Becky Zelikson - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Recent graduate with Honors B.A with a Specialist in International Development Studies (co-op)
Supervisors: Dr. Suzanne Sicchia
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Papers by Becky Zelikson
As biofuel production expands in Brazil, its disproportionate impact on the livelihoods and human... more As biofuel production expands in Brazil, its disproportionate impact on the livelihoods and human rights of the indigenous Guarani people of Mato Grosso do Sul becomes increasingly evident. The justification for expanding biofuel sugarcane production is characterized by the simultaneous enactment of politics of difference and politics of solidarity both by the Guarani and by the agro-industrial farmers and their government supporters. While the national and branco farmer claim is rooted in an imagining of land as a factor of production in capitalist expansion, the Guarani identity-based claim is grounded in their profound dependence on the land for their very survival and the human rights violations that are resulting from their dispossession. In this paper, I will begin by analyzing the homogenizing, whitening discourse employed by the Brazilian state in justifying biofuel expansion. I will proceed by positing branco farmer discourse against the Guarani discourse, as both groups vie for legitimacy in their claim to productive land from their distinct positions of power or lack thereof.
Agroecology, as defined by Meek , is an agricultural approach that commonly synthesizes indigenou... more Agroecology, as defined by Meek , is an agricultural approach that commonly synthesizes indigenous and peasant traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge and research. Hence, agroecology resides at the intersection of the "traditional" and the "scientific", and as a result, attracts a set conflicting actors, including Green Revolution proponents, peasant farmers, landless rural workers and governments. This paper will explore these conflicting cooptations of the practice and rhetoric of agroecology, as well as consider the ability of agroecology to improve the agrifood provisioning system, on a global scale and in a radical manner. The paper will first expose some misconceptions and common oppositions to smallscale peasant agriculture and then proceed to consider the ability of agroforestry to provide a sufficient and efficient food supply. Finally, the paper will bring attention to the cases of Cuba and Brazil to consider the political feasibility of agroecology institutionalization.
Thesis Chapters by Becky Zelikson
The overall objective of this study is to investigate and challenge the understandings and attitu... more The overall objective of this study is to investigate and challenge the understandings and attitudes towards homosexuality, bisexuality and gender non-conformity among Karen non-profit staff along the Thai-Myanmar border, as well as their implications for the sense of safety, acceptance, and inclusion of Karen sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGIE) minorities within these organizations. I begin this exploration by establishing Karen non-profit staff’s understandings of SOGIE and their corresponding attitudes towards people who are SOGIE minorities. I proceed by portraying the experiences of SOGIE minorities within these non-profit organizations, as they pertain to their experience of inclusion/exclusion based on SOGIE. Synthesizing the above findings, I consider the challenges SOGIE minorities in Karen non-profits face in attempting to introduce changes in organizational policy and practice to facilitate greater SOGIE minority inclusion, as well as potential avenues for overcoming these challenges.
As biofuel production expands in Brazil, its disproportionate impact on the livelihoods and human... more As biofuel production expands in Brazil, its disproportionate impact on the livelihoods and human rights of the indigenous Guarani people of Mato Grosso do Sul becomes increasingly evident. The justification for expanding biofuel sugarcane production is characterized by the simultaneous enactment of politics of difference and politics of solidarity both by the Guarani and by the agro-industrial farmers and their government supporters. While the national and branco farmer claim is rooted in an imagining of land as a factor of production in capitalist expansion, the Guarani identity-based claim is grounded in their profound dependence on the land for their very survival and the human rights violations that are resulting from their dispossession. In this paper, I will begin by analyzing the homogenizing, whitening discourse employed by the Brazilian state in justifying biofuel expansion. I will proceed by positing branco farmer discourse against the Guarani discourse, as both groups vie for legitimacy in their claim to productive land from their distinct positions of power or lack thereof.
Agroecology, as defined by Meek , is an agricultural approach that commonly synthesizes indigenou... more Agroecology, as defined by Meek , is an agricultural approach that commonly synthesizes indigenous and peasant traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge and research. Hence, agroecology resides at the intersection of the "traditional" and the "scientific", and as a result, attracts a set conflicting actors, including Green Revolution proponents, peasant farmers, landless rural workers and governments. This paper will explore these conflicting cooptations of the practice and rhetoric of agroecology, as well as consider the ability of agroecology to improve the agrifood provisioning system, on a global scale and in a radical manner. The paper will first expose some misconceptions and common oppositions to smallscale peasant agriculture and then proceed to consider the ability of agroforestry to provide a sufficient and efficient food supply. Finally, the paper will bring attention to the cases of Cuba and Brazil to consider the political feasibility of agroecology institutionalization.
The overall objective of this study is to investigate and challenge the understandings and attitu... more The overall objective of this study is to investigate and challenge the understandings and attitudes towards homosexuality, bisexuality and gender non-conformity among Karen non-profit staff along the Thai-Myanmar border, as well as their implications for the sense of safety, acceptance, and inclusion of Karen sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGIE) minorities within these organizations. I begin this exploration by establishing Karen non-profit staff’s understandings of SOGIE and their corresponding attitudes towards people who are SOGIE minorities. I proceed by portraying the experiences of SOGIE minorities within these non-profit organizations, as they pertain to their experience of inclusion/exclusion based on SOGIE. Synthesizing the above findings, I consider the challenges SOGIE minorities in Karen non-profits face in attempting to introduce changes in organizational policy and practice to facilitate greater SOGIE minority inclusion, as well as potential avenues for overcoming these challenges.