Sustainability Now!

Sustainability Now!

By Right Livelihood Centre of the University of ZurichEducation
Download on the App Store

Sustainability Now! episodes

  • 12 - From Colonial Extraction to Collective Rights in Nicaragua: Indigenous Feminist Visions of Justice

    In this episode, hosts Bruno Brandes and Kris Hartmann explore the topic «From Colonial Extraction to Collective Rights in Nicaragua: Indigenous Feminist Visions of Justice», with powerful insights shared by Anexa Alfred Cunningham, an Indigenous woman from the Miskitu community.

    She was joined by Dr Esther Leemann from the Department ofSocial and Cultural Anthropology at the Universität Zürich and Julia Büsser, Amazona Program Manager at Voices. Together, they opened an important conversation about the many ways Indigenous peoples seek and experience recognition and justice.

    Join us for the last podcast of this year’s lecture series, «Feminist Pathways to Environmental Justice.»

    19 min
  • 11 - Violence, Law and Climate Justice in Cameroon: Protecting Those Most Affected

    In this episode, hosts Sabrina Sanfilippo, Elizabeth Johnson and Phoebe Ship explore the intersections of violence, law, and climate justice in Cameroon.

    2021 Right Livelihood Laureate Marthe Wandou and her organisation ALDEPA put women and girls at the centre of their work, providing support through education for them and their communities, as well as psychological care and legal assistance.
    Marthe Wandou was joined by Johannes Wendland and Asebe Regassa Debelo for a powerful conversation on why a green transition must also be a just transition. Together, they highlighted how existing inequalities, including gender-basedviolence and climate-related displacement, are exacerbated through external interventions that fail to prioritise local communities, accountability, and justice.

    Join us for an inspiring dialogue!

    13 min
  • 10 - Women Workers, Economic Power, and Environmental Justice in India

    In this episode, hosts Ryoma Deiss and Melissa Amanda Keeling explore the intersection of women workers, economic power, and environmental justice alongside inspiring voices and experts in the field.

    Joined by the laureate Reema Nanavaty (Self-Employed Women’sAssociation, India) and guest experts Prof. Dr Hanna Hilbrandt (Social Geography and Urban Studies, UZH) and Vanessa Salamanca (Central Secretary for Equality at VPOD and Co-President of the Feminist Commission of the SGB), the conversation highlighted that meaningful change requires organisation, cooperation, and solidarity in understanding each other’s situations and backgrounds.

    Join us for an inspiring dialogue!


    12 min
  • 9 - Feminist Pathways to Environmental Justice

    In this episode, hosts Szonja Kéri, Ladina Julia Wiedmann, and Chiara Panico explore the deep connections between sustainable development and social justice.

    Joined by guest experts Zita Küng (Feminist Legal Studies& Advocacy, FRI), Dr. Jeanette Behringer (Sustainability Hub, UZH), and Camilla Argentieri (Protection and Advocacy Manager at Right Livelihood), the conversation highlights how climate change is not an isolated issue, but one deeply embedded in existing social and economic structures.

    Join us for an inspiring and thought-provoking dialogue!


    22 min
  • 8 - Commoning for Sufficiency

    Hosts Sheldon Masseraz and Ivan Nikitin dive into the practice of commoning as a pathway to sufficiency with Cecosesola, 2022 Right Livelihood Laureates from Venezuela.

    Featuring insights from Xavier Balaguer Rasillo of the University of Zurich and Florence Favre from the Swiss Association for the Promotion of the Economy for the Common Good, the episode explores cooperative economies, collective care, and alternative models for meeting human needs.

    Listen in for a hopeful and practical vision of how communities can thrive through shared resources and mutual support.


    Learn more about Cecosesola:

    https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/cecosesola/

    27 min
  • 7 - Sustainable Food Production and Consumption

    Hosts Céline Spring and Aristide Aebersold discuss the challenges and opportunities of sustainable food systems with the Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Cooperative, 1989 Right Livelihood Laureates from Japan.

    Alongside guest experts Prof. Dr. Johanna Jacobi from ETH Zurich and Tex Tschurtschenthaler from the Cooperative Office for Solidarity-Based Agriculture, this episode explores how consumer empowerment, agroecology, and community-led initiatives can transform food production and consumption.
    Join us for an inspiring dialogue on cultivating food sovereignty and sustainability from the ground up.


