Voices from the IHDP Open Meeting 2009

What is the biggest social challenge of global change? Do you see the role of human dimensions research in answering it? Are there social challenges of global change that were not addressed by the Open meeting's scientific agenda? The “White Sofa” was an initiative that responds to IHDP’s genuine interest in participants’ thoughts and ideas. The Open Meeting interviewers were eager to record any Open Meeting related thoughts, motivations, inspirations and opinions. Did the last session inspire you to new thoughts - or left an important question unanswered? Did a long planned meeting - or a chance encounter - give you fresh impulses and made you think of future research or new collaborations? Did you see young colleagues struggle with issues you mastered before? What were your motivations for coming to the IHDP Open Meeting 2009 and what were your expectations? In which ways did the event meet, surpass or fall short of those expectations and what are your recommendations for the future? What aspects of the IHDP Open Meeting 2009 will you take home with you and has the event influenced you or your thoughts on global change issues in any way? Whether you wanted to comment on the science or the Open Meeting as such, the White Sofa was the place to address all of these themes and more.

Watch Interviews

	Wolfgang Lutz spoke about his past as a demographer, and the importance of population in research about climate change. View a video of Wolfgang Lutz's Interview
	Ernst von Weizsaecker spoke about the societal impacts of climate change, the link between social and natural sciences in the field of climate change, and the role of energy in the future. View a video of Ernst von Weizsaecker's Interview
	Kathleen Dietrich spoke about her research on water management strategies, and giving space for the voices of the most vulnerable. She also addressed the importance of inter-generation interaction at the Open Meeting and in the Human Dimensions community. View a video of Kathleen Dietrich's Interview
	Humphrey Ngala Ndi spoke about his expectations for the IHDP Open Meeting 2009, and the role of environmental change in developing countries. View a video of Humphrey Ngala Ndi's Interview

Nicholas Ozor is interviewed at the White Couch. The Open Meeting's platform for hearing and recording participants' views and opinions on the Open Meeting as well as the Social Dimensions of Global Change. Photo Copyright Mike Le Gray 2009.

John Ingram

Executive Officer of the ESSP joint project on Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS). Photo Copyright Mike Le Gray 2009.

Lori Hunter

Associate Professor, Sociology and Environmental Studies Faculty Research Associate, Institute of Behavioral Science, Programs on Population, Environment & Society, USA
Society, USA.

Mr Nicholas Ozor

Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Nigeria. Nsukka, Nigeria. Photo Copyright Mike Le Gray 2009.

Prof Michele Betsill

Scientific Committee Member or the IHDP Earth System Governance Project, IHDP's newest core research project. Photo Copyright Mike Le Gray 2009.

Prof Frank Biermann

Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee for IHDP's Earth System Governance Project, IHDP's newest core research project. Photo Copyright Mike Le Gray 2009.

Huang Gengzhi

Photo Copyright Mike Le Gray 2009.

Romy Das

Photo Copyright Mike Le Gray 2009.

START Scholar

Photo Copyright Mike Le Gray 2009.

START Scholar

Photo Copyright Mike Le Gray 2009.

All conference photographs are copyright Mike Le Gray 2009. For information on licensing please contact him directly at mikelegray@mac.com or +49 1757 283 084. For examples of Mike Le Gray's work visit www.flickr.com/photos/black-dog or www.digitalperspective.biz