Resilient People + Climate Change Conference

Johann Koss, former Olympian and founder, Right To Play (l.), and Sanjay Khanna, co-founder, Resilient People and Climate Change (r.) Photo: Nancy Zorzi, Right To Play

During the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, Sanjay Khanna, co-founder of the Resilient People and Climate Change, which in late 2010 will be launched as an international NGO to address the psychological and social impacts of climate change, met and interviewed Johann Koss, five-time Norwegian Olympic speed skating medalist, and Toronto-based founder of Right To Play.

Right To Play is an international NGO whose mission is “to improve the lives of children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world by using the power of sport and play for development, health and peace.” Its athlete ambassadors, some of whom are recruited from the Olympic movement with others recruited from professional sports such as hockey and soccer, visit disadvantaged areas in Africa, Asia and elsewhere, where Right To Play trains local coaches to use sports as a medium through which an environment can be nurtured in pursuit of long-term social, educational and health goals.

From a Resilient People and Climate Change perspective, Right To Play’s slogan — “Look After Yourself. Look After One Another.” — provides a simple, powerful and effective message of personal and social resilience that connects well with one of our aims, which is to promote self-knowledge, sharing and cooperation as ways to safeguard individuals and communities from the psychological and sociocultural harms that are likely to grow as climate impacts become increasingly severe.

Resilient People and Climate Change applauds the work of Right To Play and will follow it closely in the coming years — for inspiration and for potential areas where play can help to communicate within communities about wise and resilient ways to prepare for climate impacts.

Links to conference co-convenor Sanjay Khanna’s article plus interview in the Oct. 22, 2009 “Destination Copenhagen” issue of the journal Nature.

His timely article is called “Conveying the campaign message: The arts and advertising can galvanise public and political will in tackling climate change. But shared concern for human health is a better motivator than polar bears, finds Sanjay Khanna.”

Sanjay’s other contribution to that issue of Nature is an interview with University of Victoria psychologist Robert Gifford. It’s called “Q&A: The science of persuasion” and it provides insights from Gifford to help scientists communicate climate change effectively.

Media:

• “Inside the Resilient People + Climate Change Conference” – Linda Solomon, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Vancouver Observer, Oct. 21, 2009
• “Global Dread, Eco-Paralysis and the Emotions of Ice: Glenn Albrecht’s Brilliant Analysis of Eco-Emotions and Climate Change at Vancouver’s Resilient People + Climate Change Conference” – Linda Solomon, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Vancouver Observer, Oct. 21, 2009
• “Resilient People Conference starts tomorrow in Vancouver” – Alex Steffen, Executive Editor, Worldchanging, Oct. 20, 2009

Blogs:

• “Culture helps us get the message” – SWEDEN.SE – The Official Gateway to Sweden, Sara Jeswani, Nov. 5, 2009
• “Resilient People + Climate Change Conference” – go small or go home blog, Lissa Cowan, Oct. 19, 2009
• “Resilient People – finding hope through despair” – Project Seres Blog, Corrina Grace, Oct. 18, 2009
• “Are You Resilient? If So, Encourage Psychological and Social Resilience Wherever You Can” – HuffPost, Sanjay Khanna, Conference co-convenor, Oct. 15, 2009
• “Resilient People + Climate Change Conference” – Jen Marlow, Three Degrees: The Law of Climate Change and Human Rights, University of Washington, Oct. 1, 2009

Now that this year’s conference is complete, here’s what panelists and participants are saying:

“Quite possibly the world’s first transdisciplinary conference linking mental health and climate change. People were engaged and engaging.”

- Dr. Glenn Albrecht, Professor of Sustainability, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, established first solid links between climate change and mental health in groundbreaking Australia-based research

“Hard-hitting and thought-provoking — finally a conference about climate change that is saying something new…staring down the barrel at the real social challenges that we face ahead.”

- Corrina Grace, Founder and Executive Director, Project Seres, a not-for-profit that educates Indigenous Guatemalans on climate change impacts; formerly mechanical engineer and investment banker based in Australia

“I was pleased for my company to be an event sponsor, and also to personally participate in the dialogue. Far from being a removed conference of academics, Resilient People + Climate Change was a constellation of incredible connections and insight. The multidisciplinary nature of the speakers created a rich and deep experience for all that were there. A must attend for next year!”

- Phillip Djwa, Principal, Agentic – Humans Online, a leading communications agency that serves socially responsible businesses and NGOs

“Thanks for having Luisa [Dr. Luisa Maffi, Terralingua] and I participate in your 1st Annual Resilient People + Climate Change Conference.  It was a very stimulating event and we thoroughly enjoyed  being in the company of so many passionate and thoughtful people.”

- Dr. David Rapport, President of EcoHealth Consulting, one of the first scientists to have linked ecological health to human health, Saltspring Island, BC

- Dr. Luisa Maffi, Executive Director, Terralingua, one of the originators of the concept of “biocultural diversity,” Saltspring Island, BC

“Thank you for your efforts to pull together what I believe was a very successful gathering. There was a great deal of interest, expertise, and energy among the participants.”

