Colonial Project Research Articles

The Franco-Algerian War: Narrating the Failure of the French Imperialist Project in Norman Lewis’s Darkness Visible (1960)

This article examines the political attitude towards representing French colonialism to Algeria during the Franco-Algerian war (1954-1962) in Darkness Visible (1960) by the Welsh-British Norman Lewis. It probes how Lewis’s novel portrays French colonial project, which was intended to bring civilization to Algerians, as a failure through raising an anti- colonial thought. In the novel, the Mission does not only fail to achieve the goals of its agenda, but also fails in the sense that it exposes more negative consequences of exploitation, oppression, and cultural destruction of the colonized people. The paper also scrutinizes Lewis’s use of immediacy of the narrative and Manicheanism in characterization as literary device to critique French colonial practices against the natives; while, in parallel, Lewis highlights the aspect of nationalist mobilization to unearth the legitimacy of the Algerians fighting for liberty. Therefore, this article ventures thematically into Darkness Visible within anti- colonial discourse parameters. Keywords: Darkness Visible, Franco-Algerian war, immediacy and Manicheanism, nationalist mobilization, Norman Lewis

Personal notes on the art of the African diaspora

In this personal essay, I reflect on the how cultural shifts in the British art world establishment, have enabled black artists who came of age in the Eighties, to enjoy late career success. I’m particularly interested in the careers of black women, who have traditionally been more overlooked by their male counterparts. I start with my own desire to connect to my Nigerian/African heritage when I was a young woman, one who had grown up brainwashed by the colonial project, and talk about the changes I have witnessed since the Eighties. I interrogate the value placed on transnational artists with ancestral ties to Africa by the art establishment then and now, and how those artists who are currently exhibiting in major art galleries and museums are often showing work created decades ago. This begs the question, if not then, why now? The article arises from a British Academy Lecture delivered on 9 November 2023.

An appraisal of the Mozambique types and endemic taxa in the Pires de Lima plant collection at the Porto Herbarium (PO, MHNC-UP)

Putative type specimens of 18 taxa described from Mozambique collected by Américo Pires de Lima at the beginning of the 20th century are kept in the African collections of the Herbarium of Porto (PO) at the MHNC-UP. These specimens were not collected as part of a dedicated scientific mission, but they and the scientific studies carried out by Pires de Lima represent an important contribution to Portuguese colonial projects. During his scientific career, and despite the lack of support and specialised literature, Pires de Lima described 17 species new to science. In this work we analysed part of the material collected by Pires de Lima, kept in PO at MHNC-UP. Today, only two of the 17 taxa described by Pires de Lima remain as accepted taxa, viz. Tephrosia reptans var. microfoliata (Pires de Lima) Brummitt and Crotalaria retusa var. tunguensis (Pires de Lima) Polhill. In addition, information on Polygala limae Exell, named after Pires de Lima, has also been analysed as this is still accepted. Of over 300 specimens collected by Pires de Lima in the early 20th century, some 40% remain unidentified due to lack of expertise. Undoubtedly, this collection contains many other promising specimens in need of revision, taxonomic update, and other novelties that can be found even in the more ancient and inconspicuous materials.

Working around exclusive infrastructure – African workers and their families navigating race and gender on Rhodesia Railways, 1945–1964

This paper explores the myriad ways African railwaymen and their families negotiated their existence on the Rhodesia Railways. Through racial and gendered differentiation of its labour force, the Rhodesia Railways fostered an exclusive work and home environment that resulted in restricted and regulated access to certain jobs, benefits and accommodation. However, Africans worked around these limitations through strikes and other more creative, sometimes illegal ways. The paper shifts away from histories of imperial railways and their significance in colonial projects and adds to studies that examine their effects on the colonised. By focusing on African railwaymen and their families, we argue that the various grievances and demands presented to the Rhodesia Railways had to do with issues of gender and social reproduction. Due to the inextricable link between the workplace and the home created by Rhodesia Railways, grievances in railway accommodation at times directly affected railway operations.

Information management and optimization methods in architectural construction drawings: A case study of the "Coconut forest settlement" in Hainan

This paper investigates information management and optimization methods within architectural construction drawings, using the Coconut Forest Settlement project in Hainan as a case study. Five key categories of methods are explored: clarification, structuring, standardization, precision, and lightweight. These methods address issues such as the lack of case-based analysis, the need for better information management, and the reduction of information redundancy. By classifying and discussing these strategies, the study highlights the enduring relevance of construction drawings in the digital age. Furthermore, it envisions the transferability of these methods to different contexts due to their emphasis on logical commonalities and the ever-present need for efficient information management. Practical examples from other fields, such as Revit, Rhino, and Grasshopper, are cited to demonstrate the potential applicability of these methods beyond traditional construction drawings. This paper contributes to the enhancement of information management in architectural design, fostering innovation and improved efficiency across various applications.

