Rather than only learning about inequality in the development studies classroom, students of colo... more Rather than only learning about inequality in the development studies classroom, students of colour from the Global South studying in the Global North also live it outside of university. This paper explores to what extent students experience racism in the low-wage sector in German to reflect on consequences for development studies programmes. It provides evidence of how students experience the interrelationship of bordering/migration regimes, exploitation in the low-wage sector, and everyday racism. The exploration finds that students face everyday racism both physically and emotionally. Second, they witness racialisation in the segmentation of the workforce. Third, they live racialised inequality through jobs that do not conform to their level of education or class position in their homelands. Recognising their students’ racialised experiences outside the university calls for development studies programmes to centre engagements on race, to focus on the relationship between racism and socioeconomic processes in the Global North, and to assume an antiracist responsibility towards students.
This thesis examines the impact of the colonial past on contemporary Development. More specifical... more This thesis examines the impact of the colonial past on contemporary Development. More specifically, it investigates how colonial power ? conceived as discourses which emerged during colonisation and their interconnectedness with the material world ? continues to shape present-day ideas and practices of Development actors from the global North that intervene in the lives of people in the global South. The colonial legacy of German Development cooperation is under-researched, and postcolonial Development Studies have yet to examine specific policies and their implementation in detail. This study focuses on German Development intervention with a focus on population and reproductive health issues in Tanzania, a former German colony.In order to investigate the influence of colonial modes of thought and practice on contemporary Development, this thesis develops and implements the methodology of genealogical dispositif analysis. Genealogy traces the historical emergence of policies and ex...
Österreichisches Jahrbuch für Soziale Arbeit, Jul 21, 2020
In this article we explore discourses and practices of refugee activist struggles in the context ... more In this article we explore discourses and practices of refugee activist struggles in the context of deportation and post-deportation and their connection to social work. We examine knowledge production in refugee activism, direct action against deportation, and self-organised post-deportation social support by migrants. Thus, this research complements studies on migrant activism around the right to stay by addressing the question of how refugees in Germany articulate their criticism of and resistance to deportations as well as how migrant activism in the form of social support in Mali responds to the needs of migrants after deportation. Our research is based on documents from refugee activism since the 1990s, interviews with activists in Germany and Mali, and observation. We highlight the need for social work to pay attention to migrants' struggles against deportation and to support migrants post-deportation.
Postdevelopment questions the idea that the ‘developed’ societies provide an example for the Othe... more Postdevelopment questions the idea that the ‘developed’ societies provide an example for the Other to follow and that the Western models of the economy, politics, and knowledge have to be universalized. However, designating these models as ‘Western’ neglects that they have become hegemonic in Western Europe and North America only through conflictive historical processes – and that until today they are not uncontested. As researchers located in the North, we therefore would like to shift our gaze towards the alternatives to ‘development’ that can be found here. We examine the cases of community-supported agriculture (CSA; ‘Solidarische Landwirtschaft’), a tenement trust (‘Mietshäusersyndikat’), and the anti-coal movement (‘Ende Gelände’), asking to what extent they correspond to the postdevelopment ideas of non-capitalist practices, new commons, local knowledge, and a break with colonialism.</
Rather than only learning about inequality in the development studies classroom, students of colo... more Rather than only learning about inequality in the development studies classroom, students of colour from the Global South studying in the Global North also live it outside of university. This paper explores to what extent students experience racism in the low-wage sector in German to reflect on consequences for development studies programmes. It provides evidence of how students experience the interrelationship of bordering/migration regimes, exploitation in the low-wage sector, and everyday racism. The exploration finds that students face everyday racism both physically and emotionally. Second, they witness racialisation in the segmentation of the workforce. Third, they live racialised inequality through jobs that do not conform to their level of education or class position in their homelands. Recognising their students’ racialised experiences outside the university calls for development studies programmes to centre engagements on race, to focus on the relationship between racism and socioeconomic processes in the Global North, and to assume an antiracist responsibility towards students.
