July 2024 - GTA-PeDAGoG - lists.ourproject.org

Decomposing the Corporate Colony
by Charles Palm 30 Jul '24

30 Jul '24

Good day all, I am writing to you from Stellenbosch in South Africa, after some encouragement from a member within this network. I am currently in the process of identifying opportunities, possibilities and limitations for doing interdisciplinary practice based (post-grad/MA) research and creative work in the visual arts and design fields, conducted primarily within a de-colonial frame. I am seeking scholars, artist, legal professionals, designers etc., as well as institutions and collectives that I may partner/network with and build communities around in support of the work that I intend to engage with, starting in 2024/'25. I am particularly seeking connections in, or about regions and ecologies in the Indian Ocean basin and the African continent that have historically engaged with the (V.O.C) spice trade as well as contemporary (neo-colonial) trade discourses along/via the 'Cape of Good Hope' and the Suez canal. Please find below a broad description of my work and research interests, as well as my own positionality. About My Research & Practice: I am a (2021) BA Fine arts graduate from Stellenbosch University with a professional background in architectural design and natural building technologies. Since 2021 I have been seeking out interdisciplinary academic spaces and opportunities across the globe (particularly Africa & Indian Ocean basin) which support critical practice based research methodologies for exploring and developing effective decolonial strategies based within an ecological frame through artistic -/ design praxis. My early professional practice began in the Architectural field, focusing on passive systems design and natural building technologies. In my personal capacity I have also designed and built dry composting toilets -/ and systems for large festivals and residential use. These explorations along with my early exposure to the work of Vandana Shiva, Michael Perenti, Naomi Klein and Donna Harraway would later activate and inform my creative work and this inspired me to pursue academic studies through a BA(Hons) degree in fine art. My student research focused primarily on early colonial -/ and settler colonial histories within the Cape and Indian Ocean basin during the 'Spice Trade' era. My creative practice often culminated into site-specific immersive experiences using natural phenomena / physics that include camera-obscura installations, light projections, improvisational soundscape performances and sculpture. I am motivated by perceptions of abject histories of negative multinational corporate externalities. Particularly how these phenomena are/were manifested, facilitated and perceived throughout the development of 'Western' economic, political and ideological hegemonies, as experienced today. By revisiting my past work in composting toilet systems design I would like to further explore and develop creative strategies towards immersive cathartic experiences to this end. I have a particular interest in studying fundamental legal constructs and colonial ideologies that guide and regulate global corporate trade legislation since the V.O.C from the 17th century to the present. My work will respond to these factors and the urgency of its geopolitical and material expressions across the globe today. My creative practice aims to explore effective strategies to deconstruct / decompose these ideologies, constructs and systems through studies of soil ecology and natural ecologies of decomposition as a creative medium and bio-mimetic guide. About My Positionality: I was raised during the 1980's as a (Cape Creole, aka 'Coloured') male within a small community called Pniël between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Pniël was established in 1843 as a Christian mission station (and labour pool) for previously enslaved individuals, immediately after the abolition of slavery in the Cape colony. Most of my ancestry is woven into the historical fabric of 17th cent. Cape agricultural slavery, settler colonialism, indentured labour in the early diamond mines of Kimberly, as well as indigenous groups along the Cape coast. Growing up in a rural 'working class' village surrounded by über-elitist wine farms with a high land ownership turnover of mostly foreign nationals and consortia tugged my interest in socio-economic inequities from an early age. Observing and engaging with these wine farms and other dominant local institutions added to a direct lived experience of how ecological (incl. humyn) inequities and trauma are embodied within a postcolonial landscape and the mechanisms that enable it to persist. These immediate inequities along with my own specific challenges have significantly contributed to the delay and disruption of my personal and academic development. At 43 I have managed to successfully complete my undergraduate studies with minimal debt, however, I feel quite isolated and vulnerable in the pursuit of my particular research interests, especially within an increasingly hostile neoliberal environment. Thank you for taking the time to read my email. Please reach out if you feel compelled to and if think there might be opportunities and possibilities for us to work together or if you know of programs/projects, particularly within Afrika or the Indian Ocean basin that might be relevant to my work. I look forward to hearing back from some of you very soon. Bright regards, Charles Palm

