Category Archives: News

What is the future of the decolonial movement?

Sandew Hira has written an essay about the future of the decolonial movement. He argues that a major problem of the decolonial movement is of a theoretical nature. The problem is that it is not a comprehensive, coherent and integral framework.

What happens to a social movement when it has no comprehensive, coherent and integral theoretical framework?

The first consequence is that the movement has no road map to develop practical policies to change the world.

The second consequence is that the movement becomes fragmented at its core.

The third consequence is that there are no organizational guidelines for how to build a decolonial movement.

The last consequence is that the decolonial movement will lose its relevance for social struggle and will become obsolete.

Hira proposes that we move towards a comprehensive, coherent and integral decolonial theoretical framework. This enables us to overcome the current defects of the decolonial movement. He made a first attempt to develop such a framework under the label Decolonizing The Mind (DTM).

Based on the theoretical framework he goes into the question of organization: how to organize the decolonial movement.

The essay can be downloaded here. It is the basis for the work of the DIN secretariat.

 

DTM on the road in 2024

In January 2023 Sandew Hira launched his book Decolonizing The Mind – a Guide to Decolonial Theory and Practice. It is the basis for building the Decolonial International Network (DIN). In 2023 he visited Curaçao, France, Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Zambia. He attended Zoom meeting organized by institutions in Argentina, Iran, Pakistan, Trinidad and some countries that he had visited.

In 2024 DTM continues the tour in the coming months in Ireland, Azerbajan and Iran. In Iran he expects to launch the Persian translation of his book. The bigger context of the tour is the building of an international decolonial network that is dedicated to build a new decolonial world civilization that transcends the old colonial world civilization.

Sunday 21st January Genocide Memorial Day in London

IHRC is pleased to announce its 15th annual Genocide Memorial Day. The topic of this year’s event will be Gaza: A Case Study of Genocide. There is a dark irony in the fact that IHRC is addressing an unfolding genocide in the same place that was the focus of attention for the first-ever GMD.

 

Date: 21st January 2024

Time: 1 pm to 4 pm, GMT. Free lunch at 12 noon

Venue: P21 Gallery, 21-27 Chalton St, London NW1 1JD

Confirmed speakers

Prof Richard Falk

Prof Ilan Pappe

Prof Haim Bresheeth

Rabbi Ahron Cohen

Sara Russell

See for more information: https://www.ihrc.org.uk/genocide-memorial-day-2024-event-london/.

 

Arzu Merali launches here website

Arzu Merali, member of the board of the Decolonial International Network Foundation (DIN) and a founding member of the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has launched her website https://www.arzumerali.com/. Merali has been important contributions to the decolonial movement in the past decade. Her website reflects that. She is also the editor of The Long View, a quarterly journal of IHRC. You can her books, articles, documentaries and reports that she has produced.

 

Solidarity with Palestine in Berkeley California

Jibril Abdul-Rahman is a scholar and activist in Berkeley California who has been working on uniting organizations from different communities in the solidarity movement for a Free Palestine. He tells his story here.
The result of the work has been a brochure in three languages with statements from different organizations. The English version is here. The Spanish version is here. The Arabic version is here.

DTM courses in London and Birmingham

Two Islamic organizations in England (London and Birmingham) are organizing workshops on Decolonizing The Mind in the weekend of 20-21 of January. They describe the need for the workshops as follows:

The global struggle to free Palestine from the grip of Israel – a settler colonial society established and supported by imperialism and the old colonial masters has intensified globally.

We are now calling on all activists to join us for an exciting one day course to facilitate critical, thinking, self-awareness and a dismantling of colonial frameworks that condition our education, politics, and ideas.

It is time to detox our minds and our language from the western tropes of colonialism, capitalism and neoliberalism and start afresh with a new justice-centric paradigm.

Join us as in working to liberate our minds and communities from the repression of colonialism, racism, Islamophobia, inequality, and climate injustice, in solidarity with a global movement for justice and freedom for all humanity.

The workshop is led by scholar and writer, Sandew Hira.

Hira will guide us through the theory and history underpinning decolonisation and equip us with practical tools and tips to successfully challenge and deconstruct current narratives and injustices.

London

The workshop is based on the book by Sandew Hira.

Date: Saturday January 20, 9.30 AM – 5.30 PM

Location: Mahfil Ali, 39 Gloucester Road, Harrow, HA1 4PR

To register and request information text to: 07795 660 438

Or sign up now: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUglRXz0eqdaOCyv0b007cPnuq5XSpj2EgICagpdcv6yEJGA/viewform

 

Registration fee: £ 25.

Birmingham

Date: Sunday January 21, 9.45 AM – 4.00 PM

Location: Gents Transition Hall, Birmingham

Registration fee: £ 10.

Registration: https://www.cognitoforms.com/KSIMCOfBirmingham/DecolonizingTheMind

DTM network for mathematics and hard sciences

Background

In his book Decolonizing The Mind – A Guide to Decolonial Theory and Practice, Sandew Hira, secretary of the Decolonial International Network, has laid down some guidelines on how to decolonize mathematics and the natural science. Regarding mathematics he outlines five dimensions of decolonizing mathematics.