This thesis examines the impact of the colonial past on contemporary Development. More specifical... more This thesis examines the impact of the colonial past on contemporary Development. More specifically, it investigates how colonial power ? conceived as discourses which emerged during colonisation and their interconnectedness with the material world ? continues to shape present-day ideas and practices of Development actors from the global North that intervene in the lives of people in the global South. The colonial legacy of German Development cooperation is under-researched, and postcolonial Development Studies have yet to examine specific policies and their implementation in detail. This study focuses on German Development intervention with a focus on population and reproductive health issues in Tanzania, a former German colony.In order to investigate the influence of colonial modes of thought and practice on contemporary Development, this thesis develops and implements the methodology of genealogical dispositif analysis. Genealogy traces the historical emergence of policies and ex...
Österreichisches Jahrbuch für Soziale Arbeit, Jul 21, 2020
In this article we explore discourses and practices of refugee activist struggles in the context ... more In this article we explore discourses and practices of refugee activist struggles in the context of deportation and post-deportation and their connection to social work. We examine knowledge production in refugee activism, direct action against deportation, and self-organised post-deportation social support by migrants. Thus, this research complements studies on migrant activism around the right to stay by addressing the question of how refugees in Germany articulate their criticism of and resistance to deportations as well as how migrant activism in the form of social support in Mali responds to the needs of migrants after deportation. Our research is based on documents from refugee activism since the 1990s, interviews with activists in Germany and Mali, and observation. We highlight the need for social work to pay attention to migrants' struggles against deportation and to support migrants post-deportation.
Postdevelopment questions the idea that the ‘developed’ societies provide an example for the Othe... more Postdevelopment questions the idea that the ‘developed’ societies provide an example for the Other to follow and that the Western models of the economy, politics, and knowledge have to be universalized. However, designating these models as ‘Western’ neglects that they have become hegemonic in Western Europe and North America only through conflictive historical processes – and that until today they are not uncontested. As researchers located in the North, we therefore would like to shift our gaze towards the alternatives to ‘development’ that can be found here. We examine the cases of community-supported agriculture (CSA; ‘Solidarische Landwirtschaft’), a tenement trust (‘Mietshäusersyndikat’), and the anti-coal movement (‘Ende Gelände’), asking to what extent they correspond to the postdevelopment ideas of non-capitalist practices, new commons, local knowledge, and a break with colonialism.</
As part of Germany’s contribution to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, G... more As part of Germany’s contribution to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, German development aid is active in improving obstetric care in Tanzania. German activities in this field began more than one hundred years ago: During the colonial occupation of “German East Africa” and amidst fears of “population decline”, German administrators, physicians, and missionaries initiated the biomedicalization of East African midwifery midwifery by introducing hospitals, training staff and transforming child-birth related practices. This paper examines whether, how and to what effects present-day German interventions towards reforming obstetrics in Tanzania are shaped by discourses with a colonial legacy. Colonial archives and politico-scientific journals as well as contemporary documents, interviews with German health experts, and observation in German development projects in Tanzania indicate that notions of what constitutes good, modern obstetric care have shifted considerably and even been reversed. Yet East African obstetrics continues to be construed as lacking in terms of knowledge, planning skills, and attitude (such as compassion). This paper argues that contemporary German interventions in Tanzanian obstetrics continue to be imbued with racialized, gendered modernizing discourses that render true development cooperation impossible.
The slogan “We are here because you destroy our countries” has been voiced by refugee activists i... more The slogan “We are here because you destroy our countries” has been voiced by refugee activists in Germany for about twenty years. It acknowledges the connection between colonialism, neocolonialism, ‘development’, and migration. Discussions on the coloniality of development as evident in the Post-Development school have focused on the South and made global inequalities a central framework of analysis. Degrowth in contrast mainly focuses on the North, has been accused of disregarding global interconnectedness, and so far has not accounted for the Global South in the North, namely refugees. By addressing the question of whether and if so, how, refugee protests present alternatives to ‘development’ or reproduce dominant notions of development, this paper contributes to a theory of how to fight global inequality and achieve a ‘good life’ for all in a non-Eurocentric and non-authoritarian manner. The focus is on migrants from Africa who have fled their countries of origin for economic reasons: Having left behind a place for reasons that may be seen as linked to ‘development’ and politically active in Germany, they provide a particular perspective on global as well as intra-societal inequalities in the North. Theoretically, this paper draws on Post-Development, social movement studies, critiques of Northern epistemology, and border knowledge. Sources include interviews with non-citizen and citizen activists of refugee struggles in Germany as well as publications, websites, flyers and video footage of refugee activism.
