Lectures
Pieter Ploeg (The Netherlands) – Soil and Agriculture
Sunday March 27th
Pieter is a MSc Candidate in the Masters in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability in Karlskrona, Sweden. Simultaneously he is in the process of cofounding and developing a new enterprise called Common Soil. Common Soil aims to reverse the trend of land degradation and accelerate the global transition of food and farming systems towards sustainability and resilience. In 2013 he cofounded and coordinated Summer of Soil, a series of events designed to awaken and inspire a collaborative movement to rebuild and maintain living soils. The program included a series of Courses, Lectures, an Exhibition and the Living Soil Forum. This led him to be invited as a speaker at various conferences, including Global Soil Week 2013 in Berlin, Europe‘s Future – Your Future 2013 in Berlin, Initiative Forum 2014 in Sweden and Connect Conference 2015 in Lier, Belgium. He worked at the International Youth Initiative Program (YIP) as Program Coordinator from 2011 to 2014, during which he developed the Sustainability Challenges consultation projects as well as the Mission U program in Berlin. In 2012 he was part of launching the International Partnership for Transformative Learning. He attended YIP in In 2009/2010.
Edgard Gouveia Júnior (Brazil)
Tuesday, March 29th 
Edgard Gouveia Júnior is an architect and urbanist. He graduated at Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo de Santos, SP, Brazil in 1993. From 1993 to 1996 he was a researcher at Instituto TIBÁ – Intuitive Technology and bio-architecture. He post-graduated in Cooperative Games at Universidade Monte Serrat in 2003, where he was also post-graduation Professor from 2004 to 2006 on the course Developing Common-Unities. Edgard is an advisor and international speaker in the areas of young protagonism, molecular and community empowering and Cooperative Games, and has been a facilitator in the Cooperation Project. He is president and co-founder of Instituto Elos – BR, and member of international web Berkana Exchange since 2006. In 2006 he became a Fellow of the Ashoka Foundation. He is currently involved with Warriors Without Weapons as co-creator and designer of the Oasis Game.
Idéfix (The Netherlands) | awake your sleeping ideas
Thursday, March 31st
How would the world look like if everyone was doing exactly doing what they are meant to do?
What happens when you allow your deepest wishes and capacities to come to the surface?
This creates harmony and a contagious energy, on a personal level as well as together with others. Idéfix believes that moving towards this place where you are most valuable is a vital need. It is never too late to start doing what you really want to do.
Personal, potential ideas or visions, which they call ‘sleeping ideas’ are important vehicles to set yourself into motion. They believe that if a sleeping idea keeps coming back to you, this idea needs attention. Idéfix facilitates the space to work concretely on what you really want to do. They help people from the question ‘Is this possible’ to ‘How am I going to make this possible’. They provide this space in different programs. Their promise: “We help you bringing your idea out of your head, into your hands and into motion.”
Inspirational Talks
Nick Potter (England) – Sunday, March 27th 
Nick is a current participant of YIP 8. His background is in education. He studied Philosophy of Education at University and was a primary school teacher before starting YIP. He will be facilitating the development of a collaborative mind map for participants to map sustainable initiatives that they feel connected to.
Dr. Vandana Shiva Navdanya (India) – Sunday, March 27th
Vandana Shiva will send a personal video message about her life’s work to inspire us through her life’s work.
Being a scientist, philosopher, feminist, author, environmentalist, activist, Vandana is a one-woman movement for peace, sustainability and social justice. In 1991, she founded Navdanya, a national movement to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seeds, and to oppose what she calls the colonisation of life itself under the intellectual property and patent laws of the World Trade Organisation agreement. Among her many honours is the Right Livelihood Award — also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize” — for her work in placing women and ecology at the centre of the international development agenda.
Li An Phoa (The Netherlands) – Drinkable rivers
Sunday, March 27th
Li An Phoa is a passionate systems-thinker engaged in research, holistic learning and creation for vital food, water and landscapes. She initiates and facilitates multi-stakeholder processes. She work with large organisations such as Unilever and the Rwandan Ministry of Health, as well as innovative farmers, artists and indigenous communities. She teaches at Rotterdam School of Management, Nyenrode Business University, Schumacher College and co-founded Spring College teaching hundreds of people outdoors about ecology and economy; our daily lives and habits and the visions we hold for our world.
Moon Hooch (USA) – Wednesday, March 30th
Moon Hooch is an American band from Brooklyn, New York, known for their dance-oriented percussion- and saxophone-based music. The band is a trio consisting of James Muschler (drums) and Mike Wilbur and Wenzl McGowen (saxophone).
We invited Moon Hooch for the way they integrate consciousness around food and a vegan diet on their tours, as well as for their amazing musical talents. They will offer a workshop around vegan cooking and inspre us with a talk about the relationship between consciousness and matter.
In an evening performance they are going to rock the house on our last night together!
George Morse (England) – Veganism
Wednesday, March 30th
George, 19 years old, is a current YIP8 participant. Passionate about health and compassionate consumption she will present her perspective on the three main sectors of veganism: health, environment and ethics.
The Initiative Forum is working together with 