Reflektioner av konferensen: Markus

Diskussionerna som jag deltog i – både i paneldebatter och i sessioner – var mycket givande och intressanta med en bred grupp av människor som deltog. Det som framför allt utmärkte atmosfären, enligt mig, var en förståelse för hur brått (urgent) det är att komma till rätta med hållbarhetsproblematiken. Vidare tog jag med mig – och andra konferensdeltagare kanske inte håller med mig i detta – att utbildning bara kan nå en viss bit på vägen. Att agera på orättvisor, att samarbeta, och att ta individuellt ansvar som medborgare (inte bara konsumenter) är några av de saker som jag anser lyftes fram under konferensen.

The third annual Uppsala Conference on the Future of Education and Sustainability: Assorted tweets of the first day

First keynote of #ucfes2012: ‘Collapse and the Future of Education’ with David Jonstad

CEMUS/CEFO’s keynote at the Uppsala conference: Jason Moore: Modernity’s crises and the mirage of sustainability. #ucfes2012

Is the #anthropocene as a concept only a neocartesian view of nature? #ucfes2012

David Jonstad about the #financialcrisis2008 #cultureofdenial, I would add making money on the way up, make money on the way down#ucfes2012

Steven Hartman argues that sustainability as utopia is unachievable.#ucfes2012

JWMoore: Relations cant be quantified, but the effects of the relations can. We need to do both numbers and words simultaneously. #ucfes2012

SHartman: Disconnected cultures & cognitive dissonance might produce sustainable policies, but not sustainable practices.#ucfes2012

JW Moore: it is the “how” in how crises unfold that alert us to the possibilities for human agency. #ucfes2012

#GloPat research project: #biofuel monocultures are threatening sustainability in Brazil. This leads to space-time appropriation#ucfes2012

And we’re into the second keynote w. Steven Hartman, one could argue that #sustainability is more than #sustainabledevelopment#ucfes2012

Behave in the #beehive, #ucfes2012

AKaijser: effects of #climate change affect men and women in diff ways because gender relations are central to the way we live.#ucfes2012

CEMUS@European Sustainable Urban Street Festivals

Sakip Murat Yalcin reporting:

SUS-Wiki.

Cold

It’s been freezing in Berlin. A humid -5 of Berlin is much worse than a dry -20 of Uppsala. But we survive.

SUS - Why?

Different street festivals around Europe wanted to meet up to discuss, exchange ideas and hopefully come up with solutions on how to make their events more sustainable.

Street festivals

What is meant is events that have the bigger part of their activities in streets: such as parades, outdoor concerts, workshops and so forth.

A sustainable event

 An event that takes sustainability measures during its organizational process, during and after its event. In short, an event that thinks sustainable.

Sincerity

One thing that strikes me in this conference is that there were no hints of greenwashing attempts. All the events that attended the conference were eager and sincere about making their events more sustainable.

Conference

In a nice mixture of event organizers, municipality officials, sustainable management consult companies, students on sustainability issues and even a representative from the Berlin Police we have discussed the ways to make cultural events more sustainable.

Variety

The first thing I noticed was how different problems came up from different events. The difficulties on security issues, the total number of visitors, health issues, waste and infrastructure varies really a lot depending on the event. Of course, it is this variety that makes the conference more fruitful, since it creates a better platform to exchange ideas.

Waste

The most discussed topic in all of the parallel workshops was the waste problem. Apparently all the events felt the necessity to do something about it, and of course they are all eager to implement measures that are environmentally friendly. This includes recycling, introduction of reusable materials, being energy efficient and so on. (Watching the event organizers come up with solution ideas and/or experiences was very much like watching the CEMUS students do a workshop task, which made me proud and put a smile on my face.)

Responsible eventing

One of the ideas I had before the conference was to stress upon the responsibility of the cultural events in being examples and pioneers in, among others, sustainable thinking. I have stressed this in different occasions and it has been taken with a positive reaction. Yet, it seems like the participating events feel the necessity of taking the practical measures first, for example in recycling, (I read: be the change themselves first) and then maybe consider trying to make direct effect on the visitors of the event.

This was compared to the contribution of the carnivals around Europe in promotion of multi-culturalism. The carnivals host local culture groups, be it minorities or subcultures yet they didn’t take any political or ethical standpoint to prove anything to anyone when they started their events. Similarly, these street festivals can also start taking sustainability measures that would in the later years be catalyzed into a bigger effect.

Uppsala’s events

I’ve been sitting side by side with Magnus Lindén of Uppsala’s Kulturernas Karneval and Sofie Blomgren of Uppsala’s Kulturnatten during the conference. The point above differs a little bit in the case of these events. Compared to the events in other cities, we felt like we’ve already come a good way in sustainability issues. Uppsala’s events have remarkably less problems when it comes to recycling, waste management and reusable materials. This of course depends on the country’s relatively better measures on the topic. (By the way, all the participants got shocked when we said that our events were non-alcoholic. It then even showed that alcohol consumption was causing the biggest part of the problems the other events had: from security to waste management.)

