Cultivating Liberation Workshop
Workshop run by Sowing Post Capitalist Seeds and The Kowtha Constellation / Attended by Amy
Discussing what post-capitalism could look like in a real way. That’s what these folks do. I stumbled on this free workshop series being held over Zoom and run by Sowing Post Capitalist Seeds and the Kowtha Constellation. With the name “Cultivating Liberation Workshop,” I couldn’t resist.
It was a conversational space facilitated by Anuradha Kowtha, made to help attendees ‘create their own individualised anti-capitalist pathway’. It was an interactive and welcoming workshop where attendees responded to questions in an accompanying digital ’workbook’ and then discussed their thoughts as a group.
The workshop was fantastic as a space to engage in idea-sharing and conversation with an international group of people. The themes that stood out in the discussion were post-capitalism, oppression and systemic injustice and the desire and belief in alternatives. The workshop series encouraged critical self-reflection and some pragmatic steps to be taken to help individuals detach from internalised capitalism. It also created space to imagine alternatives and plot a path to move towards them.
I’ve never been involved in such an empathetic, grounded and tangible conversation about the possibilities of post-capitalism, and it’s changed my perception of what is possible. I highly recommend keeping an eye out for any future workshops run by Sowing Post Capitalist Seeds and The Kowtha Constellation..
Angus Deaton: “Economics is the study of human welfare” [1]
https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2023/oct/07/angus-deaton-interview-book-economics-in-america / Read by Ger
Angus Deaton is a distinguished economist and senior scholar at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. He is the recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences [2]. He has made significant contributions to the field of economics, particularly in the realms of consumption, poverty, and welfare. His research investigates the intricate connections between consumption patterns, economic development, and societal well-being, where he advocates for economic data to be used to analyse welfare and poverty.
A notable distinction of Deaton’s work lies in his exploration of inequality and its consequences on societal welfare. He underscores the pressing need to address systemic inequalities that favour the wealthy and powerful at the expense of ordinary citizens. By shining a light on these darker aspects of the economy, Deaton advocates for a re-evaluation of economic policies to prioritise the public interest and promote a more equitable and just society.
As we navigate a world hungry for positive systems change that prioritises the common good, Angus Deaton’s pioneering work serves as a beacon of insight and inspiration.
References
[1] “ECONOMICS How should it change?”, International Monetary Fund, March 20241.
[2] Nobel Prize. “The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2015 – Press Release.” NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2015/press-release/
[3] Deaton, Angus. “Consumption, Poverty, and Welfare.” The Economic Journal, vol. 113, no. 488, 2003, pp. F733-F750.
[4] Deaton, Angus. “Inequality and Deaths of Despair in America.” Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 34, no. 1, 2020, pp. 31-50.
[5] Deaton, Angus. “Addressing Rising Inequality: A Call for Economic Policy Reform.” The American Economic Review, vol. 110, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-41.
‘The Right to be Forgotten’
RadioLab Podcast / Listened to by Shonagh
Discussing the effects of being linked to the past and the right to be able to move on from mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes and gone are the days when you just have to wait for people to forget. With the internet, your mistakes are forever memorized online.
Radiolab’s correspondent Molly Webster investigates the right to be forgotten, whose mistakes get to be deleted and why. Should we even delete these stories, or do they serve as a reminder?
This episode was fantastic as it talked about a very real issue that affects us today. Nowadays people can record anyone just going about their lives, to what extent do people own those images of us? What was great about the podcast is that it followed a group of people who worked for a newspaper and who get requests from people to delete their stories or their names from their archives so they could be searched without being associated to it anymore. This group goes through these requests and their reasons and decides whether to delete or keep them. It was great to hear the context and arguments they have for whether it stays or goes.
I found it very insightful and found myself considering my bias when hearing people’s requests and stories about their mistakes and whether they do deserve to be forgotten. I really recommend giving it a listen.
https://radiolab.org/podcast/right-be-forgotten-2308
Have you seen these? What are you looking at? Let us know in the comments below!
