GOVERNING FORESTS Book Launch

Governing Forests addresses the nations of the Global South, emerging from historical exploitation under colonialism and faced with decisions about natural resource use that are, for traditional owners and inhabitants of resource-rich lands, often a matter of life or death.

The author of Governing Forests, Arpitha Kodiveri. is an environmental law and justice scholar and assistant professor of political science at Vassar College. Her work focuses on the role of climate litigation in redressing claims of loss and damage due to climate change. She has previously worked as an environmental lawyer supporting Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities in India.

Charanya Ramakrishnan an artist and environmental activist from India will be in conversation with the author on climate, justice and indigenous rights in South Asia. The discussion will conclude with author speaking briefly to their future work on queer theory, ecology and repair in the times of the climate crisis.Arpitha Kodiveri is an environmental law and justice scholar and assistant professor of political science at Vassar College. Her work focuses on the role of climate litigation in redressing claims of loss and damage due to climate change. She has previously worked as an environmental lawyer supporting Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities in India.
Charanya Ramakrishnan is a leading international art educator with over a decade of experience in the field. As a multimedia artist and educator, she has led several innovative projects and was awarded the Fulbright scholarship for Arts and Cultural Management. She holds a dual degree with a Masters in Art Education and Community Practice from New York University as well as a Masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India.
She has played key leadership roles in civil society and non-profit organizations and also co-founded the learning center Kudali through her work with the organization Yakshi Resource and Creativity Center for Rural Children and Youth. Her work also involved collaborating with traditional artisans, visual artists and musicians to develop unique educational modules for children and youth.
Charanya is deeply passionate about the power of art education in transforming lives and believes that the life of Louis Armstrong and Lucille Armstrong is critical in the telling of the history of the civil rights movement, of jazz and its influence on the world. She is committed to enhancing community engagement, developing creative pedagogy and leading the educational initiatives at the museum; that draw from the transformative elements of jazz, the archives and storytelling rooted in radical hope and imagination.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Bluestockings Cooperative Bookstore, 116 Suffolk Street, New York, United States