What is the Decolonise Collective?
The Decolonise Collective is a group of students working with Warwick Students Union to embed decolonial perspectives across the Students Union, as well as campaigning for decolonisation across the University of Warwick. We strive to drive change that goes beyond the surface and reducing tokenisation, to bring decolonisation to the forefront of the collective student body, and to dismantle colonial legacies across the institution.
This year, our flagship events are Decol Week, running from Monday 28th April to Wednesday 30th April, and Liberation Conference on Thursday 1st May.
Who are we?
Ananya
Course: BA Politics and International Studies
Favourite author: Arundhati Roy
What are you most looking forward to this year as a decolonise advocate? I’m looking forward to centring and engaging student activists across campus, promoting all the exciting decolonising initiatives across Warwick, but most of all, rethinking the institutions we operate within and challenging them to confront their coloniality.
Yota
Zodiac: Taurus sun, Virgo rising, Aquarius moon
Course: MAsc Global Sustainable Development
Favourite author: Bell Hooks
Sophie
Course: MA Culture of the European Renaissance
Favourite author: Ray Bradbury
Previous projects: I worked on a Decolonise the Curriculum campaign at the University of Winchester and also worked on improving inclusion across Winchester Student Union.
What are you most looking forward to this year as a decolonise advocate? I’m really excited to develop workshops with all our liberation groups and make the Liberation Conference a space to celebrate grassroots activism and empower students to get involved with campaigns that they are passionate about.
What is Liberation Conference?
Building on the success of last year’s event, Liberation Conference is a three-day conference which brings together a range of liberation societies and groups across campus, with a range of talks and practical workshops to empower students to get involved with activism and campaigning. The event is rounded off with a range of evening events, co-created with a range of Warwick Liberation groups.
This year’s conference theme is ‘Liberating the student experience at Warwick: what does a Liberated and Decolonised university look like?’
New for this year, one day of the conference is dedicated to Decolonisation as a theme – there will be a student symposium based around the theme of ‘Decolonising the Curriculum and Research Practise’. There will also be a panel with lecturers and researchers discussing how they are decolonising their own practice, with a chance for attendees to ask questions and get advice on decolonising their own work.
Why have we partnered with WSU?
- Utilising existing networks with students, societies and academics who have collaborated on previous projects such as Liberation Conference 2024
- Creating a physical space for student activists and campaigners to come into the SU and collaborate with the collective
- Developing and embedding a wider culture of decolonising within the SU by linking in with a range of departments
- Giving students the opportunity to directly participate and transform their experience and become involved