Discussion with Ximena Gonzalez Broquen on Ethical Dimensions of Venezuela's Liberation Movement
Informal Take on the Interview with Ximena Gonzalez Broquen:
Listen up, folks. We're diving deep with Ximena Gonzalez Broquen, a social scientist rocking the world at Venezuela's Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC). She's about that Ethics of Liberation, decolonial, and anti-capitalist life, and she ain't afraid to speak her mind. Let's dive in!
So, Ximena, your work revolves around the Ethics of Liberation. Can you break it down for us?
Enrique Dussel's Ethics of Liberation is the perfect framework for Ximena's research and knowledge production. Simply put, it's all about prioritizing life over everything. It's packed with a strong political punch, too, encouraging us to dismantle oppressive systems and build a better world together.
Now, how does this ethics impact the construction of knowledge in capitalist, colonial, or neo-colonial contexts?
Conventional science? Forget the lone genius in the lab. The Ethics of Liberation believes knowledge construction starts with acknowledging the impact of oppression on all of us. Collaboration is essential, and the focus shifts from a hierarchy to collective knowledge production.
The research paradigm shift, huh? How does this affect the organization of research?
Dismantling the hierarchical structure of traditional research institutions is a crucial part of Ximena's vision. At the IVIC's Center for the Research of Social Transformations, the goal is to foster collective knowledge construction by challenging the status quo and embracing a more collaborative approach.
A more democratic research environment, eh? How does that work in practice?
Transparency, collaboration, and co-responsibility are key. At the center, they hold meetings to plan research projects, aiming to break down hierarchies and allow everyone's voice to be heard. The focus isn't just on academic knowledge, but also on knowledge generated by popular organizations and using this knowledge to influence public policy.
Ever had a situation where the traditional scientific system extracted knowledge? Care to share an example?
That seed situation's a doozy! Modern seed production often relies on biotechnology to modify and patent seeds, ignoring the centuries-old knowledge used by Indigenous and campesino communities to develop these seeds. By passing off modified seeds as their own creations, the dominant scientific system exploits the labor and knowledge of these communities.
So, Ximena, tell us more about the objectives of your center and how it fits in at the IVIC.
The center has been around since 2012, focusing on researching socio-political transformation processes in Venezuela, the region, and the world. Its vision stands in stark contrast to the rest of IVIC: to investigate socio-political transformation from the perspective of the Ethics of Liberation, Liberation Politics, and Liberation Philosophy.
The IVIC, a traditional institution, huh? How do you guys work together?
IVIC's hierarchical structure is a throwback to the past, but Ximena and her team are striving to shake things up. They're working on blurring the lines between researcher and worker, focusing on collaboration and collective decision-making.
The Seed Law, a great example of collaboration between academia, popular knowledge, and public policy, right? Can you tell us more about that?
When campesino organizations mobilized against a National Assembly bill that aimed to privatize seed production, the movement to create the Seed Law was born. Grassroots organizations crafted a new definition for campesino and Indigenous seeds, and they enlisted scientists to help transform this popular and ancestral knowledge into legal form.
The Bolivarian Process, how's that shaping up social sciences and policymaking from your perspective?
The Bolivarian Process gives people a chance to engage with the state through participatory planning, enabling them to transform the modern state from the bottom up, redefining how we live and work together. This approach allows for the co-construction of decisions, advocating for genuine collaboration between everyday people and leaders.
And there you have it, folks. Ximena's on a mission to shake up the scientific system, one collaborative project at a time. Stay tune for more on the Ethics of Liberation and its impact on the world.
Note: Information regarding Virginia Sanz D'Angelo and her work at IVIC's Centro de Ecología (Ecology Center) was not found in the search results. While institutions like IVIC often engage in interdisciplinary research, further context would be required for a detailed analysis of their involvement in social transformation research.
- Ximena Gonzalez Broquen's work at the Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) is influenced by Enrique Dussel's Ethics of Liberation, which emphasizes prioritizing life over everything and dismantling oppressive systems.
- In a capitalist, colonial, or neo-colonial context, the Ethics of Liberation encourages collaboration in knowledge construction, focusing on the impact of oppression and moving away from hierarchical structures.
- At the IVIC's Center for the Research of Social Transformations, the goal is to foster a more collaborative environment for knowledge construction, challenging the status quo and promoting co-responsibility.
- The center has been researching socio-political transformation processes in Venezuela, the region, and the world, aiming to investigate these processes from the perspective of the Ethics of Liberation, Liberation Politics, and Liberation Philosophy.
