Rotorua Workshop Report
We had 16 attend our all-day workshop at the Rotorua Arts Centre on 10 Feb – a good number for discussion, and a range of ages from the 20s to 81. Jeanette presented with help from Pat , and with invaluable local organising help from Jenny Lux.
We covered ways of having a conversation about climate change: identifying shared values, understanding the other person’s point of view, making it relevant to them and motivating with hope rather than fear and guilt and too many facts. One theme that kept coming up was the balancing of pessimism and optimism, dealing with feelings of helplessness and building a supportive group. We practised this with role plays. Comments like “The Declaration made me feel excited” were very encouraging.
We also covered where emissions come from, which matter most, simple things that communities can do to reduce them, and whether to measure tonnes of carbon or adopt targets like travelling fewer km or producing less waste. (We recommend the latter.)
People identified communities in Rotorua that they were part of, but the idea of trying to stimulate a climate action plan in their school, workplace, union, or street is still a step too far for many people. They commented they want to take more personal action and get their own household in order before they tackle a wider community. We learned that if that is where people are, that is where we need to be too. We are confident it will grow from there.
We are looking forward to the next one in Tauranga on 24 March.
Featured News
See all news >
Wednesday 22 March, 7am
TEQs: Could They Spark a Global Just Transition?
This webinar is sponsored by the Institute for Policy Studies and shared by Our Climate Decl...
Read more >March 2023 Newsletter - Living within Boundaries
11 March 2023
When the climate extremes scientists warned us to expect cause catastrophic flooding, immedi...
Read more >

Degrowth scholar Anitra Nelson talking on Food, Housing, and Neighbourhood Self-Sufficiency | Webinar Recording
10 February 2023
This webinar was sponsored by Degrowth Greens and shared by Our Climate Declaration.
Read more >
February 2023 Newsletter - Our changing world
01 February 2023
We told you so is never a helpful reaction to catastrophe. Yet we’ve known for decades that ...
Read more >

Human disruption risks biosphere collapse
20 January 2023
Given we’ve triggered multiple crises in the natural world it’s time to talk about overpopul...
Read more >
December 2022 Newsletter - Our Updated Climate Declaration
03 December 2022
Kia ora katoa! The year ends on a note of despair for which we have to thank the hijacking o...
Read more >

Can we regenerate nature by accelerating the circular economy? | Webinar Recording
30 November 2022
Who are businesses really responsible to? In our webinar for November 30, we joined Louise N...
Read more >

Herman Daly - A giant left us
04 November 2022
Click to read "Herman Daly - A giant left us" by Mathis Wackernagel from the Global Footprin...
Read more >

Complex conversations on complex questions webinar recording
02 November 2022
Our webinar for November 2 explained how the techniques of deliberative, as opposed to parti...
Read more >