Agenda 2030 – Focus Us: It is Up to All of Us
FIW Bonn – Agenda 2030 Lecture Series
Focus Us: It is Up to All of Us
Individuals’ decision making and action taking determines whether Agenda 2030 and its 17 SDGs will be realized. However, where lies the greatest potential for a more sustainable lifestyle, what is the role of politics, will all efforts be in vain due to more structural factors, can enhanced cooperation and networking or emerging technologies make a difference?
Speakers
- Simona Costanzo Sow, Course Coordinator with the UNSSC Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development in Bonn, UNSSC
- Marie Halbach, Scientific Project Manager, RENN.West (Regional “Connection-Point” Sustainability Strategies West)/ Agenda 21 NRW (LAG 21 NRW) e.V.
- Leena Volland, co-founder of nachhaltig-sein.info and author of “Dein Weg zur Nachhaltigkeit”
Moderator
- Almuth Schellpeper, Deutsche Welle Akademie
Event Announcements by FIW Bonn
5 Ps of Sustainable Development
Factors contributing to the Individual’s Ecological Footprint
Networking & Cooperation
Invoked by a question from the audience…
… on examples of cooperation and networking in the local region (Bonn, North-Rhine Westphalia)…
… a discussion on political responsibility, strategic networking to overcome fragmentation of individual players, and whether individual’s sustainable lifestyle has enough impact and leverage to have a real effect on overall sustainability emerged.
Politics’ Role
Dealing with Individuals
Making people feel guilty or reprimand them for missing sustainability is the wrong approach, according to Leena Volland. Small steps are the way to go for implementing a sustainable lifestyle.
Power of Individuals
Individual’s purchasing decision exert a great influence on global structures. A growing consciousness for sustainability could manifest sustainability [as an established value in all areas of life] for good.
Regional Examples
Marie Halbach presents concrete regional examples of requested courses of action and networking on sustainability at hand of RENN West.
Individuals can also have a look at World’s Largest Lesson for inspiration.
Our New World
Technological Innovations
Adverse Effects
In terms of encouraging a sustainable lifestyle, technological innovations and social change do not only provide positive incentives, but if not regulated can have adverse effects. One example may be the decay of cultural authenticity taking place in many historical European cities, such as Venice, Italy. Due to homestay websites, coming forth out of the contemporary trend shared-urbanism, rising rents make available apartments scarce and push out the actual population that inherently contribute to the initially sought after charm and cultural character of the city. However, cities all across Europe stepping up to implement laws to get ahold of the situation.
Potential
Autonomous Vehicles (AV) is another upcoming development that bears potential for improving social equity and can contribute largely to the well-being of society – think about improved mobility independence of the young, elderly or disabled for example. An autonomous future, however, also needs to be shared, to not pan out as rather congestion and pollution, social gap and social isolation increasing. This, then, depends on regulatory bodies to take action. But luckily, there are also economical and practical infrastructural-dependency implementation factors that are impinging on AVs and can coerce them to some extent, even if only initially, to be released under shared urbanism conditions.
Success Stories
An example of successful deployment of innovative technologies can be found in Myanmar, where access to information in a save and free way about its administration’s violent politics against the ethnic minority of the Rohingya is almost only possible by means of digital answers such as Facebook, as elaborated on during the past Agenda 2030 event Focus Media: The Right of Access to Information.
Discussion Forum
FIW Bonn provided the chance to engage with several organizations and interest groups from Bonn after the event.
- @BonnimWandel – think tank and “project laboratory” on a sustainable and just future city.
- @stadtfruchtchen – young interactive initiative and community involved with urban gardening and edible city.
- Bonn’s local Foodsharing group
- Zukunftsfaehiges Bonn – group, supporting citizens to get actively involved with their own ideas and projects to guarantee a sustainable development of Bonn.
- Greenwalker – initiative, offering interactive walking tours that provides insight on the production of products and the relationship between global commerce and local, individual action taking.
SDG #5 – Gender Equality during Focus Us
0 men, 4 women – definitely something worthwhile mentioning!
Reports
- Storify (closed May 16th, 2018)
- All FIW Bonn Agenda 2030 Lecture Series event coverage reports
- FIW Bonn’s own Storify story (closed May 16th, 2018)
Participants
- Simona Costanzo Sow’s Twitter Account
- UNSSC Bonn’s Twitter Account
- LAG21 NRW’s Twitter Account (Marie Halbach)
- LAG21 NRW’s Website
- www.nachhaltig-sein.info (Leena Volland)
Organizers
- University Bonn’s Twitter Account
- Bonn University’s Website
- FIW_Bonn’s Twitter Account
- FIW Bonn’s Website
- City of Bonn’s Twitter Account
- City of Bonn’s Website
- Deutsche Welle Akademie’s Twitter Account
- Deutsche Welle Akademie’s Website
- GIZ’s Twitter Account
- GIZ’s Wesbsite (German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH)
Books
Websites
