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Plenary Two: Post-enlightenment Capitalism
David Vidal, Research Director, The Conference Board

Respondents:

• Daniel K. Irurah, Sustainability Institute, Stellenbosch University and University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
• Caroline DigbyThe Eden Project, England
• Mary Martin, Centre for the Study of Global Governance, London School of Economics

Discussion

Choice of parallel sessions (A):

1. Water and Human Rights: The Issues
   Facilitator: Cate Le Grice-Mack MBE, Chair of Trustees, envolve
   Discussants:  
   Dan Green, Wessex Water
   Tarak Kate, Sustainability Institute, South Africa and Dharamitra (Friends of the Earth), India
   Oliver Cumming, Policy Officer, WaterAid
2. Learning To Listen To Developing Countries
   Facilitator and discussant on China: Alan Hunter, Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies, Coventry University
   On Nepal: Mahabir Pun, Ashoka Fellow and ‘Nepal Wireless’
3. Education for the Sustainable Enterprise Economy
   Facilitator and discussant on ARCHS’s MA in Sustainable Enterprise:
   Malcolm McIntosh
   Discussants:
   On Education for Business: Simon Pickard, European Academy for Business In Society (EABIS)On Teaching in Africa: Daniel K. Irurah, Sustainability Institute, Stellenbosch University and Witwatersrand University, South Africa
4. ESRC Workshop Series on Human Security: Examining and Operationalising ‘Human Security’:The Human Security concept: help or hindrance for practitioners of sustainable development?
   Facilitator: Mary Martin, London School of Economics (LSE) Discussants: Owen Greene, University of Bradford; Robin Luckham (tbc) University of Sussex; David Roberts (tbc) University of Ulster; and, Miho Taka, ARCHS, Coventry University. This session aims to examine how concepts of Human Security have been, or could be, useful in the development of sustainable development policies and practices. The concept of Human Security is in practice contested, and has a variety of dimensions. It is sometimes used as a vague term simply to reflect a concern for the well-being of ordinary people or vulnerable groups. But it can also be focussed and operationalised in a number of more specific ways. This session will facilitate focussed discussion to clarify these issues and to learn lessons from experience of Conference participants.
5. Tour of Wessex Water Site and building (1 hour)
   Wessex Water’s operations centre is a building that is different from almost any other commercial building. In designing it the company set out to improve our operating efficiency, create an excellent working environment that encourages teamwork and informality, demonstrate leading edge sustainable development that minimises energy use, maximises recycling and encourages sustainable transport solutions, use new technology to improve communications and reduce paper and storage, and, provide facilities that can be used by the local communityThe building has won a number of prestigious environmental and building awards. It is one of very few buildings to achieve an Excellent Environmental Assessment Award under BREEAM 98 for Offices from the Building Research Establishment , with an environmental performance index of 10 - the highest possible. The award is a widely accepted and respected independent scheme that sets a benchmark for environmental performance. In 2001 it was named as the winner of the building award at the British Construction Industry awards - one of the highest honours in the building industry. The operations centre also beat off stiff international competition to win the Building of the Year award at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyor’s awards in 2002. It was described as ‘a building designed to set a new benchmark for the future.’ It still is the future – take a tour.

Choice of parallel sessions: 

1. Down to Earth: sustainable or unsustainable enterprise?
   Facilitator: Caroline Digby, The Eden Project
   Discussants:
   On Bolivian silver: Jane Hope, Plymouth College of Art and Design
   On Rwandan Coltan: Miho Taka, ARCHS, Coventry University
   On Gambian horticulture and partnerships: Helen Wadham, Manchester Metropolitan University
2. The UN Global Compact
   July 2010 will see the 10^th anniversary of the UN Global Compact. ARCHS is working with the UNGC Office to look back at the original aspirations and look forward to the future: what are the issues?  Facilitator: David Vidal, Conference Board Discussants: Cornis van de Lugt, UNEP and UN Global Compact Climate Change InitiativeMalcolm McIntosh, ARCHS and the UN Global Compact history project
3. Climate Change and Sustainability: Challenge and Opportunity for Business
   Facilitator: Ruth Thomas, enfusion
   Discussants:
   Charlie Brown, IKEA
   Simon Jones, CISCO Systems
4. Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Security
   Facilitator: Owen Greene (University of Bradford) Discussants:  Mary Martin (LSE): Human Security and developing Corporate Social ResponsibilityTony Santiago (tbc): Lessons from CSR and Human security in conflict-prone areasMuch has been done to develop and promote CSR in recent decades. The implications for CSR guidelines of human security priorities are relatively unexplored. This session aims to address this issue, as part of a wider discussion about why and how companies should engage with human security and issues traditionally seen as part of foreign and security policy rather than corporate interest.
5. Tour of Wessex Water site (1 hour)
   Wessex Water’s operations centre is a building that is different from almost any other commercial building. In designing it the company set out to improve our operating efficiency, create an excellent working environment that encourages teamwork and informality, demonstrate leading edge sustainable development that minimises energy use, maximises recycling and encourages sustainable transport solutions, use new technology to improve communications and reduce paper and storage, and, provide facilities that can be used by the local communityThe building has won a number of prestigious environmental and building awards. It is one of very few buildings to achieve an Excellent Environmental Assessment Award under BREEAM 98 for Offices from the Building Research Establishment , with an environmental performance index of 10 - the highest possible. The award is a widely accepted and respected independent scheme that sets a benchmark for environmental performance. In 2001 it was named as the winner of the building award at the British Construction Industry awards - one of the highest honours in the building industry. The operations centre also beat off stiff international competition to win the Building of the Year award at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyor’s awards in 2002. It was described as ‘a building designed to set a new benchmark for the future.’ It still is the future – take a tour.

• Tarak Kate Sustainability Institute, South Africa & Dharamitra, India

Dharamitra is situated in a town called Wardha located in Maharashtra state of India which is well known because of a very long association with Mahatma Gandhi who stayed here almost for two decades in the later part of his life and stewarded the independence movement in the country from here. Dharamitra has been founded by a group of scientists and social activists committed to Sustainable Rural Development. It is engaged in the generation and propagation of eco-friendly technologies based on the judicious use of locally available resources. Sustainable agriculture, organic recycling, soil and water conservation, watershed management and agrowaste utilization are the major areas of intervention. Dharamitra has also been engaged in applied research, training and extension activities. It has developed a close liaison with about 1000 small, marginal and resource poor farmers and helped them to enhance their incomes through introduction of a non-chemical and eco-friendly package of agricultural techniques tuned to local agro-climatic conditions. It has also organized a large group of rural women into 'Self Help Groups' and helped them to improve nutritional status of their families through development of courtyard nutritional gardens and also involved them in various income generating enterprises.  

Respondent: 

• Alan Hunter, Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Coventry University 
• Owen Greene, Department of Peace Studies, Bradford University                        
  Discussion