Skip to main content

Summary and Key Themes: We Are the Land and the Waters

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Contemporary Systems Thinking ((CST))

Abstract

The symposia at the Flinders University and at Universitas Padjadjaran in West Java (December, 2017) (This symposium is linked with partnership development in Indonesia. UnPad (University of Padjadjaran) is co-hosting the symposium) spread across two geographical sites explored the challenge of increased urbanisation and movement towards cities (In Indonesia the rate of urbanisation is faster than other Asian countries: According to the World Bank: ‘Indonesia is undergoing a historic transformation from a rural to an urban economy. The country’s cities are growing faster than in other Asian countries at a rate of 4.1% per year. By 2025—in less than 10 years—Indonesia can expect to have 68% of its population living in cities’. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2016/06/14/indonesia-urban-story) and the implications it has for the life chances of unemployed women who become increasingly vulnerable to trafficking. Globally women, children and vulnerable members of the population face complex health, housing and social inclusion needs especially in disaster-prone areas (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/27/christiana-figueres-the-woman-tasked-with-saving-the-world-from-global warming). Since the Stern Review on Climate Change (2006), little has been achieved in terms of mitigating the rate of warming. Burn and Simmons (2006) and Finn (2016) highlight the global and regional risks associated with the effects of climate change on the most vulnerable. The border protection mentality is becoming more prevalent globally, but human trafficking, disaster and climate change are transnational issues that require a big picture approach. This paper provides an overview of the symposium and gives a sense of the key points made across the papers provided. The common theme across the two sites is the need to protect the land and to prevent exploitation of people and the environment and to find ways to protect food, energy and water security through caring for people and living systems of which they are a strand.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Please watch the following: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGIsv-dSs40, https://www.flinders.edu.au/about/indigenous-commitment and http://www.flinders.edu.au/oise/acknowledgement-to-country.cfm or http://www.reconciliationsa.org.au/learn/welcome-and-acknowledgement-of-countryprotocol for use The Statement of Acknowledgement is to be read out at the commencement of gatherings held within the Adelaide region.

  2. 2.

    We will address the wicked problem of creating jobs and then link to the so-called blue economy, and methodologically we request that papers to address the inter−/trans- cross-disciplinary theme. Pauli’s visionary ideas could be extended by drawing on examples of projects using gender analysis, mainstreaming, participatory action research and engagement processes to enhance representation, accountability and regeneration of social, economic and environmental resources. ‘What is the problem represented to be’? (Bacchi 2009).

  3. 3.

    Papers are invited to address the challenges posed by Rorty (1999) In ‘Achieving our Country’ to be practical, engaged academics rather than spectators. We envisage a small conference of no more than 35–45 participants. Twenty papers will be selected from papers submitted prior to the event and discussed at the symposium together with members of the community with lived experience. We hope to learn more from Kaurna participants about the gifted words to Flinders: Ngayirda karralika kawingka tikainga yara kumaminthi: ‘When the outer world and the sky connect with the water the two become one’ from Kaurna elder Uncle Lewis Yerloburka. This symposium will contribute to developing a theoretical framework that can translate present understanding about the promotion of going beyond sustainable living, resilience and recovery into practical guidance for communities, response agencies and professionals in effective long-term resilience and regeneration. Papers to address the themes include the following: unemployment with particular reference to those left behind in the current economy (particularly women and young people) to explore the potential of new alternatives such as the so-called Cascade, Blue Economy.

  4. 4.

    We spend research efforts on narrowly defined areas that are defined by gatekeepers who represent short termism and the 1%. The terms of reference need to be widened. Fighting over whether to fund submarine development in Adelaide is one example of the challenge for defence. The focus needs to be on human security and prevention of cascading social, economic and environmental challenges. Last week I attended a European Commission workshop in Adelaide attended by senior public sector researchers and military strategists. The event was opened by Danish Ambassador to Australia with the statement that he stressed to his grandchildren that they should not have children as by 2050 life could be too stressful. Adelaide and Copenhagen are friendly rivals to become carbon neutral by 2020. More cities need to take up this challenge. The aim of my research is to explore ways to narrow the gap between the life chances across the diverse stakeholders within nation states, respective of whether they are citizens of a nation state or not. Most of my work to date has make a case for giving a voice to the voiceless and addressing the social, economic and environmental life changes of all generations by understanding our interdependency as part of an overall living system.

  5. 5.

    ABC (7/9/2017).

  6. 6.

    http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-15-5709_en.htm

  7. 7.

    Leisure within a natural environment should also be valued. The notion of restoring the spirit through visits to the sea, bush, desert and mountains is commonly recognised now as ‘ecotourism’. According to Stiglitz et al. (2010), the essence of the commissioned work’s findings is that wealth needs to include stocks for the future—social, economic and environmental. Stiglitz, Sen and Fitoussi (2010) look at reconceptualising what we value and why, but they do not place it above any monetary measure as sacred dimensions of the basis for life. By measuring we commodify, and this can result in commodifying the very things that should be beyond price. The way to achieve this is in part through public education and a recognition of our interconnected place within living systems.

  8. 8.

    http://documents.routledge-interactive.s3.amazonaws.com/9781138793934/A2/Nietzsche/NietzscheWillPower.pdf

References

  • Ashby, W. R. (1956). An introduction to cybernetics. London: Chapman and Hall.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bacchi, C. (2009). Analysing policy. What is the problem represented to be? New South Wales: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banathy, B. (1996). Designing social systems in a changing world. London: Plenum.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Battersby, J. (2012). Beyond the food desert: Finding ways to speak about urban food security in South Africa. Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography, 94(2), 141–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Battersby, J. (2017). MDGs to SDGs – New goals, same gaps: The continued absence of urban food security in the post-2015 global development agenda. African Geographical Review, 36, 115–129. Retrieved from http://hungrycities.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/HCP11.pdf.

