In this LinkedIn post, Will Richardson puts things in perspective. One glaring omission is the Israeli-executed genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, the genocide in Sudan, and other crimes against humanity occurring around the world.

Bryan Alexander commented that “From <> 2021-2024 I worked intensively on climate change and higher ed. 99% of academics were decisively not interested. From 2025, even less interest.”

Will’s post:

I think it’s telling that for all of the conferences and presentations and talks and essays and “achievements” that people post and discuss here, only about 2% of them seem to make any note of the fact that they are happening while:

~ecological limits are being breached
~social trust is eroding
~ AI is reshaping cognition
~ politics are destabilizing
~ inequality is deepening
~ biodiversity is declining at alarming rates

I mean, without using those contexts as a lens for our gatherings or our teaching or writing, what is the actual relevance that we can claim, not just around education, but around living life on the planet in general?

It’s either denial or ignorance. Or maybe it’s concern that if we ground our work in those lenses, no one will show up or read or listen.

I understand why many sessions now start with “land acknowledgements” to honor the indigenous people who once resided on the lands we’ve taken. But I’m wondering if we shouldn’t have “reality acknowledgements” as well, to help situate our work in care for all of the living beings now alive and those yet to be born.

#justsayin

Bonus Meme from Jewish Voice for Peace (related to genocide and ethnic cleansing, social trust, instability, inequality, climate change, etc.)