[Swarm-Modelling] Summer school announcement - Modern systems approaches for understanding social ecological change

[guido van hofwegen]

International Summer School:

Modern systems approaches for understanding social ecological change

The case of new relations between Consumers and Producers in Crete

22 - 29 August 2006
Ierapetra, Crete

Scope

Everything in life is connected; call it a network or a system. Many ways exist to think about systems, ranging from the science of logistics, ecology, sociology, communities, communications and specific system approaches for agricultural development.

This course distinguishes many forms of system thinking, but it focuses on a combination of hard, soft and complex system approaches, referring to issues of matter and quantities, issues of mind and qualities, as well as to the dynamics of systems. This combination helps to disentangle issues of dry matter yields, resource use and resource regeneration, with those of the sociology and mindsets of rural communities, as well as issues of change and self-organisation in systems over time.

Traditional hard system approaches are important but insufficient to cope with aspects of rural change, farm yields, farm management, as well as changing mindsets in traditional communities. The use of soft and complex system thinking based on experiences in business management as well as rural communities is an important addition, since it helps people to better understand their own conditions and decisions about life style that are inherent in the pending change.

Crete offers a unique opportunity to study and apply these different forms of system thinking, apart from the beautiful scenery. Its history is the perfect setting to relate the issues of the course with old Greek thinking, and its eroded hills offer a prime challenge to see what can be done to maintain and/or revitalise local agriculture and communities.

 

It promises to be a meeting place for people and ideas from west and east, from practical field work to academic circles. The focus of the course is to give practical backgrounds on complexity and their application to field problems such as in Crete. We do hope, however, that participants bring their own problems to apply the ideas to their own conditions. We also hope that the course helps to find new ways for farming systems in transition such as in Crete.

 

Aim

-          Relate theoretical notions of (complex) system thinking to the practical reality of present-day Crete

-          Discuss issues of rural change in an interdisciplinary manner

 

Location

Technological Educational Institute of Ierapetra, Crete

Participants

The course is meant for people interested in the theory and practice of rural development in the face of large pending changes (globalisation, water and fossil fuel shortages, changing climate, biodiversity, changing politics, re-appreciation of the country side). An academic degree is not necessary, but academics may find it useful to get background to their theoretical studies. Participants are encouraged to give poster presentations on their work.

 

Course leader: Dr. Hans Schiere

 

Global program

To be announced soon on www.agsa.gr and  www.resilience-foundation.nl

 

Registration information course

address@hidden  or   Manolis Tzouvelekas: address@hidden

 

Course Fee

-          Students: € 250,=

-          Professionals and non-students: € 450,=

Note: Fee includes drinks, lunches and reading materials

Information
For more information, see www.agsa.gr or contact:

Dr. J.B.A. (Hans) Schiere  Email: address@hidden

Manolis Tzouvelekas, MPA  address@hidden

Guido van Hofwegen, Phone: ++31 6 14 95 54 67 address@hidden

Joep van den Broek address@hidden

Dirk van Apeldoorn address@hidden