What would it look like if climate activism acknowledged that our existing democratic norms and institutions will not deliver the scale and pace of change necessary, and are also fundamentally ill-suited to enabling human survival as ecologies collapse? How might we develop a new approach which ties together climate action, community building and deep democratic renewal?

This webinar will examine how we find and direct our agency to practical and tangible solutions that a wide cross section of people can call for and contribute to.

In this webinar, Tim Hollo will investigate how “ecological democracy” would bring communities together in participatory, creative ways to co-create collective projects which make life better for everyone, and link their discrete projects together into an interconnected project which shifts it from an alternative to transformative. By building collective agency, cultivating new forms of power evenly distributed across the community, this approach would effectively sow the seeds of new, resilient, regenerative, and inclusive democratic institutions which will enable our survival.

Kirsty Anantharajah will explore the current ecological crisis caused by a warming planet through the framing of structure and agency. This presentation draws from her research on climate finance governance and regulation in the Pacific region. Various structures exist that may constrain climate action and agency on international, national, local and individual levels. Yet despite these constraints and barriers that often seem immovable, there also exist powerful examples of innovation and agency. This webinar presentation draws on these cases of agency, to offer seeds of ideas of how we can push through blockages, form new pathways and take action on climate change.

Kyle Levier will advocate for compassionate living, explore how our food system impacts on the environment and how our individual and consumer actions can be empowering daily choices to benefit human and planetary well-being.

This webinar will be chaired by Ibolya (Ibi) Losoncz. This event is being organised by the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet).

About the speakers

Kirsty Anantharajah is a PhD candidate at the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), working on a thesis entitled Finding Meaning in Sustainable Development Strategies in the Pacific: Financing Climate Solutions in Fiji & Vanuatu. She also works on Professor Neil Gunningham’s DFAT funded project, Harnessing Financial Markets and Institutional Investment to Increase the Take Up of Renewable Energy in Asia-Pacific.

Tim Hollo is Executive Director of the Green Institute, where he leads thinking around ecological political philosophy and practice, and drives policy discussion around Rights of Nature, Universal Basic Income and participatory democracy.

Kyle Levier’s experience includes organic market gardening, and public outreach and on-line mentoring for compassionate living. He is enthusiastic about rebuilding our connection between the food we eat and our health.

Ibolya (Ibi) Losoncz is a researcher at the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet). Her research on institutional disrespect examines how policies and institutional processes that are unresponsive to human needs can lead to defiance, rebellion and a breakdown of social bonds between the people and the state.