1st Edition

Integral Green Slovenia Towards a Social Knowledge and Value Based Society and Economy at the Heart of Europe

Edited By Darja Piciga, Alexander Schieffer, Ronnie Lessem Copyright 2016

    Ronnie Lessem and Alexander Schieffer's Integral Green Society and Economy series has three overarching aims. The first is to link together two major movements of our time, one philosophical, the other practical. The philosophical movement is towards what many today are calling an 'integral' age, while the practical is the 'green' movement, duly aligned with that of sustainable development. The second is to blend together elements of nature and community, culture and spirituality, science and technology, politics and economics, thus serving to bring about an 'integral green' vision, albeit with a focus on business and economics. As such, the authors transcend the limitations to sustainable development and environmental economics, which are overly ecological, if not also technological, in orientation, and exclude social and cultural elements. Thirdly, this particular volume, with Darja Piciga, focuses specifically on Slovenia, as well as on Europe generally, drawing on the particular issues and capacities that this country and continent represents, particularly for sustainable development and social knowledge-based economy.

    The emphasis on Slovenia arose, not only because it lies at the heart of Europe, but because a specific movement for an Integral Green Slovenian Society and Economy, has been co-evolved there, by the three editors in conjunction with Slovene organisations, communities and movements, with a view to integrating existing and emerging knowledge resources, initiatives and practices into a model, as an alternative to austerity, for Slovenia and other European countries.

    Part I: Towards a Slovenian Integral Green Society and Economy

    1. Integral Green Slovenia: A Multitude of Stories, A Multidimensional and Multi-Layered Process

    Part II: Nature and Community-Based Economics of Self-Sufficiency

    2. Food and Energy Self-Sufficiency and Organic Farming: Preserving Nature and Communities, and Coping with Global Challenges

    Part III: Culture-Based Developmental Economy

    3. Revitalising Culture & Spirit through Integrated Regional Development: The Case of the Heart of Slovenia

    4. Rediscovering the Consciousness of Nature and Landscape: From Geomancy to Geoculture and Integrated Development

    5. Nature and Heritage based Tourism: Solčavsko as a Case of Resource Management by the Local Community

    Part IV: Knowledge-Based Social Economy

    6. Traditional Resource Management Knowledge: The Case of Commons

    7. Knowledge and Value-Based Cooperative Management: The Case of Domel

    8. Social Knowledge-based Society in Slovenia: From Cooperatives and Social Enterprises to Network Society

    Part V: Finance and Enterprise-Based Living Economy

    9. Sustainable Mobility "Made in Slovenia": The Case of Metron

    10. Combining High-Tech Green Solutions with Social Responsibility: Enterprising Ways of Pioneering Global Markets

    Part VI: Education and Innovation for Integral Green Slovenia

    11. Preschool Education for all the Senses: The Case of Slovenska Bistrica Kindergarten and its Integral CARE Centre

    12. Secondary and Tertiary Education for Sustainable Development: Biotechnical Centre Naklo as a CARE-ing Institution

    13. Holistic Education for Sustainable Development: Education as a Key Catalyst for Integral Green Slovenia

    Part VII: Slovenia in Europe – Smart Integration with a Sustainable Vision

    14. Actualising Europe’s Integral Green Potential: The Slovenian Way of Smart Integration of EU Policies for Sustainable Development

    Biography

    Dr. Darja Piciga is co-founder and leading figure of the Citizens' Initiative for an Integral Green Slovenia. She embodies Trans4m's integral approach in her professional and government career (fusing knowledge and experiences over a wide span of scientific, educational and policy areas) as well as in civil society activities (uniting stakeholders from all "integral worlds").

    Prof. Alexander Schieffer graduated from and lectures at St. Gallen University and is Co-Founder of Trans4m, Geneva. With Lessem, he co-authored Integral Economics and developed the Integral Worlds approach, as well as being a joint Series Editor of the Transformation and Innovation Series and the Integral Green Society and Economy Series.

    Prof. Ronnie Lessem is also co-founder of Trans4m. A graduate from Harvard Business School and London School of Economics, he is Zimbabwean by birth, and now a UK Citizen. He has been a management educator and consultant in Africa, Asia, Europe and America and is the author of over 30 books on the development of self, business and society.