Summer update from the WFC!
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Early Summer update from the WFC!
Dear friends,
With summer in our step, we look back on an exciting and eventful month. From witnessing environmental education in action and working to create a world without nuclear weapons to educating policy-makers on effective responses to domestic violence and making the case for ‘community energy’ – this edition of our newsletter fills you in on our recent activities.
And please don’t forget: our work is only made possible through the generosity of you, our supporters. Help us to continue our work by supporting us with a donation!
With best wishes,
Jakob von Uexkull(Founder),
Alexandra Wandel(Director) and
Stefan Schurig (Member Management Board)
Rwanda’s National Forest Policy
Rwanda is one of only three countries in Central and Western Africa to achieve a major reversal in the trend of declining forest cover. Through its Future Policy Award-winning National Forest Policy, the country is on course to reach its goal of increasing forest cover to 30% of total land area by 2020.
Together with other international organisations and leading figures working to consider the welfare of future generations, we are meeting in Helsinki for high-level debate and exchange. The event will include a meeting of the Roundtable of Institutions for a Sustainable Future which the WFC helped to establish.
What are the two principal threats to the survival of humanity and how are they connected? Watchthis short video to find out.
“You can transition to 100% renewable energy in many different ways, but how is it done to meet the needs of the people and to reach sustainability?”WFC Climate & Energy expert Anna Leidreiter in conversation withRenewable Cities.
Fostering the next generation of environmental stewards: Learning the Maryland way
The ability of young people to make informed decisions about their relationship to nature has profound implications for both the local and global environment and our collective wellbeing. In 2011, the US state of Maryland became the first jurisdiction in the world to make environmental literacy a high school graduation requirement. For this, it won the 2015 Silver Future Policy Award. In May, our Children’s Rights team undertook a ten day field trip across the state to witness environmental literacy in action.
This week, REN21 published the most comprehensive annual overview of the state of renewable energy – the Renewables 2016 Global Status Report. Local governments, communities and citizens are the real pioneers of the transition towards 100% renewable energy. We contributed a chapter on community energy, sharing the WFC experiences from across the world. But what does ‘community energy’ actually mean? Click below to find out.
Global support and political will for nuclear disarmament
The Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) aims to address the concrete effective legal measures, legal provisions and norms necessary to create a world without nuclear weapons. On May 12, our Councillor Alyn Wareand Disarmament Coordinator Rob van Riet joined its latest meeting in Geneva. They were also part of a discussion with Michael Douglas and UN High-Level Rep Mr. Kim Won-soo on moving nuclear disarmament forward.
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Recent data shows that at least 30% of women worldwide have suffered physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence. The “Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to Domestic Violence”, implemented in Minnesota (USA), has been successfully protecting women from domestic violence for more than 30 years. It won the 2014 Future Policy Award as the world’s best policy to address domestic violence. We recently visited Duluth to facilitate a workshop to spread the approach to other communities.
Honorary Councillor and Founding President of the Seychelles, Sir James Mancham, in Hamburg
WFC Honorary Councillor and Founding President of the Seychelles Sir James Mancham visited our headquarters in Hamburg before heading off to several other European cities to participate in various peace-orientated forums. |
May update from the WFC!
Dear friends,
Although we are still at the beginning of 2016, it has already been a special year for us. With our successful Word Future Forum, the visit of a former Prime Minister and so many other great projects and events, it was hard to pick the highlights for our newsletter. We hope you find this issue as exciting as we do!
Follow us on Twitter or Facebook and don’t forget to visit our new homepage.
With best wishes from Hamburg,
Jakob von Uexkull (Founder),
Alexandra Wandel (Director) and
Stefan Schurig (Member Management Board)
Policy of the month
It might be hard to believe today, but until 1979, no country explicitly prohibited all forms of corporal punishment of children. It was Sweden that decided to take action.Its pioneering reform is considered to have achieved full prohibition in all settings, including the home, and has fostered a profound change of attitude across Swedish society in relation to violence against children.
Zero Project Conference
More than 500 innovators from more than 70 countries came together for our Zero Project Conference 2016, highlighting the best policies and practices to provide access to education for persons with disabilities. Read more on our Zero Project website.
100 % RE goes Tanzania
How can 100% Renewable Energy work in Tanzania? We co-hosted a workshop in Dar es Salaam to kick off an 18-months project exploring the chances and challenges, bringing together 25 Tanzanian thought-leaders. Click here to read more!
