Thought piece #1 – Lerato Posholi: Decolonization and African scholarship: Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò’s cautionary tale

Thought piece #1 – Lerato Posholi: Decolonization and African scholarship: Olúfémi Táíwò’s cautionary tale

Lerato Posholi
Lerato Posholi

November 2023

The term decolonization and calls for decolonizing practices have been popular in African scholarship and elsewhere. Philosopher Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò’s book „Against Decolonization: Taking African Agency Seriously“ presents a scathing critique of the continued use of decolonization especially in scholarship on Africa. The core argument of the book is that using decolonization as an analytical lens in scholarship on Africa is harmful and undermines African agency.

What is decolonization? Decolonization commonly denotes the process of political independence and self-governance. But in its resurgent form, it broadly refers to ‘getting rid of’, changing, reconstructing, and/or becoming critically aware of colonialism and its lingering effects. Prescriptively, decolonization often encourages a critical and suspicious attitude towards everything and anything associated with colonialism. It is the latter sense of decolonization that is the target of Táíwò’s critique.

So what is wrong with decolonization applied beyond the political sense of the term? A few things, according to Táíwò.

First, applying decolonization indiscriminately to everything creates suspicion of its analytical power. I think when we assume that everything and anything needs to be decolonized, the call for decolonization, rightfully or not, loses ‘buy-in’ and becomes less meaningful. Still, the application of the term to, for example, higher education in many of the previously colonized countries can help us understand the origins of these institutions and part of their current constitution.

Second, Táíwò is convinced that decolonization as an analytical tool for understanding things is redundant and that we can achieve better understanding of especially Africa using other frameworks or tools that decolonization. This point can, and is often, made of many terms that gain popularity as frameworks. For example the term globalization has been said by many to be redundant and not new because it picks out and provides a way of talking about phenomena that has been discussed since before the term. As a label, decolonization might do analytical work that is and can be done with other frameworks. Some of the claims of decolonial epistemology, for example, are captured in feminist and standpoint epistemology.

Third, more than being redundant and unnecessary as a label, Táíwò argues that decolonization as a framework for studying Africa leads to unclarity, problematic falsehoods, and erroneous accounts of the causes of different phenomena in Africa. Two substantive errors occur when we apply decolonization to scholarship, the book contends. One, colonialism becomes the only and most important factor influential in Africa’s events and place in the world. Colonialism is not considered amongst other historical episodes and factors, but as the only historical fact that matters. This over-states the effect of colonialism on Africa and obscures any and all that existed and exists outside of colonialism in Africa. Second, and relatedly, once colonialism is the only and most important episode in Africa, it becomes the main cause of all phenomena and events in Africa happening today. Colonialism is made to be the main cause and explananda for African affairs. The great error here, according to Táíwò, is that correlation is often mistaken with causation: not all that happened during colonialism was caused by colonialism or bears tainted colonial marks. It is true that proponents of decolonization are centrally concerned with the effects of colonialism. But it is an open question whether all of them see colonialism as the only explanation for African affairs. It seems that one could take colonialism and its lingering effects seriously without thinking that it is the only thing that matters for African affairs. Táíwò is right to be concerned that taking colonialism as the sole cause for the state of Africa is to undermine African agency; it takes away any sense of responsibility and self-determination of Africa’s subjects for their own affairs.

There’s another point that Táíwò emphasizes in the book regarding agency and self-determination in decisions about appropriating ideas, concepts and cultures associated with colonialism. The concern in the book is that the skeptical and dismissive attitude that decolonization (allegedly) encourages towards anything that has any association with colonialism hinders and obscures the creative appropriation of some colonially inherited ideas. Previously colonized peoples have always done different things, good and bad, with some of these inheritances. Barring Africans from appropriating foreign ideas and cultures for whatever reasons they see fit constrains their agency and unnecessarily deprives them of all the world has to offer.

