The Good Council

Dr Ashok Khosla made a name for himself through establishing his social enterprise "Development Alternatives" 40 years ago being one of the first who was combining doing good with making money. He is one of the world's leading experts on the Environment and Sustainable Development. In conversation with our Youth:Present representative Marie-Claire Graf, he tells us how the concept of sustainability and Sustainable Development differs in the world and why we urgently need institutional frameworks that can identify and deal with the problems we are facing. 

What does it take to change a system sustainably? What new ways of connecting do exist? In conversation with our working student Gesa Dolkemeyer, Dr C. Otto Scharmer explains how the Theory U updates the operating code in our societal systems through a shift in consciousness and how the World Future Council can move change forward and change structures and systems through connecting people. 

Nowadays we are facing water crisis: millions of people lack access to fresh water, yet we continue to extract rivers and lakes and pump out groundwater excessively. Is it a matter of individual actions? Or of government action? What are the solutions to water crisis and how can young people help? In the new episode of our podcast “The Good Council” we are discussing these and other questions with the Councillor of the World Future Council and author of the book „Blue Future – How to Protect Water for People and the Planet Forever“ Dr h.c. Maude Barlow.

A pioneer in organic and biodynamic farming, an oasis in the middle of a hostile environment, and a changemaker for so many farmers not only in Egypt but around the globe: Our Councillor Helmy Abouleish. We want to learn more about how he turns deserts into fertile soils and why his father is still his greatest role model. He gives us interesting insights into the sustainable community in Egypt, Sekem, and what the economy of love actually means. 

We often forget the immense importance of healthy soil, clean water, and rich biodiversity and how the different elements are interconnected. We have lost the awareness that our lives are intimately connected to the miracle of nature. In the first episode of the second season, Thais Corral tells us why she cares so much about healthy ecosystems, the role of women and young people in environmental protection, and why she founded a place that brings together the different facets of sustainable living - Sinal do Vale.

With around 4 billion people living in cities, more people live in urban than in rural areas. But did you know that cities are some of the most unsustainable parts of the planet, which require and exploit resources from areas far larger than themselves? Rethinking how we build and structure the cities we live in is urgently required. Co-founder of the World Future Council and expert on regenerative cities, Herbert Girardet, explains the way forward.

Human, woman, African, Kenyan, sister of Barack Obama, and a bridge between cultures. Dr Auma Obama is one of the leading advocates for children's and girls' rights of our time. She brings generations together, initiates dialogues and enables platforms to give young people a voice. In conversation with our Youth:Present representative Raina Ivanova, she tells us how she started off her life in Germany fighting the fight for her convictions and how she has kept up that fight till today.

A trailblazer for women across the world, Maria Fernanda Espinosa held positions in government in Ecuador and at the higher echelons of global diplomacy for sustainable and peaceful development, women’s rights and gender equality, and universal health coverage. She’s an example of someone with determination and strength who never lost her personal convictions and empathy for others. In this episode, we’re looking back at where she came from, where she’s been, and where she’s going…

Hafsat Abiola made a name for herself through standing up for women’s rights and empowering democracy and development on the African continent. She is the founder and board president of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy that envisions an Africa where women are full participants in the continent’s social, economic and political development.

Our Youth:Present representative Akinyi Obama Manners (24) interviews Hafsat Abiola and takes a deep-dive into how Hafsat’s own experiences have shaped her work and the spaces that African women should be occupying.

A Maori elder and leading figure for indigenous communities, she is a daughter, mother, and grandmother, not only to her family but to many people around the world. Because she fights tirelessly for the rights of nature, for peace and disarmament, and for intergenerational dialogues: Our Honorary Councillor Pauline Tangiora. We want to get to know her as a person. Why does she do what she does? We want to learn more about her views on life, her work, and her community, as well as her message to current and future generations.