In April, the research team of WEIRD project (Whose sustainability? Disability and queer perspectives for sustainability transformations) hosted a hang-out for crip and queer students, as well as anyone curious about the project’s themes. The aim was to introduce the research focus of WEIRD and to spark conversation about how crip and queer perspectives can contribute to sustainability.
The event began with an introduction by associate professor Guido Caniglia, Principal Investigator of the project. Participants were invited to share their initial thoughts on the themes, which led to insightful and thought-provoking reflections.
Guido Caniglia then explored two main topics:
- Vulnerabilities, particularly in the context of extreme weather events, eco-ableism and the impacts on well-being,
- Transformation, focusing on how practices and policies can emerge through the arts.
Disabled and queer communities have long resisted exclusion and reclaimed space, yet their knowledge and lived experiences are often overlooked in environmental research and policy. WEIRD seeks to understand better how this status quo could be changed.
After the introduction, the evening continued with an open discussion that moved within and beyond the initial themes. WEIRD project is about imagining and building futures that are not only environmentally sustainable but also deeply just and transformative. This kind of work can only happen in collaboration with diverse communities.
WEIRD team hopes to keep connecting with crip and queer students in the future.
To dive deeper into some of the perspectives and actions, please see for example:
To reach crip and queer students in Helsinki, please see:
This blog post was written by research assistants of the WEIRD project Helena Kärppä. The pictures are by research assistant Sasha Krikkerik.