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2023 ASR Distinguished Lecture: Decoloniality and Its Fissures. Whose Decolonial Turn?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2024

James Ogude Open the ORCID record for James Ogude [Opens in a new window]
James Ogude*
Affiliation:
University of Pretoria
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Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper examines the fissures within recent decolonial debates, arguing for the privileging of alternative narratives from formerly colonized groups and a shift away from centring colonialism. It calls for the recognition of decolonial struggles whose histories run deep and the need to link the struggles with indigeneity, its poetics of relations, and connectedness. Therefore, decoloniality requires thinking and doing and paying attention to social and economic well-being of hitherto marginalized indigenous communities, while giving due recognition to their poetics of relationality, reciprocity, and conviviality. Drawing on the example of #RhodesMust Fall movement in South Africa, it raises difficult questions around ownership, agency, while pointing to cracks that this contemporary movement surfaced, in spite of its claim to decoloniality.

Résumé

Résumé

Cet article examine les fissures au sein des récents débats décoloniaux, plaidant pour privilégier les récits alternatifs des groupes anciennement colonisés et pour s’éloigner de la centralisation du colonialisme. Il appelle à reconnaître les luttes décoloniales dont l’histoire est profonde et à relier les luttes à l’indigénéité, à sa poétique des relations et à sa connectivité. Par conséquent, la décolonialité exige de penser, de faire et de prêter attention au bien-être social et économique des communautés autochtones jusqu’ici marginalisées, tout en reconnaissant leur poétique de la relation, de la réciprocité et de la convivialité. S’appuyant sur l’exemple du mouvement #RhodesMustFall en Afrique du Sud, il soulève des questions difficiles sur la propriété et l’agence tout en soulignant les fissures que ce mouvement contemporain a fait surface en dépit de sa prétention à la décolonialité.

Resumo

Resumo

O presente artigo analisa as fissuras que atravessam os recentes debates descoloniais, defendendo que se privilegiem narrativas alternativas provenientes de grupos anteriormente colonizados e um afastamento do colonialismo centralizador. Apela-se ao reconhecimento das lutas descoloniais, cujas histórias estão profundamente enraizadas, e à necessidade de relacionar essas lutas com a indigenidade, a natureza poética das suas relações e a sua conectividade. Portanto, a descolonialidade exige que se pense e se faça e se preste atenção ao bem-estar social e económico de comunidades indígenas anteriormente marginalizadas, ao mesmo tempo que se reconhece devidamente a natureza poética da sua relacionalidade, reciprocidade e convivialidade. Partindo do exemplo do movimento #RhodesMustFall na África do Sul, levantam-se questões difíceis acerca do direito de propriedade e da agência, ao mesmo tempo que se identificam falhas que este movimento contemporâneo trouxe à superfície, apesar da sua pretensão à descolonialidade.

Keywords

decolonialityindigeneityfissuresthinking and doingborder-thinking landindigenous place-thoughtethical relationality
Type
Article
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 67 , Issue 4 , December 2024 , pp. 817 - 836
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of African Studies Association

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