Our September Next World Conversation will take place on Wednesday, September 16, 8:00- 9:00 and will feature David Orr, founder of the Oberlin Project and author of nine books on environmental design and the climate crisis. This past year, David has spurred a national reflection on the crisis in our democracy, collaborating with writers and activists, theorists and practitioners to produce a visionary volume entitled Democracy Unchained: How to Rebuild Government for the People (2020). David will be in conversation with Joel Wainwright, OSU Professor of Geography, co-author of Climate Leviathan: A Political Theory of our Planetary Future (2018). Together they will reflect on the importance of the upcoming election, on various dysfunctionalities of our current system, but most importantly on envisioning a “Next World” that could transform our current stalemate toward a renewed democracy capable of addressing our current crises in more effective ways. What will the Next World of democracy look like? Can government truly become a force to address the emergencies of our times?
Bring your thoughts and ideas!
Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYucuqvpjMsGtbX8Aly7RODpYIZQ29kgAO4
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Special Assistant to the President of Oberlin College. The Oberlin Project was formed out of David Orr’s vision of full-spectrum sustainability: an all-encompassing joint venture by the town and College to create a thriving, sustainable and environmentally friendly community in Oberlin.
He is the recipient of six honorary degrees and other awards including The Millennium Leadership Award from Global Green, the Bioneers Award, the National Wildlife Federation Leadership Award, a Lyndhurst Prize acknowledging “persons of exceptional moral character, vision, and energy.” He has been a scholar in residence at Ball State University, the University of Washington, and other universities. He has lectured at hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Europe. He has served as a Trustee for many organizations including the Rocky Mountain Institute, the Aldo Leopold Foundation, and the Bioneers. He has been a Trustee and/or advisor to ten foundations.
Joel Wainwright is Professor in the Department of Geography at Ohio State University, where he studies political economy, social theory, and environmental change. He is author of Decolonizing Development (2008), Geopiracy (2013), and, with Geoff Mann, Climate Leviathan (2018).