Maristella Svampa, Enrique Viale, Host Tom Kruse (Spanish-only)

Part of the OMEGA Network Series

Ecosocial Collapse and the Lithium Triangle in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile

~In Spanish language only~

~Co-presented by The New School and the Omega Network~

Dr. Maristella Svampa and Enrique Viale join Host Tom Kruse from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to explore “Ecosocial collapse” in Latin America. They contextualize ecosocial collapse as part of the history of unjust extractive dynamics between Latin America and the Global North. The lithium triangle—Argentina, Bolivia and Chile—hold 54% of global lithium reserves. Devastating mining practices put lithium batteries for Teslas and much more. Lithium mining builds on centuries of extractive practices of metals, oil, of soybeans, forests and more. Watch this powerful vision of Latin America’s present and hopes for its future. This video (in Spanish only) is part of our Omega Resilience Awards Series within the Omega Webinar Series.

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Dr. Maristella Svampa, PhD

Maristella studied Philosophy at the National University of Córdoba, specializing in History and Philosophy in France, and received a doctorate in Sociology from the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris. She is currently a Senior Researcher at Conicet and Professor at the National University of La Plata. Dr. Svampa’s research deals with the socio-ecological crisis, social movements and collective action, as well as problems linked to critical thinking and Latin American social theory. She has published twenty books, including essays, research and novels. One of her most books is Ecological Collapse Has Arrived. A compass to get out of (bad) development, which she coauthored with Enrique Viale. Dr. Svampas is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge, England, with the Simón Bolívar Chair.

Enrique Viale

Enrique Viale is an environmental Lawyer from Argentina, educated at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), where he specialized in Environmental Law. In 2004 he founded the Argentine Association of Environmental Lawyers (AAdeAA). He is a judge for the International Rights of Nature Tribunal and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN). Mr. Viale works as a trial lawyer in numerous cases for damage and environmental restoration, and travels both the country and Latin America accompanying civil and legal struggles for environmental justice. He is the author of several books and specialized articles on Development, Politics, Law and Environmental Justice. Mr. Viale was a legislative advisor in the Senate of Argentina and is currently an environmental consultant and communicator in radio and print media.

Host Tom Kruse

Tom Kruse is program director for the global challenges portion of the Democratic Practice program of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. He joined the Fund in June 2008 to manage the development and direction of the global governance grantmaking, including the formation of the program objectives, strategies, and initiatives. Prior to joining the Fund, Mr. Kruse served as an advisor to the Bolivian government on trade and investment policy, the continuation of trade preference programs, and debt relief. In that capacity, he worked closely with the Bolivian government and its diplomatic missions, members of the Bolivian business community, international financial institutions, and several RBF grantees that provide technical assistance to developing country governments. Mr. Kruse holds a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona.