Fresh from the inspiring HQ of Cymbrogi Futures in beautiful Lawrenny, which marked the start of my four-day creative reset, I had the joy of a family-centric cultural deep-dive in London this weekend, collecting new inspirations and connections and resurfacing individual talents and passions along the way. The Cymbrogi Festival of Learning brought together a rich mix …
RESET Tourism Sustainability event May 25th
I can sometimes get quite overwhelmed with all the pieces of project work through the different channels of Emergent Thinkers, hanfod.NL and the Harmonious Entrepreneurship Society, and try not to duplicate messages very often, but I think this one is worth pulling through today. David and I are honoured to support TLC Harmony's fantastic Tourism …
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EarthDay21: Restoring Earth through Wonder
Earth Day is being celebrated on 20-22 April this year, with a focus on the climate emergency. Children, adults, communities, organisations and governments will unite on the theme 'Restore Our Earth.' Key events: Earth Day 2021 now unfolds with a global youth climate summit led by Earth Uprising, in collaboration with My Future My Voice, …
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The Lost Pirate Kingdom – behind the scenes with ‘the mind behind 21c pirate rebellion’
In line with Netflix's release of 'The Lost Pirate Kingdom' 15th March, featuring the 'Be More Pirate' Sam Conniff Allende, who recruited me at the Urban Foundry 51.6 event [21st century pirate: the rebel with a cause].... I share the 'mind behind 21c rebellion' interview... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOC7EImJ3OU My interview with Sam Conniff Allende. Social Entrepreneur. Innovator. …
How Technology and Sustainability Can Work Hand-in-Hand (Guest contributor)
Emergent Thinkers.com welcomes guest blogger, Alyssa Jane Clarkson With climate change concerns becoming increasingly alarming each day, more and more organisations, communities, and households have become more conscious about sustainability. In response, different technologies have also started to cater more to this need. And while technological waste is often seen as part of the problem, …
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Strengthening mindset for 2021: vulnerable, capable, interdependent
International Flower of Hope: The Cornflower (credit: Birger Strahl) I’ll dispense with the new year goal-sharing this year. In times of heightened uncertainty, I share two recent mindset influencers: Martha Nussbaum, a philosopher focused on human emotions, and poet and naturalist, Diane Ackerman. Photos: Martha Nussbaum (Harvard University Press); Girl, Christopher Sardegna (Unsplash); Diane Ackerman(World …
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Emergent Thinkers 2020 reflections
2020 is the year coined as 'one to forget but all will remember' - challenge, distress, grief and pressure, alongside resilience, adaptability, compassion and dedication.As Christmas day draws nearer, I reflect on the key themes of the second round of seasons of 'Emergent Thinkers.com' - change agency, sustainability, entrepreneurship & philosophical thinking, with a portion …
Systems Thinking: a practice and mindset
Adapted image (JJ Ying) I have been asked many times, 'what do you mean by systems thinking?' A concept which influences my work, doctoral research and day-to-day thinking, my relationship with 'systems thinking' spans two decades. Its most recent emphasis in the principles of 'Harmonious Entrepreneurship', as promoted with my co-founder Professor David A. Kirby. …
The Professor and the Pirate
Adapted background image: Phokin, Prof David. A. Kirby & Felicity (Pirate (c) V. Randel) This week, as Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020 unfolds, a new ship ‘The Harmonious Entrepreneurship Society’ was launched. Its destination clear – a planet that is in harmony, and its course is via entrepreneurship and the principles of holistic systems thinking. For …
A COVID-19 driven paradigm shift: ‘disrupting Porter’s Forces’
Through a COVID-19-context lens, it is possible to glimpse the formation of a new economic order. While for some COVID was a 'known unknown' and referred by some as a black elephant (Kemp, 2020), the pandemic has been the Neoliberal's Black Swan (Taleb, 2008), an object lesson in complexity. A difficult situation has unfolded, and …
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Education, Biomimicry and becoming better beings
An education with nature: Lao Tong and I in 2005, Thailand It's my birthday so I'll re-share if I want to ;-). Just watched 'Disney Nature's Elephants'... The development of critical thinking, creativity and complex problem-solving are long standing goals of education. Recently I’ve been exploring the potential of Biomimicry to support critical and creative …
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Magical birthday memories with nature
It’s not fun turning 6 in COVID-19 lock-down, especially when plans to spend time with your friends for your first ‘big boy party’ get scrapped! Yet, I am in awe of my sister Frances, who has embraced the situation, drawn on her creativity, and made use of natural materials to create some magical moments for …
In pursuit of Harmony: we can thrive again
‘Harmony principles’ in practice For the delegates and presenters drawn to the UWTSD's Harmony Institute Student Conference 2020 last week, this translated into crossing silos, addressing diversity, adopting integrative thinking, moving beyond analysis to synthesis, and empowering with narrative. To the representations gathered from, and for, the business, interfaith, theology, social justice and inclusion faculties, …
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Be back soon. Gone out to play.
Photo Credit: https://homegets.com/ My curiosity, appetite for learning, and joy of questioning have brought a new level of challenge to work-life balance this week. Hitting a peak in the middle of school half term. My bundles of joy, fairly and enthusiastically demanding more hours of fun, stimulus, attention and care. This evening, I’m feeling somewhat …
EntreComp: the tool of choice for resilient VUCA*-proof change agents
2020. The time has come to ditch broken paradigms, and unleash the power of 21st century 'EntreComp' skilled change agents. As global citizens, we live with constant change and challenge. Issues seeded from an era of unrestrained greed and competition, and an over-zealous drive for growth. All against the backdrop of rising populations, depleting resources, …
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My 12 ’emergent’ themes for yuletide
Beginning with the Winter Solstice celebration this Sunday, then enveloping Christmas, Yuletide starts with a celebration of the lengthening amount of light we experience in the day. This provides a welcome moment to reflect on the first four seasons of ‘Emergent Thinkers.com’. A chance to illuminate the themes that have emerged over the year. Rebellion …
Going Dutch: Experiencing Dutch interiority first-hand
my Dutch window-shopping I return home from a week in Holland further persuaded sustainability isn’t a goal but a mindset. One that is predisposed to being healthy, playful, smart and community-focused. In my view, exposing the important role of cultural worldview in addressing sustainability issues Various studies have for a while listed awareness, compassion, empathy, …
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The mind behind 21c pirate rebellion
An interview with Sam Conniff Allende. Social Entrepreneur. Innovator. Disruptor. Author. Following the impact of my first meeting with Sam at an Urban Foundry 51.6 event, as reported in my previous blog: 21st century pirate: the rebel with a cause I finally get to know more about the mind behind the global movement 'Be More …
Rebel Call: sustainability-based ethics in a technological world
Image: Markus Spiske Three words have tumbled around my head repeatedly, almost prophetically for the last 12 months. Sustainability. Ethics. Technology. Three lenses through which to address the urgent interlinked societal issues: from the environment through to education and the economy. Sustainability: as it balances economic, ecological, and social values in the pursuit of long-term …
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Their future, our hands: new book inspires
Tay Kay Luan's gift to the future generation It is with enormous pleasure I announce the availability of Mr Tay Kay Luan's second book on sustainability. The arrival of the book has brought tremendous excitement to my household. For not only does it contribute significantly to the global discussion on the most important challenge of …
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Nature in Education
Picking up from earlier blogs embracing-sandcastles-rekindling-imagination and cyborgs-part-1-world-without-mind a brief share on an incredibly invigorating induction with sand, soul, and sustainability in mind with the Carmarthen Business School (UWTSD) freshers today on Tenby beach. "The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative …
Truth, lies and sustainability
Fresh from some research on AI, robots and sustainability, the health of the planet has become a consistent theme that weighs heavy on my mind. Technology vs Nature. Various news media pump out the stories. We see-saw between a celebration of the latest advancement or ingenuity, to serious lament over the newest crisis, another step …
Unplugged in the Golden Hour (with Matthew Pinder)
It’s the golden hour. I’m finally winding down with my children for the summer, forcibly ‘disconnecting’ for a while. I sit outside, overlooking nature. The magic of this unique ethereal light envelopes the landscape, my soul, evoking strong memories of a childhood spent in open spaces, open arms and lengthy conversation. Cherished days gone, of …
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Award Nominee: my golden thread reflections
Pedagogic practice and semantics aside, call us teachers. lecturers, educators, tutors, facilitators of learning; for most of us the calling is consistent - to try to make a difference. Last night I attended the University of Wales Trinity St. David's Swansea Student Union Awards. Unbeknown to me I had been shortlisted in two listings: UWTSD …
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Ponder, Puzzle, Pose: the case for curiosity
Questions, a kindling for curiosity For many babies, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ is one of the first literary introductions to the concept of wonderment, contributing to the foundation ‘inquisitive period’, the preschool years. Anyone who wants a crash course or trip down memory lane in viral questioning, I’ll happily signpost you to my three young …
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Education, Biomimicry and becoming better beings
An education with nature: Lao Tong and I in 2005, Thailand The development of critical thinking, creativity and complex problem-solving are long standing goals of education. Recently I’ve been exploring the potential of Biomimicry to support critical and creative thinking through the unique blend of biology, creative problem solving, design, STEM and systems thinking. Biomimicry …
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