Princely prisons, state exhibitions, and Muslim industrial authority in colonial India

Abstract This article analyses the prison industries and state industrial exhibitions of three Indian princely states in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, tracing how princely elites sought to develop distinct labouring and industrial cultures. Drawing on examples from three Muslim-led princely states, namely Rampur, Bhopal, and Hyderabad, the article argues that state elites distinguished their forms of cultural and religious authority from that of the British Raj by coercing and displaying new industrial practices. They aimed to cultivate an industrial modernity that could compete with colonial projects while also promoting what they characterised as Indian Muslim characteristics and courtly traditions for artisan labourers and their work. The article asks how princely elites worked to conscript their subjects—including marginalised subjects such as convict labourers—into visions of regional industrial authority. Princely visions of Muslim and courtly industrial futures in Rampur, Bhopal, and Hyderabad were rooted in the attempts of state administrators to fashion distinctive regional identities and assert authority in a context of circumscribed, quasi-colonial rulership. Industrial cultures associated with princely prisons and exhibitions ultimately exceeded the bounds of these projects, placing pressure on other state subjects to adopt new material practices and engage with state-defined regional craft traditions.

Characterizing Future Authoritarian Governance in the Space Domain

Traditionally, discussions of governance beyond Earth have largely been held to the purview of debates about space law and global governance regimes. Yet, the priority of space exploration among ambitious, tech-industry associated billionaires and its continued potential for militarization suggest that a more dynamic approach may be needed, given that state-sponsorship of extraterrestrial colonial projects may be more akin to partnerships between private and public actors rather than nation-states assuming traditional roles as sole sources of decision-making. Permanent settlements in space will require forms of localized government that may look distinct from contemporary models of political order. This article thus asks a provocative question associated with the empirical record of human colonization and settlement in prior eras: What sort of authoritarian governance is most likely to form in human space settlements during the medium term? Reviewing variations on political order in small-scale colonial settlements in light of recent conceptual work on authoritarian rule, the article identifies three theoretical models of governance that may emerge once beyond Earth settlements become permanent fixtures of human society.

Indigenous bodies, gender, and sexuality in the Jesuit Missions of South America (17th–18th centuries)

Many studies tend to apply categories of gender and sexuality to indigenous peoples in the same way as they are used in the West. This ignores the fact that indigenous peoples have their own notions of people, which are often at odds with Western binary standards. The issue at stake in this article is the inclusion of the analytical categories of gender and sexuality in South American communities, starting with the Jesuit Missions that spread across present-day Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay during the 17th and 18th centuries. To this end, it uses as historical sources a set of 1212 Jesuit writings, including manuscripts and books, as well as architectural, sculptural, and pictorial remains. Using techniques specific to paleography to read manuscripts, the project’s methodology makes use of ethnohistory guided by Content Analysis, thus producing a reading that starts from contemporary indigenous problems in order to build an Indigenous History. The study’s discussion considers that indigenous bodies, once produced by village collectives made up of extended families, were forged in the Jesuit missions according to the parameters of the colonial project. The article therefore demonstrates the genealogy of the bodies of indigenous men, indigenous women, and abject indigenous people, concluding that the current scenario of gender and sexual violence in South America has its origins in the colonial process, and not in indigenous cultures.

German colonial geography as a racial-Völkish reordering project beyond the East: National Socialism and the colonial writings of geographer Oskar Schmieder

There is very little research on German colonial geography in general, and the boom in this subdiscipline during the National Socialist period has not received any scholarly attention so far. Against that backdrop, this paper aims to contribute: a) to a finer-grained picture of colonial, racial-Völkish thinking – and its application – in German geography during the National Socialist period and b) to our understanding of the continuities and ruptures in German geographical scholarship after WWII. To that end, I focus on the biography of Oskar Schmieder (1891–1980). Two interrelated aspects of Schmieder's writings will guide the analysis: first, his conceptualization of race, Volk, and soil regarding (Germans in) South America and, secondly, the political colonial project that he pursued for Nazi Germany. Studying Oskar Schmieder shows that German geographers not only stood up for the re-establishment of a German colonial empire during the National Socialist period, but also fought for its Fascist orientation – which, at least for Schmieder, was to differ from the German colonial pre-1914 empire. Being primarily known as a representative of Länderkunde, Schmieder's institutionally and conceptually influential career after 1945 can be seen as a prime example of the continuities within the discipline in Germany.

