Creative Time Summit 2024 | Karachi LaJamia

Summary

In a recent presentation, Shahana, co-founder of the Karachi La Jamama project, explores the intersections of infrastructural violence and ecological resistance in Karachi. Highlighting the erasure of indigenous ecological knowledge, she discusses the state’s militarization of universities and its impact on local communities, illustrated through the case of farmer Akram Jokio and the threatened Mal River. The presentation critiques the colonial narratives that depict land as barren, advocating for a recognition of local wisdom and solidarity against dispossession. This call to action emphasizes the importance of reclaiming both land and knowledge from oppressive forces.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The collaborative project 'Karachi la jamama' was founded in 2015 to study infrastructural violence and ecological resistance in Karachi, Pakistan.
• 👩‍🏫 The project emphasizes solidarity and connection among communities amid a fragmented urban landscape.
• 🏫 Research conducted highlights the state's militarization of universities and its impact on indigenous land and resources.
• 🌳 A case study illustrates the erasure of 5,000 trees from survey maps, symbolizing the broader ecological destruction in Karachi.
• 🚫 The narrative of 'unusable land' serves to silence local ecological knowledge and dismiss well-cultivated areas.
• 📉 The government's education projects, such as the 'Knowledge City,' threaten indigenous landscapes under the guise of development.
• 🗺️ Imran Khan's portrayal of wilderness as a threat underscores the justification for militarized approaches to land use.
• 🏞️ The Mal River's dual identity as both a waterway and a knowledge system is threatened by infrastructural developments.
• 🔄 Mapping practices are critiqued for their role in colonization, as they abstract and erase local histories and identities.
• ✊ The struggle against land and knowledge enclosure reflects a deeper conflict between colonial legacies and local wisdom.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the research presented by Shahana?

The research focuses on the infrastructural violence and ecological resistance in Karachi, Pakistan, as part of a long-term collaborative project called Karachi la Jamama.

Who are the collaborators involved in the Karachi la Jamama project?

The project was co-founded by Shahana and Zara Malani, with Haiz Balo also being a central collaborator.

What pedagogical methods does the project utilize?

The project employs methods that seek to build solidarity, care, and connection among communities in an increasingly bordered and fragmented city.

What specific issue related to universities in Pakistan is highlighted in the presentation?

The presentation discusses the securitization of universities in Pakistan and their instrumentalization by the state to support militarism and the appropriation of land and resources from indigenous communities.

What is the significance of the 5,000 disappearing trees mentioned in the transcript?

The erasure of the 5,000 trees from a survey map symbolizes the broader theme of ecological annihilation and the marginalization of indigenous knowledge about land and ecology.

How does the government's Education City project impact local communities?

The Education City project threatens local farmers, like Akram Jokio, by trying to seize their agricultural land, which has been cultivated and cared for over generations.

What does Imran Khan's statement about 'wilderness' imply in the context of the presentation?

Imran Khan's description of 'wilderness' serves to justify the creation of a securitized order and legitimizes the University’s land acquisition, painting local landscapes as barren and in need of development.

What role does the Mal River play in the ecological narrative of Karachi?

The Mal River is described as both a waterway and a knowledge system, vital to the historical habitation of Karachi, but it is now threatened by infrastructure projects like the Maler Expressway.

How are maps utilized in the presentation to convey broader themes?

Maps in the presentation are used to illustrate the erasure of local ecological knowledge and the way mapping has historically been used to abstract and occupy land, emphasizing the conflict between colonial narratives and local wisdom.

What is the overarching message conveyed by Shahana in her presentation?

The overarching message emphasizes the need to recognize and resist the intertwining of land and knowledge enclosure by colonial and neocolonial forces, advocating for the preservation of indigenous ecological practices and understandings.