories and lessons provide meaningful opportunities to emphasize the integration of literacy with auditory and visual learning. The lesson plans are correlated with National Standards to facilitate the development of active, critical thinking in student learning as well as the advancement of active citizens.

The how-to guide on our website is a framework for understanding each section of our lesson plans and its intended function. All of the lesson plans on our website can be integrated into your own existing lesson plans and course frameworks or can be used as “stand alone” lessons. They can easily be adapted to your own style of teaching, giving you a head start.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library

Photo from "Belief," by Caleb Ferguson, which documents moments of faith, beauty, and connection in New York City—home to one of the most culturally diverse populations in the world.

Our conversation series with environmental leader Vandana Shiva offers ten short clips from an interview recorded by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, in which Dr. Shiva explains the sacredness of water and its role in solving global environmental issues.

Connecting students to the natural world inspires meaning and strengthens learning. Water education helps us comprehend and value the role of water in our collective future. The study of watersheds, rivers, lakes, and bays, and their ecological and cultural relevance—offers students opportunities to be aware of the importance of water, not just of ecological health, but of the history of civilization and our cultural development. Students who know where their water comes from and how watersheds are impacted by human and natural activities can become more engaged community members, better environmental stewards, and investigative witnesses within their local and global environments.

"A Global Throw Away Culture"
In the third short film of this series, Vandana Shiva maintains that the modern throw away culture in India has been seeded by a combination of forces, including the World Bank and global ideas of progress.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/interviews/global-throw-away-culture

Image: "Cotton Tree Flowers" (ca. 1800–1805), India, Calcutta, Ink and watercolor on paper, from the Met Museum art collection.

“Isle de Jean Charles,” documents lifelong residents who live on the tiny island community off the Louisiana coast that is sinking into the sea. They are now the first climate refugees in North America, and the film captures the resiliency of these individuals as they face relocation.

Investigate sea level rise in your classroom with this film by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, and companion High School lesson plan “A Vanishing Island.”

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/films/isle-de-jean-charles

Our conversation series with environmental leader Vandana Shiva offers ten short clips from an interview recorded by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, in which Dr. Shiva explains the sacredness of water and its role in solving global environmental issues.

Connecting students to the natural world inspires meaning and strengthens learning. Water education helps us comprehend and value the role of water in our collective future. The study of watersheds, rivers, lakes, and bays, and their ecological and cultural relevance—offers students opportunities to be aware of the importance of water, not just of ecological health, but of the history of civilization and our cultural development. Students who know where their water comes from and how watersheds are impacted by human and natural activities can become more engaged community members, better environmental stewards, and investigative witnesses within their local and global environments.

"It's in the Soil"
In the second short film of this series, Vandana Shiva explains what we can learn from traditional systems of soil building regarding water usage and conservation. "It's in the soil that water enters agriculture."

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/interviews/its-soil

Image: "Botanical Studies (recto), Anonymous, French (1820), Watercolor over graphite, from the Met Museum art collection.

"My ecosystem has been gradually decaying. There are fewer and fewer trees standing, and buildings and bridges are taking over the habitat. My artwork documents the balance between nature and new construction, a battle that nature is sadly losing, engulfed by industrialization. My artwork communicates how nature and manmade objects coexist in the world and how there must be limits and boundaries set in place in order to protect the planet. I hope my artwork will show that we need to take immediate action to fix the world."
—Edward Bennett (15) from Ohio, U.S.

From artifacts to portraits and landscapes of the living world, explore student artwork to encourage meaningful conversations, and foster empathy and curiosity in the classroom with our Student Gallery.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/gallery

Horse girl at Pema Shelpuk, an important pilgrimage site in eastern Tibet. Dzongsar-Meshu area, Kham, 2001.

"The top of the mountain,
Wears snow like a lambskin hat.
Come my light, brilliant sun
And I will take off that lambskin hat.
The mountain wears a belt of mist.
Come gentle wind
And I will loosen the belt.

The foot of the mountain
Wears a shoe of frozen river.
Come spring, with your warmth
And I will take off my shoes."
—A Khampa nomad song, translated by Dru gu Choegyal Rinpoche.

