• Date: June 25th 2025
• Time: 2PM GMT (worldtimebuddy)
• Session Recording

The GTAGlobal Tapestry of Alternatives's Thematic Energy and AlternativesAre activities and initiatives, concepts, worldviews, or action proposals by collectives, groups, organizations, communities, or social movements challenging and replacing the dominant system that perpetuates inequality, exploitation, and unsustainabiity. In the GTA we focus primarily on what we call "radical or transformative alternatives", which we define as initiatives that are attempting to break with the dominant system and take paths towards direct and radical forms of political and economic democracy, localised self-reliance, social justice and equity, cultural and knowledge diversity, and ecological resilience. Their locus is neither the State nor the capitalist economy. They are advancing in the process of dismantling most forms of hierarchies, assuming the principles of sufficiency, autonomy, non-violence, justice and equality, solidarity, and the caring of life and the Earth. They do this in an integral way, not limited to a single aspect of life. Although such initiatives may have some kind of link with capitalist markets and the State, they prioritize their autonomy to avoid significant dependency on them and tend to reduce, as much as possible, any relationship with them. group is hosting a series of webinars addressing some of the socio-ecological implications of the so-called “energy transition.” As the climate emergency has sparked a push to transition the global energy system away from fossil fuels and towards so-called renewable energy sources and electrified alternative forms of transport, manufacturing, etc. This has fueled a rush towards mining of critical minerals needed for ‘renewable’ energy – much of it targeting ecosystems and human communities in the Global South, Indigenous lands, or other marginalized areas. The polycrisis — including the worsening of the climate crisis, the depletion of ‘cheap’ fossil fuels, geopolitical conflicts, and the reordering of global trade — threatens to accelerate what some are calling “green colonialism.”

The previous sessions focused on the Geopolitics of Green Colonialism, Decolonising the Energy Transition in the Polycrisis as well as on emerging green sacrifice zones in "Cold regions". This session will turn to the African continent to explore how the energy transition is reshaping territories into new sacrifice zones, and to discuss the challenges and struggles that lie ahead.

Alexandria Hotz is the South African Lead Coordinator for WoMin African Alliance, a feminist organization advocating for women's rights in the context of extractive industries and environmental justice. Born and raised in Cape Town, Alex grew up in a politically active household with a strong socialist background.

Hibist Kassa is Policy Interface Fellow at the Institute for Environmental Futures, University of Leicester. She is an Associate Editor with the Agrarian South Network Research Bulletin, a tricontinental network of researchers in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Hamza Hamouchene is a London-based Algerian researcher-activist, commentator and a founding member of Algeria Solidarity Campaign (ASC), Environmental Justice North Africa (EJNA) and the North African Food Sovereignty Network (Siyada). He is currently the Arab region Programme Coordinator at the Transnational Institute (TNI)

Muhammed Saidykhan is a global human and environmental rights activist with over 10 years of experience in management, movement building, development programming, strategic campaigning and organizing for social change. A Gambian born, was founding youth chair of ActionAid International’s youth working group and lead coordinator for the Activista initiative, where he leads and guide workwith young people in 47 countries globally.

The webinar will be moderated by Vasna Ramasar. Vasna is an academic and activist from South Africa living and working in Sweden. She has always been involved in environmental justice, politics of environment and alternatives to development. Member of the Facilitation Team of the GTA.