Educational materials for a socio-ecological transformation

Queer Across the World


Through a text puzzle, participants learn about the global connections between gender justice and climate justice.

Learning Objectives

Participants…

Process

Preparation

For preparation, the following blog post is read:
Neuffer, C. (2024, November 28). The sea levels are rising and so are we. Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie. Retrieved January 22, 2025, from https://konzeptwerk-neue-oekonomie.org/the-sea-levels-are-rising-so-are-we/

The facilitator should also read the puzzle cards (example cards and information cards), the solutions and the glossary beforehand. Depending on the desired difficulty level, the facilitator can decide how many puzzle card pairs to use. Using eight pairs is recommended as the standard. Keep in mind that the number of puzzle cards affects the game duration—more card pairs will require more time. The puzzle cards should be printed and cut out, and the glossary printed. Each group of four participants will need one puzzle card set and one glossary.

Implementation

  1. Introduction (10 minutes)
    The facilitator introduces the topic, emphasizing the link between climate justice and the rights and empowerment of queer people. They explain the method’s process and the task for group work. The facilitator also notes that the method addresses explicit experiences of discrimination (see the content note under Tips for Facilitators).
  2. Puzzle (20 minutes)
    Participants divide into groups of four. Each group receives one puzzle card set and one glossary. Within the groups, two participants take the information cards, while the other two take the example cards. One team reads a card aloud, and the other team matches one of their cards by reading it and deciding which card fits best. The teams then switch roles: the matching team reads a new card aloud, and the other team matches one of their own cards. The game continues until all cards are matched.
  3. Group Exchange (10 minutes)
    All participants move to a different table where another group has worked, so newly mixed groups sit together. The puzzles remain on the tables. The new groups review the puzzle at their table and compare it with the puzzle their original groups completed. If there are differences, they discuss and, if needed, rearrange some cards.
  4. Debrief (20 minutes)
    In a larger group discussion, the following questions are addressed:

Tips and Notes for Facilitators

Downloadable Materials

Sources and Further Reading

Great educational material for further work on climate and gender justice has been created by the collective Bildung für utopischen Wandel (http://buwa-kollektiv.de/). Their handbook KlimaQUEERechtigkeit provides facilitators with various methods and background information for educational work in this field:

Bildung für utopischen Wandel e.V. (2023). KlimaQUEERechtigkeit: Queerfeminismus und Klimagerechtigkeit zusammengedacht – Materialien für die Bildungsarbeit. https://buwa-kollektiv.de/materialien/methoden/klimaqueerechtigkeit/

Further examples of queer activism for inspiration for additional educational units can be found in the BUND youth brochure on the climate crisis and colonialism:

BUNDjugend. (2021, December). Kolonialismus und Klimakrise: Über 500 Jahre Widerstand. https://www.bundjugend.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/kolonialismus_und_klimakrise-ueber_500_jahre_widerstand-2.pdf

Global Justice!

Learning objectives

The participants…

Procedure

Background

The introduction of the method will be with the presentation of a short film animation “Global Justice!”. This is followed by a space for discussion and reflection to critically generate a recognition of the power relations between the Global South and the Global North. Through the analysis of the images of some scenes of the animation.

It is suggested that the facilitator inquires about definitions of Global South and Global North in terms of power relations and background information, such as colonialism or extractivism. Global justice and social inequalities are also key words for the implementation of this method. The facilitator may find and extra document with some contextual information that may be used as a guide for implementation, like a background text for the short film animation as a work material and the reference of a glossary of Global learning.

Critical thinking in educational work invites the participants to create their own criteria of analysis. It is important to listen to what the participants say about the topics and open up a space for the participants to develop their own ideas, suggestions or solutions.

All concepts that are presented have a theoretical and social movements background. The method is meant to open up a space for developing solutions. For the facilitator role, it is important to listen to the participants in order to know if they understand the meaning of the concepts and if they can relate with their own knowledge or experiences.

Preparation

The room needs to be adequate to watch the video together as a group with projector and speakers.

For the work in small groups, it is helpful to print out the screenshots scenes. Each picture represents a concept like:

Each screenshot scene can be accompanied by the concept title.

Implementation

1. “Global Justice!” Video (5 Minutes)

It is time to watch the video together. Before the projection starts, the facilitator may give some advice about the content of the animation.

2. Semiotic analysis (15 Minutes)

The entire group is divided into 5 small groups. Each group gets a screenshot scene and the title of the scene it describes:

Each group should answer the following question based on what the participants see on the screenshots:

• What emotion does the combination of all the elements in the scene evoke in you?

• Which characters are involved in the scene?

• Briefly describe their function of the characters in the scene.

• What is the general mood of the scene?

3. Group discussion and evaluation (15 Minutes)

The participants come back together in the big group and now get the chance to talk about their exchange in the small groups.

