Welcome to the Moral (De)Liberation Front: Session Zero. Four masked animals discuss online how to fight back against the violent climate crisis. Should their animal activism be violent, peaceful or maybe something in between?
More about the project
While the violence within the climate crisis and capitalist society continues to rise, contrasting theories on the effectiveness of (non)violence in climate activism can be found in academia and alternative sources. Yet, openly discussing the use of violence in climate activism is perceived as an alarming sign of radicalization and remains a taboo within civil society.
The taboo on discussing violence in climate activism needs to be broken. Silencing certain perspectives will only nurture radicalization driven by isolation, anger, trauma and/or grief as climate catastrophes demand their toll. Whereas open discussion of all perspectives allows for critical deliberation of protest strategies and prevents individuals to stay trapped in their own perspective.
A fictional meeting where masked animals discuss their views on violence in activism creates a lightweight and unfiltered format to discuss the topic. The film explores various perspectives and arguments, moving away from human morals and judgements. Eventually, by inviting everyone to join the Moral (De)Liberation Front, the discussion on violence in climate activism can be liberated.
The bachelor thesis Skating on Thin Ice: Activism in Times of Climate Crisis forms the foundation of this project. This sociological research examined the ongoing debate within social sciences on the effectiveness of (non)violent protest, dived into radicalization theory and conducted & analyzed interviews with climate activists on their thoughts and feelings regarding (non)violence.
The document below shows Anne's bachelor thesis, which is interwoven in the project in multiple ways.