EVENT | FEELING CLIMATE CHANGE TO THE BONE

The work and understanding of climate change are heavily based on technocentric frames where the voices of vulnerable communities most affected are largely ignored. There is an urgent need to give a platform to those communities for whom climate change is a lived and embodied experience.

During this webinar, co-hosted by the Department of Management and Green Lab at Monash Business School, we will hear from such communities in the Philippines.

MASIPAG (Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag–unlad ng Agrikultura) is a network of small-scale farmers, landless agricultural workers and Indigenous peoples, their peoples’ organisations, NGOs and scientists, with approximately 30,000 members.

Our webinar’s speakers, most of them from MASIPAG, will focus on key themes:

• Knowing climate: Their past and ongoing experiences in facing catastrophic climate change;
• Organising for change: The multi-pronged strategies they have developed and are using to address climate change. These include embracing agroecology and in particular focusing on the role of youth and women in developing sustainable and equitable agri-food practices
• Climate change justice: Their rich experiences in advocating for climate justice at community, regional, national and international levels.

Host

Associate Professor Jagjit Plahe, Department of Management, Monash Business School

A/Prof Plahe specialises in the International Political Economy research area, with other research interests including global governance, trade justice and the management and organisation of equitable and sustainable food systems in Asia.

Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome

Associate Professor Anita Foerster, Department of Business Law and Taxation, Director of Green Lab, Monash Business School

A/Prof Foerster specialises in environmental and climate law. Her research uses socio-legal methods to explore how law and regulation develop, how they are implemented and what effects they have in practice.

Welcome from MASIPAG

Ms Georita G. Pitong

Ms Pitong is the Visayas Regional Coordinator of MASIPAG in The Philippines. She has been with the MASIPAG Visayas secretariat since 2000, coordinating with network partner NGOs and scientists supporting the program implementation and regional activities in the Visayas region.

Speakers

Understanding climate change: Beyond technocentrism: Professor Gavin Jack

Prof Jack is Head of the Department of Management at Monash University. Gavin’s multidisciplinary research interests and expertise include workplace diversity and inclusion, postcolonial organisation studies, sustainable agricultural development, and qualitative and critical management research methods.

Emotional Geographies of Climate Change: Professor Sarah Wright

Prof Wright is a Future Fellow in geography and development studies at the University of Newcastle. She works in critical development studies, particularly on geographies of food, and Indigenous and post-colonial geographies, working with Yolŋu and Gumbaynggirr co-researchers to attend to Indigenous ontologies of connection. She has worked with Filipino social movements for 25 years and is part of two Indigenous-led research collectives, the Bawaka Collective and Yandaarra.

Knowing Climate (MASIPAG): Virginia Prudente Nazareno

Ms Nazareno is the Chairman of the MASIPAG Board of Trustees. She is the Advisor of the Kiday Community Farmers Association (KCFA) in General Nakar, Quezon Province. Nanay Virgie, as she is fondly called, is a farmer-trainer who specialises in organic agriculture production, organisational development, food processing and marketing.

Organising for Change (MASIPAG): Rodolfo F. Cortez, Jr.

Mr Cortez is an active and energetic MASIPAG farmer-trainer and Peoples Organisation (PO) leader of BAKAS, a PO-member of MASIPAG in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. Mr Cortez is involved in conducting training with co-farmers on sustainable agriculture and agroecology in other POs across the country. He is currently the chairperson of MASIPAG Visayas Regional Management Team (RMT), as well as of the MASIPAG National Committee for Local Marketing and Processing Support (LMPS).

Climate Justice (MASIPAG): Alfie M. Pulumbarit

Mr Pulumbarit is the National Coordinator of MASIPAG, and currently oversees the MASIPAG Climate Change Resiliency program. He formerly headed the Information, Communication and Advocacy Unit of the MASIPAG National Secretariat as its National Advocacy Officer. He also served as the secretariat of the Stop Golden Rice Network, a regional campaign network of more than 30 organisations across Asia.

Register here: https://www.monash.edu/business/events/feeling-climate-change-to-the-bone