AnthroArt

Climate change is a global reality, the result of intense and unsustainable human exploitation of natural resources and environmental degradation. The regular sustainable techniques are not enough to change this situation. Some authors attribute this to the lack of “connection and empathy with nature”, characteristics of a lifestyle in a capitalist society. Faced with this unpromising reality, some people have sought answers in spirituality, through practices, behaviors and worldviews supported by values related to the environment. This perception, studied by the anthropological field of Spiritual Ecology, aims to understand how some people create symbolic systems of human-planet relations, unfolding in practical ways. In this context, the knowledge of religion and spiritual ethics can make people aware of human and ecological rights, which include the indigenous shamanism of different peoples of the Amazon, based on a worldview intrinsically associated with nature, where there is no effective separation between nature, humans, and non-humans. Based on this recognition and appreciation, the practice of Amazonian shamanism has been spreading to other territories through the circulation of shamans and indigenous leaders. Portugal is one of these destinations, where indigenous people from the Amazon hold retreats, ceremonies and cultural events. Based on ethnographic fieldwork through participant observation in five ceremonies in different Portuguese locations between 2022 and 2023, the preliminary results of this research are presented. The results suggest that these practices maintain their tools and mysticism. The people who frequent foreign territories belong to the Pano linguistic branch, such as: Huni Kuin, Yawanawá and Noke Koi. The ceremonies and retreats take place in a natural environment, enabling participants to get in closer contact with nature. The resources will be reverted to the benefit of the communities of origin of these indigenous people, always related to the way of life that respects nature, raising awareness about the environmental preservation of an important biome for tackling the climate crisis.

Article by Carolina Ribeiro Araujo, illustrated by Joana Cruz

https://theanthro.art/sustain-the-world-in-dialogue-with-the-invisible/

Beyond politics and technology, there exists deeper narratives and cultural conditions that have brought our world out of balance.

Drawing on insights from a summer school for sustainability in Gothenburg, this article argues that imagination plays a crucial part in reshaping our understanding of the climate crisis and navigating towards a more just and sustainable world.

Presented in two principles: ‘The Work of Justice’ and ‘Recognizing a Web of Relations’, the article counters the current separation and economic value-based narrative and calls for finding ways to recognize the intrinsic value of both humans and nature in an interconnected web of life. We must exit the Anthropocene – an epoch defined by environmental crisis – and start building the Symbiocene: a ‘more-than-human’ approach to a more sustainable and just future.

Article by Sofia Tapaninen, illustrated by Axelle Van Wynsberghe

https://theanthro.art/building-the-symbiocene-fostering-imagination-for-a-more-sustainable-world/

The article addresses how humanitarian crises—driven by conflict, climate change, and displacement—disrupt menstrual health, particularly in low-income, disaster-prone regions. Fieldwork conducted in Indonesia illustrates the challenges menstruating individuals face, including lack of access to clean water, proper sanitation, and quality menstrual products. Environmental and/or humanitarian crises exacerbate these issues, with extreme weather events destroying vital infrastructure and displacing communities in refugee camps. This instability often forces menstruators to manage their health in unsanitary, unsafe conditions, leading to both physical discomfort and mental stress.

The article highlights the emotional and social exclusion menstruators experience due to stigma, particularly in conservative societies and refugee settings. The absence of private spaces and sanitary products increases shame and isolation, affecting mental health and reinforcing gender inequalities. Despite these adversities, menstruating individuals exhibit resilience, creating makeshift hygiene solutions and supporting each other within their communities. However, the lack of consistent government and humanitarian support intensifies the burden.

The article advocates for a holistic approach to menstrual health in crisis contexts—addressing not only the physical needs but also the social and mental dimensions. Menstrual health must be recognized as more than a hygiene issue; it is integral to dignity, gender equality, and well-being. Acknowledging menstrual health as a human right is essential to ensuring that menstruating individuals are empowered, respected, and not overlooked during crises.

Article by Fien de Ridder, illustrated by Eline Veldhuisen

https://theanthro.art/menstrual-health-in-crises-climate-change-social-exclusion-and-resilience/

Asked about what they value in life, (South)Africans often explain the concept of Ubuntu. With this they mean brother/sisterhood, sharing and compassion; being a person through other persons. They also said that this care extends to nature too. When asked the same question, the people in Bhutan emphasize Buddhist culture and finding inner peace and harmony. They have declared this as a national policy: Gross National Happiness (GNH). In this guardianship with nature also plays an important role. The (indigenous) people in Ecuador responded that for them the right way of living is living in harmony with nature; they call that Good Living, or Buen Vivir.

