Socio-environmental governance and ethical-political challenges of just transitions

Currently, there is a widespread perception that we live in a context of generalized crisis in our societies. For this reason, the literature refers to an ecological, civilizational, or perceptual crisis—concepts that demonstrate how, behind this crisis scenario, lies a way of understanding the world that is profoundly incompatible with maintaining the basic balances of life (Capra and Luisi, 2014; Lang, 2019; Leff, 2017).
This seminar is conceived as a space to reflect on the crisis and explore possible governance structures that can guide a sustainable and socially just ecological transition. The first stage of the seminar examines the anthropocentrism inherent in modernity and its secular project of domination over nature. In this social imaginary, nature is primarily conceived as a resource and commodity, a “fund”—in Heidegger’s terms (1958)—destined to be exploited in economic processes that ignore limits and inevitably lead to a socio-reproductive crisis. This process obscures the structural inequalities inherent in global capitalism, in socioeconomic, political, and ecological terms (Clark & ​​Foster, 2012). The theoretical approach proposed here allows us to question and “disenchant” the modern project of domination, paving the way for practical and sustainable alternatives. In the second stage, the seminar delves into the complexities of the relationships between the social actors involved in the socio-environmental crisis. Thus, governance becomes one of the central concepts when analyzing the problem of political power and its interactions with actors and the commons, the lifeblood of these networks. Furthermore, this concept extends to socio-environmental issues, addressing social behavior toward natural commons and shaping “environmental governance,” a key process of “formulating and refuting images, designs, and implementing the procedures and practices that shape access, control, and use of natural resources among different actors” (Castro, 2015, p. 19).

Objective

To critically address existing socio-environmental governance structures and the ethical-political challenges for a socially and ecologically just transition.

Specific objectives

• To critically analyze governance processes from a historical and conceptual dimension, delving into Latin American environmental governance experiences and their impact on the defense of human rights in their environmental dimension.
• To address just transition approaches in an interdisciplinary manner, considering in a comprehensive way their social, political, economic and ecological dimensions.
• Understanding the main ethical and political challenges that arise from a just transition towards sustainability.

• Socio-reproductive crisis and global ecological inequalities.
• Governance, politics, and socio-environmental crisis. Conceptualization. Institutional frameworks, disputes, and challenges. Environmental governance and Latin American critique. Towards a reconceptualization from practice.
• Social participation in the face of global change. Captured state and environmental defense. Organized communities, activism, and human rights. The Escazú Agreement.
• Cinematic perspectives on the crisis: between technocracy, radical environmentalism and scientism.
• Socio-ecological transition.
• A socio-ecologically just transition.
• Intersectoral Dialogue Panel. Experiences in environmental governance in Latin America. Lessons learned and challenges.
• Ethical/political scenarios of a just transition. A look at the present.
• Ethical/political challenges of a just transition. A look towards the future.

The basic requirements for taking a seminar are:

• Availability of at least 4 hours per week to dedicate to the seminar course.
• Internet access.
• Reasonable handling of communication and computer tools.
• Language proficiency in the language in which the course will be taught. The official languages ​​are Spanish and Portuguese.

The seminars last 10 weeks, plus the completion of a final project. A total of 90 hours of dedication will be credited.

A course consists of twelve classes, each accompanied by required reading bibliography, supplementary bibliography, discussion forums and training activities proposed by the teaching team, partial deliveries and a final project.
The course is online and asynchronous. Some instructors may propose synchronous activities. In those cases, the time and date will be agreed upon beforehand between the instructors and the students to ensure everyone's participation. Attendance at synchronous sessions is not mandatory.
To pass the seminar, you must participate in at least 80% of the discussion forums and activities proposed by the teachers, have completed the scheduled partial deliveries, and pass the final work.

The possible payment methods are by credit card or bank transfer.