Like many traditional cultures around the world, the nomads of Tibet are losing their unique way of life as they become increasingly integrated into modern China. Nomads from this region hold traditional knowledge passed down from generations, which has cultural and ecological value for the future.

With "Drokpa: The Nomadic Mountain People of Tibet", Diane Barker documents scenes from Tibet's high altitude grasslands from the years 2000 to 2015. Earlier photographs portray the wild beauty of Tibet and the natural spirituality of the nomadic people, while later photographs reveal the effects of relocation and modern technology on the nomads' traditional lifestyle.

This Photo Essay includes companion High School Lesson Plan "The Value of Ancient Traditions."

Diane Barker
Tibetan Nomad Project

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/photo-essays/drokpa-nomadic-mountain-people-tibet

Our conversation series with environmental leader Vandana Shiva offers ten short clips from an interview recorded by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, in which Dr. Shiva explains the sacredness of water and its role in solving global environmental issues.

Connecting students to the natural world inspires meaning and strengthens learning. Water education helps us comprehend and value the role of water in our collective future. The study of watersheds, rivers, lakes, and bays, and their ecological and cultural relevance—offers students opportunities to be aware of the importance of water, not just of ecological health, but of the history of civilization and our cultural development. Students who know where their water comes from and how watersheds are impacted by human and natural activities can become more engaged community members, better environmental stewards, and investigative witnesses within their local and global environments.

"Sacred Water Culture"
In the first short film of this series, Vandana Shiva explains the importance of bringing back the sacredness of water: "I think the most pressing issue is really to bring back the culture for respecting water, for recognizing its value."

Watch this film here:
https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/interviews/sacred-water-culture

Image: "Ashoka Tree Flower, Leaves, Pod, and Seed" (first half 19th century), Calcutta India, Opaque watercolor on paper, from the Met Museum art collection.

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is celebrated globally on 9 August.

This year, the theme is “Indigenous Youth as Agents of Change for Self-determination.”

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Social Inclusion division (United Nations DESA Division for Inclusive Social Development - DISD) describes this concept: "Indigenous youth are playing an active role in exercising their right to self-determination, as their future depends on the decisions that are made today. They are working as agents of change at the forefront of some of the most pressing crises facing humanity today, to offer solutions and contribute to a more sustainable, peaceful future for our people and planet. Their representation and participation are crucial for the effective implementation of the right of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination, and to their enjoyment of collective and individual human rights, the promotion of peaceful co-existence, and ensuring equality of all."

Photograph "Silence" from our Student Gallery, by Amber Cypress (16) from Florida: "Being Indigenous, nature has always been an important aspect of my culture. In this photograph, the subject has a handprint on her mouth, symbolizing the ignorance of others and the silence of my people. 'Respect the land' was a message passed down from my ancestors for generations. The land provides, it heals, and it is beautiful. Climate change is a major issue and has been for hundreds of years. My people fought for this land and they died protecting it. Climate change is a problem that needs to be talked about today, and I want to be one to spread the message. My people were silenced for long enough, and we will not stand for it anymore. I refuse to remain silent."

Our library explores the stories of Indigenous people and youth around the world. This vast collection includes photo essays, films and essays, with elementary, middle and high school lesson plans, discussion guides and conversation cards.

Listen to more student artist statements here: https://www.globalonenessproject.org/gallery

A hundred years ago, Yangon was the most cosmopolitan of Southeast Asia’s cities. Under British rule in the 1920s and 30s, this was the second busiest immigration port in the world, trailing only New York City. Laborers and merchants – from India, China, Europe, and the Near East – arrived in astounding numbers, hoping to make their fortunes in Burma. Hand-pressed ceramic tiles were imported from Europe, teak traveled down the Irrawaddy by the boatload, wrought iron elevators were installed in all of the department stores, and stained glass strung up in foyers and entryways. After World War II Great Britain pulled out, the economy faltered and a military dictatorship attempted to assemble that which only the threat of violence could unite. The outside world shrugged and turned away. In a single century, Myanmar went from being the wealthiest country in Southeast Asia to one of the poorest on earth.

"Still Lifes from a Vanishing City" by Elizabeth Rush is more than a record of Yangon’s disappearing colonial architecture. This photo essay is an archive of the rich, everyday lives people built in the wreckage of an abandoned empire. Here is a portrait of Yangon’s intangible heritage – the comfort, sanctuary, monotony, and delight that accompanies domestic life no matter the circumstance.