“Implementing Sustainability at Your Events : ISO 20121 Standard”

ISO 20121 is not the only guideline (and certificate) to make a sustainable event. More info can be found on for example:

www.positiveimpact.co.uk,

mpi.sustainableeventtool.com,

www.globalreporting.org,

http://www.eibtm.com/files/how_to_implement_bs_8901.pdf.

http://sustainable-event-alliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sustainable-Event-Management-Vol-22-IS-11.pdf

Outcomes – Desires

The participants are hoping to create a network to be able to continue the cooperation that started during the conference. They have even agreed on making a list of the most important topics to take care of and to share ideas on solutions.

Uppsala Kommun and Kulturernas Karneval have expressed their desire to host the next conference in Uppsala. I believe that is something that CEMUS should be part of and help organize. Magnus, Sofie and I discussed about a possible set up: the first idea was that the definition of sustainability must be widened and not limited on material problems, even if those are the ones that the events are suffering directly from.

Kulturernas Karneval is eager to create some sort of cooperation to make the event even more sustainable. The first thing that popped up in my head was a CEMUS course having a student group to “certificate” the carnival’s sustainability, maybe as a course project. 

CEMUS@European Sustainable Urban Street Festivals

Sakip Murat Yalcin reporting.

Berlin.

I have been here before. Lively, organized and big. I city of almost everything. A typical European metropolis. Friendly people, really. First humane experience: a young woman reminding me to use the correct ticket in the bus from airport. “It is a three zone ticket, right?” Out of pure consideration. So has also been my latest experience in Berlin.

Having grown up in Turkey, it is interesting being in one of the biggest Turkish cities! Berlin, with the large population of the Turkish minority, is actually home to more Turkish people than many of the 81 cities of Turkey itself. I don’t feel the lack of not speaking German in lots of shops.

Sustainability and festivals

Two organizations that I’m burning and working for: CEMUS, with its work on sustainability issues, not only in education but also as a pioneer in creativity; and KULTURERNAS KARNEVAL, meeting of a big variety of cultures in a festival, inspiring all ages to a world with less prejudices.

The two organizations have cooperated in different ways so far, and I believe they should interact even more. I’m hoping this conference, where I’m representing CEMUS, but also sitting side by side with Magnus and Milena, the founders of the Kulturernas Karneval where I’m also working, will be the turning point in the prospection of this cooperation.

I have skimmed through the conference documents during my travel. It has a real potential to create new ideas, contacts. There are many cultural events from around Europe that are sending representatives to the conference. The main objective is that these events share ideas on how to be more sustainable, between each other and also with the sustainable event consults. The topics can be from how to deal with waste management, to carbon footprint compensation.

There are a lot of these sustainable event consults in the European countries. It is a well rooted business. Sustainable Events Ltd, Uk;  ecocontrolling, Berlin; Grüne Liga, Berlin; Green Events Europe, BN*PD, satis&fy AG, Berlin are just some examples of companies that do sustainability consulting to a wide range of events.

What to return with
My expectations are creating a contact web to be able to arrange the next conference in Uppsala, get in touch with the companies to see their connections in and interests on Sweden, as job opportunities for those who are CEMUS-related. And more…

Coming together to push ESD forward

Writing from the amazingly beautiful Abbey Rolduc in Kerkrade, the Netherlands. This is the site of the 6th Global Conference for Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development. Cemus and CSD Uppsala is in the process of applying, together with partner organizations, to hopefully become an RCE in the spring and summer. 

Here, 150 representatives from over 20 countries are meeting to discuss how education (both formal and informal) can be made relevant in and for a “liquid world”, characterized by uncertainty and high risks, and how the centres can become catalysts of reflexive but massive change towards sustainability. It feels like a tremendous opportunity to be able to connect with all these very driven and knowledgeable people, all with sustainability and love as a key motivators for their work. 

The conference organizers have put forward a relatively sharp formulation for our meeting: 
“This conference will work towards clear goals defining science, policy and practice for factual ESD - having ESD work, taking it beyond projects restricted in time, paper discussions and promises never to be followed up. Having seen the midterm of the Decade on ESD already, the goal of this conference is no more and no less than putting beliefs, vision and plans into actions that make a difference.”

The meeting will end on Thursday and I’ll make sure to share some of the most interesting and important findings. 
/Sara

Succéstart för Framtidsakademins föreläsningsserie Mat & Makt!

Hösten startade den 31 augusti på Stadsbiblioteket med fullsatt sal och en engagerad och frågvis grupp åhörare. Annika Carlsson-Kanyama, forskningschef på Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut föreläste under rubriken “Mat i en tid av klimatförändring” och bjöd bland annat in publiken att fantisera om hur vi äter och odlar år 2040, när klimatförändringar förmodligen kommer att ha påverkat förutsättningarna för vår livsmedelsförsörjning mer eller mindre radikalt. 

