ABSTRACT This article examines how the Canarian shepherd functions as a site of settler colonial elimination and heritage commodification. Pastoralists in the Canary Islands have long been produced as an ‘internal other’ within Spanish nation-building. In reconstructing the genealogy of that figure from the conquest to the present, we show how colonial and postcolonial knowledge technologies – cartography, chronicles, legislation, racial science, folklore, heritage policies and tourism – have alternately exoticized, romanticized, and marginalized shepherds. Drawing on a Foucauldian genealogical approach and the Latin American debates on coloniality of power, we compare heterogeneous archives (15th–20th c. texts, legal and scientific writings) with current patrimonial and media discourses. The analysis demonstrates a durable double movement: the material suppression through enclosure, regulation and dispossession, coupled with the cultural representation of difference as a marketable emblem of ‘authentic’ Canary identity. While pastoral practices are mobilized to brand landscapes and festivals, shepherds face land scarcity, prohibitions, and precarization. Situating the Canary case within Iberian histories of ‘internal others’, the article clarifies how racialized hierarchies were repackaged as folklore and heritage in the twentieth century and persist today. We argue for an agenda of epistemic and territorial justice grounded in co-governance with shepherds, redistribution and recognition.

This study examines how UNHCR’s administrative category of the “person of concern” functions as a governance mechanism in refugee education policy, stripping refugees of political agency and positioning them as subjects of institutional control rather than rights-bearing actors. Employing Fairclough’s three-dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis alongside Quijano’s coloniality of power, the paper analyzes five key policy documents: four UNHCR education strategies spanning 2010 to 2020 and the World Bank’s INSPIRE Guide to Refugee Inclusion in National Education Systems (2025). The analysis identifies four dominant discursive themes: education as a mechanism of control, dehumanization and the passive subject, the neoliberalization of refugee education, and colonial legacies in knowledge production. The INSPIRE Guide is examined as a paradigmatic text crystallizing the shift from humanitarian parallel systems to developmental inclusion, revealing how the language of inclusion, efficiency, and sustainability reconfigures refugee education as economic governance while leaving the “person of concern” category uninterrogated. The study argues that UNHCR education policies reproduce colonial governance patterns in which education actively produces particular refugee subjects who can be governed, surveilled, and integrated into host-state frameworks on institutional terms. Findings challenge the assumed neutrality of humanitarian education frameworks and call for decolonial approaches centering refugee agency, epistemic sovereignty, and self-determined educational futures.

Colonialism has left an enduring and profoundly detrimental legacy on the socioeconomic and health landscape of formerly enslaved nations across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Caribbean. The repercussions of colonial rule continue to manifest in persistent economic disparities, political instability, and inadequate healthcare infrastructures. Despite the profound and lasting effects of colonial exploitation, discussions on reparations remain limited in both scope and urgency. Addressing historical injustices is not merely a matter of historical reflection but an ethical and moral obligation. Among the various forms of reparations, such as financial restitution, debt relief, and public apologies, investment in public health systems stands out as a sustainable and impactful approach. Targeted public health investment can serve as a powerful mechanism for redressing colonial injustices and bridging the development gap between former colonial powers and their once-subjugated nations.

The ecological imperatives of post-colonial Caribbean literature invites an eschatological survey of the region’s biosphere. The history of colonization and slavery in the archipalego doesn’t foreclose an integrated study of its natural landscape as the recipient of its ugly chapter. Discourse of the historical and cultural violence of the Caribbean is integral to an understanding of the literary representations of its geography. Literary imaginary in the region is simultaneously oriented towards the racial and biotic history of displacement/exile. The Caribbean archipelago exists in a state of profound ecological uncertainty and insecurity, situated at the convergent point of historical brutality impacts and the enduring legacies of colonial exploitation. This article posits that contemporary Caribbean literature does not merely document this crisis but actively engages in a critical project of reimagining island futures through the lens of ecocriticism. Moving beyond descriptive accounts of environmental degradation, the analysis investigates how literary texts deploy narrative form, metaphor, and character to interrogate the slow violence of ecological ruin and articulate resilient, alternative ontologies. The theoretical framework is intentionally plural, weaving together postcolonial ecocriticism (DeLoughrey & Handley, 2011), the concept of slow violence (Nixon, 2011), and decolonial ecology (Ferdinand, 2019) to situate the literary imagination within a longer history of socio-ecological transformation initiated by the plantation system (Funes Monzote, 2026)

This study aims to analyze how black individuals use aesthetics and performance as forms of political resistance on social media. The research is based on the recognition that, although these spaces offer greater visibility to racialized narratives, they still operate with logics of exclusion sustained by algorithms and normative standards that negatively affect black bodies. Based on references such as the coloniality of power, structural racism, and insurgent epistemologies, the work discusses how visual and performative practices put these structures under tension and construct alternative modes of subjectivation and production of meaning. The methodological approach is qualitative, based on a bibliographic review and theoretical analysis. It is concluded that the black presence on social media not only challenges the mechanisms of silencing but also proposes new ways of existing, communicating, and producing knowledge in the digital environment.

