Climate change, economic instability and growing inequality are raising difficult questions about the future that a Tauranga symposium is facing head-on.
The Reality of Everything symposium at the University of Waikato’s Tauranga campus on November 24 will explore what a different future could look like, and how people can help shape it.
The two-hour event follows a sold-out symposium in Wellington in June, which explored the concept of a “polycrisis”, the convergence of multiple environmental, economic, geopolitical and social pressures.
The Reality of Everything symposium founder Dr Catherine Knight.
Symposium founder Dr Catherine Knight said the strong response prompted plans to take the discussion to communities around New Zealand.
The goal was to build a shared understanding of society’s challenges while exploring alternatives to current economic and social systems.
“We face some really serious challenges, but the only way we’re going to resolve this is by working together as a society.”
The Tauranga symposium will examine the idea of a wellbeing economy, where economic activity prioritises people’s wellbeing while staying within environmental limits.
Knight said it required rethinking ideas of private ownership and individual success in favour of approaches that better served communities.
Issues such as inequality, youth unemployment, housing deprivation and child poverty highlighted the need for change.
She also pointed to environmental restoration as an area requiring action.
The symposium will explore wellbeing-focused business models and the role of public services in supporting communities.
Dr Anne Bardsley will lead a session introducing an online tool designed to help people find common ground on important issues.
University of Auckland expert Dr Anne Bardsley will lead a session on deliberative democracy, introducing attendees to Polis, an online platform that helps people identify shared priorities through discussion and voting.
Knight said many people underestimated their ability to influence political decisions.
“Probably people will be surprised by the level of consensus about the things that really matter.”
She hoped attendees would leave feeling more inspired and confident to help shape the future.
The event is locally supported by Sustainability Options, Priority One and the University of Waikato.
It will run from 5.30 pm on November 24 at the University of Waikato’s Tauranga campus. Registration is free through Humanitix, with places limited to 200.