The Role of Civil Society, Companies, Governments, and the Academy in the Promotion of Sustainable Development

Current development models are incapable of meeting the challenges posed by climate change, extinction of natural resources, and amplification of social and economic inequalities. We need to rethink values, priorities, market rules, the role of civil society, education, the political system, as well as local, national, regional and global governance.
In order for these changes to take place, public and private agents need to re-examine their role, mission, and forms of relationships to assume the role of protagonists, capable of promoting necessary transformation toward a sustainable world. This lecture will outline some such processes currently underway in Brazil.
In January 2007, Oded Grajew founded Our São Paulo Network with the aim of building a political, social, and economic force to engage society and governments with an agenda to offer a better quality of life to all the city’s citizens. At present, Our São Paulo Network counts on the participation of 697 civil society organizations and companies. Grajew is President of the Ethos Institute and a former special assistant to the President of Brazil. 

Harvard University Graduate School of Design
David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies

Additional Speakers:

Oded Grajew

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