Course Overview

Many people are concerned about the process of mass extinctions of species, the threats facing mankind, among them but not limited to climate change, loss of agricultural soils, food security issues, economic challenges, and interpersonal conflicts.

This new course is designed to give you hope by developing your personal action plan. Knowledge is power but knowledge without action is useless. Each session will focus on one aspect of your life, outlining the challenge, hopeful examples of actions that already exist and exercises and activities designed to help you design your own way forward. The group of mutually supportive participants will help on this learning journey.

Course Schedule 

Classes will be delivered online on Thursday 7-10pm for ten weeks from 30 September to 6 December.

Weekly outline:

1. Building trust, noticing fellow travellers, sharing goals, identifying obstacles.

2. We are what we eat: food choices, food security, let food be your medicine.

3. The role of biodiversity and what you can do to strengthen the natural world we depend on.

4. We create spaces that shape us: the power of space, architecture, and home making.

5. Lifestyle: are you living your values? Steps for developing a vision and an action plan.

6. Work in progress: from first steps onwards. Sharing successes and failures. Learning from examples.

7. The role of Economy – money & its alternatives, beyond the growth illusion, different kinds of capital.

8. We are not alone: maintaining relationships, building community, and influencing our world.

9.  We are what we think: how your thoughts and dreams impact reality, your health, and your future.

10. Putting it all together: the vision is manifesting, action has started. Where to go from here.

Course Lecturer

Thomas Riedmuller, co-founder of The Hollies Centre for Sustainability, permaculture teacher and mediator. He has been teaching courses at UCC since 2002. https://www.thehollies.ie/

Entry Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old at course commencement.

Assessment

Short courses are not assessed. Students will receive a UCC Certificate of Attendance upon completion.

Closing Date for Application

Friday 17 September

Contact Details for Further Information

Regina Sexton, Phone: 021-4904700, Email: shortcourses@ucc.ie