On Feb 23 & 24, we were happy to welcome participants to our GWO* workshop “Resising Business-As-Usual,” both online and on-site at the JKU Linz to our workshop. Inspired by the conversations and the burning dilemmas on the nexus between social justice and the climate crisis, we want to share a short recap on the workshop, the formats we experimented with, and a recording of the panel discussion with you here.
A hybrid workshop with new formats
Throughout the workshop, we were dedicated to making all sessions both truly hybrid and aimed at sparking connections and discussions. Although we, as an organizing team, were quite intimidated by the goals we set ourselves when testing the hybrid set-up, it was definitely worth making the setting as inclusive as possible. In preparing for the workshop, we also experimented with new formats (such as the “Burning Dilemma” and the “Research Idea”) alongside more conventional paper presentations. For example, with the “Burning Dilemma,” participants were split into small groups (both online and offline) to discuss their thoughts, ideas, and provocations in a more intimate format and then return to the plenum. The formats also featured a few minutes of silent reflections to give more time to think about the content, pose meaningful questions, and give time to breath and digest the input.
Continuing the conversation
The program featured a panel discussion with Raki Ap, Maria Ehrnström-Fuentes, Seray Ergene, and Martin Hultman at the end of the first workshop day. The speakers brought diverse perspectives on the intersection of climate change and social justice, ranging from engaged forms of activism to sparking transformation in the field, writing papers, and questioning dominant discourses and topics. This food for thought resonated with participants and rang through many more discussions on Day 2 of the workshop. You can also have a look at the keynotes in the recording of our panel:
Lastly, we want to thank all the participants who participated in this workshop and joined our adventure of testing new formats and creating a genuinely hybrid and interactive atmosphere. Their creativity, courage, ambition, and hope for transformation in times of socio-ecological crises have genuinely impacted us at the workshop and far beyond.
*The workshop took place before the mass walk out of Associate Editors and Editorial Board members due to undemocratic processes related to the replacement of EiCs. We are grateful for the support by Alison Pullen for our workshop and stand in solidarity with the protest.
ConJunction 