Global Sustainable Development News

Ramphal Building, R2.41, 4pm 5th December 2018

Via lessons from Charles Darwin, the Routemaster bus and the strongly-held beliefs of those who strove for a better world, Mark Adams (Vitsoe, Leamington Spa) will explore how good design has the power to make our ailing planet just a little bit better.

Vitsoe have been making long-lasting furniture since 1959 with a distinct sustainability ethos. Their designs are driven by living better with less for longers, embedding reuse and sustainable practices into the core of their products.

Wine & Mince Pies available throughout!

Applications for Warwick In Africa's summer 2019 programme are now open. Since 2006, the initiative has grown exponentially, currently consisting of a multi-layered programme helping learners and their teachers across South Africa, Tanzania and Ghana. In 2017, Warwick In Africa worked with 109 volunteers, trained 518 teachers and taught 23,008 learners. A number of GSD students have previously taken part in the programme and found it to be a transformational experience.

You can apply here

On Wednesday, November 21^st, the School for Cross-faculty Studies hosted the first Volunteering Fair, organized by Dr. Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla. Students showcased a variety of volunteering projects with which they were or are currently involved, in hopes of inspiring other students, faculty, and staff. Presenters spoke about how they came across their volunteering project, what they did, and how others can get more information. Guests asked questions regarding the impact created, challenges encountered, and lessons learned.

The volunteering projects spanned the local, national, and international scales. On the local scale, Esther Rzewski shared her current volunteering experience at an organisation offering various support services to immigrants in Coventry. She has also been involved with an organisation providing homeless people with temporary accommodation. 

On the national scale, Imaani Hashamy volunteered at a community volunteer centre in Thurrock, Essex. She worked on a report about the impact of the voluntary sector, in addition to having worked with local businesses and large corporations on their social awareness and recognition, ensuring they were making a positive impact on the communities where they are present.

The variety of experiences on the international scale was remarkable. Keelie Renwick spoke about volunteering through ICS (International Citizen Service) with Voluntary Service Overseas in Tanzania. Her activities included organising projects related to irrigation, sexual health, employability and business skills; organising Community Action Days; and establishing relationships with various stakeholders.

Lily Rose shared her various experiences with GVI (Global Vision International), which she has been involved with since 2014 in Costa Rica, Thailand, and India, both as a volunteer and staff member.

Marina Zorila and Lucy Page shared their experience volunteering at the Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco-Foundation in Nepal, where, along with three other GSD students, they taught English, helped build an eco-house made of recycled glass bottles, and worked on a biodynamic farm.

Last but not least, Latin America hosted two students’ experiences. David Munday went to Cuba and made the most of volunteering in a restaurant, in construction, as well as on a farm. Bella Brant went to Honduras with the Warwick Global Brigades; and to Guatemala to volunteer for De La Gente, an NGO that enhances the economic opportunities of coffee-producing communities. 

Overall, the Volunteering Fair has inspired many guests and will hopefully become an annual event where students of the School can share their experiences and encourage others to delve into the rewarding world of volunteering.

Friday December 7th 2018, 10:00-12:00
Lecture Room MS01, Zeeman Building, Warwick University

The role of business
The role of government
The climate movement

Wilfrid Petrie, CEO, Engie.com
Matthew Bell, former Chief Executive, UK Government Committee on Climate Change
Mark Kenber, Chair, Advisory Council, Reneum, and Board Member, Community Energy England

Chair: Joan MacNaughton CB, The Climate Group and the Energy Academy of Europe

The talks will be followed by a Q+A. Please register here.

During the final week of Autumn Term, there are two exciting events on Latin America to look forward to. Firstly, on 4th December, 17:30-19:00, OC1.04, Dr María Luisa Ortiz, Head Curator of the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago (Chile) will discuss the role of museums as promoters of memory and human rights. The museum's programme of memory and its promotion of human rights awareness has covered a variety of areas, from repression and violence to exile and indigenous communities. The museum runs a programme of oral interviews, recording life experiences and preserving them for future research. María Luisa will discuss the challenges and the benefits of this work in Chile today.

