Diary

Citation

(2001), "Diary", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 2 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe.2001.24902aac.001

Diary

Humankind and the City – Towards a Human and Sustainable Development

Naples6-8 September 2000

Naples Declaration(This Declaration was approved at the end of the World Conference Humankind and the City, towards a Human and Sustainable Development, held in Naples, Italy, on 6-8 September 2000.)

Preamble

We, the participants at the World Meeting Humankind and the City: towards a Human and Sustainable Development, held in Naples, 6-8 September 2000:

• •

  recognising the pivotal role that cities play in economic development and job creation, in promoting cultural creativity and technological and organisational innovation;

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  concerned with the social, economic, environmental impacts of urbanisation, globalisation and social change; and

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  noting the potential contribution that cities could make in promoting more sustainable forms of development and improving quality of life

hereby declare that:

1. 1.

   Justice for a more humane city. A more humane city must be based on the principles of social and environmental justice. It must respect and promote the dignity of each person, and ensure the rights of diverse cultures to self-expression. Urban problems, such as poverty, unemployment and underemployment, lack of adequate shelter, secure tenure and basic services, and social and ethnic exclusion are not inevitable evils. Rather, they are a scandal, too often resulting from a lack of political will and good governance. Particularly in developing countries, foreign debt and environmental degradation are closely linked. The "global common good" of a more humane city cannot be achieved without reducing inequalities of all kinds and at all levels.

2. 2.

   Good governance. The challenge of more humane and sustainable urban development cannot be met without good governance. Good governance requires the participation of all humankind – women and men of all ages – in public choices at all levels of decision making.

3. 3.

   Towards a new integrated economic vision. There is a need to build a new paradigm for economic development, based on inherent human and environmental values, and recognising the contribution of the "civil economy". This expression, inspired by the Neapolitan economist Antonio Genovesi (1713-1769), means an economy that incorporates the wealth, added value produced by family, community, non-profit, voluntary, Local Exchange Trade System (LETS), micro and ethical financing, fair trade and mutual and self-help activities, as well as the critical unaccounted use of natural resources. Such an economy requires adequate indicators, not only economic but environmental, not only aggregate but also distributional, not only material but also spiritual.

4. 4.

   The role of integrated and participatory planning. Integrated and participatory planning should provide the basis for more sustainable urban development strategies. Such planning should strengthen civil society; build social capital; promote community-based development; and stimulate local enterprise (particularly among women and the young) and cultural vitality.

5. 5.

   The principle of subsidiarity and the promotion of sustainable communities. The Habitat Agenda and Local Agenda 21 are important instruments recognising the critical contribution of partnerships, participation, capacity-building and decentralisation based on the principle of subsidiarity. They should be widely applied by governments at all levels, and involve the active participation of religious, social, economic, cultural and professional associations, academic and research institutions, and grass roots organisations.

6. 6.

   The importance of collective memory and the culture of the city. Cities are increasingly multiethnic and multi-cultural. The right to the city must be broad-based and all-encompassing. Nevertheless, the historical and cultural heritage, representing the collective memory of the city, its specificity and identity, must be preserved and promoted as a key contribution to the humanisation of our cities.

7. 7.

   Technology. Scientific and technological advancement is an essential component of sustainable development. In the past, however, it has too often accentuated inequality and harmed the environment. From now on new forms of technology should directly address the needs of the poor and abide by the precautionary principle.

8. 8.

   The cultural and educational dimension. The cultural and educational dimensions have a strategic role to play in providing the human and social capital for more sustainable forms of development. These dimensions must be promoted together with spiritual, aesthetic and relational ones within more comprehensive and holistic educational systems. A particular responsibility lies with the media. New information and communication technologies should be put to work to promote the education necessary to achieve social and environmental justice.

9. 9.

   Towards a new global ethics. Our norms and ethics of behaviour for the twenty-first century should be based on a shared recognition of our common humanity and our shared eco-systems, to enable the non-violent resolution of conflicts and differences and the recognition of the "global common good". These ethics and norms must keep the human being and human relationships at the centre of all decision making, to go beyond the narrow logic of economic development to include the concern for social and environmental justice.

10. 10.

    The importance of the spiritual. The spiritual dimension in its broadest sense is essential to sustainable human development. It strengthens justice, solidarity, reciprocity and aesthetic values. Every city should preserve and promote this dimension as an essential aspect of the well being of its people.

2nd International Conference "From Eco-Efficiency to Overall Sustainability in Enterprises"

Düsseldorf, Germany15/16 May 2001

A major international conference entitled "From Eco-Efficiency to Overall Sustainability in Enterprises" will take place on 15 and 16 May 2001 as part of ENVITEC 2001. After the first international conference, in 1998, attracted some 450 participants, we are this year prepared to welcome about 600 participants from all over the world.

