UNESCO Lecture Series: Earth Materials for a Sustainable and Thriving Society
In response to the major disruption in programme activities caused by Covid-19, iCRAG in collaboration with the International Geosciences Programme (IGCP) the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) developed an online Lecture Series designed to raise awareness about the role of Earth materials in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The highly successful Lecture Series opened new avenues of engagement for the global geoscience community and offers a model for reaching very dispersed audiences.
The Lecture Series provided geoscience and social science perspectives on Earth materials and their role in society and achieving the SDGs. The 11 speakers included six women and five men from nine countries and four continents.
- Earth Materials: The Foundation for Development, by Dr. Larry Meinert (USA) and Dr. Nellie Mutemeri (South Africa)
- Climate Neutrality, the Circular Economy, and Earth Materials, by Dr. John Thompson (Canada) and Prof. Frances Wall (U.K.)
- The Neglected Minerals and Materials of Development, by Prof. Daniel Franks (Australia)
- Mineral Extraction and Communities, by Dr. Rajiv Maher (Mexico) and Dr. Melba Kapesa Wasunna (Kenya)
- Suppliers, Consumers, and the Global Minerals Supply Chain, by Dr. Kathryn Moore (U.K.) and Dr. Judy Muthuri (U.K. and Kenya)
- Earth Materials and a Sustainable Future, by Prof. Murray Hitzman (Ireland) and Ms. Halleluya Naantu Ekandjo (Ireland and Namibia)
The lectures and the Q&A sessions were recorded and are available for free access on YouTube. Links to each video are provided at the Lecture Series website, https://bit.ly/UNESCOLectures.
The lectures were produced and broadcast live between 26 January and 9 March 2021 with more than 4,300 people from 145 countries registered for the Series and 1,696 Certificates of Attendance have been issued to participants from 89 different countries. The online videos have attracted an additional 5,500 views to date.