Warm welcome to the first Re-emergence/Emergency Walk in Alnarp! Read more about the series of walks under the title “The Ecology of Life and Death: Learning about Radical Softness to Imagine a New Now” here.
November 16, 2-3:45 pm:
Citizen Science and “The Politics of Emotions”
Who: Everyone! Bring your neighbours, colleagues, friends to spark our academic bubble!
Where: The walk will start outside of Alnarp’s castle (front side), Slottsvägen 5, where we will have a short introduction. We will then walk through Alnarpsparken, discuss and share, and conclude again at the castle. If fika is something that makes you feel safe and warm while walking, feel free to bring just that. Also: We will meet in all weather, so remember to dress accordingly and maybe bring an umbrella, too.
Registration: No registration needed, just be there a couple of minutes before we walk from Slottsvägen 5.
Picture by Chempetitive: Neurons which conduct emotions as electrochemical messages throughout our brains.
Questions and framing
What a time to be alive! What a privilege to be able to study! What a gift to still be able to enjoy the sun! Yet what a trial to not grow numb to the struggles of our times! What a challenge to not fall asleep under the weight of our existence! What a decision to not let your heart become cold in the face of our age, that teaches us daily to suppress our emotions and feelings—cause after all, “big boys don’t cry!”.
Going to work we have to function as passive, marble entities, we obey to rules of objectivity and come back home to lull ourselves to sleep while succumbing to some form of entertainment so we don’t have to feel ourselves. But wait! Is that really all there is? Are we not more than some thinking, intelligent cells that still linger on on this planet?
As we are gathering for a Re-emergence/Emergency walk through Alnarpsparken, listen to and share our own perspectives (no prior knowledge needed!) we want to explore ourselves as body, mind and spirit; learn about the “Politics of Emotions” as a valid source of knowledge that makes us become “humanly accessible” (Lyons 1988: 31); and tap into the world of feelings that can help us to transform and soften ourselves both individually and collectively.
Lyons, G. (1988). Constructive Criticism. Speaking and listening more effectively in personal relations, groups, and political activities. A Handbook. Berkeley: Wingbow Press.
Background material
Background reading, watching is available here.
CEMUS invites you to a series of Re-emergence/Emergency Walks at SLU Alnarp’s campus to explore issues, questions and unknowns central to our ability to re-imagine and re-shape human societies and culture.
in months.
I’ve lived humbly, reading the paper,
pondering the riddle of power
and the reasons for obedience.
I’ve watched sunsets
(crimson, anxious),
I’ve heard the birds grow quiet
and night’s muteness.
I’ve seen sunflowers dangling
their heads at dusk, as if a careless hangman
had gone strolling through the gardens.
September’s sweet dust gathered
on the windowsill and lizards
hid in the bends of walls.
I’ve taken long walks,
craving one thing only:
lightning,
transformation,
you.
'Transformation' by Adam Zagajewski (translated by Clare Cavanagh)
We as human beings, educators, researchers and universities are failing in bringing about meaningful and radical (to the root causes) change – systemic changes of systems that are destroying human and more-than-human worlds.
We need to explore and rediscover old ideas and ways of organising resistance, and build new spaces that can survive the present-future destruction and madness.
The idea is also built on and inspired by the botanical walks – Herbationes Upsalienses – that Linnaeus did around Uppsala during the 18th century, read more here: The Linnaeus Trails.
The concept is simple: before the actual walking discussion you can (but don’t have to) watch a background-video or read some texts that aim to provoke and inspire some initial thoughts, feeling on the topic being discussed. Then we gather in Alnarpsparken in front of the castle, walk through the park; engage in dialogue, disagreement, discussion two and two; find a space to gather again and switch our conversation partners; then walk back and have a conversation with someone new before we close with a final round of shared reflections.