{"id":11243,"date":"2024-05-30T22:30:14","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T20:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/potulnauniverzita.cz\/?post_type=aktivity&p=11243"},"modified":"2024-06-19T10:46:50","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T08:46:50","slug":"od-antropocenu-k-symbiocenu-aneb-cesty-k-civilizaci-ktera-podporuje-zivot","status":"publish","type":"aktivity","link":"https:\/\/potulnauniverzita.cz\/en\/aktivity\/od-antropocenu-k-symbiocenu-aneb-cesty-k-civilizaci-ktera-podporuje-zivot\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Anthropocene to the Symbiocene, or the path to a civilization that supports life"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
\n

Summer seminar of the Traveling University of Nature<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Anthropocene to the Symbiocene, or the path to a civilization that supports life<\/h1>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Jeanne K. Simmons: Extensions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

About the Anthropocene, the Symbiocene and sumbiocracy<\/a><\/em> \u2014 about living intelligence and the vision of fractal flourishing <\/em>\u2014 on the regenerative paradigm and the reconfiguration of economic practice according to biosynergy<\/em> <\/em>\u2014 on non-growth and unconditional income<\/em>\u2014 on urban agriculture and the commons <\/em>\u2014 about architecture in symbiosis with natural systems <\/em>\u2014 on the ecological transformation of large cities <\/em>\u2014 and new "green projects" for Prague<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main guest: Australian ecophilosopher Freya Mathews<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 12 to 18, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toulc\u016fv dv\u016fr, ecological education center<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

\u201cAn ecological civilization would be based primarily on an all-encompassing symbiosis between human society and nature. Human activity would not be organized solely to prevent damage to the living Earth, but to actively restore and maintain its health. As such, an ecological civilization could guide humanity and nonhuman nature toward an infinitely long period of flourishing\u2014the symbiocene.\u201d<\/p>\nJeremy LENT<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We live in the Anthropocene, a time of unpredictability, confusion and a very uncertain future \u2013 flooded with new and new reports about the rapidly advancing climate crisis and the unprecedented ecological degradation of the Earth \u2013 and also in the midst of a chaotic geopolitical situation, combined with a deep crisis of democracy. Yet our politics and economics ignore the warnings of scientists and continue to inertially pursue the idea of \u201cprogress\u201d at the expense of the planet \u2013 the unlimited economic growth of human society, based on extreme consumption. The threat of civilizational collapse and the destruction of life, which we face as a result of such short-sighted practices, suggests that to solve this crisis, it is not enough to simply adapt the existing system externally \u2013 we urgently need to transform its basic patterns and values, to \u201crewrite its operating system\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A number of leading thinkers are therefore exploring the possibilities of transforming the current unsustainable civilization, or rather proposing to create a new civilization that would grow out of the complex coexistence of humans with the natural world and which, in the words of the current leading environmental philosopher Freya Mathews, the main lecturer of our seminar, "served and supported the biosphere at all levels"<\/em>These visionaries develop the idea of an ecological society, founded "to live together for mutual benefit"<\/em> (Glenn Albrecht); they propose how to replace the current dysfunctional and destructive mythology of progress, based on the idea of exploiting the world and endless accumulation of wealth, with a new regenerative mythology of symbiosis - the co-evolutionary cooperation of humans with a more than human world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the seminar, we will learn about the perspectives of such a transformation, as described by the aforementioned Freya Mathews, who presented the most elaborate idea of an ecological civilization to date, the American philosopher Jeremy Lent, the Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht, the British educator and cultural activist Christian Wahl, the British architect Michael Pawlyn, the Australian landscape architect Julie Watson, and the outstanding British economist Kate Raworth. All of the aforementioned authors agree that we need to move from the concept of sustainability, which aims to merely mitigate the negative, to a new regenerative paradigm, built on a clear optimization of the positive, where everything we do will have a net positive impact on the life of all living things around us. In short, we need to start a development that will support the flourishing of all life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Exploration Architecture \u2013 Michael Pawlyn, Sahara Forest Project in Qatar (2013-2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

