Over the years, our growing team has repeatedly discussed issues related to decolonialism, anti-racism and academic freedom. Especially the latter has become both an important and necessary undertaking, given the increasing polarization of public and academic debate in Germany and beyond.
With variations in details and emphasis, the ABI found a broad consensus on a number of issues. The discrimination against BIPoC and racialized people is unacceptable for our own work, which is based on the principle of equal treatment. In addition, social hierarchies such as gender are structural problems we reject and address within the institute. Our goal is to reduce global knowledge asymmetries and to foster a collegial, respectful, and culturally sensitive approach to our work. We thus actively reflect upon our methodological practices and engage in collaborative and reciprocal formats of cooperating with our partner colleagues and institutions.
Moreover, we find that embracing a decolonial stance means developing explanatory and interpretive approaches beyond established theories and dominant paradigms. Our aim is to recognize and, ideally, revise supposedly universalistic, but essentially Eurocentric ways of thinking, and to enhance the plurality and visibility of voices engaging in knowledge production. Central for our work is a continuous critical reflection of our own approaches, trajectories, and positionalities. Underlining all of this is a commitment to the principles of academic freedom, which is necessary to critically examine global developments and to bring the results of our research into public debate without having to fear aggressive retaliation or hate speech. Our work aims to speak to contemporary political events and offer new perspectives. As a team, we affirm the imperative of adhering to international law and of exhausting all institutional mechanisms available to achieve the dignified regulation and transformation of conflict.
ALMA Reviews Blog
This blog series aims to discuss, highlight, and engage with scholarship from the regions of Africa, Latin America, Middle East, and Asia (ALMA) that ABI staff and associates have particularly enjoyed reading. It is determined to both challenge the hierarchies of academia in the Global North, and create more equal partnerships with our colleagues in the Global South. Read more.
Reading Lists
From our library, we compile academic literature on different political contexts of current debates and events.
- On the political context in Palestine and Israel (as of 12/2023)
- On the meanings, consequences and geopolitics of deportation (as of 03/2024)
- On Baden-Wuerttembergs partner country, Burundi (as of 12/2024)
- On the past and present of Sudan with a focus on the war since 2023 (as of 07/25)