Conferences

The growing imbalances of social, economic and ecological systems are increasingly visible as prices for food and energy rise around the globe, the availability of many resources declines and the devastating effects of climate change touch the lives of rich and poor alike. The sixth international conference of the Consumer Citizenship Network investigated the proactive role of the consumer in the transition to more sustainable human development around the world.

The conference contained contributions, which

- raise critical issues like economic growth or consumer sufficiency,

- go beyond the cognitively oriented mainstream of consumer citizenship education and research,

- focus not only on Europe and OECD-countries but also on developing countries and ‘one world’ issues,

- reflect the state of the art of consumer behaviour (e.g. in marketing or consumer psychology).

Track 1: Understanding Consumer Citizenship Behaviour

- What perspectives can we employ to investigate the global consumer’s decision making process?

- Which factors hinder a broader diffusion of consumer citizenship behaviour?

- What incentives and enabling systems can help consumers to consume socially responsible?

- Which methods can help to evaluate and illustrate the social and ecological consequences of consumer behaviour?

Track 2: Education for Consumer Citizenship

a)Education at schools and Universities b)General Consumer Education

- Which approaches to consumer citizenship education are most effective?

- What challenges and opportunities exist when teaching about long term global goals for sustainable consumption?

- How can education lead to choosing sustainable lifestyles?

- How can education stimulate creativity for inventing sustainable solutions?

- What kind of research is necessary for the development of consumer citizenship education and education for sustainable consumption?

- What is the relationship between consumer citizenship education and education for sustainable consumption?

Track 3: Co-Operating for Consumer Citizenship

- How can co-operation for consumer citizenship be improved

o between producers and consumers,

o between authorities and citizens,

o between schools and communities,

o between researchers and activists,

- What are exemplary community-based initiatives for responsible consumption (urban or rural)?

62 papers/posters were presented in the work shops

Program

At the conference there were guests and key-note speakers from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. The conference included panel discussions, films and artistic presentations of relevant issues.