Conversations – Radical Ecological Democracy

Indian farmers prevail: A conversation with Kavitha Kuruganti, a farmers’ rights activist

December 27, 2021January 30, 2022 Agriculture, Agro-ecology, Capitalism, Climate Change, Development, Food Sovereignty, New Economy, New Politics, Power Dynamic, Revolutionary Struggle

No mass movement in India’s recent history has captured the imagination of the country the way the just concluded farmers’ movement did over the last one year period. After a protracted struggle the farmers were able to force the Indian government to withdraw three farm laws, which were aimed at corporatizing the country’s agriculture. In a wide ranging conversation with Kavitha Kuruganti, an Indian farmers’ rights activist, I discuss the implications of this victory for the Indian farmers, and how a sustainable and people-focused agricultural alternative could be constructed in the future.

Action Agenda Analysis Conversations Ideas News Stories

The rising green tide: Fighting for reproductive justice in Argentina

February 8, 2021April 21, 2022 Capitalism, Community, Democracy, New Politics, Power Dynamic, Revolutionary Struggle

The recent victory for reproductive rights in Argentina was breathtaking for its spirited resolve as well as its organizational rigor. In this article, Ana Cecilia Dinerstein explains the genesis and the evolution of this struggle. She also speaks with Maria Alicia Gutierrez, a prominent leader of the women’s Campaign to explore what lessons could be drawn from its success by movements engaged in alternative politics in other parts of the world.

Analysis Conversations Ideas Stories

REDWeb Conversations Series – Cultivating autonomy in Rojava

December 15, 2019April 13, 2022 Community, Democracy, Environment, New Politics, Power Dynamic

Rojava is a significant experiment in grass-roots democracy in a region mired in desperate political conflict. The socio-political and economic achievements made over the last few years in Rojava form an aspirational inflection point in the history of the Kurdish people as well as that of West Asia. Ashish Kothari speaks with Yasin Duman on how the Autonomous Administration in Rojava became an agent of change while establishing stability in northern Syria.

Action Analysis Conversations Stories

REDWeb Conversations Series – Defining A Utopian Present In Christiania, Copenhagen.

September 23, 2019April 13, 2022 Ecology, Environment, New Economy, Politics, Resistance

What started as a politicized form of squatting in an abandoned military base has turned into a unique experiment in utopian thought and practice in Christiania, an autonomous neighborhood in Copenhagen. Ashish Kothari and Shrishtee Bajpai speak with Natasha Verco, a resident and activist about the promise and challenges of Christiania.

Analysis Conversations Stories

RED Conversations Series – Housing is a human right

June 26, 2019April 13, 2022 Degrowth, Environment, New Economy, Sustainability

The housing market is one of the important pillars of the contemporary free-market economy. It has also proven to be its achilles heel, as was evident during the market collapse of 2008, which was triggered by the bursting of the real-estate bubble. The modern housing scenario is marked by rampant household indebtedness, rapacious land-grabbing and corrupt real-estate developments. Given the resource intensive nature of the contemporary structures it is not surprising that buildings today contribute around 30 percent of carbon emissions, globally. How do we tackle this mammoth problem that could turn into a socio-economic catastrophe at any time? Ashish Kothari discusses this critical issue with Anitra Nelson and Fracois Schneider, the editors of “Housing for Degrowth: Principles, Models, Challenges and Opportunities”, which looks for feasible alternatives to the current housing mess.

Action Agenda Analysis Conversations Stories

RED Conversations Series –Indigenous struggle for Autonomy and Territorial Rights in Bolivia

April 22, 2019April 13, 2022 Activism, Community, Conservation, Sustainability

Continuing with the conversations recorded by Ashish Kothari at the ACKnowl-EJ conference at Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India, the second interview features Mirna Inturias and Iokine Rodriguez, two activist researchers working with the Monkox indigenous community of Lomerio, in the lowlands of eastern Bolivia. The ACKnowl-EJ (www.acknowlej.org) project is an academic-activist led effort aiming to chart a path towards sustainable and equitable futures, away from extractivist pressures.