"The key to ecological civilization from the perspective of the living cosmos is not so much the "small is beautiful" or "minimal is best" approach of earlier sustainability philosophies, but synergy in a fully psychophysical sense. The goal is not to keep the practice as simple as possible, but to make it a means of cosmic renewal."<\/p>\nFreya MATHEWS<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We are in a situation where we have all the solutions necessary for such a transformation at our disposal, we just need to mobilize our collective will to put them into practice. There are many creative groups around the world today that are creating the foundations for almost all components of a new, life-sustaining civilization. Within our domestic context, we will focus primarily on the activities of the brilliantly developing movement non-growth<\/a> (Eva Fra\u0148kov\u00e1 and Martin \u010cech), which shows that we can replace the current destructive economic system based on profit with a new economic system that enables a good life within planetary limits. We will also introduce local activities of regenerative agriculture, which is also spreading to a large extent in the urban context: we will get acquainted with agroecological urbanism (Lucie Sovov\u00e1), with syntropic agriculture, which strives to return humans to natural ecosystems (Elsa \u0160ebkov\u00e1), and with the broad movement of Community Supported Agriculture (Jana Ko\u017enarov\u00e1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The regenerative paradigm has recently begun to gain traction in construction practice, architecture and urbanism, as well as in the broader context of design. We will take a closer look at some pioneering activities in this field, as represented, for example, by the aforementioned British architect Michael Pawlyn, a representative of biomimetic architecture, and landscape architect Julie Watson with her concept of technologies LO-TEK<\/a>. These and some other examples indicate how it is possible to develop the concept of regenerative healthy cities, whose infrastructure is integrated with natural systems, which consume a fraction of resources, and in which it is a pleasure to work and live. Some landscape urban designs by architect Michal Fi\u0161er and his team can also be included in this context. threearchitects<\/a>, for example, the project to revitalize the Oh\u0159e bank in Kada\u0148 and, above all, the current winning competition proposal for the development of Rohansk\u00fd and Libe\u0148sk\u00fd islands, the purpose of which is to re-present the Vltava River in the Hole\u0161ovice meander, which arch. Fi\u0161er will introduce us to in his lecture at the seminar and as part of the trip. Architectural theorist Jana Tich\u00e1 will introduce us to Martin Rajni\u0161's "natural architecture" and Milo\u0161 Vojt\u011bchovsk\u00fd will talk about how to avoid sound pollution and how to strive for a "harmonious and fair acoustic landscape of the city". On several other trips, on which our guides will be fellow therapists and artists - Adam T\u00e1borsk\u00fd, Lud\u011bk \u010cert\u00edk, Jana Ko\u017enarov\u00e1, Tereza Stehl\u00edkov\u00e1 - we will tune in to some unique natural and cultural locations of Prague, such as the Boti\u010de meanders and Hamersk\u00fd pond, the Mil\u00ed\u010dovsk\u00fd forest and ponds natural monument, the Prokopsk\u00e1 farm in the Prokopsk\u00e9 valley, or the Vy\u0161ehrad area and the Vltava embankments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of us today needs to find our participatory role within the larger community of changemakers, within the network of pro-life groups that are now shaping what George Monbiot has called \u201cthe new politics of belonging.\u201d I believe that our seminar will certainly offer a unique opportunity for this. And in this context, I would like to conclude with the following quote: \u201c\u2026 every day of our lives we can live the future we want for ourselves and for others. \u2026 With every decision we make, every word we speak, every action we take, we help to slow down or catalyze the great transformation our society needs if we are to bequeath a prosperous world to future generations.\u201d (<\/em>Jeremy Lent)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Zemanek<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Toulc\u016fv dvur, Prague-Hostiva\u0159<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Seminar program<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Monday, August 12<\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>
\n
from 17:45 to 18:30 \u2014 dinner<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 19:00 to 21:30 \u2014 start:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

About the seminar program, history and educational activities of Toulc's Court - "natural area", presentation of Enviro's activities and the local KPZ<\/em> \u2013, about the landscape between Z\u00e1b\u011bhlice, Hostiva\u0159 and Chodov: Hostiva\u0159-Z\u00e1b\u011bhlice Nature Park, Boti\u010d-Mil\u00ed\u010dov Nature Park.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tuesday, August 13<\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>
\n
from 8:00 to 9:00 \u2014 breakfast<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 9:00 to 11:30 \u2014 morning program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

What pits us against nature \u2022 Freya Mathews<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

1st lecture from the series: The Deep Law at the Core of Being: The Key to Ecological Civilization?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fundamental reason why contemporary industrial civilization dismantles and destroys terrestrial systems is the current dualistic worldview on which it relies, which separates mind from matter and attributes it exclusively to humans. But even more than the content of our knowledge, the theoretical ways in which we know, characteristic of our Western tradition, set us against nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anthropocene: the epoch we live in \u2022 Tom\u00e1\u0161 Dan\u011bk<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

So we are in a different world again \u2013 this time in one that is more of our own making than ever before. What is the Anthropocene? How did we find ourselves in it and how do we recognize it? What is so radically new about it that we need to declare it a new geological epoch? How is the place of man in nature changing in it, what paradoxes arise in it, what does it threaten us with and what does it offer us? Let us imagine different ways in which we can talk about the Anthropocene and in the end (hopefully) discover that the future is no longer what it used to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 12:00 to 13:00 \u2014 lunch<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM \u2014 trip:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