After that, it is possible to bring the following questions into the group discussion:

4. Check out (5 Minutes).

To finish, the facilitator asks everyone to stand up, jump up together and shake out the bodies and extremities, shake it all!

Digital version

For the implementation of the method digital consider the way to watch the video simultaneous all together, sharing the audio as well. It may need a platform where it may be possible to make small groups to split in the break our rooms for the second part, and share the screenshots scenes in digital format, the file could upload for example in the chat to share with the group.

Tips and advice for instructors

For this method the facilitator should bring a sensitivity for topics related to social inequalities. In this way, they can provide further background information on the concepts and/or provide examples. It is important, to create a space free of discrimination

Work material for download

Sources

four real utopias

This digital learning unit is inspired by the method “Another world under construction” and provides a concrete insight into four international, emancipatory lived alternatives. It begins with a quote from feminist author Ursula K. Le Guin, known for her political and intersectional science fiction, emphasizing the relevance of real utopias.

Following this, four international civil society actors are introduced, whose activism already points towards a globally just future: From a feminist care work perspective, the “Poliklinik” in Leipzig and “arcàdia”, an educational collective in an occupied neighborhood in Barcelona based on the pedagogy of Paulo Freire, are explored. Addressing the need for sustainable production methods and social cohesion, “unfuck fashion” from Barcelona/Berlin and the “Repair Café”, a repair collective from Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore in India, are highlighted.

This microlearning is also available on our Instagram (swipe right for the English translation). The actors are linked in the caption of the post, allowing participants to further engage with their activism and explore their profiles.

Tips for instructors

The way we learn about social processes is changing—and so are our educational media. Global learning is increasingly taking place in digital spaces, but how can power-critical education make the leap into everyday formats like social media?

Young people and young adults are increasingly acquiring knowledge through social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. This opens up an opportunity for global learning: By engaging learners in their everyday environments, access to global perspectives becomes more inclusive, and individuals gain a clearer sense of their role and agency.

For this reason, we have adapted some of our methods into small, digital learning units: memes, infographics, and short videos on climate justice, global inequalities, and distribution issues. These microlearnings allow for small learning steps that, through playful and humorous elements, encourage reflection and engagement with broader educational goals. They can serve as discussion starters for workshops, as follow-up materials, or as inspiration for independent research.

winds of change

This short digital learning unit, inspired by the American sociologist Erik Olin Wright, introduces three fields into which various social transformation processes can be categorized. To provide orientation within the diversity of different approaches to change and to make political work tangible and open to discussion, this microlearning presents three strategies for change: Nowtopias, radical reforms, and building counterpower. These are supported with examples and small illustrations.

The microlearning can serve as a starting point for group discussions or as individual work at home. For deeper engagement, the “Three Strategies for Change” method is recommended.

This microlearning is also available on our Instagram (swipe right for English translation).

Tips for instructors

The way we learn about social processes is changing—and so are our educational media. Global learning is increasingly taking place in digital spaces, but how can power-critical education make the leap into everyday formats like social media?

Young people and young adults are increasingly acquiring knowledge through social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. This opens up an opportunity for global learning: By engaging learners in their everyday environments, access to global perspectives becomes more inclusive, and individuals gain a clearer sense of their role and agency.

For this reason, we have adapted some of our methods into small, digital learning units: memes, infographics, and short videos on climate justice, global inequalities, and distribution issues. These microlearnings allow for small learning steps that, through playful and humorous elements, encourage reflection and engagement with broader educational goals. They can serve as discussion starters for workshops, as follow-up materials, or as inspiration for independent research.

The solidarity mode of living

This short digital learning unit provides a playful insight into the concept of a solidarity-based way of life. An animated video explains what this concept means and how it connects global justice with ecological economics. Afterward, participants can discuss various aspects of combating exploitation and social inequalities, fair redistribution of resources, and taking responsibility on both global and local levels. This microlearning is also available on our Instagram. For a more in-depth exploration of the topic, we recommend the “Global Justice” method.

Tips for instructors

The way we learn about social processes is changing—and so are our educational media. Global learning is increasingly taking place in digital spaces, but how can power-critical education make the leap into everyday formats like social media?

Young people and young adults are increasingly acquiring knowledge through social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. This opens up an opportunity for global learning: By engaging learners in their everyday environments, access to global perspectives becomes more inclusive, and individuals gain a clearer sense of their role and agency.

For this reason, we have adapted some of our methods into small, digital learning units: memes, infographics, and short videos on climate justice, global inequalities, and distribution issues. These microlearnings allow for small learning steps that, through playful and humorous elements, encourage reflection and engagement with broader educational goals. They can serve as discussion starters for workshops, as follow-up materials, or as inspiration for independent research.

Free time as a luxury?

