Who actually has a voice in sustainability? In this activity, students consciously take on the role of a non-human stakeholder, such as an ecosystem, a future generation, an animal, or even an object like a dike or a wind turbine. By exploring and expressing their perspective, students practice empathetic thinking and systems thinking, and conversations about sustainability are fundamentally broadened. Including non-human stakeholders also invites reflection on our relationship with nature.
Once you have introduced this approach, you can continue to apply it in future discussions, group assignments, or case studies.
- Activity goal
- Exchange knowledge | Practice skills | Reflect
- When
- In class | Post class | Pre class
- Where
- Offline
- Duration
- < 10 minutes| < 30 minutes| < 60 minutes
- Group size
- Small | Medium | Large
- Materials
Pen and paper
Step-by-Step
Step 1
Introduce the idea: Discuss what a 鈥渘on-human stakeholder鈥 is. Think of elements such as water, air, soil, insects, future generations, or animals. These are all entities that are affected by decisions but usually do not have a direct voice. Optionally, refer to examples such as Jan Terlouw鈥檚 empty chair for 鈥渢he future鈥 or the ideas of ecologist and philosopher Matthijs Schouten.
Step 2
Connect to a current issue: Choose a sustainability issue addressed in your lesson (such as nitrogen policy, water management, or the energy transition). Ask: who or what is affected by this situation but usually has no voice?
Step 3
Assign or choose roles: Students are assigned (or choose) a non-human stakeholder, such as 鈥渢he river,鈥 鈥渢he bee population,鈥 鈥渢he wind turbines,鈥 鈥渢he farmer in 30 years,鈥 or 鈥渢he soil.鈥
Step 4
Prepare a contribution: Have students, individually or in groups, immerse themselves in their role. They answer questions such as:
- What does this stakeholder want or need?
- What does this stakeholder experience as a result of human policy or behavior?
- What would this stakeholder want to share with the rest of the group?
Step 5
Stage the issue: Organize a group discussion, policy debate, or brainstorming session in which all stakeholders, including the non-human ones, are at the table. Each role gets speaking time. The group works together to find solutions that respect all voices.
Step 6
Reflection: Have students briefly reflect:
- What changed when these voices were heard?
- What was it like to take on the role of a non-human stakeholder?
- What tensions did you feel between your role and other interests?
- How can this kind of thinking contribute to sustainable decision-making?
Variation 1
Literally place an empty chair for the future, or have students sit in a circle with name cards such as 鈥淭he Sea,鈥 鈥2050,鈥 or 鈥淚nsect Life.鈥
Variation 2
Have students draw roles from a stack of cards with non-human entities, including surprising ones such as 鈥渕icroplastic,鈥 鈥淐O鈧,鈥 or 鈥渟ilence.鈥
Variation 3
When preparing their contribution, have students represent and visually express the voice of their entity.
Variation 4
Invite students to keep their non-human entity in mind over a longer period (for example, throughout the course) outside of class, or to observe a non-human entity in their own environment, such as a tree, a plant, or a stone 鈥 something natural that they place somewhere they can see daily.
Tip 1
Documentary fragments or interviews with ecologists can strengthen empathy. See, for example, the website of Matthijs Schouten for inspiring videos about our relationship with nature.
Tip 2
Once the method is familiar, you can remind students in every group assignment of the option to give a 鈥渘on-human stakeholder鈥 a seat at the table.
Name cards or cards with roles
Pen & paper or laptop for students to prepare contributions from their entity鈥檚 perspective
(Optional) fragment from a documentary or lecture
Consider the tools and materials mentioned here as suggestions. In many cases it鈥檚 possible to use alternative tools. Please turn to first to see which online and offline tools are available and how to apply them.
