Human migration is more and more said to be one of the many social consequences of climate change. The common refrain is that climate change will bear on patterns of human mobility, resulting in insecurity, political instability and humanitarian crises. This recurring theme is consistently emphasized in media and political discourse, urging actions to mitigate climate change to avoid widespread migration, especially from racialised bodies. However, the figure of the climate migrant or climate refugee does not refer to an actually existing person identifying as such, because people often say to migrate for a mix of social, political and economic reasons. The relation between these motives and global warming is complex and hard to ‘prove’. Additionally, the notion of the climate refugee is also not related to a legal route of migration or to existing human rights regimes.
In several ways the construct of the climate refugee exposes a deep crisis of contemporary humanism. The subject illustrates the limitations of human rights regimes as well as the limitations of notions of humanity’s capacity to control nature, two key features of humanism. On the annual ETHU day, we invite three scholars who have engaged with these critiques of humanism by using the concept of posthumanism.
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Vicki Squire (University of Warwick), Prof. Dr. Mihnea Tănăsescu (Université de Mons), Jasmijn Leeuwenkamp (Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Place: VUB (Pleinlaan 2, Brussel) – Promotiezaal D. 2.01
Time: May 3rd, 2024, from 9.30 AM to 1.30 PM.
Organized by: Dr. Dirk Lafaut & Judith Campagne
Registration: The day is open and free to all, but registration is required via judith.van.lookeren.campagne@vub.be. We especially encourage students to join too.