On 28 November I attended the Utrecht University Pathways to Sustainability Conference 2024 in the beautiful surroundings of the Tivoli Vredenburg in Utrecht. The title of the conference was At Home?, and the conference focused upon a premise: A just and sustainable future can only be reached with a feeling of HOME for all. All living creatures need a safe place where they can grow and flourish. But what constitutes HOME? What is a sustainable HOME, in the broadest sense, and how do we achieve that?
From the website:
HOME is a place: your house, street, region, the earth, the ocean. HOME is also a feeling of belonging, of safety, of family, of food, of memories. It transcends geographical boundaries and cultural divides. HOME changes, evolving with environmental and societal shifts, technological innovations and personal experiences. Due to many of these changes our HOME currently faces a broad set of ecological threats, resulting in the displacement of both humans and non-humans. As many people see HOME threatened by climate change, conflicts which can be catalyzed by environmental pressure, and economic realities, HOME can evoke mixed emotions and feelings of social injustice. HOME is important to everyone but it is also under pressure in many ways. Young people who cannot find housing of their own, homes that are in places that are no longer safe due to climate change, wars that destroy homes, refugees who have to sleep outside.
The organizers brought together a host of interesting speakers, alongside climate poets, musicians, virtual zombie ants, gaming fiends, a climate simulator and the chance to do some climate speed dating. A wonderful mix of fun, entertainment, critique and information.
Given my long-held interest in food procuring, I was particularly drawn to Carolyn Steel, author of Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives and Sitopia: How Food Can Save the World and her question: ‘We have strangely created the idea that food is cheap, but how can something that keeps us alive be cheap?’ Utrecht University Professor of Sustainable Food System Governance Hens Runhaar sat in the morning panel and raised lots of similar questions, with particular reference to the Netherlands and the relationship between its cities and agricultural areas.
Another personal highlight was Lilian Farahani a Dutch-Iranian soprano who together with her pianist Maurice Lammerts van Bueren performed tracks off her new album Nomad.
Emanuele Fantini brought an Italian connection into the discussion via his expertise in social movements against water privatisation in Italy. He also hosts a podcast in Italian under the name si dice acqua.
The afternoon breakout sessions offered a range of perspectives on issues such as sense of belonging, institutional change, the co-creation of social impact, promoting behavioural change, innovation in home sustainability improvements, (including another of my passions, fungus), and questions about the idea of the more-than-human concept raised through theatre and visual arts techniques. Spoilt for choice I visited them all.
The organization has published a wonderful wrap up of the event that offers the opportunity to experience what was a very enjoyable day with videos of the morning’s events and lots of information and photos of the breakout sessions.