November 2020 - GTA-PeDAGoG - lists.ourproject.org

FW: EXALT-news November 2020
by S. A. Hamed Hosseini Faradonbeh 27 Nov '20

27 Nov '20

FYI ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: ExAlt Initiative <exalt(a)helsinki.fi<mailto:[email protected]>> Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2020, 12:20 Subject: EXALT-news November 2020 To: exalt-news(a)helsinki.fi<mailto:[email protected]> <exalt-news(a)helsinki.fi<mailto:[email protected]>> EXALT NEWS NOVEMBER 2020 Dear EXALT-community, We hope everyone is doing well despite the turbulent times. Please find below the latest news and hear about events organized by the Global Extractivisms and Alternatives Initiative (EXALT).<https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/exalt-2020> Feel free to distribute this newsletter to your own respective networks. SESSION RECORDINGS FROM DOCTORAL STUDENTS PRE-CONFERENCE in October 2020 “(De)naturalising extractivism: investigating its social orders and resistances” [cid:[email protected]]Prior to the EXALT Symposium last October, EXALT partnered with two doctoral programs from the Faculty Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki to coproduce an online annual conference as a pre-conference to the Symposium. The 7th Annual Conference for the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences & the Doctoral Programme in Political, Societal and Regional Change explored the (de)naturalisations of extractivist practices. The session recordings can be found below, as well as on the EXALT website<https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/exalt-2020/past-events-and-event-rec…> and EXALT’s Youtube-channel<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPw2CKeQvOJWjKo0fWMZOA/videos?view_as=sub…>. [cid:[email protected]]Keynote Cori Hayden<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdHchUolpns> - Crowding extractivism: Data and more-than-social media Keynote Markus Kröger<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sekh6LdwPI&t=7s> - Resistance to extractivisms: Dynamics, strategies and outcomes Methods Workshop “Challenges of pragmatic RCT data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic”<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gkheg6FBJA> (with panelists: Anni E. Kajanus, Assistant Professor, Social and Cultural Anthropology Tuomas M. Ylä-Anttila, Associate Professor, Political Science Anne Kouvonen, Professor, Social Policy) EXALT READING: Alternative Futures: India Unshackled [cid:[email protected]]Read the latest: “Alternative Futures: India Unshackled”<https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/_media/publications:en:alternative…>, (edited by KJ Joy & Ashish Kothari) which brings together scenarios of an India that is politically and socially egalitarian, radically democratic, economically sustainable and equitable, and socio-culturally diverse and harmonious. This open access book covers a wide range of issues and is a must-read for those interested in envisioning better futures for all. Previous: The previous EXALT Reading is an article published on the Journal Globalizations. Steve Keen's "The Appallingly Bad Neoclassical Economics of Climate Change"<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14747731.2020.1807856?fbclid=I…> offers devastating critique of neoclassical climate economics and shows how lot of the research dramatically underestimates and misinterprets the risk of climate emergency. "If climate change does lead to the catastrophic outcomes that some scientists now openly contemplate, then these Neoclassical economists will be complicit in causing the greatest crisis, not merely in the history of capitalism, but potentially in the history of life on Earth." EXALT Reading is a curated list of open access, topical and critical literature on Extractivism, Global Crises, Alternatives, Sustainability, Degrowth, Solidarity, Commons and everything in between! The literature-picks are posted biweekly on EXALT's Facebook-page<https://www.facebook.com/EXALTglobal> and updated on the website regularly. PUBLICATION: ORGANISING IN DEFENCE OF LIFE: THE EMERGENCE AND DYNAMICS OF A TERRITORIAL MOVEMENT IN SOUTHERN CHILE By Maria Ehrnström-Fuentes (Published on the Journal Organization) [cid:[email protected]]The aim of this paper is to examine how territorial movements, as distinct forms of place-based social movements, organise in defence of life against the threat of resource extraction on their land. Based on the experiences of Indigenous Lafkenche-Mapuche members of a protracted struggle against a pulp mill in southern Chile, the study seeks to address the following research questions: (1) How do territorial movements emerge and organise the defence of their threatened lives? and (2) How do diverging (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) territorial relations shape the dynamics of the struggle? Combining insights from Enrique Dussel’s ‘ethics of liberation’ with that of Indigenous ontologies, this study suggests that territorial movements emerge out of the awakening of a critical consciousness of the threat of death and the collective ‘desire to live’ that define the dynamics of the struggle. The findings demonstrate how the diverging territorial relations, the societally embedded ‘coloniality of power’, and the state and corporate induced violence shape the movement dynamics. Changes in the movement dynamics also occur as a result of the struggle itself, as the movement actors’ unified desire to live continuously transforms the people and shapes the territory they inhabit. DOI: 10.1177/1350508420963871 Read the full article here.<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1350508420963871> PUBLICATION: ALLI KAWSAY: EPISTEMOLOGY AND POLITICAL PRACTICE IN THE TERRITORIES, A POSSIBILITY FROM THE ANDEAN PLURIVERSE FOR ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE AND THE CARE OF MOTHER NATURE By Eduardo Erazo Acosta (Chapter in The Palgrave Handbook of Climate Resilient Societies pp 1-17) [cid:[email protected]]Indigenous communities are noted for being resilient. The following presentation is an epistemological-political action from the world of possibilities in the pluriverse of indigenous knowledge. The Alli Kawsay (Buen Vivir) and its political, cultural, and epistemic options offer the possibility to work collectively in favor of our ‘Mother Nature.’ From the urgent options to be heard in the current climate crisis and even more in the sociopolitical crisis, it is essential to strengthen respect for Mother Nature. This document arises from learning in indigenous communities in walking and listening to indigenous talk in the Andean region in high Andean and Amazonian communities. Presented here are elements of the rights of nature. The Alli Kawsay is an option to be lived urgently now, as a serious and fundamental option that originates from ancestral knowledge, is lived by millions in the global south, and that today is taken up again at the global level by activists and people aware of the care of nature as a subject of rights in the international political framework. Full chapter here.<https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-32811-5_41-1> NEWS PIECE ON THE FIRST YEAR OF THE EXALT PODCAST: “Popularising research on extractivism and its alternatives” Published on the University of Helsinki’s website [cid:[email protected]]In celebration of the one year anniversary of the EXALT Podcast a brief news piece was published on the EXALT website on the podcast’s first year and the significance of approachable communication of research. “From large-scale mining, to eco-cultural pluralism, and harmful forms of conservation, the EXALT Podcast offers listeners, activists, and academics a space to explore and discuss the multiple ways extractivism shapes our world today and the possibilities for alternatives.” Read the full article here.<https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/sustainability-news/exalt-podcast-popularis…> PUBLICATION: ECONOMICS AND CLIMATE EMERGENCY By professors Barry Gills & Jamie Morgan (published in Globalizations) [cid:[email protected]]In this article professor Barry Gills (Global Development Studies, University of Helsinki) and professor Jamie Morgan (Leeds Beckett University) provide introductory comment for the collection of solicited essays on Economics and Climate Emergency published as a collection on the Journal Globalizations, and all of which are open access until the end of the year. In the article Gills and Morgan suggest that recent critique of the climate movement has broader systemic significance and this is indicative of issues that bear on the collected essays. This article is to rehearse some of the standard arguments leading to complacency and delay to action on climate change and ecological breakdown. DOI:10.1080/14747731.2020.1841527 Read the full article here. <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14747731.2020.1841527> EXALT PODCAST – LATEST EPISODES [cid:[email protected]]Latest episodes: Bonus episode: Year 1 Retrospective (and Outtakes)<https://open.spotify.com/episode/3oPzkBgPCCC09peCjvrNjs> Markus Kröger – What is the Best way to Push for Change?<https://open.spotify.com/episode/2STO5KDccqqIcidy3O7Lna> Anja Nygren - How Does Extractivism Impact Frontier Families Over Generations? Gutu Olana Wayessa - Why do people need to be consulted about big projects in their back yards? Will LaFleur – What kind of connection do you have with your food? The EXALT Podcast<https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/exalt-2020/podcast> publishes monthly episodes focused on the themes of extractivisms and alternatives. Our guests come from academics, activism, and lived experience. A new conversation will be posted every month. Listen to us on Apple Podcast<https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/exalt-podcast/id1499621252>, Spotify<https://open.spotify.com/show/4y9LgePsbaT1ZbDa7I0PmK>, SoundCloud<https://soundcloud.com/user-12248734>, Anchor<https://anchor.fm/exalt-initiative>, Google Podcasts<https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mNWNhZjMwL3BvZG…>, Breaker<https://www.breaker.audio/exalt-podcast> or RadioPublic.<https://radiopublic.com/exalt-podcast-6vY0Rl> CONTENT FOR THE EXALT-NEWSLETTER? [cid:[email protected]]One of the core aims of the EXALT initiative is to communicate and disseminate transformative and critical knowledge. As valued members of the EXALT community we invite our fellow scholars and activists to send us publications, materials or news (related to extractivisms and alternatives) for the monthly EXALT newsletter. Please send any possible publications and other content to exalt(a)helsinki.fi<mailto:[email protected]>. Remember to follow us on Twitter<https://twitter.com/ExaltResearch> and Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/EXALTglobal/>. [cid:[email protected]] Thank you for having subscribed to the EXALT-mailing list. If you wish to unsubscribe, please send an email to exalt(a)helsinki.fi<mailto:[email protected]>

