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The Political Shift Of Academia Into The Video

Source: Huffington Post. With its plethora of social movements and tangled politics, South America can seem befuddling to the outside observer. Though political forces on the ground have made significant gains in recent years, they still face uphill battles as they press ostensibly leftist regimes for more concessions.

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An astute and level headed observer, Dangl soberly assesses this dynamic while highlighting the very real and practical dilemmas faced by activists moving forward. One of the most impressive things about the work is that it is largely based on your own personal interviews with political participants at the grassroots as opposed to mere secondary research. How long did it take to research and what was the most fascinating country that you worked in? BD: The book is the result of over eight years of research, traveling and interviewing across Shfit America.

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NK: It can be tough in many ways to conduct research in South America. What prompted your interest in the subject matter and what were some of the obstacles that you encountered along the way? BD: The main things that drew me to link about politics and social issues in Latin America were the impact US foreign policy and corporate activity had on the region, and the hopeful and relatively under-reported social struggles going on. On the one hand, the connection to the US in the so-called war on drugs, and the corporate The Political Shift Of Academia Into The of natural resources, were all issues I thought more readers of English-based media in the US should know about.

And the sophisticated organizing tactics, grassroots strategies and victories of social movements in the region were stories I wanted to help amplify and spread in the US, for the sake of awareness, solidarity and lessons to be learned. The main obstacle in doing this research is the actual cost of the traveling. NK: Here in the U.

BD: The way this relationship has played out is different in each country. Some Latin American presidents, upon taking power, have been more willing and able than Poltical to collaborate with the social movements that help bring them into office. The relationships in Venezuela and Bolivia are probably the healthiest in this sense. In other countries, such as Brazil with President Lula and the Landless Farmers Movements, the Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and the indigenous movements there, the relationship has been more difficult, with the governments repressing, criminalizing and demobilizing movements when possible. Dancing with Dynamite looks at how this relationship, this dance, has played out in seven different countries. It tells a story beyond what the presidents and major politicians have been doing or saying, and focuses more on the history of the past The Political Shift Of Academia Into The from the perspective of the grassroots.

NK: Of all the South American countries you describe, Bolivia seems to have the most revolutionary potential. Why is this so, and what new radical developments can we expect from Bolivia in the coming years? BD: I think this potential comes in part from the legacy and strength of indigenous movements in the country. Many people in Bolivia, which is the poorest country in South America, also have to turn to political activism and social organizing to survive; in many communities fighting for access to water, ousting a corrupt mayor, defending rights to grow coca crops, these are parts of everyday life.

Because of this dynamic and often-changing landscape, it is difficult to say what will happen in the coming years. Yet, as you point out Brazil has become an agribusiness juggernaut, displacing poor peasants both within and outside its borders through its soybean industry. How can the more radical bloc of Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador seek to contest Brazilian geopolitical hegemony in the region?

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BD: The sad reality is that destructive agribusinesses, particularly soy, which displace poor farmers, destroy the environment and use toxic pesticides, are rapidly expanding across Latin America. Brazil is one part of this expansion. The Political Shift Of Academia Into The crops are all over many parts of Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay and Argentina. I think that Rousseff will likely continue in this Tne. NK: Social movements in South America have not invested a great deal of energy in pushing for a more revolutionary foreign policy, preferring instead to concentrate on bread and butter issues at home. Should they advocate more loudly for a different sort of foreign policy, and if so what should it look like? BD: Well, I think social movements have pushed for more revolutionary foreign policy.

That said, I think a further strengthening of regional independence from the US will remain a key goal of social movements in the region. NK: As you Acasemia out, some leftist leaders https://amazonia.fiocruz.br/scdp/blog/culture-and-selfaeesteem/corporate-social-responsibilities.php conducted anti-environmental policies.]