Dr. Andres Dimitriu (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Argentina): “Resource Exploitation, Social Movements, and the Public Sphere in Patagonia”
July 17, 2013, 7pm
Room 1600, SFU Harbour Centre
What are the multiple consequences, historical roots and ramifications of the current–and worldwide–assault on common goods (“natural resources”)? Despite the tendency to focus on single corporate behavior, particular policies, locally restricted cases, or to accept agendas set by “single issue NGO´s”, social organizations have managed to bring a broader picture into debate. “Extractivism”, a catchword rather than a concept, is discussed in relation to global flows of money, real estate speculation, neoliberal urbanism, and rural exodus, massive pollution, dispossession of land and means of production. New (neo-colonial) forms of enclosures include refurbished strategies about “growth” and “progress” that have been central to Modernization policies after WW2 (green revolution, technology transfer, diffusionism). Selected cases will be discussed and brought into a context in which Canada an Argentina have had–and still have–common critical approaches. Paraphrasing Harold Innis: from colony to nation, then back to colony”.
Andrés Dimitriu is Professor, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Argentina, of Political Economy of Communication and Ecology, director of a research Project on the consequences of staple-based economies. Studied in the Hochschule für Gestaltung/IUP, FRG, and in the School of Communication at SFU. Andrés Dimitriu has worked in the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA, 1972-1976), was Secretary of Communication of the Province of Río Negro (1983-1987), director of the Regional Centre of Communication Research (1987-1990) and since then professor and independent researcher. He is member of Theomai (international network of studies on society, nature and development) and co-editor of its journal; board member of ULEPICC, Latin Union of Political Economy of Information, Communication and Culture, participant of the Unión de Asambleas Patagónicas, UAP (coalition of social assemblies of Patagonia).
This lecture is being co-sponsored by the School of Communication SFU, and the Department of English, SFU.