Religion in Praxis Conversations Series | Emily Channel-Justice

This is the seventeenth episode of the Religion in Praxis Conversations Series, and we here ask: "Have a group of citizens can come together to create change and challenge the status quo?" The 2013-14 Euromaidan protests in Ukraine serve as a powerful example of just that. Through in-depth ethnographic research, Emily Channell-Justice explores the concept of "self-organization" that emerged from these demonstrations and civil unrest. In her book, "Without the State," she reveals how this idea not only came out of leftist practices, but was also adopted by actors from across the political spectrum, including far-right groups.

The widespread adoption of self-organization encouraged Ukrainians to rethink their expectations of the relationship between citizens and their state. In our conversation we seek to address how did the concept of "self-organization" emerge in the context of the Euromaidan protests? How did the adoption of self-organization change people's views on the relationship between citizens and their state in Ukraine? How did self-organization practices affect the political spectrum in Ukraine, including leftist, feminist, and student activists, as well as far-right groups? How has the Euromaidan experience impacted the future of self-organization in Ukraine and other countries facing similar challenges?

Conversation with Emily Channel-Justice provides a unique perspective on this crucial moment in Ukraine's post-Soviet history and encourages us to think more deeply about the relationship between citizens and their state both in Ukraine and beyond.

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Music for the Conversation Series is generously provided by the Shavnabada Choir . The project author and the host of the Conversation Series is Dr. Tornike Metreveli.

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Religion and Theology is produced by Joel Kuhlin for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies. If you have comments or critique of this episode, or any other episodes of R&T, please contact us via the podcast's twitteraccount: @reloteol.