The Decolonising Initiative
The Decolonising Initiative is a project founded by researchers, professors and teachers of the Centre for Academic Literacies and Languages (CALL) at the EUI who believe in the necessity to tackle colonial privileges and assumptions in the material and intellectual fabric of our institution. This forum is a place to examine constructively, among other concerns, the matter of white euro-centrism in the content and framing of academic syllabi, a lack of diversity in the EUI community, and the legacies of colonial history in our institutions of learning.
Check out the upcoming Decolinising Initiative events:
Native Speech'? A three-part workshop on race, coloniality and language
Monday 23 May (15:00-19:00), Tuesday 24 May (9:00-13:00) & Tuesday 7 June (14:00-17:15) – at the EUI and the Recovery Plan (& hybrid)
Thinking and languages are co-constitutive, one shapes the other. However, too often we are not aware of the racial and colonial baggage of the language we use. Thinking about language(s) is particularly important for us as academics, as words are not only the final outcome of the work we invest into our projects, but also shape our work. Attention to language is especially important here at the EUI, a multilingual institution where research is carried out in scholars’ native and non-native languages.
For full details check the programme!
- Day 1 “Native speech, translation and language politics” - Monday 23 April (PM) – Palazzo Buontalenti & The Recovery Plan (San Marco)
Please register here https://www.eui.eu/events?id=549671
15:00 –16:30 Keynote presentation by Dr Mackda Ghebremariam Tesfaù (Università Iuav di Venezia) “Word and Silence: translating Plantation memories (2008/2021) by Grada Kilomba” – HYBRID
17:00–19:00 “A Fischi per Fiaschi” workshop at The Recovery Plan (San Marco) – IN PERSON
- Day 2 “How to talk about race? Racial terminology in everyday and academic writing” – Tuesday 24 April (AM) – Badia Fiesolana
Please register here https://www.eui.eu/events?id=546136
09:30–10:30 World café: terminology for scholars – IN PERSON
11:00–12:00 Keynote presentation by Dr Margaret Amaka Ohia-Nowak (Tischner European University in Krakow) “Racism and discourse in the context of the war in Ukraine” - HYBRID
12.15–13.00 Workshop pt II: Round-up and response – IN PERSON
- Day 3 “Native English” and gate-keeping” – Tuesday 7 June (PM) – Villa Salviati
Please register here https://www.eui.eu/events?id=549672
14:00–15:45 Keynote presentation by Professor Gary Younge (Manchester University) “The power of nostalgia; the language of amnesia. Understanding Europe's colonial past and racial present” – HYBRID
16:00–17:15 Roundtable discussion – IN PERSON
This is a workshop in three parts taking place during three half days (23 May pm, 24 May am, 7 June pm). Participants are not obliged but highly encouraged to register to all sessions. One registration per session is required. This is an in person event with limited seats. If you have registered and are not able to attend, please cancel you registration or write to the organizers to let them know.
The keynote speeches of the workshop are open to online participation via Zoom (see the full programme for details). In case you would like to attend them online, the Zoom link to each keynote speech is provided in the registration e-mail for each workshop day. You can contact the workshop organizers for additional information ([email protected])
Page last updated on 17 May 2023