Congratulations to Roomana Hukil who successfully defended her doctoral thesis

The dissertation reveals the long-term implications of transnational advocacy networks on domestic environmental non-governmental organizations in India. It argues that transnational advocacies fail to leverage indigenous interests in the global South and increase Indian activists’ exposure to state repression. It draws on research participant interviews and print documents to analyze how traditional rural-based advocacies that adopt a Gandhi-based approach such as the Pathalgadi movement reject transnational alliances with international NGOs for fear of dominance and oppression, while urban-based advocacies that receive material and financial security from abroad such as Greenpeace India, ActionAid India, and Amnesty International view transnationalism as a boon for the Indian environmental advocacy sector. The research argues that Indian environmentalists would benefit if they shifted away from transnational advocacies towards a global solidarity model that incorporates intersectionality between movements and south-south transnationalism.

Roomana’s committee included Dr. Robert O’Brien, Dr. Lana Wylie and Dr. Alina Sajed. Thank you goes out to Dr. Neil McLaughlin for serving as chair and to Dr. Lisa Tilley for serving as the external examiner.