Environmental Justice, Popular Struggle and Community Development

Struggles for environmental justice involve communities mobilising against powerful forces which advocate ‘development’, driven increasingly by neoliberal imperatives. In doing so, communities face questions about their alliances with other groups, working with outsiders and issues of class, race, ethnicity, gender, worker/community and settler/indigenous relationships.

Written by a wide range of international scholars and activists, contributors explore these dynamics and the opportunities for agency and solidarity. They critique the practice of community development professionals, academics, trade union organisers, social movements and activists and inform those engaged in the pursuit of justice as community, development and environment interact.

University of East Anglia

Sara Marsden’s career began with seven years as a UK government health and safety inspector (working for the Health and Safety Executive), and then working as the national health and safety coordinator for a large UK trade union bringing her into contact with the Hazards movement and other advocacy /activist groups. Her subsequent professional work included private sector and government regulation in a number of areas closely related to health risk, and latterly broadening to a public health perspective and MSc training in public health policy research. She is currently working as an independent researcher (including for the Trade Union Friends of Bhopal) and is active in the Hazards movement, the People’s Health Movement (Scotland) and Common Weal (a Scottish “think and do” tank).

Shweta Narayan is a researcher and an environmental justice activist, who advises the Community Environmental Monitoring (CEM) program for The Other Media. She has also been associated as a volunteer for the campaign for justice for the survivors of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy since 2002.

Dharmesh Shah is a researcher and environmental activist associated with citizens science initiatives in India. He is interested in the anthropology of waste and understanding the role of plastics in the anthropocene. He also works on issues related to environmental health, toxics, mining and animal rights.

Mahmoud Soliman is Visting Research Fellow (Peace Studies), Centre for Peace and Security, Coventry University, UK.