We will get acquainted with the educational activities of Toulcov dvor and its natural area, which represents a diverse landscape mosaic of habitats, which is ideal for ecological education. Then we will set off along the beautiful meanders of the Boti\u010d stream to the Z\u00e1b\u011bhlick\u00fd weir and further to the Hamersk\u00fd pond, from where we will return to Toulcov dvor (7 km) through the meadows and wild orchards of Trojmez\u00ed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lecture will be given at Hamersk\u00fd Pond Adam T\u00e1borsk\u00fd's Therapy Among the Trees<\/strong>: The concrete jungles we inhabit often distance us from the natural rhythms that once guided our ancestors. Yet, even in the midst of urban landscapes, the call of the wild persists, compelling us to rediscover our innate connection to the land. We will show you how we can experience support in nature without harming it; how nature can enrich us and what we can do for it in terms of mental and physical health. There are many ways to flourish in nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 17:45 to 18:30 \u2014 dinner<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 19:00 to 21:30 \u2014 evening program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Anthropocene to the Symbiocene: Glenn Albrecht and Jeremy Lent \u2022 Ji\u0159\u00ed Zem\u00e1nek<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Glenn Albrecht, Jeremy Lent and others argue that we need to move beyond the Anthropocene, which has exposed the unprecedented destructive impact of humans on planetary ecosystems. To avoid its negative trends, we need visions and memes of a different future. Glenn Albrecht suggests that we call this new era the Symbiocene and makes the case for the development of a symbiotic and cooperative model of society, a sumbiocracy, in which people act for the benefit of each other on Earth at all scales. An analogous model of civilization, based on the recognition that health and well-being are fractal in nature, and that the well-being of each person is fractally connected to the health of the whole world, is translated by Jeremy Lent. We will examine both of these models of society and get acquainted with some chapters of Jeremy Lent's book The Web of Meaning<\/em> .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will screen video recording of Lent's lecture "How to change our minds to change the world?"<\/strong> (31 minutes).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Julie Watson, LO-TEK \/ Kolkata City Natural Wastewater Treatment System<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

"The current economy requires growth regardless of whether it contributes to meeting our needs. But we need an economy that meets our needs, regardless of whether it grows or not."<\/p>\nKate Raworth<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday, August 14<\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>
\n
from 8:00 to 9:00 \u2014 breakfast<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 9:00 to 11:30 \u2014 morning program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Theoretical and Strategic Ways of Knowing \u2022 Freya Mathews<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

2nd lecture from the series: The Deep Law at the Core of Being: The Key to Ecological Civilization?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theoretical ways of knowing (characteristic of the Western tradition) lead us to the emergence of dualistic and analytical views of reality that separate us from it. In contrast, strategic ways of knowing (characteristic of pre-agrarian indigenous societies), which are embodied and participatory, lead us to a holistic grasp of reality. Strategic ways of knowing reveal to us on an internal level that at the core of what is there is a duty, a normativity, which the author characterizes as a deep Law, from which, according to her, it is clear that the role of man and all other beings is to contribute to the continuous development of the living cosmos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Liology Jeremy Lenta \u2022 Pavel Jan\u0161ta<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The term liology is derived from the Chinese word \u201cli\u201d (organizing principles) and the word \u201cology\u201d (Greek for \u201cstudy\u201d) and means the study of organizing principles. Liology was developed by philosopher and visionary Jeremy Lent as a framework for a new worldview that integrates all aspects of life and would allow people to prosper harmoniously and sustainably on Earth. Pavel Jan\u0161ta introduces us to some of the basic concepts of Neo-Confucian philosophy \u2013 such as \u201cli\u201d, \u201cren\u201d or \u201cgewu\u201d \u2013 that inspired Jeremy Lent to create this concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 12:00 to 13:00 \u2014 lunch<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM \u2014 trip:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

We will head to the Mil\u00ed\u010dovsk\u00fd Forest and Ponds Natural Monument, which protects valuable forest stands and wetland habitats for a number of rare invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, as well as nesting grounds for many species of water birds; part of this area is a European significant site designated for the protection of the giant grebe (trip length 10 km). With Ludek \u010cert\u00edk <\/strong>we graduate here "listening walk"<\/strong>: we listen to the voices of local birds and insects, including the sounds below the surface of ponds. On that occasion, we will also talk about how wild animals are doing in Prague and what makes Prague unique in the world from a natural science perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 17:45 to 18:30 \u2014 dinner<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 19:00 to 21:30 \u2014 evening program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Sustainable non-growth \u2013 questions, answers, and more questions \u2022 Eva Fra\u0148kov\u00e1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Humanity is currently exceeding most planetary boundaries, and \u201cgreen growth\u201d is not capable of reversing this trend, according to available empirical data. If we want to avoid the tragic ecological and social consequences of this development, we need to actively eliminate the growth dependency of our economies, but also eliminate patterns of dominance and exploitation in mutual relations. The no-growth movement tries to think through and promote the possibilities of socio-ecological transformation towards greater sustainability and justice. What are its basic theses and political proposals? The seminar will provide an opportunity to get acquainted with them and discuss them together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Wahl \u2013 Design of regenerative cultures \u2022 Vlado Lobotka (Gaia Institute)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Every structure and institution around us needs innovation, redesign, and transformation. Our worldview and our value system also need transformation. Only then will we be able to create a new civilizational narrative that encourages us to be inventive, creative, and collaborative in creating a regenerative human presence on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
MetroFarm \u2013 community garden and urban farm, Imperial Island in Prague<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

