Article contributed by Fiona Powell.
Every month people around the world who work, or have an interest, in the environmental field meet up for a beer at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.
There are 12 cities in New Zealand that host Green Drinks – for example in Auckland, Green Drinks is coordinated by the Auckland Branch of NZAEE (NZ Association for Environmental Education). NZAEE work with a different “host” every month who provide the venue and run the event however they like. The aim of Auckland’s Green Drinks is to get people from different professions and backgrounds together to talk sustainability…it’s about scientists talking to ad execs, urban planners talking to teachers, business leaders talking to not-for-profits, engineers talking to artists, academics talking to TV producers, and actors talking to architects.
It’s a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organising network.
The events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. It’s a force for the good and has spread to 390 cities around the world.
Check out: www.greendrinks.org for info
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