Paper short abstract:

How can one do science in a decolonial way as a European? I argue that solidarity and looking for empowering approaches are key ingredients. I will show how personally, these choices affect issues e.g of research, of citing African authors and of publishing. Focus is on challenges and possibilities.

Paper long abstract:

In a field so dominated by a heavy historical load of otherizing and dehumanizing discourse, no European student of Africa can pretend to work in a 'pure', value-free scientific way. Any decolonial approach has to involve the choice of an explicit position – and such a choice should not be without consequences. My choice is to seek to work in solidarity with African thinkers and activists who are trying to build an Africa based on authenticity, on the interests of the peoples of Africa and not based on narrow self-interest. However, how does one find such Africans and how does that choice still reflect personal bias and prejudice? In the times of the apartheid system, there was a simple choice between ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Today, things are not so straightforward. I choose to use the lens of ‘empowerment’, which means trying to identify approaches that challenge existing power relationships that open up scope for African agency. It also means that I cannot pretend to speak on behalf of Africa or Africans.

The paper will explore this personal search for position taking in greater detail and overtime and the limitations, challenges and possibilities it offers. How to avoid a patronizing attitude? What does this mean for citing and using African authors? What does it mean for formulating research questions? What does it mean for (inter-)disciplinarity? For publishing? How can this be generalized? These and related issues will be explored.