JCOM, journal of science communication, Jun 11, 2015
Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy cir... more Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy circles: from science to activism and from activism to science. Existing scientific knowledge is being used by activists to expose wrongdoings or improve practices and knowledge in environmental and health conflicts. Activists can either adopt scientific knowledge and data in their own argumentations or produce new scientific knowledge either by becoming scientists themselves or in cooperation with experts. Local and scientific knowledge is being combined to challenge government policies and the knowledge produced by corporate actors. Also explored is the figure of the expert-activist; with scientists becoming activists and vice versa, the boundaries between activists and scientists are increasingly blurry.
The "extraction frontiers" are the place where extraction of natural resources expands geographic... more The "extraction frontiers" are the place where extraction of natural resources expands geographically, colonizing new lands and territories in search of raw materials (oil, mineral ores, biomass, etc.) to satisfy the increasing demands for materials and energy of industrialized economies (Martínez-Alier et al., 2010; Moore, 2016). This extraction frontier has been advancing since colonial times, in an accelerated rate since the industrial revolution, encroaching and colonizing territories, ways of life and cultures in its wake (Schaffartzik et al., 2014; Krausmann et al., 2009). However, these extraction frontiers do not advance unopposed; on numerous occasions the communities that live near these projects react against the socioenvironmental and cultural impacts on land, water, and ways of life (Martinez Alier, 2003; Conde, 2017; Arsel et al., 2016). Well studied by the BCN school, many of these groups are part of the Environmental Justice (EJ) movement (Martinez-Alier et al., 2016; Martínez-Alier, 2021). The expansion of the extraction frontier and the resistance movements are marked by an intense controversy between the limits of technology to achieve "sustainable" extraction and the role played in this dispute by scientific knowledge and lay or local knowledge. Scientific knowledge, like all knowledges, is partly socially constructed (Foucault, 1971). Although it depends on observation, experimentaland measurement-based testing is also subject to the interests and the cognitive assumptions of the scientist, social practices, available materials, and, more
This academic review of more than 200 articles, books and reports sheds light to why and how do c... more This academic review of more than 200 articles, books and reports sheds light to why and how do communities resist mining and how do their forms of resistance change over time. The literature reveals that local communities react not only to perceived environmental impacts but also to their lack of representation and participation in decisions concerning their development path, lack of monetary compensation and distrust with the mining company and the state. Several authors explore the objectives and discourses of these movements that range from compensation and market embedded demands to the articulation of post-material values and the emergence of socio-ecological alternatives. Cross-scalar alliances have emerged as a crucial factor in the formation of discourses and strategies; local narratives and alternatives are being combined with global discourses on rights (to clean water, to take decisions, indigenous rights) and environmental justice. Cross scalar alliances have also allowed local groups to increase their knowledge about the projects, give them visibility, and comprehend and act against their weak position in the global commodity chain. These alliances have also contributed to the emergence or consolidation of a diverse set of resistance strategies such as legal court cases, activist-scientist collaborations and local referendums or “consultas” at community level to reject mining projects. This review also explores the response of the state and the mining companies to these conflicts, exploring responses such as regulatory changes or Corporate Social Responsibility programs.
The global decarbonization and green politics trends have not been without a cost. While progress... more The global decarbonization and green politics trends have not been without a cost. While progressive Green New Deals and the urban renaturalization practices are discursively constructing a ‘global sustainability’ imaginary, the commitments for a rapid and large-scale deployment of renewable energy and the implementation of large-scale urban projects shift the social and environmental costs to territories and populations ‘in the margins. In this contribution we sketch how cost-shifting is part and parcel of urban greening and renewable energy transition projects and initiatives from Spain, China and Chile. We argue that reducing or minimizing short, medium and long-range cost-shifting practices should thus be at the forefront of transformational (urban) planning. This entails taking a due account of the financial, environmental, social and cultural costs associated with the extraction and use of material and energy, as well as with the location and siting of new ‘green’ infrastructure and its associated justice implications.
In spite of a proliferation of academic and policy-oriented interest in deep sea mining (DSM), th... more In spite of a proliferation of academic and policy-oriented interest in deep sea mining (DSM), this paper argues that two underlying questions remain underexplored. The first relates to what exactly the seabed is; the second to who the stakeholders are. It is argued that a greater interrogation of how the seabed is defined and understood, and a deeper consideration of how stakeholders are identified and the politics of their inclusion, is crucial to the enactment of policy and planning techniques. Through the analysis of current regulations to govern DSM in both national and international jurisdictions, this paper critically examines these seemingly banal but vital questions in different contexts. It is contended that most regulations are ‘fuzzy’ when it comes to addressing these questions, with the result that different understandings of the seabed and the implications of mining are ignored and that who stakeholders are and how they are defined causes many relevant voices to be unh...
Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy cir... more Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy circles: from science to activism and from activism to science. Existing scientific knowledge is being used by activists to expose wrongdoings or improve practices and knowledge in environmental and health conflicts. Activists can either adopt scientific knowledge and data in their own argumentations or produce new scientific knowledge either by becoming scientists themselves or in co-operation with experts. Local and scientific knowledge is being combined to challenge government policies and the knowledge produced by corporate actors. Also explored is the figure of the expert-activist; with scientists becoming activists and vice versa, the boundaries between activists and scientists are increasingly blurry.
The article sheds light on a process where unequal power relations are contested through the co-p... more The article sheds light on a process where unequal power relations are contested through the co-production of scientific and local knowledge. I argue that lay citizens, communities and local grassroots organisations immersed in socio-environmental conflicts are engaging with professional scientists to understand the impacts a polluting project is causing to their environment and themselves. Together with scientists they co-produce new and alternative knowledge that gives the local organisations visibility and legitimacy, information on how to protect themselves from the impacts, and allows them to engage in practical activism, challenging the manufactured uncertainty and other information produced by the state or companies running the projects. This process is what I term Activism Mobilising Science (AMS). It is locally driven by activists who have built related capacities and is generally based on voluntary work. AMS is compared to other participatory processes and gives clues into how grassroots organisations can avoid co-optation. The analysis is based on two uranium mining conflicts in Niger and Namibia where two local organisations are trying to confront the manufactured uncertainty of the nuclear industry through an AMS process.
Activists are driven by interests and values, making use only of the evidence that supports their... more Activists are driven by interests and values, making use only of the evidence that supports their arguments. They are not dispassionate as scientists are supposed to be. There is therefore something antithetical between science and activism. Nevertheless, environmental justice organizations (EJOs) and their networks have accumulated large stocks of activist knowledge of great value to the field of ecological economics, which sometimes becomes available to academics and influences public policies. Vice-versa, some concepts and methodologies developed in ecological economics are useful in practice to EJOs. In this paper, we use the data and knowledge built through the European Çommission funded projects CEECEC (Civil Society Engagement with Ecological Economics) and EJOLT (Environmental Justice Organizations, Liabilities and Trade) to understand the relations and mutual influences between academic fields and theories such as ecological economics and political ecology and, on the other hand, activist practice in environmental justice organizations. Some work by scholars and researchers in ecological economics and political ecology can be perceived as activismled science while environmental justice organizations sometimes carry out science-led activism. A dialectic and dynamic relation is at the center of the interactions between academics and practitioners focused on ecological distribution conflicts. An interactive process exist between knowledge production and knowledge use, in which one helps further the other thanks to the relations built over time between scholars and practitionners.
This paper examines alliances between scientists and local groups in the context of environmental... more This paper examines alliances between scientists and local groups in the context of environmental justice conflicts. We analyze the trajectories of two white male scientific experts collaborating with activist groups in mining and nuclear conflicts around the world. We posit the knowledge co-production processes that take place in these collaborations can challenge (internal and external) power relations and hegemonic discourses around pollution. These collaborations can entail three types of co-production: (i) co-production of knowledge where new technical knowledge is co-created; (ii) co-production of interpretation through which knowledge is contextualized technically and politically; and (iii) the co-production of the mobilization of knowledge where different expertise collaborate in the elaboration of strategies based on their (scientific, local, Indigenous, traditional or experiential) knowledges and networks. Whilst knowledge co-production provides legitimacy and confidence t...
Following Illich's (1974) notion of convivial tools and the distinction he makes between ... more Following Illich's (1974) notion of convivial tools and the distinction he makes between "self-propelled transit" and "motorized transport" of mobility, we apply the emerging paradigm of degrowth to urban mobility. Based on the degrowth literature and Illich's work, we derive principles and criteria for the mobility of a degrowth society that include institutional, energy and material use, infrastructure, local environmental impacts, social impacts and justice, proximity and speed, and autonomy. To ground our analysis in realworld conditions, we consider the practical perspective of mobility and add another set of criteria: comfort and safety, travel time, monetary cost, and health. We then compare urban mobility options, including recently developed hybrid mobility and sharing schemes. Our results show that, although private means have an advantage in terms of personal practicality, they are not desirable from a degrowth perspective, due to their high social and environmental costs and as constituting a source of urban injustice. Public, hybrid, and self-propelled mobility options would become more practical if such injustices were recognised, and if effective public policies challenged the radical monopoly of cars. Further, hybrid options and sharing/pooling schemes have the potential to reduce the use of private means for metropolitan mobility. The adoption of this degrowth framework can enrich debates on sustainable urban mobility and moves beyond the common proposition of promoting public transport as the solution.
