07/02/2020

Change education, change the world!

What is school education purpose? What is its role in achieving the SDGs? How conventional education methods fit in (or dont) today’s challenges? What do we already know about how people learn and how could we use that to change the world?

During MAIA Program, Catalan teacher Boris Mir facilitated a workshop where participants were invited to reimagine education and what an innovative school would look like. Mir is the former director of the program Escola Nova 21, an alliance of schools and civil society institutions for an advanced education system that has been carried out between 2016 and 2019 in Catalonia. The succesfull program showed a feasible and collaborative path towards a  paradigm shift in education.

We have asked him a few questions afterwards, read the interview or watch the video below!

MAIA: What skills must people have to develop a socially active and ecological citizenship?

BM: In fact, many of the competencies we need, our current curricula already contain them. However, there is a huge gap between what we say we want to do and what we are doing. Worldwide, curricula speak for example about  critical competences, analytical thinking, creative thinking. And then … what we put in practice in the classrooms is far from our ambitions.

So it is not a matter of designing a new curriculum or thinking about competencies, because surely world standards would work pretty well. The problem is that we don’t know how to land these with the methodologies we use, with the outputs. The definition of “school success”, for example. “School success” is not uderstood as raising “competent citizens”, but often related to other things, I would say, to an outdated perception of it: people who approve in exams, who take good grades, etc.

If we define school success, or excellence, in these terms, which are not wrong and then we have a curriculum that says that we must develop competent citizens… We should define what it means to be a competent citizen, right? That is, value and evaluate success in this terms: if a person is capable of making decisions, has a solid cultural foundation to interpret the world in which she or he lives,  is respectful with the environment, fights for inequalities and to change the model, for example, to a sustainable one… In the end, more than a matter of definition, I believe that the challenge we have now is “how  can we make this happen, in every school and in every educational environment?”

MAIA: What educational methodologies would make this change possible?

BM: There is no prescription of a methodology or not even of a set of useful methodologies. What we do know is that any methodology should be based on what we already know about how people learn, for example: A methodology that is focused on the students activities is key. A methodology that can relate the students’ prior knowledge with what we want them to learn, with new skills, is key.  That learning has a social dimension is key. That learning is based on interests, motivations and needs and that this triangulation is what end up making meaningful learning.Because we know all that.

Now, this can be developed in many ways: with project learning, with service-learning, with globalized projects, with direct instruction. The theme is, at every moment, how we are developing a person´s  skills and abilities. But sometimes the debate is very much focused on “what is the tool?” Well, there are many tools, right? But in any case, the chosen tools must be consistent with what we know about how people learn.

On the other hand the tools or methodologies must be at the service of the objectives that we have set for ourselves, which shouldn´t be purely transmissive or purely reproductive. If we want critical people, analytical people, then we will have to use the tools at the service of achieving this. And sometimes we find that methodologies that might seem very efficient or very advanced are being used but the “success” people are looking for, remains a very impoverishing notion of success, very reproductive, very … let’s say, very little empowering for children.

MAIA: Is education the main tool to achieve the SDGs?

BM: Yes, yes, in fact, it is the only one, isn’t it? That is, if we want the world to change, things have to change. And since education is now understood as a process throughout life… All people, we have to learn and we have to acquire new capabilities as we encounter situations in life that are surely more complex,  more technological, more unequal. The SDG challenges, is a clear example of how we need lifelong learning.

So it is not that education is key during school stages, but that quality education throughout life is a global goal. So it doesn’t mean that “as a child, she or he has to be …” No, no. I am an adult and therefore I have to be learning permanently so I have to find a confortable balance, not a stressfull one, to make learning part of my normal everyday activities.

And, above all, we are talking about self-directed learning, because you are always learning: a new language, a new culture that you want to relate to, meeting different people, learning to relate to people with different ages and values… Well, all this is lifelong learning.  It is not only a challenge, but also a source of enjoyment, pleasure and personal growth. I mean, I don’t see it as a problem “We have to be learning!”. No, no. Fortunately we can always learn, and therefore it is a facet that is an integral part of a full life.

I mean, a person who doesn’t learn, I wonder if could be happy. We must have a kinder and more cordial relationship with learning, and this is a topic … If we link learning with suffering  or anguish, we are translating a lifelong activity into something that is not satisfactory. And no: it’s very good to learn! In fact, everyone wants to learn. There are indeed people who may not want to study. But I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to learn. Therefore, it is a very powerful tool to change the world. I think it is the main tool.

28/01/2020

Fighting food waste!

Who are the “Espigoladors” and how are they fighting food waste?

At the global level, FAO estimates that each year, approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Therefore, changing the way we produce and consume food is key to achieve the SDGs.

In fact, Goal 12 “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”  includes amongst its targets to “halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level, and reduce food losses along production and supply chains”.

The good news is that change is already underway: there are more and more initiatives around the world dedicated to changing this situation!

And although the target might seem ambitious, the case of countries like Denmark that in 5 years managed to reduce their food waste by 25% gives us hope that it is POSSIBLE.

Today we will present the inspiring work developed by the Catalan foundation Espigoladors.

Espigoladors is a non-profit foundation born in 2014 that fights against food waste. Their work is based on the principles of circular economy, a new paradigm that breaks with the traditional model of linear economy by maximizing the use of resources and minimizing the generation of unusable waste.

Espigoladors want to recover and dignify the gleaning activity (in Catalan “espigolar”), an ancient practice which consists in the harvest and collection, through an agreement with the farmer, of fruits and vegetables which are discarded from the commercial market for surplus production, diminishing of sales or aesthetic questions. Espigoladors organize gleanings directly in the fields of food which cannot be sold and we distribute them to social entities in order to provide access to healthy  food to people in vulnerable situations.

