The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at Hasanuddin University (UNHAS) collaborated with the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) at the Universiteit van Amsterdam to host a four-day workshop from 11-15 November 2025 at the Marine Station of the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Fisheries (FIKP), UNHAS. Funded by the BRIDGES for Sustainability Program, the event brought together academics, artists, storytellers, and community members from Indonesia, South Africa, Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands to explore how water, its histories, and its political dimensions shape life across the Global South. The workshop used creative and dialogical approaches to understand climate change while fostering cross-border solidarity.
The program opened with a seminar discussing colonial histories connecting Cape Town, Batavia, and the Netherlands—referred to as ABC: Amsterdam, Batavia, and Cape Town. Participants examined how Dutch East India Company maritime routes from the 17th century influenced contemporary inequalities in water resource management, extractive practices, and urban development. The seminar highlighted two themes: “Voyages to the Far East: Colonialism, Power, and Memory from Amsterdam to Makassar” and “Tides of Empire: From VOC Trade Routes to Water Diplomacy,” demonstrating how colonial infrastructure reshaped rivers, coastlines, and settlements, contributing to today’s climate vulnerabilities.
On the second day, participants engaged in storytelling through drawing, sharing personal relationships with water and collaboratively producing a 2 m x 1 m artwork to visualize their narratives. The third day included a visit to Sokola Pesisir near the Center Point of Indonesia (CPI), where participants discussed land reclamation impacts with school administrators and students. They then joined a workshop on stop-motion animation as an accessible medium for environmental messaging. The fourth day focused on coral reef conservation and transplantation in partnership with Sangkarrang Ocean Dive (SOD), which has led rehabilitation and environmental education around Barrang Lompo Island.
The workshop produced two key outputs: a co-created zine with Makassar artist Hira Sanada, and a documentary directed by Laode Maruf from Wakatobi, capturing the creative processes and conceptual foundations of the event. These outcomes aim to strengthen environmental humanities research through art, storytelling, embodied learning, and multispecies perspectives, while also supporting communities affected by flooding, pollution, and reclamation to participate in climate policy dialogue.
Participants included Dr. Andi Ahmad Hasan Tenriliweng, Nur Isdah Idris, PhD, Sy Sultan Hamdi S.Sos, M.Sc., and Muh. Ashry Sallatu from UNHAS; and Prof. Eileen Moyer, Dr. Laurens Bakker, Dr. Karen Paiva Henrique, Emily Ragus, Amanda Mokoena, Saur Marlina “Butet” Manurung, and Ariadna Romans I Torrent from the University of Amsterdam. Artist and storytellers included Azola Kwerqe, Nosipho Booi, Bahle Mazeka, Thembisa Nomlala from South Africa, and Saleh Hanan from Wakatobi, Pengenum Tampung and Bediri representing the Orang Rimba, and Salma from Sokola Pesisir. Reflecting on the workshop, Amanda emphasized the emergence of new narratives and anti-colonial research approaches, while Bahle noted that water became not only a catalyst for crisis but a medium for connection across disciplines, histories, and nations.
