Svetlana Chernikova Memorial Lecture: Systems Thinking and Sustainability

This recording begins with a slideshow of the late Dr. Svetlana Chernikova, professor and environmental leader from St. Petersburg, Russia. An introduction follows by Dr. Robin Marsh of UC Berkeley presenting highlights of Svetlana’s life and career. Next, Angelina Davydova, who is an environmental journalist and professor at St. Petersburg State University, and the first Svetlana Chernikova Fellow to attend the Environmental Leadership Program at UC Berkeley, speaks about the new and growing community-based, environmental and political activism in Russia. Dr. Fritjof Capra, Founder of the Center for Ecoliteracy, presents the keynote lecture on Systems Thinking and Sustainability. The lecture presents an evolution of systems thinking in Europe over time, with a focus on the less well-known but crucial contributions of Russian scientists. Dr. Capra then links systems thinking with the concepts of economic and social sustainability. He ends with an examination of the main components for achieving sustainability on our planet. Among these are collaborative leadership and inter-sectoral social networking for which Dr. Svetlana Chernikova was widely known. Dr. Capra challenges us all to carry out Svetlana’s legacy through our individual and collective contributions to sustainability.