Basel, 1 March 2013 “Nature and Culture – the future that we want”, was this year’s theme of the NATUR Kongress in Basel. One of the conclusions was that three spheres of sustainability – economic, environmental and social – should be based and promoted in culture e.g. by art, music, poetry as well as media. Through these channels the message can be widely supported and delivered to every member of society.

On the picture: Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse co – founder and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner

Almost 600 participants listened to speakers such as UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, who is expected to be one of the speakers of the next World Resources Forum,  Minister of Culture Alain Berset, Professor Peter Sloterdijk, well-known contemporary philosopher, Maya Graf, President of the National Council of Switzerland, and many more.

Apart from interactive workshops with group work and brainstorming, significant roles in the event were for people promoting sustainability in media, such as Bertrand Piccard, as well as famous artists, like Endo Anaconda and Carolyn Christov – Bakargiev.

Participants were also able to visit NATUR Messe, a fair, where diverse vendors were showing their sustainably produced or fair trade goods. The visitors could get familiar with diverse facts about organic products, farmers and receive guidelines how to have a sustainable lifestyle.

After the congress, at NATUR Gala, the Prix NATURE Swisscanto was taking place. It is an award for promising initiatives or for outstanding innovations that have great potential to promote sustainable development. The main prize in the category “Future generation” went to “WeACT” – an enterprise organizing group challenges related to sustainable lifestyle choices for organizations, companies, universities or municipalities. WeACT had earlier presented its work in the WRF workshop on ICT tools for sustainable lifestyles workshop, held in Zurich last February.

WeAct – winners of The Prix NATURE Swisscanto in the category “Future generation”

Report by Marcela Mogilska