INEX » About Us http://www.inex.org International Network for Educational Exchange Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:43:30 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Happy Holidays! http://www.inex.org/happy-holidays/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=happy-holidays http://www.inex.org/happy-holidays/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:57:40 +0000 Vivien Lunda http://www.inex.org/?p=12237 Der Stress und die Hektik besonders der letzten Tage lassen uns wieder auf das Wichtigste in unserem Leben besinnen – unsere Familien. In diesem Sinne wünscht das INEX-Team allen Freunden, Fans, KollegInnen und Kollegen als auch Kooperationspartnern frohe Weihnachten und erholsame Feiertage im Kreis Ihrer Lieben!

Weihnachten

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]]> http://www.inex.org/happy-holidays/feed/ 0 Shop to be happy! http://www.inex.org/shop-to-be-happy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shop-to-be-happy http://www.inex.org/shop-to-be-happy/#comments Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:32:55 +0000 Vivien Lunda http://www.inex.org/?p=12079 That is the way how potential gifts are advertised during Christmas time. Though, Christmas time is meant to be contemplative and full of love, where values and traditions mean Shop to be happy!something and are lived. In reality, we are facing consuming frenzy in Christmas time but also the whole year due to the desire for a growing living standard instead of living quality. There is a constant pressure on people to have bigger, better and more – a certain lifestyle and certain looks. Psychologists explain this behavior as follows: goods and products enhance someone´s own status which is a way to obtain acceptance. People consume to compensate empty spaces in their life. Especially children and young adults are affected of brands as the centre of economization. Economists describe the current situation as follows: The average Austrian household for example spends 43.325€ in 2011 for private and non-private consumption – 2.3% more than 2010. Due to price increase and fear of inflation Austrians have saved up to 18% less money in the last two years. Both explanations certainly help to understand and cause consideration, but they don´t effect sustainable behaviour modification.

As quite well known, we are living in a consumer, respectively wasteful society. We know about the consequences of an excessive consumption – like outsourcing of mass production to low-wage countries, extensive raw material consumption, massive CO2 emissions that leads to climate change, – and we also know about different solution approaches as various films, books and other media aiming at awareness raising show. We know about our changing society where (social) isolation, unhappiness, depression, the pursuit of money and power become the rule than the exception. Synonymously quality-of-life surveys in the United States that have been done since the 1950s give the clear result about wealth not bringing as much contentment as people would have thought. Data from Andrew Oswald, professor of economics at the University of Warwick in Great Britain show that while the amount of suicides stayed quite the same since the 1900s the average income sextupled. The booming sector of the economics of happiness reveals the importance and urgency of a mind shift. What counts is the satisfaction of basic needs such as accommodation, food and employment as more money and according to this more possibilities for consuming only lifts someone spirits short term. People don´t recognize material wealth absolutely but compare themselves with richer people who always exist. So, happiness does not grow with income, as the quintessence of a survey in 37 countries, including 9 developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and 11 East European countries on transition to market economy by Richard Easterlin, economist at the University of California in Los Angeles, and his team is.

We are aware of all that since the term sustainability came into vogue but we have not defined our very own solution by now. Not the way Bhutan has done with the Gross National Happiness (GNH) in 1972 as an indicator that measures the quality of life than only using the economic factor Gross Domestic Product. The four pillars of GNH are the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance. Although criticized as it depends on more subjective factors, it nevertheless shows the importance of contentedness as our basic living and happiness factor. Such exemplary measures deserve imitation and should form our New Year´s resolution. It might be no final solution but a beginning.

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]]> http://www.inex.org/shop-to-be-happy/feed/ 0 Slide of the Week #6 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-6/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slide-of-the-week-6 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-6/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:22:59 +0000 Maximilian Eberl http://www.inex.org/?p=12074 At least once a week, we will share a quote that motivates our work. Look us up whenever you need some inspiration to pursue yours!

Slide of the Week #6

Bewirb dich jetzt für die INEX Sustainability Challenge 2012:
http://www.inex.org/academic-courses/sustainability-challenge/apply-now/

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]]> http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-6/feed/ 0 Slide of the Week #5 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-5/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slide-of-the-week-5 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-5/#comments Sat, 10 Dec 2011 20:06:20 +0000 Maximilian Eberl http://www.inex.org/?p=11897 At least once a week, we will share a quote that motivates our work. Look us up whenever you need some inspiration to pursue yours!

Silde of the Week #5

At last years INEX Green.Building.Solutions. we went to visit the Wien Energie District Heating and Cooling Plant… You can check out more pictures from this trip here:
District Heating Plant ’11

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]]> http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-5/feed/ 0 Slide of the Week #4 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slide-of-the-week-4 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-4/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:38:41 +0000 Maximilian Eberl http://www.inex.org/?p=11676 At least once a week, we will share a quote that motivates our work. Look us up whenever you need some inspiration to pursue yours!

Slide of the Week #4

Wir arbeiten hart am Program der nächsten INEX Sustainability Challenge: http://www.inex.org/academic-courses/sustainability-challenge/

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]]> http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-4/feed/ 0 [INEX Adventkalender] 1. Dezember 2011 http://www.inex.org/inex-adventkalender-1-dezember-2011/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=inex-adventkalender-1-dezember-2011 http://www.inex.org/inex-adventkalender-1-dezember-2011/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:41:20 +0000 Vivien Lunda http://www.inex.org/?p=11472 Liebe INEX Freunde,

die besinnliche Adventszeit ist herangebrochen – eine Zeit, in der es (hoffentlich) möglich ist, zu reflektieren – über Vergangenes und Zukünftiges. Uns ist es auf jeden Fall ein Anliegen und wir möchten genau das in den nächsten 23 Tagen machen und euch auf diesem Wege unsere Gedanken bzw. vergangene Ereignisse, die uns am Herzen liegen, mitteilen.

Wir freuen uns, wenn ihr uns auf dieser Reise begleitet und euch mit Kommentaren einbringt!

 

Wunschzettel ganz privat

 

Ich wünsch mir einen Zwischenraum
für alles, was ich nicht getan
und einen Miniweihnachtsbaum
als Dämpfer für den Größenwahn.

Ich wünsch mir frisch gebacknes Brot
mit etwas Käse oder Wurst
ein Gläschen Rotwein, doch zur Not,
schmeckt ja auch Wasser, hat man Durst.

Ich wünscht, dass man es nicht vergisst
beim weihnachtlichen Zelebrieren,
wie schmerzlich es für jene ist,
die einsam hungern oder frieren.

Ich wünscht, Rumsfeld, Chaney und Bush
würden zur Weihnachtszeit mutieren
und als Kamel am Hindukush,
den Rest des Lebens vegetieren.

Ich wünsche mir ein Parlament
aus Wahrheit und Gerechtigkeit;
nicht einen Ort, wo man verpennt
das Volksvertraun und Menschlichkeit.

Ich wünsche ja so viele Sachen,
die man jedoch nicht kaufen kann.
Sind Dinge, nur zum Selbermachen.
Wie wär´s fing man damit jetzt an?

Ich wünscht es gäbe einen Knall,
durch den die Welt endlich erwacht
und allen wünsch in jedem Fall
ich eine schöne Weihnachtsnacht.

Ruth-Ursula Westerop
1927-2010

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]]> http://www.inex.org/inex-adventkalender-1-dezember-2011/feed/ 0 Slide of the Week #3 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slide-of-the-week-3 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-3/#comments Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:28:04 +0000 Maximilian Eberl http://www.inex.org/?p=11271 At least once a week, we will share a quote that motivates our work. Look us up whenever you need some inspiration to pursue yours!

Slide of the Week #2

Apply now for the Green.Building.Solutions. 2012, Vienna Summer University, 22. July-12. August: http://www.inex.org/study-abroad/green-building-solutions-vienna/

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]]> http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-3/feed/ 0 Slide of the Week #2 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slide-of-the-week-2 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-2/#comments Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:54:38 +0000 Maximilian Eberl http://www.inex.org/?p=11087 At least once a week, we will share a quote that motivates our work. Look us up whenever you need some inspiration to pursue yours!
Slide of the Week #2

Die Vorbereitungen für die 3te INEX Sustainability Challenge sind in vollem Gange, nähere Informationen findest du hier: http://www.inex.org/academic-courses/sustainability-challenge/

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]]> http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-2/feed/ 1 Slide of the Week #1 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slide-of-the-week-1 http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-1/#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:11:17 +0000 Maximilian Eberl http://www.inex.org/?p=11062 At least once a week, we will share a quote that motivates our work. Look us up whenever you need some inspiration to pursue yours!
Slide of the Week #1

Check out our new program at: http://www.inex.org/study-abroad/green-building-solutions-vienna/

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]]> http://www.inex.org/slide-of-the-week-1/feed/ 0 Europe Speech http://www.inex.org/europe-speech/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=europe-speech http://www.inex.org/europe-speech/#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:47:21 +0000 Philipp Schoeffmann http://www.inex.org/?p=8162 Recently, the Europe Speech took place in Berlin, Germany. The main participants were Angela Merkel and Herman van Rumpoy. The most important topic was the evaluation of the current situation of the European Union. Herman van Rumpoy suggested the establishment of a special system to solve current crises in the European Union. This system should cover financial and economical problems.  Mag. Fabienne Babinsky, board member at INEX, Ruipinda Ray and Can Ertugrul of the United Nations Youth Organization belonged to the Austrian delegation. We would like to thank Andreas Wolf, manager of Windrose Air (member of the foundation „Siftung Zukunft Berlin“) for the invitation.

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