The Reality Check Hidden Within the Avatar Movie: Desensitization to Extractive Injustices
The extractives industry, responsible for sourcing raw materials like oil, metals, and minerals, often stays far from the public eye. For many, the term "extractives" may ring zero bells, if any at all. Until recently, I counted myself among those in the dark, even as someone claiming to be informed about social impact issues. Ignorance of this industry, however, is not just a flaw; it shows a broader desensitization to the human rights violations occurring in the whole world.
My realization of this reality was prompted by a seemingly unrelated source: the movie Avatar. Despite having watched it many times, each viewing brings me to tears, condemning the exploitation of the indigenous Na’vi by human colonizers. Yet, until recently, I failed to recognize the obvious parallels between the movie and the harsh realities of the extractives industry.
In Avatar, the Resource Development Administration (RDA) ruthlessly invades native land to extract unobtanium, mirroring the actions of real-life entities like the Canadian mining company Belo Sun, which mines within indigenous territories in Brazil for gold (Al Jazeera). These parallels extend beyond just the plot, they align eerily perfectly with the human rights violations outlined by BSR (BSR).
Environmental devastation, labor exploitation, economic disruption, security abuses, and indigenous rights violations— Avatar showcases the many injustices caused by extractive industries. Yet, despite this movie, real-world atrocities go unnoticed or ignored. The discrepancy between our emotional reaction to fiction and our passiveness toward our real-life counterparts shows a troubling truth: we have become desensitized.
We watch as fictional characters go through displacement, pollution, and violence, yet forget to recognize the identical suffering inflicted upon real communities. We study statistics, but remain blind to the human cost hidden within them—the cries of displaced families, the destruction of sacred lands, and the exploitation of vulnerable workers. We turn a blind eye to the corruption within corporate boardrooms and the schemes between the industry and government forces.
The emotional response evoked by films like Avatar must not stay within the world of entertainment; it must drive action within real-world injustices. We must listen and empathize with those whose lives and lands are lost for profit.
Awareness is the first step towards change, but it must be followed by action. We cannot claim to advocate for humanity and also turn a blind eye to systematic exploitation. We cannot allow our humanity to be destroyed by indifference; let us reclaim our empathy and demand justice for those whose voices have been silenced by extractive greed.
Let us stand with the "Na'vi" of our world—the marginalized, the exploited, the victims—and bring ourselves to their defense, or else we will be complicit in their destruction.