\u201cAt its core, sustainable urban agriculture creates positive change not only within the environment, but also within communities.\u201d<\/p>\nNazeem Harvey<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thursday, August 15<\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>
\n
from 8:00 to 9:00 \u2014 breakfast<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 9:00 to 11:30 \u2014 morning program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Synergistic Forms of Economic Practice and the Profound Law \u2022 Freya Mathews<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

3. lecture from the series: The Deep Law at the Core of Being: The Key to Ecological Civilization?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this concluding lecture, the author will present arguments that modern societies still have the tools at their disposal to renew strategic types of embodied participatory knowledge in the form of new ecologically grounded, nature-based, synergistic forms of economic practice, which she will present using selected examples. She argues that based on this approach, our human needs could be met by natural systems, so to speak, for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unconditional basic income: where does the path to the right to a dignified life for all lead? \u2022 Martin \u010cech<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A decent life for all is becoming increasingly unattainable as inequalities grow. An unconditional basic income promises a material basis and, with it, a great deal of freedom for all without distinction, but its compatibility with ecological sustainability is questionable. Yet its moral appeal for equality for all born into an unequal world remains strong. For a freer and more just society that thrives within the limits of one planet, we may need a more detailed plan. Unconditional basic services, guaranteed green jobs or local currencies can play a key role in a society that is autonomous, caring and knows its limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 12:00 to 13:00 \u2014 lunch<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM \u2014 trip:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Visit to the permaculture Prokopsk\u00e1 farm of Lucie and Brett Gallagher<\/strong>, who are pioneers of urban agriculture in Prague; we will visit three of their production plots: a garden with chickens at Prokopsk\u00e9 \u00fadol\u00ed, a plot at Dalejsk\u00e9 brook and an orchard in the area of D\u00edv\u010d\u00ed hrady (trip length 5 km). It will be heard here lecture by Jana Ko\u017enarov\u00e1<\/strong> 15 years of KPZ in the Czech Republic or a new wave of farmers not only from the Farm School<\/strong>. Community Supported Agriculture (CPA) celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. We look back at the beginning, how, when and why these special \u201cislands of positive deviation\u201d began to emerge, how they were transformed and where they are today. We also look among the students of the Farm School and get to know the new wave of young farmers who have decided to farm organically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 17:45 to 18:30 \u2014 dinner<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 19:00 to 21:30 \u2014 evening program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Insatiable urban metabolism and agroecological urbanism \u2022 Lucie Sovov\u00e1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The lecture will introduce the concept of social metabolism as a way to think about the interaction between humans and non-human nature. We will discuss why cities are \u201cinsatiable\u201d and dependent on external resources, and how this metabolic imbalance is reflected at the societal and individual levels. Finally, we will mention agroecological urbanism as a vision of how to close nutrient cycles and promote a connection with the soil in cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syntropic agriculture \u2022 Elsa \u0160ebkov\u00e1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Syntropic agriculture is agriculture that learns from planet Earth, a macroorganism with its own intelligence. It draws inspiration from natural processes to deliver highly productive, nature-friendly agroecosystems that support biodiversity, accelerate soil formation, manage drought and flood, and mitigate climate change by sequestering vast amounts of carbon in the soil. Finally, syntropic agriculture seeks to shift the social paradigm from competition and separation to cooperation and harmony, returning humans to their rightful place within the ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(+ 2 short videos)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Grimschav Architects and Michael Pawlyn, The Eden Project (1999-2001), Cornwall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

"All of my work is motivated by frustration with the word 'sustainable.' The word suggests something that is merely adequate, but we should be looking for truly regenerative solutions. We have moved from controlling nature to learning from its elements, but today we should be looking for complete reconciliation with the natural world."<\/p>\nMichael Pawlyn<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Friday, August 16<\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>
\n
from 8:00 to 9:00 \u2014 breakfast<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 9:00 to 11:30 \u2014 morning program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Architecture and urbanism in symbiosis with natural systems \u2022 Ji\u0159\u00ed Zem\u00e1nek<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Architects and designers are discovering that it is critically important for us to learn from nature. The distinguished British architect Michael Pawlyn develops the concept of biomimicry, a type of ecological design inspired by the functional problem-solving methods of biology, which he believes will enable us to solve many of our current unsustainable dilemmas and move humanity from the industrial to the ecological age. We will also learn about indigenous technologies based on nature, which architect and environmentalist Julie Watson has called Lo-TEK; according to her, they could give rise to a new symbiotic vision of design that could make our cities resilient. Finally, we will talk about the baubiology of Munich architect Ferdinand Ludwig and the new urban forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin Rajni\u0161 and his Natural Architecture \u2022 Jana Tich\u00e1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You don't have to be an environmental activist to agree with the motto "Nature doesn't need people, people need nature." Martin Rajni\u0161 is certainly not an environmental activist and vehemently refuses to be categorized as an ecological or green architect, yet he has done more than anyone else in the last twenty years to green Czech architecture in the sense of returning to nature and simplicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 12:00 to 13:00 \u2014 lunch<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM \u2014 trip:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Visit to Rohan Island with architect Michal Fi\u0161er <\/strong>(three architects); <\/em>trip length 5 km. The Hole\u0161ovice meander is a unique natural phenomenon within the Prague Basin and the whole of Bohemia. We cannot find a similar generously shaped natural space along the entire long course of the Vltava River, which contrasts with the deeply constricted canyons to the south and north of Prague. The power of the original landscape image, fundamentally transformed in the 1920s and 1930s by regulating the Vltava riverbed, has persisted to this day more in higher visual horizons, but the immediate perception and physical contact with the river surface remained almost excluded in most areas and the river gradually disappeared from the mental map. By walking around Rohansk\u00fd ostrov, we will create a direct experience of this area and a closer understanding of the assumptions and possibilities of its transformation, which we will present in the following evening lecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 17:45 to 18:30 \u2014 dinner<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 19:00 to 21:30 \u2014 evening program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

