Gastvortrag im Rahmen der Ausstellung ,,WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER" zum Thema: ,,Politische Freundin*innenschaften: Postkolonial denken, politisch handeln"

In the organizer's words:

GUEST LECTURE AS PART OF THE EXHIBITION "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER" ON THE TOPIC: "POLITICAL FRIENDSHIPS, POSTCOLONIAL THINKING, POLITICAL ACTION".

Again and again, postcolonial studies are equated with "identity politics" and "tribalism", although Gayatri Spivak notes that "in postcolonialism we don't know our friends". Today's political landscapes are made up of countless echo chambers in which their members are mainly exposed to information or viewpoints that ultimately only repeat and confirm their own views.
It seems to be a curse of neoliberalism that politics now seems to mean pitting one vulnerable group against another. But no struggle is more important than the other, which is why the greatest hope for democratic politics lies in building bridges between different epistemic communities by forming alliances across different forms of vulnerability and agency. We must rise to the challenge of the "attention economy" in which minorities are pitted against each other to gain recognition for their individual concerns and problems.
As an antidote to the imperial and neoliberal strategy of "divide and conquer", it is imperative that we actively and effectively foster alliances by reflecting on the intertextuality of our narratives and struggles. It is our firm belief that "political friendships" can be a bulwark against atomization and the loss of trust between communities.
communities. Shared experiences and affinities create collectivities where we listen to each other and find a new powerful voice together.

Nikita Dhawan:
Holder of the Chair of Political Science
Focus on Political Theory and History of Ideas
Tu Dresden

María do Mar Castro Varela:
Holder of the Professorship of Social Work
and General Education
ASH Berlin

You can find the book here: https://unrast-verlag.de/.../dreiklang-freundinnenschaft.../

When: Friday, June 27, 2025
Start: 7 pm
Place: GEH8
Free admission. Please register by email (foit at geh8.de).

The event is co-financed by tax funds on the basis of the budget adopted by the Saxon state parliament. Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony
The GEH8 is institutionally supported by the Office for Culture and Monument Protection.