Episode 4: Arts & civil disobedience - our last resort for climate justice?


In 2015, 1500 activists blocked a brown coal mine in West Germany. It was the start of one of the most radical and effective European movements using peaceful civil disobedience and direct action for climate justice.  

Last year the art exhibition ‘People Powered Movement vs Shell’ showed decades of resistance to the injustices of an oil giant. 

Chihiro Geuzenbroek is a Bolivian-Dutch activist, artist and filmmaker, who played an important part in both events - and many more in a decade of climate movement building. 

In this fourth episode of our climate justice series I went back to my home country of the Netherlands to explore where the movements are at. And to take a deep dive into two approaches that we haven't discussed yet in this podcast, even if we know from history that civil disobedience on the one hand, and music and arts on the other, have been crucial in bringing about change.

We ask Chihiro why it is so important to take a radical approach and how citizen’s direct action, arts and music, can help us turn the tide. We explore what it means to build decolonial and anti-racist movements and organizations for climate justice. 

It was such a pleasure to speak with Chihiro, who puts love and care at the centre of her work and explains that is exactly why we need to be disruptive. Her story says a lot about where movements in Europe are coming from and going to. From being that annoying person asking tough questions - including to NGOs - to being the person that gets hired to train people on inclusion and power. Movements and organizations are starting to realize that we do not only need urgent climate action, we need it to be just. And that means changing the way we do everything.

How? Check out the episode now!

Also: get inspired with this great song https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1121307811719623  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Episode 5: Climate justice NOW - what's next for the movements?

Image
  It is time to wrap up our climate justice series, but not before we hear from another two amazing women who have a long history of climate activism - from the inside and the outside. In this last episode we look back on what we have heard and look forward on what's next for the movements. We ask where are we at with climate justice and what action is most needed today to turn the tide. Get ready to be challenged by these two powerhouses: Tasneem Essop is the director of CAN International , one of the biggest global climate networks with over 1500 organizations. She started out as an anti-apartheid activist and served as Provincial Minister in South Africa. She was the head of climate policy and strategy at WWF and served as Head of Delegation at the Paris climate negotiations. She is the Founding Director of the Energy Democracy Initiative in South Africa and a Commissioner in the National Planning Committee. Above all, she is a sharp analyst that spoke of the link bet...
Read more

Food justice: A quick recap, update and call to action

Image
As we are about to take a care break, we share some updates, reflections and a call for support. And invite you to stay tuned for more People vs Inequality & food justice! These were only some of the headlines in the news as we kicked off our food justice series earlier this year. The food price and hunger crisis is real. So are the inequality and climate crisis that are so closely linked.  The good news is this is increasingly recognized - at least in some circles. A recent report by the High Level Panel on Food and Nutrition Security found that it "is essential to understand that inequalities in FSN and its #foodsystems drivers are underpinned by deeper systemic drivers" and that these need to be addressed. "Systemic drivers frequently act to widen pre-existing inequalities as the most vulnerable are least able to cope or adapt." says lead author B. Shankar.  The bad news is we still see a lot of business as usual in spaces of power. The UN Food Systems Summ...
Read more

Season two: How can we get urgent climate action that is also just?

Image
Yes! We are excited to kick off the second series of the People vs Inequality Podcast . This time we focus on climate justice. As the climate crisis is accelerating and inequalities are on the rise we ask: how can we get urgent climate action that is also just? As always, we hear from inspiring changemakers about their work and stories. We dive into the different approaches they take, the choices they make and the obstacles they face. But also their hopes and dreams in making real change happen. We explore lessons and strategic questions for how to turn the tide. Should we be taking to the streets or lobby the halls of power? And how to come together across movements to make sure all voices are heard? From communities in Kenya facing hunger and drought to Indigenous women seeing their forests cut down. From UK oil workers losing their jobs to young people across the globe worrying about their futures. Climate change is affecting everybody, but not in the same way. Those that have contr...
Read more