Companion High School Lesson Plan, "Documenting Architectural Heritage" investigates history and culture through discussions about colonial architecture and the use of still life photography.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/photo-essays/still-lifes-vanishing-city

"The word written on the paper is 福（blessing)—this Chinese character symbolizes peace and happiness. My mother and I like to use these tools to practice calligraphy. In the picture, I am writing calligraphy. My mother taught me calligraphy when I was very young. For my family, calligraphy not only represents a skill; it also cultivates one's mind and temperament. Because of my studies, I do not have time to study calligraphy systematically. Whenever I have free time, I always like to open the window and let the sunshine and breeze sprinkle onto the desk in the warm afternoon air. I like to feel the roughness of the ink particles and the smoothness of the Xuan paper, and forget all the worries in life to make my artwork.

At this time, I feel the greatness of Chinese characters more and more. This is the only living ancient writing system with its own unique writing methods and instruments. I feel very fortunate that my culture is not locked away in a museum. It is in the homes of ordinary Chinese people who love and are still writing calligraphy, a part of the Chinese culture. Whenever I hold a brush, I feel I am connected to history. Whether it is ancient poetry or novels, ancient military orders or edicts, they were all written with the tools in my hand and the characters I use. How romantic is this! The fire of the times burns traces of the old dynasty, but they cannot burn away all the traces of culture. This is not only a miracle for the Chinese people but also a miracle for humanity. Today, Chinese traditional culture has met with modern development. Calligraphy has a new life, and people don't need to commemorate it because it still exists."
—Xiaolong Zhao (19) from Baotou, Mongolia.

From artifacts to portraits and landscapes of the living world, explore student artwork to encourage meaningful conversations, and foster empathy and curiosity in the classroom with our Student Gallery.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/gallery

In the hall of the Whitney museum for the Verbal Description and Touch Tour of the 2012 Biennial where the blind and visually impaired can experience art pieces using other senses but sight.

"Broken Screen" by Gaia Squarci documents the lives of the sightless and visually impaired in New York. She brings us into an unknown space through her intimate and revealing images of the blind. Containing shadows and darkness, these photographs explores the misconceptions that society holds about the visually impaired.

"There is an invisible wall between the sighted and visually impaired. One of the women I interviewed has been blind since she was 4 years old. She told me sighted people are almost scared to deal with the blind. Being blind is like speaking a language. If sighted people don't find eye contact - which is the first hint of communication - they feel lost and they don't engage"—Gaia Squarci.

Companion high school lesson plan "Understanding Blindness" investigates social misconceptions and teaches the value of diversity.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/photo-essays/broken-screen

"Water Flows Together", a film by Palmer Morse, Taylor Graham and Matt Mikkelsen, elevates the importance of acknowledging Indigenous land in outdoor recreation through the voice of Colleen Cooley, one of the few female Diné (Navajo) river guides on the San Juan River. In sharing Colleen's perspective, we are given a glimpse into Native views on issues of water resource management, which are often missing from larger discussions of western water challenges.

The filmmakers would like to acknowledge that this film was produced on the traditional lands of the Diné, Hopi, Ute, and Zuni peoples and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations.

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/films/water-flows-together

"After seeing her tintype photograph, Lucille Hicks said, “The event of this process, to me as a Native Elder, is very emotional. It’s emotional in a good way. It takes my mind back to where I come from, who I am, and that I really am proud of who I am as a Native American.”

"Last Speakers", a series of tintype photographs by Paul Adams and Jordan Layton, features poignant portraits the remaining speakers of endangered languages in North America, highlighting the critical state of Indigenous language loss and celebrating the Native speakers whose voices embody resilience and revitalization.

The purpose of this series is to honor and share the work of the remaining fluent speakers of North American languages—of which there are more than 280 vulnerable and endangered languages spoken within Indigenous communities. In these photographs, each language keeper portrayed represents the gravity of all that is at stake when a language becomes endangered, as well as resiliency and the hope of revitalization.

Photo 1 | West Mojave, CA
Photo 2 | Lucille Girado Hicks (Kawaiisu) Montclaire, CA

https://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/photo-essays/last-speakers