The Guardian
The international community has agreed on an ambitious agenda to curb climate change. The question we now face is: how are we going to finance the changes needed to reach this goal? WFC Researcher Matthias Kroll suggests a way forward in his article.
Protecting refugee women and children
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day on March 8, members of the World Future Council called governments,international organizations, humanitarian actors and civil society to step up action to protect refugee women, children and unaccompanied minors from violence. Their powerful joint statement was signed at our World Future Forum 2016 in Hamburg.
World Future Forum 2016 in Hamburg
WFC Councillors and staff at the World Future Forum 2016.
More than 50 Councillors, Ambassadors, Staff and Board Members came together at our Annual General Meeting to share their views of the future and discuss ways to achieve a peaceful, sustainable and just future. “History has knocked very loudly on our door. Will we answer?”, asked our founder Jakob von Uexkull in his inspiring opening speech.
Read more
Our brand new website is online!
We relaunched our website and are very excited to introduce you to our ‘new look’. We hope that the new design and features will spark many conversations with all of you. Check it out and let us know what you think!
Start exploring
Marshall Islands’ nuclear disarmament cases
Oral hearings on the preliminary phase of the nuclear disarmament cases brought by the Marshall Islands against India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom took place at the International Court of Justice in The Hague from 7-16 March. Members of the World Future Council have been involved in this unprecedented legal action since its launch in 2014 and some were present during the oral arguments at the Court. For a short and informative video about the case, featuring our Disarmament Programme Coordinator Rob van Riet, click here.
More information about the ICJ cases
Five years after Fukushima: Former Japanese Prime Minister visits WFC office
“The age of nuclear and fossil fuel is over”. On March 23, former Japanese PM Naoto Kan, our founder Jakob von Uexkull and German Entrepreneur and Honorary WFC Councillor Dr. Michael Otto discussed energy politics in Japan and Germany – five years after Fukushima. The outcome? Renewable energy is the only way forward!
More on the Fukushima Anniversary
Why do we need a UN High Commissioner for Future Generations?
Why do we need a UN High Commissioner for Future Generations?
Decisions taken by politicians today will have a major influence on the world of tomorrow and drastically impact the well-being of future generations. But although they undeniably face the consequences of what is decided today, future generations don’t have a pre-emptive say in it. Our new video shows how this can be changed.
Spring update from the WFC!
Dear friends,
Although we are still at the beginning of 2016, it has already been a special year for us. With our successful Word Future Forum, the visit of a former Prime Minister and so many other great projects and events, it was hard to pick the highlights for our newsletter. We hope you find this issue as exciting as we do!
Follow us on Twitter or Facebook and don’t forget to visit our new homepage.
With best wishes from Hamburg,
Jakob von Uexkull (Founder),
Alexandra Wandel (Director) and
Stefan Schurig (Member Management Board)
Policy of the month
It might be hard to believe today, but until 1979, no country explicitly prohibited all forms of corporal punishment of children. It was Sweden that decided to take action.Its pioneering reform is considered to have achieved full prohibition in all settings, including the home, and has fostered a profound change of attitude across Swedish society in relation to violence against children.
Zero Project Conference
More than 500 innovators from more than 70 countries came together for our Zero Project Conference 2016, highlighting the best policies and practices to provide access to education for persons with disabilities. Read more on our Zero Project website.
100 % RE goes Tanzania
How can 100% Renewable Energy work in Tanzania? We co-hosted a workshop in Dar es Salaam to kick off an 18-months project exploring the chances and challenges, bringing together 25 Tanzanian thought-leaders. Click here to read more!
The Guardian
The international community has agreed on an ambitious agenda to curb climate change. The question we now face is: how are we going to finance the changes needed to reach this goal? WFC Researcher Matthias Kroll suggests a way forward in his article.
Protecting refugee women and children
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day on March 8, members of the World Future Council called governments,international organizations, humanitarian actors and civil society to step up action to protect refugee women, children and unaccompanied minors from violence. Their powerful joint statement was signed at our World Future Forum 2016 in Hamburg.
World Future Forum 2016 in Hamburg
WFC Councillors and staff at the World Future Forum 2016.
More than 50 Councillors, Ambassadors, Staff and Board Members came together at our Annual General Meeting to share their views of the future and discuss ways to achieve a peaceful, sustainable and just future. “History has knocked very loudly on our door. Will we answer?”, asked our founder Jakob von Uexkull in his inspiring opening speech.
Read more
Our brand new website is online!
We relaunched our website and are very excited to introduce you to our ‘new look’. We hope that the new design and features will spark many conversations with all of you. Check it out and let us know what you think!
