"Futures" Conference Audio

Its been several months now, since the Postcolonial Futures in a Not Yet Postcolonial World: Locating the Intersections of Ethnic, Indigenous and Postcolonial Studies conference, but at long last the audio for the conference has been uploaded and is ready to be downloaded. For those of you unfamiliar with the conference, here is the mission statement below:

As scholars engaged in critical social justice work, we are constantly engaged in conversations about how to push
the limits of the Ethnic Studies project so that it may be used more productively in addressing the wide and varied number of student and faculty interests within the department. Although the growing interest in postcolonial and indigenous studies is exciting and holds great potential, we feel that there is an urgent need to learn beyond the caricatured and narrow perceptions that have cast these emerging disciplines as specialized fields of knowledge.

It is our contention that in addressing issues of violence, oppression and justice - whether they be local, global or transnational - ethnic studies, indigenous studies and postcolonial studies have a lot to offer each other. While the historical subjects of these disciplines might appear varied and distinct, the central issues at hand in all cases include issues of power, violence, imperialism and sovereignty. Moreover, we believe that by talking in disciplinary conjunction we may be able to think through identities and issues that yet lie at the margins of ethnic, postcolonial and indigenous studies - such as those related to statelessness and refugees.

In organizing this conference, it is our hope to bring together faculty, students and activists involved in critical political-intellectual work to think through new and radical strategies that address contemporary issues of justice in less isolated, more collaborative, ways.

You can also check out the call for papers by clicking here. And to see the schedule of papers and presenters just click here. We had a great turnout for the conference, and some very good feedback and alot of exciting dialogue amongst the presenters and those who came to listen. If you'd like to see photos of the lucky people who came to the conference and participated, just click here. Ai atan i manmatto gi i dinana'-mami, ai mammalate' yan mamgefpa'go lokkue'!

Due to technical problems and limitations, we were unable to record the audio for all the plenary panels. But pasted below are the four which we were able to archive and make available. There is a slight chance of there being a special journal issue/volume for selected papers and dialogues from the conference, so please keep in touch if you'd like to know more.

*******************************

Conference Audio #1:

"Global Histories/Local Designs: Contemplating San Diego as a Glocal City," was the opening plenary for the conference, "Postcolonial Futures in a Not Yet Postcolonial World: Locating the Intersections of Ethnic, Indigenous and Postcolonial Studies," which took place March 5-7, 2008 at the Ethnic Studies Department at University of California, San Diego. This panel was billed as "A panel of activists from different local organizations who will discuss the ways in which San Diego through issues of militarization, borders, Native American tribes fits into the theme of the conference, or how these issues position San Diego as a site where different ethnic, postcolonial and indigenous world intersect, conflict or disappear." The panelists were Andrea Guerrero, San Diego ACLU and Mshinda Nyofu, UJIMA Institute for Civic Responsibility. This panel took place at the Duetz Room in the Institute of the Americas on March 5th.

Please click here to listen to or download the audio from this panel.

Conference Audio #2:

"Intersections: A Conversation with UCSD Faculty" was a plenary panel for the conference, "Postcolonial Futures in a Not Yet Postcolonial World: Locating the Intersections of Ethnic, Indigenous and Postcolonial Studies," which took place March 5-7, 2008 at the Ethnic Studies Department at University of California, San Diego. This panel consisted of UCSD faculty who discussed their work, their ideas or the work of their departments in the context of the conference theme. The panel discussed in relation to the conference theme, what sort of work is or isnât being done here at UCSD, and what the panel members or other faculty, grad students or departments are doing to make this campus a more receptive place for doing cutting edge ethnic, indigenous and postcolonial studies, or work which straddles these intellectual disciplines. The panel took place on March 6, 2008 and its participants were Rosemary George (Literature), Ross Frank (Ethnic Studies) and Roberto Tejada (Visual Arts).

Click here to listen to the audio.

Conference Audio #3:

"Beyond the Fourth World Wall: The Global Practicing of Indigeneity," was a plenary panel for the conference, "Postcolonial Futures in a Not Yet Postcolonial World: Locating the Intersections of Ethnic, Indigenous and Postcolonial Studies," which took place March 5-7, 2008 at the Ethnic Studies Department at University of California, San Diego. This panel hoped to put into conversation different notions of indigeneity as articulated within European settler/colonial societies and within postcolonial worlds. More specifically this panel was interested in discussing indigenous movements across the globe, in order to highlight the multiple and complex ways in which indigeneity is understood, positioned and practiced globally. This panel took place March 6th 2008 and consisted of speakers Denise Da Silva (Ethnic Studies UCSD), Vince Diaz (U Michigan) and Robert Perez (UC Riverside). Robert Perez by personal request, has been edited out of the audio.

Click here to listen to the audio.

Conference Audio #4:

"The Audacity of Hope: Contemplating the Futures of Stateless and Refugee Peoples" was the closing plenary for the was the opening plenary for the conference, "Postcolonial Futures in a Not Yet Postcolonial World: Locating the Intersections of Ethnic, Indigenous and Postcolonial Studies," which took place March 5-7, 2008 at the Ethnic Studies Department at University of California, San Diego. This panel hoped to highlight the political "in-between-ness" shared by indigenous, stateless and refugee peoples. While the panel was interested in considering the productivity of âstatelessnessâ as a category for resistance and transformation, we would also like to discuss the different historic-political conditions that confront indigenous populations in settler and postcolonial societies, refugee populations formed through violent displacements and other global formations of statelessness. The panel took place on March 7, 2008 and consisted of Renya Ramirez (UCSC), Chandan Reddy (UW) and Jesse Mills (USD).

Click here for the audio.