York University will host a climate change and climate justice unconference Thursday to create a forum for students, staff and faculty to have open conversations around social justice, human rights, sustainability and climate change issues.
The unconference will take place Oct 25, from 10am to 3pm, at 280N York Lanes, Keele campus. Lunch will be provided.
Are you aware of climate justice issues? Are your actions hurting disenfranchised people worldwide? Do you want to take action and make a difference here at York and beyond? The end goal is to create opportunities to work together to take action both personally and at York University.
“While we as individuals may not be able to solve the largest of environmental threats, we can, and indeed must, take some personal responsibilities to lessen our personal negative impacts. If each of us does a small thing, it can really add up to a large net positive for our climate,” says Noël Badiou, director of York’s Center for Human Rights.
“This is what is hoped for during the unconference – that students, faculty and staff take some time to consider what each of us can do on a daily or weekly basis that will help slow down the negative impacts on our environment. While we have had this type of discussion several decades ago (smaller cars, ‘don’t be a litter bug’, minimize packaging, use water sparingly), we seem to have lost our way and need to get back on track as time is not on our side.”
An unconference is an approach to hosting a conference that allows participants to determine the agenda themselves at the start of the day within the scope of a particular topic. This approach is also called open space technology.
“It is often hard to know where to start in tackling these issues or where to get involved. The aim of this unconference is to provide a space where students, staff and faculty can learn about climate change issues and offer help and support to others in addressing these issues collaboratively here at York,” says Annette Dubreuil, coordinator of Yorks’s Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS).
The day will begin with introductions and a collaborative planning session to determine the agenda for the day. Once discussion topics are chosen and opportunities for collaborative action are defined the group will divide up into breakout sessions based on their interests and expertise. The day will conclude with a summary of the breakout group discussion and the conclusions that can be drawn from the various experiences.
In the spirit of collaboration this unconference is being hosted through the joint efforts of the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability, the Centre for Human Rights, Campus Services & Business Operations, the President’s Sustainability Council, York University – TD Community Engagement Centre, Net Impact, Regenesis@York and the Climate Consortium for Research Action Integration.
For more information and to RSVP for the event, visit the IRIS website.