Students from The University of Manchester in conversation with New Citizenship Project co-founder, and CITIZENS author, Jon Alexander.
Is there any way out of the mess we're in?
Jon Alexander believes that we could be on the cusp of a very different world - if only more of the people in positions of power and influence in our societies could see the possibility of stepping into the Citizen Story.
The School of Environment, Education and Development is delighted to welcome Jon Alexander to The University of Manchester for a special in conversation event led by our students.
J?oin us to explore how we can think and act like citizens, not consumers, and why the key to fixing everything is all of us.
Who is Jon Alexander?
Jon Alexander has a background as an award-winning marketer, having worked on advertising campaigns for some of the world's biggest brands.
Then, when he realised he was caught up in a story he didn't believe in: the Consumer Story, he made a dramatic change.
Driven by a deep need to understand the impact on society of 3,000 commercial messages a day, he gathered three Masters degrees, exploring consumerism and its alternatives from every angle.
In 2014, Jon co-founded the New Citizenship Project (NCP) with Irenie Ekkeshis with a mission to figure out how to use their skills not just to sell stuff to Consumers, but to involve people in the decisions that affect their lives as Citizens. NCP have partnered with organisations and institutions including the Co-op, The Body Shop, National Trust, BBC, European Central Bank, the Guardian and many more.
In 'CITIZENS: Why the key to fixing everything is all of us' Jon shares his insights.
"I truly believe that we humans are collaborative, creative, caring Citizens by nature - and if we give ourselves and each other the chance, we can fix this."
