Meet the Delegates

Meet Eva: Initiator, Community Organizer, Regional Coordinator

"We must dare to think 'unthinkable' thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world." - Senator William F. Fulbright

"The Fulbright Program has had a great influence on my life; being able to participate in a program which has brought forth some of the world's greatest leaders in politics, medicine, innovation, and culture was not only a blessing but also a challenge to move beyond the small goals and dreams I had for myself. Most importantly, the experience of going away rooted me more deeply in the community I call home. When meeting people from all over the world, I realized that as cosmopolitan as we all appear, we are shaped, empowered, and energized by the small communities that we are a part of in daily life. For me the most important community is that of my family and home town. And that is what brought me to sustainability and to the green movement. Growing up with farmers and wine growers, you learn to consider the earthly elements an important part of everyday life. As a consequence, climate change hits close to home, when I see my friends struggle and search for different ways to sustain the agricultural businesses that makes their living. Having lived in rural communities in the US, I saw and heard the same issues.  It made me think, perhaps connecting the small communities, who have the same issues to talk about their ideas and solutions across cultures would be a great way to bring about the changes we need to build a more sustainable living for everyone. In the end, I believe that we often share more than what divides us, when we focus on the local and grassroots in particular we might be able to find new paths, never thought of before."

Eva Rüskamp

Graduate Student

American Studies

Humboldt-University Berlin

Currently writing her final thesis “Confronting the Elephant in the Room: 21st Century American Conservatism and the GOP”, which explores the Tea Party Movement and its implications for the “conservative consensus," Ms. Rüskamp will finish her research-based master degree in American studies at Humboldt-University Berlin in fall 2015. Her research focus has been on the culture of politics, social movements, and narrative theories. For the past two years, she has also worked as a student assistant at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), a German think tank and political society. Ms. Rüskamp holds a bachelor’s degree in English and American studies as well as sociology from the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg. In 2011-12 she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship, which enabled her to pursue English and women’s studies at the University of Oregon; in 2013 she also pursued research at the University of Western Brittany in France. Being interested and active in the Trans-Atlantic partnership, Ms. Rüskamp conducted a research project on cultural diplomacy with the German Consulate General in 2014. During this project, she developed a keen interest in the interplay of conservatism, climate change issues, and sustainability as well as climate diplomacy. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in cultural studies focusing on these issues and incorporating practical work in the field of climate diplomacy. Believing in communal service, she is also politically active in the Christian Democrats Union, the Young European Federalists, and volunteers among others with the Farm Women’s Association of her hometown.


Eva is our Regional Coordinator and Head of the Delegation. She will be moderating the Panel Discussion for the International Students.

Her personal views will be signed with the "token" #ERü

Meet the Delegates

Meet Nils: Master Student, Sustainability Advocate, Nature Enthusiast

On Living sustainably:

"The more I study the history of modern civilization and the relationship between the environment, the economy, and society, the more I realize that environmental degradation, economic mismanagement and social inequality are in fact merely symptoms and expressions of a fundamentally obsolete and unsustainable way of life. The best way to change this is to firstly recognize the scope, severity and interconnectedness of these problems and to secondly create individual, communal and global solutions.

A gradual shift from a largely fossil-fuel powered world to renewables is not only a question of macroeconomics and large-scale technologies, but will also require a personal commitment to lower energy consumption and a move away from a resource devouring economy. In addition to their obvious environmental benefits, renewables create many new jobs in countries that have been adjusting their economies and policies accordingly. Aside from the economic and environmental advantages, they also promote the creation of more resilient communities, producing and managing their own energy.

Switching energy consumption to renewables is merely one – albeit vital – step towards sustainable life. Many more will have to follow."


Nils Symanczyk
Graduate Student
History of Science & Technology
Technical University Berlin


Bio:
Nils Symanczyk is a graduate student of History of Science and Technology at the Technical University of Berlin. Focusing on the industrialization and high modernity of Europe and North America, he devotes most of his research to interdisciplinary fields of study related to environmental concerns. This includes the production of modern commodities such as oil, coffee, and livestock, environmental history and environmental ethics as well as technological utopias and dystopias in the literary genre. During academic exchanges at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Washington he participated in student debates and various classes on social and environmental issues. In 2013 Nils graduated from Freiburg University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Studies and Philosophy. 

Nils's research project is focused on “Post Peak Oil: Challenges and Opportunities for a New Paradigm.”

He will be tweeting, posting and commenting under the "token" #NiSy. 

