In their workshop, Prof. Cecelia Lynch (University of California, Irvine) and Prof. Nadine Machikou (University of Yaoundé II, Cameroon) addressed a topic that is as complex as it is controversial. Intersectional theorizing and post-colonial discourses have been booming in the academic landscape as well as in feature pages and cultural policy debates for some time now.

The workshop addressed two levels: On the one hand, the aim was to clarify on a theoretical-academic level what decolonization can specifically mean against the background of various historical and historical-political experiences in Germany and in Africa, and how this can be defined and analytically penetrated. From a practical-political perspective, however, the aim was also to examine how the past influences the conditions of German development cooperation. Specifically, the question was to what extent German aid organizations participate in inegalitarian practices, for example in funding, decision-making, policy implementation, etc., which are associated with the current aid regimes.

A major strength of the workshop was the heterogeneous composition of the participants. Researchers from universities and scientific institutions were represented as well as representatives from NGOs and development cooperation in general (Welthungerhilfe, Brot für die Welt, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Misereor). Civil society actors and human rights activists were also involved, as well as Jean-Pierre Bekolo, an avant-garde filmmaker from Cameroon. In the end, the participants also agreed to remain in contact and to continue the dialog at other forums, so that the AIA could also provide an impetus for further activities in this sense.

Covener:

Cecelia Lynch
Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine, Fellow AIA NRW

Nadine Machikou
Tenure Professor in Political Science at the University of Yaoundé II, Cameroon, Fellow AIA NRW

Contact:

Lisa Hartmann
Events and Public Relations Officer