Episode 148: Arnisson Ortega, Associate Professor from the Department of Geography and the Environment, Syracuse University

In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan speaks with Arnisson Andre Ortega, Associate Professor from the Department of Geography and the Environment at Syracuse University. First, they discuss his current project, "City of Imperialism," which examines the legacy of former U.S. military bases in the Philippines. Then, they unpack his lecture, "Geonarratives of Hope and Resistance," which is a part of a collaborative project with human rights defenders in Negros Island. It shows that mapping is more than a technical tool, but can be used to support resistance and justice, especially in a place suffering from authoritarian violence like the Philippines. Tune in to find out more about how Prof. Ortega and his colleagues turn cartography into a tool of care and resistance! Lightning round (Lecture Summary): 3:33 Main interview:  8:13  –Could you tell us about your intellectual journey—how you became interested in geography, colonialism, and what ultimately led you to pursue a PhD? 15:15 –How does the tradition of mapmaking connect to the history of colonialism in the Philippines? In what ways does countermapping challenge or push back against those inherited frameworks? 19: 20 –Could you share more about your current book project—its central arguments and what you hope it contributes to the field? 24: 41 – Your work involves collaboration beyond academia. How did these partnerships come about, and what does meaningful collaboration look like in your project? 27:36 – What drew you specifically to Negros Island as a focal point for your research? 34:13  – Could you walk us through the process of your project? Who are the key participants, and how do they shape the knowledge that emerges? 36:40 – In your lecture, you discuss how violence operates within everyday, seemingly mundane life. This brings to mind Hannah Arendt's idea of the "banality of evil." How does this concept help us understand the normalization of violence in the Philippine context? And how do human rights defenders resist within these conditions? 44: 48 – Finally, what advice would you give to students or scholars who want to use academic work to build infrastructures of care and support justice-oriented initiatives? Advice Advice for researchers and recommendations: 44:40 Dr. Ortega's top recommendation:  Urban Ecologies on the Edge: Making Manila's Resource Frontier by Kristian Karlo Saguin The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu