Timeout brought together people across generations to discuss climate change
On September 30 the Embassy of Finland had the honour to host the first-ever Timeout discussion in Australia by asking the participants “What stops us from listening to the youth in climate change discussion?” The event was held as part of the EU Climate Diplomacy Week, celebrating Finland’s climate commitments during its Presidency of the Council of the EU. The event brought together climate activists, politicians, researchers, experts and other influencers across generations. The goal was to reach a dialogue in which everyone’s views were valued and taken into account.
“Timeout” is a discussion concept launched by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra with the aim to make constructive conversation a civic skill. The launch event in January 2019 inspired over a thousand Finns to engage in various dialogues about climate change all over Finland. Later, the Timeout Foundation was created for organising and supporting Timeouts both in Finland and abroad.
Since youth was the theme for the EU Climate Diplomacy Week, the Timeout dialogue focused on youth participation in climate change discussion. Given the UN General Assembly and Climate Action Summit together with the school climate strikes in Australia and around the world the weeks prior, the timing of the event could have not been better.
Climate change in Australian schools
The discussion was opened by Ambassador Backström, who spoke about Finland’s efforts in becoming carbon neutral by 2035. After a brief warm-up in pairs, two students from Sunshine Beach High School shared their experience of attending the ENO World Summit of Students for Climate, which took place in Finland in the beginning of June. They found that the opportunity to bond and work together with people all over the world was extraordinary. They also presented their ideas in Helsinki town hall and in the World Circular Economy Forum during their time in Finland.
The event was divided into two dialogue sessions. During the first session many younger participants brought up how climate change should be integrated into school curriculums and taught in schools in Australia. It was mentioned how the effect of human action in climate change still seems to be under discussion in some schools. Up-to-date and factual information should be attainable for students and further action should be encouraged. School curriculums should incorporate a holistic approach to teaching climate change. For example, it could be taught from the perspective of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Learning, however, should not happen in classroom environments only—the states should learn from each other, and there is also a lot to learn from other countries.
Positive narratives as a gateway to climate action
The second session explored the ways of making a lasting change in including youth to climate discussion and action. A young participant explained how news about climate change have caused stress and anxiety due to negative narratives in the media. Many responded by stating the importance of positive narratives and making a change on a local level through community efforts. Success stories were seen as a major factor in motivating people and seeing tangible results from climate action. News sources and movies offering compelling stories were agreed to be important in initiating action. Personal stories can also be effective in avoiding passivity and the feeling of hopelessness when facing climate change. The ACT Minister of Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury noted that the ACT Government’s initiatives are great examples of positive climate action, but have unfortunately gotten only little coverage on the Australian media.
The Timeout concept was well received, and many commented how discussions bringing together people across generations happen too rarely. Especially the younger participants found the dialogue a new and insightful experience. For future conversations the participants suggested having an even more inclusive, politically and culturally diverse crowd, possibly including industry representatives and people with opposing views. It was also agreed that narratives in climate change reporting and the role of climate change in school curriculums could be excellent topics for their own dedicated dialogues. A few attendees were even interested in organising their own Timeouts!
The event would have not been a success without the organisational support from the Timeout Foundation and Sitra. During the breaks the guests had the chance to use the Kotkamills Game Changer cups, which are 100% plastic-free and recyclable with household paper waste. The Embassy of Finland thanks all participants, the Timeout Foundation, and Sitra for their part in the event, and Kotkamills for supplying us with fantastic Finnish innovations to showcase. Introducing Timeout to Australia was rewarding experience, and the Embassy looks forward to seeing more constructive dialogues taking place both in Australia and around the globe.
You can find more pictures from the Embassy's Facebook page(Link to another website.).
Mirjam Ligi