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Violent Silence: The Erasure of History and Justice in Global Climate Policy

Prakash Kashwan, Jesse Ribot 2021. Violent Silence: The Erasure of History and Justice in Global Climate Policy. Current History. 120 (829): 326–331.

Abstract

A widespread failure to recognize the social and political-economic causes of climate-related crises is an erasure of history that hides potential solutions and absolves guilty parties of responsibility. This blocking out of causality is perpetuating slow and silent violence against present and future generations. These erasures are illustrated by two short cases: the causes of famine and dislocation in the Sahel, and the causes of farmers’ suicides in India. The essay highlights the need to recognize histories of exploitation, and introduces the “Exploiter Pays Principle,” in order to deliver justice in climate policymaking.

 

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