- Dr. Carl M. Hild, Associate Professor, Public Health Administration, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, Alaska

“Thanks so much for inviting my participation. It was amazing.”

- Hadas Levy, Videographer, Toronto, Canada

“An auspicious beginning for the ‘resilience movement.’”

- Rick Ingrasci, MD (Cornell), MPH (Harvard), co-founder, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Whidbey Island, Washington

“Thank you again for convening such an inspiring and catalyzing gathering!”

Jeet-Kei Leung, Community Manager, BC Compassion Club, Vancouver, BC, Canada

“I do genuinely appreciate your ability to facilitate exchanges amongst a diverse group and I commend you greatly for your efforts these past few days.”

- Fred Bushor, Political Studies Student, Langara College, Vancouver, BC, Canada

“Thanks for organizing a great conference.  The discussions were thoughtful and thought provoking and the connections priceless. Look forward to continuing this dialogue and being part of something great!”

- Dr. Negar Elmieh, Ph.D. (UBC), MPH (Tufts), Vancouver, BC, Canada

“Thought-provoking and inspirational workshop… really like the framework of constructing a narrative to help guide me in thinking about how to weave some of these ideas into my work…. And I was interested to see this week that the editorial in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons highlighted the importance of climate change impacts on health….”

- Erin Burrell, MD, Psychiatry Residence Program, Year 3, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Warm thanks to the gracious people who helped make the event possible:

• Nancy Bleck, Arts Coordinator -  Nancy Bleck Photography, Vancouver, BC
• Fred Bushor, Student Volunteer -  Political Science, Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
• Lissa Cowan, PR / Social Media Manager -  Go Small Or Go Home, Vancouver, BC
• Heather Drugge, Conference Manager – Principal, Go Communications, Inc., Vancouver, BC
• Negar Elmieh, Volunteer – Ph.D, MPH, Affiliated with UBC Institute of Resources, Environment and Sustainability
• Corrina Grace, Volunteer – Founder and Executive Director, Project Seres, Guatemala
• Nils von Hanh,  Volunteer, Deejay Music Coordinator – Beats Without Borders, Vancouver, BC
• Meegan Konias,  Student Volunteer – Global Stewardship Program, Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
• Cheryl Schreader, Volunteer – Professor, Geography, Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
• Cam Sylvester, Volunteer – Professor, Political Studies, Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC

Current participants, including panelists and attendees, at the first annual Resilient People + Climate Change small-group conference and workshop include:

1. Glenn Albrecht, Professor of Sustainability, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
2. Nancy Bleck, Photographer and Instructor, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, BC
3. Stacey Corriveau, Director, Communications, Resilient Communities Canada, Abbotsford, BC
4. Jeff Vander Clute, Co-founder, CircLabs Inc., Palo Alto, CA
5. Shannon Daub, Communications Director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Vancouver, BC
6. Phillip Djwa, Principal, Agentic Communications, Vancouver, BC
7. Negar Elmieh, Ph.D. (UBC, 2009), MPH (Tufts School of Medicine, 2003), Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
8. Dave Frank, Ahousat First Nation, Ahousat, BC
9. Carl M. Hild, Associate Professor, Public Health Administration, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK
10. Rick Ingrasci, MD, MPH, Consultant, Whitbey Island, WA
11. Jim Green, Consultant, Jim Green and Associates, Vancouver, BC
12. Sonja Klinsky, Ph.D candidate, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
13. Jeet-Kei Leung, Communications Coordinator, BC Compassion Club; Tribal Harmonix/Intention, Vancouver, BC
14. Joel Levey, Clinical Psychologist and Consultant, Wisdom at Work, Seattle, WA, and Hawaii
15. Hadas Levy, Independent Filmmaker, Vancouver, BC
16. Luisa Maffi, Principal, Terralingua, Saltspring Island, BC
17. Kevin Millsip, Sustainability Coordinator, Vancouver Board of Education, Vancouver, BC
18. Pravin Pillay, Organizational Ecologist, Emergent Performance Consulting, Saltspring Island, BC
19. David Rapport, Principal, Ecohealth Consulting, Saltspring Island, BC
20. Demi Rasmussen, Community Development Director, Bainbridge Graduate Institute, Bainbridge Island, WA
21. Eric Rasmussen, CEO, inSTEDD, Palo Alto, CA, and Bainbridge Island, WA
22. Cheryl Schreader, Professor, Geography, Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
23. Stephan Schwartz, Consultant, Schwartz Report, Seattle, WA
24. Jane Sterk, Leader, Green Party of BC, Vancouver, BC
25. Cam Sylvester, Professor, Political Studies, Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
26. Max Tomaszewski, Property Developer, Amadon Group, Victoria, BC
27. Victoria Hykes Steere, Human Rights Lawyer, Anchorage, AK
28. Cilla Utne, Consultant, Shepell.fgi, Seattle, WA
29. Chief Bill Williams, Squamish Nation, BC
30. Cease Wyss, Squamish Nation, BC

Exciting news!

Effekt, a bold new Swedish magazine that highlights issues related to climate change in print and online, was launched last week in Stockholm. It was co-founded by a three-person team, including journalist and author David Jonstad, and journalist and blogger Sara Jeswani (who also blogs on sustainability at Sweden.se, the Swedish government’s “official gateway to Sweden”).