The book is addressed to those who embrace decolonization, those who are skeptical of it, and most of all to students and young scholars ‘who may be uncomfortable with the indiscriminate application of decolonization to everything’. The book does not provide a decisive defeat of the various articulations of decolonization. But the argument Táíwò makes is an important cautionary tale especially for those of us who embrace decolonization. The main cautionary tale is that we should be careful what we mean by decolonization, how we use it as an analytical tool and what its prescriptions are. For all of us engaging with decolonization, the currency of the label ‘decolonization’ and its kindling of our progressive attitudes should not make us uncritical of it.

08/2023 – CAP Prize winners at the International Photo Festival Olten

CAP Prize winners at the International Photo Festival Olten

August 2023

From 18 to 27 Aufust 2023, the photo series of the CAP Prize winners 2022 Amina Kadous (White Gold, 2021), Remofiloe Mayisela (Lip Service, 2022), Lee-Ann Olwage (Kahenya’s Dream, 2022), Mahefa Dimbiniaina (Sarotava, 2022) and Pamela Tulizo (Double identité, 2019) were on display on the facade of the Stadthuas as part of the International Photography Festival Olten (IPFO).


Du 18 au 27 août 2023, les séries de photos des lauréats du prix CAP 2022 Amina Kadous (White Gold, 2021), Remofiloe Mayisela (Lip Service, 2022), Lee-Ann Olwage (Kahenya’s Dream, 2022), Mahefa Dimbiniaina (Sarotava, 2022) et Pamela Tulizo (Double identité, 2019) ont été exposées sur la façade de la Stadthuas dans le cadre du Festival international de la photographie d’Olten (IPFO).


 

Reisch Vanel Attipo

Reisch Vanel Attipo

Reisch Vanel Attipo

Reisch Vanel Attipo is from Congo-Brazzaville and holds a degree in urban management from the Ecole Africaine des Métiers de l’Architecture et de l’Urbanisme (EAMAU) in Lomé, Togo. He has extensive experience in systemic analysis of the sustainability of development policies, strategies, plans, programmes and projects at the Université de Québec à Chicoutimi. more

Joël Djaha

Joël Djaha

Joël Djaha

Joël Djaha is a PhD student in sociology at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire). He is conducting research on fake news and polemics about the Covid-19 pandemic in the public virtual space of Facebook in Côte d’Ivoire. His PhD thesis examines the reception of the three-step government action in Facebook virtual spaces in different socio-political contexts. more

Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie – a career update

Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie – a career update

Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie
Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie

My path crossed with Foundation Oumou Dilly at the maiden edition of the CODESERIA Summer School in 2015. The programme was organized in Dakar, Senegal, in collaboration with the Centre for African Studies of the University of Basel. After the Summer School, there was an opportunity to apply for a full PhD scholarship among participants of which I won.

The Foundation sponsored my four-year PhD programme at the Centre for African Studies (Sociology option) at the University of Basel. The scholarship was comprehensive, covering my fees, stay, medicals, fieldwork travels and quota for book purchase. Living in a country like Switzerland, with its high living standards, the monthly stipend and medical coverage eased the financial burdens most migrant students face in Switzerland. The provision of fieldwork allowance afforded me the room to explore my interest in the African fashion industry, specifically Lagos, Nigeria. Studying the Lagos fashion industry was an ambitious task considering the fact that I had never been to Nigeria before the time.

Besides the financial support, the Foundation facilitated the creation of scholarly community for beneficiaries in Basel which became a social network that supported integration and intellectual development. This scholarly community have existed till date and has increased in membership over the years. Based on the financial and social support I received through the Foundation I was able to complete my degree on time amidst managing family back at home and two pregnancies.

Fortunately, I got an opportunity for a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in Ghana in 2019, few months before I completed my PhD. The postdoctoral fellowship was on the Ghanaian creative industry, titled “Advancing Creative Industries for Development in Ghana (ACIG)”. After completing my tenure as a postdoc in 2022, I was contracted by UNESCO for three months to consult as a researcher on the Preliminary Exploratory Research on the African Industry.

