Chris Spence – författare

Today more than ever, when the world is beset by environmental, social, healthcare and economic challenges, we need courage in our politics, both nationally and globally. This book tells the stories, some for the first time, of twelve individuals who made heroic contributions to protecting our planet through ground-breaking international treaties.Can individuals change the world? Today, when impersonal forces and new technologies seem to be directing our lives and even our entire planet in ways we cannot control, this question feels more relevant than ever before. This book argues that we can all make a difference. It tells inspiring stories of individuals who have had a global impact that is beyond dispute, as well as others who have brought about change that is understated or hard to measure, where the scale of the impact will only become clear in years to come. While some are scientists, others are politicians, diplomats, activists, and even businesspeople. However, they all share the qualities of perseverance, patience, a willingness to innovate or try new approaches, and the endurance to continue over years, even decades, to pursue their goal. Drawing on interviews and the inside stories of those involved, each chapter follows one or more of these heroic individuals, a list which includes Luc Hoffmann, Mostafa Tolba, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Raul Oyuela Estrada, Barack Obama and Paula Caballero.Presenting an uplifting and gripping narrative, this book is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, activists and professionals who are seeking to understand how consensus is reached in these global meetings and how individuals can have a genuine impact on preserving our planet and reinforcing the positive message that global cooperation can actually work.

Today more than ever, when the world is beset by environmental, social, healthcare and economic challenges, we need courage in our politics, both nationally and globally. This book tells the stories, some for the first time, of twelve individuals who made heroic contributions to protecting our planet through ground-breaking international treaties.Can individuals change the world? Today, when impersonal forces and new technologies seem to be directing our lives and even our entire planet in ways we cannot control, this question feels more relevant than ever before. This book argues that we can all make a difference. It tells inspiring stories of individuals who have had a global impact that is beyond dispute, as well as others who have brought about change that is understated or hard to measure, where the scale of the impact will only become clear in years to come. While some are scientists, others are politicians, diplomats, activists, and even businesspeople. However, they all share the qualities of perseverance, patience, a willingness to innovate or try new approaches, and the endurance to continue over years, even decades, to pursue their goal. Drawing on interviews and the inside stories of those involved, each chapter follows one or more of these heroic individuals, a list which includes Luc Hoffmann, Mostafa Tolba, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Raul Oyuela Estrada, Barack Obama and Paula Caballero.Presenting an uplifting and gripping narrative, this book is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, activists and professionals who are seeking to understand how consensus is reached in these global meetings and how individuals can have a genuine impact on preserving our planet and reinforcing the positive message that global cooperation can actually work.

This book provides a step-by-step, insiders’ guide on how to lobby and engage successfully at the United Nations. It reveals how the United Nations, which plays such a key role on issues from climate change to pollution of our air, land and sea, really works.In a world of rapid climate change, a flood of forever chemicals and plastic pollution, and the extinction of so much wildlife around the world, we need the convening power of the United Nations now more than ever. What’s more, we need individuals and organisations dedicated to making sure the United Nations has the most positive impact it can. And yet, global diplomacy can be dauntingly challenging and complex. Drawing on the authors' combined 60 years of professional experience with the United Nations system, this book contains essential information for individuals and organisations seeking to engage in this complex and confusing world. From the very basic question of how to ensure you can even attend the event, this book offers hard-to-find information to help readers through this labyrinth, including insider acronyms and language, how and when are the best times to put your issue forward to achieve maximum impact, how the negotiations really work, who are the key players and how to engage with those players. The authors reveal how stakeholders can be effective from the very first day of their first UN meeting. Drawing on interviews with other experts, as well as training materials that have been produced by the authors, this book demystifies what to many outsiders can seem like an opaque and confusing world.This book is an essential resource for individuals and organisations entering the world of the United Nations for the first time, as well as those looking to gain a deeper understanding of how the world of international diplomacy really works.

This book provides a step-by-step, insiders’ guide on how to lobby and engage successfully at the United Nations. It reveals how the United Nations, which plays such a key role on issues from climate change to pollution of our air, land and sea, really works.In a world of rapid climate change, a flood of forever chemicals and plastic pollution, and the extinction of so much wildlife around the world, we need the convening power of the United Nations now more than ever. What’s more, we need individuals and organisations dedicated to making sure the United Nations has the most positive impact it can. And yet, global diplomacy can be dauntingly challenging and complex. Drawing on the authors' combined 60 years of professional experience with the United Nations system, this book contains essential information for individuals and organisations seeking to engage in this complex and confusing world. From the very basic question of how to ensure you can even attend the event, this book offers hard-to-find information to help readers through this labyrinth, including insider acronyms and language, how and when are the best times to put your issue forward to achieve maximum impact, how the negotiations really work, who are the key players and how to engage with those players. The authors reveal how stakeholders can be effective from the very first day of their first UN meeting. Drawing on interviews with other experts, as well as training materials that have been produced by the authors, this book demystifies what to many outsiders can seem like an opaque and confusing world.This book is an essential resource for individuals and organisations entering the world of the United Nations for the first time, as well as those looking to gain a deeper understanding of how the world of international diplomacy really works.