They also develop sustainable food products from the collected surplus in their central kitchen in el Prat de Llobregat, where they offer work and training opportunities to people at risk of social exclusion. Complementary, Espigoladors also develop workshops, courses, training, educational projects and activities to raise awareness on the subject.

Alba Canovas, from Espigoladors, generously shared with MAIA´s participants a little bit of Espigoladors´ vision and inspiring work. Don´t miss this short interview with her (subtitles available in English and Spanish):

21/01/2020

What is Futures Literacy?

When we decide to take an umbrella in the morning because we think it might rain and we don’t want to get wet, we are using the future to make decisions in the present. Similarly, the 2030 Agenda, which contains the 17 SDGs, is nothing more than a shared plan for a prosperous future for people and the planet. Therefore, it is our anticipation of what a desirable future is that shapes our actions and choices in the present. Or at least it should be.

Futures Literacy is the ability to identify and understand these anticipatory systems and use them in our favor, to innovate in the present.

Since 2013, Futures Literacy has been disseminated internationally through the Futures Literacy Labs (FLL) methodology, developed by Professor Riel Miller, head of Foresight at UNESCO. A FLL seeks to analyze how people use anticipatory assumptions to create different images of the future, highlighting how these affect people’s perceptions and decisions in the present.

Understanding how those ideas and images of the future influence the way people act in the present is key to innovation.

Summing up, contrary to what is commonly assumed, Futures Literacy is not about predicting the future, but about the plurality of ideas and images that people have about it and how it influences the way people act in the present. It makes possible to “liberate the future”, questioning and deconstructing aspects that are kept, repeated or constantly pursued in our society based on normative images of the future.

Only by questioning and deconstructing our assumptions about the future we will be able to imagine and create disruptive future realities!

Innovation experts Alexandre Fernandes and Ramila Zadeh have conducted a workshop with  participants of the MAIA program in which they used the Futures Literacy Lab methodology.

Check out this short interview with Ramila:

* About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals!

17/01/2020

The power of the wild

Preserving natural environments and changing humankind’s exploitative relationship with the environment is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Much is said about the positive impact of preserving natural environments  for life and climate on Earth. On a global level, the loss and degradation of  habitats threatens  the survival of species and the planet’s complex equilibrium.

Recently, a new layer was added to the understanding and promotion of nature’s importance. It highlights the benefits to health and individual well being provided by the direct contact with nature. The theme gained media attention mid last year when the University of Exeter Medical School published a research that showed that people spending two hours or more per week in nature were significantly more likely to report good health and life satisfaction.

The research was conducted with almost twenty thousand people and the results were consistent across different key groups. The health and wellbeing improvement noticed was comparable to the ones derived from taking recommended levels of exercise, for example. The study suggests that weekly nature exposure could soon become an official social prescription.

In Japan, Dr Qing Li, author of the book Shinrin-Yoku: The Art and Science of Forest Bathing, found similar results. In the country, the practice of Shinrin-yoku (“Forest bathing”) has been incorporated to the country’s health program since 1982, after researches related spending a mindful time in natural environments with the reduction of blood pressure and cortisol levels and with improvement in concentration and memory.

This positive impact seems to be even more evident when considering children’s development. Richard Louv, co founder of the Children and Nature Network, coined the term “Nature-Deficit Disorder” in 2005. Although it is not a medical diagnosis the term is used by the author to emphasize the costs of raising children deprived from experiencing nature, relating it to the high rates of child’s obesity, stress, learning disorders, hyperactivity, chronic fatigue and depression. Moreover, he suggests that the nature-deficit might weaken ecological literacy and care of the natural world.

Indeed spending time in nature seems to be crucial in developing environmental awareness. To put it simply, both children and adults are less likely to care or to protect what they don’t know and don’t value. This is why it is so important that people experience “the power of the wild” in order to respect and protect it (as stated by Vincent Stanley, Patagonia’s director on this book, published by the brand). People that experience nature, whatever the type of experience, become more connected to nature and more likely to implement active pro-biodiversity practices. 

Although more scientific research on the benefits of  nature exposure needs to be conducted, we seem to know enough. Preserving natural environments is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and to our individual health and wellbeing.

 Don’t forget to guarantee your weekly dose of nature during this weekend

and to experience the power of the wild 🙂

* About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

05/12/2019

Get to know the ESPLAIS movement!

Get to know the Esplais, inspiring and transformative initiatives from Catalonia.

During Module 1, MAIA participants visited an Esplai center in the metropolitan region of Barcelona. In this post, we will present this simple and effective model to create positive social impact and the idea of “educational free time” behind it.

What is an Esplai?

An Esplai is a type of community center that offers educational activities for children and young people in their leisure time, that is, after school hours and also on weekends and school holidays. Trough community participation and social inclusion, the Esplais offer alternative places to socialize, have fun and learn, in non-academic environments.

The first Esplais centers were created around 1970 in Catalonia, a place with  a long tradition of leisure time activities with a clear educational purpose. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the Scouts movement started to gain popularity in the region, as well as other types of nature clubs and camps.

Initially the Esplais started as informal organisations, voluntarily managed by the community. In the following decades, however, they were formalized as non-profit associations, staff was professionalized and the centers were consolidated throughout the territory.

Dynamic and connected with the territory

Esplais´activities promote integral education as well as inclusive and democratic values. In this sense, they complement what  children learn at school, presenting new themes and perspectives while developing different skills and competences.

Unlike schools, Esplais do not have to follow so many regulations and obligations. Therefore, they have been established as organisations with a much higher level of freedom to enable quick responses, to each context and each child.  Together with schools and families, the Esplais can provide a diverse and cohesive array of educational environments.