Vor dem Hintergrund, dass Entwicklungspolitik bzw. Entwicklungshilfe üblicherweise als positives ... more Vor dem Hintergrund, dass Entwicklungspolitik bzw. Entwicklungshilfe üblicherweise als positives Gegenstück zu den kolonialzeitlichen Beziehungen zwischen globalem Norden und Süden gesehen werden, wird in diesem Vortrag der Frage nachgegangen, was Kolonialismus und Entwicklungspolitik/-hilfe miteinander zu tun haben könnten? Der Vortrag bietet zu Beginn eine ideengeschichtliche und theoretische Einführung in Fragen von „Entwicklung“ und Postkolonialismus. Im Anschluss wird die koloniale Geschichte der säkularen und christlichen Entwicklungspolitik skizziert, mit einem Schwerpunkt auf der deutschen Kolonialgeschichte. Im nächsten Schritt wird die Entwicklungshilfe bzw. Entwicklungspolitik seit der Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts mit einer postkolonialen Brille betrachtet. Dabei geht es um Themen wie Reisen vom globalen Norden in den globalen Süden, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit und Fundraising entwicklungspolitischer Organisationen und die entwicklungspolitische Praxis kirchlicher und säkularer sowie staatlicher und nichtstaatlicher Institutionen in Ländern des globalen Südens.
In der hegemonialen Geschichtsschreibung gibt es unzählige Leerstellen. Viele Geschichten, die wi... more In der hegemonialen Geschichtsschreibung gibt es unzählige Leerstellen. Viele Geschichten, die wichtig für die Gestaltung unserer Gegenwart und die Vorstellung möglicher Zukunft sind, wurden noch gar nicht geschrieben.
Um diese Leerstellen ansatzweise zu füllen haben wir in dem eLearning Tool connecting the dots zahlreiche aufschlussreiche Zitate von Menschen aus vielen Epochen, Erdteilen und mit vielfältigen gesellschaftlichen Perspektiven (in Bezug auf Klasse, Geschlecht, Sexualität und Rassifizierung) gesammelt. In der gleichnamigen Broschüre connecting the dots könnt Methoden kennenlernen, um Zeitstrahlzitate anzuwenden und Hintergrundtexte zu einzelnen Zeitstrahlthemen finden.
Diese unterschiedlichen Sichtweisen der Zeitstrahlzitate stellen Ressourcen für uns dar, die wir mit unseren eigenen Erfahrungen, Gedanken und Ideen verbinden können. Einige Perspektiven können uns entmutigen, weil Probleme, die wir noch heute überkommen wollen, vielleicht schon scheinbar erfolglos vor Jahrhunderten von sozialen Bewegungen kritisiert wurden. Einige Perspektiven können uns aber auch ermutigen, weil sie unsere Gegenwart in neuem Licht und veränderbar erscheinen lassen.
Wir möchten mit dem eLearning Tool connecting the dots vor allem auch Stimmen einen Platz geben und hörbar machen, die in der hegemonialen Geschichtsschreibung zum Schweigen gebracht wurden. Hier könnt ihr zu folgenden Themen unterschiedliche Perspektiven aus mehr als 500 Jahren Geschichte kennenlernen: zu Kolonialismus, Rassismus in Deutschland, Mensch und Natur, Arbeit, Kapitalismus, Demokratie und Herrschaft, Kultur, Migration und Flucht, Gender und Sexualität sowie Entwicklung.
mangoes & bullets is for anyone wishing to engage with racism and other systems of domination, an... more mangoes & bullets is for anyone wishing to engage with racism and other systems of domination, and looking for inspiration for resistance and alternatives. It offers, inter alia, films, songs and poems, and, as well, information on campaigns and political activism. These materials challenge injustice from different perspectives and in manifold ways.
