Podcast: Living Decoloniality

Join humanitarian professional, researcher and activist Carla Vitantonio on a journey exploring how coloniality is being challenged throughout the aid and humanitarian sector. Living Decoloniality: Practical experiences of decoloniality throughout the aid sector is a new short podcast series exploring how individuals and groups from around the world are tackling the harmful colonial legacy of the aid and humanitarian sectors.  

Episode 1 In the first episode of Living Decoloniality, Carla Vitantonio shares the motivation behind the podcast, introduces her research questions and shares a reference framework used through the series. Carla briefly introduces the concept of coloniality and suggests how listeners can use the podcast.   Episode 2 In the second episode of Living Decoloniality, Carla interviews Karishma Shafi (she/her), a program manager at One future collective, a feminist social purpose organisation with a vision of a world built on social justice, led by communities of care. Karishma discusses her lived experience as a woman growing up in India, and reflects on coloniality in several realms, including coloniality of knowledge.   Episode 3 This episode is focused on cooperation among universities. Carla interviews three researchers: Adriana Moreno Cely, Kewan Mertens and Viola Nyakato, who share their decolonial practices and the methodology they are developing to tackle their own coloniality.   Episode 4 In Episode 4, Carla interviews Themrise Khan, an independent professional in international development, based in Pakistan, who is working to develop what “a new ecosystem for international aid”. Themrise is not interested in using the framework of coloniality, although what she says echoes very much concepts and theories discussed in the podcast so far. She aims at creating a new roadmap that each country -and she stresses the national dimension of her plan – changes the way they live, provide, and ask for international aid.   Episode 5 In this episode, Carla interviews Nigerian health worker and activist Jennifer Uchendu. Jennifer is the founder of Sustyvibes, a community where young people with a passion for a just world come together to connect and design new ways of living, for themselves, the planet and the world at large. Carla and Jennifer talk about decolonial practices when linked to "ecoanxiety", to narratives, but also to power relations and to how those power relations shall be unveiled, even when relations with donors are involved.   Episode 6 In the penultimate episode of Living Decoloniality, Carla interviews Kenneth Amaeshi, Professor of Sustainable Finance and Chair in Transnational Governance (Global South) at the School of Transnational Governance. Carla and Kenneth discuss some of his work in Nigeria, which places importance on local approaches to sustainable development by utilising traditional social networks and practices.   Episode 7 In the final episode of Living Decoloniality, Carla reflects on the journey from episodes 1-6. She revisits her initial research questions and recaps the different topics covered by her guest speakers.