Environmental studies and the social sciences reinforce, clarify and articulate what people have always instinctively known - the close interrelatedness between people - their way of life - and their environment.

It is important people become more aware the way science works and the benefit in using scientific understanding and planning by communities and local government in sustaining our environment and cultural and economic way of life.

Our increasingly intensive use of the environment requires that we understand the interrelation of actions upon the environment, while also taking into account the cultural wisdom that has traditionally been the basis if living with the land.

Guiding Principles

The recognition of social justice corresponds to the promotion of:

• Human Dignity - integrity of the person in society, which is attributable to all people in the care for the environment
• Common Good - Establishing what is essential to communities and beneficial for the majority of the people affected
• Integrity of the Environment - Seeking in society the necessary approaches to secure a sustainable development; caring for the necessary completeness of a balanced environment; working with cultural practices for strengthening diversity
• Analysis and Dialogue - Utilizing social and physical scientific research and analysis in developing the social mechanisms for change
  

Way of Science

• Stability -hydrogeophysical environment and disaster management
• Sustainability - poverty reduction, productivity of resources and reduced risk
• Indigenous Cultural Landscapes - viable management
• Biodiversity - maintenance and enhancement
• Special Area Conservation - protection of the unique geobiophysical characteristics
• Landuse Planning - comprehensive review of resources and social potential in managing utilization and sustainability
• Generation Opportunity - extension of the above values on a long-term basis

Way of Working

• Demand-driven activities for change
• Involves watching and asserting social process through projects
• Tackles poverty reduction in relation to resource management
• Encourages dialogue, analysis and use of technical mapping to illustrate more accurately what is happening
• Commits on issues that will stay with society for 20 years
• Strikes a balance between social and physical analysis, resource management, community empowerment and governance
• Supports cultural knowledge as incorporator of responsible science
• Builds policy by demand
• Aids decentralization, federation and alliances in good governance

ESSC gets involved in an area if ....

• The area asks for assistance
• Strategic in creating broader impact to the rest of society
• Provides greater scientific knowledge of and socio-cultural insight on environmental concerns in society
• Involvement contributes to the way of life of the people

ESSC seeks to promote:

• Attitude - of learning
• Alleviation - of poverty
• Listening - to stakeholders
• Understanding - of context
• Planning - for sustainability
• Dialogue - of concerns
• Investigation - of scientific and social causes
• Growth - in opportunity
• Responsibility - for rights
• Accountability - for management
• Envisioning - through spatial and cultural analysis
• Security - through disaster prevention

Way of Culture

• Culture is recognized as the interiority of a people: beliefs, values and aspirations that find expression along with practices in a way of living with the land and sea scape
• In speaking of culture this generally focuses on "indigenous peoples" but has reference to migrants and mainstream societies in their own right.

Other group cultures to be positively engaged:

• Culture of Scientists
• Culture of Academe
• Culture of Business Sector
• Culture of Government
• Culture of Catholic Church
• Culture of NGOs
• Culture of the different Sectors of Society
• Culture of Human Development