How to shed gamified distraction and build sustainable social movements
Talk & discussion at the 29th of Decenmber 2024, 15:30h @ Komona @ 38C3 Congress of theChaos Computer Clubs in Hamburg
[Anti-trigger warning] Some people assume that this is a depressing talk. It is not. I promise to make you laugh. Resistance needs fun as well as other emotions.
[If there are enough English speakers I will try to organise translations.]
While we are slurping the planets last resources many are oscillating between rage, panic, and despair. One dilemma is that we are living in a heavily connected world and therefore in a world of heavily connected problems. While technology can provide solutions for some problems, technical solutions are not universally applicable. At the moment many presented solutions like electronic cars are designed to save the industry, not the climate. Or they function as digital pacifiers for individuals: loads of cute and gamified distractions.
This talk faces the climate crisis by bunching together the planet, the financial and political systems, and societal problems. It will ask about power and responsibilities, and how economy, philosophy and ethics are intertwined with it. And it will draw from the experience of international social movements to glimpse at a sustainable future.
The world we live in is very connected in the economic sphere, but on the same time not as well connected on the social level. The connections are mainly by cables and container ships, not by the interaction of social groups. And besides all talk about democracy, power and money flows into the hands of a view. And the view do not solve the problems.
The challenges we are confronted with are huge, but, well, that means it won’t be boring. Or that we have to lose our sense of humour. This talk aims to show you paths out of an dreadful situation and make you laugh at the same time.
To provide a common understanding the talk starts with a short analyses of the roots of our situation, including theoretical and philosophical backgrounds. To put this in good use in the next step there will be quick matches: theories about social movements will be put up against counterinsurgency-theories, ethics against cybernetics, and ideas of the free will against gamification, free speech against surveillance.
Using the experience of social struggles from different parts of the world the last part will follow lines of power and responsibilities to detect solutions. Because neither despair nor panic will save the planet. But we can.
https://events.ccc.de/congress/2024/hub/en/event/burn-planet-burn-den-planet-einfach-brennen-lassen