Eco-anxiety is an issue that transcends ages, and as such, can be seen to affect both students and staff. It reflects the anxiety that people nowadays are experiencing as a result of a tragic environmental crisis. Eco-anxiety reveals itself through a multitude of different emotions: existential angst, anger towards the polluters, policy makers, powerlessness to fight against a global tragedy as an individual, guilt about one’s impact on the environment. However, scientists point out that the negative psychological effects are having a “disproportionate” impact on children and young people.

With this event we want to acknowledge, discuss and understand the ways in which our university community members are, to varying degrees, grappling with the grand environmental challenge of our time.

Set-up of the event:

The event is divided in two parts:

1) A panel discussion from 16:00 - 17:15 hours

A panel discussion will provide the attendees with relevant information, each with their own expertise and experience on the topic. The discussion will be diverse and draw from different fields and roles at the university.

Ceren Pekdemir (SUM2030/MSI) moderates the panel discussion. She has continued contact with students and staff on the topic of organising and teaching for sustainable development. Through her work, she has seen eco-anxiety negatively impacting community members.

Panelists that will join the conversation include: Dr. Jaap van der Stel, Dr. Carijn Beumer & Hannah Finklenburg.

2) A workshop from 17:30 - 18:45 hours

This part of the event is intended to be interactive for the workshop participants. There are multiple objectives, namely: understanding the ways in which participants have eco-worries and how it affects them through discussion of questions and interactive exchange of views; learning and practicing several methods that can directly help in grounding the participants when feeling anxious; a design exercise on an aspect of community (the university, or within the private sphere such as family life, friends, associations and other group affiliations) and how eco-worries can be discussed and dealt with.

Please note that participants can only sign-up for the Panel, or Panel&Workshop! It is not possible to sign-up for the Workshop only.

The event will take place on-site at Tapijn, room F 0.014.

This event is brought to you by a collaboration between Green Office, Sustainable UM 2030 and IFMSA.