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What’s up with AgroecologyNow!? November 2020 Update
by Michel Pimbert 25 Nov '20

25 Nov '20

Dear all This may be of interest to you and networks linked to PeDAGoG Best wishes Michel What’s up with AgroecologyNow!? November 2020 Update AgroecologyNow! is an initiative convened by the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience working with partners in social movements, civil society, governments and research institutions to promote a transformative agroecology for food sovereignty and social justice: www.agroecologynow.com<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.agroec…> See below for some highlights of our latest work, including free-to-download articles and videos. Please pass some or all of this on to your networks or to copy/adapt parts for use in newsletters, etc. There are also a number of recent and freely downloadable articles listed at the end of the email. * Posts marked with a star include upcoming events you may wish to join in on. Announcing a new Column at AgroecoloyNow! - “Agroecology in Motion: Nourishing Transformation” We have launched a new column at AgroecologyNow!. Our aim is to create a platform for bold ideas relayed through succinct, creative and compelling writing that stretches the boundaries of thinking and action to nourish a transformative agroecology. It will include articles that stimulate reflection and learning, inform political-practical work on agroecology and move people to action. The column will be provocative and inspiring, international in scope and connected with agroecology happenings all over the world. The first article in the column lays the groundwork for future contributions: https://wp.me/p67WNH-GF<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp…> Seeking New Agreements for Working with Nature through Enhancing Agricultural Biodiversity In this inaugural piece in our new column, Agroecology in Motion, Patrick Mulvany, calls for the radical foregrounding of a transformative understanding of agricultural biodiversity. This approach could herald new ways of agreeing how we should work with nature, led by peasants, Indigenous Peoples and other food producers as the everyday experts, stewards and champions of agricultural biodiversity. This call to action will help tune activists, researchers, policy-makers and other actors into the need to democratise and transform the governance of agricultural biodiversity. https://wp.me/p67WNH-FG<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp…>. * Join us at the Oxford Real Farming Conference 2021 This year the ORFC is going online and global with a 7-day programme (7-13 Jan) of talks and workshops from across the world. The event will give food and farming activists, including producers, researchers, policy-makers and NGOs the chance to exchange ideas, learn from each other and form new alliances. It will also provide space to organise ahead of the climate ministers and heads of state gathering, COP26, which the UK is hosting in Glasgow in November 2021. AgroecologyNow and CAWR will be a part of 6+ presentations, workshops and interactive sessions on: * Agroecology Financing: From Tweaking to Transformation …! * Exporting Technofixes, Colonialism and Resistance * Can agriculture be decolonised? Opportunities and obstacles for agroecology * Building farmers capacity in the context of urbanisation: political pedagogies for urban agroecology * Subtle Agroecologies: Farming with the Hidden Half of Nature * In the Belly of the Beast; Organising for Food Sovereignty in the US Registration for delegates from majority world countries will be free. View more about our sessions at https://wp.me/p67WNH-Ft<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp…> and see the wider slate of offerings and get tickets at https://orfc.org.uk<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Forfc.org.…>. Connecting the dots of Agroecology and Food Sovereignty This podcast discusses food sovereignty and agroecology in different contexts - From poultry plants in the US South exploiting low-wage workers, to the slow violence of pesticides in Punjab causing premature disability to the European food sovereignty movement and peasant rights activism- scholars, Carrie Freshour, Divya Sharma and CAWR’s Barbara Van Dyck join the WBI show to connect the dots of agroecology across places. https://tinyurl.com/yydqqol9<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.c…>. Decolonising the Curriculum? Reflecting on Possibilities and Contradictions at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience The decolonising the curriculum movement represents a profound challenge to universities and a call for introspection and action. This article<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp…> shares the reflections that emerged at a CAWR workshop to discuss the contradictions and possibilities of enacting decoloniality and equity in the academy. Click here to access our own related multimedia ‘resource list’<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peopl…> onDecolonising<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peopl…> the Curriculum. https://wp.me/p6tuKo-1cZ<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp…> * Resourcing and Financing Agroecology - New Page, Resources and Upcoming Webinar How can transitions towards agroecology be ‘financed’. Our growing stream of research at AgroecologyNow on Financing and Resourcing Agroecology is critically examining the role of public and philanthropic donors in agroecology transitions. We are looking at both the quantity (and often the lack) of funds allocated to agroecology. We are also especially concerned with the quality of financing approaches and specifically how they can support a transformative agroecology. Also, this page<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.agroe…> lists the growing number of studies that explicitly study the extent to which agroecology is being financed through differentagricultural development and research programs. Visit the website to sign up for two webinars on this stream of research (one on November 26<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.agroe…> and another in January as a part of ORFC as mentioned above). View more here: https://wp.me/P67WNH-C8<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2FP…> Call for Interest for Special Issue - Participatory Action Research in Times of COVID We are organizing a Special Issue on the topic of “Doing Participatory Action Research (PAR) in a time of COVID and Beyond”. Our idea is to submit it to Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. We encourage scholar-activists or researcher-practitioners from within social networks and scholarship to co-author work that raises important questions about how we might think about and approach our work differently. Click here for more details:http://www.agroecologynow.com/par-covid/<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.agroec…>. Call for Abstracts: Special Issue on Women’s Communal Land Rights - December 11 Deadline We are interested in submissions that critically analyze efforts, by a range of actors, to advance communal land rights in different spaces and at different levels, and what this means for women and youth. This will become part of a Research Topic edited by Priscilla Claeys, Stefanie Lemke and Juana Camacho in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.front…>, sub-section Social Movements, Institutions and Governance<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.front…>. To check it out and submit an abstract, click here: https://tinyurl.com/y62rnwwu<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.c…> Pivoting from Local Food to Just Food Systems in Special Farming Matters Issue on Agroecology and Feminism They are advancing economic models based on feminist and degrowth economics that move far beyond the profit-motive of capitalist economic logic. This article discusses the surge in interest in ‘local food’ in the wake of COVID. It argues that social movements are doing critical work in coordinating and amplifying the political dimensions of local food by shifting from individual to collective, exclusive to inclusive, and technical to political to confront corporate power and other intersecting oppressions. Read here: https://wp.me/p67WNH-DW<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp…>. This article was originally published the Farming Matters Special Issue on Agroecology and Feminism<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cultiv…> published by CIDSE<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cidse…>, Cultivate!<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcultivatec…>, and the AgriCultures network<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmagazines…>. AgroecologyNow! Publications (click through to access) * Alvarez Febles, N. and Félix, G. 2020. Hurricane María, Agroecology and Climate Change Resiliency<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.taylo…>. In B. Tokar and T. Gilbertson (Eds.), Climate Justice and Community Renewal.