  • Bostrom, N. (2011). Existential risk prevention as the most important task for humanity. Oxford: Faculty of Philosophy and Oxford Martin School University of Oxford. Retrieved from www.existentialrisk.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banathy BH. 1991. Systems design of education: A journey to create the future. Educational Technology: Englewood Cliffs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burn, J., & Simmons, F. (2006). Trafficking and slavery in Australia: An evaluation of victim support strategies. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 15(4), 565.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capra, F. (1996). The web of life: A new synthesis of mind and matter. New York: Harper Collins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Churchman, C. W. (1979). The systems approach and its enemies. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crush, J., & Riley, L. (2017). Urban food security and urban bias (Hungry Cities Partnership, Discussion paper no 11).

    Google Scholar 

  • Elkington, J. (1997). Cannibals with forks. Oxford: Capstone.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finn, J. (2016). Human trafficking and natural disasters: Exploiting misery. International Affairs Review, 24, 80–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, B., Turner, & Morling, P. (2009). Defining and classifying ecosystem services for decision making. Ecological Economics, 68(3), 643–653.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M., & Gordon, C. (Eds.). (1980). Power/Knowledge. Harvester: Brighton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson-Graham, J. K., & Miller, E. (2015). Economy as ecological livelihood. In D. Bird (Ed.), Manifesto for living in the Anthropocene. New York: Punctum Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, K., Bird Rose, D., & Fincher, R. (2015). Manifesto for living in the anthropocene. New York: Punctum Books.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Harper, S. (2016). How population change will transform our world. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horne, D. (1967). The lucky country (3rd rev. ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hulme, M. (2009). Why we disagree about climate change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPPC. (2013). The physical science basis. Retrieved from http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/.

  • Lindemann-Matthies, P. (2014). Biodiversity. In P. B. Thompson & D. M. Kaplan (Eds.), Encyclopedia of food and agricultural ethics (pp. 195–202). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre-Mills, J. (2003). Critical systems praxis: Participatory governance for social and environmental justiceThe Contemporary Systems Series. London: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre-Mills, J., & De Vries, D. (2011). Identity, democracy and sustainability (p. 380). ISCE, USA, Litchfield: Emergence.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre-Mills, J., De Vries, & Binchai, N. (2014). Transformation from wall street to wellbeing. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre-Mills. (2014a). Systemic ethics to support wellbeing in encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics (pp. 1708–1718). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre-Mills, J. (2014b). Reconsidering boundaries. In: Sociopedia, International Sociological Association (pp. 1–17). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056846014102. Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.net/isa/resources/pdf/Reconsidering%20Boundaries%20(amended).pdf.

  • McIntyre-Mills, J. (2014c). Systemic ethics and non-anthropocentric stewardship. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre-Mills, J. (2017a). Planetary passport. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre-Mills, J. (2017b). Recognising our hybridity and interconnectedness: Implications for social and environmental justice. Contemporary Sociology, 66(2), 001139211771589. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392117715898.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre-Mills, J., Romm, N. R. A., & Corcoran-Nantes, Y. (2017). Balancing individualism and collectivism. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norum, K. E. (2001). Appreciative design. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 18(4), 323–333. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, M. (2011). Creating capabilities: The human development approach. London: The Belknap Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pierre, L., Peters, G., & Falk, M. P. (2000). Governance, Politics, and the State. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Romm, N. R. A. (2017). Foregrounding critical systemic and indigneous ways of collective knowing toward (re) directing the anthropocene. In J. McIntyre-Mills, N. Romm, & Y. Corcoran-Nantes (Eds.), Balancing individualism and collectivism: Social and environmental justice (pp. 37–73). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, D. B. (2005). Dislocating the frontier. Retrieved from http://epress.anu.edu.au/dtf/html/frames.php, see http://epress.anu.edu.au.

  • Rorty, R. (1999). Achieving our country: The William E. Massey Sr. lectures in the history of American civilization. Harvard University Press. (Original publication 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (2005). Human rights and capabilities. Journal of Human Development, 6(2), 151–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (2003). Development as capability expansion. In S. Fukuda-Parr & S. Kumar (Eds.), Readings in human development (pp. 41–58). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiglitz, J., Sen, A., & Fitoussi, J. P. (2010). Mis-measuring our lives: Why the GDP doesn’t add up. New York: The New Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich, W., & Reynolds, M. (2010). Critical systems heuristics. In M. Reynolds & S. Holwell (Eds.), Systems approaches to managing change: A practical guide (pp. 242–292). London: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Human Development Index. (2003). A compact among nations to end poverty. New York: UNDP, Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/publications/sdg-report-2017.html.

  • United Nations. (2014). World urbanisation prospects. Retrieved from https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/publications/files/wup2014-highlights.Pdf.

  • United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. (2007). https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/un-declarationrights-indigenous-peoples-1.

  • United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. (2017). http://www.preventionweb.net/files/55465_globalplatform2017edings.pdf.

  • United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. (2015–2030). Sendai framework. Retrieved from http://www.preventionweb.net/drrframework/sendai-framework/.

  • Wadsworth, Y. (2010). Building in research and evaluation. Human inquiry for living systems. Sydney: Allen and Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2009). The spirit level. London: Allen Lane.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Janet McIntyre-Mills .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

McIntyre-Mills, J. (2019). Summary and Key Themes: We Are the Land and the Waters. In: McIntyre-Mills, J., Romm, N.R.A. (eds) Mixed Methods and Cross Disciplinary Research. Contemporary Systems Thinking. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04993-5_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics