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The Parliament for the Future

*** event series held in German***

In cooperation with City Theater Giessen

 

 Ticket sale via City Theater Giessen webshop

Time Venue Participation
8:00 pm

City Theater Giessen

For all interested parties, registration through City Theater Giessen

 

When we don't know what to do anymore, we ask the echidnas for help.
Tyson Yunkaporta

The ongoing mass extinction of species and the accelerated climate change are threatening all life on our planet. It is time for something to change, quickly and radically, as the promised successes are still awaited. How can we act locally while thinking globally? What means do we have now, here, to counter the approaching catastrophe? What does joyful climate protection look like that ensures biodiversity and guarantees the future viability of our cities? And can humans and animals peacefully coexist at all? In the Parliament for the Future, we want to address these questions and explore various scenarios for sustainable coexistence. In October, we will inaugurate the Parliament together with Claus Leggewie and Liza Bauer from the Panel on Planetary Thinking at Justus Liebig University Giessen, discuss with experts, go on city walks, invite you to make the city greener, attempt sustainable cooking, and together view our environment from new perspectives.

 

25.09.23 | 20:00 | Theory Before Practice, or: Who Sits in the Parliament of Things? On the representation of non-human actors in planetary politics (Prof. Dr. Dr. Claus Leggewie)

"A Parliament of Things" is what political ecologist Bruno Latour called a gathering of non-human actors who have so far been excluded from the political process, even though they are affected by it and subordinated to it. The lecture invites reflection on the idea of expanded representation.

Media report: Eine Stimme für die anderen. Diskussions- und Vortragsreihe »Das Parlament der Zukunft« im Stadttheater eröffnet mit Liza Bauer, Claus Leggewie und Tim Kahn. Gießener Anzeiger. https://www.giessener-anzeiger.de/stadt-giessen/eine-stimme-fuer-die-anderen-92543911.html

14.12.23 | 20:00 | Of Wild Boars and City Pigeons: Experiences of Coexistence Between Humans and Animals in the City and Innovative Ideas for the Future" (Dr. Annette Voigt)

© Hartmut Kiewert
In the lecture "Of Wild Boars and City Pigeons: Experiences of Coexistence Between Humans and Animals in the City and Innovative Ideas for the Future," Annette Voigt (Department of Open Space Planning, University of Kassel) will playfully demonstrate how urban spaces—typically understood solely by and for humans—are also used by many species of wild animals, and how we as humans respond to this. While certain species are protected, many animals are ignored, displaced, and often intentionally killed. What challenges and starting points can be identified for a socio-ecological transformation? Could we, in a multispecies society where all have a right to a good life, share spaces and resources with wild animals?

12.02.2024 | 20:00 | Animal-Aided Design: For an Architecture of Biodiversity (Prof. Dr. Thomas E. Hauck)

© Studio Sophie Jahnke
In our cities, many animals live. Compared to intensively farmed agricultural landscapes, the diversity of wild animals is often higher, and rare species can also be found in cities. The climate catastrophe and the intensive use of ecosystems by humans threaten many animal species. Cities that provide habitats for wild animals can therefore contribute to their protection. In the third part of the series "The Parliament for the Future," the question is addressed of how the coexistence of humans and animals can be sustainably shaped through architecture and urban planning. In his lecture, Dr. Thomas E. Hauck presents an approach that allows for deriving responsibility from sustainable urban planning, one that includes all species and future generations. Can Animal-Aided Design succeed in creating or improving habitats for animals in the city? And what strategies and open spaces do we already have at our disposal to make our cities more biodiverse and climate-resilient in the face of global challenges?
Media report:Wissenschaftler fordert mehr Raum für Tiere und Pflanzen. Gießener Anzeiger. https://www.giessener-anzeiger.de/stadt-giessen/wissenschaftler-fordert-mehr-raum-fuer-tiere-und-pflanzen-92833407.html

06.05.24 | 20:00 | Urban Ecosystems: Which Animals Live Where and How Can the City Be Transformed Through Them? | A City Walk (Dr. Markus Dietz)

Cities are growing worldwide, increasingly displacing natural landscapes and habitats of wild animal species. At the same time, cities are also being inhabited more frequently by wild animals. The science of urban ecology deals extensively with the relationships between animals, plants, humans, and shared habitats. A city walk through the Philosophenwald and the Wieseck-Aue will offer an opportunity to experience the biodiversity hidden in these green spaces, using bats and birds as examples, and how this enriches our living environment. How do bats orient themselves at night, where do they live, and what adaptations do birds show when living in urban habitats? What would cities be like without urban nature, and how can cities be developed in the future to be fair to both humans and wild animals? Many such questions can be discussed during the city walk. Above all, we aim to get to know the habitats of bats and birds better.
Media report: Loblied auf die Fledermaus. Gießener Anzeiger. https://www.giessener-anzeiger.de/lokales/kreis-giessen/loblied-auf-die-fledermaus-93065380.html

13.05.24 | 19:00 | Recipes for the Future: How Does Sustainable Cooking Actually Work? | Cooking Show (Veganatural Giessen)

 
In the fifth part of the series, we invite you to a shared dinner at the City Theater Giessen. How can sustainability and good food be thought together? Could the absence of certain ingredients reveal a culinary diversity that simultaneously addresses the growing scarcity of resources? Together with the Giessen restaurant "Veganatural" and journalist Michaela Maria Müller, we will look beyond the plate and reinterpret regional cuisine in a vegan and resource-efficient way. The Gießen traditional dish "Bellschuh" will meet the Syrian classic "Tabouleh," reflecting the diversity of local food culture. You can also put your favorite dishes to the test and bring what you would like to share with us and others.

08.07.24 | 20:00 | Planet B | Staged Reading  (Yael Ronen and Itai Reicher)

In the final part of the series, a "Parliament of Animals" is founded at the Giessen Town Hall.
As the effects of the climate catastrophe become more and more evident worldwide, humanity, in its dominance, continues to destroy the habitats of other organisms. As the "Project Earth" faces the risk of failure, the next mass extinction is already on the horizon. Or is a good existence for all living beings on this planet still possible? And according to which principles should this life be shaped – Survival of the fittest, Darwin 2.0, or equality and democracy for all? In the Giessen Parliament of Animals, various species raise their voices and defend their right to be heard. Whether bat, chicken, crocodile, ant, or human – in the end, does survival still depend solely on evolution?
Media report: Das dümmste Massensterben. Gießener Allgemeine. https://www.giessener-allgemeine.de/giessen/das-duemmste-massensterben-93178207.html