BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:29369@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:Between Landscapes and Violence: The Role of Our Ecosystems in Conf lict DTSTAMP:20261022T192606Z DTSTART:20261117T190000Z DESCRIPTION:Today\, the world is home to more than 130 armed conflicts. Rou ghly a quarter of\nthe world’s population live in conflict afflicted zones \, which cover\napproximately 10 percent of the Earth’s landmass. Conflict \, war\, and genocide\nare often seen as something deeply or uniquely huma n\; however\, we are just one\nspecies in the intricate network of ecosyst ems that make our planet home. At\ntimes\, our conflicts are caused by the landscapes around us. Often\, our\nconflicts shape them.\n\nThis panel ta lk aims to strip away the purely anthropocentric lens typically\napplied t o conflict studies to place (nonhuman) nature at the center of the\ndiscus sion. Instead of perceiving natural environments as a background character \nin our human saga\, this panel sheds light on the multidimensional role they play\nin armed conflict. Together with Judith Verweijen of Utrecht Un iversity\, who\nteaches and conducts research in political geography\, pol itical ecology and\nconflict studies\, Kateryna Kurakina\, who worked for Rewilding Ukraine\, and the\ndirector of Pro-Palestine NGO Plant een Olijf boom\, Esther van der Most\, we will\nask\, first\, how nature can be the cause of conflict. Second\, how nature can be\nconserved during times of w idespread violence. Third\, how conserving landscapes\ncan serve as a site of resistance. Together\, these perspectives will help us\nunderstand con flict not only as a human affliction\, but as a truly global\nphenomenon.\ n\n\nSPEAKERS\n\nJudith Verweijen is an Assistant Professor in the Departm ent of Human Geography\nand Spatial Planning at Utrecht University. Her re search lies at the\nintersection of conflict studies\, political ecology a nd political geography. Her\nwork focuses on militarization and the intera ction between the dynamics of\nviolence\, armed mobilization\, and environ mental and climate change. Her focus is\non Central Africa\, particularly eastern Democratic Republic of Congo\, where she\nhas been conducting inte rmittent fieldwork since 2010.\n\nKateryna Kurakina is a Ukrainian conserv ation communications professional with\nnearly 20 years of experience work ing with international environmental\norganisations\, including WWF\, Rewi lding Ukraine and Rewilding Europe. Her work\nhas focused on biodiversity conservation\, ecosystem restoration\, and engaging\ncommunities and stake holders in rewilding and nature across Ukraine and Europe.\nThrough her in volvement with Rewilding Ukraine\, she has gained valuable insights\ninto how Russia’s war against Ukraine affects ecosystems\, conservation efforts \,\nand local communities.\n\nEsther van der Most is the director of the D utch foundation Plant een Olijfboom\n(Plant an Olive Tree) who works in Pa lestine and raises awareness in The\nNetherlands. More than 300\,000 olive trees have been planted in the occupied\nPalestinian West Bank by the org anization. Olive trees play an important role in\nPalestinian culture\, as well as in the resistance against land colonization by\nthe Israeli regim e—which continues to seize increasing amounts of land to expand\nsettlemen ts that are illegal under international law.\n\nBabette Okhuysen (moderato r) is an editorial member of SPUI25 in Spe. Today\, she\nhas a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and plans to pursue\na master’ s in social studies as well. During her bachelor’s\, she focused on\nconfl ict\, non-human perspectives and gender inequality. Throughout her academi c\nyears\, she has increasingly developed a decolonial lens on her work\, through\nwhich she examines how Western colonial ideas and systems continu e to profoundly\ninfluence people and the world around us. She is also int erested in nature\nconservation\, cultural dynamics and indigenous rights. \n\nElse Lanjouw (moderator) is an editorial member of SPUI25 in Spe. I ha ve always\nbeen fascinated by the versatility of human beings. We can show so much love and\ncompassion\, and at the same time so much cruelty and n eglect. For this reason\, I\nstudied Political Science at the University o f Amsterdam\, after which I\ncompleted a master’s degree in Global Conflic t in the Modern Era in Leiden. My\ninterest continues to lie in humanizing political science issues. How can we\nmaintain empathy in dehumanizing si tuations\, such as conflict and forced\ndisplacement? At SPUI25 in Spe\, I hope to explore the different sides of human\nbehavior and thus discover ways to combat dehumanization and violence.\n\nShereen Quttaineh is a text ile artist and art educator whose work explores\nbotany\, land\, political control\, and everyday rituals as sites of collective\nmemory. Based in A mman\, her practice is rooted in contemporary textile art and\nprinting\, employing reclaimed materials as both medium and archive. Through\nrelief printing\, textile collage\, and embroidery\, Quttaineh investigates the\n expressive and conceptual potential of textiles. Her work unfolds as a\nme ditative and reflective practice\, engaging with the tensions between pers onal\nintrospection\, collective memory\, and socio-cultural narratives. URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/between-landscapes-and-violence-the-rol e-of-our-ecosystems-in-conflict GEO:52.3685931;4.8896879 LOCATION:SPUI25 - Spui 25-27\, 1012 WX Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:amsterdam-centrum,community,discussion,ecology,gender,live,plant s,spui,talk X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Today, the world is home to more than 130 a rmed conflicts. Roughly a quarter of the world’s population live in confli ct afflicted zones, which cover approximately 10 percent of the Earth’s la ndmass. Conflict, war, and genocide are often seen as something deeply or uniquely human; however, we are just one species in the intricate network of ecosystems that make our planet home. At times, our conflicts are cause d by the landscapes around us. Often, our conflicts shape them.

