If you look at the aims of the Zoöp initiative and compare them to the SDG’s (Social Development Goals): the first thing you’ll notice is that Zoöp fully aligns with goals number 11 (Sustainable Cities), 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life below water) and 15 (Life on Land). In our practice, working on these issues automatically contributes to goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and Goal 6: (Clean Water and Sanitation.) as well. But this relation goes even deeper. An important part of being a Zoöp is that you follow the zoönomic annual cycle. Working on the zoönomic integrity of your organisation means that your aims align with nearly all of the SDG’s (even if you don’t directly work on them). The method of the zoönomic annual cycle furthermore ensures that these goals are approached as much as possible in an integrated manner, and not as separate issues with independent solutions.
There are two of the SDG’s to which we feel we can add a remark, however. This includes Goal 8 (Economic growth: promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all). This kind of economic growth should definitely be a goal for the global south, but the global north needs to find a path towards an economic practice that is not dependent on growth anymore.
In relation to Goal 9 (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation); the way we have understood industrialisation until now is thoroughly destructive for ecosystems. This needs to change: so the innovation of this goal should serve the transformation of the practice of industry as we know it, towards a practice that supports ecosystems.
There are four important aspects to the general profile of a Speaker for the Living:
Humans that can become a Speaker for the Living do not think along the divide between nature and culture, but consider themselves part of the living world, that includes all life. In other words, they have developed an ecocentric attitude. Potential Speakers for the Living take for granted that ecological regeneration is essential for all life (including human life); that humans and human organisations are part of the living world and can learn how to contribute to ecological regeneration.
Potential Speakers for the Living have ecological knowledge and some experience with the ecosystems in which their Zoöp participates. They know how to listen to the voices and interests of other-than-human life - these interests include having places to live (habitat), food and chances at forming relations.
Possible Speakers for the Living should also be able to work with humans in organisations and help them get a feel for ecological relations.
The person that can become a Speaker for the Living in your organisation, should preferrably also know about the kind of work your organisation does - in other words: should have some domain knowledge of the Zoöp they will be working in.
Furthermore, a Speaker for the Living can never be an employee in their own Zoöp, because they need to be able to give independent advice. A Speaker for the Living is paid by the Zoönomic Foundation.