About
Hart House Global Commons 2019–2020
Climate Change in Focus: Sharing Stories from the Frontlines
Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and in many countries and places, the impacts have arrived. Climate change poses significant threats and disruption to all areas of life: health and disease, migration, food systems, economics, agriculture, the way we build and organize our communities, extreme weather and conflict. It intensifies racial and economic inequality, and it destabilizes communities and nations.
Addressing and living with climate change requires a serious transformation of society and of our relationships to each other and to the world around us—we have work to do.
Please join us for an opportunity to share stories from the front lines as we hear from students around the globe about how they are experiencing and responding to the climate crisis. Share your story, listen and learn.
The Hart House Global Commons is your opportunity to connect in real-time with students participating from international partner universities, to engage in dialogue and action around the climate crisis. Students participating directly from Colombia, Canada, France, South Africa, and the U.S.A. will connect for truly global discussions on one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Entering its fourth year, the Hart House Global Commons Conference offers participants a unique, globally-networked opportunity to share perspectives and learn from and with each other as we discuss pressing global issues without borders, and seek to develop actions to address them.
Who it is for?
All students, regardless of discipline, year of study, or background are encouraged to register or drop-in to the Conferences. The Conference opportunity is meant for those who want to contribute and engage in the conversation, but may not be able to commit a lot of time. Cohort participants will also be attending the conference sessions and will offer perspectives, learnings, and ideas that have emerged from their discussions. Conferences will host guests, faculty, civil society actors, and others from around the world for fulsome global conversations.
What you can expect to get out of the Conferences?
Join others in person on your own campus, engage in dialogue with other students both locally and globally, hear and share perspectives, work, and ideas. Guests will enhance the dialogue with their own stories and work, exploring how climate change is taking place in each location with a view to understanding shared experiences and opportunities for action.
Time Commitment?
Two hours for the Conference, plus we will share the Conference Discussion Guide and selected resources one week before the session.
Guest Speakers
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ModeratorDr. Lorena Pasquini
Lorena works as a Research Fellow at the Climate Systems Analysis Group, and at the African Climate & Development Initiative, of the University of Cape Town. She is also a World Social Science Fellow in Sustainable Urbanization (International Social Science Council). Some of her current areas of work and expertise on climate change adaptation include governance of climate change issues at local government, urban and policy-making levels; climate change psychology, engagement, communication and behaviour change; climate change risk, vulnerability and adaptation; transformations to sustainability; climate change health impacts and vulnerability.
She has a doctorate from the University of Sheffield (UK) and has a background working as a researcher, consultant and practitioner on a variety of interdisciplinary issues located at the society/environment nexus. In the past, Lorena worked for one of South Africa’s leading Expanded Public Works Programmes, where she developed first-hand experience of the realities of adapting the country to the impacts of climate change.
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OpeningWendy Phillips
Wendy Phillips is a Ceremonial Leader, Indigenous Spiritual Educator, Traditional Indigenous Healer, Ahwidokazit (One Who Helps), Bezhagobe (One Who Stands Alone), and belongs to the Bald Eagle Clan. She is Ojibwa and Potawatami from Wasauksing First Nation in the heart of the Muskokas.
Her spiritual role is Ahnikgokon, "One who works for the spirits," otherwise known as a Traditional Seer for over 30 years.
In the last 25 years, she has been a Social/Cultural Enterprise Innovator and Cultural Entrepreneur within small and large Urban Indigenous ecosystems and she has been an advocate for Indigenous issues regional, provincial and national. As a professor, she is passionate about teaching and supporting students.