Why international space collaborations should be anticolonial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Marino ◽  
Gabriella Ghermandi

<p>This paper synthesises and presents evidence from existing literature on how space projects and infrastructures built in the Global South have had – often unintended – negative impacts on local and Indigenous communities (Redfield 2000). The example of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in South Africa demonstrates that there are often competing priorities at play within space projects and that equitable practices must be at the heart of all space initiatives that aim to foster inclusive and just outcomes (Walker, Chinigo’ 2019). While dispossession due to space infrastructure has received recent scholarly attention, the ways in which the methods of scientific research reframe relationships and the sites of space research often remain invisible. This paper touches upon three areas where more equitable practices are needed to address historically crystallised asymmetries of power: 1) partnerships; 2) fieldwork; 3) approaches to science. I use Harding’s decolonial philosophies of science (2017) to instigate a dialogue with other disciplines and propose a change of practice in science. Fieldwork in analogue environments in Africa is used as an example of fostering collaborations and scientific endeavours that are actively anticolonial and combat the ways in which the Global North can be extractive in its approach to space projects on our planet. Can ethical frameworks be useful tools to appropriately consider the potential impacts of space projects and collaborations on local communities?</p> <p> </p>

2021 ◽  
pp. 147332502110293
Author(s):  
Laura A. Chubb ◽  
Christa B. Fouché ◽  
Karen Sadeh Kengah

The call to decolonise research processes and knowledge produced through them has spawned a powerful shift in working relationships between community researchers and members of local communities. Adaptation of a traditional conversational space in a community-based participatory research study offers a context-specific example of a decolonising method for data collection and as pathways for change. This article reports on learnings encountered while adapting the space and highlights the relevance for other cultural contexts. We present principles to adapt traditional conversational spaces both for collecting data and as a means of working in partnership with indigenous communities to enable different ways of knowing and action.


Author(s):  
Maria Alejandra Hernandez Marentes ◽  
Martina Venturi ◽  
Silvia Scaramuzzi ◽  
Marco Focacci ◽  
Antonio Santoro

AbstractChagras are complex agroforestry systems developed by indigenous populations of the Amazon region based on shifting agriculture, as part of a system that includes harvesting of wild fruits and plants, hunting and fishing. During the centuries, thanks to their traditional knowledge, indigenous populations have developed a deep relationship with the surrounding environment, as, living in remote places, they must be self-sufficient. The result is the chagra, a system whose cycle is based on seven basic steps to establish a successful and sustainable system, starting from place selection and ending with the abandonment of the plot after harvesting of the products. After the abandonment, the forest starts to grow again to allow the agroecosystem to recover and to take advantage of the residual vegetal material to avoid erosion. The paper takes into consideration the Indigenous Reserve of Monochoa in Colombia as an example of how traditional knowledge can support a rich biodiversity conservation. Moreover, differently from other parts of the world where there is a growing contrast between indigenous communities and protected areas, in the Indigenous Reserve of Monochoa local communities have been recognized as the owners of the land. Results highlighted the crucial role of the indigenous communities for biodiversity conservation. The preservation and adaptation of traditional knowledge and practices, a decentralized autonomous governance system demonstrates that local communities not only can be part of ecosystems with unique biodiversity, but that they can represent the main actors for an active conservation of biodiversity. Agroforestry systems based on traditional forest-related knowledge can therefore be an effective alternative to biodiversity and ecosystem services conservation based on strict nature protection where humans are perceived as a negative factor.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Richardson ◽  
◽  
Eric Dixon ◽  
Ted Boettner ◽  

Although coal has powered the nation for generations and today offers well-paying jobs—often the best opportunities in more rural areas—coal negatively affects human health and the environment at every point in its life cycle: when it is mined, processed, transported, burned, and discarded (Freese, Clemmer, and Nogee 2008). Local communities— often low-income communities and/or communities of color—have for decades borne the brunt of these negative impacts, including air pollution, water pollution, and work- place injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 424-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Mendes ◽  
Laurentina Vareiro ◽  
André Rafael Ferreira