1 0

New article – Evolving Prefigurative Politics in an Intentional Community: The Auroville Citizens’ Assembly Pilot
by Suryamayi Aswini Clarence-Smith 25 Jul '24

25 Jul '24

Dear All, I am happy to share my latest academic article – *Evolving Prefigurative Politics in an Intentional Community: The Auroville Citizens’ Assembly Pilot* <https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/8DF9EFQSSQRMIEAX5YNM/full?target=10.1080…>– coauthored with Lesley Branagan in New Political Science. It will be of particular interest to anyone interested in prefigurative politics, direct and deliberative democracy, Citizens' Assemblies, and intentional communities – specifically Auroville (India). Abstract In this paper we explore how a Citizens’ Assembly project in Auroville – the largest intentional community in the world – sought to prefigure new practices in collective decision-making. A Citizens’ Assembly model is a democratic innovation that enacts a deliberative mode of political decision-making by everyday citizens. It has been used by diverse bodies, from social movements to nation-state governments around the world. Auroville’s 2021 Citizens’ Assembly pilot – concerning a water vision for Auroville – is a unique case study that enables us to make a distinctive contribution to the existing academic scholarship concerning Citizens’ Assemblies and prefigurative politics on two grounds. Firstly, Auroville is an intentional community shaped by specific spiritual and self-governance values – an uncommon setting for a Citizens’ Assembly that supports us to make specific empirical offerings not seen in the literature on Citizens’ Assemblies to date. Secondly, given that Auroville’s pilot Citizens’ Assembly sought to prefigure the community’s foundational ideals of “human unity” and “unending education” in its collective decision-making practice, we connect our analysis to the academic scholarship concerning prefigurative politics. In doing so, we uniquely draw together the scholarship concerning Citizens’ Assemblies and the literature concerning prefigurative politics to explore whether such democratic innovations have a transformative effect on the political contexts they are embedded in, which we freshly consider with a focus on local scale, and the role that institutionalisation might have in terms of ensuring the reproduction, and thereby lasting impact of such experiments, or conversely their nullification. *Dr. Suryamayi Aswini Clarence-Smith * (She/Her) Researcher, Educator, Activist suri(a)berkeley.edu Skype: Suryamayi LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/suryamayi/> | ResearchGate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Suryamayi-Clarence-Smith> My book, Prefiguring Utopia: The Auroville Experiment <https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/prefiguring-utopia-in-auroville>, is published by Bristol University Press: *Other Publications:* - 2024 (Forthcoming) “Evolving Prefigurative Politics in an Intentional Community: The Auroville Citizens’ Assembly Pilot” *New Political Science*. - 2024 (Forthcoming) “Prompting Spiritually Prefigurative Practice: Collective Decision-Making in Auroville, India.” *Eco‐communities: Surviving Well Together.* Ed. Jenny Pickerill. - Clarence-Smith, S. (2022) “Prefiguration and Utopia.” *The Future is Now: An Introduction to Prefigurative Politics. *Ed. Lara Monticelli. Bristol University Press. - Clarence-Smith, S. and L. Monticelli (2022) “Flexible Institutionalisation in Auroville: A Prefigurative Alternative to Development.” *Sustainability Science* 17*.* - Le Hunte, B., K. Ross, S. Clarence-Smith and A. Rosegger (2022) “Lessons from Utopia: Reflections on Peak Transformative Experiences in a University Studio in Auroville, India.” *Palgrave Handbook on Learning for Transformation*. Eds. A. Nicolaides, S. Eschenbacher, P. Buergelt, Y. Gilpin-Jackson, M. Welch, M. Misawa, A. Lim. - Clarence-Smith, S. (2021) “Auroville: An Experiment in Spiritually Prefigurative Utopian Practice.” *Transgressive Utopianism: Essays in Honour of Lucy Sargisson*. Eds. Lyman Tower Sargent and Raffaella Baccolini. Peter Lang (Ralahine Utopian Studies).

