ZKfN guest at the “Get active now” seminar

Formats that not only impart knowledge but also show concrete ways to get involved are particularly valuable for the Lower Saxony Climate Research Center. We were therefore all the more delighted to receive an invitation to the “Get active now” seminar at the Institute of Sociology at the Technical University of Braunschweig.

The seminar is primarily aimed at social science students, but is also open to interested parties from other disciplines who want to engage with sustainability not only theoretically but also practically. It is led by sociologist Prof. Dr. Okka Zimmermann. During the winter semester, she specifically invited organizations from the region to the seminar to give students concrete insights into possible areas of engagement and to show them ways in which they can get involved beyond their studies.

In addition to the ZKfN, other local and regional actors were involved during the winter semester, including the Ökologische NABU-Station Aller/Oker (ÖNSA), the Braunschweig Sustainability Center, and the Klima.Zukunftslabor OpenCultures. This mix gave students insights into different fields of work and opportunities for participation – from educational work and nature conservation to experimental participation formats.

In mid-January, we were invited as a team from the ZKfN to present ourselves and our work and to organize a work phase together with the students. The aim of the work phase in small groups was to examine current arguments and narratives surrounding climate change and to prepare them in such a way that they could be presented in a short, understandable form in the form of Instagram posts. The two students, Elena and Sofia, took on the frequently cited statement “Germany alone cannot prevent climate change.” This claim—more of a killer argument—is repeatedly used to justify inaction. After briefly reviewing the underlying assumptions, the two found good arguments to classify and refute the statement and showed why it tends to block rather than explain social action. They presented their findings in the seminar.

Formats such as the “Get active now” seminar are important for society because they promote exchange with committed – in this case young – people, contribute to raising awareness of the issue of climate change, and support the transfer of knowledge into practice. From the ZKfN's perspective, we are therefore happy to participate in such formats and contribute our perspectives and networks to the exchange.