This event will be held in English + Spanish.
Organized by the Institute for Ideas and Imagination. Co-sponsored by Columbia Global Center Paris.
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Mohamed Elshahed speaks to Juan Pablo Gutierrez about Guttierez’s advocacy campaigns towards decolonizing the climate crisis by creating a “Movement of Movements” that places indigenous peoples at the heart of this revolutionary struggle.
Known for his commitment to the rights and protection of the territory of his Yukpa community, Juan Pablo Gutierrez is a human rights defender focused on self-determination and rights of indigenous peoples. His concept of activism, which he refers to as “globalization of resistance,” has given rise to a “decolonial internationalism” that brings together other social movements worldwide in pursuit of justice, equity, and the right to a dignified life. His struggle against mining and coal activities in indigenous territories made him a target of the Colombian paramilitary group Aguilas Negras, whose death threats forced Gutierrez into exile in Europe.
Speakers
Juan Pablo Gutierrez is a human rights defender focused on indigenous peoples rights, he’s also professor of Decolonial Studies known for his commitment to the rights of his Yukpa community. His struggle to protect the rights and territory of the Yukpa People, as well as his intellectual approaches aimed at deconstructing and criticizing patterns of thinking, cultural norms, and social practices that perpetuate the legacy of colonialism, imperialism, and racism, have been recognized both locally and internationally. He is known for his work in promoting social justice, defending indigenous territories, and fighting against discrimination and colonial oppression. Through his activism, he aims to challenge and dismantle colonial power structures that perpetuate the violence against those historically marginalized. His decolonial approach focuses on liberating thought from Eurocentric, capitalist, and patriarchal epistemological imperialism, as well as the establishment of a pluriversal decolonial internationalism through alliances with social and popular movements around the world in the pursuit of justice and equity, a concept he refers to as the “Globalization of Resistance.”
His fight against mining and coal activities in indigenous territories, along with his dedication to the self-determination of indigenous peoples, led to him being targeted as a military objective by the paramilitary group “Aguilas Negras,” who made two attempts to kill him. Today, Juan Pablo continues his work and advocacy from exile in Europe. He spearheads a campaign aimed at decolonizing the climate crisis, bringing together various social sectors in Europe to create a “Movement of Movements” led by indigenous peoples as the revolutionary force in contemporary history.
Mohamed Elshahed is a writer, curator, and critic of architecture. He is the author of Cairo Since 1900: An Architectural Guide (AUC Press, 2020) and was the curator of Cairo Modern at New York’s Center for Architecture (October 2021–March 2022). He earned a Masters from MIT’s Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture and a PhD from NYU’s Department of Middle Eastern Studies. He is the curator of the British Museum’s Modern Egypt Project and of Modernist Indignation, Egypt’s winning pavilion at the 2018 London Design Biennale. In 2019 Apollo Magazine named him among the 40 influential thinkers and artists in the Middle East. In 2011 he founded Cairobserver, a fluid project with six printed magazines distributed for free to stimulate public debates around issues of architecture, heritage, and urbanism. Mohamed is based in Mexico City.
Venue
Nestled in the Montparnasse district, Reid Hall hosts several Columbia University initiatives: Columbia Global Center Paris, the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, Columbia Undergraduate Programs, M.A. in History and Literature, and the GSAPP Shape of Two Cities Program. This unique combination of resources is enhanced by our global network whose mission is to expand the University's engagement the world over through educational programs, research initiatives, regional partnerships, and public events.
The views and opinions expressed by speakers and guests do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of Columbia Global Center Paris or its affiliates.