Höstens tema kommer att innefatta olika perspektiv på matproduktion världen över, nu och i framtiden. Nästa föredrag ges av Mikael Karlsson, agronom och ordförande på Naturskyddsföreningen, under rubriken “En giftfri miljö – vad krävs?”. Föreläsningen kommer att fokusera på kemikalieanvändning och de hundratals miljögifter som numera finns i kretslopp och lagrade i våra kroppar – med oanade konsekvenser. Andra teman som kommer att behandlas under hösten är hungerproblematik, arbetsförhållanden inom den globala livsmedelsindustrin samt kritiska perspektiv på den växande animalieproduktionen.

Föreläsningarna äger rum den sista onsdagen varje månad, i Kerstin Ekmansalen på Stadsbiblioteket kl. 18.30-20.00. Välkomna på höstens föreläsningar!

Cemus @ Balaton

A chaotic, poetic, artsyfartsy, mind boggling blog from the 3Oth Jubilee Balaton Meeting at Lake Balaton in Hungary. Enjoy! /Isak

http://cemagazine.tumblr.com/Balaton2011

Indonesian Insights - Any Sulistyowati on Cemus, Swedish property laws, friendship and the power of shared vision

Facilitator, systems thinker and grassroots worldchanger Any Sulistyowati from Indonesia, has been here at Cemus for the last week or so. I had the great luck of meeting Any a few years back and ended up doing (and successfully completing) my Masters thesis on communal biogas system in rural Western Java, thanks to her. We have now travelled to Budapest together to take part in the 30^th anniversary Balaton group meeting. Before visiting the famous thermal baths this afternoon, we bought some traditional Hungarian rice balls in the enormous central market hall, strolled down to the Donau for a lunch and a chat.

Isak: Could you start by just telling us a bit about yourself?

Any: I am Any and I’m from Indonesia. I’m a mother of a daughter who is 8 years old. Her name is Nira and she is very smart [Laughs]. And then I have a husband, David. Both of us work for NGO’s.  I work with an NGO called KaiL. We work with training and mentoring of young people to encourage them to do something useful for their society. My husband David works with an organization called YPBB which promote a more organic lifestyle, a lifestyle that is more environmentally friendly.

Isak: What have you been doing in Sweden?

Any: Well, in Sweden I have delivered an open lecture and a workshop at Cemus. The open lecture was about challenges and possible pathways toward Sustainable Development, using my experiences from Indonesia as a case study. And the workshop was about communicating Sustainability and was run with students taking the course Sustainable Development: Project management and Communication.

Isak: And what is your impression of Cemus?

Any: I have met a very interesting group of people who have a very strong motivation of learning about Sustainable development, especially at Cemus. Cemus is a student led organization, which runs its own courses. You can see that there is a true interest and engagement when the students have the opportunity to organize what they really want to study and develop, in a participatory way, the courses that they want. I felt that the students are really enjoying the courses because they are very active in the discussions and seem to have meaningful reflections on the lectures.

Isak: Was there anything that surprised you during your stay in Sweden?

Any: Some. [Laughs] Yeah, when I thought about Sweden, initially I thought that Sweden is a very developed country. So, what surprised me was about the land.  But there is actually a lot of green areas and the most surprising thing was that you can walk anywhere you want. So they land is like the peoples land [see The law of public access - Allemansrätten in Swedish]. So people can go to the forest for free and we don’t have to pay anything access green spaces. That is very good.

Isak: Do you think this [Allemansrätten] would be possible to have in Indonesia?  

Any: I hope so! [Laughs]

Isak: After your visit to Sweden you have travelled to Hungary to take part in the 30th anniversary Balaton Group meeting. Can you tell us a little about this?

Any: Well, we will meet our old friends and have a chance to talk to each other about our visions for a more sustainable development in our own countries. We will share our experiences, learn from each other, get some feedback from our close friends and bring back inspiration and new ideas for the next step in life.

Isak: So, what are you most excited about or looking forward to most at this year’s meeting?

Any: First, it is meeting people. I know that all of us in the Balaton group are doing very unique and important work in their own country, in their own setting and that they have been working hard on achieving that. And I sort of know that they often have a hard time doing that, but with creativity and faith that they will be able to overcome their challenges, I see results emerging, happening, all over the world. So although we work in many different ways, the spirit, and the big goal is the same: to create a better future for everyone on this planet, as well as the planet itself.

More about Any at: www.worldchanging.com/archives/011199.html 

Hannes, coordinator of the Cemus course Sustainable Design, is writing from the Baltic University Programme conference in Poland. Read the blog here:

http://cemagazine.tumblr.com/Poland2011