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| Transformation insights, news and eventsThe Transformations Community is a global community of action researchers and reflective practitioners working toward transformations to equitable and regenerative futures. We hope this finds you well and eager for more Transformations!March 2024 NewsletterWe are excited to share these updates with you:🌟 Engagement Opportunities within the TC📣 News and Opportunities from the Field💥 Community Spotlight: Mariana Zafeirakopoulos 🎨 Artist Spotlight: Diego GalafassiThree Ways to Get Involved in 2024:  Transformations in Action Dialogue Series:Join the first interactive session of the Transformations in Action Dialogue Series, a collaboration between the Transformations Community & University for the Planet, where engagement and dialogue take center stage. Andrea Ramirez Agudelo will share her insights on capacity development in Latin America for urban sustainability and Thieu Besselink will discuss his role as an urbanist and educator in regeneration. Alongside Hosts Pavel Luksha and Bruce Goldstein, participants will actively explore strategies, successes, and the importance of collaborative innovation. Register for this event to be part of the conversation. Explore the Dialogue Series  The Artificial Intelligence Project: We’re thrilled to introduce the Transformations Community’s AI project, – a collaborative exploration into the potential and challenges of AI in driving sustainability transformations. We invite you to take part in the co-design of AI projects as well as be part of a learning group dedicated to understanding AI’s role in sustainability transformations. Working in small groups, you will tackle critical themes such as the societal impacts of AI, the development of inclusive, co-designed AI solutions, and the what are the latest useful AI tools and practices.Join the Conversation: If you’re interested in Co-Designing Transformations Community’s AI Project, we’d love to hear from you! Fill out the form to register your interest in joining the Co-Design Group, to be kept informed about the project, or to suggest participants. We will be sharing the initial results of our AI Project at theSustainability Innovations Congress in June 2024. Join our AI ProjectTransformations Conference 2025: Take the lead at TC25 by hosting or contributing your expertise to our creative and research teams. You have the opportunity to host the conference and organize a regional/ thematic hub event or pre-conference events (webinar, panel, workshops, etc.). Alternatively, you can explore the role of the Department of Magic (DOM) team, by crafting the conference’s creative direction, or contribute to the Transformations Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) to evaluate abstracts & ensure the quality of research.Co-create TC25SIJ Event & Special Issues Update  Last month, we held a “Meet the Authors”Symposium to launch our Transformations ‘23 conference proceedings. Published in our third annual special issue of the Social Innovations Journal, this issue includes 28 articles from our conference, including both session summaries and original works. Thanks to all participants for sharing their insights at this launch event.Watch the session recording.Later this year we will publish a special issue of Current Research in Environmental Sustainability with research papers from TC23, and will continue to announce new offerings in our ongoing issue of Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, titled “State of Knowledge in Social Transformations to Sustainability”. Read more. News From the FieldOpportunities  STRN/NEST Method School Invites Applications NEST/ STRN Method School hosted by DIT Platform and DRIFT, under the theme “Transformative Research Unlocked”, invites applications for its program from July 8th-12th in Rotterdam. This year’s school encourages researchers to define their roles in just sustainability transitions, featuring speakers from various universities. Applicants must submit a CV and motivation letter by April 15th. Apply here.  Research Fellow – Food System Transformation The FixOurFood Commission is looking for a candidate with expertise in food systems to help transform Yorkshire’s food system. This role at the University of York, demands skills in research, stakeholder engagement, and funding acquisition. The successful candidate will join a high-impact project for up to 17 months. For more details, contact Ioan Fazey at ioan.fazey@york.ac.uk. Read more.  21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge Food Solutions New England will host it’s 10th annual 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge from April 1, 2024 to April 21, 2024. It encourages confronting racism by committing to learn and act for 21 days in April, aiming to boost awareness, shift behaviors, reveal and address structural and institutional racism, and inspire actions towards dismantling these systems for equity and justice for all. Read more & register.  Call for Contributions: Relating Systems Thinking & Design The Oslo School of Architecture and Design is hosting the 13th Relating Systems Thinking and Design Symposium (RSD13), with a call for contributions now open on EasyChair. Interested parties should register their intent by March 15 and finalize submissions by April 30. RSD13 spans 8 days, starting with a 3-day online program of paper presentations, followed by a 3-day in-person symposium in Oslo. Read more. Events Resource-Hungry Societies & a Future in FluxOnline | MARCH 15th | 2 pm-4 pm CET Pathways Forum explores the impact of resource-intensive economies on sustainability. The webinar will delve into social metabolism, a framework analyzing society-environment-economy interrelations, to address unsustainable systems and envision sustainable futures. Speakers include Helmut Haberl, Eric Pineault, and Anke Schaffartzik. Read more & Register.  