Dr Robert Howell – Nexus

Dear Grey Lynn 2030

Nexus Students Sustainability Group invites you to a presentation by and discussion with Dr Robert Howell on Building a Sustainable Economy.

With the current global economic crisis, do we still have the means to be sustainable?

What is a sustainable economy and how do we build one?

Robert is one of five Quaker authors who wrote the book “Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy”. He will introduce the book and describe and discuss the themes, and the wider context of these with a particular reference to the ethical principles and their implications for economics and human life on earth.

The book deals with the inadequacies of the current economic system, and what is needed to bring it into a right relationship with humans and the earth. The book poses five key questions.

• What is an economy for?
• How does it work?
• How big is too big?
• What is fair?
• How should it be governed?

Robert suggests that the predominant international economic system has no means of describing what the economy is for and where it is today. It is unable to put any boundaries on consumption and waste. It has no means to even think about fairly distributing both benefits and burdens to present and future generations of people and other species. It lacks a system of governance that protects life’s commonwealth.

Creating the global governance will require significant institutional reform. The overall challenge is to establish a global economic system that is grounded in science, operates in accord with the way the earth works, and is grounded in an ethic that does not value the human-Earth relationship simply for human utility. Robert will also relate the book to New Zealand through the recent report by Sustainable Aotearoa New Zealand.

The forum will be 2 hours long where the second hour is provided for audience discussion with Robert on the topic.

When: Wednesday August 5th [6pm – 8pm]

Where: University of Auckland, Engineering Building, Room 3.402

Cost: The Nexus Forum is free for all to attend but we are asking for a gold-coin koha, this will help us continue to bring events like this to the student community and the general public.

If you wisth to attend please RSVP to nexus.sustainability@gmail.com

Kind Regards

Nexus Team

And if you can’t make it, listen to Dr Robert Howell on GreenplantFM

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NEXUS-Reflecting on the state of the world and empowering tomorrow’s leaders

Unprecedented times call for informed leadership. Nexus is a student sustainability group based at the University of Auckland, growing the next generation of change-makers. We provide a platform for the student community to discuss and take action on the issues that matter, and influence the world around them. Crossing a wide range of economic, environmental, social, and cultural issues; we organise public forums and give access to expert knowledge and experience. We support development of young people through partnership with professional networks and institutions.