Dr. Azhar Ibrahim: Ecohumanism, a Concept of Valuing Life

HUMANIORA – (10/19/2023) Human awareness in reading, listening, and discovering environmental values is part of ecological literacy. This awareness includes a cultural shift towards ecological culture to ensure human survival, as stated by Dr. Azhar Ibrahim during the International Scholar's Engagement event held by the Faculty of Humanities on Thursday, October 19, 2023.

"We are currently facing acute environmental degradation caused by efforts to maximize the exploitation of resources, especially natural resources, through extractive means," he emphasized.

The prevailing understanding is that technological advancements can help reduce environmental impacts. However, Dr. Azhar underscored the importance of expanding and deepening the scope of humanistic priorities and attention to address the global challenges of ecological degradation.

"Until now, humanists have always opposed any form of dehumanized conditions. However, today's global and social challenges encompass environmental destruction and pollution that affect all segments of society, especially the less privileged," he added.

In this context, Dr. Azhar explained that ecohumanism plays a crucial role in the reconstruction of humanity and ecology in the present and future. He also cautioned against naively believing that technology will be the savior.

During the same event, Dr. Azhar discussed how the humanities can play a role in addressing global challenges. He explained that language studies help interrogate contemporary ideologies and clichés, literature studies provide critical understanding and liberation, historical studies challenge dominant narratives that are highly colonial, eurocentric, and triumphalist nationalist, and religious studies take up the environmental crisis as part of the human predicament.

"All of this promotes universal values of justice and responsibility as part of the prophetic message," he stated.

Therefore, Dr. Azhar emphasized that ecohumanism is a concept that involves valuing all forms of life, including animals, plants, and the Earth. For him, ecohumanism is the answer to the ecological crisis we face, offering a holistic perspective that combines human and ecological aspects to address global challenges.

Finally, Dr. Azhar highlighted the importance of allocating focus, attention, and concern to ongoing global issues. In this masterclass, participants are taught to understand and create engaging discursive content that can be shared on various platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts. [al]