Whether you want to enhance your knowledge about colonialism and the environment or simply critically reflect on the realities around you, the Heinrich Boell Foundation Yerevan Office - South Caucasus Region invites you to take part in its four-day summer school.
We announce a call for participation in the Green Laboratory Armenia 2023: Colonialism and the Environment.
How are colonialism and the environment related? What continued impact does colonialism have on states and nations? How is Armenia affected by its colonial past and its globalizing present? What is Armenia's political and economic identity and how should it be shaped?
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the newly independent states sought to establish their own political and economic identities. Many of them pursued a path of economic liberalization and integration with the global economy, seeking to attract foreign investment and develop their industries. Although foreign investment can bring economic benefits such as job opportunities and increased access to capital, it can also lead to a number of negative consequences for local communities: exploitation, displacement, environmental degradation, and unequal distribution of benefits. Hence, some argue that it can be described as a new type of environmental colonialism. Resisting these practices, eco-activists have been fighting for environmental justice and sustainable and equitable resource management.
The aim of the Lab is to create a productive interdisciplinary platform that brings together students, scholars, researchers, and activists to explore and discuss the topics of environmental justice and colonialism from a multidimensional perspective. Particular attention will be paid to the topics of Soviet infrastructural colonialism, feminist perspectives on environmental justice, and industrial modernization.
The Laboratory's guest speakers represent academia and environmental activism both in Armenia and abroad.
Where? When?
The Green Lab 2023 will take place on July 12-16, in Stepanavan or Jermuk, Armenia (under discussion). It will include lectures, discussions, group work, and film screenings. Moreover, excursions will be held to environmentally endangered areas.
Who can apply:
Students from Master's and Ph.D. programs (anthropologists, sociologists, environmentalists, ecologists, urbanists, etc.) are invited to apply for the Laboratory. Participation of interested young people with experience in the related topics is also welcome. Knowledge of English is considered an advantage.
Please complete the application form here.
The deadline for the submission of applications is June 18, 2023.
The shortlisted candidates will be contacted at the latest on June 23.
***
hbs Yerevan is part of hbs Tbilisi Office - South Caucasus Region. Our main goal is to contribute to the democratization process of the South Caucasus region. We promote gender equality, democracy and human rights, social and environmental justice. Together with our partners, we support initiatives that strengthen democratic political culture in the country and open space for debates on democratization and civil society, gender democracy and environmental transformation. We provide a platform for dialogue and pluralistic approaches to the politics of memory, Soviet and post-Soviet history, bringing these topics into the wider public discourse