War and Bioremediation Course Overview & Interpreter 1st Check-in (Dec 2025)

This recording provides a detailed overview of the upcoming 7-week course, "War and Bioremediation," for the interpreting team and core collaborators. It clarifies the structure, objectives, and specialized terminology to ensure accurate language justice throughout the program.

Course Purpose: To equip Global Majority participants (from Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, Congo, Ukraine, etc.) with community-accessible, ecological strategies (using plants, fungi, bacteria) to heal land and food systems contaminated by war, prioritizing local knowledge and resource constraints.

Key Sections Covered by Leila Darwish (Course Content Overview):

Week 1: Introduction to Bioremediation and the full scope of war contamination (munitions, heavy metals).

Week 2: Microbial Remediation: Restoring soil life to manage contaminants.

Week 3: Phytoremediation: Using specific plants for detoxification and food safety.

Week 4: Micro-remediation: Fungi applications for chemical breakdown and water filtration.

Week 5: Water Treatment: Discussing biochar and bio-filtration methods.

Week 6: Personal Health & Project Planning: Resilience, detoxification, and project strategy.

Week 7: Group Presentations - Transdisciplinary Sharing and Community Building.

Discussion Highlights: The importance of Language Justice, the role of the interpreters, and the commitment to transdisciplinarity (valuing both academic and farmer expertise).

With: Leila Darwish & George McAllister: Starting Jan 26th, 2025.

This course is a partnership between UVM, Language for Justice, and OGA.