13 February 2024 – What inspired you to join The Club of Rome?
It was actually Ernst von Weizsäcker who inspired me to join The Club of Rome, because he was impressed with my work on multi-stakeholder collaboration for transformative change. I had come across The Club of Rome and always had admiration for future thinkers in a way that was very attractive.
What would you say has changed since you joined The Club of Rome?
The Club of Rome has become younger, more diverse and collaborative. The average age is lower and more efforts have been made to get women, younger people and people from non-western other countries involved. There has also been more effort to collaborate with other institutions, which has led to more impact. The Club of Rome has also professionalised its governance structures.
How does your work align with The Club of Rome’s vision for a more sustainable and equitable world, and are there any specific goals or strategies you are currently involved in to realise this vision?
My work aligns with The Club of Rome’s vision for transformative change through collaborative and dialogic change in partnerships and with many actors involved. My expertise lies in transformation work, which includes a mix of individual and societal change. In addition, I believe that in order to create an environmentally sound society, we need to overcome the outdated dominance culture that is rooted in historic patriarchy, and adopt a new paradigm shift towards taking better care of the planet and each other.
Can you describe a specific project or initiative you’ve been engaged with at The Club of Rome that exemplifies the organisation’s dedication to driving systemic change and global solutions to interconnected issues?
I have been involved in the Earth4All project, particularly its development and discussions around a theory of change for the funders. I have also been involved in the Planetary Emergency Partnership, which is a diverse group of people attempting to bring in varied perspectives on the issues we are currently facing.
Could you share your insights on the significance of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints in shaping solutions for the world’s pressing issues?
Diverse backgrounds and viewpoints are crucial in shaping solutions for the world’s problems. The question is how these perspectives connect and move towards collaboration in very complex settings. The Club of Rome’s member base is an asset in this regard, but more effort needs to be made to orchestrate conversations between members with different viewpoints and backgrounds. The focus should be on bringing these different perspectives into discourse with each other. The Club of Rome has made efforts to increase diversity, but needs to put more focus on facilitating conversation and, above all, cooperation among its members. We need to find ways to work as a powerful network of change agents on tangible transformation agendas.
What three words would you use to describe sustainability in 10 years?
Number one is widespread efforts to unlearn the patriarchal dominance culture, so everybody knows this is what we need to overcome, second a true commitment to democracy in all its different forms, and third a fundamental paradigm shift towards taking care of the planet and each other.