This short educational unit serves as an introduction to feminist perspectives on time prosperity. Using a meme, the microlearning highlights the imbalance in societal recognition between care work and wage labor. Additionally, it points out the challenge of fitting hobbies, sleep, wage labor, and care work into a 24-hour day.

As an alternative, the microlearning introduces the 4-in-1 perspective of feminist economist Frigga Haug: The four areas of societal work—wage labor, care work, personal development, and political engagement—are explained with the help of small illustrations.

This microlearning serves as a starting point for the “Who Cares” method, which explores the 4-in-1 perspective in greater depth. It can also be found on our instagram (swipe left for English translation).

Tips for instructors

The way we learn about social processes is changing—and so are our educational media. Global learning is increasingly taking place in digital spaces, but how can power-critical education make the leap into everyday formats like social media?

Young people and young adults are increasingly acquiring knowledge through social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. This opens up an opportunity for global learning: By engaging learners in their everyday environments, access to global perspectives becomes more inclusive, and individuals gain a clearer sense of their role and agency.

For this reason, we have adapted some of our methods into small, digital learning units: memes, infographics, and short videos on climate justice, global inequalities, and distribution issues. These microlearnings allow for small learning steps that, through playful and humorous elements, encourage reflection and engagement with broader educational goals. They can serve as discussion starters for workshops, as follow-up materials, or as inspiration for independent research.

Who said it?

This digital learning unit focusses on climate justice and growth logic while incorporating perspectives from young climate activists. It begins with a quote emphasising that the needs of humans and non-humans should be placed above economic growth. A quiz allows participants to guess who the quote comes from. A video reveals that it’s the Native-american activist Tokata Iron Eyes. Finally, participants learn more about Tokata Iron Eyes and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s fight against the construction of an oil pipeline in South Dakota. This method highlights indigenous voices and serves as a positive example for young people who want to work for a more just world.

You can find this post on our social media as well.

Tips for instructors

The way we learn about societal developments is changing – and with it our educational media. Global Citizenship Education is increasingly taking place online, but how can transformative education be transferred to everyday formats such as social media? Teenagers and young adults in particular are progressively acquiring knowledge via social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter or Tiktok. This opens up a window of opportunity for Global learning: By engaging with the audience in their everyday lives, they gain low-threshold access to global approaches. Also, their own role and self-efficacy is emphasised.
As a result, we have transformed some of our methods into small, digital learning units: Memes, infographics and short videos on climate justice, global inequalities and distribution issues. They enable small learning increments that use playful and humorous elements to facilitate reflection and engagement with larger learning objectives. These so-called microlearnings can be used as a discussion starter for a workshop, given as a follow-up or recommended for independent research.

myths of green growth

This microlearning is suitable as an entry module on fossil fuels in green capitalism. It starts with an introduction to technological solutions to the climate crisis, which can nevertheless reinforce global injustices. An example of this is green hydrogen as an energy source, whose social and ecological risks are illustrated by a meme. In the following slides, the neo-colonial aspects of the production and transport of hydrogen are discussed in further detail. The participants can then be invited to consider what alternatives they can think of for an energy transition that is both socially and ecologically just.

You can find this post on our social media as well.

tips for instructors

The way we learn about societal developments is changing – and with it our educational media. Global Citizenship Education is increasingly taking place online, but how can transformative education be transferred to everyday formats such as social media? Teenagers and young adults in particular are progressively acquiring knowledge via social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter or Tiktok. This opens up a window of opportunity for Global learning: By engaging with the audience in their everyday lives, they gain low-threshold access to global approaches. Also, their own role and self-efficacy is emphasised.
As a result, we have transformed some of our methods into small, digital learning units: Memes, infographics and short videos on climate justice, global inequalities and distribution issues. They enable small learning increments that use playful and humorous elements to facilitate reflection and engagement with larger learning objectives. These so-called microlearnings can be used as a discussion starter for a workshop, given as a follow-up or recommended for independent research.

climate (un)just solutions?

This digital learning unit deals with unsustainable ways of (re)production and global injustices by using car traffic as an example. Based on a short, viral meme in video format, the unit humorously presents the CO2 emissions of car traffic, the risks of lithium mining and the advantages of car-free cities. A short text illustrates the negative effects of car traffic and also takes a critical look at electric cars. The contrast between the supposed sustainability of electric vehicles in the Global North and the actual consequences of neo-colonial lithium mining in the Global South becomes clear. In conclusion, alternatives for a socio-ecological transport transition are presented.

You can also find this post on our social media.

