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"Pioneers of Change" Symposium Brings Together Academics and Activists

Diverse Activities on Offer at Heinrich-Böll-Trust in Berlin

04.11.2013

On 15-16 October 2013 the Heinrich-Böll-Trust in Berlin hosted the symposium "Pioneers of Change – Transformation Research for a Culture of Sustainability" ["Pioniere des Wandels – Transformationsforschung für eine Kultur der Nachhaltigkeit"].

Co-organized by the Rachel Carson Center and Research in Community [http://symposium2013.researchincommunity.net/], the symposium saw the coming-together of academics and activists in the pursuit of sustainable ways of living. Among the "pioneers" were members of ecovillages, transition towns, and the commons movement. In a range of formats from classic lectures and discussions to a world café and a market of possibilities, the participants fruitfully experimented with ways to collaborate in a truly transdisciplinary fashion.

One of the many highlights was the lively discussion between Uwe Schneidewind (head of the Wuppertal Institute) and Harald Welzer (co-founder of the FuturZwei-trust), who had been invited as "key listeners" to a theater performance offered by students. The two subsequently engaged in a debate with the attendees.