Ateneo de Manila University: Journals Online
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Berries in Baskets versus Apples in Crates: Arguing for Ecocentrism in a Post-COVID World
Full text linkThe global outbreak of COVID-19 has raised questions about human relationships with nature vis-à-vis development models that are largely followed worldwide. Conservation biologist Raymond F. Dasmann introduced the concept of “ecosystem people” to describe predominantly rural communities who largely depend on the resources available in one or a few ecosystems around them. These societies are also characterized by their close relationships with nature and their ecocentric worldviews. However, the world today is dominated by “biosphere people” who populate the urban areas and typically use resources extracted from all over the world. This biosphere model of existence has also given rise to a “biosphere culture” with consumption and development as its cornerstones, protected by spectacular technological innovations. COVID-19 has made cracks appear in both the development model and the technological support systems. This has allowed us to realize that our technological shield has been unable to protect us against this virus and leaves us uncertain that similar plagues would not surprise us in the future. The COVID crisis is raising fresh questions about the efficacy of metrics like the GDP in measuring our economy vis-à-vis overall wellbeing. This paper argues that the experiences gained from the COVID-19 crisis should lead us to evolve a new model of development that pays due attention to ecosystem-based approaches. Such a model will move away from the “economy of violence” to an “economy of permanence” by trying to couple local productivity with more inclusive biodiversity conservation. It will also be enriched by the vast biospheric repository of knowledge in all conceivable subject fields. Such a model will represent a paradigm shift by having its philosophical moorings in ecocentric rather than anthropocentric views of nature.
Integration of Political Facts and Wayang Stories in Modern Indonesian Novels
Full text linkThe presence of political events and wayang stories integrated into modern Indonesian novels is an interesting fact. Political events are facts and knowledge, while wayang stories and novels are fiction and imagination. These two things can be brought together coherently in modern Indonesian novels. Political events are used as historical settings, while wayang stories are used as references for character development, plot, and cultural references. This study aims todescribe the way the authors reveal political events in Indonesian history by using wayang as a narrative medium. This article focuses on two novels, namely Amba by Laksmi Pamuntjak and Pulang by Leila S. Chudori. The two novels have one thing in common, both of which highlight the political event of the 30 September Movement of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in 1965, which is usually referred to as G30S/PKI, and the political life under the New Order regime which was integrated intensively with wayang stories. From the point of view of Indonesian political history, the two novels raised the issue of the political policies of theNew Order government to dissolve the Indonesian Communist Party and communism. The policy is considered to be imposed also upon people who were actually not involved, were not sympathizers, and did not even know what really happened. From the standpoint of wayang culture, wayang characters are referred to in naming the novel’s characters. In Amba, the plot refers to the wayang story about the love triangle between Amba, Salwa, and Bhisma. In fact, Amba, whose name is the title of the novel, is also the name of a wayang character. In Pulang,Dimas considers the wayang characters Bima and Ekalaya as a metaphor for himself. Bima is considered as a metaphor for himself in matters of love, while Ekalaya is a metaphor for the love of the country even though he is exiled. Dimas, who lives as an exile abroad, is a victim of the purge of communism by the government
Examining Urban Poor Voices: Displacement and Resettlement of Informal Settlers in Metro Manila
No full textThe study investigates the politics surrounding the development induced displacement and resettlement (DIDR) of the urban informal settlers in the Philippines, following the government’s implementation of its flood management program after Typhoon Ondoy had brought destruction to the country in 2009. While previous literature has clarified the structural marginalization of the urban poor under neoliberalism and their organized struggle against the situation in the city, this study examines their individual agency in an informal settler community along Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City in response to their forced eviction and resettlement. Through an ethnographic study, I argue that: (1) despite the threat of eviction in the Manggahan Floodway community, the informal settlers responded differently to DIDR according to the impact of eviction threats to their family’s well-being (material and nonmaterial) and social capital; (2) the urban poor who relocated themselves maintained amicable relationships despite their disagreement and antagonism over different strategies for housing; and (3) those who opted for in-city housing tacitly negotiated the community regulations that aimed to transform them into “good and responsible citizens” and produce new urban informality
Transforming Business Education: 21st Century Sustainable MBA Programs
Full text linkBusiness education should give students the skills to solve complex global challenges. It should align management practices with goals for a sustainable future. Sadly, few management schools even discuss the real issues business leaders face today. This article challenges others to develop a curriculum that embeds sustainability in the core of their programs. The authors argue that faculty and business school leadership should move beyond “saddlebag” initiatives that bolt sustainability onto the traditional, shareholder primacy-driven core. This article profiles three programs as case studies transforming business education to prepare leaders to achieve a more sustainable world. Business schools are torn between competing paradigms. Given the existential challenges facing humanity, business schools will have to change or simply lose relevancy. Our stories of disruption give evidence of success and hope for the coming transformation of business education and of capitalism itself. The lessons learned and insights in this article provide guidance for business school leaders aspiring to redefine management for global sustainability and business school programs. It is an open invitation for others to disrupt and rethink business education before it is too late
