A Brock University research team is launching an interactive virtual event series to get the community talking about sustainability and the environment.

Hosted by the Beyond Sustainability research team, the Community Café series kicks off Monday, Nov. 1.

Members of the Brock community and the broader public are invited to join the free livestreamed events, where the research team and a series of special guests will discuss project updates as well as guide discussions on issues around radical transformation, sustainability, system thinking and action on climate and environmental issues.

There will be three events before the end of 2021, followed by at least one event per month in 2022. Guests and hosts will be announced before each event on the Beyond Sustainability event website.

The first Community Café will provide an introduction to the Brock-led “Beyond Sustainability: Radical Transformation Through System Thinking” project. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the one-hour event will be hosted by Liette Vasseur, the project’s Principal Investigator, and will feature two guest speakers: Beyond Sustainability researcher and Brock Professor Charles Conteh, and Michael Hallé, creator of the Sustainable Travel Hub on Clubhouse.

Funded under a New Frontiers in Research Fund – Exploration grant, Beyond Sustainability: Radical Transformation Through System Thinking is a transdisciplinary research project led by Vasseur and co-Principal Investigator Christine Daigle that involves a team of researchers from across Brock University and institutions around the world.

Using a “systems-based approach” researchers are exploring new ways of thinking about the interconnectedness of the world, and how transformative thinking is needed to ensure a more sustainable future for all.

The main goal of the two-year project is to develop an international “think tank” that will guide the implementation of systems and pilot projects where humans and nature can thrive together in balance.

The Community Café events will take place on Lifesize, and anyone interested is asked to contact Heather VanVolkenburg at hvanvolkenburg@brocku.ca for the event link and connection details.

More information on the series can also be found on the Beyond Sustainability website.

Community Café Schedule:

Monday, Nov. 1
Beyond Sustainability: Radical Transformation Through Systems Thinking
6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Host: Liette Vasseur
Guests: Charles Conteh and Michael Hallé

Monday, Nov. 15
SDGs versus Sustainability
6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 6
What is your first memory of nature?
6:30 to 7:30 p.m.