<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.taylo…> London: Routledge. [contact authors for pdf]. * Anderson, C.R. and Anderson, M. 2020. Resources to Inspire a Transformative Agroecology: A Curated Guide. In Transformation of Our Food Systems<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.globa…>, eds. H.R. Herren, B. Haerlin and IAASTD+10 Advisory Group. Berlin/Zurich: Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft/Biovision. P. 169-180. * Anderson, C.R. Milgroom, J. and M.P. Pimbert. 2020. Pivoting from Local Food to Just Food Systems<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cultiv…>. Farming Matters. 36.1. P. 43. * Arora, S., Van Dyck, B., Sharma, D. & A. Stirling. 2020. Control, care, and conviviality in the politics of technology for sustainability, Sustainability.<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandf…> Science, Practice and Policy, 16:1, 247-262. * Claeys, P. and Peschard, K. 2020. Transnational Agrarian Movements, Food Sovereignty, and Legal Mobilization<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.resea…> in the Oxford Handbook of Law and Anthropology. [contact authors for pdf] * Duncan, J. and Claeys, P. 2020. Gender, COVID-19 and Food Systems: impacts, community responses and feminist policy demands<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.csm4cf…>. CSM Women’s Working Group. * Herren, H.R., B. Haerlin and IAASTD+10 Advisory Group. Transformation of Our Food Systems. Berlin/Zurich: Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft/Biovision.www.globalagriculture.org<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.global…>. * Lemke, S. and Claeys, P. 2020. Absent Voices: Women and Youth in Communal Land Governance. Reflections on Methods and Process from Exploratory Research in West and East Africa<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.…>,Land, 9(8), 266. * Pimbert, M. P. 2018. Constructing Knowledge for Food Sovereignty, Agroecology and Biocultural Diversity<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftandfbis.…>. In M. P. Pimbert (Ed.), Food sovereignty, agroecology and biocultural diversity. (pp. 1-56). London: Routledge. * Pimbert, M. P. 2018. Democratizing knowledge and ways of knowing for food sovereignty, agroecology and biocultural diversity<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftandfbis.…>. In M. P. Pimbert (Ed.), Food sovereignty, agroecology and biocultural diversity. (pp. 259–321). London: Routledge. Highlighted Publications, Events and Updates From our Networks * Call for contributions: e-zine - Our Food, Our Right: Recipes For a New Normal<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…>(Community Alliance for Global Justice) * Call for papers: Sustainability and Political Agroecology - special issue in Sustainability Journal<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.…> * Declaration: Glasgow Agreement - People’s Climate Commitment <https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglasgowag…> * Guidebook: Cooking Up Political Agendas: A Feminist Guide on the Right to Food and Nutrition For Women in Rural Areas<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fian.…> [Friends of the Earth International, FIAN International, Crocevia] * Interactive resource: Earth to Table Legacies<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fearthtota…> * Policy Briefing: CIDSE Agroecology & Finance Briefing<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cidse…> [CIDSE] * Research Brief: The Right to Land and Other Natural Resource<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.genev…> [Geneva Academy] * Film: InsightShare documentary ‘Living Cultures: Decolonising Cultural Spaces<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Finsightsh…>’ * *Film and online screening event: The feature film GATHER tells the story about Indian resilience and the renaissance of Native food systems.https://www.nativefoodsystems.org/<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nativ…> - Join on-line screening event on Dec 4 here<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flandworke…> or access film here<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com…>. * Webinar recording: Winona LaDuke and Leah Penniman in Conversation<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtu…>[Schumacher Centre for New Economics Webinar] * Video: Transnational Law Institute Focus Seminar on Food (in-)security and activism during and “post” COVID-19. <https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kcl.a…> Webinar recording with interventions from Michael Fakhri, Jessica Duncan, Priscilla Claeys, William Moseley, Stefano Prato and Shalmali Guttal, organized by Matt Canfield. * Report: The right to food in the context of international trade law and policy<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fundocs.or…> [UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food] * Report: ‘Junk Agroecology’: The corporate capture of agroecology for a partial ecological transition without social justice<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tni.o…> [TNI] * Report: False Promises: The Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rosal…>[multiple publishers] * Report: Money Flows: What is holding back investment in agroecological research for Africa? <https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipes-f…> [Biovision, IPES Food, Institute of Development Studies] * Guidebook: Direct Sales and Short Supply Chains: An introduction to models and management for farmers and growers<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flandworke…> [Landworkers’ Alliance, UK] * Case study collection: Direct Sales and Short Supply Chains: Bringing the Market Back into Farmers’ Hands<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flandworke…> [Landworkers’ Alliance, UK] * Report: Shortening Food Supply Chains in UK: Roads to Regional Resilience<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soila…> [Soil Association & Friends Provident Foundation, UK] * Report: The Added Value(s) of Agroecology : Unlocking the potential for transition in West Africa<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipes-f…> [IPES Food, International], version en français<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipes-f…> * Article: Food for All or Feeding the Data Colossus? The Future of Food in a Digital World<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fitforchan…> [ETC Group]. * Article: Correcting misperceptions of Agroecology<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fspiked.co…> * Article: Meek, D. and Khadshe A. 2020. Food sovereignty and farmer suicides: bridging political ecologies of health and education<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2…>. The Journal of Peasant Studies. * Article: The Failure of GMO Cotton in India<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indep…> * Article: The future of agroecology in Canada: Embracing the politics of food sovereignty<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scien…> * Book: Meek. D. 2020. The Political Ecology of Education: Brazil's Landless Workers' Movement and the Politics of Knowledge<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmuse.jhu.…>. * PhD Opportunity: Focusing on food systems and social justice<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uvm.e…> at UVermont. * *Conference: VIII Latin American Congress of Agroecology<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.agroe…>, 25-27 of November, online ________________________________ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ICCA Consortium Membership Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ICCA_Consortium+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com<mailto:[email protected]>. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ICCA_Consortium/4BC638A0-6E93-463F-8978-2…<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.go…>. ________________________________ This email has been scanned for spam, viruses and malicious links. If you believe this email should have been stopped by our filters or is an attempt at phishing your information click here<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fportal.ma…> to report it to us. Reminder: IT Services will never ask for your personal information. No.1 Modern University in the Midlands Guardian University Guide 2021 1st for Overseas Student Experiences based on student trips abroad from HESA 2018/19 UK data Top 30 in the World for International Students QS World University Rankings 2021 University of the Year for Student Experience 2019 The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 NOTICE This message and any files transmitted with it is intended for the addressee only and may contain information that is confidential or privileged. Unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you are not the addressee, you should not read, copy, disclose or otherwise use this message, except for the purpose of delivery to the addressee. Any views or opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Coventry University.

