FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Gro Harlem Brundtland, first female Prime Minister of Norway and widely regarded as the “mother” of sustainable development, will give a lecture on the Colorado State University campus on March 2, 6:30 p.m., in the Lory Student Center.
Admission is free, but tickets are required and available online through csutix.com.
A physician as well as an international leader in sustainable development and public health, Dr. Brundtland chaired the World Commission on Environment and Development — the Brundtland Commission — which defined the term “sustainable development” in its landmark report, “Our Common Future.” The commission’s recommendations provided the momentum for the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
“Gro Brundtland is truly a giant of global environmental sustainability,” said CSU Distinguished University Professor Diana Wall, director of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability. “As a strong advocate of the idea that preservation of environmental quality is necessary for successful human development, and that environmental, societal, economic and cultural factors are critical components of sustainability, she played a key role in developing the modern concept of sustainable development. In the mid 1980s, her forceful and effective leadership of the Brundtland Commission helped make sustainable development a central concern of international politics and an important focus for the United Nations.”
Youngest Prime Minister
After serving as Norway’s youngest ever Prime Minister from 1990 to 1996, Brundtland was appointed Director-General of the World Health Organization in 1998. In 2007, she was named United Nations’ Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Climate Change. She is also deputy chair of The Elders, a group of 11 leaders called together in 2011 by the late Nelson Mandela and chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who contribute their wisdom, independent leadership, and integrity to tackling the world’s toughest problems with the goal of conflict resolution and making the world a better place. Brundtland is the fifth member of The Elders to speak at CSU.
Brundtland is a leading voice on climate change, for a healthier and better educated world, and a champion of sustainable development, which she defines as “meeting the demands of the present generations while preserving the rights of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Her speech, on the topic of “Our Common Future: Sustainable Development and Addressing Climate Change,” marks the beginning of Women’s History Month at CSU, which will include a number of events, concluding with the 11th Annual Women’s Conference on March 26.
Brundtland’s appearance is sponsored by the CSU Office of International Programs, Women and Gender Collaborative, Colorado School of Public Health at CSU, Apartment Life, Residence Life, SliCE, Women and Gender Advocacy Center, Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise MBA, ASCSU, and KUNC.
— Kate Jeracki, Colorado State University
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