The idea to assemble and make available critical, emancipatory materials was born in the context of our educational work. We urge anyone making use of these materials in educational or other settings to take into account the particularities of the setting and reflect on how they could be used appropriately. For instance, some might not feel included or be critical of certain aspects. To give an example: A song might very well represent people’s experience with racism, but at the same time advertise the neoliberal principal that “if you try hard enough, you can make it”, thus disregarding the complex interrelations of racism and capitalism/neoliberalism. We would like to encourage anyone making use of these materials to engage with them in a critical manner and be aware of their pitfalls.
mangoes & bullets is the title of a collection of poems by John Agard. The title embraces many of the aspects we intend to present in our collection of materials: bullets as a symbol of oppression, but also of resistance against colonialism, racism and exploitation; mangoes as so called southern fruit, as products of exploitative labour conditions and capitalist economic structures in the context of global trade; fruits as the sweetness of empowerment; fruits whose sweetness turns into bitter taste when we have to put on a sweet smile in the face of racism, while we would actually love to explode like a bullet; family ties to the places where mangoes grow, while we ourselves live in the land of the bullets; bullets, manufactured in Germany, which kill in faraway places, and people who come from Europe or beyond to arrive in this country, only to be welcomed by anything but sweet and tasty mangoes.
What you find in mangoes & bullets is not exhaustive by far. We have researched many more materials and shall put them online by and by. There is, however, much more out there, from which we can learn and find inspiration for our political and educational work. mangoes & bullets is the work of seven people from glokal e.V. with diverse social positioning with regards to racism, classism, gender etc. as well as different biographies, political socialisation, and backgrounds in academia and activism. This introduces manifold perspectives, yet only those of these seven people. We would therefore be grateful if you could provide us with materials that you consider important and suitable (e.g. on anti-Romanyism and empowerment of Romnja, anti-Semitism and Jewish resistance, Asian diaspora in Germany, and on disability/empowerment). Given that our capacities are limited, we ask for your appreciation that – provided we consider them suitable – it might take some time for your recommendations to be online.
Wenn wir auf Reisen oder sogar für eine längere Zeit in den globalen Süden gehen, erleben wir ung... more Wenn wir auf Reisen oder sogar für eine längere Zeit in den globalen Süden gehen, erleben wir ungemein viel und möchten gerne unseren Freund_innen und Verwandten zuhause berichten und sie an unseren Erlebnissen, Erfahrungen und Eindrücken teilhaben lassen. Ganz egal, ob wir als Backpacker_innen unterwegs sind, dort einen Job, einen Freiwilligendienst oder ein Praktikum absolvieren – wir fotografieren und erzählen in E-Mails, Social Media, (Rund-)Briefen, Postkarten oder einem eigenen Blog, was uns bewegt, überrascht, glücklich macht oder irritiert. Zurück in Deutschland geht das Erzählen und das Zeigen von Fotos meist erst richtig los.
Diese Broschüre bietet einen Einstieg für Menschen, die sich Gedanken darüber machen wollen, inwiefern ihre Wahrnehmungen und Berichte über den globalen Süden in koloniale und rassistische Strukturen verwickelt sind. Sie führt in zentrale Themen wie Herrschaftsverhältnisse im globalen Kontext, Kolonialismus und Rassismus sowie in die Wirkungsmacht von Bildern und Sprache ein. Darüber hinaus werden einige der üblicherweise in Berichten auftauchenden Erzählmuster aufgegriffen und analysiert. Leitfragen und Anregungen ermöglichen es den Leser_innen, eigene Vorstellungen, Sprechweisen und Bilder selbstkritisch unter die Lupe zu nehmen und alternative Handlungsoptionen zu entwickeln.
[When we travel to the global South or stay there for extended periods of time, we experience a great deal and have lot of new impressions, which we then often want to share with our friends and family back home. Whether we are backpacking, have a job, do volunteer service or an internship – we take photographs and write e-mails, letters, postcards or express in various social media or blogs things that move and surprise us, make us happy or are irritating. Upon returning home, we often truly start off with showing photos and telling stories.
This booklet aims to provide the first steps into thinking and perhaps understanding how our perceptions and reports of the global South are mixed up with colonial and racist structures. It familiarises the readers with central issues such as power relations within the global context, colonialism and racism, as well as the influence of images and language. Further, some of the narrative patterns that commonly emerge in reports from stays abroad are also analysed. Questions and suggestions allow the readers to self-critically zoom into their own perceptions, manners of speaking and image taking, and help to develop alternative courses of action.]