Currently, I am a research fellow at the Centre for Cultural and African Studies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. My research areas are the African fashion industry, cultural and creative industry, gender and development studies. The Foundation Oumou Dilly continues to support my academic career by financially supporting my research work and conference presentations.

Antoinette Danebaï Lamana – a Spring in Basel: a sojourn between the Academy and Culture, renewing oneself!

Antoinette Danebaï Lamana – a Spring in Basel: a sojourn between the Academy and Culture, renewing oneself!

Antoinette Danebaï Lamana
Antoinette Danebaï Lamana

I started my stay in Basel for a semester in February 2023: a spring semester on wheels… a time when, literally and figuratively, the harshness of winter gives way to renewal.

First, a working environment reminiscent of chalets, a view over the River Rhine at the Center for African Studies, and many researchers. Warm support from the entire Centre team in general and, in particular, the follow-up by Dr Veit Arlt lending tireless support before and during the sojourn. Then, how not to mention the Basler “Fasnacht” (my first carnival experience in vivo) that set the tone for my eclectic academic stay in Basel (carnival atmosphere, committed message, generosity, parody etc.).

Then the challenging seminars and symposia at the University of Basel immersed me in current scientific debates and methodological and epistemological questions. I enjoyed the framework and resources of libraries (Universitätsbibliothek, University Library Rosental…), great moments with researchers willing to exchange and discuss in a friendly way, but also sessions working on the dissertation thesis in the company of doctoral students of the Graduate School of Social Sciences G3S and with participants of the Research Seminar on Quantitative Data Analysis in African Studies and other sessions and workshops.

In addition, magnificent landscapes, the River Wiese, the mountains, and the caves far from the beaten track offer contemplation and provide a unique setting for meditation while far from home. Amazingly, exploring the city and the surroundings by bicycle is so easy and pleasant. My bike, “Bestie from Basel”, and I had unique moments between hills and stops to contemplate the breathtaking landscape on very busy paths or less frequented routes.

This stay was an exceptional moment for me academically, personally and socio-culturally, a space for reflection, work, and escape but also an ideal setting to find myself… Finally, my time in Basel was both stimulating for my thesis and for addressing its challenges and on a personal level through unique and magnificent encounters: I have thoroughly enjoyed my “Basel spring”.

Albert Tibaijuka – it feels like a homecoming

Albert Tibaijuka – it feels like a homecoming

Albert Kazaura Tibaijuka
Albert Kazaura Tibaijuka

Receiving a postdoc fellowship from the Oumou Dilly Foundation to join the Centre for African Studies at the University of Basel, feels like a homecoming. I was in Basel between 2012 and 2016 for my PhD studies. My stay in the city at the time was a great honour and a tremendous experience, which broadened my horizons in a very remarkable manner. Back in Tanzania, the nostalgia followed me all along like my own shadow. I was thousands of miles from Basel but still cherished the mind-blowing life in that town; and you see? I’m back!!! I am deeply grateful to the Foundation, the Centre, and the St. Augustine University of Tanzania for making this return possible and offering yet another academic research opportunity. A special thank you goes to Barbara Buser and Max Honegger for receiving me back to their family. I simply cannot explain how thankful I am to you all.

My return to Basel has indeed been a privilege because it allowed me to attend weekly seminars like the Colloquium for Research in African Studies and the course Quantitative Analysis for African Studies, both offered by Prof. Elísio Macamo. Similarly, I participated in the weekly Colloquium in Social Anthropology organized by Prof. George-Paul Meiu, as well as in the African Politics Research Group convened by Dr. Michael Aeby. I had the opportunity to present my research project in the Methodological Challenges workshop, jointly organized by Prof. Elísio Macamo and Prof. Rose Marie Beck (Leipzig) and received valuable feedback. Likewise, I benefitted from a second workshop they organized under the title „Is Methodology the Only Way?“ These academic gatherings offered me deep understandings of methodological approaches and challenges, and also allured me to thought-provoking debates such as the (geo)politics and hierarchies of knowledge; reversing the gaze; decolonizing African studies; the problems of scientific knowledge production and a call for non-academic research; just to mention a few.

