Nagpur News: VIA HRD Forum organized a talk on “Converting Challenges into Opportunities on 05th November 2012 at VIA Hall at 6:00 pm. The talk/presentation was given by Ms. Dorothea Jacqueline [Dorein] De Tombe a Dutch Methodologist and researcher at the University of Utrechet, Netherland.
The speaker Ms. De Tombe said sustainable development is a complex societal problem belonging to the field of societal complexity and should be handeled based on the scientific ideas of the field. Sustainable development somtimes only referes to agricultural production and sometimes inludes industrial production. More and more the world is influenced by thge capitalist economic system. Capitalism stimulates and approves of an unequal bebefit of work and profit, which results in extreme differences in power, wealth and work. She said in order to have a more sustainable society, capitalism should be socially based and huge money speculators and transnational firms should be democratically controlled by international organisations. Sustainable development includes labour conditions for workers and means earning enough monry to maintain a family through healthy working conditions, both physical and mental.
The speaker futher said that the contemprary and possible future situations have to be analysed, ans it should be determined whether there is enough support to develop a more sustainable society. The possiblities can be brought out htough cvarefully organised multi disciplinary workshops. Here we examine, the nature od sustainable development, what is needed to reach sustainable development (knowledge), what is wanted for sustainable development (the goals), how to reach sustainable development (the power), ans how to implement a plan to reach sustainable development. For analysing the situation in the world or in a society we need indicators to measure the situation. Evalutating a society by its GNP is too limited. The GNP is only based on econmic development and excludes the negative aspects os that development like healthcare threats and pollution. A better way to evaluate a society is to use the concept of qualitu of life. The quality of life can be operationalized, quantified and measured as capitals, such as cultural, social, economic capital.
The complex process of organizing societies towards a sustainable world can be guided by using the compram methodology. The Compram methodology is developed to analyse, define, guide and evaluate complex societal problems. The Compram methodology stats with defining the problem based on cause–effect models (system dyanmic models) built by experts of different disciplines related to the problem (knowledge), and then the same problem can be defined by the actors involved in theproblem (power). Based on the comparisons of these models of the problem the actors and experts discuss possiblities for interventions. By using the guidelines of the Compram methodology one can find causes of the complex problem and give directions for change. The basic elements of Compram methodology is complex societal problems have a knowledge , power and emotion. Princilples of Compram methodology is to handle complex societal problems.
The programme was largely attended by students, businessman, Industrialists and members of VIA.
Earlier floral welcome to Ms. Dorothea Jacqueline [Dorein] De Tombe was given by Akash Agrawal, Hon. Secretary, Introduction of the speaker was done by Girish Deodhar, Chairman- VIA HRD Forum, Welcome address & Opening remarks was given by Smitha Dabholkar, Convener – HRD Forum, Memento was given Ashit Sinha, Advisor – HRD Forum. Summing up & vote of thanks was given Ms. Shobha Dhanwatey, Director, WTA and the programme was conducted by Smitha Dabholkar.
