A love letter to the Salzburg Media Academy
By Marisa Iovino
Sustaining an optimistic outlook is challenging. But without coalitions of solidarity, what do we have?
The Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change is a deeply personal experience. It profoundly impacted who I am and reinvigorated my hope for a better future.
I owe this renewal to Chris’s work on fugitivity. I’m inspired by his idea of using constant movement to subvert oppression. This notion reminded me of the importance of building and maintaining spaces of solidarity. Before his discussion, I was overwhelmed with nihilistic stagnation, neglecting my community. It reminded me that my faith in humanity is nothing without community and activism, something I have repressed for quite some time.
Despite the transformative and spiritual healing, this experience has been, it’s nearly impossible to encapsulate it or quantify its impact. All I know is it has empowered me to remain pragmatic and joyful, using my privilege to protect others. I’m returning home with a renewed desire to organize community spaces that uplift and protect all.
I wrote a love letter to the Academy. This letter represents how intimate this experience has been and my ongoing commitment to building a better future.