1 0

In Continuation of our concern with Food Sovereignity
by sonali sathaye 25 Jul '24

25 Jul '24

Dear All, More threats to food security/sovereignty. As suggested below, please do sign if it makes sense to you. Thanks, sonali ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Nd contactus CSA <navadarshanamcsa.contactus(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2024 at 19:40 Subject: [ND-CSA] Fwd: Seeking endorsements on a letter to Union Agri Minister against two Herbicide Tolerant (HT) Rice varieties launched by ICAR To: Google Group <navadarshanamcsa(a)googlegroups.com> Dear All This is a note from one of the groups that champions sustainable agriculture and farmer issues - this note is regarding introduction of practices in rice cultivation that many of us feel are unacceptable and hugely detrimental. Whether it is born out of a fear of food security issues or born out of corporate interests, the BAD outcomes for the environment and the consumers are the same. Please read it carefully and if you are in agreement with it, please click on the forms link and sign it ASAP. best wishes Gopi ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: OFM Adyar <ofm.chn(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, Jul 24, 2024 at 7:12 PM Subject: Seeking endorsements on a letter to Union Agri Minister against two Herbicide Tolerant (HT) Rice varieties launched by ICAR To: ofm-network(a)googlegroups.com <ofm-network(a)googlegroups.com> Seeking endorsements on a letter to Union Agri Minister against two Herbicide Tolerant (HT) Rice varieties launched by ICAR Earlier this week, we circulated another letter addressed to ICAR, about several MOUs it had signed with corporations like Bayer, Syngenta and Amazon. Close to 450 of you endorsed that letter. Thank you! This current letter is on another matter of concern. It is on the release of two varieties of Herbicide Tolerant (HT) basmati rice by ICAR in June 2024. These varieties can now withstand the spray of Imazethapyr, a weedkiller toxin. The adverse environmental, health and socio-economic issues related to HT crops have been well-debated already in India and abroad, and most countries do not allow HT crops for cultivation. Moreover, what ICAR has done is illegal as per the extant statutory regulatory framework with regard to pesticides/herbicides. Please find a letter we are going to send in this regard to the Union Agriculture Minister with a copy to Union Environment Minister in the google form on this link. If you believe that the two HT basmati rice varieties should not be allowed for commercial cultivation, please endorse the letter by filling the google form by July 26, 2024 . https://forms.gle/XQ24XSDJ6HCBeNsP6 Regards, Organic Farmers Market, 17/10, 28th Cross Street, Indiranagar, Chennai. Ofmtn.in Contact us : 88382 09748 / 044-42611112 Whatsapp : 6380169943 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "OFM-Network" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ofm-network+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ofm-network/CAO6zDd0P4EF3et0wyEnPoHTcE9s3… <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ofm-network/CAO6zDd0P4EF3et0wyEnPoHTcE9s3…> . -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "navadarshanamcsa" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to navadarshanamcsa+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/navadarshanamcsa/CAHcv%3DO92BYMH25bLshmX4… <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/navadarshanamcsa/CAHcv%3DO92BYMH25bLshmX4…> .

