Project Samtal Jameer, Samtal Jameen brings together a diverse group of participants to discuss and elaborate on a wide array of subjects centered on ecology, enviromentalism, research and art practices. The project has been developed and moderated by artist, curator and activist Ravi Agarwal and is comprised of 25 conversations recorded on video where Agarwal engages with each of the participants in the project on a variety of topics and shared areas of interest and expertise. The project branches further by presenting the work of the participants as it relates to Samtal Jameer, Samtal Jameen and the series of ideas, research and practices shared in common. Such work includes profiles on each participant, a bibliography of texts, works, photography, videos and other media relevant to this project. Each conversation found on this website reflects the critical and creative engagement of each participant as it relates to the themes, subjects and ideas that are central to Samtal Jameer, Samtal Jameen.

Diminished Ecologies - A Conversation with TJ Demos

A summary of this conversation will be presented here. Title sizes and fonts can be changed. A background image for each Conversation will be unique/specific to that Conversation. The titles of the buttons will vary between “view” for videos and image galleries to “read” for articles, essays, papers. This slider can show infinite number of slides, but we will feature 5 latest additions to the site with the most recent or latest content showing first.

A critical pedagogy of place: from gridlock to parallax - Conversation with David A. Greenwood

Differences of perspective, standpoint and subjectivity can help to enlarge the conceptual landscape of environmental education theory. Rejections of difference, on the other hand, can become an intolerance that narrows the scope of inquiry. This rejoinder argues that Bowers’ repeated rejections of critical pedagogy are based on a partial reading of the critical tradition, and that these critiques, including his current call to ‘avoid embracing’ a critical pedagogy of place, are unnecessarily dismissive and therefore counterproductive. Environmental education has benefited and will continue to benefit from the critical tradition of which critical pedagogy is a part. Relationships and/or antagonisms are constructed through human responses and interactions. Sameshima’s pedagogical theory of parallax is introduced as a way of seeing relationships between ideas that have been thought to be opposed. Moving toward relationship rather than rivalry, the rejoinder concludes by suggesting that Bowers’ and Freire’s criticality is actually more alike than different.

This month’s participants

Elsa Salazar Cade

Elsa Salazar Cade

Environmental Activist

Elsa Salazar Cade (born 1952) is an award-winning Mexican American science teacher and entomologist. Elsa received her undergraduate degree in elementary education at the University of Texas at Austin and her master’s in public school administration at Niagara University. She is certified for New York State as a school district administrator.

Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor

Economist

Sonia Sotomayor is a professor, literary theorist, writer, film-maker and an installation artist. She is based in New York and has exhibited her works widely throughout the world.

Carlos Fuentes

Carlos Fuentes

Computer Scientist, Data Scientist

Carlos Fuentes has explored the physical, historical, and political significance of water in the urban environment of Buenos Aires and La Plata through artworks that incorporate sculpture, painting, installation, video, photography, and performance.

Latest Conversations

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet — Juan Roman Riquelme in Conversation with Ravi Agarwal

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut aliquam enim ut enim dignissim semper. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Fusce mauris felis, mattis sit amet turpis ac, venenatis interdum neque. Nunc ipsum erat, aliquet et euismod quis, blandit ac ligula.

Morbi placerat mi id lacus ornare lacinia — Sonia Sotomayor in Conversation with Ravi Agarwal

Morbi placerat mi id lacus ornare lacinia. Quisque in est pulvinar, venenatis ex in, hendrerit mi. Vestibulum cursus maximus lectus vel feugiat. Mauris luctus lorem nec quam aliquet, et sodales nunc egestas.

Pellentesque sit amet sodales ante — Carlos Fuentes in Conversation with Ravi Agarwal

Pellentesque sit amet sodales ante. Aliquam ullamcorper ligula ac elit pulvinar, vel tristique nisi faucibus. Duis ac ultrices dui. Etiam metus leo, rutrum vel pretium id, ultricies eget mauris. Nulla tellus dolor, mollis a ligula nec, viverra lacinia augue. In hac habitasse platea dictumst.

Latest Essays

In vitae feugiat metus: lorem ipsum dolor — by John Beverley

In vitae feugiat metus. In varius fringilla sapien quis venenatis. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Duis eu cursus urna.

Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis — by Sylvia Molloy

Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Aenean erat turpis, fringilla quis molestie tincidunt, sollicitudin non augue. Sed quis commodo ipsum, quis mollis augue.

Nam dapibus euismod libero sit amet faucibus — Humberto Maturana

Nam dapibus euismod libero sit amet faucibus. Nunc at laoreet felis. Proin tincidunt velit eu nunc congue auctor. Donec porttitor, leo vel porttitor tempus, justo elit placerat ex, at tristique lorem lacus in tellus. Curabitur hendrerit et dolor id iaculis. Proin faucibus orci risus, vitae consectetur dolor pharetra vehicula.

Read More Essays