Africa’s growing inequalities, persistent underdevelopment and the poverty faced by a major part ... more Africa’s growing inequalities, persistent underdevelopment and the poverty faced by a major part of its population are a core subject of development studies. This book contributes to the literature by merging the analysis of these topics with political economy, political studies and post-colonial theory. Linking these fi elds in the analysis of three Southern African countries – South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe – Andreasson investigates their current socio-economic situation and historic evolution since independence. He explains why orthodox development has failed to address the persistent underdevelopment whilst envisioning a new direction Africa could follow to overcome generations of race-based uneven development. This is an excellent contribution in the post-development studies literature and an inspiring book to place in the hands of those who need to carry out the transformation, which according to the author include the ruling elite of Botswana, the social movements and ruling ANC members in South Africa and the evolving civil society in Zimbabwe. The introduction starts with a provoking question. Is a reform of capitalism enough to achieve equal development for Southern Africa or is a social revolution necessary to transform the current system? Quoting development critics such as Rist and Wade, Andreasson develops a well-grounded criticism of capitalism and market-led development explaining why made-to-fi t-all models have not been successful, especially for African countries. In contrast, post-development theory entails ‘popular inclusivity, a holistic conceptualization of development-as-well-being and a rejection of development as growthand accumulationbased modernization’ (p. 116). Through the historical analysis of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, he shows how the relations between state, market and civil society have remained almost unchanged in the transition to democracy, with the rise of an African elite that has managed to retain political power through one-party ‘virtual’ democracies. Corporatism, understood as the institutional arrangements that shape state–market– society relations, is one of the major targets of Andreasson’s argument. A detailed analysis of corporatism in the region points to the lack of civil society involvement in Botswana and the quasi-corporatism of South Africa. He argues for a ‘post-corporatism’ in which state–market relations inherited from colonialism and apartheid are scrapped for new ones with enhanced civil society participation. This concept relies on a new developmental nexus based on the interchange and interaction of ideas between all emerging different actors. Andreasson hopes then that in this atmosphere of consultation, a reconfi guration of the country’s development model can take place, changing even
The pace of mineral extraction has greatly accelerated since the mid-1950s, with a major mineral ... more The pace of mineral extraction has greatly accelerated since the mid-1950s, with a major mineral boom taking place in the past decade. Responding to growing demands for more material resources, mining projects have met with frequent resistance from local communities. Yet, not all communities oppose mining projects. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper identifies and discusses factors affecting the likelihood of resistance to mining projects by local communities. Case study evidence suggests that dependency towards mining companies, political marginalisation, and trust in institutions tend to reduce resistance likelihood. In contrast, large environmental impacts, lack of participation, extra-local alliances, and distrust towards state and extractive companies tend to increase resistance, while economic marginalisation, corporate social responsibility activities, remoteness and attachment to place have mixed effects. Systematic assessments of these factors could further confirm patterns of resistance, clarify the needs for local consent processes, and help inform the creation of ’no-go’ areas for mining projects to the mutual benefit of companies, communities, and government authorities otherwise affected by socio-environmental impacts and costly deadlocks.
This academic review of more than 200 articles, books and reports sheds light to why and how do c... more This academic review of more than 200 articles, books and reports sheds light to why and how do communities resist mining and how do their forms of resistance change over time. The literature reveals that local communities react not only to perceived environmental impacts but also to their lack of representation and participation in decisions concerning their development path, lack of monetary compensation and distrust with the mining company and the state. Several authors explore the objectives and discourses of these movements that range from compensation and market embedded demands to the articulation of post-material values and the emergence of socio-ecological alternatives. Cross-scalar alliances have emerged as a crucial factor in the formation of discourses and strategies; local narratives and alternatives are being combined with global discourses on rights (to clean water, to take decisions, indigenous rights) and environmental justice. Cross scalar alliances have also allowed local groups to increase their knowledge about the projects, give them visibility, and comprehend and act against their weak position in the global commodity chain. These alliances have also contributed to the emergence or consolidation of a diverse set of resistance strategies such as legal court cases, activist-scientist collaborations and local referendums or " consultas " at community level to reject mining projects. This review also explores the response of the state and the mining companies to these conflicts, exploring responses such as regulatory changes or Corporate Social Responsibility programs.
Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy cir... more Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy circles: from science to activism and from activism to science. Existing scientific knowledge is being used by activists to expose wrongdoings or improve practices and knowledge in environmental and health conflicts. Activists can either adopt scientific knowledge and data in their own argumentations or produce new scientific knowledge either by becoming scientists themselves or in cooperation with experts. Local and scientific knowledge is being combined to challenge government policies and the knowledge produced by corporate actors. Also explored is the figure of the expert-activist; with scientists becoming activists and vice versa, the boundaries between activists and scientists are increasingly blurry. Abstract Introduction Scientific knowledge has traditionally been seen as supporting hegemonic political forces and actors. Through the invisible role of expertise assumed by scientists and academic institutions, science and technology act as political agents in the relations between the state, big corporations and local groups.
JCOM, journal of science communication, Jun 11, 2015
Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy cir... more Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy circles: from science to activism and from activism to science. Existing scientific knowledge is being used by activists to expose wrongdoings or improve practices and knowledge in environmental and health conflicts. Activists can either adopt scientific knowledge and data in their own argumentations or produce new scientific knowledge either by becoming scientists themselves or in cooperation with experts. Local and scientific knowledge is being combined to challenge government policies and the knowledge produced by corporate actors. Also explored is the figure of the expert-activist; with scientists becoming activists and vice versa, the boundaries between activists and scientists are increasingly blurry.
The "extraction frontiers" are the place where extraction of natural resources expands geographic... more The "extraction frontiers" are the place where extraction of natural resources expands geographically, colonizing new lands and territories in search of raw materials (oil, mineral ores, biomass, etc.) to satisfy the increasing demands for materials and energy of industrialized economies (Martínez-Alier et al., 2010; Moore, 2016). This extraction frontier has been advancing since colonial times, in an accelerated rate since the industrial revolution, encroaching and colonizing territories, ways of life and cultures in its wake (Schaffartzik et al., 2014; Krausmann et al., 2009). However, these extraction frontiers do not advance unopposed; on numerous occasions the communities that live near these projects react against the socioenvironmental and cultural impacts on land, water, and ways of life (Martinez Alier, 2003; Conde, 2017; Arsel et al., 2016). Well studied by the BCN school, many of these groups are part of the Environmental Justice (EJ) movement (Martinez-Alier et al., 2016; Martínez-Alier, 2021). The expansion of the extraction frontier and the resistance movements are marked by an intense controversy between the limits of technology to achieve "sustainable" extraction and the role played in this dispute by scientific knowledge and lay or local knowledge. Scientific knowledge, like all knowledges, is partly socially constructed (Foucault, 1971). Although it depends on observation, experimentaland measurement-based testing is also subject to the interests and the cognitive assumptions of the scientist, social practices, available materials, and, more
This academic review of more than 200 articles, books and reports sheds light to why and how do c... more This academic review of more than 200 articles, books and reports sheds light to why and how do communities resist mining and how do their forms of resistance change over time. The literature reveals that local communities react not only to perceived environmental impacts but also to their lack of representation and participation in decisions concerning their development path, lack of monetary compensation and distrust with the mining company and the state. Several authors explore the objectives and discourses of these movements that range from compensation and market embedded demands to the articulation of post-material values and the emergence of socio-ecological alternatives. Cross-scalar alliances have emerged as a crucial factor in the formation of discourses and strategies; local narratives and alternatives are being combined with global discourses on rights (to clean water, to take decisions, indigenous rights) and environmental justice. Cross scalar alliances have also allowed local groups to increase their knowledge about the projects, give them visibility, and comprehend and act against their weak position in the global commodity chain. These alliances have also contributed to the emergence or consolidation of a diverse set of resistance strategies such as legal court cases, activist-scientist collaborations and local referendums or “consultas” at community level to reject mining projects. This review also explores the response of the state and the mining companies to these conflicts, exploring responses such as regulatory changes or Corporate Social Responsibility programs.