Transformation Literacy Conference ’24 by Collective Leadership Institute Potsdam Germany & Online | April 22-26 “Localizing SDG Transformations,” will emphasize the integration of local, national & regional efforts towards sustainability. It highlights the importance of ‘glocal’ strategies for achieving global goals through a variety of networks, communities of practice, and global projects. The conference explores how these diverse efforts contribute to localizing the SDGs through sessions on collaborative initiatives, exchange networks, and transformation networks. Read more & register here.  Register for the Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress Finland & Online | JUNE 10th-14th Registration is open for the 2024 SRI Congress (SRI/SSD2024) in Helsinki and Espoo, Finland, from June 10-14, and is also accessible online. This event offers sessions, workshops, and networking to enhance sustainability efforts, with early bird rates until March 15. Register here.Media & PublicationsMombera Rising Anthology: A Journey through Speculative Eco-FictionDive into Mombera Rising, a free digital anthology by Malawian writers Ekari Mbvundula Chirombo and Muthi Nhlema. This collection brings to life speculative stories set in a future Malawi, where the people redefine progress with their indigenous knowledge. Supported by the Swedish Research Council and the Future Ecosystems For Africa program, this work bridges nature, culture, and technology. Join the Zoom session on March 8th to engage with these visionary tales.Resilience in Action: A Practitioner’s Guide to Sustainable TransformationsFrom the Resilience Alliance, the push to translate resilience concepts into actionable strategies is key for sustainable transformations. Their “Assessing Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems: Workbook for Practitioners” guides on system modeling, dynamics, cross-scale interactions, governance mapping, and promoting adaptation and transformation. Access the workbook here.Can AI Help Bring About a Sustainable Future? During Geneva Peace Week, Globethics and the Club of Rome hosted an AI ethics policy briefing. Experts from diverse sectors discussed the future of AI, highlighting the importance of a varied perspective platform. A prior roundtable explored AI ethics policy advancements and a potential multi-stakeholder compact. Read more & watch the video. Negotiating System Change through Collective Leadership Illuminate Systems launches the “Equitable Horizons: Negotiating System Change Through Collective Leadership” blog series, aimed at fostering discussions on systems change, collective leadership, and equity. The series, starting in March, will feature bi-weekly articles paired with engagement activities to connect readers with the authors. A webinar on March 13th will delve into the topics further. Learn more. Community Spotlight  Mariana Zafeirakopoulos teaches Social Design at the University of Sydney, bridging disciplines to tackle global issues. Her work connects national and food security, human migration, and environmental challenges, employing design thinking to foster innovative solutions.With a background in Social Sciences, Public Policy, and Law, Mariana’s research advocates for interdisciplinary approaches to addressing systemic problems. She holds degrees from King’s College London and UNSW, and is pursuing a PhD in Design at UTS. Her insights on abductive reasoning in complex contexts can be found here. Mariana’s current research enhances national security through design practices, focusing on humanizing security issues. She contributed to a 2023 White Paper on AI in Cybersecurity. Moved by conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine/Russia, and Palestine/Israel? Join Mariana’s project on redesigning war-affected cities & communities, preserving culture and history. Seeking collaborators across disciplines—environmental resilience, mental health, infrastructure change. Contact her at mariana.zafeirakopoulos@sydney.edu.auRead more about Mariana and other members of our community here.Artists SpotlightDiego Galafassi  Diego Galafassi, a Brazilian transdisciplinary artist, is at the forefront of blending art with social change. His work, recognized globally, uses art to promote community resilience and sustainability. Originating from his experiences with Forum Theatre in Brazil, his projects span across themes like climate resilience in Europe and social-ecological issues in Africa, Bangladesh, and Brazil, showcasing his commitment to addressing environmental and social challenges through creative expression.Collaborating with organizations like Julie’s Bicycle and DocSociety, Diego leads initiatives like the Creative Climate Leadership program and the Climate Story Lab Nordic, aimed at empowering artists and filmmakers in the climate movement. As part of the Transformations Community, he seeks to foster new partnerships and broaden the impact of art on societal transformation. Read more about Diego and his work. Breathe is a mixed-reality installation by Diego Galafassi, premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2020, using Magic Leap technology to immerse participants in the narrative of air through movement and breath. Developed at Phi Centre & Johns Hopkins it aims to reconnect us with the living world, highlighting the need to reimagine our relationship with the environment. Read more about this project here. Your News?Do you have news to share with the Transformations Community, including new research, stories, events, jobs, invitations to collaborations, or transformative art?💡 Suggestions for newsletter content? Submit your news here 👋 New to this mailing list? Subscribe here  The Transformations Community is also active on LinkedInFollow community news on our Twitter account |
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