Meet the Delegates

Meet Alexander: Master Student, Green Thinker, Energizer

On Going Green:

"As climate change is increasingly threatening communities around the globe, particularly the most vulnerable and least responsible ones, we begin to see the interconnectedness of social, economic and environmental challenges. Going green means much more than simply lowering CO2 emissions. It means questioning and rethinking our everyday behaviour and habits, public infrastructures, political and economic institutions. Luckily, win-win options are available: Shifting from fossil fuel-based towards renewable energy production will create jobs, while benefiting human health and environment alike. Retooling our cities towards sustainability will not only mean less dependence on cars and more resilience to climate change but also improve human well-being. Most importantly, moving beyond the paradigm of unlimited economic growth will make capital productive again and put communities back at the center of economic activity – all while lowering our environmental impact. It's time to turn those bold ideas into reality!"  #AF

Alexander Franke

Graduate Student

Political Science

Otto-Suhr-Institute, Free University Berlin

Bio:

Enrolled in a research-based masters program in political science at the well-known Otto Suhr Institute at the Free University of Berlin, Mr. Franke’s research interests include renewable energy politics and the political dimensions of energy transitions. Prior, he studied, among other universities, at SciencesPo Paris and the University of Heidelberg, where he received a B.A. in political science and public law. Following an internship of 6 months in their Washington DC office, he started working for the Heinrich Böll Foundation, a German green political think tank, in 2013. At the foundation, he is an editor for the German Energy Transition project (http://energytransition.de): It explains the policies and politics of the German “Energiewende” to an international audience. The aim is to overcome existing misunderstandings about Germany's energy transition in the hope to foster an international exchange on energy and sustainability transitions. Apart from his academic focus on renewables, he is particularly interested in urban sustainability and ideas of post-growth. 

Alexander's contribution to the Summit will be on “Framing of solar energy by advocates in Germany and the United States – the importance of culture and narratives”

Alexander will be posting, commenting, tweeting under the "token" AF / #AF

Meet the Delegates

Meet Natasha: Master Student, Debater, World-Changer

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” - Alice Walker

“A lot of times people are convinced changing their own behavior or actions cannot cause change. In believing that their individual action will not contribute to change they feel dis-empowered and neglect the fact that collective action can cause change and empower people. I am convinced this also applies to the way in which the impact of climate change is handled. Climate change is no longer the problem of future generations. It already impacts the well-being of our generation and is partially caused by our individual actions and thus, requires a change of our behavior. In times when climate change poses one of the biggest contemporary global challenges, as its’ impact undermines livelihoods, contributes to poverty, hinders economic growths and threatens human rights such as the right to water, food and health, collective action becomes even more important. Nonetheless, collective action requires the involvement and taking responsibility of all parts of society, including governmental agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the individual." #NC

Natasha Cherifi

Graduate Student
International Studies / Peace and Conflict Studies
Technical University Darmstadt /
Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt

Bio:

Enrolled in the research-based master’s program “International Studies/Peace and Conflict studies”, offered jointly by the Goethe University Frankfurt and the TU Darmstadt, in cooperation with the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), the focus of Ms Cherifi’s studies is on climate change and peace/conflict. She intends to complete her research work with a M.A thesis in the fall of 2015. Furthermore, Ms Cherifi is currently working as a student assistant at AbbVie, a global innovative biopharmaceutical company, at the department of Governmental Affairs and Strategic Health Initiatives. During her B.A in political science at the University of Marburg, she studied at Juniata College, PA, USA. In 2011 Ms Cherifi participated at the NMUN Conference in New York, and later trained following delegations as well as headed the debating club of the UN society Marburg. Before attending college, she carried out a European voluntary service at a HIV and sexual health charity in Oxford, UK. In addition to that she volunteered as the British Red Cross Oxfordshire Refugee Service Coordinator. There she worked closely with refugees and asylum seekers. This experience has led Ms Cherifi to be personally invested in questions of climate change and its impact on the displacement of people and future migration flows.

Natasha’s contribution to the summit will be focused on:“Environmental migration and conflict”

Natasha will be posting, tweeting and commenting under the "token" NC / #NC

Meet the Delegates

Introducing the Young Minds 

behind Green Made in DE

In the following blog posts we would like to introduce you all to the young minds that make up our delegation to the 1st International Environmental Youth Summit in Atlanta. The young experts pursue different research in various departments at several high-ranking German universities. Together they form an interdisciplinary brain pool from which we hope will spring some highly interesting and forward-looking projects. We want to take the time to introduce everyone of them individually, as the inspiring young people that they are, but also to give you an idea about the fascinating approaches they all have to the issues of climate change, environmental stewardship and sustainability. 

Each delegate will also choose a "token" under which they will write their own blog posts, tweets and short comments. If you want to respond to them or get in touch, please always use their token (on twitter it will be their #) and they'll get back to you directly. 

Before we start with our first delegate, Ms Cherifi, we wanted to provide you with an overview and preview of the delegates:

©LeaLösch