The global decarbonization and green politics trends have not been without a cost. While progress... more The global decarbonization and green politics trends have not been without a cost. While progressive Green New Deals and the urban renaturalization practices are discursively constructing a ‘global sustainability’ imaginary, the commitments for a rapid and large-scale deployment of renewable energy and the implementation of large-scale urban projects shift the social and environmental costs to territories and populations ‘in the margins. In this contribution we sketch how cost-shifting is part and parcel of urban greening and renewable energy transition projects and initiatives from Spain, China and Chile. We argue that reducing or minimizing short, medium and long-range cost-shifting practices should thus be at the forefront of transformational (urban) planning. This entails taking a due account of the financial, environmental, social and cultural costs associated with the extraction and use of material and energy, as well as with the location and siting of new ‘green’ infrastructure and its associated justice implications.
In spite of a proliferation of academic and policy-oriented interest in deep sea mining (DSM), th... more In spite of a proliferation of academic and policy-oriented interest in deep sea mining (DSM), this paper argues that two underlying questions remain underexplored. The first relates to what exactly the seabed is; the second to who the stakeholders are. It is argued that a greater interrogation of how the seabed is defined and understood, and a deeper consideration of how stakeholders are identified and the politics of their inclusion, is crucial to the enactment of policy and planning techniques. Through the analysis of current regulations to govern DSM in both national and international jurisdictions, this paper critically examines these seemingly banal but vital questions in different contexts. It is contended that most regulations are ‘fuzzy’ when it comes to addressing these questions, with the result that different understandings of the seabed and the implications of mining are ignored and that who stakeholders are and how they are defined causes many relevant voices to be unh...
Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy cir... more Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy circles: from science to activism and from activism to science. Existing scientific knowledge is being used by activists to expose wrongdoings or improve practices and knowledge in environmental and health conflicts. Activists can either adopt scientific knowledge and data in their own argumentations or produce new scientific knowledge either by becoming scientists themselves or in co-operation with experts. Local and scientific knowledge is being combined to challenge government policies and the knowledge produced by corporate actors. Also explored is the figure of the expert-activist; with scientists becoming activists and vice versa, the boundaries between activists and scientists are increasingly blurry.
The article sheds light on a process where unequal power relations are contested through the co-p... more The article sheds light on a process where unequal power relations are contested through the co-production of scientific and local knowledge. I argue that lay citizens, communities and local grassroots organisations immersed in socio-environmental conflicts are engaging with professional scientists to understand the impacts a polluting project is causing to their environment and themselves. Together with scientists they co-produce new and alternative knowledge that gives the local organisations visibility and legitimacy, information on how to protect themselves from the impacts, and allows them to engage in practical activism, challenging the manufactured uncertainty and other information produced by the state or companies running the projects. This process is what I term Activism Mobilising Science (AMS). It is locally driven by activists who have built related capacities and is generally based on voluntary work. AMS is compared to other participatory processes and gives clues into how grassroots organisations can avoid co-optation. The analysis is based on two uranium mining conflicts in Niger and Namibia where two local organisations are trying to confront the manufactured uncertainty of the nuclear industry through an AMS process.
Activists are driven by interests and values, making use only of the evidence that supports their... more Activists are driven by interests and values, making use only of the evidence that supports their arguments. They are not dispassionate as scientists are supposed to be. There is therefore something antithetical between science and activism. Nevertheless, environmental justice organizations (EJOs) and their networks have accumulated large stocks of activist knowledge of great value to the field of ecological economics, which sometimes becomes available to academics and influences public policies. Vice-versa, some concepts and methodologies developed in ecological economics are useful in practice to EJOs. In this paper, we use the data and knowledge built through the European Çommission funded projects CEECEC (Civil Society Engagement with Ecological Economics) and EJOLT (Environmental Justice Organizations, Liabilities and Trade) to understand the relations and mutual influences between academic fields and theories such as ecological economics and political ecology and, on the other hand, activist practice in environmental justice organizations. Some work by scholars and researchers in ecological economics and political ecology can be perceived as activismled science while environmental justice organizations sometimes carry out science-led activism. A dialectic and dynamic relation is at the center of the interactions between academics and practitioners focused on ecological distribution conflicts. An interactive process exist between knowledge production and knowledge use, in which one helps further the other thanks to the relations built over time between scholars and practitionners.