The contention that "the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house" (Lorde) translat... more The contention that "the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house" (Lorde) translates into a major critique of Social Science research. Accusations regarding the continuation of "epistemicide" (Santos) highlight the dangers of an occidentalist or Eurocentric research agenda. Post- and decolonial perspectives point to colonial continuities embedded not just in the epistemic foundations and thematic concerns, but also in the actual practices, i.e. the craft of research as canonised in research methods and methodologies. A decolonising approach to Social Science research is necessarily twofold: the deconstruction of existing methodologies and methods that (re)produce the coloniality of knowledge; and a reconstruction and/or reinvention of research practice. The conference aims to bring together scholars to discuss methodological and methodical critiques as well as potentially post- /decolonial ways of doing empirical research.
Postcolonial critique reveals the traces of the colonial past in every corner of our present live... more Postcolonial critique reveals the traces of the colonial past in every corner of our present lives and exposes the colonial violence inherent in global inequality. This collective comic project illuminates the coloniality of everyday life as well as the decolonising potential of everyday struggles in the spaces, discourses and practices of so-called global development.
This book provides a compendium of strategies for decolonizing global knowledge orders, research ... more This book provides a compendium of strategies for decolonizing global knowledge orders, research methodology and teaching in the social sciences. The volume presents recent work on epistemological critique informed by postcolonial thought, and outlines strategies for actively decolonizing social science methodology and learning/teaching environments that will be of great utility to IR and other academic fields that examine global order. The volume focuses on the decolonization of intellectual history in the social sciences, followed by contributions on social science methodology and lastly more practical suggestions for educational/didactical approaches in academic teaching. The book is not confined to the classical format of research articles but moves beyond such boundaries by bringing in spoken word and interviews with scholar-activists. Overall this volume enables researchers to practice a reflexive and situated knowledge production more suitable to confronting present-day global predicaments. The perspectives mobilise a constructive critique, but also allow for a reconstruction of methodologies and methods in ways that open up new lenses, new archives of knowledges and reconsider the who, the how and the what of the craft of social science research into global order.
Although Germany was one of the principal colonising nations in Africa and today is the world’s s... more Although Germany was one of the principal colonising nations in Africa and today is the world’s second largest aid donor, there is no literature on the postcolonial condition of contemporary German development policy.
This book explores German development endeavours by state institutions as well as NGOs, and provides evidence of development policy’s unacknowledged entanglement in colonial modes of thought and practice. It zooms in on concrete policies and practices in selected fields of intervention: development education and billboard advertising in Germany, and – taking Tanzania as a case in point – obstetric care and population control in the Global South. The analysis finds that disregarding colonial continuities means to perpetuate the inequalities and injustices that development policy claims to fight. This book argues that colonial power in global development needs to be understood as functioning through the transnational character of development policy at home and abroad.
Equality and partnership are terms that are readily and frequently used in the North-South-, soli... more Equality and partnership are terms that are readily and frequently used in the North-South-, solidarity- or ,development’-cooperation. They indicate progressiveness and demonstrate equal status. However, do this terms actually transcent the rethoric level? What kind of thought and structural patterns are the basis of North-South partnerships? What perspectives do the so-called Southern partners have on the collaboration?
The publication “The Tale of the eye level” by glokal e.V. brings together ten activists and NGO-representatives from the Global South and North to illuminate different aspects of NGO structures, school partnerships, volunteering and solidarity work. A theoretical introduction makes us familiar with the historical and political framework, and a tangible checklist for reflection and practise supports the analysis and transformation of the reader’s one commitment.
This comic story is inspired by Daniel Bendix' family history, and tells a twisted story of Jewis... more This comic story is inspired by Daniel Bendix' family history, and tells a twisted story of Jewish-German emigration to Namibia, involvement in German colonialism and dealing with the genocide against Ovaherero, Nama, San and Damara.
