GRÓ GEST‘s Lecturers Contribute to RIKK Public Lecture Series on Decolonialism

This spring semester, RIKK – Institute for Gender, Equality and Differences Lecture Series is focused on decolonialsim. The lecture series consists of eight lectures conducted either in Icelandic or English and are at noon, usually on Thursdays at the lecture hall of the National Museum of Iceland. The lecture series seeks to present an interdisciplinary approach with diverse themes and topics allowing researchers and practitioners to present and discuss new research.

This semester, the series focuses on various aspects of decoloniality and particularly on the underlying ideology of colonialism and imperialism, in the context of women’s and gender studies, feminism, and equality in a broad sense. In the series‘ description it is emphasised that:

„decolonisation as a political event has had its own repercussions for gender equality movements, laws, and policies, even as feminism, queer studies, and masculinities studies incorporate decolonial theories and approaches in their understanding of gender equality as well as their activism. Both post-colonial and decolonial work emphasise the many ways in which the lasting effects of colonisation continue to breed silences and distortion, sustain inequalities, weaken democracy, and decrease equality.“

Three of GRÓ GEST lecturers contribute to the lecture series this semester: Marsha Henry looked at the gendered, racialised, and militarised politics of peacekeeping on 23 February, Marai Larasi’s lecture on 15 March was titled ““Time Travel” as Liberation Strategy. Reflections on Decoloniality, Memory and Black Feminist Imagination”. And this Thursday, 30 March, Mukul Mangalik will take examples from Latin America, Africa, and South and South-East Asia in his exploration of un-gendering histories of anti-colonial struggles for liberation.

The lecture series‘ recordings are made public at the RIKK home page.