Approaching Climate Change Leadership within the framing of Climate Justice and with a Decolonial lens was an important focus for Stefania Barca, the fourth professor in Climate Change Leadership. Decolonisation in the context of academia and higher education includes but is not limited to; acknowledging the knowledge systems and practices still structured by imperial enterprises; acknowledging the harm implicit within these historical power differences and; opening pathways to dialogue, repatriations and diverse knowledges. It was termed by indigenous scholars and is increasingly called for in universities around the world. The decolonial process is complex and crucially, must go beyond metaphorical and isolated acts. Decentring in turn, is a preliminary but important step within decolonial approaches, creating space for meaningful decolonial work to become visible. The initiatives undertaken at Climate Change Leadership this year hence reflect only small steps in decentring that form part of a larger process interwoven with the climate justice movement.
There were two strands of activity within this agenda.
- A webinar series that platformed the stories of climate change leaders and environmental defenders from the Global South.
- A webinar series known as The Living Library which explored different methods for hosting conversations between artists, researchers and activists gathered around climate justice.
For more information this theme, please see our list of resources, and our ongoing reflections connected to this theme.