The article analyzes the features and significance of archival fund materials from the National Archive of Uzbekistan (NAUz) for studying the economic policy of the Russian Empire in Turkestan (1887–1917). Drawing on primary sources like fonds I-1 (Turkestan Governor-Generalship) and I-717, records of economic councils, it examines key aspects such as tax reforms, agrarian policies favoring cotton production, financial autonomy, and infrastructure development. These materials reveal the transition from sole-rule governance to collegial administration via the 1886 Regulations, highlighting imperial strategies for market integration, colonial exploitation, and local adaptations. Their unique value lies in unpublished protocols, cadastral data, and correspondence that document contradictions between metropolitan demands and regional realities, providing indispensable evidence for institutional and economic historiography.

The introduction of indigo cultivation in Bengal during the colonial period, particularly in areas like Bankura, had far-reaching socio-economic consequences for the local peasantry. The Neel Kuthi in Lakshmisagar, Bankura, stands as a significant historical marker of colonial exploitation, symbolising the oppressive system enforced by European planters. This paper explores the historical context of indigo cultivation in Bengal, the role of Neel Kuthi as a centre for indigo trade, and the exploitation of peasants under the British colonial regime. It further examines the Indigo Revolt (Neel Bidroho) as a response to this oppression, highlighting Lakshmisagar's participation in the larger peasant uprising. The paper concludes by assessing the legacy of Neel Kuthi in preserving the memory of colonial exploitation and the peasant resistance movement.

ABSTRACT The Santal Rebellion or Hul of 1855–56 CE stands as one of the most significant uprisings against British hegemony in India, embodying both indigenous resistance and spiritual resurgence. This article examines the socio–political and cultural dimensions of the Hul, tracing the Santals' long history of migration, settlement, and marginalization in colonial Bengal. It explores how exploitative revenue policies, the dominance of moneylenders and zamindars, and systemic injustices compelled the Santals to revolt under the leadership of Sidhu and Kanhu, drawing inspiration from their divine protector, Thakur. The study highlights how religious belief and oral traditions intertwined with political action, shaping the mobilization and limitations of the rebellion. Despite extraordinary courage, the uprising collapsed under the superior military strength of the British and internal fractures within the movement, later interpreted as moral and ritual failings of its leaders. Through archival records and oral narratives, the article situates the Hul within broader patterns of tribal resistance, while examining its afterlife in the Kherwar movement and its commemoration in the annual Hul Festival. By integrating historical analysis with cultural interpretation, this study underscores the rebellion's enduring legacy as a symbol of Santal resilience, indigenous identity, and the continuing struggle against colonial exploitation.

This paper examines Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes’ debut novel Hula (2023) as a decolonial critique of tropical overtourism, land dispossession, and cultural commodification in Hawai‘i. The study investigates how the novel, which follows a strong heritage of Kānaka Maoli writing, reimagines Native Hawaiian experiences within the colonial matrix of power, and reveals Indigenous strategies of resistance and resilience. The paper examines the ways Hula depicts tropical tourism as a continuation of colonial violence, and how it foregrounds Indigenous epistemologies to counter the tourist imaginary of Hawai‘i as tropical “paradise.” It does this through a close textual analysis of Hula, cross-referenced with Aníbal Quijano’s (2000) concept of the “coloniality of power,” Walter Mignolo’s (2009) theory of “epistemic disobedience,” and ecocritical insights from Rob Nixon. The findings reveal that the novel portrays tropical tourism as a subtle extension of colonial conquest: erasing Native presence and accelerating environmental degradation. The novel simultaneously demonstrates epistemic disobedience through the preservation of authentic hula (dance form), communal storytelling, and activism against military and corporate encroachments. The study concludes that the novel disrupts the normalizing of tropical tourism by centering Native Hawaiian agency, and reframing Hawai‘i not as a consumable paradise but as a contested homeland where cultural resurgence and sovereignty remain vital.