This paper examines alliances between scientists and local groups in the context of environmental... more This paper examines alliances between scientists and local groups in the context of environmental justice conflicts. We analyze the trajectories of two white male scientific experts collaborating with activist groups in mining and nuclear conflicts around the world. We posit the knowledge co-production processes that take place in these collaborations can challenge (internal and external) power relations and hegemonic discourses around pollution. These collaborations can entail three types of co-production: (i) co-production of knowledge where new technical knowledge is co-created; (ii) co-production of interpretation through which knowledge is contextualized technically and politically; and (iii) the co-production of the mobilization of knowledge where different expertise collaborate in the elaboration of strategies based on their (scientific, local, Indigenous, traditional or experiential) knowledges and networks. Whilst knowledge co-production provides legitimacy and confidence t...
Following Illich's (1974) notion of convivial tools and the distinction he makes between ... more Following Illich's (1974) notion of convivial tools and the distinction he makes between "self-propelled transit" and "motorized transport" of mobility, we apply the emerging paradigm of degrowth to urban mobility. Based on the degrowth literature and Illich's work, we derive principles and criteria for the mobility of a degrowth society that include institutional, energy and material use, infrastructure, local environmental impacts, social impacts and justice, proximity and speed, and autonomy. To ground our analysis in realworld conditions, we consider the practical perspective of mobility and add another set of criteria: comfort and safety, travel time, monetary cost, and health. We then compare urban mobility options, including recently developed hybrid mobility and sharing schemes. Our results show that, although private means have an advantage in terms of personal practicality, they are not desirable from a degrowth perspective, due to their high social and environmental costs and as constituting a source of urban injustice. Public, hybrid, and self-propelled mobility options would become more practical if such injustices were recognised, and if effective public policies challenged the radical monopoly of cars. Further, hybrid options and sharing/pooling schemes have the potential to reduce the use of private means for metropolitan mobility. The adoption of this degrowth framework can enrich debates on sustainable urban mobility and moves beyond the common proposition of promoting public transport as the solution.
Africa’s growing inequalities, persistent underdevelopment and the poverty faced by a major part ... more Africa’s growing inequalities, persistent underdevelopment and the poverty faced by a major part of its population are a core subject of development studies. This book contributes to the literature by merging the analysis of these topics with political economy, political studies and post-colonial theory. Linking these fi elds in the analysis of three Southern African countries – South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe – Andreasson investigates their current socio-economic situation and historic evolution since independence. He explains why orthodox development has failed to address the persistent underdevelopment whilst envisioning a new direction Africa could follow to overcome generations of race-based uneven development. This is an excellent contribution in the post-development studies literature and an inspiring book to place in the hands of those who need to carry out the transformation, which according to the author include the ruling elite of Botswana, the social movements and ruling ANC members in South Africa and the evolving civil society in Zimbabwe. The introduction starts with a provoking question. Is a reform of capitalism enough to achieve equal development for Southern Africa or is a social revolution necessary to transform the current system? Quoting development critics such as Rist and Wade, Andreasson develops a well-grounded criticism of capitalism and market-led development explaining why made-to-fi t-all models have not been successful, especially for African countries. In contrast, post-development theory entails ‘popular inclusivity, a holistic conceptualization of development-as-well-being and a rejection of development as growthand accumulationbased modernization’ (p. 116). Through the historical analysis of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, he shows how the relations between state, market and civil society have remained almost unchanged in the transition to democracy, with the rise of an African elite that has managed to retain political power through one-party ‘virtual’ democracies. Corporatism, understood as the institutional arrangements that shape state–market– society relations, is one of the major targets of Andreasson’s argument. A detailed analysis of corporatism in the region points to the lack of civil society involvement in Botswana and the quasi-corporatism of South Africa. He argues for a ‘post-corporatism’ in which state–market relations inherited from colonialism and apartheid are scrapped for new ones with enhanced civil society participation. This concept relies on a new developmental nexus based on the interchange and interaction of ideas between all emerging different actors. Andreasson hopes then that in this atmosphere of consultation, a reconfi guration of the country’s development model can take place, changing even
The pace of mineral extraction has greatly accelerated since the mid-1950s, with a major mineral ... more The pace of mineral extraction has greatly accelerated since the mid-1950s, with a major mineral boom taking place in the past decade. Responding to growing demands for more material resources, mining projects have met with frequent resistance from local communities. Yet, not all communities oppose mining projects. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper identifies and discusses factors affecting the likelihood of resistance to mining projects by local communities. Case study evidence suggests that dependency towards mining companies, political marginalisation, and trust in institutions tend to reduce resistance likelihood. In contrast, large environmental impacts, lack of participation, extra-local alliances, and distrust towards state and extractive companies tend to increase resistance, while economic marginalisation, corporate social responsibility activities, remoteness and attachment to place have mixed effects. Systematic assessments of these factors could further confirm patterns of resistance, clarify the needs for local consent processes, and help inform the creation of ’no-go’ areas for mining projects to the mutual benefit of companies, communities, and government authorities otherwise affected by socio-environmental impacts and costly deadlocks.
