The year 2008 has firstly shown us that all of the major trends on this Earth have followed their regular path - population has increased according to the projections, the consumption of resources has also increased accordingly, Earth's degradation followed from extensive deforestation and other exploitive resource use has continued its regular rising path. Biodiversity, total livable area and ice cover on the poles have continued to decrease.

On the other hand an increasing awareness of people towards these issues gives us hope that a gradual change towards a global society that truly sustains harmony between human population and natural eco-system is possible. The critical question is the acceleration and gradual speed at which the transition towards this state occurs. Are we going to be able to beat the snow-ball effect of increasing consumption? We don't know. However the belief for a better - more susatinable - world always remains at the back of our heads and keeps us going.

Each recession provides a space for something new. Beside all the direct negative aspects of the world financial (and in parts of the world economic) crisis there are also positive phenomena to be observed - people reconsider their current lifestyle, they question the importance of not only the material values aroud them but also their whole value systems which have at many cases been largely based on capitalistic values. These considerations may lead towards more opportunities for sustainability.

In the name of all Samsaara Team I wish you all the best for the coming 2009. May this be a year where we set off the snow-ball effect of more depthful thinking about our environment and people around us. But most of all HAPPY and AWARE new year!

This two week YES course aims to sensitize participants to the complex issues of sustainable development in a global context, while exploring issues pertinent to Japan and the region, though course work, field trips, workshops, group work, discussions and practical learning experiences, combined with unique social and cultural activities.   The unique program builds on 9 years of experience successfully running the Youth Encounter on Sustainability YES program in Switzerland, Costa Rica, Austria, Slovakia, Australia and Kenya. The YES course is a once in a lifetime opportunity for personal and professional development, an outcome reiterated time and time again by alumni from the course. This alumni group is represented by a strong network of 900 individuals from 91 different countries around the world who have gone on to be actively engaged in sustainability initiatives at local and international levels.

A total of 36 places are available for this course, with 24 places reserved for international applicants, and 12 places reserved for Japanese applicants.  All participants must have a good working command of English, be between the age of 20 and 30 years, be currently enrolled at a university (either in the final stages of their undergraduate study, or at any level of graduate study).  The entire course will be held in English and applications are welcomed from diverse disciplines and nationalities.

ETHsustainability, the Center for Sustainability at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and Hosei University in Japan are pleased to announce the opening of the application process for the “Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) Japan 2009”.

More information on the course is available in the brochure attached.



Location: Hosei University Tama Campus and Mount Fuji Seminar House, Japan. 



Dates: 25 March - 9 April 2009


All applications must be submitted online. 

The link to the online application form is available at: http://www.sustainability.ethz.ch/en/activities/japan.cfm

A short 8-minute clip introducing some alternative views on how to interpret what we see in daily media. Centered around the US this short documentary urges people to become sustainable to avoid total corporate future. Enjoy!

This 23 minute clip summarizes what we saw and experienced thoughout the Samsaara Summer Expedition 2008. Please take your time to critiqe the movie in our Forum (register first). Your feedback is VERY important to us.

Watch it now