January 16 was a remarkable day, during which a group of champions who stood up during the first Crutzen workshop worked hard to bring their plans together.
Background of this Group
Since the Crutzen workshop and the subsequent process, we have been pioneering with this group: can we bring researchers, practice partners, and public partners together in a very short time, without competition, to create a coherent work programme that genuinely contributes to systemic change? This enthusiastic group has been working since mid-October to translate the ideas and actions from the Crutzen workshop into a coherent initial KIN work programme, with the goal of accelerating urban climate transition through the lens of justice.
Focus of the Meet-up on January 16
A group of 15 people came together to discuss the work packages that emerged from the actions of the Crutzen workshops. The goal was to further align these work packages and create a cohesive work programme. This also included everyone critically reviewing the budgets and collectively arriving at a sound budget. And successfully! Together, we have taken a significant step towards bringing more coherence to the programme, and a proposal will be submitted to our program committee in February. Pending a positive judgment from the program committee, we expect the work programme to start as early as March 2024.
A Dynamic Process in a Learning Organization
Together, we are discovering what we are going to do. Sometimes it’s exciting because it’s all new. It comes with some uncertainty and chaos, but it also underscores the importance of a collective movement, building something together. There is room for an organic and innovative process. The day felt like the group was putting together a puzzle and searching for common ground. There was a search for substantive strategy and the structure and next steps of collaboration.
A Successful Day!
It was wonderful to see how much commitment and energy were present in the group, and it was extraordinary to experience the desire to truly do this together: the spirit of collaboration across borders and barriers, without reverting to the tendency to contribute primarily to your own agenda, thinking about what is best, granting others something. This spirit was stronger than ever yesterday.
Many compliments to those who have taken on this challenge with us and show the leadership to make this a successful program. We look forward to an innovative proposal to accelerate systemic transitions!
