EP 7.2: Are Activists the Enemy? Academia and Climate Justice Activism in Singapore

Aug 5, 2024

Isaac, a passionate climate justice activist, and Prof. Kenneth Paul Tan, an academic focused on social change, delve deep into the intersection of education and activism. They discuss how innovative teaching and role-playing can foster critical thinking among students. The conversation highlights the transformative power of films and theatre in educating about climate issues and inspiring action. They emphasize the evolution of outreach strategies, showcasing creative social media techniques that engage broader audiences in the fight for climate justice.

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ADVICE

Transformative Teaching

Design classrooms as democratic spaces for fostering civic engagement and shaping democratic values.
Encourage discomfort and critical thinking, questioning established narratives and power structures.

ADVICE

Critical Pedagogy

Teach critical theory to help students question dominant narratives, identify power structures, and understand social issues.
Encourage students to reflect on their own complicity in injustices before trying to change them.

ADVICE

Experiential Learning

Design kinesthetic learning experiences where students embody and feel the theory, not just think it.
Use role-playing and simulations to help students understand diverse perspectives and practice real-world scenarios.

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How do academic institutions and their actors play a role in promoting social change? Specifically, what kind of research, education, and mediums can we develop in order to take action for climate justice? What are some developments in the environmental movement in Singapore?

In this episode of the Climate Kopitiam, we continue our interview with Isaac and Prof. Kenneth Paul Tan, both of whom contributed chapters to a recently-published book by Ethos - We Are Not The Enemy: The Practice of Advocacy in Singapore, and discuss the above questions. The book collects the perspectives of various advocates and activists in Singapore from different backgrounds, from lawyers and journalists, to artists and community organizers.

In the previous part of the conversation, we focused on their respective chapters, and discuss how academic institutions and their actors fit into the climate movement, especially in the Singaporean context. We also discuss this in terms of how it has evolved, including emerging activism strategies.

In this part, we go into other topics, including the role of education, and other forms of media like theatre and films, in helping people learn about the climate crisis but also develop skills that could be relevant in the real world.

Time Stamps:

(00:00) Teaching and learning for social change

(10:45) Forum theatre as a tool

(12:20) Bringing lessons into the real world

(20:04) Isaac’s experience of putting theory into practice as part of SGCR

(24:48) Another book by Prof Tan ‘Movies to Save the World’

(33:02) SGCR’s editorial strategy

(36:20) Conclusion

References:

Prof Tan briefly mentioned forum theatre (10:45) as an experiential learning tool in Singapore. See an article he wrote on this topic: Tan, Kenneth Paul, "Forum Theater in Singapore: Resistance, Containment, and Commodification in an Advanced Industrial Society". Positions: East Asia Cultures Critique, 21, no. 1 (2013): 189‐221. https://doi.org/10.1215/10679847-1894326

Movies to Save Our World: Imagining Poverty, Inequality and Environmental Destruction in the 21st Century by Kenneth Paul Tan https://www.penguin.sg/book/movies-to-save-our-world-2/