Although there are many differences among the Esplais centers, they share some common features, such as having an intense connection with the territory, be it the neighborhood or the city where they are located. In addition, they also have a strong social dimension, as they promote conviviality between children from different socio-economic groups.

Other features

Although school age children are their main focus, the Esplais also represent significant spaces for the youth. For many teenagers, becoming a monitor in an Esplai is a formative experience, where they have the opportunity to participate in community life while developing themselves personally and professionally. The operational structure of the Esplais, mainly based on the work of young volunteers and young professionals, make it possible to incorporate and empower this critical age group.

Especially in our context of climate emergency, it is crucial for Esplais to promote the care for nature. And they do so through the belief that being in nature, discovering nature, is the first step to value it and protect it. Therefore, during outdoor activities, excursions and camps promoted by the Esplais, families, children and teenagers can get in touch with nearby natural environments. Esplais´daily activities also promote healthier and more sustainable habits, evidencing the impact of individual actions for humanity and the planet.

How are they funded?

Esplais are not-for-profit organisations that make use of different sources of income to help them fulfill their missions. In general they combine the monthly payments by children´s families (usually low or, in some cases, symbolic) with government funding. Ideally, the latter should not represent the major source of income, as this could threaten the center´s autonomy and independence. Esplais also make use of complementary sources of income, such as donations and events. Although they also hire paid employees, volunteer work is essential for all Esplais´operations.

Leisure time and inclusion 

In places where most children have access to quality public education, it is during their free time that social inequalities become more visible. On these moments, some children go to after school activities, courses or summer camps, where they have fun, develop themselves and learn other ways to explore the world, while many other children don’t have the same opportunities. Inclusive initiatives, such as the Esplais, can prevent that leisure time, a social right and conquest, becomes an aditional factor for social exclusion.

Undoubtedly, teaching young people that there are alternative ways to spend their leisure time is one of the great achievements of the Esplais. While in many families free time is largely occupied with consumption or passive activities, physically and intellectually, such as watching television or tablets, in Esplais children engage in creative, fun and solidary activities.

In Esplais centers children learn, by doing, that their leisure time can be not only fun but also an opportunity to have meaningful connections with others and with nature, to develop their talents and to use them for a greater purpose!

Although created more than 50 years ago, the Esplais still offer an innovative model of community engagement and transformative education. There are several similar initiatives and community centers around the world, but the Esplais´continuity, longevity and reach, as well as their  level of organization and cooperation throughout the region  make them truly remarkable!

We believe that sharing cases of people and projects working to create a better world, like the Esplais in Catalonia, we might inspire others to take action too 🙂

* About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program offered by Fundesplai that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

24/11/2019

Creating Impact Projects: MAIA DAY 6

On the last day of the MAIA program, creativity flourished! Participants started  imagining joint projects based on concepts, ideas and insights from this intense week. We can’t wait to see how far they will take us!

We had a talk from Ana Villagordo, environmentalist and consultant, where she explored creative strategies that might lead us to innovative  projects to advance the SDGs.

Then we have collectively established the working groups that will develop together impact projects for the SDGs. These projects will be developed until March 2020, during MAIA’s  following modules.

Thus, it was with great enthusiasm that we closed the first module of MAIA, looking forward to continue working together for the next months!

“Empathy is key to achieving the SDGs” Ana Villagordo

23/11/2019

Circular and solidarity economy: MAIA DAY 5

In the 5th day of  MAIA we discussed about circular and solidarity economy, learning from succesfull local initiatives.

Marta Escamilla (Head of sustainability at LEITAT) presented Circular Economy as a powerful idea to achieve the SDGs. According to her, more and more companies and organizations are adopting this model that is based on 3 basic principles:

• To preserve and regenerate natural systems
• To design and produce without waste or contamination, promoting system efficiency and reducing the ecological footprint
• To maintain products and materials in use for as long as posible, optimising the use of resources

• EUNCET Talk by Marta Escamilla

Then Alba Cánovas, from Espigoladors, presented their inspiring initiative. They are a non-profit organization that fights  food waste and social exclusion in a transformative, participatory, inclusive and sustainable way. With a circular economy approach, Espigoladors’ actions are explicitly aligned with the SDGs.

Another inspiring local initiative we got in touch with was the Esperanzah! Festival, presented to us by Oscar Rando, one of its founders. Oscar explained how Esperanzah! was created not only as a music festival but as a space for reflection and social transformation for all ages, genders and social conditions. Currently, it became a multiplier, a catalyst project that brings together other local projects of social transformation and solidarity economy

• The history of the Festival Esperanzah

We also visit other projects such as the Esplais or socio-educational centers that are the core of the work of Fundesplai. . Those centers were created about 45 years ago as places to foster values and citizenship among children in their leisure time. They follow the 10 principles listed below:

1. Integral education
2. Education for peace
3. Education for Interculturality
4. Education for the development of global citizenship
5. Education for participation and democracy
6. Environmental education
7. Education for gender equality
8. Education for health
9. Education for inclusion and equal opportunities
10. Intergenerational education

Finalmente, también visitamos Fablab tinkerers, un laboratorio-taller de creación y fabricación digital que impulsa un proyecto educativo basado en la formación y divulgación de las nuevas tecnologías para crear soluciones innovativas a problemas locales. Se definen, por lo tanto, como un proyecto de Innovación Social Digital y consideran que la base de los proyectos de este tipo no son las máquinas sino el proyecto educativo que los sustentan.

Finally, we also visited Fablab tinkerers, a digital manufacturing lab and workshop  based on the dissemination of new technologies as a way to create innovative solutions to local problems. They define themselves as a Digital Social Innovation project, and as such that their core are not the machines but the educational project behind them.