1 0

New paper on ‘Food Sovereignty’
by Michel PIMBERT 24 Jul '24

24 Jul '24

Greetings! A new paper on ‘Food Sovereignty’ may be of interest to you and your networks. Here are a couple of highlights from the summary: As the food sovereignty paradigm is gaining traction, the global food sovereignty movement, best described as a movement of movements, is diversifying. Peasant farmers, indigenous peoples, agricultural workers, nongovernmental organizations, and scholar-activists working on food sovereignty are engaging in dialogues with other social actors. The global food sovereignty movement is calling for the convergence of all anti-systemic and anti-capitalist movements, including climate and labor justice movements, feminist movements, black movements, degrowth economics, and antiwar movements. Food sovereignty as a concept, as a right, and as a paradigm for food systems transformation is a valuable starting point for the formulation of joint proposals and actions for systemic change in this emerging confluence of movements. Food sovereignty is also an increasingly popular research topic for a wide range of academic disciplines, including anthropology, geography, history, law, philosophy, agronomy, and ecology, as well as transdisciplinary research on agri-food systems. Historical, decolonial, feminist, cross-cultural, transdisciplinary, and critical perspectives are all needed to further understand the origins, development, and politics of food sovereignty in different contexts. Place-based and nuanced explorations of the multilevel processes that enable and constrain systemic change for food sovereignty can help inform policy and practice in different settings. These are important future directions for research on food sovereignty. The full paper can be downloaded for free from: Pimbert, M. P. and P. Claeys (2024). “Food Sovereignty.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Ed. Mark Aldenderfer. New York: Oxford University Press. https://agroecologynow.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Food-Sovereignty-Pimb… Food-Sovereignty-Pimbert-Claeys-2024 PDF Document · 512 KB https://agroecologynow.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Food-Sovereignty-Pimb… Food-Sovereignty-Pimbert-Claeys-2024 PDF Document · 512 KB

3 2

How do I register?
by Charles Palm 23 Jul '24

23 Jul '24

Good day, I was referred to the PeDAGoG research network by a current member and I would like to register in order to be included in communication cycles. How can I become an active participant within this network? Bright regards, Charles Palm

1 0

Call for Papers: Special Issue of Organization - "What is alternative organization? Theorizing counter-hegemonic dynamics"
by Prof. George Kandathil 23 Jul '24

23 Jul '24

Dear all: My colleagues and I are coming out with a Special Issue of the critical journal, *"Organization"*. The topic is *"What is alternative organization? Theorizing counter-hegemonic dynamics."* I am attaching a copy of the call for papers. Full call here: https://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/ORG/Organization%20Altern… I know many members of this community will have important ideas to contribute to this special issue. We're particularly interested in including papers from a broad variety of disciplinary and geographic perspectives. More importantly, the call for papers has a strong focus on the studies from the Global South and we highly encourage activist approach. Hence, I assume that many people in the PeDAGoG community will be quite interested in submitting their work. If you'd like some guidance on whether your research might fit, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at AlternativeOrganizationSI(a)gmail.com. The final deadline for submissions via ManuscriptCentral is March 31st, 2025. Manuscripts should be prepared according to the guidelines published in *Organization* and on the journal’s website: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/journal/organization#submission-guidelines. We will also have an online paper development workshop at the end of the year, so please do send us your ideas in the form of a 3000-word short paper by November 10th, 2024 to AlternativeOrganizationSI(a)gmail.com to be involved. I request you to share our call for papers with all who have potential interest in contributing to it. Thanks a lot. Warm wishes. George

