Screen reader caption for blind or visually impaired people: A small river zig-zagging into the jungle and forming three increasingly big waterfalls as it comes towards a small, crystal clear pond. There is a small wooden bridge on the upper-left side of the photo, almost invisible, deep in the jungle. Research shows that even short interactions with natural scenery, including pictures and audio recordings can improve human mood and well being. And, oh we’ll need some, when talking colonial stuff! Photo by Rifqi Ramadhan on Pexels.com
Lately, the term “Decolonize” has finally been removed from the unwritten censorship lists by the Committee of White Tears or something. No longer hushed in outrage during classes, conferences and webinars, it is now the buzzing term being probably fed to ChatGPT by lecturers and various organizers so that is now buzzing all around. I should know, I’m in a Decolonize Think Tank [this page is under maintenance], trying to Decolonize International Voluntary Service [project description]! And since the EU is now “updating” its funding strategy to the Cold War and non-EU participants won’t be allowed in any longer (very decolonial) you can start by supporting the International Solidarity Fund of CCIVS (the Coordinating Committee of International Voluntary Service), the umbrella organization who open the discussion about the need for the International Voluntary Service movement to be more intentional, vocal and active about decolonial intentions, talks and practice. As usual, mention ≠ absolute endorsement.
Indeed, saying that an institution, project, exhibition or event are “Decolonial”, does not automatically make it decolonial. I know, shocker. And, sure, a checklist will absolutely solve the problem for good.
Bear with me with a little story. When I was about 18, I communicated to my parents that I had received a supportive ok go from our family doctor to go vegetarian. Me and Dr. Pinecone - the best rendering of the Roman dialect nickname we gave him – devised a one year transition plan starting with reducing meat and fish consumption to twice a week each. “That’s not even a thing – my Mother said – we already do that“. One week and one dutifully compiled checklist later, we knew that the actual amount was nine times cumulatively – because, yes, bacon and ragù are meat and tuna is fish too. So, yes, we are in therapy now and, yes, I like checklists: this is the second here and won’t be the last 😉
1 – TIME ZONES
Speakers, facilitators and participants are made aware of the schedule according to their own time zone from the moment they are invited and at all times, consistently, throughout communications.
Pro-tip, a.k.a. would you dare?
Have Euro-Americans speak, chair or facilitate at 10pm or later, for once.
2 – SPEAKERS, CHAIRS&FACILITATORS
These are the people that are put on the banner, at the center, on a chair, on a stage, on a full screen, or that are given the mic. Choose wisely, critically, “reparatively”, not quantitatively. “Best-selling”, “most published/established/famous”, “decades-long research holder” … often are synonyms of the pale-male-stale – oh my, PMS! – trinity. If you want to “ensure diversity” but still include the PMS – not ready for an all BIPOC, all-neuro-divergent, all-queer, all-women panel? Why? – ensure they have the elegance and sense of humor to take a damn joke about the true fact that they graduated the same year the first woman was ever admitted in their department.
Pro-tip, a.k.a. would you dare?
Have someone who completely challenges your comfortable and streamlined organizing. Give them unconditional trust and negotiation power, and pay them well.
3 – GENERAL PROMOTION AND VISUAL
In short: visibility and representation matter. This includes but is surely not limited to:
- The order (first to last, center to margin, top to bottom) of the speakers on all promotional materials. Does it reproduce colonial hierarchies?
- The wording of each speaker’s written bio, the way they are introduced before they speak, the way they are addressed during the discussion. Do they reproduce colonial tropes?
- The speaking time, the amount of time each speakers is addressed, the speech support devices they are provided or accessible to them (slides, screen-sharing, video-sharing …), the content of their speech. Is it counter-balancing the exclusion, dispossession and abuse of colonial times?
- The imagery produced before, during and after. Is it reproducing colonial imagery?
Pro-tip, a.k.a. would you dare?
Would you dare to use each decolonial event to collectively train or re-train, participants and organizers alike?
And speaking of training …
[Continue to PART 2/2]
noprofitideas.org 