Event

Inner Sustainability Talk - Relating to the non-human

Organised by Stichting Otherwise Wageningen
Date

Thu 30 April 2020 20:00 to 22:00

--- Online event ---
#5 Inner Sustainability Series: Inner Sustainability Talk

How do we relate to the non-human world? Do animals have a soul? Do plants have intelligence? What role do animals play in our society and how do we interact with them?

In this inner sustainability talk, we will dive into the topic of relating to the non-human world. Usually, we have quite an anthropocentric view of our society, considering only our way of being and knowing as truth. But how do animals communicate and live in this world? In this talk we will explore this.

Clemens Driessen, assistant professor at the department of Environmental Sciences, will talk with us about human-animal relations. He argues that nature is deeply cultural. What does that mean? Together we will dive into this and other questions such as "What does it entail when we take nonhuman organisms seriously as political beings that somehow communicate with us?" Or: "Do you think that there is a new ethics emerging, that considers animals as more equal to humans? And also things and plants?". Also participants will be invited to interact and ask questions. Tune in to dive into this topic together!

The event will take place through zoom: https://zoom.us/j/99933832544

Meeting ID: 999 3383 2544.

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This event is a part of an online series on Inner Sustainability:

2 April   - 20:00-22:00 - The work that reconnects - Docu screening
16 April - 20:00-22:00 - Albatross movie screening
30 April - 20:00-22:00 - Inner Sustainability Talk - Interview session

Each event is followed by an online workshop in the weekend:

5 April   - 14:00-17:00 - Nature connection - Sit spot practice
19 April - 14:00-17:00 - Nature connection - Sit spot practice
3 May   - 14:00-17:00 - Nature connection - Sit spot practice

Follow Inner Sustainability or OtherWise Wageningen to keep updated about the events

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iWEEK 2020: "A journey from I to We"

In July 2020 OtherWise organises the iWEEK, an interactive summer school on (re)connection. It is a full-week experience to explore inner sustainability and leadership in the context of major societal and environmental challenges of our time. We actively hope the iWEEK can take place this year, considering the regulations around the corona virus. For now we do not think cancellation is necessary, we will follow the development of the situation with care.

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What is Inner Sustainability?

Sustainability is oftentimes discussed within the realm of technological solutions, policy measures or innovations. This could be called the 'outside' of sustainability. However there is also a growing awareness that at the base we are intricately connected to all life. This could be called the 'inside' of sustainability. When the awareness of this interconnectedness is not experienced, this can give feelings of isolation, disconnectedness and a loss of respect for other lives, including natural environment. As long as other people and other life forms are recognized as part of a whole that we all belong to, it becomes very difficult to do harm to another being. When this connectedness is experienced consciously, decisions are made differently than when we presume to be on our own. This embodied sense of sustainability and interconnectedness is what we call 'Inner Sustainability'.