21/11/2019

Transformative education for an unpredictable future: MAIA DAY 3

The third day of MAIA was an intense day of work, debate and reflection.

Futures Literacy

We started the day with a workshop  on Futures Literacy , with Ramila Zadeh and Alexandre Fernandes. Following UNESCO’s Futures Literacy Lab methodology we have discovered that the ability to “use the future” can be acquired and practiced, allowing people to better understand the role of the future in their present.

Podemos tener más herramientas para el futuro si consideramos que: (1) El futuro aun no existe, sólo puede ser imaginado, (2) Los humanos tenemos la capacidad de imaginar. Como resultado de estas dos premisas, los humanos somos capaces de imaginar el futuro de diferentes maneras posibles y estar más preparados para las adversidades. Imaginar diferentes futuros posibles y tener herramientas para analizarlos con profundidad nos puede ayudar a tomar decisiones para innovar en el presente.

It is possible to be better prepared for an ucertain future if we consider that: (1) The future does not yet exist, it can only be antecipated, (2) Humans have the ability to imagine. As a combination of these two premises, we humans are able to imagine the future in different possible ways and thus be more prepared for adversity. Imagining different possible futures and having tools to analyze them in depth can help us make decisions to innovate in the present.

Transformative Education for the SDGs

With Boris Mir, a Catalán teacher and expert in transformative education, we had a session to explore innovative possibilities in the field. We have started the session debating the movie Most Likely to Succeed that aims to inspire educational communities to re-imagine the full potential of students and teachers trough an approach based on people and their individualities.

Then Boris facilitated a workshop where we could experience how transformative education should provide inspiring contexts where they can develop their cognitive, experimental, creative, social and emotional skills . We must prepare children and the youth for an uncertain future of radical and rapid changes, difficult to predict. For this, is important to challenge traditional roles, allowing students to occupy an active and leading role.

“Don be an optimist if that makes you relax. Don be a pessimist if that makes you give up. Be an activist and ask: what can I do to change the future?” Kate Raworth

20/11/2019

Imagining the future: MAIA’s Day 2

We have started MAIA’s  second day walking trough the Delta del Llobregat natural reserve under a beautiful autumn sky .

Visiting the Llobregat river’s delta

The Llobregat river’s Delta is formed by several lagoons, pine forests, dunes and beaches that bring biodiversity into a very anthropic landscape. It is located at the confluence of very different urban, agricultural and industrial environments, such as the El Prat international airport.

Es el tercer humedal más importante de Cataluña, con una gran diversidad de especies, y sus espacios naturales forman parte de la Red Natura 2000 como a Zona d’Especial Protecció per a les Aus (ZEPA), ya que es un punto estratégico para las migraciones de las aves. En el otoño, por lo tanto, es especialmente interesante visitar el Delta del Llobregat porque podemos encontrar tanto especies nidificantes como especies que están de paso hacia las áreas donde pasan el invierno.

It is the third most important wetland in Catalonia, with a great diversity of species, and part of the Red Natura 2000 as a Special Protection Zone for Birds (ZEPA), as it is a strategic point for migrating birds. Therefore, during autumn, it is especially interesting to visit the Llobregat Delta as we can find both nesting species and species that are on the move.

During the visit we have been able to observe several species of birds while having the opportunity to have an immersive experience in nature and reflecting on our  individual and collective possible futures.

Biomimetics, Governance, Economics, Sustainability, Ethics and Ecology

Then, throughout the day, we participated in talks and debates conducted by several experts:

• Francesco Sottile, researcher at the Biomimetics Science Institute, unveiled the potential of nature to inspire design and innovation to face global challenges. Francesco believes that biomimetics can be a key strategy to achieve the SDGs, since it is a multidisciplinary field with possible applications in engineering, energy, architecture, medicine, art, communication… Learning from nature can help us solve the challenges of humanity.
• Iziar González, architect and  expert in citizen governance shared her vision of how the governance paradigm is changing, focusing on cooperation and co-production models. Iziar believes that in order to exist real governance on the part of the citizenship, the whole community needs to share responsibility. According to her we must pursue a system where everyone has the right to exercise their creativity in a relational environment and to carry out transdisciplinary projects to provide diverse and complementary views.
• Humberto Llavador, Economics professsor at the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and at the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (BarcelonaGSE), and researcher at the Institute of Political Economy and Governance (IPEG). Humberto presented the “normative paradigm” needed to establish a framework for action towards the common good and against the climate crisis. According to him, this paradigm is based on three basic questions: What is the objective? What ethical criteria do we take as a reference? Is this that we want to do feasible and viable? He has also talked about the concept of sustainability and about how ecological, economic and social sustainability should guarantee future’s generations rights. For him, it is possible to maintain an average level of economic growth while achieving sustainable model of development. Importantly, for him, the reasons why we are not currently achieving it are not technical or economic but political and ethical.
• Joan Pino, catedrático de ecología de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB) y director del Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF). Nos ha hablado de ecología en un mundo cambiante, situándonos en los diferentos aspectos donde podemos poner el foco frente al cambio: en los motores o causas del cambio, las herramientas para medir el cambio y la herramientas para afrontarlo. Desde el CREAF impulsan la ciencia ciudadana como una herramienta eficaz y valiosa de participación ciudadana, sensibilización y medida de los cambios ambientales y biológicos. Joan Pino considera que se debe poner énfasis  en el territorio metropolitano, estudiando las consecuencias para la biodiversidad de la crecida exponencial de las ciudades y los consecuentes cambios en los ecosistemas.

Through those very interesting debates on all these issues and the SDGs four essential components have emerged to be able to take effective actions for a paradigm shift that will help us cope with the planetary crisis: cooperation, empathy, realism and the action!

