Life experiences of activists working on the ground or those who have faced challenges of life because of their identities actually take us to another world of history which is normally unknown or at the most localised. World over, identity and resources are the biggest source of exploitation. However, it is not merely colonialism which exploited people but the grave reality is that our societies too have their internal form of colonisations.
This is the second book in the series of Conversation on Social Justice which brings diverse individuals engaged in challenging the status quo and creating alternative to the oppressive models. The fascinating part of these conversations is the linkages between Social Justice and identity whether race or caste.
The book brings activists-academic-policy planners from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Philippines, South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, Mauritania and Italy to discuss issues of Social Justice, Identities and Resource Rights. Most of those included in the book actually are part of the network of the International Land Coalition, Rome. Interestingly, two former directors and current director of the secretariat of International Land Coalition, speak about the land and resource rights from a global perspective. The inclusion of anti-slavery activist from Mauritania provide you dangers religious rights in the West Africa which rarely raised the issue of discrimination in their own society. The issue of indentured labours which is largely forgotten by the modern-day historians and social movements too found a place in this book which gives glimpse of those who were just brought as cheap labour in the huge sugarcane farms owned by the colonial masters. Indentured labour was actually slavery with the new name.
No global issue related to resource rights can be complete without involvement of women as well as issue of gender justice. This book also includes extremely important conversations from a gender perspective and provide the first-hand experience of the leading women activists in anti-apartheid and anti-caste movements.