In April 2022, a three-day Future Search conference was held in Deurne, the Netherlands. In an old monastery, a fantastic step was taken in the co-creation of a national agenda for a nature-inclusive society.
Perspectivity’s Han Rakels and Monique Janmaat were asked to facilitate this special co-creation process. Over sixty participants from eight social domains – agriculture, water, construction/urban/spatial planning, infrastructure, leisure economy, education and cross-domain – came together to formulate widely supported ambitions for a nature-inclusive society. The process was organized on behalf of and in close collaboration with the Consultative Body for the Physical Environment (Overlegorgaan Fysieke Leefomgeving, OFL). The agenda created gave a huge boost to the movement.
Movement has started
The agenda quickly found its way to the Council of Ministers and the House of Representatives. In June, it was presented at the Nature Summit 2022 during the Floriade in Almere. It is certainly essential to get a movement going now, as OFL chairman Johan van de Gronden articulated in his blog on the eve of the presentation at the Nature Summit:
“Although the Agenda was commissioned by the national and provincial governments and drawn up together with the land management organisations, it was created by civil society itself, each from its own domain. It is not a document, it is a movement with a first stop in Almere in June. May many more follow, each time more ambitious, diverse and inspiring, until people and nature can once again flourish equally in our richly varied country.”
More information?
- Read more about the Future Search methodology.
- Read the report of the Future Search conference (in Dutch).
- Read the blog by OFL chairman Johan van de Gronden (in Dutch).
- Contact Han Rakels or Monique Janmaat.