Conviviality promotes a balance between autonomy and community, challenging dominant ideologies.
Illich critiques the power dynamics and dependency created by ideologies of progress and development.
Conviviality encourages interdependence and self-sufficiency, challenging dominant narratives of progress and development.
Illich's work inspires individuals to question systems, reclaim agency, and find sustainable solutions to complex problems.
Deep dives
The Power of Conviviality
Conviviality, as defined by Ivan Illich, is the balance between individual freedom realized and interdependence. It is the ability to be autonomous while belonging to a community. This concept challenges the dominant ideologies of progress and development, which create expectations and institutions that can overpower our ability to learn, care, and thrive. Illich's vision of conviviality can be seen in examples such as a samba circle, where each participant contributes their unique instrument, creating a harmonious and interdependent music. These principles of conviviality can be applied to various aspects of life, from schools and healthcare systems to the way we live and work together.
Challenging the Notion of Progress and Development
Illich critiques the ideologies of progress and development, which assume that more schooling, healthcare, and other goods are always beneficial. He argues that these ideologies can create power dynamics and dependency on institutions, diminishing individuals' autonomy and agency. While acknowledging the importance of public services like schools and hospitals, Illich emphasizes the need for a balance and a recognition that true learning, care, and thriving do not solely depend on these institutional forms. He encourages a reevaluation of our understanding of progress and development to reclaim the ability to learn, care, and move autonomously in interdependence.
Living a Convivial Life
In his exploration of conviviality, Illich inspires individuals to create and engage in convivial modes of production and experiences. This can be seen in practices that emphasize interdependence, such as participating in communal activities like samba circles or engaging in practices that promote self-sufficiency and care for the environment. Living a convivial life involves a balance between individual freedom and interdependence, where autonomy is realized in relationship with others and the natural world. Embracing conviviality challenges dominant narratives of progress and development, and encourages a more interconnected and sustainable way of living.
The Power of Questioning and Experimentation
Illich's work invites individuals to question dominant systems and institutions, and to experiment with alternative ways of living and relating to one another. It emphasizes the importance of autonomy, learning, care, and community building. By embracing conviviality, individuals have the opportunity to reclaim agency and create more balanced and fulfilling lives. Illich's ideas continue to inspire individuals to challenge existing paradigms and find creative and sustainable solutions to the complex problems of our time.
Embracing Care, Connection, and Belonging
The podcast episode explores the importance of reclaiming care and fostering connection within our communities. The speaker shares the story of Claudio, who found ways to cultivate care and belonging in his urban environment by setting up a wormery and vertical garden. This act of reclaiming care is seen as a way to interact with our surroundings and restore our agency. Two initiatives discussed are 'Room to Grow' and a food waste pilot. 'Room to Grow' focuses on community gardens as mother gardens that propagate other gardens, while the food waste pilot aims to create a distributed yet connected network for handling food waste through a soil supporter and soil maker matching app. These initiatives emphasize the importance of growing food, connection, and imagination, and highlight the potential for conviviality in our neighborhoods.
Living Out the Incarnation and the Power of Conviviality
The speaker delves into how the ideas of Ivan Illich intersect with the theological concept of incarnation. Illich's notion of prolonging the incarnation is seen as a call to participate in the life of Christ rather than replacing or externalizing Jesus. The interview highlights the importance of conviviality, a concept central to Illich's work, as a way of encountering and caring for others. This convivial approach involves fostering connections and relationships outside of established institutions, with the aim of encouraging friendship, connection, and belonging within our communities. The speaker goes on to discuss the need to redefine mission and view it as a call to be a neighbor rather than adopting specific institutional titles or doctrines. This shift means embracing a universalizable vocation rooted in the significance of being a neighbor and participating in the life of Christ.
Reflections on Education and Alternative Learning
The speaker shares their personal experience and insights into alternative education and the limitations of traditional schooling. They recount their journey of exploring alternative ways of learning and creating a supportive and autonomous educational space. This alternative space prioritizes play, connection with nature, and child-led learning. The interview also touches on the challenges and misconceptions often associated with alternative education, emphasizing that learning can happen outside of the traditional schooling model. The speaker highlights the importance of trust, relationality, and adaptability in the learning process, as well as the need for a shift in societal perspectives on education.
Reflecting on Change, Faith, and Hope
The speaker reflects on the themes of change, faith, and hope. They draw upon Greek words, such as 'pistis', to explore the concept of faith and faithfulness. Additionally, they discuss the significance of embracing change, as exemplified by the Greek word 'metanoia', meaning to change one's mind. The interview emphasizes the importance of remaining open to new insights and being willing to reassess beliefs and perspectives. The speaker also reflects on the relationship between faith, hope, and trust, noting that hope is rooted in the promise of another. Finally, they express a desire for personal growth, rooted in love and relationship, while acknowledging the challenges and paradoxes inherent in the journey of faith.
Theologian and community gardener Sam Ewell reflects on his years as a missionary and a neighbour, and how a radical priest called Ivan Illich led him back to the soil.
After the interview, Nomad hosts David Blower and Anna Robinson ponder how the life and teaching of Illich might help shape their evolving faith.
