Laila Vivas

Last Wednesday, March 5th, I defended my Ph.D. thesis titled “Acercamientos teóricos a una justicia Ambiental crítica, ecofeminista y transescalar (paralaje regenerativo)”—in English, “Theoretical Approaches to a Critical, Ecofeminist, and Trans-scalar Environmental Justice (Regenerative Parallax)”. As I reach the end of this important chapter in my life, I find myself reflecting on my values and positionality, both in academia and beyond.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned throughout these years is that no one can sustain themselves alone. Life and change are inherently relational, shaped by connections with other humans, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience. Also, relationability in the human and more-than-human spectrums involves critical thinking: without the ability to reflect on what is ethically sound or societally imperative, life becomes passive, tending to static, and more susceptible to power hierarchies that lack empathy and sustainability.

These interdependencies, which I value and try to adapt in my day to day, are at the heart of ecofeminist thought. Ecofeminism reveals that productive spheres, such as energy generation or food production, depend on healthy reproductive systems: cyclical and regenerative processes embedded within ecosystems and social relationships. Freedom is impossible without subsistence, and subsistence cannot be achieved through the limitless externalization of care needs, as well as infinite material abundance, as some technofascist models attempt to impose.

I hold these ecofeminist insights among the most important learnings from my Ph.D. journey, and I hope to continue deepening my understanding by learning from figures like Eliane Brum, Yayo Herrero, and Vandana Shiva. I hope to keep uncovering ideas that inspire me while actively engaging in social activism to promote the just and radical changes I believe in.

“Quién está desarraigado desarraiga” – Simone Weil .