Photo: Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan.
Many problems have taken the first steps towards a solution in the presence of a cup of coffee or tea. Big challenges or small – chit-chatting shouldn’t be underestimated.
This is probably what the Nordic Association for Adult Education has realised. To stimulate the public discussion about climate change after the December meeting in Copenhagen they have printed 150 000 paper-napkins which will be placed at coffee tables in their halls in four Nordic countries. The napkins will bear three questions about climate change: “Have you experienced the effects of climate change?”, “Do you take any action regarding climate change yourself?” and “Who has the responsibility for climate change?”
Study circles
Sweden has a long tradition of adults learning together in study circles, from cooking or analyzing politics to studying a topic together. And during these study circles there are breaks, where people sit down for a cup and a chat. Voilá, time for a napkin.
After discussing climate change around the coffee tables people can submit their thoughts and ideas on a web page until the beginning of March. The results will be presented during a new climate conference arranged by the same association in the end of March, one hundred days after the UN climate meeting.
Invitation to the minister
Monica Stolpe-Nordin from the association says that there is a pressure to continue climate talks, where focus is not on the leaders of the world but on what you and I can do. She invites Sweden’s environment minister Andreas Carlgren to come to one of the coffee talks. It will be interesting to see if he joins.
