BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:29130@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:Between landscapes and war: The role of our ecosystems in conflict DTSTAMP:20261020T191958Z 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 and war are often\nseen as something deeply or uniquely human\; however\, we are just one species in\nthe intricate network of ecosystems that make our planet home. At times\, our\nconflicts are caused by the landscapes a round us. Often\, our conflicts shape\nthem.\n\nThis panel talk aims to st rip away the purely anthropocentric lens typically\napplied to conflict st udies to place (nonhuman) nature at the center of the\ndiscussion. Instead of perceiving natural environments as a background character\nin our huma n saga\, this panel sheds light on the multidimensional role they play\nin armed conflict. Together with Judith Verweijen of Utrecht University\, wh o\nteaches and conducts research in political geography\, political ecolog y and\nconflict studies\, Kateryna Kurakina\, who worked for Rewilding Ukr aine\, and the\ndirector of Pro-Palestine NGO Plant een Olijfboom\, Esther van der Most\, we will\nask\, first\, how nature can be the cause of conf lict. Second\, how nature can be\nconserved during times of war. Third\, h ow conserving landscapes can serve as a\nsite of resistance. Together\, th ese perspectives will help us understand\nconflict not only as a human aff liction\, but as a truly global phenomenon.\n\n\nSPEAKERS\n\nJudith Verwei jen is Assistant Professor Political Geography at Utrecht\nUniversity. Her research is situated at the intersection of political geography\,\npoliti cal ecology and conflict studies. It focuses on the interplay between\nres ource conflicts\, environmental and climate change and armed mobilization in\nareas of protracted violence\, and how representations of this interpl ay feed\ninto policy discourses and practices.\n\nKateryna Kurakina is a U krainian conservation communications professional with\nnearly 20 years of experience working with international environmental\norganisations\, incl uding WWF\, Rewilding Ukraine and Rewilding Europe. Her work\nhas focused on biodiversity conservation\, ecosystem restoration\, and engaging\ncommu nities and stakeholders in rewilding and nature across Ukraine and Europe. \nThrough her involvement with Rewilding Ukraine\, she has gained valuable insights\ninto how Russia’s war against Ukraine affects ecosystems\, cons ervation efforts\,\nand local communities.\n\nElse Lanjouw (moderator) is an editorial member of SPUI25 in Spe. I have always\nbeen fascinated by th e versatility of human beings. We can show so much love and\ncompassion\, and at the same time so much cruelty and neglect. For this reason\, I\nstu died Political Science at the University of Amsterdam\, after which I\ncom pleted a master’s degree in Global Conflict in the Modern Era in Leiden. M y\ninterest continues to lie in humanizing political science issues. How c an we\nmaintain empathy in dehumanizing situations\, such as conflict and forced\ndisplacement? At SPUI25 in Spe\, I hope to explore the different s ides of human\nbehavior and thus discover ways to combat dehumanization an d violence.\n\nShereen Quttaineh is a textile artist and art educator whos e work explores\nbotany\, land\, political control\, and everyday rituals as sites of collective\nmemory. Based in Amman\, 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\nexpressive and conceptual potent ial of textiles. Her work unfolds as a\nmeditative and reflective practice \, engaging with the tensions between personal\nintrospection\, collective memory\, and socio-cultural narratives. URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/between-landscapes-and-war-the-role-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,live,plants,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 and war are often seen as something deeply or uniquely hu man; however, we are just one species in the intricate network of ecosyste ms that make our planet home. At times, our conflicts are caused by the la ndscapes around us. Often, our conflicts shape them.

This panel ta lk aims to strip away the purely anthropocentric lens typically applied to conflict studies to place (nonhuman) nature at the center of the discussi on. Instead of perceiving natural environments as a background character i n our human saga, this panel sheds light on the multidimensional role they play in armed conflict. Together with Judith Verweijen of Utrecht Univers ity, who teaches and conducts research in political geography, political e cology and conflict studies, Kateryna Kurakina, who worked for Rewilding U kraine, and the director of Pro-Palestine NGO Plant een Olijfboom, Esther van der Most, we will ask, first, how nature can be the cause of conflict. Second, how nature can be conserved during times of war. Third, how conse rving landscapes can serve as a site of resistance. Together, these perspe ctives will help us understand conflict not only as a human affliction, bu t as a truly global phenomenon.

Speakers

Judit h Verweijen is Assistant Professor Political Geography at Ut recht University. Her research is situated at the intersection of politica l geography, political ecology and conflict studies. It focuses on the int erplay between resource conflicts, environmental and climate change and ar med mobilization in areas of protracted violence, and how representations of this interplay feed into policy discourses and practices.

Kateryna Kurakina is a Ukrainian conservation communic ations professional with nearly 20 years of experience working with intern ational environmental organisations, including WWF, Rewilding Ukraine and Rewilding Europe. Her work has focused on biodiversity conservation, ecosy stem restoration, and engaging communities and stakeholders in rewilding a nd nature across Ukraine and Europe. Through her involvement with Rewildin g Ukraine, she has gained valuable insights into how Russia’s war against Ukraine affects ecosystems, conservation efforts, and local communities.

Else Lanjouw (moderator) is an editorial m ember of SPUI25 in Spe. I have always been fascinated by the versatility o f human beings. We can show so much love and compassion, and at the same t ime so much cruelty and neglect. For this reason, I studied Political Scie nce at the University of Amsterdam, after which I completed a master’s deg ree in Global Conflict in the Modern Era in Leiden. My interest continues to lie in humanizing political science issues. How can we maintain empathy in dehumanizing situations, such as conflict and forced displacement? At SPUI25 in Spe, I hope to explore the different sides of human behavior and thus discover ways to combat dehumanization and violence.

Shereen Quttaineh is a textile artist and art educator w hose work explores botany, land, political control, and everyday rituals a s sites of collective memory. Based in Amman, her practice is rooted in co ntemporary textile art and printing, employing reclaimed materials as both medium and archive. Through relief printing, textile collage, and embroid ery, Quttaineh investigates the expressive and conceptual potential of tex tiles. Her work unfolds as a meditative and reflective practice, engaging with the tensions between personal introspection, collective memory, and s ocio-cultural narratives.

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