ABSTRACT As the impacts of climate change intensify, sustainability has emerged as a critical priority in global political, social and environmental discourse. This study examines the trajectory of Africa’s sustainability initiatives, analysing their historical roots in colonialism and their evolution into modern conservation efforts. It investigates how colonial resource exploitation established enduring patterns of development – patterns still influenced by contemporary forms of imperialism and economic growth. By engaging with secondary sources, including scholarly journals, books, news articles and policy documents, the study explores the political and environmental forces that have shaped Africa’s sustainability commitments. It interrogates the role of governance, policy and political decisions in defining Africa’s sustainability journey – past, present, and future. It seeks to illuminate how historical legacies and current power dynamics continue to shape the continent’s socio-political and environmental landscape in an era of escalating ecological crises.

India, known for its rich and diverse ecological heritage, has witnessed an evolving relationship between humans and wildlife spanning ancient reverence, colonial exploitation, and modern conservation efforts. This paper traces the historical evolution of wildlife protection laws in India from pre-colonial religious and cultural norms, through colonial-era regulatory statutes, to contemporary legal frameworks dominated by the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and related constitutional provisions. Despite these comprehensive statutory instruments and constitutional mandates such as Articles 48A and 51A(g), India faces escalating human-wildlife conflict driven by habitat loss, expanding agricultural and infrastructural development, and social pressures. The study critically examines judicial interventions that have expanded environmental and animal welfare rights, highlighting landmark cases that underscore the role of courts in conservation governance. Moreover, it explores the vital yet underrepresented role of local communities in conservation practices, analyzing mechanisms such as the Forest Rights Act and Joint Forest Management that enable participatory governance. The paper proposes legal and policy reforms aimed at bridging gaps between law and practice, emphasizing capacity building, inclusion of community knowledge, and sustainable coexistence strategies. Ultimately, this research advocates for an integrative approach to wildlife conservation that aligns ecological preservation with social justice and participatory governance.

The Coloniality of Power in Immunology

ABSTRACT Building on ‘translanguaging space’ (Li Wei 2011. Moment analysis and translanguaging space: discursive construction of identities by multilingual Chinese youth in Britain. Journal of Pragmatics 43: 1222–1235) and ‘decoloniality’ (Mignolo, W. D. 2007. Introduction: coloniality of power and de-colonial thinking. Cultural Studies 21, no. 2–3: 155–167; Quijano, A. 2007. Coloniality and modernity/rationality. Cultural Studies 21, no. 2-3: 168–178), we discuss how focusing on epistemic positionality and identity affirmation among multilingual students offers critical perspectives on understanding the role of translanguaging as a social justice pedagogy. Adopting a critical ethnographic approach, we analyze the data from a Multilingual Creative Writing Project for South Asian ethnic minority students in Hong Kong and Translanguaging Pedagogy in Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) in Mainland China. The analysis shows that translanguaging as a social justice pedagogy is an action that challenges linguistic and epistemic boundaries to affirm and reclaim multilingual students’ ‘translingual being’ (Li Wei, 2024. Transformative pedagogy for inclusion and social justice through translanguaging, co-learning, and transpositioning. Language Teaching, 57, no. 2: 203–214). Our findings suggest that translanguaging pedagogy should focus on affirming the epistemic subjecthood of multilingual students. For this, translanguaging could be purposefully integrated into pedagogical activities to show how breaking linguistic and epistemic boundaries is essential to reclaiming multilingual students’ translingual being and positioning them as epistemic subjects.

This reflective article analyzes the foundations of a transdisciplinary ethics based on the categories of otherness, bond, and diversity, with a focus on the Caribbean context. It argues that epistemological and cultural tensions emerge through the interaction of different forms of knowledge in scenarios shaped by the coloniality of power and knowledge. The study employs a qualitative documentary methodology, grounded in the critical analysis of contemporary theories of recognition, alterity, and diversity, alongside contributions from Caribbean and decolonial thought. The results reveal that trans- disciplinary ethics fosters the appreciation of Caribbean epistemic diversity and promotes the articulation of ancestral, spiritual, and academic knowledge in horizontal dialogue. It concludes that this ethical perspective understands diversity not as difference but as a principle of mutual enrichment and cognitive justice, contributing to more equitable, dialogical, and plural forms of coexistence.

