A decolonial history app from DIN

The DIN Foundation has developed a policy for the future that will focus on the following topics:

  • Develop decolonial theory as an instrument of change, and not only as an instrument of critique.
  • Develop and educational infrastructure for decolonial education.
  • Develop relations with a global network, and not limited to Europe.
  • Develop relations not only with academics and activists, but also with anti-imperialist movements with state power (institutions, networks in governments).

The Decolonial History App (DHA) is one of the projects that follows from this policy. It will enable us to reach tens of thousands if not millions of people (especially young people) with an popular educational instrument: the decolonial history app.

The DHA is a free mobile app that will be available in Google playstore and Apple store. It will be known as the decolonial history app and will be a product of the DIN Foundation.

The key features of the app are:

  • When you open the app, you see the date of today and a list of events that happened x year ago on this day or biographical information of people (born or died that day, went to prison or was released etc).
  • Click on the event or bio and you get information in 255 characters of what happened.
  • When an item is connected to other items via a timeline, then the timeline is shows in this screen.
  • An event description can be linked to sources: hyperlinks, videos, literature suggestions.
  • It also links to current events to commemoration an event or person.
  • The information can be presented in any language that is available in a translation software (Google Translate or DeepL Translate). A user can select a language in the app and the information is show via translation software in the chosen language, including non-European languages such as Chinese, Arabic, Japanese or Hindi.
  • There is a search function to search in keywords and description of events and bio’s.
  • There is game function for games like quizzes.

The app is targeting the following groups:

  • All people in the world who are interested in a decolonial view of history. Google gives 10 million hits with the keyword “Decolonize”. This is an active keyword meaning that there is some activity going on and somebody is involved. There is a huge decolonial movement. With this app The DIN Foundation can tap into these target group.
  • Young people from secondary school onwards up to the university who can use the app when they have to study the subject of history.
  • People who are engaged in social and political discussions and want to support their argument with historical information.

Here is a beta version of the app.

DIN wants to get researchers across the world involved in filling the app. Anyone who is interested in the app can start a conversation with DIN. Send an email to info@din.today and DIN will make an appointment for the conversation.