Ecologies in the Balance

Biennial Theme, 2009-10 Ecologies in the Balance: Thinking Through the Crisis

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The 2009-2010 theme looked at the unprecedented social, economic, and environmental crises that threaten human society. It also considered the opportunities for intervention spurred by these changes. Followed by Ecologies in Balance? The Way Forward (2010-2011), it was the first Global Initiatives theme to have a biennial format. 

From the global financial crisis to looming environmental upheavals, humans are facing fundamental changes in how they live and work. These changes could have profound negative consequences or they could spark innovative interventions and sustained solutions that may increase freedoms and reduce suffering around the world.

A wide range of activities and programs offered throughout the year provided a framework for exploring these new realities and grappling with the consequences. Events included “Public Information or Mass Panic? The Thin Line in Communicating about Health and Ecological Crises,” “Using Storytelling to Address Issues of Global Climate Change,” and “A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil.”