Tips for instructors
The way we learn about societal developments is changing – and with it our educational media. Global Citizenship Education is increasingly taking place online, but how can transformative education be transferred to everyday formats such as social media? Teenagers and young adults in particular are progressively acquiring knowledge via social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter or Tiktok. This opens up a window of opportunity for Global learning: By engaging with the audience in their everyday lives, they gain low-threshold access to global approaches. Also, their own role and self-efficacy is emphasised.
As a result, we have transformed some of our methods into small, digital learning units: Memes, infographics and short videos on climate justice, global inequalities and distribution issues. They enable small learning increments that use playful and humorous elements to facilitate reflection and engagement with larger learning objectives. These so-called microlearnings can be used as a discussion starter for a workshop, given as a follow-up or recommended for independent research.

4 reasons for degrowth

This digital educational unit is suitable as a short introduction to degrowth. It presents the benefits of degrowth as an alternative way of life. It uses short summaries and small illustrations to show how we can change our relationship with nature, labour, time and global justice. The method can generate hope and strengthen participants‘ ability to reflect on positive visions for the future.

You can also find this post on our social media.

Tips for instructors

The way we learn about societal developments is changing – and with it our educational media. Global Citizenship Education is increasingly taking place online, but how can transformative education be transferred to everyday formats such as social media? Teenagers and young adults in particular are progressively acquiring knowledge via social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter or Tiktok. This opens up a window of opportunity for Global learning: By engaging with the audience in their everyday lives, they gain low-threshold access to global approaches. Also, their own role and self-efficacy is emphasised.
As a result, we have transformed some of our methods into small, digital learning units: Memes, infographics and short videos on climate justice, global inequalities and distribution issues. They enable small learning increments that use playful and humorous elements to facilitate reflection and engagement with larger learning objectives. These so-called microlearnings can be used as a discussion starter for a workshop, given as a follow-up or recommended for independent research.

(No) solution to the climate crisis?

Learning goals

The participants

Procedure

Preparation

The facilitator familiarizes themself with all the working materials and gains a basic understanding of the various technological approaches covered in the method. The quotes are provided in a presentation or printed out. The worksheets are printed out in the required number.

Implementation

1. (10 minutes) Brainstorm

The facilitator shows a flipchart with the title “Solutions to the climate crisis”. The participants are asked to spontaneously name solutions that they have already heard about in their environment, in (social) media and in public debate. The first step is not about how “small” or “big” and far-reaching the solutions are, or whether and how useful the participants think they are. The solutions mentioned are all noted on the flipchart.

2. (15 minutes) Introduction

The facilitator shows the three quotes one after the other (see material for download). For each quote, the participants have a short time to discuss it in pairs. The following questions can help:

The facilitator then asks what all these quotes are about. Depending on the answers, they explain that they are all about technical solutions to the climate crisis and that these are proposed as key solutions by various players from politics, science and business. In addition to the expansion of renewable energies, such as wind and solar energy, there is increasing talk of newer technologies, such as hydrogen as a fuel. The potential of these technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is often the main topic of discussion. The high consumption of resources, the social and environmental damage caused or exacerbated by the extraction of resources, the unequal balance of power between the Global South and Global North and the risks of the new technologies are rarely discussed. In the following group work, the aim is to take a closer look at one of three approaches that are being promoted as technological solutions to the climate crisis. The three technological solutions to choose from are: Hydrogen, E-cars and Carbon Capture and Storage.

3. (40 minutes) Group work

Thefacilitator names the three technological approaches and briefly presents their potential contribution to reducing emissions.

Depending on their interests, the participants choose one topic each and get together in groups of 3-6 people to discuss the respective topics. Large groups can be divided again into two groups. It is important that there is at least one group for each topic and that the groups are of a similar size.

As soon as the groups are formed, they each receive a worksheet on the chosen topic (see material for download). The participants have 30-35 minutes to read the introductory text, consume the material contained in the worksheet, discuss the evaluation questions and formulate a reaction to one of the quotes. If necessary, the time for the group work can be extended if the groups are not ready after the given time. The facilitator is available for questions and possible support. Support should be actively offered, especially at the beginning of the group work and towards the end when formulating the reactions.

4. (10-15 minutes) Presenting reactions

The participants come back together and the quotes from the introduction are visualized again. One after the other, each group steps forward and reacts to one of the quotes with knowledge and arguments from the material. The reactions of the groups should be kept as short, crisp and clear as possible and should not take longer than 2-3 minutes per group.

5. (15-20 minutes) Group reflection

Variants

For a creative conclusion to the method, the participants create their own quote in the respective working groups. This should make critical reference to the content of the quotes presented at the beginning in a humorous way and incorporate the newly acquired knowledge.

Digital implementation

For the digital implementation, all participants need a digital device (preferably a PC) and the link to the video conference. The subsequent collection of solution approaches can either take place via the chat in the video conferencing tool or with the help of a word cloud.

Supplements for digital implementation:

Tips and notes for facilitators

The method requires a certain amount of prior knowledge and familiarization with the topic by the facilitator. It is not necessary to understand all the chemical and physical processes of the technologies in detail, but a basic understanding of how the respective technology works is useful. For detailed questions, the participants can be referred to other sources.