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Join the Great Degrowth Debate Monday 16 Nov 1pm EST/19hrs CET
by Paulson,Susan 21 Nov '20

21 Nov '20

Join a live debate with authors and editors of major Degrowth works published in 2020. Sign in Monday 16 November at 1pm EST/ 1900hrs CET: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RJsW3pspCE Three books in dialogue: Giorgos Kallis, Susan Paulson, Giacomo D'Alisa, Federico Demaria, 2020. The Case for Degrowth. Polity Press, 140 pages: https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/The+Case+...<https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0p1ZTJQZUpDRmhHaW02Zl…> "The relentless pursuit of economic growth is the defining characteristic of contemporary societies. Yet it benefits few and demands monstrous social and ecological sacrifice. Is there a viable alternative? How can we halt the endless quest to grow global production and consumption and instead secure socio-ecological conditions that support lives worth living for all? In this compelling book, leading experts Giorgos Kallis, Susan Paulson, Giacomo D'Alisa and Federico Demaria make the case for degrowth - living well with less, by living differently, prioritizing wellbeing, equity and sustainability. Drawing on emerging initiatives and enduring traditions around the world, they advance a radical degrowth vision and outline policies to shape work and care, income and investment that avoid exploitative and unsustainable practices. Degrowth, they argue, can be achieved through transformative strategies that allow societies to slow down by design, not disaster. Essential reading for all concerned citizens, policy-makers, and students, this book will be an important contribution to one of the thorniest and most pressing debates of our era." This debate is for anyone interested in the latest ideas and developments within the Degrowth movement, and those who are completely new to it. There will be a chance for you to get involved with other viewers in the YouTube chat, as well as ask questions to the authors. Corinna Burkhart, Matthias Schmelzer, Nina Treu (eds.) 2020. Degrowth in Movement(s): A dictionary of social movements and alternatives for a future beyond economic growth, capitalism, and domination. Zero Books, 360 pages: https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/ze...<https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqbi11MkNfTEl2M3VBenNVdk…> "Degrowth is an emerging social movement that overlaps with proposals for systemic change such as anti-globalization and climate justice, commons and transition towns, basic income and Buen Vivir. Degrowth in Movement(s) reflects on the current situation of social movements aiming at overcoming capitalism, industrialism and domination. The essays ask: What is the key idea of the respective movement? Who is active? What is the relation with the degrowth movement? What can the degrowth movement learn from these other movements and the other way around? Which common proposals, but also which contradictions, oppositions and tensions exist? And what alliances could be possible for broader systemic transformations?" Vincent Liegey, Anitra Nelson, 2020. Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide. Pluto Press, 224 pages: https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745342...<https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHd0QW5XQ19wRFN5X0Jwbk…> "A sense of urgency pervades global environmentalism, and the degrowth movement is bursting into the mainstream. As climate catastrophe looms closer, people are eager to learn what degrowth is about, and whether we can save the planet by changing how we live. This book is an introduction to the movement. As politicians and corporations obsess over growth objectives, the degrowth movement demands that we must slow down the economy by transforming our economies, our politics and our cultures to live within the Earth's limits. This book navigates the practice and strategies of the movement, looking at its strengths and weaknesses. Covering horizontal democracy, local economies and the reduction of work, it shows us why degrowth is a compelling and realistic project." Panelists have been challenged to create a Limerick, and we invite the audience to put on their artistic hats and write their own degrowth-related limericks, which can be shared in the chat during the debate or via private message/tagging us on social media. The viewers can then vote for their favourite Limerick, and the "Audience favourite" will be announced at the end of the debate! Follow us on socials: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DegrowthTalks/<https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkVBZGZvVkhiaUtBMTZNbm…> Twitter: https://twitter.com/degrowthtalks<https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0dHTnJwc0Z5YkhFUXVHNT…> Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/degrowthtalks/<https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkpWY1k3UEF6aVVLaG9xZV…>

