The current historical juncture is an anti-colonial reckoning with histories of slavery and colonial capitalism as well as present forms of institutional racism and racial capitalism as the galvanising transnational BlackLivesMatter & Rhodes Must Fall movements assert. Simultaneously, the UK’s historical colonial legacies, and support for present forms of settler colonialism are further exposed by Palestinian and Kashmiri freedom movements. While differing in their contexts and aims, these movements may be understood as intersected anti-colonial reckonings.

On July 14, 2020, the Social Theory Centre hosted an online conversation between scholars/activists to understand the significance of interconnected forms of policing, militarisation, and (settler) colonialisms across the UK, Palestine, Kashmir and elsewhere. The speakers also shed light on solidarities amongst ongoing anti-racist, anti-imperial, anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements, and some ways forward.

The event was co-moderated/co-hosted by Dr. Goldie Osuri, Dr. Teo Todorova, Rachel Annor-Agyei (Warwick Anti-Racism Society), and Amy Clarke (Sociology Department Administrator).

The speakers <Dr. Adam Elliot Cooper (University of Greenwich), Dr. Rafeef Ziadeh (SOAS), Dr. Ather Zia (University of Northern Colorado, Greeley), Dr. Rahul Rao (SOAS), Tomi Amole (Warwick Anti-Racism Society)> presented on the idea of anti-colonial reckonings in the contexts within which they work, and what interconnections there might be between these contexts.

Resources for the event:

Adam Elliot Cooper '"Defund the Police" is not nonsense.' 

Rahul Rao 'Abusing Mandela to Absolve Rhodes'

Riya Al Sanaah & Rafeef Ziadeh - On Israel Arms Trade and Policing Practices in Palestine

Ather Zia - On Lockdowns and Settler-Colonialism in Kashmir

Warwick Anti-Racism Society Reading Resources:

Please find speaker presentations & Q&As in the order of the programme in the video clips below.