Post- Conference Notes: Feminist Afterlives of Colonialism

The two-day conference on the Feminist Afterlives of Colonialism can be humbly stated to be the beginning of a plural ongoing conversation of many kinds, and therefore a success of a kind, in our own understanding of things. We have attempted careful deliberations so as not to fall into the trap of rudimentary academic speculation of a solely Western-centric evaluative process of this conference; we, therefore, witness it as a space, a place rather, that enabled bodies of varied determinants to bring their utmost concerns to the table. We were precisely moved by the affective navigation, of what moved us and brought us here together, to have a transnational conversation, amidst a politics of visible differences. The conference illuminated a wide range of concerns and issues from a decolonial feminist perspective across geographical spatial locations.
We engaged with varied analyses on decolonial, postcolonial, and anti-colonial feminist themes borrowed but not restricted to literary traditions, class, caste, race, queerness, and themes of anti-blackness, to name a few. In total, we have had about six panels running conversations over the course of two days. Both days included a keynote talk which was stimulating and inspiring, added with a workshop that moved us all to reflect on our own embodied praxis of liberation. You are advised to peruse through the program schedule to learn more about the topics and panels in detail. Intentionally divided by robust critiques and varied lenses to promote a rich and authentic ongoing conversation between varied strands among de/postcolonial feminisms across the global south, the conference could perhaps be seen as a tiny but courageous step towards an intentional unification amongst the varied liberatory forces, practices, and strands of emerging feminist scholarship in de/postcolonial thought.

It would only be right to admit at this point that such a conversation is wide, exhaustive, dynamic, and must be an ongoing endeavor. In short, it is a process that is waxing, waning, and shaping each day as we live in a world of profound political, social, and legal change. And so in spite of our trials and tribulations to gather and invite a wide range of speakers and participants, we still must have surely lacked representation of some kind or/and have had epistemic limitations. Primarily organized as a Summer Reading Group with a few Philosophy grad students, housed at the Philosophy Department of the University of Oregon in the May of 2020 (the pandemic summers to be precise), that eventually turned into an inter-disciplinary research interest group over the course of years, named as the Decolonial Philosophies Collaboratory, the motivation to weave fluid conversations, confront limitations, encounter contradictions across emerging philosophical thought amongst decolonial, postcolonial and indigenous thought through genuine conversations remains one of the strengths of our collaboratory. It is with a similar vision, of the same possibility in authentic and difficult conversations, a polylogue of sorts, that the crafting and efforts of putting together this conference started. 

The survival of the research interest group over the years and then the birth of the conference would not have been possible without the continued love and support we have received from our community members, colleagues, and professors at UO (and across); well-wishers and like-minded allies who have given their careful attention and time to matters big, small and delicate. Above all, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our keynote speakers, Breny Mendoza, and Layla Brown, our amazing workshop leaders, Shariana Ferrer Núñez and Zoán Dávila Roldán, from La Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, Puerto Rico, and all our conference participants (present virtually and in-person) who made this conversation truly enlightening, flowing, full of political hope, steeped in a spirit of solidarity and mutual learning. A special thanks to UO community members, colleagues, 
professors, volunteers, and friends who made the event an actuality, a breathing reality, through their in-person and virtual presence and solidarity --- the continued labor of love, showing up, and simply being there counts for projects of the periphery. Indeed, it would be quite a task to name each one of you but we would like to mention how we really appreciate with much gratitude each of your careful extensions of warmth, hope, love, camaraderie, and support. After all, it is such an extension that makes us rise together in political hope for the projects that we so dearly pin to our tender hearts. 

We are hoping to keep the collaboration alive and the conversations going on in some form or the other. We look forward to your support, solidarity, and love, in some way or the other! Please note that you are very much welcome to reach out to us at 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚎𝚜@𝚐𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚕.𝚌𝚘𝚖 should you have a paper, an idea, or a book that is out, which you would like to share, and read along with like-minded folks. We do have our rest days and summer is off for us all (rest is resistance 😊), but we will reply to you and would love to keep the conversation brewing. 

The University of Oregon where the conference took place is located on Kalapuya Ilihi, the traditional indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people. Following treaties between 1851 and 1855, the Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their indigenous homeland by the United States government and forcibly removed to the Coast Reservation in Western Oregon. Today, descendants are citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, and continue to make important contributions in their communities, at UO, and across the land we now know as Oregon. In this regard, we are forever indebted to the indigenous homelands for allowing us the possibility of conversation in this place, to transcend and stir critiques of varied systems of oppression. We do believe something will come out of weaving resistance, transnationally in solidarity.

We would also like to extend a formal acknowledgment and thank you note to our sponsors at UO without whom the coming together of this platform would not have been possible & conceivable, materially speaking. Our list of sponsors includes UO College of Arts and Sciences, American Philosophical Association, Oregon Humanities Center, Williams Foundation Grant, New Junior Faculty Award Funding, Graduate Studies (DEI), Center for the Study of Women in Society, School of Global Studies and Languages, Philosophy Department, Romance Languages Department, Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, Department of Geography, Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies Department.


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"Once we recognize what it is we are feeling, once we recognize we can feel deeply, love deeply, can feel joy, then we will demand that all parts of our lives produce that kind of joy"-- Audrey Lorde

To end the post-conference note, let me just digress from the formality of academic tonality and gestures for a bit. Allow me to share a language and form that mentions how it felt like for those two days!💜 Here is a note that I had written for my friends at the collaboratory(which I am asked to share). I am sharing some pictures too, that perhaps shall do a bit of justice to the joy that our bodies were illuminated with. For a bit, in those afternoons and evenings.

(𝚜𝚊𝚛𝚏𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚑ī 𝚔ī 𝚝𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚗ā 𝚋𝚢 𝙱𝚒𝚜𝚖𝚒𝚕 𝙰𝚣𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚋𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚕)
अब तेरी हिम्मत का चरचा ग़ैर की महफ़िल में है 
"It’s been a week. I have waited to let the dust settle lest I be accused of the poet’s faint heart amongst the scholars. But I am still basking in all that love we made with each other, to each other, through infinite words of wisdom, collective meandering, and deep listening. I am still soaking in the unsaid gestures of warmth, looking back at four years of knitting, day/night long musings, and finally the two days of intense political loitering, a bridge of south-south solidarity. I am still stealing hope from the closet we happen to have built. The keys I tenderly keep — I visit my temple now and then. Bodies whispering the sacred elixir to other bodies on how to be alive and be in unison —- there was perhaps never any other way around it. Or at least I haven’t known any better. Lending utterly devious hope — what else is politics in grim somber times? Perhaps recalling how to kneel together to pray; resistance is a queer prayer of the chosen few. If only one can see how commune of bodies often soar in divine alacrity to disobey!"