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Cluster 2:

Social Ecology of Suffering

The structural and cultural bases of 'man-made' suffering of humans and non-humans. 

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What are the different levels, or forms, of human suffering? Why is there so much of pain and suffering, disasters and death in the world today? How do we make sense of both human and non-human suffering amidst so much of affluence and conveniences? Why are so many children dying everyday? Even more serious is, how do we allow this suffering to grow and live with it? What is the role of the human designed social, symbolic and physical structural edifice in institutionalising cruelty and suffering, and even unnecessary deaths? Do our lifestyle or the choices we make on a daily basis contribute to human and non-human suffering? Why is the arms industry flourishing amidst so much of human suffering connected to conflicts and wars? What is the role of mainstream education, and other related institutions, in creating, promoting, perpetuating, and sustaining human and non-human suffering? What is the role business in cuasing human suffering? How do you deal with alienation and meaninglessnes in life and work?  Why are so many people committing suicide? What is the role of mainstream media in the era of fake news and post-truth in perpetuating suffering? How is the quality of mercy and compassion affected by religions, politics, geopolitics, bureaucracy, and commercialisation?  (A multimedia, transmedia and non-linear document. It will grow over time.) 

The Many 'Faces' of Suffering in the World

vulture-child
Renato Danyi from Pexels
Christoph_Schütz_from_Pixabay_
Free-Photos from Pixabay x1
Image by skeeze from Pixabay
Welcome_to_all_and_thank_you_for_your_vi
Connor Kelley from Pexels
vulture-child.jpg

An iconic image of human suffering...Carter's winning photo shows a heart-breaking scene of a starving child collapsed on the ground, struggling to get to a food center during a famine in the Sudan in 1993. In the background, a vulture stalks the emaciated child....Haunted by the horrific images from Sudan, Carter committed suicide in 1994 soon after receiving the award. Source 

Also Here.

Cluster of Topics

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Proposed Core Topics

  • Pain, Suffering and Death in Facts and Figures : Examining Global and National Statistics on Negative Social and Ecological Trends (Conflicts, wars, deaths, suicides, environmental toxins, climate disasters, ill-health, affliction of affluence, afflictions of poverty, meaninglessness, biodiversity loss, forest cover loss, water scarcity, alienation, food insecurity and malnutrition, human trafficking, genocides, forced, migrants, slavery, flesh trade, trade in animals, etc)

  • Suffering in the Human World: Inequality, Poverty, Affluence, Retail and Structural, physical and Symbolic Violence, Health, Genocides

  • Existential Suffering

  • Suffering in the Non-Human World: Biosphere Destruction/Ecological Disasters/ Wars/Ecocides

  • Interrogating Neo-Liberalism/Capitalist Development and Its Contribution to Human and Non-Human Suffering

  • The Political Economy of Sustainable Development Agenda

  • The TINA Mindset and Violence

  • Ethics and the Future of Pain, Suffering, Disaster and Death

  • The Future of the Self and the Other Relationship

 

 

All Topics

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Section A: Overviews

 

  • Pain, Suffering and Death in Facts and Figures : Examining Global and National Statistics on Negative Social and Ecological Trends (Conflicts, wars, deaths, suicides, environmental toxins, climate disasters, ill-health, affliction of affluence, afflictions of poverty, meaninglessness, biodiversity loss, forest cover loss, water scarcity, alienation, food insecurity and malnutrition, human trafficking, genocides, forced, migrants, slavery, flesh trade, trade in animals, etc)

  • Suffering in the Human World: Inequality, Poverty, Affluence, Retail and Structural, Physical and Symbolic Violence, Health, Genocides

  • Existential Suffering

  • Suffering in the Non-Human World: Biosphere Destruction/Ecological Disasters/ Wars/Ecocides

  • Interrogating Neo-Liberalism/Capitalist Development and Its Contribution to Human and Non-Human Suffering

  • The Political Economy of Sustainable Development Agenda

  • The TINA Mindset and Violence

  • Ethics and the Future of Pain, Suffering, Disaster and Death

  • The Future of the Self and the Other Relationship

 

Section B:  Themes in Suffering:

Individual, Structural, Trans-Species and the Future

 

  • The Human Body in Pain and Socio-Technological Dystopias

  • Industrial Farming System, Institutionalisation of Cruelty and 'Farmageddon'

  • The Industrialisation of Food Production (Industrial Agriculture), Industrial Kitchen, Health, Modern Diseases and Medical Industry

  • Market, Consumerism and Materialism

  • Inequality, Marginalisation and Victimisation

  • Migrants, Refugees, Human Trafficking, and Modern Slavery

  • Climate Injustice, Climate Crimes and Eco-Fascism

  • Fake News and Post-Truth and the Role of Mainstream Media in Human Suffering

  • Panopticon, Surveillance and Control

  • Nationalism, Nazism and Fascism

  • Interrogating Conflicts, Wars, Weaponisation, Arms Industry and the Military

  • Geopolitics and Violence

  • Interrogating Violence in Socialism, Capitalism, Fascism and Extremist Religious Groups

  • Mainstream Development Path and Victimology

  • Pornography and the Pleasure/Entertainment Industry

  • Torture, Assassinations, Genocides and Ecocides

  • Fragmentation and Alienation

  • 'Nature-Deficiency', Solastalgia and Ecopsychology

  • Occupation, Meaninglessness and Stress

  • Ethics and the Future of Pain, Suffering, Disaster and Death

  • The Future of Self and the Other Relationship.

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