This academic review of more than 200 articles, books and reports sheds light to why and how do c... more This academic review of more than 200 articles, books and reports sheds light to why and how do communities resist mining and how do their forms of resistance change over time. The literature reveals that local communities react not only to perceived environmental impacts but also to their lack of representation and participation in decisions concerning their development path, lack of monetary compensation and distrust with the mining company and the state. Several authors explore the objectives and discourses of these movements that range from compensation and market embedded demands to the articulation of post-material values and the emergence of socio-ecological alternatives. Cross-scalar alliances have emerged as a crucial factor in the formation of discourses and strategies; local narratives and alternatives are being combined with global discourses on rights (to clean water, to take decisions, indigenous rights) and environmental justice. Cross scalar alliances have also allowed local groups to increase their knowledge about the projects, give them visibility, and comprehend and act against their weak position in the global commodity chain. These alliances have also contributed to the emergence or consolidation of a diverse set of resistance strategies such as legal court cases, activist-scientist collaborations and local referendums or " consultas " at community level to reject mining projects. This review also explores the response of the state and the mining companies to these conflicts, exploring responses such as regulatory changes or Corporate Social Responsibility programs.
Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy cir... more Knowledge is not static or unique. It can be exchanged between activists, academia and policy circles: from science to activism and from activism to science. Existing scientific knowledge is being used by activists to expose wrongdoings or improve practices and knowledge in environmental and health conflicts. Activists can either adopt scientific knowledge and data in their own argumentations or produce new scientific knowledge either by becoming scientists themselves or in cooperation with experts. Local and scientific knowledge is being combined to challenge government policies and the knowledge produced by corporate actors. Also explored is the figure of the expert-activist; with scientists becoming activists and vice versa, the boundaries between activists and scientists are increasingly blurry. Abstract Introduction Scientific knowledge has traditionally been seen as supporting hegemonic political forces and actors. Through the invisible role of expertise assumed by scientists and academic institutions, science and technology act as political agents in the relations between the state, big corporations and local groups.
Degrowth is a rejection of the illusion of growth and a call to repoliticize the public debate co... more Degrowth is a rejection of the illusion of growth and a call to repoliticize the public debate colonized by the idiom of economism. It is a project advocating the democratically-led shrinking of production and consumption with the aim of achieving social justice and ecological sustainability.
This overview of degrowth offers a comprehensive coverage of the main topics and major challenges of degrowth in a succinct, simple and accessible manner. In addition, it offers a set of keywords useful for intervening in current political debates and for bringing about concrete degrowth-inspired proposals at different levels - local, national and global.
The result is the most comprehensive coverage of the topic of degrowth in English and serves as the definitive international reference.
More information at: vocabulary.degrowth.org
Tags: degrowth vocabulary, PDF, Full book, Download for free, PDF, download
This report aims at exploring contemporary mining conflicts in the context of the sustainable dev... more This report aims at exploring contemporary mining conflicts in the context of the sustainable development and environmental justice movement. This is done based on 24 real case studies from 18 different countries which are described by local activists and scholars. While 17 of the reported cases focus on conflicts related to metal mining (e.g. gold, silver, copper, zinc, and lead), four address uranium mining and one refers to coal mining. As an example of a new frontier in the industry, a sand mining conflict from India is also reported.
All of these cases are directly chosen and reported, either in factsheet or in-depth study format, by EJOs, as part of a knowledge sharing activity well-established in EJOLT between EJOs and the academic community. Although the cases covered here are all quite unique and diverse in terms of type of conflict and geographical setting, they all share a common frame of analysis. First, the project and type of conflict are characterized in a nutshell, with some basic factual background that describe the companies involved, and the communities and locations affected. The roots of the conflicts are explored next, as well as relevant socioeconomic, cultural, health, and ecological impacts and related community claims. Where relevant, means of resistance are also specified with their influence on the project and/or the outcome of the conflict.
The report then offers a synthesis of the described mining cases, review their commonalities, link gained insights with research needs and discuss some policy recommendations that might follow from this analysis. Despite its limitations, compiling such a diverse set of mining conflicts that builds on EJO knowledge promotes mutual learning and collaboration among stakeholders, EJOs and academia, which is one of the key objectives of EJOLT.