Film-induced tourism has various socio-cultural, economic and environmental impacts on local destinations. Considering that destination managers and tourism development authorities aim to plan for optimal tourism development, and at the same time wish to minimize the negative impacts of this development on the local communities, monitoring residents’ opinions of perceived impacts is a good way of incorporating their reaction into tourism planning and development. This study’s main objective is to explore residents’ perceptions of film-induced tourism and the impacts of filmmaking on the development of a destination. Specifically, the research examines residents’ perceptions of filmmaking impacts on two Portuguese municipalities (Arcos de Valdevez and Estremoz) given their features in two popular television soap operas. Data is collected by means of an Internet survey, in which residents’ perceptions of these impacts are solicited. Residents generally agree that the recording and exhibition of the television soap operas are important to the municipality, and contribute to the increased number of tourists. Given that residents consider that the positive impacts are more significant than the negative impacts, they would support the recording of other television series in their municipalities. Although perceptions of residents from Arcos de Valdevez and Estremoz were similar, some significant differences were found.


Author(s):  
Siniša Bilić-Dujmušić ◽  
Feđa Milivojević

This article is dealing with the chronology and subject of Caesar’s first visit to Illyricum. Namely, at the beginning of winter in 57 B.C. Gaius Julius Caesar, the governor of Illyricum and the two Gauls, set off to Illyricum with the intent to visit the local communities and to acquaint himself with the area. However, in Gaul suddenly broke out the rebellion of the Veneti and their allies. Caesar’s subordinate  commander in the area, Publius Licinius Crassus, informed Caesar about these  events. As he was quite distant, Caesar ordered military ships to be built on the  river that flows in the Atlantic Ocean (Liger fl.) and told Crassus he will proceed  to the army cum primum per anni tempus potuit. This seemingly short episode during Caesar’s governorship of Illyricum is attested with only a few words in the third  book of Commentarii de Bello Gallico (bell. Gall. III, VII – IX). Although noticed  in modern historiography, to date no significant scholarly attention or satisfactory  analysis has been paid to it. In modern historiography it is mentioned exclusively  in the works dealing with a far wider context. There is only an overview, with a prevailing opinion that due to the war with the Veneti Caesar had to adjourn his  short visit to Illyricum or that he did not even arrive there. Yet with the analysis  of general historical circumstances, specific chronology of the period and Caesar’s  work on Gallic wars, an exactly different conclusion is to be made. Here the authors  give new interpretation of Caesar’s words and contemporary information on the  political events in Rome. Thus proving not only that Caesar’s departure to war with  the Veneti cannot be chronologically associated with his departure to Illyricum, but  that Caesar indeed visited Illyricum; that his visit lasted much longer than it has  been considered so far; and that his reasons for the visit stemmed from the significance of the province in Caesar’s plans for future engagements.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Odziemkowska ◽  
Sinziana Dorobantu

Despite growing engagements between firms and nonmarket stakeholders—such as local communities and nongovernmental organizations —research has yet to examine the emergence of formal contracts between them. Given that a very large number of such contracts are theoretically possible but only a small number exist, we seek to understand what factors explain the use of contracts to govern some relationships between firms and nonmarket stakeholders but not others. We draw on transaction cost economics to study transactions wherein a nonmarket stakeholder provides a firm access to a valuable resource and to understand when these transactions are governed by formal contracts. We propose that, when a firm makes site-specific investments, a stakeholder’s use rights to the resource sought by the firm, the negative externalities generated by its use, and the stakeholder’s capacity for collective mobilization increase holdup risk for the firm and therefore the probability of a contract. We collect novel data on the location of indigenous communities and mines in Canada to identify a plausible exhaustive set of indigenous communities “at risk” of signing a contract with a mining firm. We test our hypotheses by relying, respectively, on historically assigned property rights over lands, the mine-community colocation in a watershed and proximity on transportation routes, and archival records of community mobilization events. We find support for our propositions by examining which of the 5,342 dyads formed by 459 indigenous communities and 98 firms signed 259 contracts between 1999 and 2013.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-37
Author(s):  
Najum us Saqib ◽  
Asim Yaqub ◽  
Gomal Amin ◽  
Imran Khan ◽  
Huma Ajab ◽  
...  

