Conversations Across Borders

In this Webinar one in our “Conversation Across Borders” series we will talk to Veronica Polinedro about how Sweden dealt with the influx of migration that swept Europe after 2015

During 2015, a record 1.3 million refugees crossed into Europe. Between 2015 and 2016, more than 2.5 million people applied for asylum in the EU.
Sweden is considering a “Welcome Card.” Upon arrival in Sweden, asylum seekers place a request for asylum and get registered with the national migration agency. Registered asylum seekers receive one Welcome Card per individual (based on age) to be used during the asylum application process, as both an identification card and as a key to their case status.

The card is to ensure the well-being of asylum seekers during, and after, the asylum seeking application process, revise the asylum seeking decision-making process for the national migration agencies and foster connection between asylum seekers, refugees and the local communities:
The story of the “Welcome card” began on May 20, 2016, when a team of experience designer, software developer, social entrepreneurs and business administrators came together during a 12-hour workshop to tackle the refugee crisis through design.

Veronica Polinedrio is a product UX designer working with transdisciplinary research and empathy to answer complex systemic challenges. In 2016, she founded The Welcome Card, where she lead product, design, and research. She has served as an advocate and coordinator for several community development projects, non-profit organizations, and start-up companies between the United States, Honduras, Sweden, and Italy. She is passionate about immigration and social dignity, designing solutions that build empathy and promote ethical practices for socio-politico-economical change within our communities

In this Webinar Interview with Jo Ruxton we discuss the huge problem of plastic waste and its impact on the oceans of our globe.

350 million tonnes of plastic are being produced each year. This could weigh more than humanity, estimated at 316 million tonnes in 2013. 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year. If waste management practices don’t improve, scientists predict this amount could increase tenfold by 2025
Plastics make up to around 75% of marine litter, although this can be up to 100% at some sites. Plastic in the ocean breaks up into smaller fragments called microplastics, which have been identified in commercial fish consumed by humans.

Jo Ruxton is the Founder Director and Producer of “A Plastic Ocean” the award winning documentary. It’s been named by Sir David Attenborough as “one of the most important films of our time” and has ignited mass consumer awareness.

In this webinar we interview Samara Croci who is a Brand and Communication Manager for Aquafil USA. Aquafil is a company that has placed the circular economy and sustainability at the heart of the company’s mission which is to save resources, give new life to otherwise lost materials and increase efficiency along the value chain.

Samara has 15 years of experience in communications for advertising, media production, social media, and branding.

In this webinar Samara will discuss the fascinating challenge – communicating the environmental problems we face today. It is an excellent school for a communications professional as it deals with something that you cannot always see, that is technical and complicated, and that we tend to avoid.

How can a company respect the environment go green and communicate its values to both its customers and to other businesses as well.

Samara is particularly interested in digital resources, and meaningful social media communication as well as video story telling to get her message about sustainability across.

Join us in this webinar which is the next episode in the Conversations Across Borders” series. It is about the journey of Ragnhild Larsson a journalist who made the journey to become a climate change activist

This was a knowledge journey through the different aspect of this issue – a ourney in the forefront of the climate change movement. A personal transformation, from a journalist to an activist.

In September 2015 Ragnhild Larsson . a Swedish journalist, based in Gothenburg started the podcast “The klimatpodden” about climate change. In her statement she told us

“I am worried and upset. The climate crisis changes everything. Why is this not the top priority in the media? How come our politicians don’t address the climate crises we are in in a proper way.” In Klimatpodden, the Swedish podcast about climate change you will meet researchers activists and entrepreneurs who act to handle the climate crises we are in the midst of.”

In this webinar we discuss with Iboro Otu from Nigeria how the Covid 19 pandemic has affected the African Continent and especially Nigeria.

In the UK and much of Europe we have had basic infrastructures like health services as well as an active voluntary sector ( as in Enfield) and although hugely under strain they have coped in the most difficult of circumstances.

But what happens in countries where that infrastructure is not there and where water is not always available and on tap. How do countries with widespread urban as well as trial communities enforce lockdown and social distancing. And how do Governments both cope and respond.

