Vala Ragnarsdottir presentation on Convergence to the Balaton Group

1. 1
Rethinking globalisation in the light
of Contraction and CONVERGEnce
Kristin Vala Ragnarsdottir
University of Iceland
www.convergeproject.org
Balaton Group Meeting, September 20-25, 2012

2. The Converge Project
• How, given the current situation, do we today
manage and allocate Earth's limited resources
so the projected global population of 9 billion
people in 2050, and their offspring, will flourish
– sustainably?
• Equity within biophysicalplanetary boundaries
– by way of convergence
2

3. Convergence
2A. Decreasing
resource use but
decreasing
equality
3. Decreasing
resource use and
increasing
equality
1. Increasing
resource use and
decreasing
equality
2B. Increasing
resource use but
increasing
equality
ConvergingDiverging
Contracting – living within limits
Expanding – disregarding limits
Transitions
Equality &
Frugality
Inequality &
Profligacy

4. All initiatives –
Initiatives Map
Green Dependent

5. Community Engagement vs
Social Movements
5
M1 = Dissemination of information to the public
M2 = Collection of information from the public
M3 = Knowledge & energy exchange for collaboration
M4a = Shallow behaviour change
M4b = Deep behaviour change
Rowe & Frewer; McKenzie-Mohr; Stern
Level of
Citizen
Engagement &
Ownership
Level of Complexity & Systemic Focus
Not fight
a change
Support a
change
Coordinate
progress
toward a goal
Develop new
social norms
Mechanism
for
Community
Engagement
M1 always present, M2 should also
be present, M4a may be present
M1 & M2 always present, M3 should
be present, M4a may be present
M1 & M4b might be present,
M2 & M3 are present
M3 most strongly
present, M1, M2 &
M4b may be present
Community
Engagements
Social
Movements
Engagement Variability
The Natural Step

6. Unit of Influence &
Boundaries of Context
6
Unit of
influence
Cases
Individuals Bakor, SCAD,
Greenways
Institutions LCSW, Eco-Schools
Kony 2012
Society/
Community
Håga, Totnes, Wekerle
Boundaries of
context
Cases
Geographic LCSW, Håga, Totnes,
Wekerle
Issues of a
population
Eco-Schools, Greenways,
SCAD
Global Bakor, Occupy, 350
Engagement Variability
The Natural Step

7. The Converge Framework – Principles
• Convergence for sustainability is the progress
towards equal opportunities for all people,
within biophysical planetary boundaries
1. In a converging society, every global citizen has the
right to a fair share of the Earth’s biocapacity and
social resources, to enable him or her to live a fulfilling
life
2. A converging society uses its resources efficiently,
recognizing the critical value of services from natural
systems and limiting its harmful impacts upon them. It
recognizes interdependence amongst human societies
and between human societies and nature
3. A converging society invests positively in human, social
and environmental resources; and cares for them,
maintains them and restores
7

8. CONVERGE approach
• Contraction and ConvergenceTM, Converging World
• Planetary boundaries, Ecological footprints, Resource
depletion
• Systems thinking, analysis, dynamics (CLDs)
• The Natural Step
• AtKisson compass
• Action research, World Café, stakeholder involvement
• Focus on food security

9. The Framework tested – communities
• Full study
– Iceland
– Bristol, UK
– India: SCAD
9
• Framework introduction
– Lund, Sweden
– Gödöllö, Hungary

10. 10
Food value
chain
Stakeholder
choice

11. 11

13. Food system group modelling in Iceland
• Mostly women…

14. Group modelling in Bristol
14

15. The Framework tested – Causal Loop Diagram
15

16. 16

18. Some preliminary results - Iceland
• Sustainability education for all
• Systems thinking at national level
• Link fish farming/geothermal heat/vegetable growing
• Make a disaster plan for Iceland
• Foster collabaration between
private/academia/government/academia
• Establish a seed bank
• R&D for more food diversity
• Prepare for oil free society
• Produce organic fertiliser (use fish bones)
• Stop government corruption

20. Bristol preliminary results
• Raise awareness to affect behaviour
• Buy British and local
• Use leisure time to cook
• Reduce oil dependency – bike delivery – use
biofuels
• Reduce food waste
• Stop supermarket tax avoidance
• Stop corruption

21. What has worked and what has not?
• What has worked
• Include people from all
aspects of food industry
• Mapping of the food
system
• Networking
• What has not worked
• The issue of planetary
boundaries and social
equity not at the core of
participants thinking
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22. Thank you!
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