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Be Our Digital Spect-actor
by Shubham Ojha 21 Nov '20

21 Nov '20

Hello, We are a collective of artists called Rang Karwan, who believe in theatre as a tool for social change. Inspired by the interactive elements of Forum Theatre we have filmed a short scene Unmuted that traces the story of a girl working from home, encountering online harassment. Our work so far has been appreciated and acknowledged by *India Foundation for the Arts* through their 25 x 25 Initiative and we are ready to involve a wider audience. We are looking to identify organizations who work with women in the workplace, gender sensitization and education, violence against women, cybercrime, harassment or their intersectionalities to be our participatory audience or ‘spect-actors’. If you are not affiliated with any of these organizations but identify as women and want to help us in our initiative we would love to have you on board. As our ‘spect-actors’ you will view video scenes of our story and participate in an anonymous survey that would help script the succeeding scenes.Your participation in this journey will help us build a repository of possible action steps and questions that women can consider the next time they encounter such harassment. If you would like to sign up or know more, do fill in this form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeqvzwpExMiQDY4SRk-bY7b96LLK8q-D2p…>by Friday November 28th. https://forms.gle/hnr4ZKu1vZBuE3KCA Love and regards, Shubham Rang Karwan Follow us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/Rang-Karwan-100475151586174> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/rangkarwan/> https://www.rangkarwan.org/ [image: WhatsApp Image 2020-11-04 at 15.41.39.jpeg]

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Decolonising the Curriculum Resources
by Christine Dann 20 Nov '20

20 Nov '20

Dear Alternative Educators I just came across the article below from the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, UK, and it linked to a list of resources (link also below) which I thought may be of use to people on this list who have to deal with colonialist academic institutions. All the best for your efforts! Christine / / / / /Decolonising the Curriculum? Reflecting on Possibilities and Contradictions at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience/ Collectively Written November 7, 2020 https://www.peoplesknowledge.org/decolcurriculumcawr/ /Decolonising the Curriculum Resources/ https://www.peoplesknowledge.org/resources/read/decolonising-resources/

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Committed to teaching the truth - can you help?
by ThoughtBox Education 17 Nov '20

17 Nov '20

Good morning all, I’m emailing with an invitation to you and any of your colleagues or connections working in social justice who you think could support this endeavour: As a social enterprise committed to teaching children how - not what - to think, ThoughtBox Education <http://www.thoughtboxeducation.com/> is excited to be launching a new (free) inquiry-based curriculum for all schools exploring *Equality and Justice*. The programme will be available for 5-18 year olds, with modules containing four lessons each. We recognise the enormity of this subject, the need to approach with integrity and the importance of allowing all voices to be heard. As such we are reaching out to a small number of inspired friends and practitioners working in the field of justice for people and planet to invite you to join a peer-review panel and share your thoughts on the curriculum before we launch it to the world. *NB: We wish to communicate that we are not just replacing the source of oppression in this curriculum by sharing a better set of beliefs, but are truly committed to supporting open-mindedness and critical thinking to allow young people to listen, reflect, learn and unlearn accordingly.* *Our ask:* We’d love you to take a look at one, some or all of our curriculum for 11-18 year olds and share your thoughts. In particular we would love to know: 1. Have we approached these explorations with due respect and sensitivity? 2. Have we overlooked any vital reflections? 3. Are there wider resources you suggest we link schools to? *How much time can you offer?* 1. *10 minutes*: Take a look through one of our lessons to get a feel for our approach. Or… 2. *30 minutes*: Look through a full curriculum for one of our age ranges and share thoughts. Or… 3. *60 minutes*: Look through the progressive curriculum from 11-18 year olds and send us your reflections We would welcome your reflections ASAP and by Friday 20th November 2020 at the latest. *In return:* 1. We promise to listen to your reflections and absorb them into the final programme 2. We would love to link to you and your work as part of our peer review panel 3. We wish to offer you full access to these curriculum and resources to share with any of your networks *What is our approach?* ThoughtBox is a social enterprise learning about learning. We acknowledge just how deeply fragmented perspectives are in society, whilst a strong top-down narrative continues to hold significant sway. Whilst inviting inquiry and reflection in our lessons, we are clearly, openly challenging the status quo. Our curriculum is built on a foundation of empathy and openness to encourage diversity of thought and the practice of unlearning. I attach an overview of the programme and a link to the lessons below in anticipation of your support. *If you could reply to confirm whether you’re happy to help or not, that would be wonderful. * *Equality & Justice inquiry curriculum – A free resource <https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g81ab7b5ls4yrgz/AAC0XcvCTwTvqgYAtRh9VGDQa?dl=0>* Regardless of whether or not you’re able to support, may I take this opportunity to thank you sincerely for the work you’re doing to shape a more just world. Warmest wishes, Rachel *Rachel Musson* Director of Education *Phone*: +44 7970 157883 *Email*: rachel(a)thoughtboxeducation.com *www.thoughtboxeducation.com <http://www.thoughtboxeducation.com>* [image: Title: LinkedIn - Description: image of LinkedIn icon] <https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-musson/> [image: Title: Twitter - Description: image of Twitter icon] <https://twitter.com/thoughtbox_ed> [image: Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/thoughtboxeducation/> *ARE YOU PART OF OUR COMMUNITY YET? *Sign up to our new free membership <http://www.thoughtboxeducation.com/membership> and help transform education together.

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FW: THIS WEEK! NENA Conference - don't miss out, register now!
by S. A. Hamed Hosseini Faradonbeh 16 Nov '20

