Academics and Activists International Forum : Conferences and Workshops : ... : Centre for World Environmental History : �԰��Ƶ

Event description

The two-day conference aimed to bring Academics and Activists from various parts of the world to join their colleagues in Europe in reflecting upon academic pursuits and forms of knowledge production, and establish working links between those working against the impacts of cuts to university budgets and increasing privatisation of services and the extractive industries, including damage to communities, ecology, democracy and governance. The first day was devoted to discussion of case studies and the second day will be for working on research and campaigning issues geared towards strengthening links upon the more solid foundations of practical link-networking solidarity.

The keynote speaker, renowned scholar Joan Martinez Alier, author of Environmentalism of the Poor (2002), Ecological Economics: Energy, Environment and Society (1990) and other works, was be joined by scholars and activists from Ghana, Ecuador, and India. Workshop were led by members of the organising committee, staff members from �԰��Ƶ and activists from �԰��Ƶ and London. Local activists in attendance included representatives of the campaign against ‘fracking’ (extraction of natural shale gas through drilling) in �԰��Ƶ and members of the London-based campaign group Foil Vedanta (including Zuky Seper, who facilitated the network). The event was attended by several early careers researchers (post-doctoral fellows, temporary and early stage lecturers) from the �԰��Ƶ, from other universities in the region, notably SOAS, and from further afield. Future events and ongoing networking between the participants are hoped to enable other such collaborations to develop in future.

As well as the British Academy, the event was supported by the Holly Hill Trust and the Centre for World Environmental History at �԰��Ƶ. Professor Simon Schaffer kindly gave his support to the event as a Fellow of the British Academy.

Speakers

Keynote speaker

Joan Martínez Alier (Spain)

Interview with

Invited international speakers

Ghana

Obaapanin Adu Oforiwaa

Ama Selasie Agbitor

Ecuador

Carlos Zorrilla

Carlos Larrea

The Yasuni National Park: an Icon in the Struggle for Sustainability [PDF 3.17MB]

Columbia

Gwen Burneat

India

Basanta Kumar Mallik

Environmental movements in contemporary Odisha: A study of the Niyamgiri Movement
Interview with

Gladsun Dungdung

Minoti Chakravarty-Kaul

Academics and Activism CONNECT or DISCONNECT? [PPTX 6.44MB]
Interview with

Felix Padel

Activism and Academia: the Politics of Holistic Knowledge
Interview with

Workshops

Reflective academia (Facilitated by Vinita Damodaran)

Grassroots international solidarity: an alternative to the NGOisation of resistance (facilitated by Miriam Rose and Samarendra Das)

Using social media for mobilization (Facilitated by Mika Peck)

Education and Gender in Activism and Academic Intersections for Cognitive Justice (Facilitated by Kofi Mawuli Klu and Sumana Nandi with Malia Bouattia, Esther Standford-Xosei and Tom Gillespie as Lead-Discussants)