Cyclones, floods, landslides. These are realities that have become increasingly frequent in our country over the last few years. The media reaction is, more or less, with rare exceptions, quite familiar: surprise, amazement, a call to arms, climate emergency, apocalypse.
Yet, everything that happens is not a surprise; it is a consequence. A consequence of irresponsible policies, disjointed behaviors, and short-sighted interventions—whether public or private—that pay little attention to the future, even the near future.
How can we bring greater awareness to everyone on such a complex, technically difficult, yet highly relevant topic, given the impact it has on all our lives? A topic for which, deep down, we feel little responsibility. Politicians, businesses, and the media are more irresponsible than we are… in any case, it is always others.
The Climate Fresk is a collaborative game created by Cédric Ringenbach, a visionary educator, which allows participants to move from awareness of climate change concepts to concrete actions that generate environmental and social value. Through the use of 42 cards and guided by a facilitator, participants understand the causes and effects of climate change, gaining knowledge on a complex issue; they learn by recognizing and managing the emotional aspect of climate-related topics and their implications; and they act, achieving their goals and transforming into agents of change.
It is a game that certainly offers several advantages in terms of ease of learning: first, it is brief (3 hours), playful, and collaborative, as it leverages collective intelligence to guide the working group toward a shared solution. Furthermore, it is scientific: all data comes from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reports. Finally, it is unique: the emotional weight generated by creating the Fresk is managed through creative work that allows the group to personalize their Fresk, highlight the most important causal links, or simply choose a title. Whatever the title—apocalyptic, ironic, or inspiring—it is a fundamental step in consolidating the group’s learning, as well as the shared vision emerged from the work, and the ability to act and open up new and different spaces of possibility in countering the effects of climate change.
Learning concludes with the transition from awareness to action: at an individual or collective level, the group is encouraged to develop mitigation solutions at various levels of impact and to make a commitment—a concrete action that can be implemented starting the very next day.
Is it really possible to do all this? It is, with clarity, optimism, and activism: the essential ingredients for bringing about concrete change.
