Arturo Escobar is a Professor emeritus of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill (https://anthropology.unc.edu/person/arturo-escobar/). He also works in Colombia as a Research Associate with the Culture, Memory, and Nation group at Universidad del Valle in Cali and the Cultural Studies groups at Universidad Javeriana in Bogota. He has published widely on political ecology, ontological design, and the anthropology of development, social movements, and technoscience. This exciting conversion ranged extensively over so many rich topics. We started the discussion with who are you and got some reflection and insight into how Arturo sees himself in world and the journey he has taken to get to his current academic work as an intellectual activist. We also discussed the role of academic knowledge and activist knowledge in addressing the pressing concerns of our times. In particular we explored the interconnectedness of all beings in the world and the idea of radical interdependence. He highlights 6 axes or strategies for enacting transformative alternatives, with a highlight on the role of communities in transformation and learning how to stop outsourcing the making of life. 

Links: 

The Global Tapestry of Alternatives seeks to build bridges between networks of Alternatives around the globe and promote the creation of new processes of confluence. https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/

Arturo Escobar - Why are communities key to transforming the world?

In this episode hosts Sophia Hagolani-Albov and Christopher Chagnon introduce themselves, the Extractivisms and Alternatives (EXALT) Initiative, and where the podcast is going to go in upcoming episodes.

Introduction

Resource extraction impacts our daily lives and has helped push the climate to the brink, but there are people around the world living and fighting for alternative ways forward. Join hosts Christopher Chagnon and Sophia Hagolani-Albov and their guests on the last Friday of each month for a discussion of the impacts of extractivisms, alternative ways forward, and stories from people living the struggle every day. If you are someone who is interested in how our environment and societies have come to their current state, or learning about different ways we can move forward, this is the podcast for you.

Arturo Escobar - Why are communities key to transforming the world?

EXALT Podcast

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