    Learn more about Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Cooperative:

    https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/seikatsu-club-consumers-cooperative/

    21 min
  • 6 - People, Land and Culture: Indigenous Perspectives on Sufficiency

    Hosts Natasha Rösli and Gregor von Rohr explore the deeply rooted connections between people, land, and culture with 2024 Right Livelihood Laureate Joan Carling, an Indigenous rights advocate from the Philippines.

    Joined by Dr. Esther Leeman from the University of Zurich and Anna Leissing from the Society for Threatened Peoples Switzerland, this episode sheds light on Indigenous perspectives on sufficiency, land stewardship, and cultural resilience. Discover how Indigenous knowledge systems contribute to sustainable living and social justice.


    Tune in for a powerful conversation on reclaiming balance between humanity and nature.


    Learn more about Joan Carling:

    https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/joan-carling/

    12 min
  • 5 - Can we Prevent War and Achieve Sustainable Peace through Common Security and International Law

    Host Jennifer Stüssi navigates the complex topic of the lecture with 2009 Right Livelihood Laureate Alyn Ware about preventing war and achieving sustainable peace through common security and international law. With insights from expert guest panelists Prof. Dr. Matthias Mahlmann, Chair of Philosophy and Theory of Law, LegalSociology and International Public Law at the University of Zurich, and Marie-Claire Graf, Climate Justice Activist and Co-Founder of the Youth Negotiators Academy, this episode delves into the mechanisms of international law and the collective efforts required to foster global peace. Tune in for an enlightening conversation on the pathways to a more secure and peaceful world.


    Learn more about Alyn Ware:

    https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/alyn-ware/

    12 min
  • 4 - Global Migration in the Mediterranean Sea

    In this episode, host Isabella Ferrara sheds light on lecture about the urgent issue of global migration with Caroline Abu Sa'da from SOS MEDITERRANEE, the 2023 Right Livelihood Award Laureate. Joined by guest panelists PD Dr. Kijan Espahangizi, lecturer in modern history (migration) from the Department of History at the University of Zurich, and Fabian Schmid, specialist in European policy at the Swiss Refugee Council / Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe, the discussion focuses on the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean Sea and the efforts to save lives and uphold human dignity. Learn about the realities of migration and the critical need for compassion and action.
    Learn more about SOS MEDITERRANEE: https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/sos-mediterranee/

    24 min
  • 3 - Environmental (In)justice in the Business Sector

    Hosts Jonathan Kral, Loukina Tille, and Victoria Barros bring you a compelling conversation about the lecture on the complex issue of environmental justice in the business sector with Nnimmo Bassey, 2010 Right Livelihood Laureate.
    Off the coast of Nigeria, a relentless gas flare has been burning since 2020, casting a haunting light on decades of unregulated  industrial activity. Big Oil Corporations, backed by the National Nigerian Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), have been extracting oil with little regulation and poor clean-up practices. As a result, local communities endure regular, uncontrolled oil spills that devastate ecosystems and biodiversity. Environmental justice activist, architect, and poet Nnimmo Bassey has been tirelessly fighting against these damaging practices. Featuring Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, along with experts Dr. Tamaki Ohmura, lecturer for Biodiversity, Environment and Human Society at the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies of the University of Zurich, and Ion Karagounis, Economics and Environmental Specialist of WWF Switzerland, they discuss corporate responsibility, the role of regulatory bodies, and our ethical duties as consumers.
    Learn more about Nnimmo Bassey: https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/nnimmo-bassey/
    For more information, you can consult the following links:
    https://www.sustainability.uzh.ch/en/community/rlc/home.html
    https://nnimmobassey.africa/ 
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dib8ENuSf0g
    https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/05/nigerias-new-government-mustensure-shells-sale-of-its-niger-delta-oil-business-does-not-worsen-human-rights-abuses/
    https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en

    22 min

About Sustainability Now!

From the publisher's feed

The interdisciplinary Sustainability Now! lecture series, a cooperation between the Right Livelihood Centre and the Sustainability Team of the University of Zurich, took place for the fourth time in…