19/11/2019

From the Anthropocene to Regeneration: MAIA’s program first day

#programaMAIA has started with a lot of energy!

Yesterday, 24 participants, from 10 different countries, met on November 18 at Center Esplai to start working together for the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

Our opening conference was open to the public and entitled “From the Anthropocene to regeneration”  by researchers José Luis de Vicente and Daniel C. Wahl .

José Luis Vicente presented his perspective of t the Age of Humans, the Anthropocene. Using artworks from the exhibition he curated at the CCCB “After the end of the world” he illustrated four steps towards a new society, after the end of the world as we know it:

1. Tell the truth: We must tell the truth about the moment of crisis we are currently going trough.
2. The mutation: We are on the threshold of a new geological era, the Anthropocene.
3. What’s the plan? What will help us make the transition? We must use our creativity and imagine different futures and different ways of living. It is a political, cultural, economic, social and technological challenge, but above all creative.
4. Adaptation: we are living in a broken planet but we can work to heal it. 

Daniel C. Wahl reminded us that we are all ecosystems and that we must create material cultures that express that we are part of nature, that we are nature. He presented humanity’s relationship with nature from a historical perspective and the idea of “regenerative cultures”. Regenerative Cultures, according to him, always initiate within local communities and with their reconnection with the ecosystem where they live in. He also pointed out how the SDGs where created and, importantly, how we could start taking action to advance them.

• Check our interview with Daniel C. Wahl!

In the afternoon Daniel C. Wahl facilitated the workshop “Localising the SDGs”, where participants started working in groups to debate and imagine togheter local projects to advance the SDGs.

It was a very exciting first day, where we were impacted by the climate emergency and its challenges, but also inspired by alternatives and by the power of the SDGs!

07/10/2019

Unsustainable journeys

Can tourism become sustainable?

Tourism is often referred to as one of the world´s largest industries, moving many millions of jobs, dollars and reaching (almost) every corner of the planet. However, amidst the climate crisis and the “overtourism” debates going on, it becomes clear that, to contribute to a sustainable future, the way people travel needs to be transformed.

Image: http://tourism4sdgs.org/

Why we travel so much?

In his best-seller book “Sapiens”, Yuval Harari reminds us of how some modern habits that we usually think of as “obvious” or “natural” are actually the opposite of that. He uses as an example the widely popular desire to travel on vacation.

Harari relates the popularization of tourism to the myths of consumerism. The underlying idea is that going to different places, trying different cuisines, living a wide range of different “experiences” is the way to make the most of our human experience. Travelling is then offered as a promising product, which could deliver a great amount of “experience” in a short amount of time:

“The tourism industry does not sell flight tickets and hotel bedrooms. It sells experiences. Paris is not a city, nor India a country – they are both experiences, the consumption of which is supposed to widen our horizons, fulfil our human potential, and make us happier.”

Growing planetary awareness

Despite the social environmental impact of mass tourism, viewed positively, it played an important role in promoting intercultural exchange. Researcher Daniel Wahl in a recent series of enlightening articles on Regenerative tourism reminds us that it also deserves some credit:

“It enabled more people to meet, learn from, admire, appreciate, befriend, fall in love with what used to be strangers. Personally knowing people from another culture and place has made a difference in our growing planetary awareness. It helped many to stop fearing or othering those who come from outside their native culture.”

Wahl also questions if tourism could become be a catalyst for positive change.  For him, the answer is yes. But first it has to be deeply transformed, going from an activity currently characterized by its gigantic energy, climate, water, eco-social and economic footprint to one that helps creating flourishing destinations and thriving places.

Why it became unsustainable?

Many of the world iconic´s touristic destination are facing the consequences of irresponsible exploration. Venice, with a population of 50.000, receives more than 30 million a year, while Amsterdam with less than a million inhabitants receives 18 times that in number of tourists annually. In Barcelona, a recent survey pointed “tourism” as the population biggest concern, leaving topics like “unemployment” and “corruption” behind. In these cities, and in many others, what is being called” turismophobia” is rising, as the impact of massive tourism in the everyday life of citizens bring them many problems, from littering to gentrification.  Visitor saturation might also contribute to the loss of local customs and ways of life as well as to the loss of habitats and ecosystems.

When we look at data, we also understand that massive tourism does not equal democratic. Firstly, travelling by plane continues to be a luxury that most people can’t afford.  Although its environmental impact affects all of us, the estimate is that between 80% and 90% of the world´s population had never taken an air travel. Moreover, they are unevenly distributed, with the Asian continent representing 60% of the world´s population but only 32% of the total of kilometers traveled by plane, while the United States, representing only 5% of the world’s population, being responsible for 28%. (Data: Alternativas Economicas n.71)

How could it become sustainable?

Alternatives to make tourism more respectful with people and the planet often include the incentive to local and slow travelling. Encouraging people to visit places closer to where they live or to visit fewer places and spending more time in each,  seem like a reasonable start. As traveling is a highly aspirational desire, it is key that the banalization of long distance traveling start to be seen as something harmful and “uncool”. In developed countries,  flight shame (flygskam in Swedish) is already a reality, with people seeking for less polluting means of transport in face of the growing environmental crisis. Another key component is legislation, which could, for example, adjust market prices by ending the exemptions and subsides from which the air companies benefit or limit the quantity of short flights (as they are comparatively more pollutants).

Growing mass travel represents a real threat to natural and cultural environments. Yet, paradoxically, the travel industry is highly dependent on those. Therefore, it should be taking the lead on a sustainable turn, seeking to actively protect bio-cultural diversity, providing tangible benefits for the local communities and adopting environmentally friendly practices wherever possible.

