Regenerating living organisations - A systems view for change
Place: Online
This session focuses on how we as academics and normal citizens can strengthen all the work around regeneration that is coming strongly now from many different 'walks of life'. Regenerative communities and organisations are focused on land and practises that revitalize and activate the processes that sustain life on Earth. The focus is very much on the human-nonhuman axis, but also social aspects are given priorities. This session involves people leading the change that involves speakers from a diverse set of background who will provide an inspirational session on their view on how regenerative approaches can play a key role in producing inclusive and life enhancing post-COVID societies. The key questions we will discuss are:
1) What is regenerative economy/organisation?
2) How does regenerative change occur in different parts of the world/with what effects on the world?
3) How can we make key issues of regenerative thinking more available to the larger public and in business education?
Speakers
Daniel Christian Wahl, international consultant and educator specialising in biologically-inspired whole systems design and transformative innovation. He is a biologist (University of Edinburgh and University of California), holds an MSc in Holistic Science (Schumacher College) and a PhD in Design (CSND, University of Dundee, 2006).
Didi Pershouse, author, educator, and soil sponge strategist committed to building healthy communities both above and below ground. She is currently working on projects with the UN-FAO Farmer Field School program; the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming Initiative (APCNF) in India (involving over 800,000 farmers); and the No Regrets Initiative. Didi also leads retreats that develop and support resilient and regenerative leadership. Based in Vermont, she is the founder of the Land and Leadership Initiative.
Precious Phiri, training and development specialist in environmental issues, regenerative agricultural practices and community organizing. Her main interest is working with rural communities (especially) to fight and reverse poverty, desertification, loss of wildlife, and climate change and its effects. She was born and raised in Zimbabwe at one of the Hwange communities, the same area where her work is currently based. She recently founded an organization called EarthWisdom with the knowledge of her 9 year career as a Senior Facilitator at the Africa Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM) in Zimbabwe.
The facilitator of the discussion is Maria Ehrnström-Fuentes, assistant professor in management and organisation at Hanken. Her current Academy of Finland research project focuses on how regenerative grassroots movements are building more sustainable futures in different parts of the world.