ENVITEC has been the leading international environmental trade fair for 30 years. The next ENVITEC will take place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 14 to 17 May 2001. For the first time the ENVITEC will be held alongside the A+A the international trade fair for occupational safety and health at work. Eco-efficiency in enterprises is gaining attention all over the world, the more since the Sustainable Performance Group launched the Dow Jones Sustainability Group Index. Environmental and – of late – also financial actors look more and more for environmental friendly production and services that go beyond pollution control. The time has come to embrace the efforts of various innovators and actors in sustainable enterprise, and create an international platform for the subject of eco-efficiency. A combined effort towards knowledge transfer and network-building is very important. This has led to a joint initiative of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to hold this international conference on eco-efficiency and sustainability in enterprises. The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology holds the patronage for the conference.

The event's prime aim is to exchange knowledge, to bring people together who are involved in sustainable enterprises and to develop common directives for the development and implementation of sustainability. Areas to be addressed are: energy efficiency, water efficiency and resource efficiency. Noted speakers such as Amory B. Lovins (Rocky Mountain Institute), Heinz Schilling (SEW), Albin Kälin (Rohner Textil AG) and Hiroaki Koshibu (Fuji Xerox) will present entrepreneurial success stories. For the first time, one session will deal with social aspects of eco-efficiency, the so-called corporate social responsibility of enterprises. Here Peter Zollinger (SustainAbility), Udo Helms (Siemens) and Alois Faltz (Sustainable Performance Group) will speak about social and financial aspects of a sustainable development of enterprises. A further session will be hosted by the consulting company, Arthur D. Little and deal with possibilities of consulting enterprises towards sustainable development. More information may be obtained by visiting the Web site: http://www.eco-efficiency.de and http://www.envitec.de or via the Conference: e-mail: Jan-Dirk.Seiler@wupperinst.org

Conference Office, Jan-Dirk Seiler-Hausmann, Monika Kieslich, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Döppersberg 19, D-42103 Wuppertal, Germany. Tel: +49 (0)202 2492 102; 269; Fax: +49 (0)202 2492-108; E-mail: Jan-Dirk.Seiler@wupperinst.org Internet: http://www.eco-efficiency.de

7th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication

Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada18-20 July 2001

Under the slogan "Telling Our Stories", the conference is being hosted by the Yukon College, in Whitehorse (Canada), and organised by the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education and the Environmental Education Association of the Yukon.

The event has two main dimensions:

1. 1.

   Narrative. Storytelling has always been important to northern peoples. Explore narrative aspects of traditional knowledge, drama, music, dance and "narrative as research".

2. 2.

   Research. Examine emerging research trends in philosophy, participatory inquiry, feminist critique, historical interpretation, phenomenology, narrative inquiry, ethics, and more.

A featured speaker is David Abram, author of The Spell of the Sensuous.

Papers are now being called and those interested in presenting a paper, workshop, poster, or a work-in-progress should contact the organisers.

For further information and to be included in the conference mailing list, please contact: Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, Yukon College, Box 2799, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 5K4, Canada. E-mail: eecom2001@yukoncollege.yk.ca or cjee@yukoncollege.yk.ca

River Basin Management 2001

Cardiff, UK11-13 September 2001

River Basin Management 2001 is the first in this new series of events, which marks the growing international interest in the planning, design and management of river basin systems.

The conference will aim to communicate recent advances in the overall management of riverine systems, including advances in hydraulic and hydrologic modelling, environmental protection and floodplain mapping.

In recent years, significant advances have been made in the development and application of hydroinformatics software tools for predicting flow, water quality, sediment transport and ecological processes in riverine systems. River Basin Management 2001 will provide the ideal forum for practitioners and academia to highlight the latest developments in this field and to discuss the experience of applying such software tools to practical riverine problems.

Currently topics such as river ecology, geomorphology, floodplain mapping and field and laboratory data for riverine basins, are of great interest. This is likely to increase even further in the future, as the effects of climate change on flooding, etc. become more intense and more frequent.

Topics:

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  Riverine hydraulics and hydrology.

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  Flood mapping and prediction.

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  Water quality and environmental modelling.

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  Ecological and bacteriological perspectives.

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  Dam break and flood wave analysis.

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  Flood risk and uncertainty analysis.

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  Sediment transport processes and navigation.

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  Hydraulic structures and river training.

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  Wetland restoration and management.

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  Total catchment modelling and management.

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  Weather radar and data acquisition.

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  Management information systems and GIS.

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  Decision support systems and neural networks.

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  EC Directives and World Health Organisation Standards.

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  Engineering solutions and case studies.

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  Sustainable river management.

Papers are invited on the topics outlined above and on others falling within the scope of the meeting. Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted by mail, fax or e-mail as soon as possible.

