The pandemic has left a pessimistic youth. It's been reported that in the last two years there has been a 400% increase in symptoms of anxiety/ depression socially.
Something's clear: Hope, and not panic, is the most powerful and urgent tool for our political action. 🧵
Something's clear: Hope, and not panic, is the most powerful and urgent tool for our political action. 🧵
Btw, I’m @namevdelang (they/them) from México, and I’m taking over @Friday4Future twitter. My dad and I did the new artwork and design for Fridays for Future. Follow my personal account if you want
This is the second of the threads I’ll do today. It’s about “climate hope” :)
This is the second of the threads I’ll do today. It’s about “climate hope” :)
Sadness makes us docile. The ruling class would want us to be in a perpetual state of depression.
The narratives/aesthetics we use within our struggle affect the results of it. You can easily incite paralyzing fear or hyper-moralism when you intended to incite political action.
The narratives/aesthetics we use within our struggle affect the results of it. You can easily incite paralyzing fear or hyper-moralism when you intended to incite political action.
When speaking of hope, it is necessary to speak of a politicized hope. A hope that drives you to action. What does this mean?
It means that Elon Musk won't save us, but we can save ourselves. Mutual aid and solidarity are the solution, forget about miraculous technologies.
It means that Elon Musk won't save us, but we can save ourselves. Mutual aid and solidarity are the solution, forget about miraculous technologies.
I use “climate hope” to refer in a general way to all the different proposals that address this issue.
But I do think it is important to talk in more detail about some of them. In particular I'll talk about:
1. sembranza
2. solarpunk
3. Bookchin's ecological utopianism
But I do think it is important to talk in more detail about some of them. In particular I'll talk about:
1. sembranza
2. solarpunk
3. Bookchin's ecological utopianism
1. Sembranza: comes from a play on words between esperanza [hope, in spanish] and sembrar [sow].
As Jaime Luna, indigenous zapotec thinker and artist says, “These are not times of esperanza, but times of sembranza. Because it is no longer worth waiting, but sowing.”
As Jaime Luna, indigenous zapotec thinker and artist says, “These are not times of esperanza, but times of sembranza. Because it is no longer worth waiting, but sowing.”
Sembranza is a term mainly used by indigenous communities that inhabit Mexico and Central America (please avoid epistemic extractivism).
For more sembranza, I recommend following people like @JaimeMartnezLu1, @futuroindigena, @YasnayaEG, @Andreakomio and @lunamaran
For more sembranza, I recommend following people like @JaimeMartnezLu1, @futuroindigena, @YasnayaEG, @Andreakomio and @lunamaran
2. Solarpunk: Solarpunk: Nothing more rebellious than hope.
"-punk" is a tradition of artistic and social movements that are proud to be critical and rebellious against the regime in which they are born.
Solarpunk was born out of them.
"-punk" is a tradition of artistic and social movements that are proud to be critical and rebellious against the regime in which they are born.
Solarpunk was born out of them.
Punk always flees from assimilation by constantly reinventing itself and having a critical view of its immediate past.
That is why, since cynicism is a fundamental part of neoliberalism, solarpunk takes a step beyond denial, which implies starting to create and imagine.
That is why, since cynicism is a fundamental part of neoliberalism, solarpunk takes a step beyond denial, which implies starting to create and imagine.
Its aesthetics have changed over time, adapting to the local traditions and cultures of the communities. But in the words of @SolarpunkA:
“Solarpunk is the happy medium between cyberpunk and cottagecore”
“Solarpunk is the happy medium between cyberpunk and cottagecore”
Also @SolarpunkA says, “Solarpunk means a new kind of mutualistic globalization, creating a cosmopolitan world culture, based on freedom, cooperation, diversity, and ecological regeneration.”
For more solarpunk i recommend obviously @SolarpunkA, but also @_saintdrew. Also, for directly solarpunk art, look up for João Queiroz or the book Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation.
3. Ecological utopianism: Created by the radical thinker Murray Bookchin, it started as a critique against useless futurism.
For Bookchin, futurism was to extend the present into the future, and thus remove uncertainty from it.
For Bookchin, futurism was to extend the present into the future, and thus remove uncertainty from it.
Futurism asks, “what will cars be like in 100 years?”, rather than whether there should even be cars by then. 🤢
Ecological utopianism, on the other hand, increases your capabilities by increasing your imagination :)
Bookchin accepted the challenge of the French May, "Be realistic – Do the impossible!".
But he extended it: “if we don't do the impossible we will experience the unthinkable”
Bookchin accepted the challenge of the French May, "Be realistic – Do the impossible!".
But he extended it: “if we don't do the impossible we will experience the unthinkable”
This leads to imagining ways of life that transcend the capitalist-colonial system. This occurs by imagining a world where hierarchies of race, class, etc. no longer exist.
It makes explicit the need to break free from our current system in order to materialize what is imagined.
It makes explicit the need to break free from our current system in order to materialize what is imagined.
For more ecological utopianism, follow @InstSocEco and #GoogleBookchin, especially this text: unevenearth.org/2019/10/bookch…
Anddddd that’s all for today about climate hope. (well, I also recommend a lot this video by @AnarkYouTube )
If you’re interested in my other threads for today, here I’ll be tweeting them all so you don’t get lost.
You can ask some questions also, I’ll be answering them!
You can ask some questions also, I’ll be answering them!
https://twitter.com/Fridays4future/status/1491896368834744327?t=AqmXOo5tLdNBbbC_1tFgRA&s=19
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