2nd Transformative Knowledge Workshop
The second annual Transformative Knowledge Workshop took place between 10 and 12 September 2015 in Durban, South Africa, just ahead of the 2015 World Social Science Forum.
The main aim of the workshop was to start building a community of academic and practice experts – the beginning of an open, global ‘Knowledge Trust’ – around research on social transformations to sustainability.
Fifteen representatives of eight short-listed proposals from the current call for proposals for Transformative Knowledge Networks came together to collectively develop a vision for the Knowledge Trust and to brainstorm on how the Trust could become a self-organising, open network, platform and repository of knowledge that could underpin the development of solutions to the socio-ecological challenges we face. The workshop benefitted from the facilitation of Margaret Krebs and the insights into collective inquiry and thinking of Valerie A. Brown.
Specific aims of the workshop were to:
- Facilitate multi-disciplinary conversations between participants to foster new connections and deepen understanding of social transformation needs in the context of global environmental change;
- Identify common features and critical components of successful knowledge networks, and develop a vision for building the Transformations Knowledge Trust as a flourishing knowledge network that is meaningful to social scientists, partnering organisations and stakeholders, and practitioners;
- Engage participants in collective thinking methodologies and learn about and practice using creative frameworks to turning decisions into practice and action.
Susi Moser: Our path to here
Valerie Brown: Workshop handouts
The Workshop was complemented with a field trip to the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project, led by Debra Roberts, Director of the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department of eThekwini Municipality and Future Earth Engagement Committee member.
The Workshop was rounded off by an evening event at Moyo uShaka led by artist Andries Botha focusing on the contribution that creativity and imagination can make to the solution of social and ecological challenges. Guest speakers who gave insights from their own practice were; Coral Bijoux, Director, Voices of Women Museum (Amazwi Abesifazane); Grant Trebble, Environmental Project Developer; and Fred Kockott, Director, Roving Reporters.
Finally, on 13 September representatives of the short-listed proposals took part in a special panel of the 2015 World Social Science Forum moderated by Senior Programme Advisor Susi Moser with keynote speaker Valerie Brown.
Valerie Brown: Tackling Transformation: Using all of our minds
