CES1E12-Life connected

From London, Ontario (Canada) and background roots in Greece, Maria help us understand how not only education has been a doorway for opportunities and experiences in life but can be a site for oppression. While attempting to challenge patriarchy and hyper-capitalism, she warns us of dangerous conceptions of freedom of expression that further invisibilize marginalized people’s voices. Maria invites us to connect back to our communities to counter notions of competition, progress and development. She questions our role in society in relation to healing and spirituality as acts of resistance by being able to have real conversations with each other that address issues such as climate change and a sustainable future for our planet earth. Bio: Maria is an educator, facilitator, curriculum designer and researcher whose work centers on how to best create engaging and visionary learning and leading experiences that inspire creative, equitable, and regenerative change. She has significant experience working with transformative paradigms of education and pedagogy, with a focus on social and climate justice, equity, holistic perspectives, arts-integration, the tensions between decolonization and global citizenship, and innovative problem solving. She is interested in supporting emerging generations of youth leaders as they grapple with complex issues and problems. Sources: Anzaldúa, Gloria E. (2015). Light in the Dark (Luz en lo oscuro): Rewriting Identity, Spirituality, Reality. Durham and London: Duke University Press. Battiste, M.A. (2013). Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit. Saskatoon: Purich Publishing Limited. Fernandes, L. (2003). Transforming Feminist Practice: Non-Violence, Social Justice and the Possibilities of a Spiritualized Feminism.San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books. Woodbury, Zhiwa. (March 2019). Climate Trauma: Toward a New Taxonomy of Trauma. Ecopsychology. 11(1), 1-8. Suggested citation for this podcast (APA): Ortega, Y. (Producer). (2019, May 3). Chasing Encounters – Episode – 12 – Life Connected [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://soundcloud.com/chasingencounters