Round tables at the Ateneu de Maó

Thursday, 5 February: Launch of the Roundtable Series“Living within the Doughnut: the keys to fair and regenerative development” at the Ateneu de Maó

This February, the Ateneu de Maó will host a new roundtable series entitled “Living within the Doughnut: the keys to fair and regenerative development”. Organised by the Ateneu de Maó, the Menorca Preservation Foundation and GOB Menorca, the series will explore this concept developed by economist Kate Raworth: a model that seeks to ensure a decent quality of life for everyone without exceeding ecological limits. The doughnut framework defines two boundaries: an ecological ceiling (what Menorca can sustain) and a social foundation (the minimum conditions required for a dignified life).

The series will consist of four sessions, held every Thursday in February at 7:30 pm at the Ateneu de Maó. In each session, experts from different disciplines will share their perspectives or present ongoing initiatives, with the aim of fostering a rich and realistic debate and introducing practical tools to address today’s social and environmental challenges.

The roundtables will focus on key themes such as water, local food systems, housing, and waste management

The first session, on 5 February, entitled “Water as a common good”, will examine examples of sustainable groundwater management, as well as shared governance approaches to decision-making around this vital resource.

On 12 February, the discussion will focus on “Local food systems”, considering current food systems and the role of consumer cooperatives and local markets in shortening the distance between producers and consumers.

The session on 19 February will address “Housing: scarcity or accessibility?”, exploring the current situation and proposals to protect this fundamental right.

The final roundtable, “Waste: everyone’s responsibility”, on 26 February, will be devoted to waste management, looking at medium-term perspectives for island-wide waste management as well as ideas to reduce, recycle and reuse.

The aim of the roundtable series is to create spaces for debate and reflection around fair and regenerative development in Menorca, addressing issues that are essential for the local community. Of all the economic activities that make up the “doughnut” of a territory such as Menorca, this series highlights four that are both crucial and highly representative of the need to position the economy within a balanced space between social justice and environmental sustainability: housing, food systems, waste management and water resources.

The series is supported by Maó Town Council and the Island Council of Menorca.

Finally, as is customary, the sessions will be livestreamed via the Ateneu de Maó’s communication channels, ensuring wider public access to the debates.