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Your Instructors
Piers is an environmental anthropologist, a former fellow of the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, a sustainability consultant, and post-growth advocate. As a university researcher, Piers pioneered an interdisciplinary approach to the interconnections of society, history, and ecology in South Asia, particularly in human-elephant-environment relations. His teaching career expanded upon these insights, addressing the profound political, economic, and ecological challenges of our time.
At the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, Piers earned acclaim for his innovative “Pedagogy of Hope,” recognised with a Sustainability Award. This approach empowered students to confront the global ecological crisis with agency and purpose.
Drawing on his extensive background in education, consulting, and research, Piers is dedicated to advancing the transition towards a post-growth future, urging individuals and organisations alike to embrace sustainable practices and redefine prosperity. Piers is a member of Degrowth Aotearoa New Zealand (DANZ), and the Future Thriving course is supported by his colleagues from DANZ.
Sahra is a community midwife, and also the coordinator of the NGO Degrowth Aotearoa NZ (DANZ). She comes to this role passionately from her position as a midwife, deeply concerned about the future of the children she delivers. She has spent years working at the interface of social, cultural, and environmental complexity. Her work includes 19 years of Lead Maternity Practice, regular emergency skills teaching in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, and leading a research study on family planning in the Solomon Islands. Unable to continue flying due to the obvious environmental impacts, she felt her work needed to focus locally and expand from protecting mothers and their children, to advocating for nature and collective wellbeing within ecological limits. An overview of the intersection of her worlds can be found here: Labouring for a better, not bigger future
Session times
This class meets online once a week for activities and discussion. If you can’t make it, we will seek consent from the group to record and share the lecture.
- Thursday afternoons we will release the pre-recorded lecture for the following week.
- Tuesday 7:00 pm NZST/5:00 AEST we will meet on Zoom. These sessions will vary each week and include discussions and activities.
How this course works
Taking inspiration from the long history around the world of folk education, particularly the Scandinavian and Appalachian traditions, this course is designed to offer a fun, affordable and rigorous experience–that serves the needs of working adults.
Like all folk education, liberation and movement building is at the core of the course. We save ourselves together–and we educate ourselves to build solidarity, share tactics, and create a shared vision for a better future for all of us.
There’s no grades, no assessments, no credentials.
This is about learning for the love of learning and the love of each other.
Course Dates
Final project (voluntary)
Students will be encouraged to complete projects relevant to overshoot, risk, and transition with support from the course leader. This might take the form of; letters to newspapers, a short article for the DANZ blog, submissions to government, a pitch to local government, a report on, or address to, a local group, a survey of civic initiatives or activist endeavour, or an investigation of topics from the course. Projects may be submitted in written, recorded, or filmed form.
Course Tools
- Zoom, links will be sent out via email shortly before each class session begins
- Signal (optional)
We will be offering an optional “tech support session” early in the course so that you can ask questions, get help with Signal, and try out the tech tools we will be using.
Please come along if you need any help feeling comfortable with the tools we are using. If you aren’t comfortable with technology, please don’t worry! We will be happy to help you out and work to increase your comfort level.
Model for Each Week and Expectations
Each week will include a ~20-minute pre-recorded lecture and a 90-minute Zoom class session to discuss the material and engage in hands-on activities related to the course material.
We will also provide a list of resources including readings, podcasts, and videos for each week. You can choose to engage with these as we go along or save them for later.
Our goal is to provide readings at a range of levels—if you struggle with reading or have other literacy barriers, you should still find plenty of learning material for you.
You don’t have to be a reader to participate and we aim not to privilege those with better literacy skills.
You are good enough as you are.
Code of Conduct
Our goal is to create a vibrant and engaged learning community where we all prioritise learning and building relationships with each. This course and all Dark Times Academy classes and events aim to be accessible to all people regardless of age, disability, sexuality, background, religion, gender or ethnicity.
A respectful, open attitude towards others is expected from all. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated and may result in your removal from the course.
Life is hard enough as it is; leading with kindness and patience is key to a great learning experience, one that ensures all members feel welcomed.
Anxiety, Busyness, and Stress
Doing an online course on top of your full-time job, care responsibilities, and other life stuff is really hard. It’s ok to fall behind! Please don’t let anxiety or stress lead you to avoid engaging or cause you to feel inadequate.
Do your best, it will be good enough. Ask for help if you need it. We are always happy to support you as best we can.
Accessibility
Please email mandy@darktimesacademy.co.nz with any accessibility needs. We are happy to work together to make this class work for you
Content Warnings
The nature of this topic means that we will occasionally discuss material that includes upsetting topics. We will do our best to warn you ahead of time when this is likely to happen. Please feel free to do what you need to do to protect your well-being.
Your health and mental well-being should always be your first priority and we will always respect that.
Register here.