The coloniality of power (the structure, mechanisms, processes, regimes and models of the world order) which serves as the condition of possibility for imperialism is a settled issue. What is not settled as the boundaries, the potentials, the limits and even dangers of the decolonial process. In so far as he could roll up his sleeves in pointing out some of the boundaries and limits through his controversial but popular text – Against Decolonisation: Taking African Agency Seriously – Prof Olufemi Taiwo becomes the leading voice to listen to in the coloniality/decoloniality scholarship at the moment.
It is not surprising at all that the Cornell University Philosopher will be on hand on March 13th, 2024 to speak on “Against decolonisation: On Africa’s place in the global circuit of ideas”. It will be the final of the Sussex Development Lecture for the semester.
The Institute of Development Studies/University of Sussex lists a number of background questions to the topic as follows: “Why doesn’t the world beat its path to Africa’s doors when it comes to intellectual engagement? To finding African insights into the human condition beyond those compelled by pity for the prostrate condition of poor Africans? To identifying, studying, and arguing with African answers to the perennial questions of philosophy? Why is Africa-inflected knowledge produced by African scholars, whether in Africa or its growing new Diaspora, not reckoned with, referenced, or engaged by others both in and outside of academia the world over?”
The applause, the attacks and the stalemate will come from what Taiwo will be saying at the lecture which, according to IDS is his argument that the answer lies in the motivations which propels the decolonisation scholarship that he (Taiwo) has been shooting at and as already set out in his book thereto.
Scheduled to chair the online event is Anne-Meike Fechter, a Professor of Anthropology and International Development at the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex.
Intervention is assuming that anybody with zoom access can hook on to the event, beginning with registering by entering the IDS space for that.
