The Environmental Social Sciences Research Program at the School of Global Studies will launch a new documentary series in Autumn 2026, exploring contemporary socio-environmental challenges through film and discussion. The events are open to students, staff, and the wider public.
11 November 2026, 16:00, Room 512
The series opens with The Waste Commons, a documentary by Rosalind Fredericks (New York University) that explores waste, labour, and environmental justice in an era of growing inequality and climate crisis. Across the Global South, millions of people depend on waste picking and recycling for their livelihoods, providing essential environmental services while often remaining socially and politically marginalized.
The film follows the struggle surrounding the proposed closure of Mbeubeuss, Dakar's vast open-air waste dump, where thousands of recyclers have worked for decades. As city authorities seek to modernize urban infrastructure through an internationally funded redevelopment project, waste pickers organize to defend what they see as a "waste commons": a vital source of livelihood, community, and environmental stewardship. Their struggle unfolds against a backdrop of political unrest in Senegal and global debates on waste, plastics, and climate justice.
By connecting local conflicts in Dakar to international efforts to secure a just transition towards a more sustainable future, The Waste Commons highlights how waste workers are challenging dominant models of development and asserting their rights in the face of profound social and environmental change.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Rosalind Fredericks and contributors to the project.
25 November 2026, 16:00, Room 512
The second documentary, Scars of Growth, examines the tensions and contradictions at the heart of Europe's green transition. As the European Union seeks to reduce carbon emissions through renewable energy technologies and electric mobility, demand for critical minerals and metals has increased dramatically. To secure access to these resources and reduce dependence on global supply chains, new policies are promoting the expansion of mining across Europe.
Through the experiences of communities directly affected by these developments, the film explores the social and environmental costs of the transition. In Spain, farmer Héctor confronts plans for mining projects that threaten local livelihoods and landscapes. In northern Sweden, Matti, one of the last Indigenous Sámi reindeer herders in his area, faces growing pressures on lands essential to reindeer husbandry and Sámi culture.
By bringing together questions of resource extraction, environmental justice, and the future of rural and Indigenous livelihoods, Scars of Growth invites viewers to reflect on whether a sustainable transition can be achieved within an economic model still dependent on expanding extractive frontiers. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Gabe Eckhouse (Stockholm School of Economics).
Through these events, the series invites audiences to reflect on extraction, waste, commoning practices, and struggles for socio-environmental justice across diverse contexts.