ABOUT PROJECT

The aim of the project is to provide a new strategic vision and practical approach to decolonization of knowledge from a global south perspective. It will be led by global south researchers and experts who will examine the sociology and political economy of knowledge production in two regions, East Africa and the Middle East. There will be a focus on building the capacity of emerging scholars in the process. The project seeks to strengthen global debates, make practical recommendations and propose feminist approaches to implement measures for decolonizing knowledge production processes, as well as identify and propose a transformative research agenda.

Despite increased emphasis on decolonizing knowledge production and localizing aid, the structural conditions that maintain the (neo/post) colonial status quo of knowledge production have not been challenged. As a result, evidence-based policy solutions tend to be devoid of contextual realities and usually replicate exclusions and marginalization impacting especially the most vulnerable including women, youth, LGBTQ, disabled and others.

This initiative seeks to deconstruct the concepts of decolonization/localization of knowledge production and understand the dynamics of how these concepts have been applied by multiple actors in the last decade, including institutions of higher learning, research for development organizations, researchers and funders. The project will also focus on how knowledge production processes are colonized based on power dynamics within the Global South.