This comic story explores the perils of a development consultant, whose professional identity and... more This comic story explores the perils of a development consultant, whose professional identity and belief systems are undermined and who is confronted with the necessity and difficulty of postdevelopment pathways
Der vorliegende Beitrag entstand als Reaktion auf die redaktionsinternen Diskussionen im Verlauf ... more Der vorliegende Beitrag entstand als Reaktion auf die redaktionsinternen Diskussionen im Verlauf der Entstehung dieses Heftes und möchte poin-tiert zu einer Selbstverständigung über Rassismus angesichts der aktuellen Debatten um die Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), Critical Whiteness und vermeintlich übersteigerte Identitätspolitik beitragen. Er spiegelt auch die Spannungen, Differenzen und (unabgeschlossenen) Diskussionsprozesse innerhalb des Autorenduos wider. Wir verstehen Rassismus als konstituiert durch herkunftsbedingte Zuschreibung und asymmetrische Machtverhält-nisse und möchten die politischen Effekte von bestimmten Rassismusver-ständnissen thematisieren. 1. Rassismus gibt es nicht nur bei Nazis Ein Problem der Wahrnehmung von Rassismus in der (weißen) deutschen (Laien-)Öffentlichkeit ist die enge Assoziation mit dem Nationalsozialismus. Dies führt einerseits dazu, dass Diskriminierungen aufgrund von (angenom-mener) Herkunft unterhalb der Schwelle von Nürnberger Rassegesetzen oder gar der Shoah von vielen Menschen nicht als rassistisch angesehen werden. Andererseits wird der Rassismusvorwurf dementsprechend als Gleichsetzung mit Nazis verstanden und selbst von AfD-Leuten wie Alexander Gauland, der bekanntermaßen großes Verständnis dafür hat, wenn man Jerôme Boateng nicht in seiner Nachbarschaft wissen möchte, empört zurückgewiesen-schließlich habe er keine Absicht, alle Nichtarier zu vergasen, würde er wahrscheinlich entgegnen. Die Differenzierung sei ihm gegönnt: Gauland ist kein Nazi. Rassistisch ist seine Aussage allemal. Sie rechtfertigt die Praxis, keine Wohnungen an Schwarze zu vermieten. Dass Menschen, die nicht aussehen, wie Leni Riefenstahl oder Adolf Hitler sich Arier_innen vorgestellt haben, in Deutschland auf dem Wohnungs-und Arbeitsmarkt diskriminiert werden, ist eine der häufi gsten Manifestationen von Rassis-mus in der hiesigen Gesellschaft. Dass nichtweiße Menschen unverhältnis-mäßig häufi g an Bahnhöfen von der Polizei angehalten werden (trotz eines Gerichtsurteils, das "racial profi ling" als grundgesetzwidrig bezeichnet 1), 1 http://verfassungsblog.de/racial-profi ling-ist-verfassungswidrig/, letzter Aufruf: 7.5.2017.
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Papers by Daniel Bendix
Um diese Leerstellen ansatzweise zu füllen haben wir in dem eLearning Tool connecting the dots zahlreiche aufschlussreiche Zitate von Menschen aus vielen Epochen, Erdteilen und mit vielfältigen gesellschaftlichen Perspektiven (in Bezug auf Klasse, Geschlecht, Sexualität und Rassifizierung) gesammelt. In der gleichnamigen Broschüre connecting the dots könnt Methoden kennenlernen, um Zeitstrahlzitate anzuwenden und Hintergrundtexte zu einzelnen Zeitstrahlthemen finden.
Diese unterschiedlichen Sichtweisen der Zeitstrahlzitate stellen Ressourcen für uns dar, die wir mit unseren eigenen Erfahrungen, Gedanken und Ideen verbinden können. Einige Perspektiven können uns entmutigen, weil Probleme, die wir noch heute überkommen wollen, vielleicht schon scheinbar erfolglos vor Jahrhunderten von sozialen Bewegungen kritisiert wurden. Einige Perspektiven können uns aber auch ermutigen, weil sie unsere Gegenwart in neuem Licht und veränderbar erscheinen lassen.
Wir möchten mit dem eLearning Tool connecting the dots vor allem auch Stimmen einen Platz geben und hörbar machen, die in der hegemonialen Geschichtsschreibung zum Schweigen gebracht wurden. Hier könnt ihr zu folgenden Themen unterschiedliche Perspektiven aus mehr als 500 Jahren Geschichte kennenlernen: zu Kolonialismus, Rassismus in Deutschland, Mensch und Natur, Arbeit, Kapitalismus, Demokratie und Herrschaft, Kultur, Migration und Flucht, Gender und Sexualität sowie Entwicklung.