About the winning competition design for the territory of Rohansk\u00fd and Libe\u0148sk\u00fd islands \u2022 arch. Michal Fi\u0161er (t\u0159iarchitekti)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The reappearance of the Vltava in the Hole\u0161ovice meander is one of the main leitmotifs of the winning competition project for the nature park for Maniny and Rohansk\u00fd and Libe\u0148sk\u00fd ostrov, which will be introduced to us by one of its main authors, arch. Michal Fi\u0161er (T\u0159i architekti). The project seeks to re-examine the quality of low-lying views into the distance by remodeling part of the terrain and recomposing the middle and upper layers of vegetation. In the resulting nature park, Rohansk\u00fd and Libe\u0148sk\u00fd ostrov will offer a very diverse mosaic of atmospheres thanks to its unique location in the river landscape and traces of history. A logically different hybrid natural space will be created, which will enrich the typological scale of traditional Karl\u00edn parks, the transformed \u0160tvanice and Trojsk\u00e1 kotlina. The park territory will create a logical operational intermediate link between the future Povltavsk\u00e1 promenade and the historical center of Prague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did cities sound like yesterday, what do we listen to today, and what will they likely sound like tomorrow? \u2022 Milo\u0161 Vojt\u011bchovsk\u00fd<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In which sound environment do people \u2013 and other living beings \u2013 feel good and in which one lives worse, or even badly? Should the appearance of our cities be shaped in such a way as to achieve a \u201cpositive\u201d sound and other environment? How should we think about the organization of urban spaces in order to avoid excessive sound pollution? Should we protect the variety and diversity not only in the appearance of cities, but also in their \u201cmusical composition\u201d, the harmonies and melodies that they sound like? I am convinced that striving for a harmonious and fair acoustic landscape of the city is just as important as taking care of functionality, cleanliness, or good appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Michal Fi\u0161e\u0159 (three architects), OMGEVING, VRV, SINDLAR, Natural Project<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

"If I am not mistaken, then leaving the Anthropocene and entering the Symbiocene will be a deeply satisfying experience for most people. When the politics of sumbiocracy unfolds and we live in all our technologies and environments according to symbiomimicry, the Earth will breathe a huge sigh of relief."<\/p>\nGlenn Albrecht<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Saturday, August 17<\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>
\n
from 8:00 to 9:00 \u2014 breakfast<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 9:00 to 11:30 \u2014 morning program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Let's be edible or what does it mean to become a gift to the world? \u2022 Andreas Weber<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The activity of our body consists in giving life to itself through the flow of matter in the world. By transforming the matter of the world into itself and passing it on to its own substance - that is, making it edible - it also gives life to other beings. The subjective experience of each organism is the perspective that the material continuum of reality has on itself in terms of its desire to give life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Seeing the Other: Imagining Solidarity in Times of Crisis \u2022 Andrea Pr\u016fchov\u00e1 Hr\u016fzov\u00e1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Images circulate through our physical, digital, collectively shared and private spaces and fundamentally participate in how we see ourselves and others. They do not only create our concrete bodily and media-enhanced social reality, but also fundamentally shape the collective memory, norms and values with which we navigate the political and cultural maps of the world. The lecture will focus on the importance of visual communication as a means of creation, reproduction, but also transformation of social prejudices, with special attention to the depiction of ethnicity and religion. It will specifically introduce various concepts of empathy and compassion through images, counter-visuality and breaking stereotypes within the framework of contemporary political issues and crises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 12:00 to 13:00 \u2014 lunch<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM \u2014 trip:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Infra-ordinary walk<\/strong> Tereza Stehlikova<\/strong> from Vy\u0161ehrad to the Vltava River (4 km walk) with a focus on connecting internal and external topography through the involvement of the whole body, various sensory perceptions and also imagination. The aim is to tune in to the changing landscape of the city, which contains various historical, urban, but also perceptual contrasts and layers. The aim is to challenge participants to a deeper emotional connection with specific places, including imaginative reflections focused on symbiotic links between diverse elements of the urban environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. visit to the exhibition "Planet Prague" <\/strong>at the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning, "which tells us about nature differently than we are used to". He will guide us through the exhibition<\/em> Pavel Borecky,<\/strong> professional worker <\/em>Camp Prague, who will introduce us to his activities.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

from 17:45 to 18:30 \u2014 dinner<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
from 19:00 to 21:30 \u2014 evening program:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Film screenings, dancing and singing<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

