Catalysing Nature-Centrism (Nature-Centric Catalyst Project)

 Join us for our 13th learning session on Tuesday, May 19 at 6 pm CET | 5 pm GMT | 12 pm EDT | 9 am PDT | 9:30 pm IST. Register via EventBrite

What if transforming how we govern nature isn't primarily a technical challenge — but a cultural one, rooted in how deeply we care for and connect with the living world?

 The Nature-Centric Catalyst project, based at the University of Reading (UK) and funded by the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation, aims to radically transform the way we govern to urgently reverse nature decline. It seeks to root governance approaches in attitudes of deep care and reverence for nature, and gathers and critically appraises evidence for which developmental pathways are effective — both in nature-centric governance design and in boosting the forms of nature connectedness that underpin it.

 In this session, Matt Pritchard and Marzia Briel will discuss the catalyst's research, workshops and 'coffee house' events. They will share findings spanning immersive technologies for nature connectedness, nature-centric responses to the UK housing crisis, and a framework for more effective governance — challenging the anthropocentric paradigm with evidence-based alternatives.

Matt Pritchard combines academic work on nature with consulting on a wide range of subjects using futures and foresight techniques. He is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Reading (UK) undertaking a project on how future organisations might move beyond anthropocentric cognition to harness the collective intelligence of life.

Marzia Briel is a Qualified Lawyer and Lecturer at the University of Reading, bringing over 15 years of global regulatory and governance experience to her academic work. Her academic interests centre on exploitative governance systems, expanding risk and governance perspectives to include diverse systems, such as Nature and Future Generations. She creates nature-related art and designs integrated workshops that catalyse cultural shifts by curating experiences that embody the transformative power of nature connection.

Join us for this illuminating session, and bring your questions and reflections on what it truly means to govern with care for the web of life!