‘We want to have a positive impact’: Fragile ecologies and the Iraqi Kurds’ dutiful environmentalism
In this article, we investigate the emergence of modern environmentalism in the Kurdistan Region (Iraq), a de facto state in which ecological well-being is under serious strain. Social mobilizations in the Middle East have been depicted as confrontational and opposing the authorities. Studies of env...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Arizona Libraries
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Political Ecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/5377/ |
| _version_ | 1797786761167896576 |
|---|---|
| author | Dobrosława Wiktor-Mach Kaziwa Dylan Marcin Skupiński |
| author_facet | Dobrosława Wiktor-Mach Kaziwa Dylan Marcin Skupiński |
| author_sort | Dobrosława Wiktor-Mach |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article, we investigate the emergence of modern environmentalism in the Kurdistan Region (Iraq), a de facto state in which ecological well-being is under serious strain. Social mobilizations in the Middle East have been depicted as confrontational and opposing the authorities. Studies of environmental activism in the region have also highlighted conflictual relations between social actors and the holders of power. In this article, we stress the need to expand the research scope to closely examine other forms of actions and strategies in relation to ecological threats and climate change. Drawing upon field research and interviews in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, we analyze the (geo)politics, economic systems and social change which together affect nature, natural resources, landscapes and climate, as well as the patterns of Kurdish contestation in these areas. We term the typical practices of the new phenomenon of Kurdish environmental activism as 'dutiful' form of dissent, which can be explained by contextualizing activism. It is grounded in political ecology and activists' efforts are directed at state building and policymaking in a post-conflict state. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:12:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3fe896719afc4e2fad68d86a2ac307ac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1073-0451 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:12:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | University of Arizona Libraries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Political Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-3fe896719afc4e2fad68d86a2ac307ac2023-07-05T16:13:07ZengUniversity of Arizona LibrariesJournal of Political Ecology1073-04512023-04-0130110.2458/jpe.5377‘We want to have a positive impact’: Fragile ecologies and the Iraqi Kurds’ dutiful environmentalismDobrosława Wiktor-Mach0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1158-2574Kaziwa DylanMarcin SkupińskiCenter for Advanced Studies of Population and Religion, Cracow University of EconomicsIn this article, we investigate the emergence of modern environmentalism in the Kurdistan Region (Iraq), a de facto state in which ecological well-being is under serious strain. Social mobilizations in the Middle East have been depicted as confrontational and opposing the authorities. Studies of environmental activism in the region have also highlighted conflictual relations between social actors and the holders of power. In this article, we stress the need to expand the research scope to closely examine other forms of actions and strategies in relation to ecological threats and climate change. Drawing upon field research and interviews in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, we analyze the (geo)politics, economic systems and social change which together affect nature, natural resources, landscapes and climate, as well as the patterns of Kurdish contestation in these areas. We term the typical practices of the new phenomenon of Kurdish environmental activism as 'dutiful' form of dissent, which can be explained by contextualizing activism. It is grounded in political ecology and activists' efforts are directed at state building and policymaking in a post-conflict state. http://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/5377/Environmentalismdutiful dissentactivismIraqthe Kurdistan region |
| spellingShingle | Dobrosława Wiktor-Mach Kaziwa Dylan Marcin Skupiński ‘We want to have a positive impact’: Fragile ecologies and the Iraqi Kurds’ dutiful environmentalism Journal of Political Ecology Environmentalism dutiful dissent activism Iraq the Kurdistan region |
| title | ‘We want to have a positive impact’: Fragile ecologies and the Iraqi Kurds’ dutiful environmentalism |
| title_full | ‘We want to have a positive impact’: Fragile ecologies and the Iraqi Kurds’ dutiful environmentalism |
| title_fullStr | ‘We want to have a positive impact’: Fragile ecologies and the Iraqi Kurds’ dutiful environmentalism |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘We want to have a positive impact’: Fragile ecologies and the Iraqi Kurds’ dutiful environmentalism |
| title_short | ‘We want to have a positive impact’: Fragile ecologies and the Iraqi Kurds’ dutiful environmentalism |
| title_sort | we want to have a positive impact fragile ecologies and the iraqi kurds dutiful environmentalism |
| topic | Environmentalism dutiful dissent activism Iraq the Kurdistan region |
| url | http://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/5377/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dobrosławawiktormach wewanttohaveapositiveimpactfragileecologiesandtheiraqikurdsdutifulenvironmentalism AT kaziwadylan wewanttohaveapositiveimpactfragileecologiesandtheiraqikurdsdutifulenvironmentalism AT marcinskupinski wewanttohaveapositiveimpactfragileecologiesandtheiraqikurdsdutifulenvironmentalism |