The following day, (5th December, 19:30, Helen Martin Studio), to mark the conclusion of the AHRC-funded project, 'Chilean Exiles and the World Service', the School for Modern Languages and Cultures will be hosting an evening of poetry, spoken word and music featuring:

• María Eugenia Bravo Calderara(Poet)
• Carla Guelfenbein (Novelist)
• Valentina Montoya Martínez(Singer-songwriter)

To reserve your place, please email caroline.parker@warwick.ac.uk

Entries are now open to the University's Global Research Priority (GRP) International Development photography competition for 2018/19. For the past four years, this competition has attracted high quality photographs taken in locations all over the world. The competition is open to both students and staff. This year's competition will focus upon the GRP International Development's theme of "Hope, Democracy, and Development".

There are two submission deadlines:

• Submission deadline 1: 20th December 2018 (for inclusion in the exhibition at the City Arcadia Gallery, Coventry City as well as the competition prizes).
• Submission deadline 2: 1st April 2019 (for the competition prizes only).

Prizes: First Prize £150; Second Prize: £100; Third Prize £50.

For further information on submissions and judging criteria, please visit the GRP International Development's website - good luck to all!

This summer, five second-year GSD students travelled to Nepal to volunteer at the Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco-Foundation, an organization promoting sustainability initiatives in the local community. Lucy Page and Marina Zorila stayed at the foundation for three weeks, whereas Clem Owusu, Ellie Church and Sara Shiraaz were there for 10 days. During their time, they taught English lessons at the foundation’s Waldorf-inspired school, contributed to the construction of an earthquake-resistant house made of recycled glass bottles, and worked in the biodynamic farm. The foundation also runs a jewellery workshop, called Mahila Shakti (translating to ‘women’s power’), which teaches uneducated women in the community to make jewellery made of organic materials. The women at the foundation, who make up 90% of the workforce, taught the volunteers how to make the jewellery and welcomed them into their Women’s Day celebrations to advocate female empowerment.

More information

Warwick SEED is an exciting new society, co-chaired and co-founded by two final year GSD students, Hannah Abdel-Hadi and Liam Shah, which is both inspired by and closely linked to its partner in Melbourne, Monash SEED. The specific focus is on social entrepreneurship, enterprise and impact, elements of business that often sit on the periphery among other university societies but, at SEED, will be brought to the forefront. Over the next year and into the future, the aim of the society is to provide alternative careers events, networking nights and much more to fill the gap between the charity and 'big business' sectors, facilitating partnerships with businesses both in the local area and on a more global scale.

Follow Warwick SEED on Facebook and Instagram to get all the latest, and contact secretary@warwickseed.org for additional information.

Ramphal Building, R3.25, 4:30-5:30pm - all welcome to attend

You are warmly invited to attend the School’s Volunteering Fair to learn more about the volunteering activities of students. The fair will showcase an array of different projects, with students presenting posters on their volunteering efforts on a local, national, and global level. We encourage you to take this opportunity to discover how volunteering projects can contribute to social change in so many different ways. This is also a great chance to ask questions and get inspired about your own ambitions. Find out what steps are required from the initial planning stage through to the completion of a project. Come with questions and leave with inspiration!

Applications for URSS 2019 are now open. This is a fantastic opportunity to undertake a unique research project during the summer months and further develop your research, writing, and presentation credentials. URSS funding varies depending upon whether you choose to research locally, nationally, or internationally. You can find out more about how to apply here - https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/urss/apply/

In 2018, GSD students completed research projects through URSS on the following subjects:

• Anna Matrai: The Enabling Environment of Renewable Energy Policies in the United Arab Emirates
• Feriel Bouricha: Ibadism in Djerba: Retracing the Apex and decline of a sustainable community model
• Julie Saumagne: A Critical History of Food Insecurity in Coventry
• Mariam Omar: Sustainable Living in the Hunza Province
• Nicola Blasetti: Impacts of Climate Change on Peripheral Regions: The case for stronger adapation and increased mitigation in Europe

Please visit the URSS website for further information - https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/urss/