Ulises Moreno-Tabarez, Dulce Quintero Romero, and Keila Martínez Martínez
Funding period: 1 April 2023 – 31 December 2023
Type of funding:
Seminar Series
Host institution: Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (Mexico, state-wide).
Partner organisations: Informal Network of Artists and Activists in Costa Chica; Mujeres Afrodescendientes en Movimiento (MUAFRO); Unión Regional de Ejidos de la Costa Chica (URECCh); La Sandía Digital; Tlachinollan; Altepetl Movilizado: Costa-Montaña contra la Minera; La Flor Amuzga, A.C.; Fondo Regional Indígena Mujeres En Desarrollo De La Costa Chica De Gro, A.C.; Mujeres en Desarrollo de la Costa Chica de Guerrero, A.C.; Comerciantes Ambulantes de la Costa Chica, A.C.
Dates: June-November 2023 (events will be recorded and archived for further learning purposes); Community Economies Research Network – Latin America.
Lead organisers: Dr Ulises Moreno-Tabarez, Dr Dulce Quintero Romero, and Keila Martínez Martínez.
Contact: Dr Ulises Moreno-Tabarez
Abstract: This project is a collaborative exploration of urbanity, focusing on four small and remote cities in Costa Chica, Guerrero, Mexico: Azoyú, Cuajinicuilapa, Ometepec, and Xochistlahuaca. As a group of artists, activists, and researchers, we aim to better understand and share our diverse Black and Indigenous histories, while acknowledging the complexities of transcultural and multilingual networks of care. Our project, “Coastal Commons,” consists of three interconnected activities: virtual seminars, participatory video, and training groups. We aspire to contribute to urban discourse through knowledge exchanges, highlighting the unique perspectives from our remote cities and fostering innovative views on the urban landscape. We welcome early career researchers, artists, and academics to join us in exploring participatory research methods, engaging in transformative conversations based on feminist and antiracist principles. At the heart of this project, we strive to understand the urban as a living, evolving entity that surpasses conventional categorizations, such as Global North and South. We critically engage decolonial practices to draw upon our “provinciality” to question prevailing logics and recognise the collaborative efforts that contribute to our understanding of urban realities. Our project acknowledges our cultural heritage and the collective resilience of our communities, moving beyond the utilitarian boundaries of urban studies. In conclusion, this project seeks to offer an alternative vision of the urban as a fluid, interconnected space, giving life to new, non-normative, and collaborative definitions that respect the rich tapestry of our diverse scalar and sensorial experiences.