Pluralities

My core concern here is to wrestle with the idea of ‘nature’ and with the ‘ways in which we relate to it’. A nature that is both in us as humans, and the many nature(s), animate and non-animate, outside of us. Thus it seems possible to think of nature in singular and plural terms. I will argue that in order to combat the existential threats we face, as a society and as a planet; it is time to go back in some ways and go forward in others.

Yet, the idea of secularism has become a form of “sacralisation of power… beyond the reach of contestation…” (Balibar 2018, 51). In an increasingly plural world where existential questions tear at the heart of the human condition, both secularism and religion/ theology need to be re-examined.

In Japan, despite the hiking single elderly population, there is a chronic shortage of caregivers for home visit. As many single seniors struggle to find a conversation partner, what about interacting with a robot instead of a human? Recently, the United States introduced communication robots to minimise medical costs incurred from the elderly’s social isolation. What can the world learn from Japan?

News reports and research papers written mostly by non-indigenous journalists and researchers often trivialise and misinterpret the indigenous cultures and knowledge systems.

Indigenous knowledges may complement, rather than compete with, the dominant cultures , with their interaction benefiting all.

Indigenous knowledge have a lot to offer to the world and the need of the hour is to protect and conserve – and not marginalise and erase –them.

As climate change makes food security vulnerable, the resilience of indigenous food system of the small state in India’s Northeast holds promise for the whole world.

The international financial institutions (IFIs) contribution to promote international economic cooperation and stability in developing countries is well celebrated. However, can they play a role in achieving gender equality?

Climate change and inequality are deeply intertwined. Globally, it poses a threat to women and girls' lives, livelihoods, health, safety, and security. The issue of gender inequality is often addressed by portraying women as mere victims without acknowledging their contributions as climate actors.

Southeast Asia’s energy transition needs not only to be accelerated in terms of technology deployments but also to be processed and accomplished justly. Doing so requires hinging the region’s energy transition plans and activities to the distributive, recognition, procedural, and restorative tenets of justice.