‘Mirror, Mirror on the Wall’:A Reflection on Engaged Just Transformations Research under Turkey’s Authoritarian Populist Regime

Sustainability transformations call for self-reflection and repositioning researchers’roles in knowledge co-production. While we were investigating the transformationsand resistance to fossil fuel rush in Yeni Foça, Turkey, between 2016 and 2019, ourlives as engaged and situated researchers, our institutions as leading public researchuniversities, and our country – where we conduct research, co-produce knowledgeand put it to use for environmental and social justice – transformed drastically. Wehave witnessed ‘the dark side of transformation’ that took its toll on the environ-mental justice movements we cooperate with, on the public universities we work inand the academics we ally with, and finally, on the political landscape of the countryin which we live, work and play (and which more and more frequently – unfortunately– we leave). In this chapter, we want to turn the tables and reflect on transformationsbased on our experiences and take-homes from Yeni Foça and Boğaziçi Universityin Turkey, both under intense attack from the authoritarian neoliberalism of theErdoğan regime. This reflection, hopefully, will provide some food for thought forother researchers in other places also struggling against the clenched fists of populist,conservative authoritarianism unleashed onto their socio-natures while they try toco-produce knowledge with EJ resistance movements

‘Mirror, Mirror on the Wall’:A Reflection on Engaged Just Transformations Research under Turkey’s Authoritarian Populist Regime

Sustainability transformations call for self-reflection and repositioning researchers’roles in knowledge co-production. While we were investigating the transformationsand resistance to fossil fuel rush in Yeni Foça, Turkey, between 2016 and 2019, ourlives as engaged and situated researchers, our institutions as leading public researchuniversities, and our country – where we conduct research, co-produce knowledgeand put it to use for environmental and social justice – transformed drastically. Wehave witnessed ‘the dark side of transformation’ that took its toll on the environ-mental justice movements we cooperate with, on the public universities we work inand the academics we ally with, and finally, on the political landscape of the countryin which we live, work and play (and which more and more frequently – unfortunately– we leave). In this chapter, we want to turn the tables and reflect on transformationsbased on our experiences and take-homes from Yeni Foça and Boğaziçi Universityin Turkey, both under intense attack from the authoritarian neoliberalism of theErdoğan regime. This reflection, hopefully, will provide some food for thought forother researchers in other places also struggling against the clenched fists of populist,conservative authoritarianism unleashed onto their socio-natures while they try toco-produce knowledge with EJ resistance movements

‘Mirror, Mirror on the Wall’:A Reflection on Engaged Just Transformations Research under Turkey’s Authoritarian Populist Regime

Sustainability transformations call for self-reflection and repositioning researchers’roles in knowledge co-production. While we were investigating the transformationsand resistance to fossil fuel rush in Yeni Foça, Turkey, between 2016 and 2019, ourlives as engaged and situated researchers, our institutions as leading public researchuniversities, and our country – where we conduct research, co-produce knowledgeand put it to use for environmental and social justice – transformed drastically. Wehave witnessed ‘the dark side of transformation’ that took its toll on the environ-mental justice movements we cooperate with, on the public universities we work inand the academics we ally with, and finally, on the political landscape of the countryin which we live, work and play (and which more and more frequently – unfortunately– we leave). In this chapter, we want to turn the tables and reflect on transformationsbased on our experiences and take-homes from Yeni Foça and Boğaziçi Universityin Turkey, both under intense attack from the authoritarian neoliberalism of theErdoğan regime. This reflection, hopefully, will provide some food for thought forother researchers in other places also struggling against the clenched fists of populist,conservative authoritarianism unleashed onto their socio-natures while they try toco-produce knowledge with EJ resistance movements

‘Mirror, Mirror on the Wall’:A Reflection on Engaged Just Transformations Research under Turkey’s Authoritarian Populist Regime