The idea to assemble and make available critical, emancipatory materials was born in the context of our educational work. We urge anyone making use of these materials in educational or other settings to take into account the particularities of the setting and reflect on how they could be used appropriately. For instance, some might not feel included or be critical of certain aspects. To give an example: A song might very well represent people’s experience with racism, but at the same time advertise the neoliberal principal that “if you try hard enough, you can make it”, thus disregarding the complex interrelations of racism and capitalism/neoliberalism. We would like to encourage anyone making use of these materials to engage with them in a critical manner and be aware of their pitfalls.
mangoes & bullets is the title of a collection of poems by John Agard. The title embraces many of the aspects we intend to present in our collection of materials: bullets as a symbol of oppression, but also of resistance against colonialism, racism and exploitation; mangoes as so called southern fruit, as products of exploitative labour conditions and capitalist economic structures in the context of global trade; fruits as the sweetness of empowerment; fruits whose sweetness turns into bitter taste when we have to put on a sweet smile in the face of racism, while we would actually love to explode like a bullet; family ties to the places where mangoes grow, while we ourselves live in the land of the bullets; bullets, manufactured in Germany, which kill in faraway places, and people who come from Europe or beyond to arrive in this country, only to be welcomed by anything but sweet and tasty mangoes.
What you find in mangoes & bullets is not exhaustive by far. We have researched many more materials and shall put them online by and by. There is, however, much more out there, from which we can learn and find inspiration for our political and educational work. mangoes & bullets is the work of seven people from glokal e.V. with diverse social positioning with regards to racism, classism, gender etc. as well as different biographies, political socialisation, and backgrounds in academia and activism. This introduces manifold perspectives, yet only those of these seven people. We would therefore be grateful if you could provide us with materials that you consider important and suitable (e.g. on anti-Romanyism and empowerment of Romnja, anti-Semitism and Jewish resistance, Asian diaspora in Germany, and on disability/empowerment). Given that our capacities are limited, we ask for your appreciation that – provided we consider them suitable – it might take some time for your recommendations to be online.
Diese Broschüre bietet einen Einstieg für Menschen, die sich Gedanken darüber machen wollen, inwiefern ihre Wahrnehmungen und Berichte über den globalen Süden in koloniale und rassistische Strukturen verwickelt sind. Sie führt in zentrale Themen wie Herrschaftsverhältnisse im globalen Kontext, Kolonialismus und Rassismus sowie in die Wirkungsmacht von Bildern und Sprache ein. Darüber hinaus werden einige der üblicherweise in Berichten auftauchenden Erzählmuster aufgegriffen und analysiert. Leitfragen und Anregungen ermöglichen es den Leser_innen, eigene Vorstellungen, Sprechweisen und Bilder selbstkritisch unter die Lupe zu nehmen und alternative Handlungsoptionen zu entwickeln.
[When we travel to the global South or stay there for extended periods of time, we experience a great deal and have lot of new impressions, which we then often want to share with our friends and family back home. Whether we are backpacking, have a job, do volunteer service or an internship – we take photographs and write e-mails, letters, postcards or express in various social media or blogs things that move and surprise us, make us happy or are irritating. Upon returning home, we often truly start off with showing photos and telling stories.
This booklet aims to provide the first steps into thinking and perhaps understanding how our perceptions and reports of the global South are mixed up with colonial and racist structures. It familiarises the readers with central issues such as power relations within the global context, colonialism and racism, as well as the influence of images and language. Further, some of the narrative patterns that commonly emerge in reports from stays abroad are also analysed. Questions and suggestions allow the readers to self-critically zoom into their own perceptions, manners of speaking and image taking, and help to develop alternative courses of action.]
Deadline: Aug 15 2015
Homepage: http://www.uni-kassel.de/veranstaltung/beyond-the-masters-tools/welcome.html
This book explores German development endeavours by state institutions as well as NGOs, and provides evidence of development policy’s unacknowledged entanglement in colonial modes of thought and practice. It zooms in on concrete policies and practices in selected fields of intervention: development education and billboard advertising in Germany, and – taking Tanzania as a case in point – obstetric care and population control in the Global South. The analysis finds that disregarding colonial continuities means to perpetuate the inequalities and injustices that development policy claims to fight. This book argues that colonial power in global development needs to be understood as functioning through the transnational character of development policy at home and abroad.
The publication “The Tale of the eye level” by glokal e.V. brings together ten activists and NGO-representatives from the Global South and North to illuminate different aspects of NGO structures, school partnerships, volunteering and solidarity work. A theoretical introduction makes us familiar with the historical and political framework, and a tangible checklist for reflection and practise supports the analysis and transformation of the reader’s one commitment.