Dialogue for Change

The "Dialogue for Change" panel is presented by the College of Sustainability.

When North American reporters seek a credible voice on environmental sustainability, they very often turn to David Orr. Considered one of the world’s leading visionaries for sustainability education, Prof. Orr, from Oberlin College in Ohio, will be at Dalhousie this week to join a panel discussion that will examine how we can become a sustainable society.

In a time of unprecedented sustainability challenges, the panel – titled “Dialogue for Change” – delivers an unexpected convergence of radical thinkers. Prof. Orr will be joined by Raffi Cavoukian, known to many as a children’s entertainer but also internationally-recognized for founding Child Honouring, a group dedicated to ensuring a sustainable future for children; Dal grad Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, bringing a political perspective to the discussion; and Nova Scotian entrepreneur, Jeff Moore, founder of Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-operative, providing a social justice outlook on sustainability.

It’s a multi-layered approach to exploring the world’s most pressing challenges, and one that reflects the philosophy underlying Dalhousie’s new College of Sustainability, the panel’s sponsor.

“This panel brings together outstanding thinkers from the worlds of academia, entertainment, politics and business,” says Steven Mannell, the college director. “These are people who confront and challenge contemporary thinking. It’s exactly the kind of approach we’re creating here at the college and in the new Environment, Sustainability and Society undergraduate program. It’s a new way of thinking and looking at our most serious issues. This is going to be a very exciting panel.”

CBC Radio’s Jian Ghomeshi, host of Q, will lead the panel members through the provocative and forward-thinking discussions. Thursday’s event, beginning at 7 p.m. in the McCain Building, is open to the public with limited seating.

For more info, or to invite others to attend the panel, visit the "Dialogue for Change" Facebook Event.

About the panelists:

David Orr: Professor and Chair, Environmental Studies, Oberlin College

David Orr

The foremost academic authority on environment and sustainability, David Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin College and a James Marsh Professor at the University of Vermont. He lectures internationally, has authored five books and co-edited three others. He's the recipient of four honorary degrees, multiple awards, and a trustee for several organizations. His career as a scholar, teacher, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur spans fields as diverse as environment and politics, environmental education, campus greening, green building, ecological design, and climate change. In 1987 he organized studies of energy, water, and materials use on several college campuses that helped launch the green campus movement. In 1996 he helped design The Adam Joseph Lewis Center, the first substantially green building on a U.S. college campus. The Center was named “One of Thirty Milestone Buildings in the 20th Century” by the U.S. Department of Energy and the most interesting of a new generation of college and university buildings by the New York Times.

Dr. Orr identifies a fundamental flaw in society: denial of what’s happening around us. He says we need “to lend ourselves fully to the effort to overcome the disconnection between humankind and the natural world; to advance beyond our cultural autism.” He believes we are not adequately addressing changes in weather or issues like famine – threats that will only worsen if we fail to act. “Climate change cannot be separated from politics, economics, and issues of security. Climate change is already taking a far higher toll on human life than terrorism,” he explains. http://www.davidorr.com

Raffi Cavoukian: Entertainer and founder of Child Honouring

Raffi Cavoukian

In his three-decade career, Raffi Cavoukian has refused all commercial endorsement offers, and his own triple-bottom-line company has never directly advertised or marketed to children. The “Baby Beluga” singer is a passionate advocate for a child’s right to live free of commercial exploitation. He is founder of Child Honouring, a children-first approach to healing communities, restoring ecosystems and establishing a society addresses the needs of its youngest members. Along with two honorary degrees, Raffi is a recipient of the Order of Canada and the UN’s Earth Achievement Award. http://www.raffinews.com

Elizabeth May: Leader, Green Party of Canada

Elizabeth May

The leader of the Green Party of Canada, Elizabeth May is an environmentalist, writer, activist and lawyer. She has served on numerous boards of environmental groups and advisory bodies to universities and governments in Canada, and was involved in negotiating the Montreal Protocol as Senior Policy Advisor to the Federal Environment Minister. The author of six books, including Global Warming for Dummies, she holds two honorary doctorates, is recipient of the prestigious Couchiching Award for excellence in public policy, and has been an Officer of the Order of Canada since 2005. Since becoming leader of the Green Party, Ms. May’s parity has won unprecedented support among Canadians and helped bring the environment to the forefront of Canadian politics. http://elizabethmay.ca/ 

Jeff Moore: Co-founder, Just Us! Coffee Roasters Cooperative

Jeff Moore

Jeff Moore could be called the Indiana Jones of Fair Trade. During his inspirational journey through the mountains of Chiapas, a country in the midst of a civil war, he was faced with military and rebel blockades and treacherous terrain. His trek through the mountainous country brought him to local coffee farmers, where he would get his first supply of fair trade coffee. A social justice and community development advocate, Mr. Moore is co-founder of Just Us! Coffee Roasters Cooperative, Canada’s first certified fair trade coffee roaster and now the largest fair trade worker-owned co-op in Canada.  Operating on a belief in "people and the planet before profits," Just Us! buys coffee from over 12 cooperatives in countries around the world, and has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in Atlantic Canada.  Mr. Moore is a well-respected figure in the fair trade world and spends much of his time telling the story of Fair Trade, Just Us! and the challenges faced by producers the world over. 
http://www.justuscoffee.com/