Educational inequality in the Sub-Saharan Africa has faced significant challenges since the colonial era. While many African countries have sought to increase access to quality education since independence around the early 1990s, the majority of these countries have very little to show when it comes to achieving epistemological access in education in which matters of quality, equality and justice are embedded notions. Of course, issues of inequalities in Africa just like in many developing countries worldwide are not new as they are foregrounded in the history of colonial exploitation, systemic marginalization, and imbalanced development priorities. More specifically so, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi have served as unique examples in illustrating how the proponents of colonialism and apartheid had used education to enforce racial and class dominance through manipulation of the curriculum, educators, and all policies that guided socio-economic life. There these very historical inequalities that continue to influence present day social, economic, educational and political conditions of many countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa. This study therefore sought to explain and understand how colonial-era-like policies have continued to shape socioeconomic and educational conditions of modern African countries and how these policies and practices have recreated and sustained power-relations and inequalities among the peoples. Theoretically, the paper is guided by Epistemic Injustices as advanced by Mirander Fricker and Gaile Pohlhaus due to its ability to illuminate power-relations, domination and exploitation. Methodologically, the paper utilised qualitative research design especially document analysis since these events are naturally historical, and that over the years, research scholars have done several studies leading education reforms, policy and curriculum reforms all of which are in the public domain.

The topic of undocumented immigration in literature and cinema is particularly relevant during the uncertainty of Donald Trump’s administration, as sanctuary cities remain under attack. One of the most sympathetic undocumented immigrant groups is the so‑called “DREAMers”, due to their support of the DREAM Act. These are young adults who were brought to the U.S. as undocumented children by their parents. They have grown up in U.S. society, and very often don’t even remember their countries of origin. Many of them speak little or none of their parent’s native language and have been educated in public and private U.S. schools. This essay focuses on young undocumented immigrant students by primarily analyzing the nonfiction texts: Joshua Davis’s Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream, and Julissa Arce’s My Underground American Dream memoir. I also discuss the Spare Parts film, and Jose Antonio Vargas’s documentary, Documented. Since migration theory has largely failed to recognize the importance of race and racism in the process of migrant integration, my analysis incorporates theories that center on dismantling western binaries to create hybrid, new non‑linear, third spaces of subaltern enunciation, which are valuable in the examination of the always fluid notion of undocumented immigration. Peruvian sociologist Aníbal Quijano’s concept of “coloniality of power”, Argentinian–Mexican philosopher Enrique Dussel’s “principle of solidarity”, and Latina theorist Gloria Anzaldúa’s notion of “Nepantla” provide essential decolonial thinking to my analysis on the notion of immigration and citizenship in Latinx literature and cinema.

Outer space is increasingly used to expand and entrench State power due to a legal framework that proclaims universal freedoms while enabling de facto domination by actors with existing capital and technological capacity. This dynamic is visible in the U.S.’ expanding space infrastructure and growing monopolisation of Low Earth Orbits (LEO), which has been greatly accelerated by its private enterprise and which threatens equal access for other space actors. This paper traces the historical and symbiotic relationship between States and private actors in appropriating extraterritorial areas and resources, and the role that international law played in enabling, legitimising and entrenching such practices. Drawing parallels with historical accounts of private-turned-public appropriation, it highlights how private actors were pivotal in extending and amplifying State power. It then examines how similar dynamics and colonial rhetoric have returned to be applied to outer space, where ongoing State practice and legal developments risk following a similar pattern of facilitating and entrenching domination by States with current space capacities.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine women's oppression through feminist and decolonial perspectives, highlighting how coloniality and patriarchy intersect to silence marginalized voices. By engaging key thinkers such as Simone de Beauvoir, Ann E. Cudd and Nelson Maldonado-Torres, the paper aims to uncover the systemic structures that sustain inequality while advancing a framework for liberation, epistemic justice and social transformation. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts a conceptual methodology grounded in feminist and decolonial traditions. It critically engages key philosophical texts, including the works of Simone de Beauvoir, Ann E. Cudd and Nelson Maldonado-Torres, to interrogate how patriarchy and coloniality produce and sustain women's oppression. The approach does not rely on empirical data collection; instead, it synthesizes theoretical insights to build a framework for analyzing oppression, highlighting how narratives, silences and identities are constructed within systems of power. Findings The analysis demonstrates that women's oppression cannot be understood solely through gender; it is intensified by the coloniality of power, which imposes silence, erasure and marginalization on entire communities. By integrating feminist and decolonial thought, the paper shows that oppression functions as a systemic structure sustained by institutions, cultural norms and epistemic hierarchies. It argues that liberation requires not only resistance to patriarchy but also decolonial transformation—creating space for marginalized voices, reclaiming knowledge and advancing epistemic justice. Research limitations/implications As a conceptual study, this paper does not present new empirical findings, which may limit its immediate applicability in specific contexts. However, its synthesis of feminist and decolonial perspectives provides a theoretical framework that can guide future empirical research, inform educational practice and support policy aimed at addressing systemic oppression and advancing epistemic justice. Practical implications The analysis provides practical guidance for educators, policymakers and community leaders seeking to address systemic oppression. By showing how coloniality and patriarchy intersect, the paper encourages institutions to critically examine how curricula, research practices and policies may reproduce silences and exclusions. It suggests that applying feminist and decolonial perspectives can help design more inclusive classrooms, equitable policies and community-based initiatives that amplify the voices of marginalized individuals. The framework also provides a foundation for training programs that prepare teachers, social workers and decision-makers to challenge oppressive structures and promote epistemic justice in their daily practices. Social implications This paper highlights how feminist and decolonial perspectives can inform broader social transformation. By exposing how coloniality and patriarchy jointly sustain women's oppression, it calls for collective action that challenges entrenched hierarchies and reimagines social relations based on dignity, reciprocity and justice. The framework has implications for movements advocating gender equity, decolonial education, and human rights, as it emphasizes the importance of amplifying marginalized voices and reshaping knowledge systems. Ultimately, the analysis contributes to building more inclusive societies by linking theory to practice and fostering solidarity among oppressed groups. Originality/value This paper contributes originality by bringing feminist philosophy and decolonial theory into dialogue to examine women's oppression as both systemic and historically situated. Unlike studies that address patriarchy or coloniality separately, this work shows their intersection as mutually reinforcing structures of domination. Its value lies in developing a conceptual framework that not only critiques existing power relations but also proposes pathways toward epistemic justice, inclusion and liberation. The study encourages scholars, educators and policymakers to rethink assumptions about knowledge and to center marginalized voices in the pursuit of social transformation.