Conversations Stories

RED Conversations Series – A Unique Initiative In Central India

March 25, 2019April 13, 2022 Community, Conservation, Democracy

ACKnowl-EJ (www.acknowlej.org) is a network of scholars and activists engaged in action and collaborative research that aims to analyze the transformative potential of community responses to extractivism and alternatives born from resistance. The project aims to co-produce knowledge that can empower communities to push for change and geared towards the needs of social groups, advocates and social movements. It is doing this through partners in several countries, who are conducting in-depth case studies, contributing to the Environmental Justice Atlas (www.ejatlas.org), and producing collaborative reports and theoretical pieces based on this work. Its co-ordinators are the Environmental Science and Technology Institute at Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain), and Kalpavriksh (Pune, India).

The ACKnowl-EJ partners met recently at Deer Park, Bir, Himachal Pradesh (India), to review the work done so far, and plan the final phase of the project (due to end in April 2019). In this first interview for REDWeb Ashish Kothari interviews Govind Hodi, Kumari Tai Jamkata, Izam Sai Katengey and Shubhada Deshmukh from Korchi, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, India. They are a group of activists involved with a unique initiative called the “Maha Gramsabha”, or the “Federation Of Village Assemblies”.

Agenda Analysis Conversations Stories

REDWeb Conversations Series – Ending the Growth Addiction

February 11, 2019April 13, 2022 Climate Change, Community, Ecology, Economy, Growth

The economic policy of endless growth on a finite planet can only lead to environmental stresses for millions of people. It’s imperative that we explore new possibilities, which are ecologically sensible and economically egalitarian. Pallav Das discusses the emerging idea of “Post Growth” with Alnoor Ladha and Jason Hickel, two activist academics exploring the cutting edge of ecological economics and politics.

Analysis Conversations Stories

RED Conversations Series – A Meaningful Journey

October 21, 2018April 13, 2022 Development, Innovation, New Economy, New Politics, Revolutionary Struggle, Sustainability

Ashish Kothari speaks with Elandria Williams and Mabrouka Mbarek about a unique journey of explorations and discovery they undertook in three cities of the United States to understand the nature of socio-economic struggle being waged by the Black communities and the political awakening it has resulted in.

Analysis Conversations Ideas Stories

RED Conversations Series – The Emerging Idea of “Radical Well-Being”

October 2, 2018April 13, 2022 Capitalism, Climate, Community, Democracy, Development, Ecology, Environment, New Politics

Paul Robbins talks with Ashish Kothari about the idea of “Radical Well-Being” and the road towards realizing it. This conversation is based on a presentation made by Ashish at the 2nd Biennial Conference of the Political Ecology Network (POLLEN) held in Oslo, June 2018.

Conversations Ideas Stories

RED Conversations Series

May 14, 2018April 13, 2022 Community, Innovation, New Economy

Ruth Mwangi explains the novel idea of community currencies to Ashish Kothari, and how it is creating viable economic options for low-income residents of informal settlements in the urban areas of Kenya.

Conversations Ideas Stories

RED Conversations Series

May 3, 2018April 13, 2022 Capitalism, Community, Cooperatives, Democracy, Development, Innovation, New Economy

Ashish Kothari interviews Joel Morist I Botines of Cooperativa Integral Catalana to understand the new thrust of the cooperative movement in Catalonia and how it can be an accessible template for the rest of the world.

Conversations Stories

RED Conversations Series

April 4, 2018April 13, 2022 Capitalism, Cooperatives, Democracy, Development, Environment, New Economy, New Politics

Ashish Kothari interviews Enric Duran for REDWeb. Enric is an activist challenging the power of monopolist banks and the founder of Faircoop, an open global cooperative.

Agenda Conversations

RED Conversations Series

September 27, 2017April 13, 2022 Alternatives, Community, Consumerism, Degrowth, Democracy, Development, Innovation, New Economy, New Politics, Policy, Power Dynamic, Society

A group of leading thinkers, activists and researchers discusses the roots of contemporary environmental issues and related socio-political challenges facing the world and the possible way out of it.

Conversations Ideas

Ecofeminism and Radical Ecological Democracy

September 27, 2017April 13, 2022 Capitalism, Colonialism, Democracy, Development, Ecology, Feminism, Politics, Socialism

Ariel Salleh, the renowned scholar and activist, and Ashish Kothari discuss the salience of Ecofeminism as well as the emerging issues in its study and practice.