Art as resistance: the future of activism in a changing climate with Kumi Naidoo

In this episode, we talk about art and activism with #KumiNaidoo, a seasoned activist in South Africa during its struggle against #apartheid who is recognized internationally as a forceful advocate for #humanrights, #genderequity, economic justice and environmental justice. He headed #Civicus, #Greenpeace and #AmnestyInternational and continues to serve in an honorary capacity as Global Ambassador for the Pan-African civil society movement, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity.He is presently a fellow at the Robert Bosch academy in Berlin, Germany.
Having been on the frontlines of social and environmental justice for decades, Kumi spoke of the aftermath of the Conference of Parties 26 (#COP26) in Glasgow which was the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the over-representation of the fossil fuel industry and how close we are to the cliff on climate change action, Recent IPCC reports speak of the dire situation we face and the shrinking window of action, something referred to in this conversation. While in Glasgow, he had a discussion with #OlafurEliasson, an artist based in Berlin, on how art and activism can learn from each other. Art is a way of making visible that which is invisible or maybe even rendered invisible and activism can learn much from art. James Baldwin once wrote, “the artist must always know that the visible reality hides a deeper one, and that all our action and our achievement rests on things unseen. A society must assume that it is stable, but the artist must know, and he must let us know, that there is nothing stable under heaven.” We need to move beyond the limitations and entanglements of political activism as it stands now, and the hierarchies and intrinsic hegemonies built into our institutions and our norms. Art, fiction activate our imaginations and are important forms through which we can imagine other forms of human existence and other futures.
Kumi spoke compellingly of the need for youth to take the reins of leadership and not wait for it to be handed over, along with continuing to celebrate life, to love, laugh, embrace joy, to go down fighting, see these fights as marathons not as sprints and ensure accountability and justice in the process.
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