Decolonizing Knowledge

  • Part 1
     January 28, 2022
     8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
  • Part 2
     February 4, 2022
     8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
  • Part 3
     February 11, 2022
     8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
  • Part 4
     February 18, 2022
     8:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Western colonization gave rise to Eurocentric, patriarchal, capitalist, Christian, and heteronormative paradigms that lead us to believe, advocate for, and retain an epistemic hegemony. These centuries-old epistemic hegemonies, today, dictate our pedagogy, inquiry, and praxis when it comes to the acquisition, management, and dissemination of knowledge. Further, knowledge, more often than not, is generated by and within these systems of global inequalities and they, in turn, reinforce various forms of hierarchical, unequal, and discriminatory structures built on race, gender, class, sexual, caste, ethnic, religious, linguistic and other identities. The implications of learning under hegemonic epistemologies (for example, in institutions of higher education) on various careers – such as development, peace and conflict, education, environment and related disciplines – is that we start with the belief that we have the answers to the world’s most pressing problems, leading us to re-colonize the colonized through our impositions.

This workshop is co-sponsored and organized by Center for Conflict Studies & the Posner Center for International Development.

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey: Center for Conflict StudiesPosner Center for International Development

Session Details

During the workshop, we will question our own epistemologies and then, we will use decolonial (understood as going beyond post-colonial) frameworks to understand how knowledge is acquired, legitimized, and disseminated. Further, we will explore how decolonized knowledge can challenge power structures, whether in the classroom, in organizations or when working in the field.

Part 1: January 28th | 8:30am-11:30am MST 

Part 2: February 4th | 8:30am-11:30am MST 

Part 3: February 11th | 8:30am-11:30am MST 

Part 4: February 18th | 8:30am-11:30am MST 

Participants

Who should participate?
This workshop is limited to the first 15 participants to register. As a community, the Posner Center is committed to going beyond learning to implementing decolonization practices in development. You should be an active global development or peacebuilding academic, practitioner, or student willing to incorporate a decolonizing lens into your work.

Facilitator

photo of Pushpa Iyer

 

 

Dr. Pushpa Iyer
Dr. Pushpa Iyer is an activist, scholar, and practitioner in conflict resolution, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Currently, she is an associate professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey, California. Her current activism is done through programs designed to fight racial inequity, discrimination, and violence in higher education institutions and beyond. She is also the Founder Director of the Center for Conflict Studies at MIIS and Compassionate Courage, an initiative designed to ensure systemic change and healing divisions, one community at a time. You can read more about her here.

Cost

To ensure everyone who wants to is able to participate, we are using a sliding scale model. Please determine how much you should pay using the below categories, and consider donating to support additional programming. To further support this work, please contact our Development Director or make a donation here.

The Posner Center for International Development is committed to accessibility and inclusion for all people. To request additional accommodations or for questions about accessibility, please contact Lauren Andraski at  or 720-515-9071.

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Description:

Zoom link will be provided prior to the meeting.