This article examines contemporary dilemmas in the care and interpretation of cultural heritage through the lens of “guilty” or contested historical artefacts. Using literary analysis, architectural theory, and recent public debates, it explores how cultural objects and sites become morally charged when their origins or historical associations conflict with present-day values. The discussion opens with Andrew O’Hagan’s novel Caledonian Road, in which an art historian publicly dismantles the authority of the British Museum’s Enlightenment Gallery, exposing colonial plunder and aesthetic fabrication beneath its celebrated displays. This fictional episode serves as a point of departure for reflecting on real-world heritage practices, including institutional strategies of contextualisation and reputation management. The article situates these issues within broader heritage theory, drawing on the Venice Charter and the concept of the historic urban landscape, while also addressing critiques that argue the notion of “heritage” has become overstretched and analytically problematic. Through case studies such as De Bazel’s former headquarters of the Nederlandsche Handelmaatschappij in Amsterdam and the former SS prison at Camp Vught, the article demonstrates how buildings can become permanently tainted by the “lived time” of colonial exploitation, war, and violence. Particular attention is paid to the tension between lived historical experience and contemporary “experienced time,” shaped by consumer culture, commemorative practices, and demands for authenticity. The article argues that attempts to neutralise, erase, or sanitise difficult histories often reveal deeper societal discomfort rather than offering genuine ethical resolution. Ultimately, it contends that responsible heritage care requires sustained engagement with historical context, moral ambiguity, and emotional complexity, rather than reliance on aesthetic appreciation or curatorial framing alone.

Colonial expansion and industrial capitalism profoundly reshaped ecological systems across the Global South, with long-lasting consequences for local environments and communities. This study examines the relationship between colonial exploitation and environmental degradation in Malabar, a region that experienced intensive ecological transformation under British rule. Drawing on historical records, colonial administrative policies, and environmental narratives, the paper analyses how the British colonial economy restructured land use, forest management, and resource extraction to serve imperial interests. Particular attention is given to deforestation, plantation expansion, timber extraction, and the role of railways in accelerating ecological exploitation. The study cites environmental change within the broader context of the Industrial Revolution, which increased colonial dependence on raw materials such as timber, agricultural produce, and forest resources. Colonial forest policies, driven by utilitarian and commercial objectives, systematically undermined indigenous land-use practices and disrupted long-standing human?nature relationships. The transformation of Malabar?s forests into revenue-generating assets led to ecological imbalance, displacement of tribal communities, and long-term environmental degradation. By adopting a historical?environmental perspective, the paper highlights how colonial modes of resource extraction not only altered the physical landscape of Malabar but also produced enduring socio-economic and ecological consequences. The study contributes to the growing field of environmental history by emphasizing the role of colonial governance in shaping contemporary ecological crises and underscores the need to reassess colonial development models through the lens of sustainability and environmental justice.