Presentation short abstract

Materialist ecofeminism asks hard questions—but what happens when inquiry turns back on the self? This talk reflects on the toll of engaging with systemic power and explores *discernment as a shared skill* for keeping collective action alive in crisis-filled times.

Presentation long abstract

This presentation reflects on the personal and collective tensions encountered in practicing materialist ecofeminism. I focus on the intimate toll of engaging with systems of power—capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy—that systematically undermine ecological and social flourishing. Rather than emphasizing the vast distance between ecofeminist aspirations and societal realities, while being true, I explore how this gap becomes an arena of self-inquiry, in which critique and activism can paradoxically turn against the self. Drawing on experiences as a sympathizer and activist in this field, I examine the questioning of self-efficacy, the strain on voice, and the sense of lost momentum amid democratic erosion in the USA and parts of Europe, alongside global crises of war, genocide, and ecological destruction. Building on therapeutic approaches to ecofeminism (Pompeo-Fargnoli, 2018) and reflections from degrowth movements (Saave, 2022), I consider what may be necessary to counter the effects of sustained engagement with these systems. I explore the notion of *discernment as a shared skill* within ecofeminist-aligned communities—a fragile but crucial precondition for sustaining collective efforts toward meaningful ecological and social transformation. The presentation offers a reflective, practice-oriented draft of an essay. It invites the participants to examine what it means to think and act in alignment with a materialist ecofeminist orientation while navigating the pressures, ambivalences, and isolation that emerge in times of stagnating transformative sustainability politics.