ASCONA Activism and Advocacy Writing Retreat 2025

Ascona Centro Incontri humani, 13–15 June 2025

Over three inspiring days in the beautiful town of Ascona, thirteen passionate anthropologists and engaged scholars gathered for the Activism & Advocacy Writing Retreat, hosted by the Interface Commission for Engaged Anthropologists. The retreat was co-hosted by Peter Bille Larsen and Eda Elif Tibet and offered an enriching space for sharing diverse experiences, reflections, and ongoing work at the intersection of activism and anthropology.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Centro Incontri humani, participants enjoyed great food, engaging conversations, and a supportive environment for collaborative learning and writing.

The retreat emphasized the lived realities and ethical commitments involved in activist scholarship and studies of advocacy, focusing on the questions of what activism means, lessons learnt and how anthropologists engage meaningfully in advocacy.

Highlights from the Retreat

Friday, 13 June – Defining Activism and Mapping Experiences

The retreat opened with a dynamic round of presentations exploring personal journeys and activist approaches. Mike shared his experience growing up with migrant parents in England, learning activism in India, and working with Tongan ethics highlighting the tensions between community loyalty and individual expression.

Mats introduced a spatial geography perspective, reflecting on solidarity farming as a form of care and activism. Kwaku, a queer Canadian of Ghanaian descent, discussed navigating intersecting identities and the layered power structures embedded in activism and academia across continents from Montreal to Bern and Ghana.

Miria spoke of her work on informality and activism in the global South, while Aashish shared a haunting image from an Adivasi rally in Delhi that continues to shape his activism. Alex reflected on Peru’s complex history of indigenous rights, environmental conservation, and ongoing struggles with extractive industries.

Claudia, originally from Ticino with ties to Colombia, emphasized the importance of social leadership and transnational solidarity, while Peter offered insights from his work with indigenous participation in international institutions highlighting institutional failures and the urgent need for more just frameworks.

Saturday, 14 June – Embodying Activism: Ethics, Care, and Sacrifice

Discussions deepened around the emotional and ethical dimensions of activism. Mike shared an intimate example from Tonga about healing practices that challenge community norms. Claudia reflected on the limits of purely intellectual approaches, urging for an activism rooted in feeling and embodied care rather than mere ideology.

Susie introduced creative pedagogical tools like the “transformagram” to advocate for care toward our common home, while Phillipe highlighted the challenges faced by environmental defenders and anthropology’s strength in forming alliances across differences. Walter brought attention to the temporal dimension of indigenous movements in Peru, stressing the importance of “temporal translation” in linguistic activism.

Sunday, 15 June – Creative and Pluriversal Practices of Activism

Katrin described how underground music and theatre festivals can serve as vibrant sites of activism and solidarity, making complex images and messages accessible and powerful. Nick spoke online about the role of “becoming a familiar stranger” in his research on heavy violence.

Miria introduced the concept of the Zapatistas as creators of a pluriverse, a multiplicity of worlds where many ways of being coexist. Aashish raised critical questions about the distinctions between tribal and indigenous identities and the unexpected stories that activism must sometimes bring forward. Elif followed up on indigenous storytelling and how they teamed up with Aashish to secure funding for EthnoKino to bring indigenous filmmakers from India to Switzerland as a form of Mov(i)ement.

Reflections on Anthropology and Activism

The retreat helped articulate key dimensions of activist anthropology and the multiple forms of how our discipline may engage with advocacy. The dialogues confirmed the importance of an inclusive gaze:

Anyone committed to creating social, political, environmental, or cultural change from grassroots organizers to scholars engaged through diverse methods including protests, storytelling, and policy advocacy.

The dialogues also asserted the diverse ways in each one of us approach.

How Do Anthropologists Engage?

Through collaborative research with communities, amplifying marginalized voices, policy advocacy, public engagement, and reflexive ethical practice. Anthropologists contribute by supporting community-led initiatives, documenting lived experiences, providing expert testimony, educating broader publics, and continuously challenging dominant narratives.

Activism within anthropology is not about imposing change but about standing in solidarity walking and thinking critically alongside communities with deep listening, care, and accountability. Thee retreat reaffirmed the ethical and political stance of engaged anthropology: a commitment to decolonization, pluriversality, and justice in all its complex forms.

The cozy atmosphere and gourmet food at Ascona Centro Incontri Umani created a homely vibe, allowing participants to feel as if they were at home, where personal connections were also shared.

The Interface Commission thanks all participants for their insightful contributions and looks forward to continuing this vital dialogue at future events and for the finalization of the upcoming book publication.

Blog Post by Dr.Eda Elif Tibet.

For more updates on upcoming activities and to join the Interface Commission for Engaged Anthropologists, please visit www-seg-interface.org