Full reference:
Özkaynak, B., Rodriguez-Labajos, B., Arsel, M., Avcı, D., Carbonell, M.H., Chareyron, B., Chicaiza, G., Conde, M., Demaria, F., Finamore, R., Kohrs, B., Krishna, V.V., Mahongnao, M., Raeva, D., Singh, A.A., Slavov, T., Tkalec, T., Yánez, I., Walter, M., Živčič, L., 2012. Mining Conflicts around the World: Common Grounds from Environmental Justice Perspective, EJOLT Report No. 7, 198 p.
Uploads
Papers by Marta Conde
taking place in the past decade. Responding to growing demands for more material resources, mining
projects have met with frequent resistance from local communities. Yet, not all communities oppose
mining projects. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper identifies and discusses factors
affecting the likelihood of resistance to mining projects by local communities. Case study evidence
suggests that dependency towards mining companies, political marginalisation, and trust in institutions
tend to reduce resistance likelihood. In contrast, large environmental impacts, lack of participation,
extra-local alliances, and distrust towards state and extractive companies tend to increase resistance,
while economic marginalisation, corporate social responsibility activities, remoteness and attachment to
place have mixed effects. Systematic assessments of these factors could further confirm patterns of
resistance, clarify the needs for local consent processes, and help inform the creation of ’no-go’ areas for
mining projects to the mutual benefit of companies, communities, and government authorities otherwise
affected by socio-environmental impacts and costly deadlocks.
taking place in the past decade. Responding to growing demands for more material resources, mining
projects have met with frequent resistance from local communities. Yet, not all communities oppose
mining projects. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper identifies and discusses factors
affecting the likelihood of resistance to mining projects by local communities. Case study evidence
suggests that dependency towards mining companies, political marginalisation, and trust in institutions
tend to reduce resistance likelihood. In contrast, large environmental impacts, lack of participation,
extra-local alliances, and distrust towards state and extractive companies tend to increase resistance,
while economic marginalisation, corporate social responsibility activities, remoteness and attachment to
place have mixed effects. Systematic assessments of these factors could further confirm patterns of
resistance, clarify the needs for local consent processes, and help inform the creation of ’no-go’ areas for
mining projects to the mutual benefit of companies, communities, and government authorities otherwise
affected by socio-environmental impacts and costly deadlocks.
This overview of degrowth offers a comprehensive coverage of the main topics and major challenges of degrowth in a succinct, simple and accessible manner. In addition, it offers a set of keywords useful for intervening in current political debates and for bringing about concrete degrowth-inspired proposals at different levels - local, national and global.
The result is the most comprehensive coverage of the topic of degrowth in English and serves as the definitive international reference.
More information at: vocabulary.degrowth.org
Tags: degrowth vocabulary, PDF, Full book, Download for free, PDF, download
All of these cases are directly chosen and reported, either in factsheet or in-depth study format, by EJOs, as part of a knowledge sharing activity well-established in EJOLT between EJOs and the academic community. Although the cases covered here are all quite unique and diverse in terms of type of conflict and geographical setting, they all share a common frame of analysis. First, the project and type of conflict are characterized in a nutshell, with some basic factual background that describe the companies involved, and the communities and locations affected. The roots of the conflicts are explored next, as well as relevant socioeconomic, cultural, health, and ecological impacts and related community claims. Where relevant, means of resistance are also specified with their influence on the project and/or the outcome of the conflict.
The report then offers a synthesis of the described mining cases, review their commonalities, link gained insights with research needs and discuss some policy recommendations that might follow from this analysis. Despite its limitations, compiling such a diverse set of mining conflicts that builds on EJO knowledge promotes mutual learning and collaboration among stakeholders, EJOs and academia, which is one of the key objectives of EJOLT.
Full reference:
Özkaynak, B., Rodriguez-Labajos, B., Arsel, M., Avcı, D., Carbonell, M.H., Chareyron, B., Chicaiza, G., Conde, M., Demaria, F., Finamore, R., Kohrs, B., Krishna, V.V., Mahongnao, M., Raeva, D., Singh, A.A., Slavov, T., Tkalec, T., Yánez, I., Walter, M., Živčič, L., 2012. Mining Conflicts around the World: Common Grounds from Environmental Justice Perspective, EJOLT Report No. 7, 198 p.