For a more in-depth look at the topic, we recommend the following sources:

Depending on the target group, it is possible that the participants have so far mainly come into contact with technological solutions to the climate crisis. When critically examining such solutions, various reactions are possible, e.g. defensiveness, pessimism, hopelessness. It is advisable to pay particular attention to reactions of this kind among the participants. An appreciative attitude towards the different contributions of the participants and a general appreciation of controversy and discussion helps in dealing with this. If possible, the method is followed by a method from the “Alternatives” category or the “Good life can only exist for all” method to deepen the focus on structural global inequalities. To dive deeper into the topic of economic growth, the method “The two sides of the coin” can be used.

Possibilities for further work

Working material for download

Big footprint on a small planet

Participants learn about the ecological footprint, criticism of it’s individual calculation and deal with global inequality in the context of the climate crisis.

Learning goals

The participants…

Procedure

Preparation

The facilitator familiarizes themselves with the concept of the ecological footprint. To that aim, they read the background text for facilitators, do the footprint test themselves and watch the video. The video is in English. Subtitles in German can be added and the speed can be adjusted if necessary (see Tips and notes for facilitators)

For the third point, the facilitator selects four to six countries on the Global Footprint Network website https://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/ and notes their per capita footprint. It is suggested to choose countries with very different footprints.

Implementation

1. Input (5 minutes)

In a short input, the facilitator first introduces the ecological footprint as a method of measuring human consumption of natural resources. This is based on the background text for facilitators (see downloadable material). It is useful to simply to clarify the basics of the measurement of the ecological footprint at the beginning. For the following part, it is important that the participants know the average global footprint (2022: 2.6 gha), the average footprint in Germany (2022: 4.5 gha) and the average available biocapacity (2022: 1.5 gha). These three figures should be visualized on the pinboard to keep them present for further work. Questions of understanding should be clarified immediately.

2. Footprint calculation (35 minutes)

The participants calculate their personal ecological footprint and critically examine the concept of the ecological footprint. They use the footprint test from Global footprint network. To do this, they scan the printed QR code with their mobile devices (see download material) and click through the areas of nutrition, living, mobility and consumption independently. After each step, they receive a final result which also shows their personal ecological footprint compared to the average footprint in different countries and compared to the global biocapacity. The collective footprint, i.e. the ecological consumption caused by the overall infrastructure in a country, independent of personal consumption, is also indicated.

Immediately afterwards, the facilitator explains that there is also criticism of the concept of the ecological footprint and shows a short video (excerpt from: DW “Why Big Oil loves to talk about your carbon footprint” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqZVCEnY-Us minute 0:00-03:14) about this. The video is in English, with German subtitles.

The results of the footprint test and the information from the video are then evaluated together. The following questions can be used for this:

3. Global Comparison (10-15 minutes)

In the next step, the participants look at the global comparison of the ecological footprints of different countries.

To do this, a line is first marked on the floor with masking tape or chalk that offers enough space for all participants to position themselves on it without any problems. Based on the average global footprint (2018: 2.8 gha), the participants should now estimate the size of the footprints of different countries. One end of the line stands for “much larger than the average global footprint”, the other end for “much smaller than the average global footprint”. The range can vary from country to country (for the USA, it is more appropriate to set the poles at “more than four times as large” and “as large as the average global footprint”).

The facilitator names a country and the participants line up on the marked line according to their estimations. After the participants have positioned themselves, they can justify their estimation before the actual size of the countries’ footprints is resolved. It is suggested to make line-ups for a maximum of six countries.

4. Evaluation (10-15 minutes)

The following questions can be used for the evaluation:


4. Closing (20-30 minutes)

At the end of this unit, the participants can collect their own ideas and recommendations for reducing the ecological footprint in Germany. The focus should not be on individual consumer choices, but on (civil) society ideas and political measures that contribute to reducing the ecological footprint of the entire population. To this end, small groups are formed to make a bullet point list of their recommendations on posters and then present them to the large group.

Variations

The method is very extensive and takes a long time to complete. If there is not enough time during an educational session, the method can be shortened by leaving out individual parts of it.

For example, the focus can be placed either on the personal footprint and the criticism of it (1. and 2.), or on the country comparison and the major differences between countries of the Global North and countries of the Global South (1. and 3.). If all participants have only recently taken the footprint test, 2. can be skipped. The collection of ideas for reducing the footprint (4.) can be skipped in this method if another solution- or action-oriented method is used, e.g. “Building another world”, “Who can change things?”.

Digital version

The method can also be used in digital format with the following adjustments:

Tips and notes for facilitators

Video instructions:

The video is in English. To add subtitles, click on the “Settings” icon → Subtitles → Automatically translate → choose language. Click on the “Subtitles” icon to show the subtitles. The relevant section for the method is from minute 0:00 to minute 3:14.