16 Nov '20

FYI From: Meaghan Burkett <meaghanjburkett(a)gmail.com> Sent: Monday, 16 November 2020 12:56 PM To: Meaghan Burkett <meaghanjburkett(a)gmail.com> Subject: Fwd: THIS WEEK! NENA Conference - don't miss out, register now! Hi New Economy Enthusiasts, The NENA Conference starts THIS FRIDAY and we have OVER 80 SPEAKERS from all sectors. An individual ticket is only $41 for three days and $19 for one day (free tickets available to anyone that needs one). It's fully online this year so you can join from anywhere. Please share with your networks. We'd love to have you with there More info below Warmly Meaghan View this email in your browser<https://mailchi.mp/b684f84dabbc/acceptance-of-your-proposal-nena-2020-annua…> [https://mcusercontent.com/81499ff732015e91967f94304/images/d8648d0f-729a-49…] NENA's Annual Conference STARTS THIS WEEK! Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd November Register now<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=81499ff732015e91967f9…> 80 speakers & 35 sessions over 3 days REGISTER HERE - tickets start at $15 for 1 day & $35 for 3 days<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=81499ff732015e91967f9…> Conference Sessions at our 2020 Conference include: * First Nations economic systems * Democracy, participation and enterprise * Storytelling and Narratives in the new economy * Nurturing the Commons * Rethinking Money, Banking, Finance and Property * Modern Monetary Theory * Rethinking Enterprises - Cooperatives, Sharing Economy * Educating for the new economy * Engagement, impact and trust * Reinventing work for the regenerative economy * Facilitation techniques for Peoples' Assemblies * Community wealth building and assets * Housing - co-housing, collaborative and alternative housing models * Permaculture and edible landscapes * Updates from our international networks - RIPESS and Wellbeing Economy Alliance REGISTER HERE - tickets start at $15 for 1 day & $35 for 3 days<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=81499ff732015e91967f9…> Conference Speakers Include: [https://mcusercontent.com/81499ff732015e91967f94304/images/8f051271-a425-4b…] CLICK HERE to read the program for the 2020 NENA Annual Conference<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=81499ff732015e91967f9…> [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/81499ff732015e91967f94304/images/c16f7f79-e61…] [Twitter]<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=81499ff732015e91967f9…> [Facebook]<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=81499ff732015e91967f9…> [Website]<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=81499ff732015e91967f9…> Copyright © 2020 New Economy Network Australia, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website or at a NENA event. Our mailing address is: New Economy Network Australia PO Box 405 BANYO, QLD 4014 Australia Add us to your address book<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/vcard?u=81499ff732015e91967f94304&i…> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/profile?u=81499ff732015e91967f94304…> or unsubscribe from this list<https://neweconomy.us16.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=81499ff732015e91967f9…>. [Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/email-referral/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Fwd: Participant information for joining the Regenerative Education Working Group Online Summit
by Andrea González Andino 12 Nov '20

12 Nov '20

In case you are interested in joining the summit. Hugs! ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Jamaica Stevens <transformations13(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, Nov 11, 2020, 7:27 PM Subject: Participant information for joining the Regenerative Education Working Group Online Summit To: Greetings Colleagues & Co-Creators! We are so excited to gather with you for the Regenerative Education Working Group Online Summit happening THIS WEEKEND- November 13-15th, 2020. This is your participant info. guide for participating in the summit. Here is table of contents: - General participant info. <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P73kUmIEA9OlL7eiPF4eza3chl1l_5nAUDkFb3h…> - Summit schedule <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P73kUmIEA9OlL7eiPF4eza3chl1l_5nAUDkFb3h…> - Zoom link for joining sessions <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P73kUmIEA9OlL7eiPF4eza3chl1l_5nAUDkFb3h…> - Summit tools for collaboration and engagement <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P73kUmIEA9OlL7eiPF4eza3chl1l_5nAUDkFb3h…> GENERAL PARTICIPANT INFO. This event is participatory, co-creative and engagement oriented- focused on supporting greater collaborative capacity & coherence amongst peers along with generating momentum for working groups to form. The summit is intentionally informal, a focused conversation in an ongoing inquiry, and our small volunteer hosting team is offering this container as an opportunity to explore together as a community. The hope is that there is a natural spark through these sessions that lead to organic and ongoing working groups who will incubate collaborative initiatives & projects. Our aim is also to create the foundation for a process of developing and adopting a shared framework for a Regenerative Education Ecosystem to emerge amongst allies who want to share common efforts. If you plan to attend the full schedule of sessions, we encourage you to bring snacks/lunch/hydration and -in general- practice self care as you participate. We encourage you to participate as fully as possible in the sessions, but of course, we also understand if you are only able to pop in for a few events and welcome your authentic participation as you can join us! SUMMIT SCHEDULE HERE IS A LINK TO THE SCHEDULE AND THEMES <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e_nyDw6dydnikTjytEVEmXaK6PeUnoIb_gv…> ZOOM LINK FOR ATTENDING SESSIONS HERE IS THE ZOOM LINK FOR JOINING ALL SESSIONS <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82673675779?pwd=OWZQVXRtMlNMNjVxZkJjSXZtYUxzdz09> SUMMIT TOOLS FOR COLLABORATION We will be using a few collaborative tools for engaging during the summit: - MIRO- Miro Workspace Link <https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_lf9We6w=/> - psswd: REWG2020- This is a collaborative, interactive live scribe and harvest space we will use during the summit and for archives & ongoing engagement after the summit - HYLO- Hylo Invite Link <https://www.hylo.com/c/regeneducation/join/lx1CSdClrA>- This is a peer-to-peer social networking tool for collaborative engagement and community building. This is where you can share your profile, network with other participants and where ongoing conversations and activities will be coordinated during and after the summit. - GOOGLE- Google Doc Link- <https://docs.google.com/document/d/14dws74peG9SprP5OdouZeQUXuFI9kJXzieIJ6cW…> This is the shared notes and synthesis document we will be using to harvest the highlights and outcomes from each session We look forward to gathering with you as we grow this network of trusted colleagues in service to Regenerative principles, practices, and learning pathways. See you this weekend! ~The Summit Hosting Team

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FW: [New post] On the Urgency of (Re)Integrating with the Radical
by S. A. Hamed Hosseini Faradonbeh 07 Nov '20

