Event details

Many people want to live and act “sustainably” – especially at a time when we are confronted every day with the consequences of man-made climate change, for example. The motivation is great – but where to start?

The workshop encourages students to approach their own inner world with curiosity: what does it mean to act sustainably? What inner resources can we activate for this and how do important skills such as self-knowledge and connectedness help us to explore our own scope for action?

To find answers, we use the scientifically based concept of “personal sustainability”, which focuses primarily on subjective aspects for a successful sustainability transformation. The “Inner Development Goals” framework, which was developed to complement the global “Sustainable Development Goals”, also serves as an aid here. We will also use mindfulness and reflection exercises to explore the connections between “external” sustainability and our “inner” experience.

What you can take away from the workshop

• Basic understanding of the concept of “personal sustainability”.
• Sensitization for your own understanding and attitude towards sustainability.
• Orientation for sustainable action in everyday life.

 

Workload for ECTS:

1 ECTS: Reading preparatory literature, active participation in the workshop, subsequent reflection report/learning diary.

Required reading:

• Parodi, O.; Tamm, K.: Personal Sustainability – Exploring a New Field of Sustainable Development. In: Parodi, O.; Tamm, K. (eds.) (2018): Personal Sustainability – Exploring the Far Side of Sustainable Development. New York: Routledge, p. 1-17.
• Inner Development Goals – Background, method and the IDG framework, https://drive.google.com/file/d/13fcf9xmYrX9wrsh3PC3aeRDs0rWsWCpA/edit. p. 12-26.

In depth (voluntary):

• Hunecke, Marcel (2013): Psychology of sustainability. Psychological resources for post-growth societies. Munich: Oekom Verlag.
• Further chapters from:
• Parodi, O.; Tamm, K. (eds.) (2018): Personal Sustainability – Exploring the Far Side of Sustainable Development. New York: Routledge.
• Grunwald, A.; Kopfmüller J. (2022): Sustainability. 3rd ed. Campus Verlag.
• WBGU (2011): World in Transition – Social Contract for a Great Transformation. Berlin: WBGU. Available online: https://issuu.com/wbgu/docs/wbgu_jg2011?fr=sMzhlOTM1OTc5NDI

 

Lecturer: 

Eva Wendeberg is a geoecologist and works at the Karlsruhe Transformation Center for Sustainability and Cultural Change at KIT, focusing on sustainable nutrition. She practices the experience and feeling of personal sustainability in dance and shares it as a yoga teacher.

Oliver Parodi is a sustainability researcher and heads the Karlsruhe Transformation Center for Sustainability and Cultural Change at KIT. In addition to real-world laboratory research, “personal sustainability” and “deep sustainability” are a matter close to his heart. He is experienced and trained in various areas of personal development.

Susanne Ober is a sustainability scientist and works at the Karlsruhe Transformation Center for Sustainability and Cultural Change at KIT in the sustainability transformation of universities. She also deals with human-nature relationships outside of her work.