(From l. to r.) Effekt’s Jesper Weithz, David Jonstad, and Sara Jeswani

Effekt is a friend of the Resilient People + Climate Change conference — yes, that really cool friend you wish you had in high school.

Although Effekt does not yet publish articles in English, we can only hope that a selection of online articles will be translated one day, so that those of us who are lazy English-speaking sops can enjoy firsthand the experience of excellence in Swedish climate journalism.

We are grateful for the generous support of our sponsors.

October, 5, 2009, Vancouver, BC — The Resilient People + Climate Change Conference reports that the Green Party of BC drafted a policy on the psychological and social impacts of climate change that was passed yesterday at its monthly policy meeting.

It is fitting that just two weeks before the gathering of leading experts to explore the psychological and social impacts of climate change that a political party has taken these potential impacts seriously. We believe the Green Party of BC policy maps to the latest disturbing findings that climate change is going to have psychological and social impacts, and that we must begin now to address a series of interrelated and challenging issues — in education, community adaptation, and social services — noted in the policy statement below.

The Green Party of BC’s policy stems from recent work on the topic by writer and journalist Sanjay Khanna, who is co-convening the Resilient People + Climate Change Conference with cultural mythologist Michael Littrell. The policy was informed significantly by a draft document called “NGO Working Group on the Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being: Guidelines for Action.” The contents of this latter document will be communicated to the United Nations, the European Union, and the U.S. presidential administration. Two Resilient People + Climate Change speakers, Dr. Glenn Albrecht and Dr. Inka Weissbecker, are among the co-authors of the NGO document referenced by the Green Party of BC.

STATEMENT:

BC Greens believe that British Columbians will find it more difficult to contribute constructive ideas and programs addressing the challenge of climate change adaptation and mitigation, or to respond proactively as climate change starts to affect mental health and psychosocial well-being. Based on a growing body of research on the mental health and psychosocial impacts of climate change, we believe our healthcare, social and education systems should help people prepare for potential mental health and psychosocial impacts induced by climate change:

GPBC would implement a full range of direct and supportive programs– as part of a fully-costed, preventive health care plan — to help mitigate the impact of climate change on the mental health and psychosocial well-being of British Columbians. These may include:

Education

• Both specialized and non-specialized staff must receive training in mental health and psychosocial care (Lancet Global Mental Health Group, 2007). Local professionals (e.g. school teachers, nurses, doctors, and first responders) must be trained in the basic principles of psychological first aid and in providing referrals to specialized staff if necessary.
• K – 12 education should include modules in social studies on the potential impacts of climate change and response strategies. The intent is to familiarize children with the potential problems, and empower them to overcome fear, or deal with it in a positive way.
• In high-risk areas, provide community-based training in the form of disaster response, first aid, urban search and rescue, and disaster mental health using existing community training models used successfully in Japan, the United States, and elsewhere (Simpson, 2000; Simpson & Strang, 2004, World Cares Center, 2008). From grade 8 onwards, for example, students should be taught disaster first aid in a progressive fashion, so that they are better able to assist their communities should climate-related disasters increase in severity and frequency. Individuals who are able to function, contribute to community recovery, and maintain their role during stress often cope better and experience less disability following a stressful event (Caplan, 1975)

Social Services

• Building resilient communities involves capacity-building, strengthening existing structures, creating new or reinforcing social networks and recognizing the value of local and Indigenous community knowledge and perspectives, as well as increasing the availability of psychosocial resources and services (World Health Organization, 2008c). Existing social services in communities at high risk should inventory the strengths of specific social groups as well as talents and skills within the community that could contribute to mitigation, and alleviation of the psychosocial impacts of climate change.

References

Caplan, G. (1975). Support Systems in Times of War, The Individual and Community in Emergencies: Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

Lancet Global Mental Health Group (2007).  Scale up services for mental disorders: A call to action. Global Mental Health Lancet Series 6, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61242-2.

Simpson, D. (2000). Non-Institutional Sources of Assistance Following a Disaster: Potential Triage and Treatment Capabilities of Neighborhood-based Organizations. Journal of Pre-Hospital and Disaster Medicine, 15(4), 199-206.

Simpson, D. M., & Strang, W. (2004). Volunteerism, Disasters and Homeland Security: The AmeriCorps* National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and Community Preparedness. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 1(4), Article 404.

World Cares Center (2008). http://worldcares.org/about/

World Health Organization (2008c).  Scaling up care for mental, neurological and substance use disorders.  Mental Health Gap Action Program.  Geneva, Switzerland.

Graphic designer Chris Fagan — he is also the Resilient People + Climate Change design sponsor through his company Fusebox Communications — developed two striking posters for our event.

Here’s one:

What I think is especially unique about the event graphic is that weather maps are superimposed on people. It’s an incisive metaphor that touches on the growing impact of climate change on psychological and social dimensions of our lives, that is, how we think, feel, act, and relate to one another.

To see the other poster, go to our Facebook page. And, while you’re there, take a moment to become a fan!