To achieve the SDGs we should challenge the old way of doing things, and this include the way we travel. Also the prevailing idea that “far” and “exotic” means necessarily better and more enriching experiences. When people discover leisure and contemplation destinations closer to home, they tend to reduce the carbon emission of their travels. But, even more importantly, they start knowing and valuing their local culture and ecosystems. That is a very important step towards start protecting it.

18/09/2019

A systems approach for the SDGs

“Sustainable development” encompasses many dimensions and uncountable relationships. So it is understandable that, in order to make such a complex issue more relatable and apprehensible, it had to broken it into 17 smaller pieces.

The thing is that, as we mentioned on a previous post, the SDGs are all interconnected and their implementation can’t be treated in isolation. So although decomposing “sustainable development” into separate goals probably make it easier to grasp, it can also lead to misunderstanding.

Even the SDGs visuals reinforce the mistaken idea of equivalence and independence, as the goals are often presented like organised, distinguished boxes when they would probably look a lot more like a complex, messy and dynamic web, like this one:

Source: International Council for Science

To understand the SDGs the colourful boxes might be useful. But to advance them, we should probably break those boxes and create integrated solutions. The question then is: how to approach the SDGs in a way that does not oversimplify complex issues? According to Fritjof Capra the answer is systemic thinking.

A systems approach for the SDGs

Fritjof Capra is an Austrian physicist, educator and activist. In his latest book “The Systems View of Life”, co-authored with Pier Luigi Luisi, he explores a new systemic conception of life, based on ideas such as complexity, networks, and patterns of organisation.

Regarding the SDGs, Capra’s general perspective is that as the global challenges are systemic, interconnected and interdependent,  the sustainable development goals need to be seen as systemically interconnected as well.

An enlightening (yet very simple and direct) video explaining his approach was produced by Capra’s students. On the video he presents agroecology  as an inspiring example of systemic solution, and talks about other interesting concepts such as qualitative growth and ecoliteracy.

The best part is that the video is available online and for free! Don’t miss it 🙂

02/09/2019

Cycling towards the SDGs

Image source: World Cycling Alliance

Something curious most people don’t know is that in the 1960’s the use of bikes was decreasing year after year in the Netherlands and the car was the dominant travel mode, just like it is in most big cities nowadays. So how, in just a few decades, did the Netherlands become a “country of bikes” and a world reference in the subject?

Well, it’s like that famous quote from Margareth Meade: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

In the 1970’s the number of people, especially children, killed in traffic accidents escalated in the country. As a reaction, several activists and civil disobedience groups took action, organizing demonstrations and spreading ideas for safer urban planning. This 9 minute documentary from the 1970’s shows this process.

Image source: The Guardian

Gradually, people’s behavior and urban planning policies were changing and the bicycle importance was reinstated in the country, where currently 25% of all trips are made by bicycle (compared to 2% in the UK, for example). The emblematic Dutch case might illuminate the idea that the transition for a healthier, safer and more sustainable urban mobility is possible and beneficial for all. Knowing this story might also be good tool against the skepticism that usually surrounds this debate.

Recent studies in many fields reassure that cycling is good for the economy, for the environment, for cities, for people’s health and happiness. This is why the bicycle, a 200 years old low cost technology, is regaining popularity over the world as the means of transport of the future.

What happened in the Netherlands is indeed special, but not that much that it can’t be done anywhere else 🙂

*About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Join us!

02/09/2019

How to feed 10 billion?

When we start to think about “food and the SDGs” we tend to think first about the SDG #2: Zero Hunger, that aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. A recent study led by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, however, concluded that actually all sustainable development goals are directly or indirectly connected to sustainable and healthy eating. 

Analising the targets connected to each one of the 17 global goals, it is possible to see clearly how food interconnects economic, environmental and social aspects: hunger, malnutrition, desertification, sustainable water use, loss of biodiversity, overconsumption, obesity, public health and so on.

In 2050 we will need to produce enough food to feed 10 billion people. And not only that, we want to do it while preserving the environment and offering healthy and affordable options to everyone. That challenge is the theme of the temporary exhibition that has opened at the Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) in Rio de Janeiro.

The exhibition presents promising and inspiring initiatives underway. These include projects for sustainable agriculture in forests, deserts and tundras, the development of synthetic meat and  the popularization of edible plants that were abandoned over time. The conclusion is that food production and consuption will play a central role in the transition for a sustainable future. 

“Encouraging awareness about the act of eating and reflecting on the consequences of food choices is increasingly becoming a social and political stance. Ultimately these choices impact our society and the world”.

Leonardo Menezes and Luiz Alberto Oliveira, from the Museu do Amanhã’s curatorship team.

Here you can find some data from the exhibition:

• If the current consumption rate continues, by 2050 we will need 40% more water and 60% more food than today.
• It is estimated that by the end of this century there will be a 10% increase in the area of deserts and arid lands, challenging traditional agriculture systems in the affected regions.
• There are already more than 1700 seed banks worldwide, which store plant materials to preserve future biodiversity. The largest of them, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, contains more than 4000 species.
• Currently, 2/3 of the area devoted to food production in the world is occupied by cattle. Between 2010 and 2050, it is estimated that global demand for meat will increase by 88%.
• Fungi, insects and algae are important alternative sources of protein. To obtain the recommended daily intake of protein (50 g), it is necessary to consume 173g of meat or only 98g of algae.

*About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

21/08/2019

Fashion and the SDGs

Take a quick look at what you are wearing right now. Where was it made and by whom? What is it made of? What will happen to it after you no longer want to use it?

The way clothes are produced and consumed have changed radically in the last years. The average consumer buy 60% more clothes than in 2000, yet keep each item only half as long. That makes the fashion industry currently responsible for  almost 10% of total global carbon emissions and 20% of industrial wastewater pollution.