For further information please contact: Susan Hanley, Conference Secretariat RBM 2001, Wessex Institute of Technology, Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst, Southampton SO40 7AA, UK. Tel: + 44 (0) 238 029 3223; Fax: + 44 (0) 238 029 2853; E-mail: shanley@wessex.ac.uk

Or visit the Web site of the conference at: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2001/river01/

EMSU 2001: Sustainability and Transformation in Higher Education – International Conference

11-14 September 2001Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

First announcement and call for contributions.

Conference theme

The theme for the second International Conference on Environmental Management for Sustainable Universities (EMSU 2001) is "Sustainability and Transformation in Higher Education (HE)". It illuminates issues of transformation for sustainability in HE in the spheres of environmental management, curriculum development, research and environmental activism. Building a conference theme around the notion of "transformation" challenges us to consider broader issues of social and ecological change within an international arena such as:

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  What is the role of higher education in redressing global inequality in the move towards global sustainability?

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  How do environmental management processes enable changes at a local, institutional level?

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  What kinds of curricula and programmes enable sustainable living practices in institutions?

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  What does sustainability mean in a developed/developing context?

This conference challenges leaders in HE to report on their innovations, research and management practices in an international forum on sustainability.

More about the venue and your hosts

EMSU 2001 takes place in Grahamstown, South Africa, on the campus of Rhodes University. Grahamstown is a small university town. Poised between the dire development needs of the Eastern Cape Province and rich sources of cultural and intellectual resources, Rhodes University presents a vibrant and interesting context for academic and educational work. In recent years, much of this work has focused on environment and development issues in the province, and in the broader southern African region. Rhodes University has a rapidly growing environmental science programme and a well established environmental education unit. Many other faculties are engaged in environmentally-oriented research and teaching. After becoming a signatory to the Talloires Declaration, Rhodes embarked on developing a University environmental policy under the guidance of the Grounds and Gardens Department. For a more in-depth view of Rhodes University, visit our Web site at http://www.rhodes.ac.za

Contributions

Note that all contributions should link to the conference theme and one or more of the following sub-themes:

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  Implementation of environmental management systems in HE.

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  Development of curricula, programmes and educational processes.

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  Engaging the debate on sustainability through research and critical academic work.

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  Student/staff action for change.

Contributions may have one of the following formats:

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  Paper presentation: present a 30-minute academic paper representing a critical comment on some aspect of sustainability and transformation in HE; or

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  Stories of transformation: present your story of "sustainability and transformation in higher education" in the form of a paper presentation with a strong case study focus. Share your experience in implementing curriculum, research or management processes for sustainability – your successes and failures, and the significant lessons we may learn from that experience.

Round table discussion

These sessions are aimed at enabling open-ended debate and discussion on a wide range of issues and questions related to the conference theme. Should you wish to host a round table discussion, compile a short orientation to your issue or question to stimulate further debate or discussion. Issues and questions may be of a practical or theoretical nature.

Marketplace displays and posters

The conference will include "marketplace" and poster sessions to encourage networking. Share resource materials, publications, course materials or research reports with other conference delegates during the marketplace session. You may also present a poster display as part of the marketplace displays.

Country reports

There will be a plenary session in which all participants will be invited to share national perspectives on sustainability and transformation in higher education. Please prepare to make a contribution to this session.

Conference publication

Rhodes University will edit a post-conference publication on sustainability and transformation, drawing on selected papers from the conference. Should you wish to make a contribution to the publication visit the Web site (see below) for editorial information.

Excursions

The conference will include one or more excursions to other campuses in the Eastern Cape to observe examples of environmental management, teaching and research in other centres of learning.

Post-conference excursions

The conference organisers are putting together an interesting post-conference excursion programme, in partnership with local tour operation companies. Post-conference excursions will introduce conference delegates to the rich biodiversity of South Africa. Potential excursions include the Kruger National Park, the Cape Garden Route, the Addo Elephant Park and Shamwari Game Reserve.

Accommodation

The university offers comfortable single room accommodation. There are also numerous bed and breakfast establishments within walking distance.

Important dates

Contributors and delegates are urged to adhere to the following deadlines:

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  31 January 2001, first registration;

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  31 March 2001, final registration, abstracts and contributions, accommodation bookings post-conference excursion bookings;

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  31 May 2001, final contributions for publication; registration (please complete the online registration form available at the conference Web site: http://www.rhodes.ac.za/environment/emsu.html

Registration fees

US$200 per delegate, excluding accommodation and other costs (delegates from developing countries may apply for a discount in registration fees).

Direct enquiries to Lesley Futter. E-mail: L.Futter@ru.ac.za, EMSU 2001 Conference, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa. Tel: +27-46-603-8138; Fax: +27-46-636-1902; Web site: http://www.rhodes.ac.za/environment/emsu.html