“How to listen to the planet?” was the theme guiding the opening panel of the Maputo Fast Forward International Festival Conference 2024 on October 18, in Maputo. Historian and political scientist Achille Mbembe, and radical ecofeminist Patricia McFadden sought to address this profound question before a diverse audience attentively following the conference.
The topic inevitably touched upon the global climate crisis, with speakers warning of the evident disconnect between “nature and culture.”
Achille Mbembe stated that “the earth has a body and skin, and part of what characterizes it is that it is a space where all the forces of the universe come together, where reciprocal actions of all elements generate the horizon of life. We must return to this horizon if we want to learn to listen to the planet.”
The current impacts, in this geological era known as the “Anthropocene,” can only be minimized if humanity begins to understand, according to Mbembe, that it is not alone in this space; there is “a variety of beings, such as fungi, plants, all of which create the conditions in which we live, so that we can live.” And it is this gathering of all forms of life, participating in the same dynamic, that brings us closer to the principles of Ubuntu, a term meaning “I am because you are.”
The historian and professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa does not separate the harm done to the planet from the democratic practices on the African continent. He asserted, “there is no possible path to success other than reversing course and making a deep commitment to education,” especially on a continent where the youth make up the majority.
Ecofeminist Patricia McFadden turned to herself as a living body. She comes from a tradition and lineage of women who had a direct connection to the earth, and thus emphasized during her presentation that one of the actions that should be embraced by all is “living in communion with the earth, not exploiting it.”
As expected, she explained how a balanced world can be achieved: “Feminism has an important role in creating the present, and we all have the responsibility to shape a better future by humanizing ourselves.”
All the panels from the MFF2024 international conference will soon be online on our YouTube channel, so keep up to date.
