Jakob von Uexkull

von Uexkull, Jakob

von Uexkull, Jakob

Fellow, World Academy of Art & Science; Chair, World Future Council

Job Title: 

Fellow, World Academy of Art & Science; Chair, World Future Council

Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Jakob von Uexkull is the son of the author and journalist Gösta von Uexkull and grandson of the biologist Jakob von Uexkull. After schooling in Sweden and Germany he graduated with an M.A. (Honours) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Christ Church, Oxford. He holds both Swedish and German nationality. JvU is married and has three children. He lives with his family in London.

Jakob von Uexkull is the founder (1980) of the Right Livelihood Award, often referred to as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize'. He is a co-founder (1984) of The Other Economic Summit and a past Member of the European Parliament (1987-9) where he served on the Political Affairs Committee. He is a patron of Friends of the Earth International and a member of the Global Commission to Fund the United Nations. He served on the UNESCO Commission on Human Duties and Responsibilities (1998-2000). He has also served on the Board of Greenpeace, Germany, and on the Council of Governance of Transparency International. He lectures widely on environment, justice and peace issues. He is also a recognised philatelic expert with publications including 'The Early Postal History of Saudi Arabia' (London, 2001).

Jakob von Uexkull has been honoured by Time Magazine as a European Hero (2005). In 2006, he received the Binding-Prize (Liechtenstein) for the protection of nature and the environment, and, in 2008, the Erich-Fromm-Prize in Stuttgart, Germany. He has also received the Future Research Prize of the State of Salzburg, Austria (1999), the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana of the Republic of Estonia (2001), and the Order of Merit First Class of the Federal Republic of Germany (2009).

ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR

History has knocked very loudly on our door. Will we answer?
Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Today there can be no doubt that we live in a crucial time in human history. Our decisions and actions—or our failure to act—will have an impact on future generations for centuries, possibly for millennia, or even for geological time periods. In this article, the author talks about the challenges our next generations are going to face. A paradigm shift is needed to focus on the inter-linked threats to our shared future. Climate change is the defining issue of our...
Toward a Comprehensive Approach to Paradigm Change
Get Full Text in PDF Abstract The term ‘paradigm shift’ suggests a dramatic discontinuity, one which is almost impossible to prepare for. Paradigm shifts happen quickly and often unexpectedly. We presently find ourselves on the precipice of another threatening environmental catastrophe. Developing a comprehensive approach to our challenges will require us to spend less time discussing why we need change and where we want to go and more time focusing on how we can actually get there. We must...
Science and Spirituality: Observations from the Battlefield
Get Full Text in PDF “The most common misunderstanding about science is that scientists seek and find truth. They don’t – they make and test models.” - Neil Gershenfeld, MIT (‘Edge’ Magazine, Jan. 2011) “We know this rich and complex world in many ways, among which physical science is important, but our immediate experience is much more so.” - Mary Midgley (‘The Guardian’, 5.2.11) “It suits the purposes of our economists, technologists and politicians to pretend that living organisms are...