Seminar: "Strategies for Social-Ecological Transformation"

Held every year in Athens, the Roots Winter School (RWS) is a three-day program designed to inspire participants, expand their perspectives, and drive meaningful action. The aim is to challenge attendees to think differently, enhance their skills, and imagine new possibilities for global well-being and environmental health.

RWS combines both formal education methods, like lectures and seminars, with informal learning experiences to maximize educational impact. This year’s theme is “Strategies for Socio-Ecological Transformations in Times of Uncertainty,” focusing on how to achieve socio-spatial justice amidst global challenges.

The program uses a systems thinking approach to examine how different factors are interconnected and how they influence our environments. It encourages discussions on urban political ecology, power dynamics, and socio-environmental inequalities to better understand and address these complex issues.

Participants will explore:

• How global and local systems interact and impact each other.
• The role of economic growth in planetary urbanization and its effects on socio-political and ecological systems.
• Alternative approaches to sustainability, including degrowth, circular economy, and green technologies.
• The importance of intersectional and decolonial perspectives in shaping equitable and sustainable futures.