Besides its environmental impact, the fashion industry also has a considerable social impact. Three quarters of its 60 million workers are women, many facing challenges such as low wages and unsafe working conditions. However, given its size and global reach, many believe fashion can be transformed and become a force for good. And that it can actually contribute to achieve the SDGs.

That is the case of the global initiative “Fashion revolution”. They share almost daily impressive data and figures about the fashion industry’s current impact. A few weeks ago they published a particular jaw-dropping one: “This summer brits are expected to purchase 50 millions summer outfits that will only be worn once”.

You can also check the Clean Clothes Campaign, dedicated to improving working conditions and supporting the empowerment of workers in the global garment and sportswear industries.

Undoubtedly the way clothes are being produced needs systemic social and environmental changes. Those changes include improvements in working conditions and remuneration, reduction of the industry’s waste stream and decrease in water pollution and  greenhouse gas emissions. We can and should push brands to make these changes. But we also need to change the way we consume clothes ourselves.

For many people, buying new clothes has become a distraction, a habit or even a compulsion. In those cases a “detox” can be a good way to take back control of consuming habits, turn off the “auto pilot” and stop buying without thinking. Spending a period without buying new clothes and accessories is a challenge that has been growing in popularity in social media lately. For the Slow Fashion Season campaign, for example, more than 10 thousand people spent 3 months without buying new clothes.

You and your friends can come up with your own set of rules for a “no buy challenge” : How long will it last? Can you buy second hand? Can you buy gifts? But the bottom line is sticking to it and showing yourself that you can live with what you already have or find alternatives like borrowing or swopping thing with your friends and up-cycling old items.

Join the challenge!

*About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

28/07/2019

Looking for an inspiring summer read?

Depending from which hemisphere you are reading this, summer vacation may be starting. If that is your case, don’t forget to pick out at least a few inspiring books to bring with you. Before buying a new book, here are a few tips:

• Ask on social media if any friends have the one you’re looking for to lend you.
• Look for the digital version of it, if you already have an e-reader or a tablet.
• Visit a library or a second hand bookstore (even if you don’t find exactly what you are looking for, you will probably discover some lost treasures).

Inspiring books, fiction or non-fiction, can change the way we see the world. And that can be a huge step towards changing the way we act in the world. To help you choose, we have selected 5 inspiring reading by 5 inspiring women. Enjoy the readings and the summer!

1. Silent Spring – Rachel Carson, 1962 > Considered to be one of the first and most important environmental books ever written, “Silent Spring” is credited to have caused the banning of DDT in the United States.

2. We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World – Malala Yousafzai, 2018 > The book features stories from refugee girls from around the world, including Nobel Peace Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai

3. Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2017 > This small book premise is to reunite 15 suggestions to raise feminist girls, but it turns out to be an interesting and inspiring reflection for everyone.

4) Freedom is a Constant Struggle – Angela Davies, 2015 > If you want to inspire the activist in you during this summer, this book emphasizes the importance of activism to change reality.

5) No one is too small to make a difference – Greta Thumberg, 2019 > Published a few months ago, this book presents some speeches by 16 year old activist Greta Thumberg. As the title says, she defends that no one is too small to make a difference and makes an urgent call to collective action.

*About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

21/07/2019

Start acting for the SDGs!

When we face big complex global challenges, there is a risk we might start feeling hopeless, thinking they are way out of range. It is true that accomplishing the SDGs necessarily goes trough big policy changes, governments and international organisations. But, still, there is a lot that we can do.

On one hand, highlighting what we can do individually, as citizens and consumers, is a key point when talking about the SDGs. This because usually people won’t take action to address a threat or a problem if they have the impression that there is nothing that can be done about it, that it is a lost cause. Does it sound familiar?

It seems to be the case with many people’s reaction to the climate crisis, for example, where guilt and fear often leads to denial and inaction.

On the other hand, stimulating individual initiative doesn’t mean taking responsibility away from governments and corporations. Obviously massive oil companies have more responsibility over the planet current’s situation than you using plastic bottles. But the point here is that our daily actions do make a difference and, moreover, they can inspire others around us to take action too.

Individuals, especially when organised in groups, can promote effective change trough direct action and campaigning. This is why we have prepared a small checklist, to remind you of all the things you can start doing today for achieving the SDGs. Realising our potential to make a difference is a point of no return: let’s move forward!

• Support a cause – Join a local or international organisation that actively contributes to a cause that you care about. Support it by donating money or doing volunteer work. Ideally both.
• Be a conscious consumer – Buy less: repair what you already have, make things at home and avoid things that stimulate impulse buying (cancel shops newsletters, avoid malls, etc.). And also buy better: prefer second hand, local products and things produced in fair and sustainable ways.
• Reduce your environmental footprint – Start diminishing your waste production by buying minimally packaged goods, not accepting disposable items, recycling and composting. Also reduce your carbon footprint by eating less meat and taking the train instead of the airplane, and the bike instead of the car, always when possible.
• Stand up! -Don’t turn a blind eye on racism, exclusion, discrimination and injustice, either in your work place, on public places or on social media. Participate in campaigns and petitions to press local and national authorities to engage in initiatives that contribute to the SDGs.
• Vote responsibly – Get informed: follow the news (not only social media!), watch debates, try to understand the main points of each candidate’s programs and choose the ones that you believe have the best proposals for the common good.

*About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the the Sustainable Development Goals.

18/07/2019

3 keys to understand the SDGs

If you ended up here it is very likely that you already heard something about the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. But why are they so important and how they can be achieved? Here we present you 3 keys to understand the SDGs in essence:

• key#1: The SDGs are intended to be universal, which means they apply to all countries and all people.

