This Special Issue is the culmination of the Diversity, Inclusivity, Multi-Disciplinarity in European Studies (DIMES) project, undertaken under the aegis of the University Association of European... Show moreThis Special Issue is the culmination of the Diversity, Inclusivity, Multi-Disciplinarity in European Studies (DIMES) project, undertaken under the aegis of the University Association of European Studies (UACES). DIMES was initiated in recognition of the under-representation (broadly conceived) of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) academics and to address the over-representation of Western European and North American scholars and knowledge production within UACES and European Studies more generally. This introduction to the issue establishes the context for the contributions that follow. It outlines the ways in which DIMES sought to address the lack of inclusivity in European Studies, and speak also to the further aim of DIMES, the extension of the disciplinary focus of European Studies. Here, then we introduce the contributions to this special issue, which are representative of some of the many conversations held over four years with a wide range of scholars, all committed disrupting of European Studies, albeit through different means. We argue that debates about decentring, about decolonising, on the need to acknowledge the privilege and Eurocentricity that continues to dominate knowledge production traditions are pertinent for European Studies. Show less
full book landing page (including bibliography): https://www.pulp.up.ac.za/component/edocman/sixty-years-after-independence-africa-and-international-law-views-from-a-generation-soixante-ans-apres... Show morefull book landing page (including bibliography): https://www.pulp.up.ac.za/component/edocman/sixty-years-after-independence-africa-and-international-law-views-from-a-generation-soixante-ans-apres-les-independances-l-afrique-et-le-droit-international-regards-d-une-generation Show less
This thesis researches how and why the UNESCO sponsored General History of Africa (1964-1998) sought to Africanise and decolonise the writing of African history in the wake of the political... Show moreThis thesis researches how and why the UNESCO sponsored General History of Africa (1964-1998) sought to Africanise and decolonise the writing of African history in the wake of the political independence of many West and East African countries in the early 1960s. It provides a case-study on the practice of African historiography in the second half of the twentieth century. The thesis investigates how formulated ideals of a decolonisation were translated into practice and analyses what this might tell us about the establishment of African history within the humanities and the history of decolonising knowledge production. The study is divided in three parts: the first part concerns the formulated ideals of African history as they came into being in opposition to eurocentrism during the 1960s and early 1970s. Part two shifts the focus to the realities of the ideals discussed in part one. How did the historians of the GHA try to bring their ideals into practice and what came of them during the long process of drafting the GHA? The third and final part of the thesis focuses on the reception and retrospective perception of the project in its final years and after it was finished. Show less
This thesis explores the relationships between local people, archaeologists and Amara West, locally known as Abkanisa, located in Sudanese Nubia, northern Sudan. The analysis of the relationship... Show moreThis thesis explores the relationships between local people, archaeologists and Amara West, locally known as Abkanisa, located in Sudanese Nubia, northern Sudan. The analysis of the relationship aimed to understand the local values of the place and the power relations between local people and archaeologists in the post-colonial context. It argues how this relationship could be improved by dialogue that promotes increased human interactions, understanding different perspectives and exchanging knowledge and memories. This study contributes to decolonising archaeological and heritage practices by presenting a model for collaboration in archaeology. Show less
Eurasians were privileged groups of mixed ancestry in Asian colonial societies. They were the result of unions between European males and indigenous women. They neither belonged to the... Show moreEurasians were privileged groups of mixed ancestry in Asian colonial societies. They were the result of unions between European males and indigenous women. They neither belonged to the colonizers, nor to the colonized. When colonization came to an end, the Eurasians found themselves in a difficult position. The European rulers, on which their status was based, were gone. The new indigenous rulers usually perceived them suspiciously as colonial remnants and sometimes even as traitors. In this chaotic, sometimes violent situation, they had to decide where they belonged: in the country of their European fathers or the former colony, the country of their Asian mothers. This was a serious dilemma since they only knew the mother country from stories and lessons at school. In this project I have compared the position and options of the Indo-Europeans with those of similar groups from two other former Asian co lonies, the Anglo-Indians from British India and the Métis people from French Indochina. This study of Eurasians from three former colonies showed that an emancipation paradox of acquiring more rights while discriminated against more at the same time was instrumental in creating the framework in which Eurasians had to make their choices. Show less
The Asian Relations Conference has long served as a historical footnote to the more famous Bandung Conference of 1955. In this paper, however, I argue that this Conference needs to be read and... Show moreThe Asian Relations Conference has long served as a historical footnote to the more famous Bandung Conference of 1955. In this paper, however, I argue that this Conference needs to be read and analysed independently. As the opening act of decolonial solidarity, this Conference juxtaposes the moment and the movement of decolonisation, alerting us to the promises and pitfalls of both. In particular one needs to be conscious of its Eurocentric readings which almost always place the ‘Third World’ within the context of the Cold War project and thus are incapable of understanding its historical relevance. Show less
In 2010 the Kingdom of the Netherlands will undergo an important political change. One of the three countries of the Kingdom, The Netherlands Antilles, will be dissolved. This political revision is... Show moreIn 2010 the Kingdom of the Netherlands will undergo an important political change. One of the three countries of the Kingdom, The Netherlands Antilles, will be dissolved. This political revision is a new step in the ongoing, often laborious process of decolonisation of the former Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. The question what this step will mean for the future of these mutual relations is at the centre of this research. Extra focus will be on the presence and duties of the Dutch Military in this area because the Dutch Military on site is one of the eldest symbols of the ties with The Netherlands, and one of the few visible ones. For this research interviews were held with 41 experts concerning the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and/or Military on site. One of the conclusions of this study is that power plays an important role in the Kingdom relations, and that this power is more of an economic and ideogical nature than a military one. Show less
