In the field of social change academics are often trapped by theoretical sophistications and the demands of publishing in peer reviewed journals that are away from the public domain. On the other hand, activists, often rooted in particular contexts, find it difficult to access the space for engagement with wider experiences, especially those that are cross-cultural and theoretical in orientation. The field of critical/radical geography has been one such space which has been enabling and sustaining such a dialogue and helping those straddling the academic and activist spaces, define own positions as scholar-activists. In order to further build, strengthen and broadbase this space we are organising a meeting which aims to bring together scholars and activists in order to share and explore possibilities of working together towards social change. This is an initiative by a group of radical scholars which Sambhaavnaa is supporting as it is aligned within the vision of the Institute to broadbase courses on social and political issues.

Thematic Focus:

Radical scholarship requires us to delve into the material realities of social life with a desire to make politically relevant analysis thereby working towards a just word. The statement of purpose for the ICCG(International Center for Climate Governance states that “we refuse the self-imposed isolation of much academic research, believing that social science belongs to the people and not the increasingly corporate universities.” Both radical and critical geography emerged in US and UK in the 1960s and have since come a long way in creating spaces where meaningful dialogue and debate can be fostered (such as the journals Antipode and Acme, the critical geography conferences and the Institutes for geographies of justice). In this meet we propose to bring together radical/critical geographers working in the South Asian context. In outlining a more regional focus to the meet we hope to explore what overlaps and extensions have emerged in the way radical and critical geographies are shaped in the regional context of South Asia.

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Participants

Resource Person