On 25 February the Institute of Earth Systems, in collaboration with the Australian High Commission, held a screening of the documentary film “The Knowledge”.
The documentary, produced by an Australian First Nations company, Wolflab, draws attention to the role of traditional knowledge in addressing the challenges of natural resource management in land management, farming and marine conservation, and in responding to climate change. In his opening remarks, His Excellency Mr Matt Skelly, Australia’s High Commissioner to Malta, highlighted the strong community connections between Australia and Malta and the shared interest of both countries in finding ways to combat the emerging impacts of climate change. He noted that Australia’s First Nations people form the oldest continuing civilisation on earth, with a history that spans over 65,000 years, and with a wealth of knowledge and skills in sustainable land management and conservation. Prof. Elisabeth Conrad, Coordinator of the Division of Environmental Management and Planning, spoke about the pertinence of the knowledge theme to academia, also noting the critical need for environmental practitioners to be able to recognise and learn from different forms of knowledge, beyond the academic.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion, with Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino, Professor of Sociology at the UM, and Prof. Lisa Palmer, Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Melbourne. The event was attended by academics, postgraduate and undergraduate students of the Institute.