On Sunday, August 18th, breakfast and departure from 7:30 am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More about Freya Mathews and her program<\/strong> at the seminar on this page.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invitation to a follow-up journey<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Mil\u00ed\u010dov Forest and Ponds in the Boti\u010d-Mil\u00ed\u010dov Nature Park near Pr\u016fhonice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Biographies of seminar lecturers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n

Freya Mathews<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

is Emeritus Professor of Environmental Philosophy at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Her philosophy is rooted in panpsychism, an approach that sees the mentality of the natural world as fundamental. Her main interests include the development of ecological civilization; indigenous (Australian and Chinese) views on "sustainability" and how these perspectives can be adapted to the context of today's global society and the pursuit of a return to the wild. In addition to her research activities, she manages the private biodiversity reserve Barabungle Park on Mt Korongo in northern Victoria. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities. Among her published books: The Ecological Self<\/em> (1991), For Love of Matter: a Contemporary Panpsychism<\/em> (2003), Reinhabiting Reality: towards a Recovery of Culture <\/em>(2005) and The Dao of Civilization \/ A Letter to China<\/em> (2023). Her texts were published in Czech in the anthology Everything around me lives, feels, like me...<\/em> (Pilgrim 2019) and in the magazine Sedm\u00e1 generace (Seventh Generation).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomas Danek<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

is a cultural ecologist, environmentalist and naturalist. He studied Environmental Protection and Creation at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Prague in Olomouc and Humanities Environmental Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Prague in Brno. He received his doctorate at the same institution under the supervision of Zden\u011bk Neubauer, into whose world of thought he was allowed to make trips for half his life, and who fundamentally influenced him. He focuses on the emergence of knowledge in personal dialogue with people and the more-than-human world, which is why he devotes most of his time to students, friends and living nature. In his teaching practice, he tries to convey ideas and experiences that affirm the spontaneity and authenticity of the living world. This effort also brought him to Pilgrim. He currently works at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Prague in Olomouc and the Faculty of Humanities of Charles University in Prague, where he lectures on topics at the interface of environmentalism, natural sciences and philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Zemanek<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Art historian, cultural activist and translator; as an art historian he worked in several state galleries, most recently in the collection of modern and contemporary art of the NG Prague. Co-founder of the Pilgrim association (with Tom\u00e1\u0161 Hr\u016fza in 2009). The association was inspired by the exhibition \u201cFrom the earth over the hill to the sky \u2026 About walking, pilgrimage and sacred landscape\u201d (S\u010cG Litom\u011b\u0159ice 2005), dedicated to KHM\u00e1ch and CDFriedrich. In 2014, he founded the Itinerant University of Nature (PUP) in Pilgrim with Alena Mal\u00edkov\u00e1. He deals with the practice of pilgrimage and organizes the annual May and August PUP pilgrimages and seminars, including other educational walks (Deep Time Walk) and activities. He deals with the connections between ecology, cosmology and spirituality and the ecological transformation of contemporary culture. As a translator, he introduces the ideas of philosophers David Abram, Thomas Berry and Freya Mathews to the Czech environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam Taborsky<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

He studied psychology, sociology, political science and public policy. He works as a psychologist and psychotherapist at the Crisis Intervention Center at the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital, the Tulsia Psychosomatic Clinic and Therapy Between Trees, where he organizes training in ecopsychotherapy. He regularly contributes to the magazine Psychologie dnes. He published a book with the Port\u00e1l publishing house Therapy among the trees<\/em> about nature and mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pavel Jansta<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cultural mover, writer and wanderer from Vod\u0148any in South Bohemia. He studied Political Science and International Relations (FSV UK, Dresden, Munich). He traveled across Europe and Asia. In 2010, he founded the Vod\u0148any \u017eijou association and has been organizing Pecha Kucha Nights since 2015. He worked in municipal politics in his hometown (2010-22). Together with his wife, they organize creative meetings with poetry (haiku) and sound painting, hold exhibitions and publish author's books - mainly within the framework of the HiP Publishing House and the Pupalku association. In 2021-23, he lectured at Utsunomiya University (Japan). He has been studying and practicing classical Chinese medicine for a long time; he participated in the book To the roots of Chinese medicine<\/em> (2023). Since 2019, he has been cooperating with the PILGRIM association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vlado Lobotka<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

