Beyond Species

In this episode, we hear from Just Wondering, a collective of three individuals based in Eastern Europe. M, Mina and Aron. They make animated videos which they describe as “inescapably political and speculative”. I picked some of the video that had really piqued my interest - an impossible choice really, as the topics covered by Just Wondering cover so much ground, from Tim Morton’s hyperobjects to Sunaura Taylor’s disability liberation approach. A liberation movement must change the narrative and storytelling is Just Wondering’s strength. We hear about their learning journey through the theory and how the collective came to make videos, as well as details about the illustration and animation process. We also hear briefly about some of the collectives plans for the future. Just Wondering on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/justwondering/featured Just Wondering website: https://www.justwondering.io

Episode 34. In this episode, we hear from Jemma, about her concept of radical animism and book of the same name. We begin with Jemma’s current studies of fungi and what we humans can learn from it. Jemma then expands on some of the themes of Radical Animism – including the 4 blows to human narcissism, the agency of the anthropocene, the evolution of language, and the animism of literature, including how texts like Alice in Wonderland can challenge and bring fresh light to our expectations of nonhuman animal agency.

Episode 33. In this episode, we hear from Rebecca, whose research at Lancaster University takes a closer look at the meat paradox. Rebecca explains some of the psychological mechanisms people use to justify their meat eating. Rebecca’s research investigates meat reduction strategies and highlights the importance of social support for people going vegan, as well as digging deeper into anti-vegan attitudes.

Episode 32. In this episode, we hear from Fernando. Fernando explains some of the difficulties of pushing animal rights activism forward in Colombia. Issues around land ownership, a history of colonialism, war, poverty and trauma interconnect to create a challenging landscape. In a country where cattle ranchers, politicians and paramilitaries often work together to protect their interests, animal rights activism can be a dangerous calling. Fernando also explains some of the complications around bullfighting in Colombia.

Episode 31. In this episode, we hear from Marc. Marc explains how the animal liberation movement can become more accessible to and benefit from neurodiversity. He expands on some of the obstacles neurodivergent people are presented with by our ableist society and how activists can support and learn from each other in organising spaces. We also discuss some of the issues around white saviourism, burnout culture, graphic slaughter footage and publicity stunts. Marc also encourages men to take action to unlearn patriarchal behaviour patterns, and shares some thoughts on self-care.