Article by Dr. Dorine van Norren, illustrated by Iris Relinde

https://theanthro.art/what-we-can-learn-from-ubuntu-buen-vivir-and-happiness-on-harmony-with-nature/

In this paper, I would like to share the story of the development of seawall infrastructure in Wakatobi, Indonesia, a top tourism destination and national park. The story of the seawall caught my attention because when I first arrived in Wakatobi for research, I found that the seawall story was a hot topic of conversation among community members. This paper tells the story of how residents perceive the seawall and what kind of impact it has had. I found that the seawall was built to prevent the loss of sand due to abrasion. Still, it also provides a space for residents to conduct sand mining. In the long run, it can threaten some residents’ sustainability of fishing livelihoods.

Article by Ashry Sallatu, illustrated by Axelle Van Wynsberghe

https://theanthro.art/seawall-and-the-silent-tide/

In the face of challenges posed by climate change, sustainability promises to safeguard our collective future. But not all sustainability projects have a positive impact, and not everyone understands sustainability to mean the same thing.

This is a story about Zenata, a much-celebrated Eco-City currently being built from scratch on a polluted stretch of coast in Morocco. Who benefits from such urban renewal projects and who gets left out? How sustainable is sustainability when it leads to displacement and reproduces inequalities? Answering these questions also points the way towards more inclusive methods for addressing the shared challenges posed by climate change.

Article by Cristiana Strava, illustrated by Margherita Miani, read by Anne van Muijlwijk

https://theanthro.art/greening-casablanca-is-urban-sustainability-just-another-word-for-gentrification/

Explore the fusion of corporate anthropology, the business world and sustainable transformation. We’ve created and economy and society based on negative reciprocity, a culture of extraction.

That means our challenge is not about more technology or new business cases but much more about people. About our belief systems and shared values that shape our societies.

I propose to understand the sustainability transition as place of liminality, of not knowing, confusion and a power struggle. Learn how anthropological methods are harnessed to embed sustainability, circularity and impact into corporate culture – how dialogue, storytelling, and peer influence shape organizational DNA for a greener future.

Article by Walter Faaij, Green Culture Lab, illustrated by Iris Relinde, read by Anne van Muijlwijk

https://theanthro.art/reframing-sustainability-a-cultural-approach-to-transformative-change/

In their exploration of wind energy in the Netherlands, Diny van Est, Anne Marieke Schwenke, and Noud Sleumer discuss the societal attitudes and challenges. Traditional windmills held local significance, unlike modern wind turbines which lack community ties. Resistance arises from concerns about visual pollution, lack of fairness, posing obstacles to wind projects.

Sleumer’s installation aims to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, aiming to reflect on our relation with renewable energy.

Community energy cooperatives, like Rijnland Energy and Zuidenwind, involve residents in decision-making and profit-sharing, fostering community empowerment and strengthening the bond with wind infrastructure. The authors stress the importance of policymakers addressing community concerns and involving residents in wind energy projects to ensure a sustainable future.

Article by Diny van Est, Anne Marieke Schwencke, Noud Sleumer, illustrated by Studio Sonsuz

https://theanthro.art/who-owns-the-wind-pathways-to-reconnect-communities-with-wind-energy-in-the-netherlands/

This article examines the intersection of food poverty and sustainability through the work of The Waste To Success (TWTS), an organization offering sustainable cooking workshops at schools in the Netherlands. Using applied anthropology methods, the study explores the challenges of promoting sustainable food practices amongst students. Findings reveal a that despite sustainability teachings, students make choices that benefit themselves, insighting the need to align educational content with students’ lived experiences. The article offers recommendations for improving the impact of TWTS’s workshops, such as enhancing communication and incorporating culturally familiar recipes to promote sustainable and affordable cooking practices.

Article by Lin Visser and Sanni Overweg, illustrated by Studio Sonsuz

https://theanthro.art/how-a-black-bean-burger-can-be-the-bridge-between-food-poverty-and-sustainability-an-applied-anthropological-view-on-an-organization-that-creates-impact-through-food-in-the-sustainability-space/

The concept of “sustainability” is a must today: from the tiniest farming product or restaurant menu, to the multi-million-euro budget projects, “sustainable” needs to be on the front cover, on the label, in the main title. We got so used to the term that we hardly ever think what it actually means. The present essay discusses one of the most used misconceptions of sustainability in relationship to the “good old days” when life was said to be simpler, care free and consumerism was unheard of. The present essay uses the centuries-long history of fishing in an UNESCO biosphere reserve, the Danube Delta, to de-construct this myth. It questions whether “sustainability” can so easily go hand in hand with “tradition” and whether local people using natural resources, (in this case, the fish) were actually living in harmony with nature since the dawn of time. Colonial powers, international markets and politics are deeply shaping the ways locals are using the natural resources.

Article by Oana Ivan, illustrated by Rucsandra Enache, read by Katia Pascariu

https://theanthro.art/sustainability-a-historical-approach-over-a-new-concept-oana-ivan/