Projects

2023-onwards

• Shinjuku Station and Tokyo’s Emergent Urbanization: Collaboration with Marco Amati (RMIT University), Izumi Kuroishi (Fukushima Gakuin University) and Christian Dimmer (Waseda University). Shinjuku is the world’s busiest rail station with around 3 million people passing through every day. It is a vast underground organism, the terminal for several rail companies, the site for various shopping malls and a vast underground network of passenger routes. This project involves a comprehensive geographical and ethnographic study of Shinjuku station through observations and interviews with key stakeholders.

2017-onwards

• Tsuwano Community Engagement: Collaboration with a range of colleagues in Japan and internationally to organize annual educational programmes in Tsuwano, Shimane Prefecture. Initially, this involved facilitating a summer school in 2017 exploring place-making and rural livelihoods. In 2018, participatory mapping workshops were implemented with students from Tsuwano High School in collaboration with Google, RMIT University and Keio University. Subsequently, from 2019 onwards the Tsuwano Conference has been organized, involving faculty and students from Osaka University and leading thinkers from across Japan and internationally. The 2021 Tsuwano Conference dealt with the theme of community as a place of learning. We connected via Zoom to Schumacher College in Totnes and Findhorn Eco-Village. There were also presentations from various local communities in Japan including Fujino Transition Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, Nakanoshima, Shimane Prefecture and Isumi City in Chiba Prefecture.

2015-onwards

• Ethical Cities: Co-author of a 2020 book on Ethical Cities together with Ralph Horne and John Fien. Co-lead educator on 2016 MOOC Ethical Cities - Shaping the Future of Your City funded by RMIT University and produced in collaboration with the Global Compact Cities Programme. The associated video documentaries were produced and directed by Citt Williams. Co-lead educator on 2021 MOOC Creating Ethical and Sustainable Cities at the Local Level funded by EIT Community and developed by RMIT University.

2012-2013

• Living in Fukushima: Documentary explaining the efforts to clean up the radioactive contamination following the Fukushima nuclear accident. Provides insights on the experience of people living in Fukushima. The video was directed by Kaoru Imafuku. Brendan Barrett was Executive Producer. The project project was funded by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment (US$130,000).

• Traditional knowledge and climate science toolkit: Publication of a toolkit and video series on the relationship between traditional knowledge and climate science. The video documentaries were directed by Citt Williams. Brendan Barrett and Sam Johnston were Executive Producers. Funded by the UNU-IAS Traditional Knowledge Initiative (US$61,000).

• Climate change adaptation in Ghana: Short documentary about a research project examining various climate adaptation measures in rural Ghana. The video was directed and produced by Kaori Brand. Funded by the University of Tokyo (US$47,000).

2011-2012

• Satoumi – Coastal Communities in Japan: A documentary examining traditional marine conservation practices around Japan. The video documentary was directed by Kaori Brand. Executive Producers were Anne MacDonald and Brendan Barrett. Funded by the UNU-IAS Ishikawa Operating Unit (US$53,400).

 2010-2011

• Book of Seasons: Urban biodiversity in Kanazawa: Filming over the course of one year this documentary explores urban biodiversity through various local cultural traditions. The video documentary was directed by Kaori Brand. Executive Producers were Ann MacDonald and Brendan Barrett. Funded by Kanazawa City Government (US$27,563).

2008-2009

• Indigenous Voices on Climate Change Film Festival: Production of a series of videos on indigenous knowledge and climate change. Organization of a film festival at the National Museum of Denmark during the 2009 COP15 climate negotiations in Copenhagen. Funded by the UNU Traditional Knowledge Initiative.

• Forest policy and economics in the Western Balkans: Development of online education courses. Funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland (US$40,000).

2008-onwards

• Our World Bilingual Magazine: Development of a bi-lingual magazine (English and Japanese) examining a range of environmental issues including climate change, energy security, biodiversity and food security. In 2013, the magazine was updated to focus mainly on United Nations topics including science and technology, development and society, peace and security, humanitarian affairs and human rights. The magazine was designed and produced by Sean Wood with the programming from Oleg Butuzov. Our World has won a number of awards.

2007-2008

• The Wisdom Years: This documentary examines secrets of a health long life and various aspects of Japan’s aging society. The video documentary was directed and produced by Andreina Lairet-Sorensen, Citt Williams and Kaori Brand. Brendan Barrett was the Executive Producer. The project was jointly funded by the World Health Organisation and UNU (US$100,000).

2006-2007

• Voices of the Chichinautzin: This was the second video project produced by the UNU Media Studio. The documentary provides insights on various struggles to conserve a biological corridor between Mexico City and Cuernavaca. The video documentary was co-directed by Patricia Sims and Luis Patron. Brendan Barrett was the Executive Producer. The project was funded by the UNU (US$100,000). The documentary won a number of awards.

2004-2005

• Saving the Ayuquila River: Following participation in a field workshop, Luis Patron of the UNU decided to produce an interactive website and documentary detailing an important collaboration between scientists and the local community. The video documentary was directed by Luis Patron. Executive producer was Brendan Barrett. Funded by the UNU ($50,000). The video and interactive website were finalists in the Stockholm Environment Awards.

2002-2007

• Global Virtual University: International educational project delivering virtual course on environmental issues through collaboration between universities in Norway and Africa in the field of development management. The project was implemented by the UNU, UNEP GRID Arendal and the University of Adger. Funded by the Government of Norway (US$3.7 million over five years).

1997-2002

• Iwate Environment Network: Online education project focusing on local environmental issues and providing real-time access to pollution data. The project was a collaboration between UNU, NTT and Iwate Prefectural Government. Funded by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (US$1 million).

1995-1997

• Survey of Information Systems Related to Environmentally Sound Technologies: While working at UNEP-IETC in Japan, I was involved in a comprehensive survey of information systems containing data on environmental technologies. The results from this survey were submitted in a report to the Commission on Sustainable Development co-authored with Hassane Bendahmane and John Skinner. An online database of these information systems was also produced.