07 Nov '20

FYI commonism posted: "by S.A. Hamed Hosseini, University of Newcastle, Australia Source: ISA Global Dialogue: Magazine of the International Sociological Association, Volume 10, Issue 3 COVID-19 has shown that radical transformations are not only possible but unavoidab" New post on Common Alternatives [https://i2.wp.com/thecommonalts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/cropped-Demo…] [http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/a650098e38856ec326159d7535275bac?s=50&d=http%3…]<http://thecommonalts.com/?author=1> On the Urgency of (Re)Integrating with the Radical<http://thecommonalts.com/on-the-urgency-of-reintegrating-with-the-radical/> by commonism<http://thecommonalts.com/?author=1> by S.A. Hamed Hosseini, University of Newcastle, Australia Source: ISA Global Dialogue: Magazine of the International Sociological Association, Volume 10, Issue 3<https://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/on-the-urgency-of-reintegrating-wi…> COVID-19 has shown that radical transformations are not only possible but unavoidable to prevent greater implosions. Living through a slow- or de-growth status – where collective “well-living” is gaining primacy over hedonistic well-being – has awakened us to the implausibility of returning to the old normal. Now is the time to quarantine our minds from the fatal cognitive virus of the capitalistic myth of “There Is No Alternative.” Though painful, lockdowns provide moments of reflection on where we are, how we have reached here, and what we can do to unite our creative imaginations and political actions to shape the post-pandemic world. Where are we? In a nutshell, in the absence of worldwide radical, comprehensive actions, we humans are on the road to a full-fledged civilizational collapse. The collapse is most likely a spiral of cascading interrelated catastrophic events: regional climate calamities, global pandemics, economic recessions, severe food, water, and energy crises leading to mass displacements and unrests, global conflicts and civil wars, more severe climate catastrophes, and the acceleration of the current biodiversity downfall. How did we get here? To cut a long story short, a specific form of “civilization” originated from European colonialism entangled with modern capitalism gained full global ascendency in recent decades. This world civilization system is characterized by its foundational dependence on: (1) Capital replacing labor as the ultimate source of value; (2) Carbon – fossil fuels or more generally speaking, extractivism; (3) Compulsive economic growth through relentless commodification of socio-ecological relations and a multi-century mass appropriation of the commons, sustained through the constant promotion of consumerist cultures across the world; (4) Coloniality, i.e. the ongoing stratifying power relations and epistemes necessary for maintaining the integrity of intersectional hierarchies; and finally (5) Corruptive politics, energized by the rise of monopoly-finance capital, corporate-state interest-driven advances in surveillance, datafication, bio- and neuro-technology, and warfare. Let’s call the above five intrinsic characteristics, the 5Cs. The system is inherently crisis-prone since the 5Cs require an endless expansion of the planet’s capacity. Since we have already passed the earth’s biocapacity, and with no present technological solutions on the horizon that can retain this capacity, the same characteristics behind the ascendency of modern civilization are now contributors to its demise. De-carbonization is not enough Ending any of the above dependencies without challenging the rest of them is doomed. Take the examples of de-carbonization as the most popular solution propagated by progressive institutions. New technologies that harness renewable sources face serious socio-political and economic obstacles. Their rate of progression is too slow to save the planet. More importantly, they are perceived by sections of the ruling class as a potential means of extending capital’s hegemony. The so-called post-carbon policies only stretch the system’s dependence on the rest of the 5Cs, instead of ending it. The underlying socioeconomic and biopolitical structures, on which the technological revolutions are based and to which they contribute, must be profoundly challenged so that meaningful transition can be owned and guided by the multitudes. This necessitates not only (1) De-carbonization, but also (2) De-capitalization, (3) De-growth, (4) Decolonization, and (5) Deep democratization of social institutions; i.e. the 5Ds of a global struggle to save organized life. Thus, de-carbonization, if perceived as an adequate solution, will function as a distraction from the rest of the equally important Ds. [http://thecommonalts.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Global-Liberation-2_Ham…] What can we, as activist academics, do? The most noticeable form of the reductionist approach to addressing global crises is the recent resurrection of political technocracy. The more it fails the more it becomes authoritarian. Universities, as hotbeds of innovation and cutting-edge knowledge, are losing their autonomy to their corporate industry and business partners which now are often their major sources of support in the age of austerity. Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) is facing an identity crisis. It needs to find a non-reductionist discourse in which HASS can restore its lost historical purpose. A “radical transformative scholarship” needs to be reinvented to focus on liberating praxes for progressive alternatives (as showcased by the authors of The Routledge Handbook of Transformative Global Studies). In response to ineffective technocratic solutions, we have recently witnessed an explosion of self-motivated communal creativities and grassroots projects pushing for more meaningful systemic transitions in a vast array of forms. The historical necessity of a deep civilizational shift is well understood by a growing number of 5Ds movements. The 2020s can be regarded as the most pivotal decade in the most critical century in human history where “demanding the impossible” becomes the only “realistic” option for emerging revolutionary forces. The current conjuncture characterized by intensifying economic and ecobiological crises will most likely translate into unprecedented discontent. In our epoch, we have reached a status where anomalies between theory and reality can no longer be resolved without obtaining insights from radical forces on the ground. However, these forces are diverse, unstructured, and fast-evolving, making them difficult to comprehend. Only recently, thanks to the pandemic-induced lockdowns and slowdowns, an unprecedented opportunity has emerged for these transformative forces to surface through online engagements with their broader populations. Despite the liberating potentialities of the 5Ds landscape, regretfully, it is still a marginal topic in HASS. The necessity of co-creating knowledge commons The most striking question we face in our engagements with the 5Ds is how to “co-develop” an inclusive yet dynamic knowledge of the emerging landscape of alternatives; a knowledge that in turn empowers these transformational actors and practices and helps us reinvent our scholarships as transformative. There is no reason to believe that the intensification of crises will automatically result in the collapse of unproductive divisions in the global left. The expectation that out of the marketplace of contingent interactions between countless forms of the 5Ds, somehow magically a new paradigm will arise that ends capitalism before it ends planetary life ironically resembles the neoclassical myth of invisible hands and the trickle-down fairy tale. In the current context where interests, rights, and needs of communities are undermined by the preferences of Capital, it remains vital for progressive socio-political endeavors, concerned with building sustainable, self-sufficient, just, and democratic futures, to resist and reverse the capitalist knowledge enclosures. Without submitting ourselves to a technocratic mentality in HASS, recent methodological advances in social informatics can be conscientiously employed to empower the liberating praxes on the ground. The power of big data can be harnessed to co-create “knowledge commons” with grassroots movements, to guide and energize an inclusive transition to post-5Cs eco-civilizations. Direct all correspondence to S.A. Hamed Hosseini <hamed.hosseini(a)newcastle.edu.au<mailto:[email protected]>> Hosseini Hamed S.A.<https://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/tag/hosseini-hamed-s-a/> Australia<https://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/category/country/austrlia/>, commonism<http://thecommonalts.com/?author=1> | October 31, 2020 at 3:47 am | Categories: Re-published<http://thecommonalts.com/?taxonomy=category&term=re-published>, S A Hamed Hosseini<http://thecommonalts.com/?taxonomy=category&term=s-a-hamed-hosseini> | URL: https://wp.me/p8cAhr-pV Unsubscribe<https://public-api.wordpress.com/bar/?stat=groovemails-events&bin=wpcom_ema…> to no longer receive posts from Common Alternatives. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions<https://public-api.wordpress.com/bar/?stat=groovemails-events&bin=wpcom_ema…>. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://thecommonalts.com/on-the-urgency-of-reintegrating-with-the-radical/

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FW: [New post] Beyond “Koyaanisqatsi”: Reimagining Civilization
by S. A. Hamed Hosseini Faradonbeh 07 Nov '20

