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by Carolina Sánchez De Jaegher

Conceptualizing Ecocide is thrilled to share the highlights of an extraordinary evening hosted at in Amsterdam on November 27. The night was marked by the worst storm forecasted for the end of the year 2024. Undeterred by the winds and hard rain, Brian Burkhart, Susanne Knittel, and I boarded the train from Utrecht to Amsterdam to foster a dialogue over Ecocide, philosophy and justice. On the train, plans were outlined for our return in the face of the tumultuous weather, the ‘what about if' floated on the air.

One idea was to leave early, anticipating a smaller turnout due to the storm. We all agreed on this but contrary to our expectations, we were informed that the room was packed with over 100 attendees exceeding its capacity. The remarkable turnout, despite the weather warnings, infused us with renewed energy and commitment to deliver an excellent critical discussion.

The evening’s atmosphere was filled with the audience’s resilience and enthusiasm. Why else, after all, would they come in such a stormy evening to be physically present in the room, when they could have simply watched the talk online? Their dedication underscored the importance of in-person engagement and the collective energy that comes from sharing ideas and thoughts in community in the face of adversity. At 17.00 sharp we entered in a conversation with Brian Burkhart (Critical Pathways fellowship 2024), Rolando Vázquez (UvA), Carolina Sánchez-de Jaegher (ICON, Utrecht University) in the DESPUI25 to explore Indigenous environmentalisms. The discussion was skillfully moderated by Susanne Knittel who opened and facilitated the evening’s insights.

During the talk, Burkhart emphasized the transformative potential of reconceptualizing the land to combat ecocide. He argued that this approach must be rooted in a dialogue that acknowledges the land as both a cornerstone of settler-colonial systems and a source of Indigenous liberation. By centring the land at the heart of Ecocide discussions, Burkhart highlighted its material, conceptual, and ontological importance for Indigenous peoples, integral to their knowledge systems, values, and ways of life. Following Burkhart’s presentation, the expert panel delved into Indigenous critiques of the colonial power structures that often obscure Indigenous environmentalisms by imposing settler-colonial narratives. These narratives frequently marginalize or erase Indigenous knowledge systems and their intrinsic relationships with the land.

By the time we ended the presentation, the wind had decreased in intensity, and the atmosphere was rich in good creative energies for the biggest challenge that humanity faces: climate change and ecocide. We thank Critical Pathways for the opportunity to learn from unrepresented knowledges in academia, and we hope despite the current situation that better educational winds blow to the Netherlands. Imagining the vital role of education in the lowlands amidst rising waters of climate change demands more than scientific approaches; it calls for critical and creative minds capable of thinking beyond the intentions of installing a narrow curriculum to cope with short-sighted budget cuts. The winds of climate change will confront us all, and only through expansive, interdisciplinary thinking can we face it together.

Finally, if you are wondering if we made it to Utrecht that night, yes, we did, but with a bunch of train delays, good talks, and joy in between.