Learning Journeys
Click on the image to read more about each Learning Journey
Blockchain and the SDGs
Beyond the hype of crypto currencies, blockchain is a technological approach to verification and transparency which is generating solutions to a wide variety of challenges. This journey will give participants an introduction to what blockchain is. Virginia Cram-Martos of Tringularity will share the work that they have done with the UN Economic Commission for Europe on Blockchain for the SDGs, and Nathan Cooper of the International Federation of the Red Cross will share their experience in creating a blockchain application to create transparency and traceability in islamic social finance. Participants will explore how blockchain might unlock transformative approaches to SDG implementation.
How artificial intelligence and robotics will change the future have long been the focus of science fiction. Now that the reality is beginning to catch up with what we have imagined, the nuances of these technologies and their actual potential are becoming clearer. Bringing together Jan Van Mol of AddictLab, and S.P Mohanty, a leading thinker on AI for social good, this learning journey will give participants an experience of the current and future state of AI and robotics. Discussion will focus on how AI and Robotics might impact on achievement of the SDGs.
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and the SDGs
How do we govern the nexus between food, energy and water in a complex and uncertain world to meet the basic needs of 10 billion people? Can recognizing and capturing the economic value of complex ecosystems lead to more environmentally sustainable behaviour? The LIVES Project, TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) Initiative, and the International Institute for Sustainable Development have been developing transformative approaches to addressing these questions. Explore and learn with Louise Gallagher, Jacob Salcone and Lisbeth Casier on this journey.
Governing and Valuing Energy,Water, Food, and Ecosystems in the Context of Climate Change
Being forced to leave their homes because of war, poverty or disaster causes unprecedented vulnerability and disruption in peoples' lives. Forced migration presents a major challenge to achieving the SDGs for everyone. Learn from the UN Refugee Agency about how they are innovating to address forced migration. Then explore how to transform the experience of forced migration through an interactive activity with Cuisine Lab, our caterers for the day.
Transformative Approaches to
Forced Migration
The Swiss model of direct democracy is unique in the extent to which it prioritizes local decision-making, enables citizen action, and requires broad agreement for national initiatives. Learn more about this unique model from Marceau Schroeter who joins us both as a representative of the City of Geneva and the organization Pop Democracy, Luc Zimmerman who is President of a local political party, and Xavier Cornut, a public relations specialist. Expect a dynamic conversation about advantages, challenges, and opportunities of this and other governing and decision-making systems.
Direct Democracy
internet, social media platforms, smart technologies, open data approaches, and new approaches to stakeholder engagement and commuication are transforming the way that knowledge is produced and used to infrom decision-making. While these developments open new possibilities about what can be known and understood and new ways of influencing, issues of privacy and data validation present challenges and issues of power and voice remain important. Hear from Rosi Mondardini and Jose Louis Fernandez about the work of Citizen Cyber Lab a in addressing these challenges to make data usable, as well as from Kali Taylor about the work of the SDG Lab and Geneva 2030 Ecosystem in these areas.
Labs for Stakeholder Participation and Citizen-Generated Data for the SDGs
This journey will visit Idea Square at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. CERN is one of the world's largest and most respected centres for scientific research. Its business is fundamental physics, finding out what the Universe is made of and how it works. CERN IdeaSquare is a dedicated test facility at CERN that hosts detector R&D projects, and facilitates student programs. With maker spaces (Harri Toivonen), and leading-edge digital communication tools, including Virtual Reality (Neal Hartman), Idea Square (Markus Nordberg) is a dynamic space for prototyping and creating products, approaches and partnerships between scientists and communities. This journey will explore their approach to labs and innovation.