1 0

Decomposing the Corporate Colony
by Charles Palm 17 Jul '24

17 Jul '24

Good day all, I am writing to you from Stellenbosch in South Africa after some encouragement from a member within this network. I am in the process of identifying opportunities, possibilities and limitations for doing interdisciplinary practice based (post-grad/MA) research in the arts and design fields, conducted primarily within a decolonial frame. I am seeking scholars, artist, legal professionals, designers etc., as well as institutions and collectives that I may partner/network with and build a communities around in support of the work I intend to engage with, starting in 2024/'25. I am particularly looking for connections in, or about regions and ecologies in the Indian Ocean basin that historically engaged significantly with the V.O.C as well as contemporary (neo-colonial) trade discourses through/via the Suez canal and the Cape. Please find below a broad description of my work and research interests as well as my own positionality. About My Research & Practice: I am a (2021) BA Fine arts graduate from Stellenbosch University with a professional background in architectural design and natural building technologies. Since 2021 I have been seeking out interdisciplinary academic spaces and opportunities across the globe (particularly Africa & Indian Ocean basin) that support critical practice based research methodologies for exploring and developing effective decolonial strategies based within an ecological frame through artistic -/ design praxis. I began my early professional practice as an interior designer, CAD technician and builder, focusing on passive systems design and natural building technologies. In 2009 I started a personal genealogical study of my family and the (Pniël) community where I grew up, with the aim of working towards a future creative project. During this time I also began gardening and started designing and building dry composting toilets -/ and systems. These explorations along with my earlier discovery and interest in the work of Vandana Shiva, Michael Perenti, Naomi Klein and Donna Harraway activated and informed my creative work and inspired me to pursue academic studies through a BA(Hons) degree in fine art. My student research focused primarily on early colonial -/ and settler colonial histories from the Cape and Indian Ocean basin during the 'Spice Trade' era. My (BA) research-based practice often culminated into site-specific immersive experiences using natural phenomena / physics that include camera-obscura installations, light projections, improvisational soundscape performances and sculpture. My 'post-grad' research interests are motivated by abject histories of negative multinational corporate externalities, and how these phenomena are/were manifested, facilitated and perceived throughout the development of 'Western' economic hegemonies (ie. Europe). By revisiting my past work in composting systems design I aim to explore and develop creative strategies towards immersive cathartic experiences. I have a particular interest in studying fundamental legal constructs and colonial ideologies that guide and regulate global corporate trade legislation since the VOC in the 17th century to the present. My work will be primarily informed by these factors and its geopolitical and material expressions through archival / historical research as well as indigenous folklore. My creative practice aims to deconstruct / decompose these ideologies, constructs and systems through studies of soil ecology and decomposition as well as its application as a creative medium, reference and practical guide. My past work with ecological architecture, composting toilet systems design and colonial Spice Trade histories may inform future praxis in this regard. About My Positionality: I was raised during the 1980's as a (Cape Creole/'Coloured') male within a small community called Pniël between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Pniël was established in 1843 as a Christian mission station and labour pool, immediately after the abolition of slavery in the Cape colony. Most of my ancestry is woven into the historical fabric of Cape agricultural slavery, settler colonialism, indentured labour in the early diamond mines of Kimberly, as well as indigenous groups along the Cape coast. Growing up in a picturesque rural working class village surrounded by über-elitist wine farms with a high land ownership turnover of foreign individuals and consortia tugged my interest in socio-economic inequities from an early age. Observing and engaging with these wine farms and other dominant local institutions added to a direct lived experience of how ecological (incl. humyn) inequities are embodied within a postcolonial landscape and the mechanisms that enable it to persist. These immediate inequities along with my own specific socio-economic challenges have significantly contributed to the delay and disruption of my personal and academic development. At 43 I have managed to successfully complete my undergraduate studies with minimal debt, however, I feel quite isolated and vulnerable in the pursuit of my particular research interests, especially within an increasingly hostile socio-economic environment. Thank you for taking the time to read this email. Please reach out if you think there might be opportunities and possibilities for us to work together or if you know of programs/projects, particularly in Afrika or the Indian Ocean basin that might be relevant to my work. I look forward to hearing back from some of you very soon. Bright regards, Charles Palm --c

1 0

New REDWeb article - The implications of Turkey's local elections
by Pooja Kishinani 04 Jul '24

