Introduction

Conservationists have justified and promoted the protection of Central Africa’s rainforests based primarily on values and perceptions inherent in Western conservation science and culture. They seek to preserve biodiversity, sustain a scientific laboratory, stem global warming, and protect an aesthetic wonder. The question of how to increase the cultural viability of ecological and social sustainability projects within Central Africa’s forest region serves as one pillar of that bridge. It is based on the conviction that rather than relying solely on imported materials from outside local rainforest cultures we would do well to start building environmental projects with local materials. Lessons learned from asking how environmental sustainability projects in Central Africa can be more directly founded on local culture also provide material for the question of how to build a world ethic for living sustainably out of the world’s diverse cultural traditions. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.