Our conference theme of Reunion, Recuperation, Reconfiguration was conceived in those early days of planning when it was not clear what kind of reunion ESOCITE/4S Cholula would be. Since many of us last met in person in New Orleans, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. Through another lens, though, it is all more of the same, with familiar lines of privilege and oppression determining who is less or more affected by the virus itself and by measures to mitigate it. Zoonoses, supply chains, viral evolution, ventilation, and messenger RNA all became far more visible as objects of science and politics. Amid the chaos of the pandemic, the climate crisis manifested in record heatwaves and floods, and Russia invaded Ukraine, underlining both the global energy crisis and the continued erosion of democracy by far-right politics in many parts of the world. During these global processes, strong social mobilizations, rebellions demanding rights, local environmental crises, and changes in political landscapes are experienced locally in Latin America, calling on CTS studios to rethink our traditions about sociotechnical controversies, the value and contribution of technosciences to society and our learning in science and technology policies.
Reunion, recuperation, reconfiguration expresses hope for our damaged world and a prescription for how to proceed.