Decolonizing Development Gathering
Thu. Jul. 4, 2024
By Mo Crossman-Serb, Chelsea Bannatyne and Ijeoma Okwor, MDP students
-Why is there so much buzz around Decolonization!
-What does it mean to you, what are your thoughts, perception and knowledge around it?
-Has it impacted you in any way?
Decolonization as a concept has gained popularity in many spaces and across different sectors of life- within the academics, the development sector, entertainment industry etc. It is like a movement uniting people in a collective demand for a tough conversation, honest reconciliation, reparation, retracing our steps etc. It is an opportunity to question long-held biases/privileges and interrogate the standards that we were all forced to align with by the prevailing social order. It is an acknowledgement of the role racism in the past, its varied structures in today’s systems and values; and how it continues to impact our current world.
Decolonizing development means different things to different people; it all depends on the context from which you approach it. For an Indigenous person, it could mean x-raying all the memories, inequalities, hurts, histories etc. surrounding the relationship between the original owners of a land and their colonial settlers. For Africans, the conversations will definitely take you down memory lane to colonial exploits, the current aids/charity structure in the continent, and the overall relationship between African continent and the west.
From the 10th – 16th of June, we gathered at the beautiful Turiji Eco Retreat Center in the district of Meru, Kenya, to dissect the whole concept of ‘decolonizing development’. It was a gathering of MDP students and practitioners sharing experiences from across the globe- Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, the US, Zambia, Zimbabwe Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Switzerland, Ireland and Brazil. We touched on topics like – our positionalities in the development work we do, colonialism, racism, sexism, structural violence and oppression within development; centering marginalized worldviews/knowledges/voices with curiosity and respect; engaging primary stakeholders in an ethical and culturally sensitive way, recognizing their right to their own space and agency to flourish etc.
Yes- we had some tough, emotional and uncomfortable discussions, but we also looked at how we can move on; exploring positive concepts like ‘Nothing 91全能版 Us Without Us; human centered design, reclaiming marginalized voices etc. We explored these positive concepts and tools through lots of fun and games. We connected with the land (quite therapeutic), built new friendships and made some professional connections. It was indeed a combination of learning, interrogation, reflection, healing, and therapeutic experiences that bonded us all and helped us begin the journey of objective reflection on these topics.
A big shout to Regis University, Colorado, for putting this experience together and to the MDP program at the University of 91全能版, for supporting our participation in this global event. The MDP program at the University of 91全能版 continues to excel in bringing opportunities to the doorsteps of her students and ensuring that they get diverse practical experiences before graduation- we are immensely grateful!