INVITATION TO SEMINAR
The Fallists student movements, which emerged in South African public universities in the 2015 – 2016 academic years, symbolised the expression of an awakening of consciousness with the potential to lead towards systematic and carefully thought-out plans to facilitate effective democracy in our universities and beyond. However, lessons from various political struggles across the globe show unequivocally that examples of spontaneous consciousness, while necessary, are not sufficient to dismantle entrenched social systems. This challenges those who are at the receiving end of the oppressive system to constantly re-imagine ways in which transformation can be conceptualised and operationalized in a form of transformative praxis. The task of intellectuals in any struggle becomes crucial as they are expected to re-imagine how things could be done differently and better, in a somewhat ‘systematic’ way.
The Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC), which comprises of the four public universities in the Western Cape, provides a useful space for university staff to collaborate and learn from each other. Funded by the Andrew W Mellon Foundation, the seminar will present the results of data collected on the approaches to and projects related to decoloniality in these institutions.
Discussions on the four institutional profiles will assist in the development of a conceptual framework within which to craft decolonial praxis in solidarity and in pursuit of humanness in our institutions of higher learning. The institutional profiles will also assist in the identification of participants for the next two seminars where individual project leaders will have the opportunity to showcase and evaluate their work in the area of decoloniality.
When: 09h00 – 12h30 on Tuesday 19 April 2022
Where: A2.01 – DEECE Staffroom, 2nd Floor, Block A, Bellville Campus
RSVP: Mrs Deborah Meyer at debbie@chec.ac.za by Friday 8 April 2022