The video is also very fast. Depending on the target group, it may be a good idea to reduce the playback speed to 0.75. To do this, click on the symbol for “Settings” → Playback speed → 0.75.

The footprint is a good way to visualize the consumption of ecological resources and thus make it useful for educational work. At the same time, the footprint is a very complex method of measurement. It is therefore advisable for facilitators to deal with the topic in more detail and to read the background text (see downloadable material) for facilitators in depth.

With this method, it is particularly important to ensure that the participants also critically examine the personal footprint and its history. When calculating the personal footprint, it should be ensured that there are no extreme comparative situations between participants or that individual participants are put on display. The method requires an awareness of the fact that individually sustainable behavior is often only possible with privileges. For example, taking the train is usually more expensive than flying. Organic and regional food from direct production is often more expensive than conventional food from the supermarket. Similarly, the question of reducing air travel is a completely different one for people whose family lives on another continent. At the same time, the method only partially reveals that the population group most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions is rich people. Poor and structurally discriminated people contribute far less to the average ecological footprint of a country. The focus on individual consumer behavior in the sustainability debate can therefore reproduce classist discrimination (= devaluation and exclusion based on social background or class). It is therefore important to raise awareness of the dimension of social inequality among the participants, particularly in the evaluation.

Greater individual awareness of sustainable consumption makes sense, but is by no means enough to really reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a large scale. The biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany are the energy sector, industry and transport. Individuals can only have a very limited influence on these sectors. When it comes to ways to reduce the footprint, it is therefore important that the participants do not just stick to individual options for action as “sustainable consumption”, but also talk about what needs to be done at a political and societal level to reduce emissions and tackle the climate crisis and global inequality.

Possibilities for further work

Value barometer

In this exercise, participants deal with social values and enter into discussion about them.

Learning objectives

The participants…

Procedure

Background

We all have an idea of what is important to us for living together in a society shaped by our personal values and convictions that guide our actions. The participants engage in conversations exploring how a society might look if individual values were to become more central to society.

Preparation

The cards with the values and a brief explanation of each value are distributed around the room. In addition, 3-6 more blank DINA4 sheets & pens are distributed around the room. A glass is placed on each sheet. The glasses should all be the same shape and size. The question “What is important to us for a utopian society?” can be hung up in the room.

Implementation

1. Introduction (10-15 minutes)

After the facilitator has explained procedure and background of the method, the participants can walk around the room and look at the individual value cards. If participants still miss values that are important to them, they can write their own values on the blank papers with pens. If necessary, the facilitator can add more paper.

2. Weighing Values (5-10 minutes)

The facilitator poses the question: “What is important to us for a utopian society?” Each participant is given a handful of corn grains. Depending on which values they find important and how important, they distribute their corn grains among the corresponding glasses. As soon as a participant has distributed all the corn kernels, the person sits down again.

3. Looking at the results (5-10 minutes)

After all participants have distributed their corn kernels, everyone looks at the filled jars. The facilitator reads out all the values one after the other and holds up the corresponding jar for everyone to see. The glasses of varying fullness show that we, both individually and as a group, weigh individual values differently. How these values are weighted can vary from person to person, from group to group and from society to society. What the corresponding weighting means within the group can be reflected together in the evaluation.

4. Finding groups (5-10 minutes)

The evaluation takes place in small groups. To do this, each participant thinks about which value the person would like to continue working on and stands next to the value card. This should result in small groups of about four people. If necessary, the facilitator can divide a large group again to work on one value. It is not a problem if there is not a small group for each value.

5. Discussion in small groups (20-30 minutes)

The small groups find a place and discuss the following questions (download material):

6. Evaluation in plenary (5-10 minutes)

At the end, everyone comes together in the large group. Plan at least 5 minutes for final thoughts or open questions.

Variants

If there are not enough jars of the same shape and size to hand, the grains can alternatively be placed on a separate empty sheet.

Instead of corn kernels, you can also use something similar, e.g. lentils, rice or even water.

Tips and notes for facilitators

With this method, it is important to create a space in which different perspectives on individual values can coexist. It is not about placing individual values above others. Rather, it is about becoming aware of one’s own values, placing them in a wider context and discussing what this means for society.

Sources:

Methode created in cooperation with:

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. 

3 strategies for change

Participants assign specific action possibilities to three different strategies for change and exchange ideas about them.

