Discussion on Democracy and the State: Postcolonial Insights at the University of Koblenz's International Conference
The University of Koblenz recently played host to an enlightening international conference titled "Democracy and the State: Post- and Decolonial Perspectives." The conference aimed to bring together scholars from various disciplines to discuss and challenge dominant Western models of democracy and statehood, with a particular focus on the global South.
One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation by Marcial Suarez, who shared his empirical research on the border region between Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and the Amazon. His findings revealed that the region is de facto governed by violent actors involved in drug trafficking and illegal logging, underscoring the need for alternative, locally-adapted democratic models that take into account diverse cultural, historical, and political contexts.
Prof. Dr. Ina Kerner, the conference organiser, presented initial thoughts on a decolonial concept of state and statehood. Other speakers included Veronika Zablotsky, who discussed the Armenian diaspora and connections between state-building attempts and legal economy, and Katrin Seidel, who shared insights from her research in the Horn of Africa.
Luciana Ballestrin opened the conference with a public lecture arguing for the inclusion of diverse perspectives in the international political theoretical debate on the crisis of democracy. Francisco Carballo discussed the work of Peruvian social scientist Aníbal Quijano, who is considered the founder of the decolonial approach and previously known for his dependency theory.
Nele Weiher focused on the complex case of transgender policy in Pakistan, discussing central historical milestones in the state's handling of this group, including their systematic criminalization during British colonial times. Seidel argued for a shift in understanding the discrepancy between classical state models and complex realities in the region as a lack, weakness, or fragility, but rather developing more complex state understandings to shed light on current secession and state-building attempts.
Post- and decolonial studies were a key focus of the conference, aiming to trace and critically analyze the persistence of colonial logics. The conference contributions demonstrated the promise of postcolonial and decolonial perspectives on democracy and statehood as analytical undertakings, and laid the groundwork for further activities and cooperation in this field.
For those interested in learning more about the conference, Prof. Dr. Ina Kerner can be contacted at the University of Koblenz: University Street 1, 56070 Koblenz, Tel.: 0261 287 2182, E-Mail: [email protected]. The conference was an important step in bringing together scholars from around the world to challenge dominant narratives and advocate for more inclusive, equitable, and just democratic models that take into account the diverse experiences and needs of the global South.
- The conference presentations underlined the necessity of education-and-self-development in promoting inclusive and decolonial democratic models, as exemplified by Luciana Ballestrin's call for expanding perspectives in the international political theoretical debate.
- The general-news concerning the conference's proceedings further highlighted the significance of politics in understanding the complex realities of the global South, particularly in regions like the border between Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and the Amazon, as depicted by Marcial Suarez's empirical research.
