The oikos Winter School 2018. An Anatomy.
by Felix Bouché
The oikos Winter School 2018 was not a commonplace conference but something beyond. Like a body with its many members, the members, the additional parts, create diversity. What where »members« of the oikos Winter School 2018?
Firstly participants, speakers and team members always dined together at Christopherus Hof. It’s a beautiful old and special farmyard close to Witten/Herdecke University. There, people with disabilities live and work together in cooperation with their carers. Those people enriched the conference from a social perspective.
Organizing a sustainable conference is unfortunately unusual and costs more money. With respect to sustainability, served nourishments and liquids were exclusively organic. In addition to that we reduced environmental pollution caused by mobility by using a VW Golf Hybrid for transports and transfers and compensated participants’ and speakers’ flights. We therefore do want to thank our donors and supporters in any ways who enabled us to accomplish this important sustainability goal.
Regarding the conference’s program, we transferred knowledge in a very broad sense: Speakers engaged participants by role plays and simulations; participants fostered international exchange by giving home-country related presentations on the conference’s topic; reflection groups every evening created time and space to think, rest and intensified human relations; Linus Eppinger one evening came to play long forgotten pieces of jazz on his guitar,
and during the “Open Space” five participants spontaneously visited the Füllbar Witten, a zero waste shop, supporting Witten’s local economy and getting inspired by a different way of grocery shopping. A Japanese participant had not known of zero waste shops’ existence and is keen on bringing the concept to her home country.
To extend the contentual information range, the panel debate and Mr. Hohmann’s keynote were opened to the public at no charge. Additionally, you can read several journalistic articles on highlights of the oikos Winter School 2018 on medium.
Last but not least the personal atmosphere during the Winter School can be best described by the following quotation: “I have never ever experienced such familial and intense personal contact on similar events.” The picture below shows a wooden board where participants, speakers and team members were asked to connect each other based on daily questions.
In conclusion the oikos Winter School 2018 diversified mainly by human »members« who enriched the basic »body« more than we ever could have asked for.
Felix Bouché is currently studying Philosophy, Cultural Reflection and Cultural Practice (B.A.) at the University of Witten/Herdecke. He was part of the organising team, and currently makes first journalistic steps.