Start exploring
Marshall Islands’ nuclear disarmament cases
Oral hearings on the preliminary phase of the nuclear disarmament cases brought by the Marshall Islands against India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom took place at the International Court of Justice in The Hague from 7-16 March. Members of the World Future Council have been involved in this unprecedented legal action since its launch in 2014 and some were present during the oral arguments at the Court. For a short and informative video about the case, featuring our Disarmament Programme Coordinator Rob van Riet, click here.
More information about the ICJ cases
Five years after Fukushima: Former Japanese Prime Minister visits WFC office
“The age of nuclear and fossil fuel is over”. On March 23, former Japanese PM Naoto Kan, our founder Jakob von Uexkull and German Entrepreneur and Honorary WFC Councillor Dr. Michael Otto discussed energy politics in Japan and Germany – five years after Fukushima. The outcome? Renewable energy is the only way forward!
More on the Fukushima Anniversary
Why do we need a UN High Commissioner for Future Generations?
Why do we need a UN High Commissioner for Future Generations?
Decisions taken by politicians today will have a major influence on the world of tomorrow and drastically impact the well-being of future generations. But although they undeniably face the consequences of what is decided today, future generations don’t have a pre-emptive say in it. Our new video shows how this can be changed.
February 2016
Dear friends,
We are off to a flying start in 2016, welcoming aboard Anke Domscheit-Berg as Senior Policy Advisor working with us to end violence against women and girls as well as our new Ambassador Demian Dressler.
We are also preparing for our Annual General Meeting that will take place in Hamburg at the beginning of March, where Councillors and staff members will discuss the work programme for the next year. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to stay up-to-date!
The First Renewable Energy COP
COP21 in Paris has been widely praised as historic! At our side event we highlighted how 100% Renewable Energy is a viable solution to combat climate change today, by presenting different approaches to achieve this ambitious goal. This article explains why this was the very first “Renewables COP” and here you can readwhy it is time to recognise African countries as key protagonists in the development towards 100% RE.
How to Finance the Sustainable Development Goals
It’s the trillion-dollar question: How will the Sustainable Development Goals be financed? To find innovative solutions, The Guardian’s Global Development Professionals Network hosted an online expert panel. Our Future Finance expert Mathias Kroll also participated.Click here to read a summary of the discussion.
Anke Domscheit-Berg and Demian Dressler join our team
We are happy to announce that publicist and speaker Anke Domscheit-Berg and author, artist and veterinary surgeon Demian Dressler have joined the World Future Council. Click here to read more about Demian and here for Anke’s Twitter feed.
Events: Zero Project 2016: Education and/or ICT
From February 10-12, we are hosting the fifth Zero Project Conference together with the Essl Foundation and the European Foundation Centre at the UN office in Vienna. Five hundred participants will discuss innovative policies and practices on inclusive education. Click herefor more information.
9th Annual General Meeting in Hamburg
More than 50 Councillors, Ambassadors and members of our Supervisory Board will convene for our Annual General Meeting “Identifying Policy Solutions for a World of Growing Disorder and Inter-linked Crises” in Hamburg, Germany from 5-7 March. Councillors Dr. Auma Obama and Youth Ambassador Kehkashan Basu will provide keynote speeches and Councillors from all continents will provide their view of the future and ways to achieve a peaceful, sustainable and just future.
Policy of the month
Approximately three million children die of malnutrition each year. This could be easily prevented, as the example of Belo Horizonte in Brazil demonstrates: With its exemplary Food Security system the city has shown that the human right to sufficient and healthy food can be successfully transformed into a reality with only 2% of the city’s annual budget. Click here to find out more.
Jakob von Uexkull at DLD 15 Conference
More than 1000 attendees joined the DLD 15 Conference in Munich, including some of the most influential social and opinion leaders. One of them was our founder Jakob von Uexkull – you can watch his speech here.
Sponge Cities – What is it all about?
Sponge City – yet another term on the growing list of essential environmental vocabulary. Our Policy Officer for Climate and Energy, Filippo Boselli, explains what a Sponge City is and why we need them.
Ending sexual harrassment of women
The New Year’s eve events in Cologne, Germany, sparked a public debate on the extent to which German legislation protects women against sexual assaults. Our Senior Policy Advisor Anke Domscheit-Berg has been actively engaging in the debate and calling for better policies that are in line with the Istanbul Convention, including in the leading political talkshow Anne Will at the first national TV station ARD.
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