Call to Action at Pontignano
By Tia Kansara
It was a pleasure to attend the XXII Pontignano congress in Siena with some of the world's most prestigious academics, politicians and business people. It's a gathering of approximately 150 invite-only participants sponsored by the British Council and the Government of Italy. Discussions take place from the Friday once everyone settles and continue throughout the weekend and are governed by Chatham House rules. This year's discussions focused on timely issues pertaining to the popular uprising in Honk Kong (excellent given the Chair Rt. Hon. Lord Patten's experience), the results of the Scottish Referendum and the Russian interest of Eastern Ukraine (an exquisite exposé was given by the BBC's European Editor, Gavin Hewitt).
Workshops allowed for informal dialogues on Europe, it's role in global politics, how to bolster EU relations and increase the X-factor, thus challenging the delegates to widen their perspectives and create thought-provoking debates. Here's my clip about my position with Europe filmed by the British Council: http://on.fb.me/1v1umDw
My initial comments on the theme "Better together or better apart" led me to question the first panel with: In view of a collective Europe, what in your opinion is the path to construct a legitimate and more symmetric fiscal, banking, economic and political union, and how long will it take to get there? The question resulted in some really practical conversations about the role of Britain and Italy in Europe and how the economic recession could lead to closer political and banking cooperation.
Kansara Hackney Ltd, my company, strives to bring citizens together under the aegis of cities that invigorate its inhabitants. Perhaps the next Pontignano can invite more entrepreneurs and built environment professionals to explore how new forms of cities can Bring people together. (See the recent publication of my PhD supervisor Yves Cabannes and his co-author: 21st Century Garden Cities of Tomorrow. A manifesto, that garden cities will 'bring people together'. See http://bit.ly/1vIxUtn).
Pontignano is a call to action. As my business partner Dr. Rod Hackney suggests in the forward of the above publication, "cash-starved governmental institutions that seem to know the cost of everything, but the value of nothing" will prevail if we allow it. The quality of interchange and discussion at Pontignano are very good for the future, making Europe a positive dynamic place to be.
Tia is an award-winning entrepreneur. She is the founder and director of Kansara Hackney Ltd. (KH), a partnership with Dr Rod Hackney (Past President: Royal Institute of British Architects and Union of International Architects). KH are the first sustainable lifestyle consultancy in the UK, leading specialists in sustainable design and implementation for the future generation of private and commercial clients.
She completed her first degree at the School of Oriental & African Studies in Economics and South Asian Studies. Having worked with Bloomberg during her degree, she then employed by the Japanese Ministry of Education, coordinating the teaching of English by developing the syllabus for High Schools in Japan.
As its youngest consultant, Tia was invited to advise the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, BioTrade Initiative on sustainability. A post she held between 2009 – 2012. She has also advised the UN-Habitat in Hue, Vietnam with the Building and Social Housing Foundation. In 2010, she wrote the brief and appointed the architects Foster + Partners for Saudi American Bank‘s multi-million dollar headquarters as the first female to judge a LEED platinum building in Riyadh.
She is finishing her Ph.D. at University College London, Energy Institute, designing future cities. She has worked alongside personnel from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Masdar. At present, she is working in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Urban Planning Council, the Executive Affairs Authority, Department of Municipal Affairs, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, Regulation and Supervision Bureau to create the first energy baseline and comprehensive energy evaluation in the Gulf.
She has organised London Business School’s Global Energy Summit, inviting prestigious Energy experts from around the world and is currently the co-director of the Global CleanTech Challenge, Ambassador of the UCL Bartlett School for the Gulf region, Siemen’s list of Future Influencers and Alumnus of EBS-INTEL Social Innovation School as well as the Start-Up Leadership Programme (SLP). She is Britain’s national coordinator for the Intel Business Challenge.
In 2011, she was invited to advise the Lebanese Parliament on the revival of Tripoli’s International Fair. Her firm, Kansara Hackney Ltd was personally appointed by late Arch. Oscar Niemeyer, to complete the project. In association with the Club of Rome and the United Nations General Assembly she has advised the Royal family of Bhutan and Past Prime Minister Jigme Thinley and current Prime Minister Tsering Tobgay on the creation of an international commission on sustainable, economic growth. She is the Global Ambassador for Sandbox, a community of 1000+ leading change-makers below 30.