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The Museum for the United Nations, supported by the IKEA Foundation, and powered by Shared Studios creating the world's largest and most inclusive conversation on climate change through 20+ portals around the globe.
Unveiled at New York Climate Week, the “Global We” program features immersive, technologically ground-breaking conversation portals. The portals connect participants from all walks of life in conversations with one another to share experiences and explore solutions to the most complex challenges around climate change.
Portals enable people from around the world to connect through face-to-face conversations across locations as diverse as Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, Nakivale in Uganda, and Erbil in Iraq. It gives people whose voices are often unheard an opportunity to speak to one another and connect with climate leaders, formal decision makers, and politicians in an intimate and inclusive setting.
The “Global We” initiative is galvanizing “the many voices” – including those most affected by climate change as well as those rarely engaged.
A group of partner institutions from the target 25 countries, together with climate activists and leaders, inspire people to get involved and use the portals.
Many of the conversations that takes place around the world are being recorded and analyzed in partnership with the MIT Media Lab and the MIT Center for Constructive Communication. Using machine learning and natural language processing, tens of thousands of hours of global conversation are continuously analyzed to better understand global concerns and the shifting nature of the conversations on climate over time.
“Global We” is rooted in the notion that the most important thing we can do to tackle the climate crisis – or any issue – _is to connect people and create mutual understanding which is the basis for collective action and solidarity. _It aims to nurture global conversations across divides, build empathy and renew a sense of belonging so we can come together with energized solidarity in building a better future for people and the planet.
Per Heggenes, CEO, IKEA Foundation said:
“When it comes to climate change, most people aren’t involved in the conversations and decisions that impact their lives – especially people from communities directly affected - while decision makers rarely have the chance to hear their stories and experiences. Through the 'Global We' portals, we... bring the ideas and experiences of the many people into the crucial leadership conversations at Climate Week, COP27 and beyond. This network of global conversation hubs will grow over time, allowing greater and greater numbers of people to connect and engage in action.
Our hope is that the 'Global We' will help millions of citizens all over the world feel connected, empowered, confident and on track to building a more equitable, fair and just future.”
Molly Fannon from UN Live said:
“The world is facing multiple, complex crises which will increasingly pose a threat to our daily lives. Every single voice - from a child in Mali to a grandmother in Mexico City – is equally important in the face of these global issues. Yet world-changing conversations are kept behind closed doors, limited to a select group of leaders despite the potential for global citizens to help unlock solutions and create meaningful action.
At the same time, despite the explosion of opportunities to connect online over the past decade, the gaps between people are increasing more quickly than ever, and empathy is at an all-time low.
Unlike an ordinary museum with one fixed address, 'Global We' will travel directly to the communities whose voices are critical in a bid to recognize the power already inherent in people around the world, and to help us all learn to talk constructively about the issues that matter. In doing so, we will hope to build a more connected, empowered society that looks out for others, holds its leaders to account in the service of our collective future, and works together to build solutions.”
