Rückblick: Pluriversum - Stimmen aus aller Welt

On Thursday, April 25, 2024, the Kassel Institute for Sustainability (KIS) in cooperation with Klimagerechtigkeit Kassel (KligK), BUND Kassel and several departments of the University of Kassel organized the event entitled "Pluriversum - Voices from around the world". The aim of the event was to initiate a discourse for a just future by linking topics such as global justice and sustainability through music, culture and content-related input. The program attracted over 100 spectators to Uni:lokal in Wilhelmsstraße.

Musical, cultural and political impulses

The program included a performance by Grupo Sal, a celebrated Latin American music ensemble that brought the lively rhythms and melodies of Latin America to Kassel with its music. The musical journey was accompanied by multimedia projections by artist Johannes Keitel, which added depth to the event. At the heart of the evening, however, were the thought-provoking dialogs by international guests. These included Alberto Acosta, former minister and president of Ecuador's Constituent Assembly. In addition, Nina Pacari, an indigenous politician and judge at the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court, participated in the event from afar and provided valuable insights into indigenous perspectives on global issues. Nina Pacari's remarks were moderated and translated by former diplomat and journalist Sandra Weiss. Her presentation on plurinationalism in Ecuador highlighted the complexity of indigenous rights and the ongoing struggle for their recognition and preservation. Despite her physical absence, her participation sparked engaged discussion and questions from the audience and underscored the importance of indigenous voices in shaping our collective future.

Panel discussion and moderation

The event culminated in a panel discussion between Nina Pacari, Sandra Weiss and Alberto Acosta, who addressed global issues and actionable steps for a more just and sustainable world. Based on the book of the same name "Pluriversum: A Lexicon of the Good Life for All", the event showed ways of global socio-ecological transformation. The "plural" aspect of this is the multitude of transformative alternatives. Instead of a single transformation "from above", the focus is on many small social movements "from below" that interact with each other. Together they form the pluriverse. "Pluriversum - Voices from around the world" encouraged participants to rethink their role as agents of change. The event built a bridge between art, culture, science and politics and demonstrated the power of collaboration and dialog.

Organizers and venue

The event was made possible by the collaboration between the Kassel Institute for Sustainability (KIS), Klimagerechtigkeit Kassel (KligK), the Global Partnership Network (GPN), BUND Kassel and the departments "Development Policy and Postcolonial Studies", "Just Transition" and "Human Environment Interaction". In addition, the event was kindly supported by Engagement Global with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and by GPN with funds from the DAAD program "Higher Education Excellence in Development Cooperation (exceed)" funded by the BMZ. The UNI:Lokal Wilhelmsstraße provided the perfect setting at Wilhelmsstraße 21 in the heart of Kassel.