Learning Objectives

The participants…

Process

Preparation

Implementation

  1. Introduction (10 minutes)
    The facilitator introduces the topic of the method. The following introduction text can be used and supplemented with information from the background text if needed:”Now we are going to focus on different ways to promote the transition towards a sustainable and just society. Many people and organizations have long been thinking about which strategies they can pursue to work for a good life for all. There are often discussions about which is the ‘best’ or ‘most effective’ strategy. At the same time, many people feel overwhelmed and disoriented in the face of the climate crisis and global injustice and don’t know what they can do themselves. In this method, we will explore a colorful range of existing action possibilities and categorize them strategically.People also have different opinions about how to categorize action possibilities and strategies. In this method, we distinguish between three important strategies for change:
    • Nowtopias: Experimenting with and practicing different forms of interaction on a small scale – through new practices, institutions, infrastructures, or organizational forms.
    • Radical Reforms: Changing laws, rules, infrastructures, and institutions step by step.
    • Resisting and Building Counterpower: Seeking direct confrontation or a break with existing institutions and social structures.”
  2. Small Group Phase (25 minutes)
    The process of group work is explained, and the participants are divided into small groups of 4-5 people.Each group is assigned one of the strategies: Nowtopias, radical reforms, or resisting and building counterpower. (Alternatively, the participants can choose a strategy based on their own interests. If there are more than 15 participants, multiple groups can work on the same strategy.) Each group receives an envelope containing a copy of the definition of their respective strategy and the printed action cards (see downloadable materials).Participants first read the definition of their respective strategy and clarify any questions they may have. Then the group looks at the action cards. On the front side of the card, the action is depicted with a small image. On the back, participants find a brief description of the action and a link for more information. Participants discuss the actions and try to collectively determine which cards belong to their assigned strategy. If interested, they can follow the links for further information.
  3. Presentation of Results (15 minutes)
    Back in the large group, each small group presents their strategy and how they categorized the action cards. The others can ask questions, and the large group can discuss whether the cards have been correctly assigned.
  4. Evaluation (15 minutes)
    A selection of the following questions is then discussed:
    • How did you find the process of assigning the cards? What was challenging?
    • Which of the action possibilities do you think contribute to a socio-ecological transformation? How? Which do not?
    • Which strategies do you think are effective for global justice and sustainability? Is there a strategy that seems more important to you than the others? If so, why?
    • What impact do actions and strategies in Germany have on people and nature in the Global South?
    • What challenges and risks do you see with the respective strategies?
    • Which action possibilities have you already tried yourself? Which ones are you interested in? Which ones do you feel resistance toward? Why?
    • What other action possibilities do you know of?
    • “Without inner change, no outer change can happen. Without collective change, change is insignificant.” (Rev. angel Kyodo williams) How does this quote resonate with you?

Variations

Tips and Notes for Facilitators

This method is particularly suitable for target groups that are already familiar with the basics of social and ecological problems and also have an interest in a socio-ecological transformation.

It is important to emphasize that there is no single solution or “correct” strategy for a socio-ecological transformation. Transformation processes are very complex, and a variety of different strategies, approaches, and actions are necessary.

Sources and further reading

I don’t feel it

I don’t feel it?! A conversation about emotions in the climate crisis

The participants expand their view of the psycho-social effects of the climate crisis and global injustice through a guided meditation and reflections with emotion cards.

Learning objectives

The participants…

– broaden their view of the psycho-social effects of the climate crisis and global injustice

– find (initial) access to their own emotions regarding the climate crisis and other social challenges

– discover a connection with themselves and the world around them and feel strengthened in their ability to act

Procedure

Background

From a scientific perspective, there is clear evidence that emotion and cognition (i.e. feeling and understanding) are deeply intertwined and influence each other. People experience everything in an emotional-cognitive way. Even if emotions are not consciously perceived, they have a major influence on how people evaluate situations and how they behave. Emotions are psychophysical movements that are triggered by a situation. A conscious awareness of our emotions can provide us with information about our behaviour and the underlying needs.

Emotions also play a central role in the context of the climate crisis, global inequality and sustainability. For example, young people experience fear, helplessness, sadness, frustration and anger regarding the global present and future. At the same time, feelings such as hope and confidence are an important prerequisite for sustainable action. In educational work on these topics, it is therefore important on the one hand to give space to unpleasant emotions and to take them seriously instead of ignoring or pushing them away. On the other hand, it is also important to encourage positive emotions. These can promote the remodelling of synapse structures and thus learning processes, enable appreciative and complex relationships and inspire and stimulate sustainable, social action. Verbalising emotions can lead to a more conscious perception and a more reflective approach. It can also lead to the realisation that you are not alone with your own feelings.

This method is about enabling an initial approach to one’s own emotions in the context of the climate crisis and global contexts.

A mindful approach to oneself and the other participants is very important for the method. For the participants, this means paying attention to their own needs and only participating to the extent that they feel comfortable. It is important to remember that this is an educational event and not a therapeutic setting.

Preparation

The facilitator familiarises themselves with the accompanying text for the meditation. The cards with the emotions (see material for download) are printed out and cut out. It is advisable to print out at least two copies of each card and then have them ready during the session so that all participants have the entire selection available to them.