The opportunity to return to Basel, once again, has not only exposed me to the intellectual eagerness and enthusiasm prevailing at the University of Basel, but also allowed me to indulge in the city’s attractions: the hills; the bridges, ferries and barges on the river Rhein; the Zoo; the incredible precision of the weather forecast and of the public transport; the Saturday flea market on Peterplatz; and the food market at Markthalle. Do you think I was to forget mentioning the fondue, raclette, ravioli, roesti, asparagus, and the ‘Unser Bier’? No. I am in Basel.

 

Albert Kazaura Tibaijuka

Albert Kazaura Tibaijuka

Albert Kazaura Tibaijuka

Albert Kazaura Tibaijuka joined the Centre for African Studies at the University of Basel in Switzerland on a ten-months’ Oumou Dilly postdoc fellowship (February – November, 2023). He is a lecturer in communication studies and chairs the Postgraduate Studies Directorate at St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT). He is also a co-ordinating editor of African Communication Research Journal. more

Antoinette Danebaï Lamana

Antoinette Danebaï Lamana

Antoinette Danebaï Lamana

Antoinette Danebaï Lamana is a PhD candidate in a joint program between the University of Douala and the University of Lille. As an assistant at the University of Douala, she supervises students in the Department of Sociology; at the University of Lille, she is a Guest Lecturer in the Master’s programs IDEVAH (Development Engineering and Humanitarian Action) and GAED (Geography, Planning, Environment, and Development).
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03/2023 – Nyeleni – six female photographic perspectives Part II (exhibition)

Nyeleni – six female photographic perspectives, Part II (exhibition)

March 2023

After the ten-day workshop in Bamako in December 2021, the six female photographers – Fatoumata Diabate, Oumou Diarra, Dickonet, Mariam Niare, Kani Sissoko and Oumou Traore – continued to work on their individual photo series for over a year. Via Zoom and WhatsApp, the curators Franziska Jenni, Joyce Pennekamp and Delphine Gatinois regularly entered into a creative exchange with them about the emerging series of works.

Finally, on 7 March 2023, the exhibition was successfully opened in Bamako at Lassana Igo Diara’s Galerie Medina in the presence of an interested audience. In the last four weeks, various school classes from high schools and Bamako’s Conservatoire, led by Yamarou Photo Collective, visited the exhibition and entered into dialogue with the women photographers about their works.

https://www.facebook.com/nyeleniproject


Fatoumata Diabate, Oumou Diarra, Mariam Niare, Oumou Traore, Dicko Traore à la Galerie Medina, Bamako, Mali, 2023

Après l’atelier de dix jours à Bamako en décembre 2021, les six femmes photographes – Fatoumata Diabate, Oumou Diarra, Dickonet, Mariam Niare, Kani Sissoko et Oumou Traore – ont continué à travailler sur leurs séries de photos individuelles pendant plus d’un an. Via Zoom et WhatsApp, les commissaires Franziska Jenni, Joyce Pennekamp et Delphine Gatinois ont régulièrement entamé un échange créatif avec elles sur les séries d’œuvres émergentes.

Enfin, le 7 mars 2023, l’exposition a été inaugurée avec succès à Bamako, à la Galerie Medina de Lassana Igo Diara, en présence d’un public intéressé. Au cours des quatre dernières semaines, plusieurs classes de lycées et du Conservatoire de Bamako, dirigées par le Collectif Photo Yamarou, ont visité l’exposition et ont entamé un dialogue avec les femmes photographes sur leurs œuvres.

https://www.facebook.com/nyeleniproject