He studied history at Comenius University in Bratislava and philosophy with a focus on cosmology and consciousness at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He is interested in integral philosophy, transpersonal and depth psychology, paradigm shifts, and theories of history focused on the dynamics of the rise and fall of civilizations. He wrote a book The path to a unified cosmos<\/em> and founded the Gaia Institute, within which he coordinates the 1-year educational program New Story and organizes discussion meetings Between Worlds. In his free time, he translates books (e.g. Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind<\/em>; Christian Wahl, Design of regenerative cultures<\/em> etc.) and designing and implementing regenerative projects. He is currently working on his doctorate in Nitra and Vienna and also teaches courses on cultural history and the evolution of consciousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eva Frankova<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

works as an assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University in Brno. She originally studied biology in \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice (B.Sc.) and subsequently environmental humanities in Brno (Mgr. and PhD.). She is dedicated to the field of ecological economics and has long been interested in alternative economic practices - eco-social entrepreneurship and other forms of solidarity economies. She has conducted research on social metabolism (material, energy and cash flows) at the level of local food systems. She has also long been interested in the concept of sustainable non-growth and other variants of social-ecological transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin Cech<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A graduate of environmental studies and media studies and journalism at Masaryk University in Brno, where he also spent a semester at the Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona in Barcelona. He is a member of the organization NaZemi and is generally dedicated to the topic of non-growth, focusing, among other things, on public policy issues (unconditional basic income and services, job security, reduction of working hours), the issue of work (post-work and anti-work perspectives) and ways of legitimizing moral values in the economic system (concepts of justice, freedom and power).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ludek Certik<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

South Bohemian poet, essayist and musician, founding member of the audiovisual project Mess of Iguanas. He graduated in Film Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University and Environmental Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences, MU. He has published in the magazines Film a Doba, Sedm\u00e1 generace, Host, Tvar, Milk & Honey. His first work of poetry was published under the wings of Pilgrim Many rivers<\/em> (2021) and last year his second book of poems was published by Malvern Publishing House, entitled The last wild embrace<\/em> (2023). He is currently preparing a collection of essays for publication Together, Untamed: Essays from the Living World <\/em>(2024, published by Seventh Generation). He also focuses on sound ecology and bioacoustics, especially bird calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tereza Stehlikova<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

is a Czech-British artist and researcher. Her multidisciplinary artistic practice focuses on the role of sensory perception \u2013 embodiment and perception of place \u2013 in the context of audio-visual and participatory performance. She is the editor of the interdisciplinary journal Tangible Territories<\/a><\/em>, and also teaches art research at FAMU, AMU, and UMPRUM. Website: cinestheticfeasts.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

Lucie Sovov\u00e1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

She studied Environmental Studies, Aesthetics and Combined Art Studies at Masaryk University in Brno (2015). After an internship at the Dutch RUAF Foundation (Resource Centre for Urban Agriculture and Food Security), she came to appreciate the Czech tradition of self-sufficient gardening. In her dissertation, she examined how Brno's urban gardens function as food sources and alternative economic spaces. She defended her thesis entitled "Grow, share or buy? Understanding diverse economies of urban gardeners" (2020) at the Department of Environmental Studies at Masaryk University and at the Rural Sociology Group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. At the latter school, she currently works as an assistant professor: she is dedicated to education and research within the framework of economic alternatives in the field of food and agriculture, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsa Sebkova<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

designer of edible forest gardens, a student at the Farm School specializing in organic vegetable growing and, since January 2023, also a student of syntropic agriculture (Ernst Gotsch, Brazil; Ecotop Foundation, Bolivia; Juan Le\u00f3n, Colombia). The encounter with syntropic agriculture, which combines deeply thought-out cultivation techniques based on scientific knowledge with the vision of planet Earth as a living macroorganism with its own intelligence and fascinating self-regenerative mechanisms, was of fundamental importance to her. She wants to bring the knowledge of this agriculture closer to the people of our country. She is convinced that man can live in harmony with nature, that the essence of all life is to jointly care for the flourishing of other life. She says: "If we can connect with the intelligence within us, we can make the deserts green again"<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jana Koznarova<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jana's activities range from singing and dancing to ecology, education and traveling. She enjoys connecting environmental and social issues with art and is open to new projects with a desire to constantly educate herself. That is why in 2018 she joined the filming of the documentary Happy Farmers. Her work activities and projects focus on the topics of organic farming, food, connecting farmers and consumers and environmental education. She is actively involved with the organizations Association of Local Food Initiatives, Lovime.bio, Social Enterprise Envira, Pilgrim, Forest Academy of Mentaurs and Tyfloturistick\u00fd squad. She is currently studying at the Farmer's College and lives in Litom\u011b\u0159ice near the vineyard where she works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michal Fischer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Graduate of the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague and the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, School of Architecture of Prof. Emil P\u0159ikryl, authorized architect of the Czech Academy of Sciences. In 2002, he co-founded his own platform t\u0159\u00edarchitekti. He is the author of a number of projects for private clients and public clients in the field of urban planning, building construction and landscape design of various scales from strategic plans to details of urban furniture. Projects of open public and non-public spaces are frequent assignments. He works in multidisciplinary teams together with landscape architects, traffic engineers, water managers, and often collaborates with artists, historians, and gardeners. He is the co-author of the project to revitalize the Oh\u0159e riverbank in Kada\u0148 (N\u00e1b\u0159e\u017e\u00ed Maxips F\u00edk), nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award 2011. He participates in architectural competitions as a competitor or as a juror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jana Ticha<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Theoretician and critic of architecture, she deals with modern and contemporary architectural work, especially in relation to nature and landscape. She lectures on the theory of architecture and the theory of landscape architecture at the Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University. Author of many articles in professional and popular magazines, editor, translator. Among her most important books are Space and Place. Architectural Work in the Czech Republic 1989-2014, an anthology Architecture and landscape<\/em> (2017) or Euro-American architectural thought<\/em> (2018, with R. \u0160v\u00e1cha and M. Sr\u0161\u0148ov\u00e1). Co-author of the first monograph by Martin Rajni\u0161 Natural architecture<\/em> (2009), participated as an author in the exhibition Natural Architecture<\/em> at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2012 (together with M. Rajni\u0161 and I. Fialov\u00e1) and in the book The architecture factory<\/em> Martin Rajni\u0161 \/ Architecture Guild (2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milos Vojtechovsky<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

