Dear Crisis Forumers,
I thought I'd send this on to all of you, just so that you know where we're
currently trying to take things Crisis Forum-wise - and what we need to
get there.
The discussion list, of course, is great. But to really make an impact we
need to start initiating some serious projects. Part of the problem getting
there is those of us who initiated Crisis Forum simply don't have the proper
time we would like to devote -if we could -to developing this network. But
that also in turn means we need some serious funding so that others can.
Anyway, though this below (and attached) is primarily so that you know what
we're doing, if you have any thoughts or perhaps, more pointedly and
importantly a) any ideas on who we might also be contacting or b) any offers
to practically help in this increasingly time-consuming and daunting task(!)
please feel free to contact me.
have a good summer,
mark
01926 641026 (h)
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'The Forum for the Study of Crisis in the 21st Century'
(Crisis Forum)
http://www.crisis-forum.org.uk;
Summary
Crisis Forum seeks funding for two part-time posts a) a network manager b) a
developmental officer who would work to further a range of specific projects
initiated by the network. We estimate an initial cost of c. £52,000.00 for
the posts and sundry administrative expenses for the calendar year 2006.
Who we are, what do we do, what are our objectives
Crisis Forum is an independent initiative founded by two Southampton
university-based academics, David Cromwell and Mark Levene, in 2002. It
operates on the premise that humankind is in very serious trouble and that
at the root of the problem is an international economic and political system
which - as both highly dysfunctional and dangerous to the planet - has to
give way to lateral, sustainable, people-based solutions if we want to
survive as a species. To enable that to happen Crisis Forum argues that
academics and independent researchers have a particular role to play :
a) analysing the nature of the crisis of humankind in the 21st century from
a holistic and hence interdisciplinary viewpoint
b) seeking to make that knowledge available in ways which are accessible and
friendly to society at large so that people themselves can understand the
nature of the problems we face and empowered to do something about it on
their own terms, and in their own local communities. We envisage a range of
public events, reports, books, interactive CD-Roms and electronic
information as routes to dissemination.
As a further aim we also seek to influence and change the culture of
universities themselves, not least so that they might be models of
sustainable community in an age of acute, human-made climate change. Though
we do not start from the position that human-induced climate change is the
cause of the present crisis it is, however, the most symptomatic effect of
it. Hence, our focus increasingly has this issue as its fulcrum.
There are now a range of academics and activists across the UK and abroad
who are associated with Crisis Forum. As a network it is open to anybody who
shares our goals.
To date, we have initiated a public lecture series 'Is Humanity in Crisis?',
while in November 2004, our workshop for activists and academics: 'Climate
change and humanity: Elite perceptions, Sustainable solutions' has led to a
first multi-authored book project : 'Clearing the Pathways to Survival and
Transformation: The State, Ourselves, and Climate Change,' which is
currently being assessed for publication by Pluto Press. We have a regularly
updated website, a discussion list, and a planning group founded at a
meeting at Leeds Metropolitan University in March 2005. We also have a
number of research projects which are at their initial stage of
development. We also have a small team working on a methodology for an
accessible climate change index, similar to the FTSE-100 model. Our
longer-term plans include regular one-day events around the country, more
formal courses in crisis studies, and a journal on the same theme.
Crisis Forum is an autonomous network. It is not a department of any
university. Rather it seeks to bring together university academics - from
across the range of disciplines - and others, who want to put their
energies into supporting the commonweal.
Crisis Forum is entirely dependent on the funds it seeks itself. It is
currently run by a small planning group drawn from both academics and other
practitioners from across the country. Its form of governance is currently
under review, not least so that it can ensure effective management of its
projects as well as overall agenda, across the UK.
Our current proposal
Crisis Forum needs to move to a 2nd stage where it can initiate and develop
a number of specific projects. Each would include one or more public
meetings, fora, workshops and conferences. Each, too, would be geared
towards specific outcomes.
To set up and develop these projects, we need two part-time workers. The
first would act as a network manager to administer the programme on a
regular basis. The second, a development officer, would not only have
joint-responsibility for the events themselves but would also seek to expand
the programme, initiate further projects in consultation with other
collaborative organisations, as well as seek further funding for 2007-8 and
beyond.
The projects:
1. A new series of Southampton public lectures as successor to 'Is Humanity
in Crisis?' (held in 2002-3).
2. A parallel (peripatetic) public lecture series in other university
centres or towns around the country
3. A major academic-activist conference on the theme : What can universities
do in response to climate change? Output : a) initial report b) feasibility
projects for sustainable development at specific universities c) curricula
development
4. Climate Change and Violence: an initial conference : output: tba
5. Climate Change and Public Opinion : an initial conference : output: tba
6. A specifically international conference for the humanities on the theme:
how do we rethink the past in relation to a present of acute climate change?
output: multi-authored book.
The venues for the events would not necessarily be Southampton but could be
hosted by a range of UK universities or other institutions. This would be
the basis for an ongoing UK-wide programme from 2008 onwards.
The network manager would also initiate a twice-yearly news letter, while
she/he and/or the Development Officer would seek to develop Crisis Forum's
public persona and rationale through articles and other contributions to the
national, regional and local press.
Additionally, or more specifically in the year 2006-7, the development
officer, with the network manager in support, would explore:
a) a series of specifically climate-changed focused fora, workshops and/or
public meetings in different parts of the UK. We envisage this in
association, possibly, with Regional Development Authorities (RDAs) and
through the possible creation of localised groupings of Crisis Forum. e.g.
given strong involvement in CF from academics at Leeds Metropolitan and
Liverpool Universities, we might envisage the creation of a Crisis
Forum-North for this purpose.
b) the possibility of a range of feasibility studies in which specific
universities would be earmarked as sites for radical carbon-reduction, and
hence as community-models for sustainable development
Provisional Budget
Assuming we can find some core support - possibly from one or more
university funds- for the provision of
a) an office and relevant furniture
b) networked computers
we seek
part-time posts c. 24 hours per week.
1 Network Manager
1 Development Officer c. £20,000 per annum each (incl.
national insurance)
costs for stationery, computer network, phone,
travel to meetings etc £2,000
costs for 5 conferences/workshops £2.000 per conference (£10,000)
Total estimate budget (2007-8) c. £52, 000 :
We will be writing to a variety of funding sources for this purpose. At the
current moment these may include: The Royal Society, The Esme Fairbairn
Foundation, The Scurrah Wainwright Charity, The Freshfield Foundation, The
Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, The
Network for Social Change, the Gatesby Foundation, the Lipman-Miliband
Trust, The Elmgrant Trust, The Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation and
others (with research councils, NERC, ESRC et al.,to follow in due course)
ML July 2005
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