Execution

1. Guided meditation (10 -15 minutes)

The facilitator briefly explains the context of the method and why it is important to deal with emotions in the context of the climate crisis and global inequality. They can refer to the information provided in the background. They then lead them through a short meditation with the help of the accompanying text (see material for download).

2. Self-reflection (10 minutes)

The cards with emotions are then laid out openly in the room and the participants can walk around and take a card.

The facilitator emphasises that people can carry different emotions in their bodies. These emotions can feel stronger or weaker and be more or less conscious. The next exercise is about focussing on the emotion on the card. If the participants do not want to focus on the emotion on the card at the moment, they can put the card back and take another one. As soon as everyone has a card, the participants have a short time to focus on the emotion on their card. How do you recognise the emotion? How does it feel in the body? Where can you feel it?

3. Open sentences (30 minutes)

Then the participants come together in pairs and sit opposite each other for a dialogue exercise. They decide which of the two will begin to speak in the exercise.

The person has 12 minutes to answer the following questions (3 minutes per question).

Notes on how to conduct the conversation:

The questions are read out one after the other by the person leading the discussion. The first question is read out first and answered directly. After 3 minutes, the next question is read out and answered, and so on. The roles are then swapped. The person who listened first now answers the questions and the other person listens. There is no “right” or “wrong” here. It can help to remember the meditation exercise from the beginning so that you don’t just focus on your head when answering, but also involve your whole body. You can also pause or remain silent for a moment.

The other person listens attentively and focusses their attention on the person speaking. They treat the person speaking with openness and appreciation, do not interrupt them and do not share their own assessment, judgement or opinion. If desired, questions can be asked.

Finally, the participants have 5 minutes to reflect in pairs:

4. Evaluation (10-15 minutes)

Variants

An abbreviated version of this method is also suitable as an introduction to other methods on the climate crisis and global justice. The emotion cards are laid out in the room and the facilitator asks “When I think about the current situation in the world / the future of the world, what emotions do I feel?”. The participants can stand by the card that applies most and briefly discuss with other participants why they are standing here.

Digital version

The method can be carried out digitally with the following small adjustments:

The tips and notes for facilitators should be followed with care when using the digital version of the method. Here too, a certain level of trust between the participants and the facilitator is a prerequisite for the method. The digital space can feel less trusting for some participants. The atmosphere in the digital space can be more difficult for the facilitator to grasp. At the same time, the digital space offers low-threshold opportunities for participants to take care of themselves and, if necessary, withdraw from the exercise.

Tips and notes for facilitators

This exercise requires the participants to trust the group and the facilitator. Depending on the target group, it is possible that participants may not have consciously dealt with their own emotions before. It is therefore important to briefly explain beforehand what will happen during the exercise and to emphasise that the participants should participate to the extent that they feel comfortable.

The guided meditation offers an opportunity to strengthen the participants’ awareness of themselves and the world around them. The accompanying text (see material for download) can be individually changed or adapted by the facilitator. There should be enough time between each sentence for breathing and awareness.

For some target groups, it can be challenging to talk about their own emotions for a longer period of time. If necessary, the questions can be reduced in point 3. of the method. Open sentences and the time per person limited to a total of 5 minutes.

Possibilities for further work

Methods for alternatives, dream journey

Working material for download

Sources:

Who can change things?

In this method, To this end, the participants map out a “landscape of actors” in the room. They assume the perspective of important actors who contribute to social change in the context of national states on different levels. They examine opportunities for action and influence on and between these levels and discuss the power relationships which govern them.

Under the magnifying glass

In this method, participants are given a first look at different perspectives on post-growth. To achieve this, three different texts are read and presented in small groups. The similarities and differences of the three perspectives are then discussed and complemented by information from the facilitators.

For further instructions please open the document method instruction.

Back to everyday life

The “letter to myself” supports the transfer of learning from the seminar/workshop to everyday life. Participants write a letter to themselves about their experiences and intentions which is either posted to them by the facilitators 3 to 4 weeks after the end of the seminar, or given to them with the instruction not to open it until that time has passed.

Why do we consume?

The purpose of this method is to critically examine consumer behaviour, without imposing moral judgements, which generally have more of a deterrent effect than a motivating one. Participants learn about the various functions of consumption, and take stock of how their consumption decisions are influenced by advertising which targets particular needs. To this end, they work in small teams to create adverts based on different needs and present them to the rest of the group.

The Spirit Level

Participants explore the extent to which quality of life can be increased by means of equitable distribution of income and wealth rather than economic growth. After considering their own position on the issue, the participants read an interview with Richard Wilkinson, co-author of the study “The Spirit Level”, who maintains that more equal societies suffer from fewer social and health-related problems. They then collect and discuss arguments for and against greater income equality.