Presentation de Stephen D’Arcy, Huron University College, « Dilemmas of Solidarity in Environmental Justice Activism »

Résumé

Environmental justice activism often takes the form of struggles to fend off a variety of harms that directly threaten the well-being of oneself, one’s family, or one’s community. However, in very many cases it takes an importantly different form, as a defence of what may be called distant others — far-off communities, future generations, or other species — from dangers or harms that do not directly threaten oneself or one’s community, but which one opposes on other grounds. The motivation for these struggles on behalf of distant others is often said to be “solidarity.” But what do we mean by solidarity? If we understand solidarity as a type of compassion-motivated “noblesse oblige,” inviting the relatively privileged to act for the benefit of those who are less fortunate, it can give rise to a variety of all-too-familiar pathologies of movement activism: paternalism, moralism, self-righteousness, and ‘performative’ online posturing. On the other hand, if we understand solidarity instrumentally, as a kind of strategic alliance for mutual advantage, we risk weakening the motivational basis for solidarity activists to make personal sacrifices for the benefit of distant others who may not be able to reciprocate. After all, if mutual advantage is the main appeal, why risk arrest or devote long hours and precious resources to helping distant others that may be incapable of reciprocating? In this paper, I propose a way of thinking about solidarity activism on behalf of distant others that integrates compassion, strategic calculation, and democratic deliberation in the context of a broad-based anti-systemic approach to environmental justice movement-building.

Biographie

Stephen D’Arcy (Huron at Western) is an associate professor of philosophy and an activist in struggles for social and environmental justice. He is author of the book, Languages of the Unheard: Why Militant Protest is Good for Democracy, and co-editor of the book, A Line in the Tar Sands: Struggles for Environmental Justice. He teaches and writes about democratic theory, practical ethics, and the history of German philosophy.

PAUSE CAFÉ, 16:15 – 17:00 | Salle C-3061

2e partie, 17:00 – 19:00 | Salle C-3061

Table-ronde avec :

• Stephen D’Arcy, Huron University College
• Des-terres-minées
• Divest McGill
• Extinction Rebellion

Les présentations dureront chacune une vingtaine de minutes. Elles seront ensuite suivies d’une discussion avec le public.