In 2015, in an historic UN summit, all Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that contained the 17 SDGs. On that occasion, all world leaders in the room agreed on what a “better and more sustainable future” would look like. They also shared the intention to work together to reach that in the next 15 years. In this sense, the SDGs intended to put everybody in the same page.

Importantly, they concern not only the world’s nations but also every one of us: individuals, local governments, big and small companies, social organisations and so on. For the goals to be achieved, it is crucial that different agents at different scales work together, joining forces in partnerships.

• key#2: The SDGs are interrelated; it is impossible to achieve one without addressing at least a few others.

The SDGs are intended to be implemented together; they have many links to one another and cannot be tackled individually. Although the goals are not listed in a priority order, it is no coincidence that SDG1 is eradicating poverty. Not only it is one of the biggest global challenges but it is also a basic requirement to achieve all the other goals.

Researchers from the Stockholm Resilience Centre, for example, demonstrated how eradicating poverty requires gender equality (SDG 5), decent jobs (SDG 8) and reduced inequality (SDG 10). They also concluded that all the goals were directly or indirectly connected to sustainable and healthy food.

• key#3:The SDGs are a starting point, not an end in themselves.

Setting an intention and defining goals are usually seen as indispensable steps for reaching them. However, the value of the SDGs lies in their actual achievement, which in this case means arriving at a more just and sustainable future. Therefore, making the SDGs famous or merely swearing allegiance to them won’t be enough.

The goals intend to guide transformative change in individual’s actions, companies’ strategies and government’s policies, leading to real impact. In order to achieve the SDGs our way of living, consuming and producing will need to change radically in the next years. That is our biggest challenge.

Now that you understand the SDGs, it´s time to start acting for them! 

* About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

images: www.globalgoals.org/resources

18/07/2019

Changing the world: one hectare at a time!

“You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete.”

This quote (by American futurist Buckminster Fuller) seems like a good way to describe what the social entrepreneur Felipe Villela, from reNature Foundation, has been doing in the past few years. And the new model he has been introducing to people around the world is called agroforestry.

Agroforesty is a cultivation system that merges trees and agriculture (crops or livestock), providing more resiliency and productivity compared to a monoculture system. Using this principle, Swiss farmer and researcher Ernst Götsch has been turning bare lands in Brazil into food forests and inspiring many others to do the same. Felipe was one of them, as during his time at Götsch’s farm he could see how to food could be produced in a sustainable and efficient way while also restoring a degraded ecosystem. It was not only economically viable but also considerably more productive than traditional agriculture, which meant good for business and for the planet. So why wasn’t everybody else doing the same?

View this post on Instagram

In cooperation with Tropicalia Coffee owned by @eduardofsousa, we are planting a regenerative coffee Agroforestry in Brazil and it’s development growth is stunning! . . The neighbors coffee plantations are in crisis due to lower production monoculture non-shaded systems gives. However now they start seeing this excellent showcase and start getting inspired to make the transition. Coffee needs shade and it’s amazing to see the results. . The design includes banana, coffee, macadamia, African mahogany and peanuts! Let’s do this? 🌴🍌☕️🌳🥜 . . #renature #agroforestry #regeneration #ecology #nature #planet #restoration #ecosystem #planting #sustainable #forest #conservation #future #agroecology #coffee #impact #agriculture #sustainability #commodity #impactinvest #farming #organic #naturelovers #regenerativeagriculture #regenerative #regenerate #coffeelovers #climatechange #community

A post shared by reNature (@renaturefoundation) on Jul 4, 2019 at 4:02am PDT

In 2017, with the objective to promote this sustainable agricultural practice worldwide, Felipe co-founded reNature. It present to farmers a way to grow multiple types of crop together, so that it does not need chemicals or too much water, improves productivity, biodiversity and soil’s conditions. As in Buckminster Fuller’s quote, farmers that are introduced to agroforestry and its advantages are expected to switch from monoculture and the old way of doing things.

Last month, Felipe was nominated European regional finalist from the UN Environment program “Champions of the Earth”, a program that gathers young entrepreneurs and their impactful ideas. We asked some questions for him about his initiative and their goal to make Regenerative Agroforestry mainstream.

• Why are you in business to regenerate our planet?

After visiting the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and seeing with my own eyes how massive deforestation is impacting people and planet, my appetite to find sustainable solutions for agricultural practices dramatically increased. Since then I decided to visit many Agroforestry farms in Brazil, which made me realise that the gap between experts in the field and industries/corporate was enormous. So I started reNature, a foundation that has the goal to implement scalable & replicable regenerative Agroforestry systems to businesses and industries from every single sector that are interested on transitioning their production method. I am in business to subtly plant a seed within old school businesses to give them the opportunity to reconcile themselves with nature and start planting their major commodities in a regenerative way, so that our future generations can thrive in our planet.

• What would be your advice for a social entrepreneur who is starting today?

I would advise to look at nature as an inspiration, in order to understand the social structures we can build for any impactful business. Social entrepreneurship demands pro-activeness and attentive observations to make right and fast decisions. Understanding how nature works makes you more secure and convinced on how to make better decisions that includes people, planet and profit.

•  Fast forward to 2030: How do you see the world by then with reNature contribution to it?

Our goal is restoring 1 million hectares worldwide using Agroforestry systems. By planting an average 2.000 trees per hectare, we can get to 2 trillion trees planted. According to a recent study,  if we plant 1,2 trillion trees we can reverse our climate crisis. Therefore, accomplishing our goal means effectively  contributing to change the current scenario. I believe in 2030 we will have businesses and industries convinced of Agroforestry positive impact and potential, adopting these practises worldwide and making it mainstream.

*About us: MAIA for the SDGs is an intensive program that will provide you with tools, skills and a support network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.