South-South dialogues: Situated perspectives in decolonial epistemologies
Thursday 5 November – Friday 6 November 2015
Gordon Greenwood Building, Union Rd, St Lucia Campus
Brought to you by the UQ Latin American Studies Forum and the Postcoloniality/Decoloniality Collective
According to Boaventura de Sousa Santos “a massive epistemicide has been under way for the past five centuries, whereby an immense wealth of cognitive experiences has been wasted”. One of the ubiquitous legacies of colonialism is that there now exists a dominant intellectual tradition that is based upon an “abstract universalism grounding Western-centric general theories”. This global cognitive injustice, contends Sousa Santos, must be addressed through “an intercultural dialogue and translation among different critical knowledges and practices: South-centric and North-centric, popular and scientific religious and secular, female and male, urban and rural…” (Epistemologies of the South: Justice against epistemicide, 2014)
The aim of this symposium is to bring together researchers, scholars and intellectuals who are actively engaged in developing critical thinking situated in the South. The focus therefore of this symposium is to open a space and a conversation with traditional and contemporary critical thinking in Australia and Latin America in order to find pathways toward developing decolonial epistemologies and practices from a Southern perspective. Some of the questions that may be addressed are: What does it mean to view and understand the world from the South? How can South knowledges engage with each other? Are there commonalities and contrasts in South critical perspectives? How are South critical knowledges situated within and in contrast to overbearing, ubiquitous Western universalist critical traditions?
Call for papers
We encourage submissions exploring any of the following themes:
- Epistemologies of the South or Alternative epistemologies?
- Critical interculturality
- Decolonial studies
- Indigenous knowledges
- Intellectual histories
- Literary studies
We are happy to consider other topics which engage with themes of South – South dialogues.
We welcome proposals for standard paper presentations (20 minutes) and for thematic panels comprising three presenters. Proposals should include an abstract in English of no more than 250 words, 3 – 4 keywords, the speaker’s full name, title, contact details, institutional affiliation as well as a short biography of no more than 150 words. Panel submissions should include a short description of the panel theme in addition to abstracts and speakers’ details. Paper presentations may be made in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
All submissions should be emailed to southsouthdialogues@uq.edu.au by the 4th of September 2015. Acceptances will be notified by the 4th of October 2015.
The convenors are actively negotiating a special issue of a journal on the symposium theme. Presenters are invited to submit a written version of their paper by the 4th of November 2015. Submission of a manuscript does not guarantee inclusion in the special issue: a limited number of articles will be selected through a rigorous peer review process.
Program
The preliminary program will be available shortly.
Registration
Registration to attend the symposium will open shortly.
Professional Registration – $70
Student – $50
Registration will include morning tea and afternoon tea.
Please note: Refunds will only be issued for cancellations advised up to one week prior to the event. Bookings are not transferable to another event, however you may wish to send someone in your place.
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