Solidarity from Glasgow Uni students to the Atrato
It was a great pleasure to work with students from across the world during Globalisation: Critical Perspectives from the Global South (POLITIC5099). One of our sessions focused on socio-environmental conflicts in Latin America, examining how global demand for primary commodities frequently drives destruction of nature and poses a threat to the communities that call these places home. We discussed the case of Chocó, the efforts of local Afro-Colombian and Indigenous groups to protect their collective territories from conflict-linked illicit economies, such as mechanised, alluvial gold mining, and the legal recognition of the Atrato River as a bearer of rights.
Students created artworks in solidarity with the people of Atrato, describing their close relationships with rivers and other bodies of water. These artworks spanned the globe: the River Ken in India, remembered as a place of family vacations, now under threat from intensive sand mining; the Lancang, Yangtze and Yellow River of China, and time spent with friends and family enjoying nature; the restoration of the Stadsbuitengracht canal in Utrecht; and the tranquillity found at the banks of the River Kelvin for new arrivals in Glasgow. Check out all of the artworks below. Well done to everyone!
Allan Gillies (course convenor)