Hagar’s spirituality prior to and after captivity: An African and gendered perspective

This study is an exploration of the Hagar narrative from the perspective of African Womanist Theology. The article focuses on the spirituality of Hagar before and after her captivity (Gn 16). The research takes an Afrocentric perspective and uses a postcolonial lens to comment on the preceding text as well as consider how this story is captured in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. At the core of the article is an attempt at reclaiming the African in Hagar who is largely portrayed in the stories of Sarah and Abraham within a Hebrew perspective which itself is arguably imperial. The aim is to inspire modern African women (and in the diaspora) to reclaim their African spirituality within their stories and experiences. Summarily, the article is a critique of the colonial project, slavery and its legacies in dehumanising and disenfranchising people and African knowledge systems. The article is structured as follows: firstly, it introduces the Hagar and/or Hajar traditions from the perspectives of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Secondly, it takes a step back to consider Hagar’s identity as an Egyptian princess before she encountered Sarah and Abraham. The article also discusses how Hagar’s past in Egypt had a bearing on her spiritual encounters when she and her son Ishmael and/or Ismail were exiled. Finally, the article concludes with a recommendation for continued reflection on an African spirituality narrative of the Hagar traditions alongside the predominant narratives from Abrahamic religions.Contribution: This article demonstrates that the religious scriptures must be read from liberation perspectives such as the postcolonial paradigm to inspire the recovery of authentic experiences of the oppressed and displaced, and it is an inspiration to African women to reclaim their true identity and spirituality.

Eviscerating the Sea

Contemporary infrastructure projects in the sea reterritorialize port environments, continuously discarding historic occupants and coastal occupations in their wake. In this article the authors dwell on the ongoing histories through which fish and fishers are eviscerated in Mumbai's seas via the proliferation of massive infrastructural operations currently being staged by the Indian state. In so doing, they make two arguments. First, they show how infrastructures at sea are accretive forms that are simultaneously articulated at different time scales. New infrastructures currently being built in the sea in postcolonial India only intensify the expropriations of colonial projects that were staged in the sea. Second, urban fishers work not only at sea but also on the dry land of the city. As chances for making livelihoods at sea are steadily foreclosed, fishers are increasingly turning to their small parcels of land in the city, exploring how and if these might be made real estate to secure their futures.

Unsettling Environmentalism

AbstractDecolonial ecological imaginations entail a critical interrogation of mainstream environmentalism to unmask and unsettle it. These reflections expose how mainstream environmentalism legitimizes and perpetuates the colonization of the Earth and subaltern and Indigenous communities. Mainstream environmentalism is a colonial project to perpetuate the interests of settler colonialism and racial capitalism. This calls for a new search for decolonial and alternative ecological reimagination, informed by the epistemologies and eco‐politics of the Indigenous and subaltern communities and other grassroots social movements. Decolonial ecological imaginations involve the task of contesting and unsettling settler colonialism, extractive/exploitative capitalism, white supremacy, and all ideologies and practices of domination and exclusion.

Study of the social, environmental and economic dimensions in rural communities

The objective of this article was to carry out an analysis of public policies related to rural settlements, and correlate them with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESG and present alternatives that contribute to the local development of rural settlements. The methodology used consisted of qualitative research and exploratory analysis with participant observation, conducted in the Vale do Arinos Settlement Project, Line Five, located in the Municipality of Juara, located in the northern region of the state of Mato Grosso. This study analyzed the factors that influence the social, environmental and economic development of rural producers in the aforementioned Settlement Project. To carry out this analysis, the Grounded Theory technique was also applied. This research contributes to the improvement and development of rural settlement communities. When examining Settlement Project, it is clear that rural producers face difficulties in subsisting and thriving, especially in a market characterized by volatility and a lack of appreciation for their products. When relating the SDGs with Project, an unfavorable situation is observed with regard to the social, environmental and economic tripod in this community.

Municipal human development in a directed settlement project in the southern brazilian Amazon

The Municipal Human Development Index (MHDI) is a standardized way of assessing human development at the municipal level. This study aimed to evaluate the stage of development of the municipalities that emerged in the area of the Marechal Dutra Directed Settlement Project (PAD) in the state of Rondônia (RO). The methodological procedures were organized in steps: creation of a geographic vdatabase; statistical analysis; and preparation of thematic maps. The results showed that the municipality of Ariquemes has a moderate development stage (MHDI = 0.753), while the municipalities of Alto Paraíso, Cacaulândia, Monte Negro and Rio Crespo are in a regular stage of development, with MHDI between 0.519 and 0.575. The disparity of human development of the municipalities that were created from consolidation of the PAD Marechal Dutra follows the trend of socioeconomic inequality of Brazilian macro-regions.