Abstract The northern area of Pakistan, Gilgit Baltistan (GB), has huge tourist potential due to its exotic mountain beauty. According to the GB Tourism Department, a large number of tourists (around 200651) visit GB every year from across the country. Due to a large influx of tourists in the area both positive and negative impacts have been felt especially on the environment and on the local communities. The environmental impacts of tourism were investigated in this research in two districts of GB. Three villages were selected from each of the districts of Hunza and Diamer as the basis of this research. This study was based on the perceptions and attitudes of the respondents. The total number of questionnaires completed was 340 filled from different respondent categories. Results showed that deforestation, loss of biodiversity, generation of solid waste, water, air and noise pollution, damage cultural and heritage sites and are the main environmental issues caused by tourism activities in the villages in these districts. About 42% of respondents said that deforestation and loss of biodiversity were high in the Diamer district while in Hunza 39% of respondents said that solid waste generation was high. Similarly, 21% respondents in Hunza and 14% respondents in Diamer agreed that water pollution is caused by tourism activities. Microbial analysis of water confirmed the presence of Salmonella typhi, E. coli and Enterobacter sp. There were positive impacts of tourism with results revealing that 87% of villagers and 98% of businessmen responded that tourism had provided them with jobs and business during the peak tourism season. Hotels and restaurants are the main source of jobs in GB mainly as porters and guides. According to the data collected dry fruits, medicinal herbs, gemstones and handicrafts provided considerable attractions for tourists. It is recommended that a combined effort be made by the local communities, tourism departments and other Govt. Agencies to ensure the cleanliness of tourist attractions.


Author(s):  
Maxine Oland

Spanish documents imply that the Chetumal Bay region acted as a unified force to resist European colonization, yet archaeological data suggest that the experience of the Maya during the fifteenth to the seventeenth century (Late Postclassic through Colonial periods) was highly localized. Some communities, such as at Caye Coco on Progresso Lagoon, were in a state of unstable transition when the Spanish appeared. Their arrival elicited a variety of actions and reactions as local communities attempted to adapt to indirect colonial rule, and these settlements experienced differential rates of colonial control and conversion. In this chapter, the distinct experiences of three indigenous communities at Lamanai, Santa Rita Corozal, and the west shore of Progresso Lagoon are examined.


Koedoe ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Newsome ◽  
Shannon Hassell

Madagascar is renowned for high levels of biodiversity and endemism. As a result of its unique flora and fauna, as well as the high levels of human threat to the environment, such as illegal clearing, hunting and political instability, it is a critical global conservation priority. Andasibe–Mantadia National Park in eastern Madagascar is one of the most popular protected areas visited by tourists. Observations carried out in 2011 showed that even though there were some negative impacts associated with natural-area tourism, the benefits to both the local communities and associated biological conservation outweighed the negatives. Natural-area tourism at Andasibe is well organised, with many local guide associations having partnerships with international organisations and 50% of park fees going directly to local communities. Forest loss is a widespread problem in Madagascar, but at Andasibe the forest is valued for its ecological function and as a generator of profits from natural-area tourism. Exploitation of the park was not observed. Andasibe is an example of how conservation and natural-area tourism can work together in Madagascar for the benefit of local communities and the environment. However, with the current unstable political climate and lack of adequate wider tourism and conservation planning frameworks, awakening to its potential as a leading conservation tourism destination will not be a simple task. Conservation implications: This research demonstrated that ecotourism can be an effective means of achieving conservation objectives, whilst, at the same time, improving the livelihoods of local people. We caution, however, that governments can do a lot more to encourage and support the nexus between tourism and conservation.


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