Summer 2012: Being about Action: Sustainable Food Systems, A Summer Institute in Dialogue

10 credits (DIAL 390W, 391W)

This Summer Institute in Dialogue will explore the concepts of leadership, action and sustainable development within an urban context. Students will engage in a collaborative project with a local partner organization to create a more sustainable region, with the theme of "sustainable food systems" as a starting point. What is food? What is hunger? What is nourishment? How do we create more sustainable food systems? What is the role of urban agriculture? How is food connected to unsustainable consumption patterns?

The class will survey a range of local projects, working towards creating sustainable food systems as well as attending local events connected to sustainability and food. Projects will focus on crafting proposals for action with community groups, reflective writing, and collaborative group work. This is an intensive and experiential course running five days per week 9:30-3:30.

Instructors: Janet Moore, Yona Sipos, Herb Barbolet and special guest expert Hannah Wittman.

FACULTY

Janet Moore is an Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University's Centre for Dialogue. She has imagined, designed and facilitated courses that focus on community engagement, resilience, lifestyle activism, food systems, group process and urban sustainability at UBC, SFU and the Great Northern Way Campus (a collaboration of UBC, SFU, BCIT and Emily Carr). Janet is currently the University Teaching Fellow for the SFU Faculty of Environment and a research associate with the SFU Centre for Sustainable Community Development. She keeps busy raising two kids and dreaming of life as a social entrepreneur/urban farmer.