agenda

Leverage Points 2019

06 Feb, 2019

On February 6-8, Leuphana University of Lüneburg organizes Leverage Points: an international conference on sustainability research and transformation. DRIFT’s Associate Professor Niki Frantzeskaki will give a keynote presentation.

Now is a crucial time for sustainability research. Is it to be a passive chronicler of the challenges of our times? Or an active facilitator of transformative change towards sustainability?

This conference is inspired by the seminal essay by Donnella Meadows “Leverage Points Places to intervene in a system”. In this work, born of frustration and a deep desire for a more effective change, Meadows highlighted a series of leverage points—places in complex systems where a small shift may lead to fundamental changes in the system as a whole— for sustainability transformations. In particular, she noted the tendency to focus on highly tangible, but essentially weak leverage points (i.e., interventions that are easy to make, but have limited potential for transformative change).

Instead, she urged a focus on perhaps less obvious, but potentially far more powerful areas of intervention. Donnella Meadows’ notion of leverage points can be seen as a boundary object, a model, a metaphor and a fundamental challenge to the status quo, dominate mindsets and paradigms. We firmly believe that such radical approaches are needed in sustainability research and praxis if they are to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Inspired by Meadows’ work we seek to explore (in theory, methods and praxis) the deep leverage points that can lead to sustainability transformations. This conference will ask: how do we transform ourselves, our science, our institutions, our interventions and our societies for a better future? The conference is premised on three principles:

  • The importance of searching for places where interventions can lead to transformative change.
  • Open inquiry, exchange and co-learning across multiple theoretical, methodological and empirical research approaches focused on sustainability science and transformative change.
  • The need for reflection on modes of research and processes in sustainability research.

Themes
The conference will have a number of core themes:

In the spirit of Meadows’ work there will also be emergent themes dictated by inspiring research that falls outside the confines of the themes outlined above.

Registration
Are you interested in joining the conference? Visit the website for more information on registration and fees. The deadline for conference registration and payment is 31st December 2018.