CALL FOR PAPERS

Decolonial Philosophies Collaboratory

Feminist Afterlives of Colonialism

May 12-13, 2023

University of Oregon

Feminist Afterlives of Colonialism is a two-day, interdisciplinary conference on the topic of critical

feminist approaches to the coloniality of gender that will be held at the University of Oregon on May
12th - 13th, 2023.

As we navigate the myriad crises and possibilities interspersed throughout the world and our many
worlds, we find ourselves embedded in experiences and movements of life, resistance, and re-
existence marked by the history of colonialism. We are breathing, and struggling to breathe, in the
afterlife(s) of colonialism. The idea is inspired by African-American thinker Saidiya Hartman’s
concept of the “afterlife of slavery”, the continuation of the devaluation of Black life born out of
slavery into the present—an insight that was expanded in relationship with decolonial thought by
Rocío Zambrana’s reinterpretation of coloniality as the “afterlife of slavery”. To name or enunciate,
“the afterlife of colonialism,” that is, to trace and struggle against the reproduction of racial, colonial
and gender hierarchies and violences, requires a particular commitment to decolonial and feminist
thought and praxis.

The goal of this conference is to facilitate conversations regarding the history of colonialism and its
afterlives between decolonial, postcolonial, anti-colonial, and indigenous scholarship that will support
liberatory initiatives to reimagine and build pathways for decolonization and networks of solidarity
across different geopolitical spaces.

Interestingly, there has been an overemphasis on particular interpretations of doing 'decolonial

thinking’ that tend not to include theorists working in the Global South, outside of academic
departments, and outside the United States, as well as within marginalized communities within the
United States. This conference will underscore the importance of broadening the definition of
decolonial thought within philosophy and other disciplines such as (but not limited to) art,
anthropology, sociology, geography, political economy, and literary studies; as well as questioning the
categories of “women” and “feminism” within Western feminist philosophy.

Feminist Afterlives of Colonialism will provide like-minded scholars and activists working on issues
of the Global South to connect, inquire, and form much-needed scope for intellectual and creative
allyship and provide space for crafting networks of solidarity.

We invite scholars and activists who have done work on critical approaches to the intersectionality of
gender and coloniality to present papers, prepare workshops and share their work and knowledge
from their disciplines and lived experiences. Zoom options will be considered for scholars and
activists who cannot travel to the University of Oregon. Please indicate in the submission of the
proposal if the modality is in-person or remote.
We welcome papers and workshop proposals on the following topics:

• Decolonial methods and/or pedagogies • Feminism and decolonization struggles

• Modern Colonial Gender System or
Coloniality of Gender
• Global South feminisms
• Bodies, embodiment, affectivity
• Solidarity and coalition (transnational)
• Borders, geographies, temporalities
• Language, writing, (in)visibility
• Resistance and re-existence
• Prison Abolition, Captivity, Fugitivity, and
Marronage
• Disability Justice, Crip Theory, and Care
Work
• Intersections of decolonial feminism with
trans feminism
• Feminist critiques to imperialism, capitalism,
and racial capitalism
• Feminist activism in the Global South and
decolonial feminist praxis
• Critique to the category “women” from
decolonial(s) feminism and the Global South
feminism

Submission Instructions:
For paper presentation For panel proposals: For workshop proposals:
proposals:

1. Paper presentations 1. Panels are made up of 3 to 1. Workshops will be 60

will be 20 minutes
long.
2. Send a pdf of your
paper title and abstract
(350 – 500 words).
3. Include relevant
Personal Identifying
Information (i.e.,
name, email, title,
institutional affiliation,
organization, etc.) in
the submission email
and NOT in the
abstract document.
4. Please specify if the
modality of the
presentation will be in-
person or remote
(Zoom).
4 members and will be
given a total of 75 minutes
to present.
2. The chair of the panel will
submit a pdf document of
the panel title and abstract
(350 – 500 words).
3. Each panelist will also
provide their individual
abstracts (~200 words) in
the same pdf document as
the panel abstract.
4. Please include the relevant
Personal Identifying
Information (i.e., name
email, title, institutional
affiliation, organization,
etc.) of each panelist in the
submission email and
NOT in the abstract
document.
5. Please specify if the
modality of the
presentation will be in-
person or hybrid (i.e.,
some panelists in-person,
some remote).
minutes long.
2. Send a pdf of your
workshop abstract (350 –
500 words) which
includes the title, topic of
the workshop, the
planned activities, and an
explanation of
contribution to the
conference’s subject-
matter(s).
3. Include relevant Personal
Identifying Information
(i.e., name, email, title,
institutional affiliation,
organization, etc.) in the
submission email and
NOT in the abstract
document.
4. Workshop presentations
will be expected to be held
in-person.

Send submissions to decolonialphilosophies@gmail.com with “Feminist Afterlives” as the subject. We

will only consider one proposal per submission.
The deadline for submissions is January 15th, 2023, at 11:59pm PST.
 Participants will receive an email with our decision by February 28th, 2023.
We look forward to reading your submissions. If you have any questions regarding the submission
process, the conference proper, or would like to express concerns regarding accessibility and
accommodations, please reach out to the email provided above. If accepted to the conference and able
to attend in-person, please begin to make the relevant travel preparations with your sponsoring
institution or organization. We will be announcing our keynote speaker(s) soon.

Sincerely,
The Decolonial Philosophies Collaboratory, University of Oregon

In collaboration with,
The University of Oregon Department of Philosophy
The Center for the Study of Women in Society at the University of Oregon
The Oregon Humanities Center

For more information see: https://decolonialphilosophies.blogspot.com/