After interviewing some global leaders in Deep Health thinking and practice, we put together a Manifesto for Deep Health. It summarises the meaning and purpose of Deep Health and its core principles.
Deep Health is transdisciplinary - a new lens on health
Transdisciplinarity is a fusing of theories, methods and expertise across disciplinary boundaries in which each discipline merges with the others in the formation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Current disciplines that are crucial to Deep Health, such as medicine and ecology are separated. Other disciplines like social sciences and economics are also very relevant. We advocate for them to be integrated through a Deep Health lens because they are interconnected whether or not we choose to see them that way.
Embracing Indigenous ways of knowing
In First Nations cultures, traditional medicine from natural plants, healing and cultural connection are all gifts to be passed down through generations. In the book “They Called Us Savages”, Chief Dominique Rankin says 'living symbiotically with nature is what humans fundamentally need.' The Traditional Knowledge of the Algonquian Nations incorporates that which 'empowers humans to live a healthy life in their bodies, hearts and spirits'. This is a core philosophy to the realisation of Deep Health.
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An inter-generational approach and the young voice
The collective distress about human and planetary health is linked to an urgency for action.This puts incredible pressure on the young generation who don’t have the luxury to wait.The capacity for connectedness and involvement across generations is a vital component of Deep Health. We want to create an environment where younger people have a strong voice and a leading role in the co-evolution of Deep Health.
