In a future not so far away, Biodiversity has never let go of its past - and you will never forget it either! In this telenovela-inspired MozFest Space, deep secrets emerge in 2060 about its complicated romance with Tech. Jealousy, drama, and revenge between Society, Economy, and Politics play out in scenes written by Facilitators and Participants. Will Tech choose to play the evil villain or surprise hero? What is the uncomfortable truth that Biodiversity will reveal in the final scenes?

The Storyline

At the Mozilla Festival, we want to make space for dialogue between technology and biodiversity. That way, we can build a happily ever after for our planet. This year, the Tech & Biodiversity Space: Legado 2060 is dedicated to the issues intersecting technology and topics related, but not limited, to the environment, indigenous, land defenders, sustainability, and food sovereignty. We want to collectively envision and write a love story between digital technologies, humans, and nature.

Digital technologies are accelerating and addressing critical issues concerning climate change. Increasing waste and CO2 emissions stand the consequence of a fast-growing entanglement of digital technologies with different dimensions of society. The politics of a greed-driven tech sector enables the swift obsolescence of phones, devices, wearables, and electrodomestics.

Golfish in a clear plastic bag filled with water, sitting on the ground with twigs behind it
Photo by Raden Eliasar on Unsplash

Furthermore, natural resources are heavily mined, affecting the ecosystem of our global natural reservoirs and hijacking life on planet earth. Nonetheless, sensors, robots, and artificial intelligence systems are designed to collect data, analyze, monitor, resolve, and advocate for climate justice.

The relationship between Tech and Biodiversity is pervaded with ironies and uncomfortable truths.

How can a sci-fi telenovela leverage a happily ever after?

two people with traditional Dia de los Muertos face painting looking at each other, standing in the middle of a flower field.
Photo by Samuel Benjamin Hernandez Lopez on Pexels

The Telenovela + Tech & Biodiversity Connection

Telenovelas, also known as soap operas, are particularly popular in Latin America and travel the world telling stories. These are characterized by ridiculously exaggerated drama, evil revenge, hidden lies, family feuds and romances, character comebacks from death, high makeup and hair production, poisoning, fainting, heart attacks, and psychic messages from the past and future, and more.

Just like in telenovelas, the complexities that involve technologies and biodiversity - climate change, climate justice, pollution, ecological colonialism, biodiversity monitoring, and conservation, and so on - are multifold, dramatic, full of plot twists and hidden lies.

A sci-fi telenovela can help us uncover the expectedly unexpected forces of evil and immerse ourselves in the love story of sustainable futures.

Casting Invitation: Help Write And Star In Legado 2060!

A squirrel clinging to a tree, looking directly at the camera from above
Photo by Külli Kittus on Unsplash

At MozFest your submitted sessions will build the story setting and will be told by grassroots movements shedding light on different problems affecting their communities. For the first turning point, researchers and academics will broaden the perspective and impact of such issues. The telenovela’s plot twist, climax, or point of no return would be available, in collaboration with MozFest’s emergent sessions convening participants further to write the fate of our planet’s story.

Legado’s first chapter grand finale is still unwritten, and we want your help to figure out what happens to our characters and what is the Legado (Legacy) that we want to leave for Biodiversity.

Will you accept the role?

We are looking for the writers of our telenovela!

Are you an activist, researcher, journalist, academic, artist, hacker and/or tech developer? Do you have answers, questions, opinions, or vague thoughts about how we can harmonically reunite tech and biodiversity?

MozFest is the perfect platform to connect with allies and fight evil. You will learn from the different journeys of Facilitators, Participants, Volunteers, Wranglers, and Mozilla staff. Your expertise will be part of the movement to manifest the futures we envision for biodiversity.

Join Slack to engage with the team of Wranglers to brainstorm ideas for the Space and your session. We are looking for participatory moments (think of a session as an opportunity to use the MozFest hivemind to brainstorm solutions to a problem), art appreciation, social events, and more.

Submit your proposal before December 16th!

To be continued…

Meet The Authors

Soledad Magnone

Uruguayan sociologist dedicated to the intersections between digital technologies, education and human rights, with a special focus on youth

Gracielle Higino

Theoretical & Quantitative Ecology freak. SciComm & Open Science leader. Catalyst of movements.

Cybelle

Cyber security research and activist advocating for digital privacy & security, feminism, cat lover, and human rights defender.

MozFest is part art, tech and society convening, part maker festival, and the premiere gathering for activists in diverse global movements fighting for a more humane digital world. To learn more, visit www.mozillafestival.org.

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