is a theorist, critic, teacher, publisher, curator and initiator of a number of cultural projects. He studied aesthetics and art history at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague in 1980 and has been working in Amsterdam since the mid-1980s, where he founded, for example, the OKO gallery. In 1991, he and Tjebbe van Tijen founded the media archaeological project and the installation Orbis Pictus Revised for the Mediamuseum exhibition at the ZKM Center for Media Arts in Karlsruhe; in 1992, he participated in the establishment of the Hermit Foundation and the Plasy Metamedia Center in the former monastery in Plasy (1992-2000). He worked as a curator, for example, at the NG Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art in Prague (1995-2000); He also worked at the MediaLABoratorium at the Center for Contemporary Art Prague (2000-2003), at the \u0160kolsk\u00e1 28 gallery and as a teacher at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology (1997-2004) and at the Center for Audiovisual Studies at the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (2004-2021). In 2007, he was instrumental in founding the Institute of Intermedia at the Czech Technical University. In 2008, he and Peter Cusack founded an online platform and community project for research into the soundscape and psychogeography of Prague. Sonicity.cz.<\/a> He is a founding member of the Central European Network for Sonic Ecology CENSE (2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andreas Weber<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

is a German biologist, philosopher, biosemiotician and writer who lives in Berlin. He studied marine biology and collaborated with the prominent theoretical biologist Francisco Varela in Paris; after 2000 he also worked at the Faculty of Science of the Charles University in Prague. Weber focuses on reevaluating our understanding of life, asks the question of what life is and what role we play in it, and develops the idea of a new culture and politics of aliveness. According to Weber, being alive and participating in aliveness is at its core an erotic process by which our self is constantly transformed and developed through contacts and relationships with others. From the author's books: Alles f\u00fchlt: Mensch, Natur and die Revolution der Lebenwissenschaften<\/em> (2007) \u2013 in Czech: He feels, therefore he is<\/em> (Malvern 2022); and Matter and Desire. An Erotic Ecology<\/em> (2017) \u2013 in Czech: Matter and Desire: Erotic Ecology<\/em> (Malvern 2023). On April 12, 2013, Andreas Weber participated (together with D. Abram et al.) in the seminar "Poetics of the Living World" at the Kampa Theatre in Prague, organized by the Pilgrim Association with thinkOya. Last year, he was the main lecturer at the Pilgrim Association seminar Anima Animalia and the Law of Nature in Horn\u00ed Mar\u0161ov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrea Pr\u016fchov\u00e1 Hr\u016fzov\u00e1<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

is a cultural sociologist specializing in visual sociology. She works as a researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and teaches at the Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Social Sciences. She founded and led the Platform for the Study of Visual Culture Fresh Eye for twelve years. She publishes at home and abroad. A collection of their essays is currently being published Captive to Images. Visual Politics of the 21st Century<\/em> (Akropolis, 2024) and collective monograph Enemies and Colonies, Patriots and Riots: Public Narratives of Decolonization and Racial (In)Justice in Central and Southeast Europe<\/em> (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025). He is dedicated to translating books in the field of Anglo-American visual theory and to artistic research projects.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Toulc\u016fv dvur, Prague-Hostiva\u0159<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Accommodation and total payment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The seminar will take place at the Toulc\u016fv dv\u016fr ecological education center in Prague Hostiva\u0159 (Kubatova 32\/1), where we will also live and eat. The maximum accommodation capacity in the hostel in the Toulc\u016fv dv\u016fr area is 37 people (mostly triple rooms); the hostel has an equipped kitchenette. The price for one night of accommodation is 310 CZK; the total price for accommodation for the entire stay: 1860 CZK. The price for one day of meals in the Toulc\u016fv dv\u016fr Healthy Dining Room: 365 CZK; for the entire seminar: 2170 CZK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Total price for accommodation and meals for one seminar participant: 4030 CZK. Seminar fee: 5000 CZK (for people with lower income: 4000 CZK). Total:<\/strong> 9030,-CZK <\/strong>(8030 CZK).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please send us your application to one of the email addresses or phone numbers listed below. The condition for participation is sending advance payment of 1,500 CZK to account number at Fio banka, as.: 2901522796\/ 2010<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contacts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n