Event

Capitalism in times of the coronavirus

Organised by Stichting Otherwise Wageningen
Date

Tue 14 April 2020 20:00 to 21:30

On Tuesday 14th of April, we will get together online to discuss capitalism in times of the coronavirus with Robert Fletcher, working in the Sociology of Development and Change group at Wageningen University, and each other. We are looking forward to connect again and think together about this important topic!

The starting point of this event is the webinar on ‘Coronavirus capitalism’ in which Naomi Klein, Astra Taylor and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor explain how the current coronacrisis shows the pre-existing unjustness of the economic system. Furthermore, Naomi Klein, explains how crises are often being used by elites to push-through pre-existing wishlists. Also now. “We are seeing a very selective use of emergency measures (…) to offload risks on to individual workers, on to individual families, while the people who are already most cushioned are getting these no-string attached bail-outs.” However, there are many alternative ideas, centered on justice and sustainability, lying around that can counter ‘coronavirus capitalism’.

We will reflect on this with Robert Fletcher. What does he think the current coronavirus crisis shows us about the economy and society? There will be space for discussion. The online meeting will take place on Zoom. More information with the link will follow on our Facebook event:https://www.facebook.com/events/2080101245470083/ .

Want to watch (back) the webinar?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lxwLHRKaB0&t=4521s. There is also a shorter clip in which Naomi Klein explains coronavirus capitalism: https://theintercept.com/2020/03/16/coronavirus-capitalism/

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Robert Fletcher works at Wageningen University in the Sociology of Development and Change group. He is an environmental anthropologists with a research focus on conservation, development, ecotourism, globalization, climate change, social and resistance movements, and non-state forms of governance. He employs a political ecology approach. Recently, Robert Fletcher, together with Bram Büscher, published the book ‘The Conservation Revolution: Radical Ideas for Saving Nature beyond the Anthropocene” in which they offer a new paradigm of conservation. This would go hand in hand with a transformation of the economy, to one that doesn’t demand endless growth.

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This online event will be part of our series on New Economies. Last weeks we have been sharing articles and videos about degrowth, coronavirus capitalism, GDP, quality of live and mitigating climate change. In this lecture, we will look back on the webinar on coronavirus capitalism and touch upon the other topics that have come along.