The building of epistemic democracy, the deepening of community, the practice of non-violence, and shared investment in local economies — these are some of the fundamental components that guide the concept of “oneness’ which is seamed through the work of Dr. Vandana Shiva — an activist and tireless advocate for food sovereignty and for farmers’, peasants’, and women’s rights.

Dr. Vandana Shiva is a world-renowned ecofeminist, anti-globalization thinker and scholar, a Right Livelihood Award Laureate; and the author of several books including Reclaiming the Commons, Earth Democracy, Oneness vs. the 1%, Stolen Harvest, and most recently a memoir, Terra Viva: My Life in a Biodiversity of Movements which will be available on October 27th.

In this conversation, Dr. Vandana Shiva weaves together stories of her life with a critical examination of our current economic system along with inspiring stories of non-violent grassroots actions to protect and preserve the health and wellbeing of people and the planet.

How can we reject the spread of hierarchy and division and begin reclaiming our right to live free, think free, breathe free, and eat free? How can we go upstream to decolonize all the spheres of our lives and focus on strengthening and revitalizing the commons? These are just some of the questions explored in this Upstream Conversation.