07 Nov '20

commonism posted: "by Barry Gills, University of Helsinki, Finland Republished from: ISA Global Dialogue, Volume 10, Issue 3 There is an emerging view in the present crisis, illustrated in recently burgeoning commentary across the globe, expressing a realization tha" New post on Common Alternatives [https://i2.wp.com/thecommonalts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/cropped-Demo…] [http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/a650098e38856ec326159d7535275bac?s=50&d=http%3…]<http://thecommonalts.com/?author=1> Beyond “Koyaanisqatsi”: Reimagining Civilization<http://thecommonalts.com/beyond-koyaanisqatsi-reimagining-civilization/> by commonism<http://thecommonalts.com/?author=1> by Barry Gills, University of Helsinki, Finland Republished from: ISA Global Dialogue, Volume 10, Issue 3<https://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/category/volume-10/v10-i3/> There is an emerging view in the present crisis, illustrated in recently burgeoning commentary across the globe, expressing a realization that our present form of world order and civilization has brought humanity and “nature” into a great crisis, and that we must act radically to transform the foundations. The combination, or “triple crisis,” of the three Cs – Climate, Capitalism, and COVID-19 – has brought forward a momentum to address the fundamental causes of this crisis. Living in a time of Koyaanisqatsi The Hopi people of North America have an important myth with great relevance for our present situation: the myth of “Koyaanisqatsi,” often translated as “life out of balance,” “a form of life that should not exist,” or “a crazy life.” In this myth, human beings are custodians for all life, and our purpose is to maintain the balance among all forms of life, perpetually. To do so, we ourselves must maintain a way of life that ensures harmony with all other forms of life. In Koyaanisqatsi however, human beings have “lost their head,” and run aimlessly towards a precipice of destruction brought about by their own actions. Such a culture disregards the fundamental unity and interconnectedness of life. It forgets the sacredness of all life. It forgets its own true purpose, and it forgets the profound interdependence of human beings with other forms of life. Its actions are “mindless” and destructive. Only a truly profound spiritual awakening and cultural and material renewal can alter the course of such a culture, and save it and myriad other life forms from the great harm and destruction that Koyaanisqatsi will inevitably bring. We are living in a time of Koyaanisqatsi. We have been under the spell of totalizing concepts, such as “progress,” “modernity,” “development,” and “globalization.” They have promised us a better future. They have promised us material prosperity, a future age of health, safety, freedom. The truth, however, is that they have masked historical processes that have led to this present global crisis. The study of the “fall of civilizations” and of “existential threats or challenges” to humanity is now increasingly academically legitimated and even becoming “popular.” That phenomenon is symptomatic of the situation we now find ourselves in: i.e., that we are living through a “great implosion,” a “world system crisis,” a “general crisis” of our dominant form of civilization. Many causes can be identified for this “general crisis,” this “great decline,” which even threatens us with the “collapse” of civilization. Climate change is of course a central causal vector of this great crisis, but it is not the only one, and in many ways, climate change itself is the consequence of much more fundamental, underlying, and long-term historical processes. The historical processes that have induced this great crisis include the over-concentration of wealth (oligarchization); the over-exploitation of labor and “nature” (i.e., the over-extraction of value from human labor and from the natural world, thus increasing systemic entropy); parasitic and predatory accumulation of capital and wealth surplus and “under-investment” in socially useful and productive infrastructure; and a systemic logic of/obsession with commodification, marketization, and “economic growth.” Our dominant economics, as both academic discipline and real practice, has perpetuated the delusion that somehow the economy is without ultimate biophysical foundations or limits. The environment or environmental economics is but a minor sub-field in mainstream economics, and all environmental problems created in the present by the dominant economic system are believed to be solvable in the future, primarily through technological innovation and via market-conforming principles and mechanisms. This blinkered and Panglossian worldview has already for decades caused seemingly endless complacency, delay, and deferral by the most powerful economic and political actors in the world in regard to radically addressing the changes necessary to avert impending climate and ecological catastrophe. This Panglossian worldview and the worship of the “market” has become the dominant faith of the age and has been central to the globally hegemonic ideas of “neoliberalism,” “globalization,” and even “development” as understood and practiced across the globe. Crisis means breakdown. Crisis means system failure. Crisis in the world today means an existential threat to humanity: the “fall” or even the collapse of our civilization, a civilization that globalization has supposedly made an unprecedented success. Koyaanisqatsi also holds the solution What is the solution? Koyaanisqatsi holds the answer to our riddle. We need a “deep restoration” of our civilization, of our entire culture, both spiritual and material – a notion I elaborate in my article published in Globalizations in 2020. We need to “reimagine civilization.” The fundamental forms which constitute the dominant templates of power and social organization in our civilization: i.e., the state, capital, and the city must be profoundly reimagined and radically altered in our future. Humanity must accept its embeddedness in the web of life and fully recognize the reality of planetary boundaries, earth system dynamics, biophysical foundations, and biophysical limits, ecological and climate change thresholds and tipping points, in what in reality is a unified global system of life. Our future course must consist of a “great restoration” of life on earth, in all its immense and beautiful diversity. Thus, it must also consist of a “great reversal” of the obsessions of universal commodification, marketization, and economic growth that have hitherto been dominating our collective material life. “Re-commoning” of the world, both material and social, will be central to this great transformation of civilization. Peace, both domestic and global, will likewise be an essential element in a renewed and reimagined civilization. The age of darkness of the past few centuries, rife with imperialism, colonialism, neocolonialism, racism, and patriarchal power, should now close. History is written later, but the future is written now. The new worldview emerging in the context of the present global systemic crisis is in fact resonant with a very ancient worldview. The idea of perpetuating the lost pre-COVID-19 “normal” is but a great illusion. The idea of returning to “business as usual” is an inevitably catastrophic idea. Only a radical transformation of the fundamental forms of our civilization will be sufficient to avert future disasters. Transformative praxis of the many, by the many, and for the many, holds the only realistic promise and source of hope for our collective survival. Now there can be no more excuses, and no turning back. Direct all correspondence to Barry Gills <bkeithgills(a)gmail.com<mailto:[email protected]>> Gills Barry<https://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/tag/gills-barry/> Finland<https://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/category/country/finland/>, commonism<http://thecommonalts.com/?author=1> | October 31, 2020 at 2:46 am | Categories: Barry Gills<http://thecommonalts.com/?taxonomy=category&term=barry-gills>, Re-published<http://thecommonalts.com/?taxonomy=category&term=re-published> | URL: https://wp.me/p8cAhr-pP<https://wp.me/p8cAhr-pP>

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