In this Webinar we discuss with Marie Elisabeth Mueller the power of storytelling in the digital age and how the news we hear can be democratised by the power of story telling.

But in the digital age story telling takes on a new form that involves text, graphics and video and makes the power of story telling something that crosses borders. And when so much news on the media is manipulated by the powerful story telling can provide a platform for all of us to correct the balance.

Dr. Mueller who was born in Duesseldorf holds a Ph.D. in Digital Storytelling, Media Science from the University Constance. She has been teaching interactive multimedia, crossplatform storytelling and trends in the media industry since 2014 at the Stuttgart Media University in Germany I work with people at the intersection of emerging technologies, digital literacy and communications.

In this Webinar Simon Nicholson an Assistant Professor in the
School of International Service Contact is interviewed by us about climate change and whether we will be able to meet the target set by the International Panel on Climate Change to reduce carbon emissions sufficiently to keep temperature rise below 1.5 degrees by the end of the century.

We know climate change is happening and we will have to adapt but are the measures to mitigate climate change and its impact enough or do we need more drastic measures like geo engineering. And if we do, how safe is that and what are the unintended consequences.

We also discuss how scientists communicate their concerns to both politicians and the general public so that the issues are understood clearly.

The World Health Organization in collaboration with arts and entertainment influencers and public personalities as well as leading arts and cultural entities are launching #SolidaritySessions and #SolidarityShows to a global audience.

Art, alongside science, is the way we can make sense of this moment of uncertainty and isolation, through an expression of solidarity and love with family, friends, as a community, a nation or as a species.

Celebrity musicians are sharing #SolidaritySessions, powered by Global Citizen, which are live performances taped in intimate settings and offered for free on social media to help share important updates and guidelines, show solidarity and raise funds for emergency programs. Tune into the sessions by following hashtag #TogetherAtHome.

We will be interviewing Lisa Russell who is a consultant/curator for the World Health Organization. Lisa is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, UN/NGO Storyteller and Artist Curator, 2x TEDx Speaker, Fulbright Specialist and Founder whose work lies at the intersection of arts, social justice and global development.

In this webinar we interview Nick Dearden the Director of Global Justice Now – a democratic social justice organisation working as part of a global movement to challenge the powerful and create a more just and equal world. They mobilise people in the UK for change, and act in solidarity with those fighting injustice, particularly in the global south:

Today we face two existential crises the corona virus pandemic and climate change and both bring the need for global justice strikingly to the forefront. As these crises unfold although they will impact on us all, it is the poor and vulnerable that will be affected the most.

Ho do we in a world in crisis, where fear and concern often makes us inward looking, find solutions to provide justice for those who need it the most.

In this webinar we interview the grand niece of Dag Hammarskjöld who was the second Secretary General of the United Nations and who died in a mysterious plane crash.

We talk to her about the legacy of her great uncle, the international situation today and also about her own work to further the vision of Dag Hammarskjöld.

You can follow Caroline’s Website with more information about what she does and also about her grand uncle at https://www.hammarskjold.org/

Join this Conversation Across Borders Podcast where we interview Alex Kagansky on the biodiversity of life and how it is being threatened thus creating a crisis for humanity.

The loss of biodiversity both eliminates possibility to learn nature, and importantly to survive and help the future sufferers, including ourselves and our relatives and friends, as it minimises the potential for harvesting new medicines.

This is due to the interdependence of sustainability of the environment, human wellbeing, and the development of new public health practices. We aim to mobilise the skills and expertise to address this issue. Earth’s finite natural resources are essential for healing purposes and requests the support from society at large able national, religious, or other interests . With the expanding loss of biodiversity, we must act now to avoid losing new solutions for human-focused problems.

In this Webinar Interview we talk with Rickard Ydrenäs about how Europe views the British General Election result and what impact it will have in the coming decade.

Richard is a political scientist, journalist and communications specialist with expertise on the European Union’s work, the EU’s legislative process and financial markets regulation.

In this webinar we discuss how we might develop a series of global webinars to celebrate research, help academics tell their stories, and build learning across borders; whether they be barriers in language, knowledge, religions or education.

We hope to get academics to engage with audience to share knowledge and enhance experience and in this webinar we will discuss how we might do this.