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Where are the grounds for hope when there are plenty of reasons to despair about the state of the world?

War, deepening inequalities, racial and gender discrimination, and a climate and biodiversity crisis mean our future is uncertain, especially for younger people. But where are the grounds for hope? Not naive optimism, but action, struggle, experience and experimentation that show the world doesn’t have to be like this, and that people are building new ways of living well in sustainable and flourishing communities and economies.

Join for a panel discussion with leading thinkers and activists, hosted by the Sussex School for Progressive Futures, to explore:

• the politics of hope
• how to live between hope and despair in an uncertain world
• different ways people can together build progressive futures.

All welcome.

Book your place now.

Participants:

Chair: Professor Peter Newell, Theme Lead in Environmental Sustainability at the Sussex School for Progressive Futures

Panellists:

Dr Caroline Lucas, Professor of Practice in Environmental Sustainability at the Sussex School for Progressive Futures, and former MP for Brighton Pavilion.

Andrew Simms, New Weather Institute and Rapid Transition Alliance

The Sussex School for Progressive Futures is the University's flagship hub to catalyse and coordinate a distinctive, world-changing programme of interdisciplinary education, research, and global and civic engagement. We focus on the three transformational themes that underpin the University strategy Sussex 2035 Creating Progressive Futures - flourishing, sustainability and progress for the whole world, and are central to making a better world in the 21^st century: environmental sustainability, human flourishing, and digital and data futures.

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Posted on behalf of: Sussex School for Progressive Futures
Last updated: Tuesday, 13 January 2026