Th is panel talk aims to strip away the purely anthropocentric lens typically applied to conflict studies to place (nonhuman) nature at the center of t he discussion. Instead of perceiving natural environments as a background character in our human saga, this panel sheds light on the multidimensiona l role they play in armed conflict. Together with Judith Verweijen of Utre cht University, who teaches and conducts research in political geography, political ecology and conflict studies, Kateryna Kurakina, who worked for Rewilding Ukraine, and the director of Pro-Palestine NGO Plant een Olijfbo om, Esther van der Most, we will ask, first, how nature can be the cause o f conflict. Second, how nature can be conserved during times of widespread violence. Third, how conserving landscapes can serve as a site of resista nce. Together, these perspectives will help us understand conflict not onl y as a human affliction, but as a truly global phenomenon.

Speaker s

Judith Verweijen is an Assistant Profe ssor in the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning at Utrecht University. Her research lies at the intersection of conflict studies, pol itical ecology and political geography. Her work focuses on militarization and the interaction between the dynamics of violence, armed mobilization, and environmental and climate change. Her focus is on Central Africa, par ticularly eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where she has been conduct ing intermittent fieldwork since 2010.

Kateryna Kurakin a is a Ukrainian conservation communications professional wi th nearly 20 years of experience working with international environmental organisations, including WWF, Rewilding Ukraine and Rewilding Europe. Her work has focused on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and engaging communities and stakeholders in rewilding and nature across Ukrai ne and Europe. Through her involvement with Rewilding Ukraine, she has gai ned valuable insights into how Russia’s war against Ukraine affects ecosys tems, conservation efforts, and local communities.

Esth er van der Most is the director of the Dutch foundation Plan t een Olijfboom (Plant an Olive Tree) who works in Palestine and raises aw areness in The Netherlands. More than 300,000 olive trees have been plante d in the occupied Palestinian West Bank by the organization. Olive trees p lay an important role in Palestinian culture, as well as in the resistance against land colonization by the Israeli regime—which continues to seize increasing amounts of land to expand settlements that are illegal under in ternational law.

Babette Okhuysen (modera tor) is an editorial member of SPUI25 in Spe. Today, she has a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and plans to pursue a master’s in social studies as well. During her bachelor’s, she focused on conflict , non-human perspectives and gender inequality. Throughout her academic ye ars, she has increasingly developed a decolonial lens on her work, through which she examines how Western colonial ideas and systems continue to pro foundly influence people and the world around us. She is also interested i n nature conservation, cultural dynamics and indigenous rights.

Else Lanjouw (moderator) is an editorial member of SPUI25 in Spe. I have always been fascinated by the versatility of human b eings. We can show so much love and compassion, and at the same time so mu ch cruelty and neglect. For this reason, I studied Political Science at th e University of Amsterdam, after which I completed a master’s degree in Gl obal Conflict in the Modern Era in Leiden. My interest continues to lie in humanizing political science issues. How can we maintain empathy in dehum anizing situations, such as conflict and forced displacement? At SPUI25 in Spe, I hope to explore the different sides of human behavior and thus dis cover ways to combat dehumanization and violence.

Shere en Quttaineh is a textile artist and art educator whose work explores botany, land, political control, and everyday rituals as sites o f collective memory. Based in Amman, her practice is rooted in contemporar y textile art and printing, employing reclaimed materials as both medium a nd archive. Through relief printing, textile collage, and embroidery, Qutt aineh investigates the expressive and conceptual potential of textiles. He r work unfolds as a meditative and reflective practice, engaging with the tensions between personal introspection, collective memory, and socio-cult ural narratives.

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