Author: Ariel Macaspac Hernandez

Transnational networks as relational governance infrastructure

Photo: Highways in Riga by night

Photo by Aleksejs Bergmanis on Pixabay

The resource use of our economies currently exceeds the planetary limits. Our way of life requires profound changes to become sustainable. Governing transformation towards sustainability is an orchestration of a multitude of actors and goes beyond top-down state regulations and bottom-up grassroots initiatives. The required transformation touches various types and levels of interactions – from indigenous communities resisting wind energy projects in Oaxaca (Mexico) to youth groups in Copenhagen mobilizing street protests to spark world leaders into action on climate change, from German courts ordering politicians to come up with more ambitious climate protection legislation to European legislation bodies introducing due diligence and sustainable supply chain laws affecting developing countries. The success of transformation towards sustainability depends on how these interactions are facilitated or orchestrated.

2020 as the Anno Commotio (Year of Yearning) –Academia needs to change for diversity, too!

Photo: Graduates with academic hats from above

Source: https://www.needpix.com/photo/201350/graduates-graduation-cap-and-gown-free-pictures-free-photos-free-images-royalty-free-free-illustrations

Last year, international relations scholars labelled the year 2020 as anno horribilis, because of the prospect of difficult upcoming chairmanship of important multilateral “clubs” such as the G7 (United States), G20 (Saudi Arabia) and BRICS (Russia). These governments are perceived to undermine multilateralism. The year 2020, however, thus far has been shaped primarily by other major disruptions: the COVID19 pandemic, new negative records in climate change, and the racial tensions in the United States and in other parts of the world. Indeed, these disruptions are reversing advancement in human rights and good governance. Disruption, however, has the potential to enable paradigm shifts – also to the better, and somewhat closer to home.

From Networks and Platforms to Forums – Knowledge Cooperation in Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD), one of the side-events to the UN General Assembly Meeting that aimed not only to generate but disseminate knowledge that is needed, as an example for the importance of national and transnational knowledge cooperation in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under the topic “Good Practices: Models, Partnerships, and Capacity Building for the SDGs” the conference brought together more than 3,000 participants from the public and private sector as well as from civil society and academia.