Taking cue from the UNU-EHS flagship report Interconnected Disaster Risks, UNU-EHS partnered with the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the German Center for Research and Innovation New York (DWIH NY) to discuss how turning over a new leaf can work in practice.
Acknowledging that the world faces a number of interconnected crises, that negative news dominates headlines and that we often feel overwhelmed by a sense of urgency and, at times, helplessness, this discourse sought to shift focus from crisis to opportunity. It asked the question: What if, instead of dwelling on what’s going wrong, we dared to imagine and build a future where people and the planet thrive in harmony?
Opened by Ambassador Ricklef Beutin, Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations, and Dr. Shen Xiaomeng, UNU-EHS Director, the event began with a presentation of the report, followed by a panel discussion featuring Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications at the United Nations, Frithjof Maennel, Deputy Director for European and International Cooperation at the German Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), Dr. Daniel Naujoks, Faculty Director of the United Nations Partnership Initiative at Columbia University, and Dr. Zita Sebesvari, Deputy Director of UNU-EHS and one of the lead authors of the Interconnected Disaster Risks report.
Together, the panelists explored how to envision positive futures, how to change structures and assumptions for a better future, and what role of communication can play in societal transformation. Special emphasis was paid to the future of multilateralism. The Interconnected Disaster Risks report had identified multilateralism as one of the key factors in achieving deep change, and the panelists discussed how barriers could be overcome – drawing inspiration from previous successes such as the Montreal Protocol – and what it means for the future of the United Nations.
“I was particularly happy that we were able to speak about positive futures with an audience from all walks of life, and felt inspired by the many engaging questions from the younger generation such as students from Columbia University and The City College of New York,” reflected Dr. Shen Xiaomeng. “I hope that we were able to create a space for them to feel uplifted and motivated to take action.”
On the sidelines of the event, UNU-EHS recorded science talks with Melissa Fleming and Dr. Daniel Naujoks on multilateralism for deep change, transformation and communication.
