Hotel Bristol was taken over on Monday 16 May by students engaged in creating a sustainable future. Future Forum was a discussion evening organised by AIESEC Victoria with the aim of bringing students, academics and the public together to talk about the future of our city and our country.
Keynote speakers were Tim Aldridge, from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, on the topic of free trade; Darren Frazer, owner of fair trade clothing company Micah, on the topic of fair trade; and SEAM, a group of design students, on the topic of rising water levels in Wellington and how we can adapt to these.
Between each speaker the audience gathered around tables with “talking points” on notecards, and discussed, wrote and drew their ideas for a more sustainable future. The audience seemed particularly intrigued by SEAM’s drawings of what Wellington might look like in the future with rising water levels, including bus stops showing tide charts. The discussions were not always completely on topic, but everyone seemed to be engaged and having a good time. The $3 drinks were clearly appreciated by all.
AIESEC Victoria is the local branch of AIESEC, the only international organisation run entirely by and for students. AIESEC seeks to develop leadership and intercultural skills by offering leadership and international internship opportunities to its members. At Victoria, international internship opportunities are open to all students.
Future Forum was part of a two week series of events run by AIESEC at Victoria. The next event will be on the 23 May in the Memorial Theatre with a focus on Political Leadership and Local Politics. There are rumoured to be free refreshments.
Future Forum was held in partnership with STUDiO, the association of design students at Victoria University.