They put me on a train: Assimilation and the Australian railways

AbstractThis article explores the involvement of the Australian railways in the forcible removal of Aboriginal children. Focusing on the visions and voices of Aboriginal peoples who were taken away from their families by train, the article considers how railways were used in the attempted assimilation of First Nations peoples into White society. The last train ride, an artwork by South Australian Yankunytjatjara artist and Stolen Generations survivor Kunyi McInerney, serves as a point of departure to study how the settler colonial infrastructure of rail operationalised the Australian government policies of assimilation. I ask how railway infrastructures have affected Aboriginal peoples and how Aboriginal peoples have responded to railway infrastructures. In centring the artworks and narratives of Aboriginal people taken away by train, I extend an invitation to readers to rethink geography through the visual expressions and stories of First Nations peoples. Close attention to the perspectives of affected peoples opens possibilities to view infrastructures in a different light. The visions and voices of Aboriginal families impacted by assimilation policies show that the railways played a pivotal role in the separation of Aboriginal children from families and that railway infrastructures have also been sites of resistance to and subversion of assimilation and child removal. Paying careful attention to First Nations voices and visions, the article informs how the Australian railways have been complicit in assimilation policies and how Aboriginal peoples have used the railways to resist and survive such settler colonial projects.

A Multimethodological Approach to Assist the Design of Systemic Governance in Agroextractivist Settlement Projects in the Brazilian Amazon Landscape.

Coping with complex landscape situations in the Anthropocene increasingly demands innovative governance practices that can be facilitated by investment in new epistemological and methodological approaches and capacities. This paper explores the use of a multimethodological research approach organized as a systemic co-inquiry to assist in the design of systemic governance for Agroextractivist Settlement Projects (PAEs) in the municipality of Abaetetuba, Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon. In the PAEs, the systemic co-inquiry was conducted alongside interested and influential stakeholders through the combined use of the Soft Systems Methodology and Strategic Options Development and Analysis problem structuring methods. The use of these methods and their tools allowed stakeholders to articulate major issues around the situation of concern, engaging in reflective practices about the opportunities of governing the PAEs systemically. By valuing stakeholder perspectives and participation in all phases of the research, the proposed multimethodology approach helped them express their views on the problem situation and allowed for their active engagement in the design of systemic governance of the PAEs. As a result of adopting a multimethodological approach, distinctive albeit coupled realms of governing are explored, a key issue when designing systemic governance practices of social-ecological systems such as the PAEs.

Settler Mimicry: Colonization and Decolonization through Imitation

Abstract This article explores the dynamics of settler mimicry in Israel—Palestine and its manifestations in the visual arts. It probes the operation of mimicry as a colonial strategy but also emphasizes its decolonial potential. Although imitation of the Palestinian natives enables Israeli settlers to annex the territory, this article suggests that mimicry can be delinked from its colonial registers and transform the settlers’ worldview. This analysis seeks to expand the insights of Patrick Wolfe, who saw the elimination of the natives as the central feature of settler colonialism. By highlighting instances in which the settler mimics the native, this article challenges his reductionist framework, which pins colonial projects to their materialist objectives. Whereas exploitation colonialism uses the colony’s resources, Wolfe contends, settler colonialism is geared toward the seizure of land, and hence toward physical and ideological elimination of the native. This article, on the other hand, emphasizes the complexity of settler colonialism and foregrounds the tension between the cultural apparatuses of elimination and mimicry. While imitation facilitates the indigenization of settlers, it also highlights the presence of natives. This internal tension renders the operation of settler colonialism ambiguous and thus can be utilized to decolonize Zionism.

Mahmoud Darwish and the Quest for a Postcolonial Utopia: Israel's War on Gaza and Reimagining the Colonial Waste Land

Mahmoud Darwish and the Quest for a Postcolonial Utopia: Israel's War on Gaza and Reimagining the Colonial Waste Land

Colonial—And Counter-colonial: The Israel/Gaza War through Multiple Critical Perspectives

Abstract The current Israel–Hamas war is one horrific outcome of a century-long Zionist settler colonial project, which continues to violently shape the political geography of Israel/Palestine. Yet a valid account of the war must identify several other structural forces—most conspicuously national, religious, and geopolitical. Such forces interact, intersect, and at times clash with colonial logic. Further, to complete the colonial perspective, scholars must incorporate and illuminate the Palestinian and Islamic “counter-colonial” visions, rarely discussed in critical accounts. Such visions, and their political and terrorist mobilization, radically differ from the horizon commonly taken for granted by most indigenous and progressive narrrations. Hence a distinction should be made between “counter-colonial” and “decolonial” mobilizations. The current war is an expression of the clash between (deeply asymmetric) Israeli and Palestinian colonial and counter-colonial forces.

Missing in action: a scoping review of gender as the overlooked component in decolonial discourses

IntroductionRace and gender were intimately intertwined aspects of the colonial project, used as key categories of hierarchisation within both colonial and modern societies. As such, true decolonisation is only possible...