Kristina Cunningham
She works as a senior expert on multilingualism in the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture at the European Commission in Brussels. Her main focus is the implementation of the EU Council Recommendation on a comprehensive approach to language teaching and learning.
Education, multilingualism and youth work are areas that can be supported by EU programmes. In the school sector, the European Commission promotes "communities" for teachers through the School Education Gateway and eTwinning. Climate protection and environmental issues, as well as "Distance / Blended Learning" are currently very important topics in these areas.
What is your motivation to join #oekoropa?
It is a great pleasure for me to be a member of the jury for the #oekoropa competition. For several years now, young people all over Europe have been thinking about climate and environmental issues. The movement, which has gained a lot of strength thanks to Greta Thunberg, has taken on a whole new meaning since March 2020. Today, there is no longer a person in the economically strong regions of the world who does not think about how private and business trips can be planned and carried out more sustainably.
At the end of 2019, the European Commission had already taken the decision to make climate change and environmental challenges the eTwinning theme of the year 2020. This has led to an impressive number of interesting projects in school classes, which have enabled intensive cross-border cooperation for children and young people during the period of school closures. I am very curious to see what interesting ideas will be developed and elaborated through this Goethe-Institut initiative.
I wish all participants* a lot of fun and good luck!
Myriam Rapior
Myriam Rapior has been active for the Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) since 2013. First she was involved in working groups and in the state board of BUNDjugend Berlin, since 2019 she is a member of the federal board of BUNDjugend. During her studies she was a volunteer with Model United Nations Mannheim and the German War Graves Commission. She studied business administration and management in Mannheim, Durham and Berlin.
What is your motivation to join #oekoropa?
Climate and environmental protection are matters close to my heart. I am curious about the ideas of young people about sustainable travel, which could show much more than just alternatives to air travel. How do you eat during city tours without producing much packaging waste? Which economic structures can be supported in terms of sustainability? How do you get other people, young and old, excited about sustainable travel? I look forward to the answers of the participants!
Sophia Bachmann
After her voluntary service in Peru in the field of organic farming and reforestation, Ms Bachmann began her studies of social and economic sciences in Erfurt. Here she focused on international politics, empirical social research and sustainability. Outside of university, she was involved in the German Scout Association St. George for a long time and has also been active as a volunteer with the NaturfreundeJugend since her studies. Since 12/2019 she has officially held the office of UN Youth Delegate for Sustainable Development. As youth delegate she represents the interests and wishes of young people from Germany at UN sustainability conferences.
What is your motivation to join #oekoropa?
As Youth Delegates for Sustainable Development, we are committed to accelerating the implementation of sustainability goals, not only at the United Nations. We also try to raise awareness among young people for a more sustainable lifestyle. As travel is part of our lifestyle today, I am joining #oekoropa to learn about many exciting ideas for sustainable and gentle travel, to inspire and to be inspired myself.
I am looking forward to the project proposals!
Prof. Dr. Gerhard de Haan
Gerhard de Haan lectures and researches at the Freie Universität Berlin. Until his retirement in March 2020, he held a professorship for future studies and educational research. De Hann studied education, sociology and psychology at the Freie Universität Berlin (FU). In 1991 he was appointed professor of general educational science and environmental education at the Free University of Berlin. In 2000 he founded the Institut Futur. From 2010 he held the professorship for future studies and educational research and established the “futures research” master’s course at the FU. His main research interests are education for sustainable development and futures research in the social sciences.
Since 2012 Chief Editor of the European Journal of Futures Research (Springer Open). Website: www.institutfutur.de