Sustainability transformations call for self-reflection and repositioning researchers’roles in knowledge co-production. While we were investigating the transformationsand resistance to fossil fuel rush in Yeni Foça, Turkey, between 2016 and 2019, ourlives as engaged and situated researchers, our institutions as leading public researchuniversities, and our country – where we conduct research, co-produce knowledgeand put it to use for environmental and social justice – transformed drastically. Wehave witnessed ‘the dark side of transformation’ that took its toll on the environ-mental justice movements we cooperate with, on the public universities we work inand the academics we ally with, and finally, on the political landscape of the countryin which we live, work and play (and which more and more frequently – unfortunately– we leave). In this chapter, we want to turn the tables and reflect on transformationsbased on our experiences and take-homes from Yeni Foça and Boğaziçi Universityin Turkey, both under intense attack from the authoritarian neoliberalism of theErdoğan regime. This reflection, hopefully, will provide some food for thought forother researchers in other places also struggling against the clenched fists of populist,conservative authoritarianism unleashed onto their socio-natures while they try toco-produce knowledge with EJ resistance movements

Towards a Just Transformations Theory

As communities and peoples across the world struggle to challenge the forces ofinequality, exploitation and unsustainability, and achieve transformations towardsa more just world, it is important to understand the processes and dynamics ofsuch transformations. What motivates them, how are they achieved, what are thechallenges they face, and how are such challenges overcome?In this chapter, we share the results of the collective exercise carried out by theACKnowl-EJ project core-team members to synthesize the key learnings from theproject about how transformations to sustainability take place. This was combinedwith knowledge and understanding of other environmental justice initiatives thatteam members have been involved with in the past

Towards a Just Transformations Theory

As communities and peoples across the world struggle to challenge the forces ofinequality, exploitation and unsustainability, and achieve transformations towardsa more just world, it is important to understand the processes and dynamics ofsuch transformations. What motivates them, how are they achieved, what are thechallenges they face, and how are such challenges overcome?In this chapter, we share the results of the collective exercise carried out by theACKnowl-EJ project core-team members to synthesize the key learnings from theproject about how transformations to sustainability take place. This was combinedwith knowledge and understanding of other environmental justice initiatives thatteam members have been involved with in the past

Towards a Just Transformations Theory

As communities and peoples across the world struggle to challenge the forces ofinequality, exploitation and unsustainability, and achieve transformations towardsa more just world, it is important to understand the processes and dynamics ofsuch transformations. What motivates them, how are they achieved, what are thechallenges they face, and how are such challenges overcome?In this chapter, we share the results of the collective exercise carried out by theACKnowl-EJ project core-team members to synthesize the key learnings from theproject about how transformations to sustainability take place. This was combinedwith knowledge and understanding of other environmental justice initiatives thatteam members have been involved with in the past

Towards a Just Transformations Theory

As communities and peoples across the world struggle to challenge the forces ofinequality, exploitation and unsustainability, and achieve transformations towardsa more just world, it is important to understand the processes and dynamics ofsuch transformations. What motivates them, how are they achieved, what are thechallenges they face, and how are such challenges overcome?In this chapter, we share the results of the collective exercise carried out by theACKnowl-EJ project core-team members to synthesize the key learnings from theproject about how transformations to sustainability take place. This was combinedwith knowledge and understanding of other environmental justice initiatives thatteam members have been involved with in the past

GEO-6 assessment for the pan-European region

Through this assessment, the authors and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) secretariat are providing an objective evaluation and analysis of the pan-European environment designed to support environmental decision-making at multiple scales. In this assessment, the judgement of experts is applied to existing knowledge to provide scientifically credible answers to policy-relevant questions. These questions include, but are not limited to the following:• What is happening to the environment in the pan-European region and why?• What are the consequences for the environment and the human population in the pan-European region?• What is being done and how effective is it?• What are the prospects for the environment in the future?• What actions could be taken to achieve a more sustainable future?<br/