Sustainability Talk: The Individual in a New Nordic Future

Resilience, adult learning and the futures we create together

The future does not arrive fully formed. It grows from what people learn to see, what communities learn to carry, and what societies make possible.

What, then, does a sustainable Nordic future ask of the individual? And what must our institutions, cultures and communities offer in return?

The first gathering in the Sustainability Talks series begins with the individual, but it does not end there. Resilience is not simply the capacity to endure. It is the capacity to remain oriented amid uncertainty, to learn from what came before without becoming trapped within it, and to act with others before every answer is known.

Bringing together people working across adult learning, sustainability, culture, welfare, civic life and societal development, the day will weave expert insight and practical experience together with dialogue and shared reflection. 

We will ask what adults need in order to develop judgement, courage and the capacity to act in a time of ecological, social and existential transition, and what conditions our societies must create for those capacities to take root.

The future will not be built by one field, one generation or one way of knowing. It will be shaped by what we are willing to learn, reconsider and create together.

Keynotes

Theresia Forsberg, Social Worker at Save the Children Sweden
Theresia Forsberg will lead a session on Trauma-Informed Care (TIC), focusing on how teachers and other educational professionals can support, motivate and engage children and adult learners who struggle with wellbeing and lack confidence in the future.

Pigga Keskitalo, Professor, Lapplands universitet
Pigga Keskitalo will inspire participants to reflect on the intersection of individual agency and sustainability through the perspectives of pedagogy. 

Target group for the event

Professionals, developers and changemakers working at the intersection of learning, sustainability, culture, welfare, and social development in the Nordic region.

Key takeaways

The Sustainability Talks will strengthen participants’ capacity to contribute to sustainable transformation through adult learning, dialogue, and cross-sector collaboration. Participants will gain new perspectives on resilience, sustainability, and societal change, while exploring practical examples and approaches that can be applied in their own organisations and communities. 

This event is part of the series Sustainability Talks. The series will foster Nordic networking and knowledge exchange across sectors, supporting lifelong learning, democratic participation, social cohesion, and sustainable lifestyles. 

The Sustainability Talks align with the Nordic Network for Lifelong Learning (NLL) sustainability work and aim at supporting participants to navigate complexity, support inclusive transitions, and act as change agents in the green and social transformation of the Nordic region.

Nordic policy context

Sustainability Talks is closely aligned with the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Vision 2030. The event also reflects the Nordic commitment to Agenda 2030, sustainable development, and the role of adult learning as a key driver of sustainable and resilient societies. The talks provide a platform for translating shared Nordic values and policy aspirations into learning, reflection, and collective action at individual, community, and societal levels.

Desirable effects across the series

NLL will document and share the material from all three talks. The documentation should help the participants:

• to identify concrete ideas, methods, or examples that can be applied in their own work;
• to feel more motivated and empowered to contribute to sustainable change.

The talks should create new collaborations between adult education providers, civil society, researchers, cultural actors, and public institutions and greater awareness of adult learning as a key driver of sustainable transformation.

Practical information

Please read the practical information document for details on the venue, travel arrangements, accommodation, and other useful information for participants.

Download practical information (pdf)

Contact

Henrika Nordin
Bildningsalliansen
henrika.nordin@bildningsalliansen.fi
+358 44 353 1813