Silvilization is a conceptual framework or a vision of the world whereby the forest, a metaphor for primordial living, is the best place for human development and fulfilment.
It is a
portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together. of the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word ''silva'', meaning forest, and ''civilization''.
History
The term was first coined by Pierre-Doris Maltais, leader of the
Iriadamant eco-cult.
, an MP of the
Green League, in collaboration with Maltais and the
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki (, ; UH) is a public university in Helsinki, Finland. The university was founded in Turku in 1640 as the Royal Academy of Åbo under the Swedish Empire, and moved to Helsinki in 1828 under the sponsorship of Alexander ...
, implemented the interdisciplinary ESSOC project (“Ecological Sylvilisation and Survival with the Aid of Original Cultures”) in 1991. The project was considered a failure.
In 1997, a publication in the journal ''Interculture'' by the
Intercultural Institute of Montreal was devoted entirely to the theme of silvilization and
ecosophy. The articles were written by authors such as
Edward Goldsmith,
Gary Snyder
Gary Snyder (born May 8, 1930) is an American poet, essayist, lecturer, and environmental activist. His early poetry has been associated with the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance and he has been described as the "poet laureate ...
, and
Gita Mehta.
References
{{Reflist
Sociology
Ecology