04 Jul '24

Dear friends, We have published a new article on REDWeb - *Local elections in Turkey: moving with and towards radical democracy <https://radicalecologicaldemocracy.org/local-elections-in-turkey-moving-wit…>* Turkey held its local government elections this year in March. In a major blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s hold on Turkish politics, his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) faced its biggest electoral defeat in two decades. The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), won seats in 36 out of 81 provinces and claimed mayoral victories in the five biggest cities of Turkey. In our latest article <https://radicalecologicaldemocracy.org/local-elections-in-turkey-moving-wit…>, Ayfer Ekin analyses the implications of the election results, reflecting on the ongoing Kurdish resistance against authoritarianism and the possibility for alternatives to the nation-state structure in the region. Please do have a read and share it with your networks. Lastly, REDWeb also has an active presence on social media. Connect with us on Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/radecologicaldemocracy/>, LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/radical-ecological-democracy/>, and X <https://x.com/FutureOfEcology> for updates on our latest articles. Happy reading! Thanks, Pooja

1 0

Fwd: The Intersectionality Series: Talk by Dr. Sibyl Diver at 12:00 pm on July 3, 2024 (Wednesday)
by Pallavi Varma- Patil 03 Jul '24

03 Jul '24

Apologies for this last minute announcement. Perhaps anyone from PeDaGoG might like to join in? It is approximately in 3 hours from now and will be offered online as well..(Link at the end of the forwarded email) Cheers! Pallavi https://naitaleem.wordpress.com/ ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Pallavi Varma-Patil <pallavi.vp(a)atree.org> Date: Wed, Jul 3, 2024 at 8:09 AM Subject: Fwd: The Intersectionality Series: Talk by Dr. Sibyl Diver at 12:00 pm on July 3, 2024 (Wednesday) To: Pallavi Varma- Patil <pallavi.vp(a)gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Madhavi Latha G <madhavi(a)atree.org> Date: Mon, 1 Jul, 2024, 11:01 am Subject: The Intersectionality Series: Talk by Dr. Sibyl Diver at 12:00 pm on July 3, 2024 (Wednesday) To: Madhavi Latha <madhavi(a)atree.org> Dear all, The next speaker for the Intersectionality Series is *Dr. Sibyl Diver*, Stanford University. Please find the details below. *Title:* Social impact assessment of Klamath dam removal (California, Oregon, US) for Tribal community well-being. *Abstract*: This collaborative research initiative engages the Karuk Tribe to co-develop an assessment tool evaluating the social, cultural and economic impacts of dam removal in the Klamath Basin from a Tribal perspective (California, Oregon, US). The assessment focuses on the social impacts of dam removal to Karuk Tribal community well-being including cultural resources, holistic health, self-governance, education, and livelihoods ( https://damremovalsocialimpact.com) By doing so, the assessment provides a baseline for understanding social impacts that are relevant to tribal community members, as well as community perceptions of Klamath dam removal processes that started in 2023. This work shares findings from the Klamath assessment process, and discusses the importance of including Indigenous peoples in social impact assessment more generally, in part, through leveraging well-being frameworks. * About the speaker * Dr. Sibyl Diver is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist, a lecturer in the Earth Systems Program, and co-director for the Environmental Justice Working Group at Stanford University. She does community-engaged research on Indigenous water governance focusing on Pacific Northwest salmon watersheds. This includes research on co-management (or collaborative management) arrangements between Indigenous communities and state agencies, and decolonizing methodologies. For the past 20 years, she has worked on issues of Indigenous peoples and salmon around the North Pacific – in the Russian Far East, Alaska, Canada, and has spent fifteen years partnering with the Karuk Tribe in Northern California. She is currently partnering with Karuk tribal managers and community leaders on a social impact assessment of Klamath dam removal. Dr. Diver received her PhD from the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at the University of California - Berkeley. *Date and Time:* July 3, 2024; 12:00 pm *Venues:* ATREE, Bengaluru Link to register if attending virtually: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6CzqO3Q7QgqFkxOBTmtnIg ------------------------------ -- Madhavi Latha G The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO Bangalore 560064, India ----------------------------------------------------------------- Phone: +91-80-23635555 Extn: 121 Fax: +91-80-23530070 E-mail: madhavi(a)atree.org _________________________________________________________________

1 0