Paul and Kate Maple's film 'Connected' sets the scene for the event
Speakers on economics, environment, media and change psychology present their vision to build a better future at ‘Embrace the Change’, an event online and at Southampton Solent University on Thursday (March 27).

‘Embrace the Change’ will be broadcast live between 7pm and 9pm to a studio and online audience who will be invited to debate the global and local challenges of shaping a better future. Organisers say it will focus on developing smart solutions that will impact future generations and empower communities to play their part.

Keynote speakers and specialists will present short talks in the Solent University studio on four key topics: economy, media, environment and personal change, with guests Skyped in from other countries including the US, New Zealand and Germany.

Researcher, lecturer and public speaker Kate Raworth leads the Economy session and will share her vision to create an economic toolkit fit for 21st century challenges. Her passion “is the rewriting of economics to address current social and ecological issues in a realistic way”.

For Environment, the main presenter is Alice Hooker-Stroud, Communications Officer for Zero Carbon Britain, a report that outlines how we can meet the UK’s energy needs using renewable sources by 2030.

Seán Dagan Wood chairs a Media session. He’s the editor of Positive News, “the world’s first newspaper dedicated to reporting positive developments and potential solutions to the problems facing society”.

And the Personal Change session is led by Tim ‘Mac’ Macartney, founder of the

Embercombe social enterprise that seeks to “inspire committed action towards a truly sustainable world”. Author and speaker Charles Eisenstein will also contribute via Skype.

The webcast will be preceded in the afternoon by a free event in the university conference centre: ‘Embrace the Change: Local Stories’ showcases some of the breakthrough projects that are already making a difference in Southampton and the rest of Hampshire.

Both events are free: watch online, and more details from www.globaldocumentary.org