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Organising from Elsewhere Podcast

Organising from Elsewhere Podcast

Written by: Organising from Elsewhere
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Welcome to Organising from Elsewhere — a podcast weaving activists, researchers & facilitators in an emergent exploration of how we listen, move, and decide together in a time of global unraveling.

From somatics to science, Indigenous wisdom to systems thinking, we’re reimagining collective action from the ground up — beyond extractive habits, toward relational ways of being. Follow us to join the exploration!


© 2025 Organising from Elsewhere Podcast
Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Art of Collective Ownership: From Squats to Amsterdam Alternative w/Ivo Schmetz
    Dec 5 2025

    In this episode, we explore The Art of Collective Ownership with Ivo Schmetz — designer, musician, activist, and long-time steward of Amsterdam’s free spaces. After graduating from art school in Maastricht, Ivo “accidentally” stepped into the squatting movement and helped occupy both the OLVG hospital (1998–1999) and the iconic OT301 (1999–present). These experimental spaces shaped his life’s work: not just as a hybrid designer and videomaker, but as a builder of collective projects that challenge ownership, power, and separation. As a board member and programmer at OT301 and one of the driving forces behind Amsterdam Alternative, Ivo has spent the last decade publishing a bi-monthly free newspaper, hosting public debates and cultural events, developing Vrij Beton to realize new collectively owned spaces, and creating a multimedia web documentary on collective ownership. In this conversation, he reflects on 25 years of living, creating, and organising in community — and what these free spaces can teach us about interdependence, autonomy, and the future of the commons.

    00:00 Introduction to Collective Ownership
    02:26 Welcome to the Podcast
    03:07 The Squatting Experience Begins
    03:24 Life in the Squat
    04:39 Organizational Challenges and Growth
    08:31 The Move to OT 301
    09:23 Navigating Legal and Social Changes
    09:59 The Role of Artists in Gentrification
    13:05 Establishing a New Collective
    14:34 Organizational Methods and Decision Making
    18:55 Balancing Individual and Collective Needs
    27:10 Evolving Organizational Structures
    34:27 Amsterdam Alternative and Future Vision
    44:04 Personal Engagement and Motivation
    45:12 Exploring Organizational Culture
    47:06 Challenges and Decision-Making Methods
    47:48 Radical Innovations in Organizing
    51:31 Collective Ownership and Neutralizing Ownership
    54:28 Interconnectedness and Organizational Structures
    01:01:22 Role of Assimilation and Gentrification
    01:06:07 Ownership and Collective Wisdom
    01:09:15 Inspiration and Small Initiatives
    01:28:45 Final Thoughts and Future Collaboration


    www.ivoschmetz.nl
    www.amsterdamalternative.nl
    www.collectiveownership.net

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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • Restoring Intuition: Indigenous Ways of Moving Together w/ Erika Koskela
    Sep 7 2025

    In this episode, host Tulia welcomes Erika Koskela, an enrolled member of the Brown Valley Tribes of California and a dedicated advocate for indigenous language and cultural revitalization. Together, they explore the deep connections between intuition, language, and identity, discussing Erika’s work on the Flathead Reservation in Montana and her experiences with nonprofit organizing rooted in indigenous values. The conversation delves into the challenges of moving beyond hierarchical, colonized models, the importance of spirituality and collective wisdom, and the process of reclaiming ancestral knowledge and capacities often suppressed by modern society. Through personal stories and reflections, Tulia and Erika highlight indigenous approaches to leadership, community, and relationality, inviting listeners to reflect on their own roots, relationships, and ways of being in the world.


    0:00 Introduction & Intuition
    2:41 Meet Erika & Her Work
    4:11 Language, Identity, and Revitalization
    8:07 Organizing Beyond Hierarchy
    14:15 Spirituality, Intuition, and Indigenous Knowledge
    15:55 Relationality and Community Healing
    24:12 Leadership, Power, and Humility
    28:51 Reclaiming Ancestral Capacities
    35:33 The Collective Beyond Humans
    38:56 Closing Reflections

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    41 mins
  • Cultivating Relationality: Seeding Soil and Soul in Auroville’s Living Ecology
    Jun 24 2025

    In this episode of "Organizing from Elsewhere", Niki sits down with Anshul Aggarwal, a farmer at AuroOrchard in Auroville, India, to explore the deep interconnectedness between land, food, and human consciousness. Anshul shares insights about the spiritual and ecological experiment that is Auroville, the history and mission of AuroOrchard, and his personal journey into farming. They discuss the importance of service to the land, the evolving nature of human consciousness, and the challenges and aspirations of creating sustainable, conscious communities. The episode offers a rich dialogue on reimagining how we grow food, connect with nature, and organize as a society, emphasizing the need for openness, humility, and constant learning.


    00:00 Introduction to Interconnectedness and the Land
    00:35 Exploring New Ways of Organizing
    02:30 Welcome to the Podcast
    03:39 Anshul Aggarwal's Journey and Auroville's Vision
    06:24 The Role of Food in Human Culture and Consciousness
    08:26 Personal Reflections and the Philosophy of Farming
    17:28 Interconnectedness and Human Unity
    23:24 Spiritual Experiences and Collective Transformation
    25:49 Exploring the Concept of Awe and Overwhelm
    26:59 Challenges and Constraints in Auroville
    28:56 The Role of Community in Overcoming Mental Logic
    29:49 Social Issues and Decision Making in Auroville
    31:41 Learning and Experimentation in Communities
    38:45 The Interconnectedness of Individual and Collective Growth
    44:21 The Future of Human Evolution and Posthumanism
    49:25 Embracing Openness and Emergence
    50:52 Closing Thoughts and Invitation to Dialogue

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    52 mins
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