A conversation with Silvia Federici, Gustavo Esteva and Munir Fasheh curated by Alessandra Pomarico and Udi Mandel Butler from ecoversities on viruses of the mind.

Gustavo Esteva is an independent writer and grassroots activist. Gustavo has been a central figure in a wide range of Mexican, Latin American, and international nongovernmental organizations and solidarity networks, including Universidad de la Tierra en Oaxaca, which he founded in 1999. In 1996, he was an advisor to the Zapatistas (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional) in their negotiations with the Mexican government. In 2006, he took part in the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO). Gustavo, a “de-professionalized intellectual” is well known for his contribution to post-development theory and practice, a strong advocate for active non-violence, and a proponent of radical pluralism and community-based initiatives, for the reorganization of the society from the bottom-up. A prolific writer, he is the author of more than 40 books, published in seven languages. 

Silvia Federici is a feminist activist, political philospher, teacher and writer. Born in Italy, she moved very young to the States, and also lived for a long period in Africa and Latin America. In the 1970s, she was one of the founders of the International Campaign for Wages for Housework and the International Feminist Collective. She was also one of the founders of the Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa and of the Radical Philosophy Association (RPA) as wells as the Anti-Death Penalty Project. She is the author of books and essays on women’s history and feminist theory, political philosophy and education. Her published works include: Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation; Revolution at Point Zero; Witches, Witch-hunting and Women, and Re-enchanting the World: Feminism and the politics of the Commons. Silvia is Emerita Professor at Hofstra University.