  1. A critique of the Western historiography of mathematics
  2. A critique of the foundations of Euromathematics
  3. A critique of the use of Euromathematics
  4. The concept of reverse engineering in mathematics and technology
  5. A new educational system for mathematics

Regarding the hard sciences he distinguishes four dimensions:

  1. A critique of the Western historiography of hard sciences.
  2. A critique of the Western concept of the relationship between humans and nature.
  3. A critique of the Western concept of the role of ethics in hard sciences.
  4. A critique of the limits of hard sciences.

A year ago Gustavo Paccosi started with organizing a group of mathematicians and scientist in Argentina who meet every two weeks to discuss critical issues in math and science. Gustavo is a doctor in science and technology and lecturer in mathematics at the Universidad Nacional De General Sarmiento (UNGS) in Buenos Aires. He works in the area of mathematics and applied mathematics, with specialization in bifurcation theory and synchronization.

In several meetings between Sandew and Gustavo the idea was born to join forces and set up an international network of scientists dedicated to decolonizing mathematics and the hard sciences.

Aims of the network

The network has the following aims:

  1. To develop a research program in the different dimension of mathematics and the hard sciences.
  2. To get students and researchers involved in participating in the research program.
  3. To publish the results of the research program.
  4. To organize workshop, seminars and conferences to further develop the research program and distribute and discuss the results of the program.

The network is an experiment in setting up an infrastructure of experts to reconstruct a discipline in science from a DTM point of view.

Get involved

If you want to actively participate in the network, please send an email to mathnetwork@din.today with your name, country of residence, your professional background and why you are interested in joining the network.

 

 

Calendar December 2023

December 5: University of Amsterdam – Decolonizing Spaces: what is to be done?

The University of Amsterdam is organizing a round table event with the theme: Decolonising Spaces : what is to be done ?

Date: December 5, 2023

Time: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Location: Doelenzaal, Singel 425, 1012 WP, Amsterdam

Speakers are:
Kenza Badi
Sandew Hira
Annemarie de Wildt
Rot

Click here to sign up.

8-10 December London – Islamophobia conference

Since 2014, IHRC has organized an annual conference in Great Britain with Scotland Against Criminalizing Communities (SACC) to discuss key issues related to structural and institutionalized Islamophobia . The 10th annual conference in December is a combination of online and in-person events. Sandew Hira will be one of the speakers. For more information click here .

16 December Zoom Argentina – explaining the DTM framework

On December 16, 15.00 Amsterdam time, Sandew Hira will give an exposé to a group of Argentinian scientists (math and the hard sciences) on the theoretical framework of Decolonizing The Mind.

New list video podcast series Decolonizing The Mind

Here is the new list of Sandew Hira’s video podcasts . It provides analyzes of the war in Palestine and its relationship to decolonial theory.

Date Number Title Link
Friday November 3, 2023 006 What is the role of Hezbollah in the liberation of Palestine.? Are they going to invade Israel? https://youtu.be/Fa2bYKe-5QQ
Sunday November 5, 2023 007 The role of Turkiye https://youtu.be/sZjwOcLJ70g _ _ _
Monday November 6, 2023 008 The role of Russia https://youtu.be/awlGuK0JkR0 _ _ _
Tuesday November 7, 2023 009 The role of China https://youtu.be/VJYH3XFKZkg _ _ _
Wednesday November 8, 2023 010 The role of India https://youtu.be/vK3QGPGwLlQ _ _ _
Thursday November 9, 2023 011 The role of Saudi Arabia https://youtu.be/TXk6K_A3zIM
Friday November 10, 2023 012 The role of Egypt https://youtu.be/ZsDGelFhBKM _ _ _ _
Saturday November 11, 2023 013 The role of USA and Europe https://youtu.be/vQO1AXPpbZ4 _ _ _
Sunday November 12, 2023 014 The preparation for a regional war: Hezbollah https://youtu.be/KFsLwjnVJjw _ _ _ _
Monday November 13, 2023 015 The preparation for a regional war: Iran https://youtu.be/XiVxEREOFvA _ _ _ _
Tuesday November 14, 2023 016 What if Israel decides to use nuclear bombs? https://youtu.be/Rk2Os55JqNs _ _ _
Monday November 20, 2023 017 What does it mean to decolonize the world? https://youtu.be/7F_zNTQN5J0
Monday November 27, 2023 018 Current narrative of civilization: Europe/USA https://youtu.be/C4fruziGvQE _ _ _

 

Sandew Hira launches a daily video pod cast series on Decolonizing The Mind

On Sunday October 29, 2023 at 12.00 AM CET Sandew Hira launched his YouTube channel Decolonizing The Mind – the final frontier of colonialism. Every day at 12.00 AM CET he will post a video podcast of 15-20 minutes in which he provides a daily analysis of current world affairs from a decolonial point of view. Here is the link to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DecolonizingTheMindwithSandewH

The first episode is titled: How will the war in Palestine end? In a free Palestine or World War III?

It deals with the question whether we are witnessing the birth a free Palestine of the beginning of World War III. It lists all the major factors that will determine the outcome of this war. The coming episodes will go deeper into these factors.

Please support this channel by clicking on the SUBSCRIBE button.

All the videos will be listed at my website: https://www.sandewhira.com/index.php/category/videos/.

The episode contains PowerPoint presentations. You can download the PDF of the presentations by clicking on the video image at https://www.sandewhira.com/index.php/category/videos/.

Here is the first episode: https://youtu.be/81cDt1zYl8A