Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Kultur-, Sozial- und Bildungswissenschaftliche Fakultät - Institut für Asien- und Afrikawissenschaften

Why is it that too many intellectual cultures, intellectual histories, and theoretical contributions of individual thinkers from economically and politically marginalized regions of the world in the so-called ‘global South’ are still little known, underexplored and undervalued? I would like to reflect on this from three different but mutually entangled perspec- tives. One is informed by my own approach of criti- cal area studies, and touches upon the problem of embracing the plurality of ontological ecologies on our globe. Another one is (geo-)politically inspired. It addresses the issue of global power relations that are mirrored, among others, in the gap be- tween hegemonic and non-hegemonic languages, and the assumed necessity of generating applied knowledge rather than basic theoretical thought. A third one, related to the previous two, highlights the notion of local knowledge. Attending to the “why” question above, I suggest that local knowledge can contribute to a thorough re-thinking of predominant (Eurocentric) concepts and lead to what I would like to call “we-thinking”. The three perspectives are meant to open a forum for discussion and motivate the building of connections that transform what is already being connected – for instance through acts of translation. If epistemic decolonization were to be encouraged, strengthening connectivities may be suggested as a means to do so.

Mateeullah Tareen, Doctoral Fellow, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

Sumrin Kalia, Doctoral Fellow, Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies, Freie Universität Berlin

Nida Kirmani, PhD, Associate Professor, LUMS, Lahore / Pakistan

Ahsan Kamal, PhD, Lecturer, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad / Pakistan

Omar Kasmani, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Freie Universität Berlin

Why is it that too many intellectual cultures, intellectual histories, and theoretical contributions of individual thinkers from economically and politically marginalized regions of the world in the so-called ‘global South’ are still little known, underexplored and undervalued? I would like to reflect on this from three different but mutually entangled perspec- tives. One is informed by my own approach of criti- cal area studies, and touches upon the problem of embracing the plurality of ontological ecologies on our globe. Another one is (geo-)politically inspired. It addresses the issue of global power relations that are mirrored, among others, in the gap be- tween hegemonic and non-hegemonic languages, and the assumed necessity of generating applied knowledge rather than basic theoretical thought. A third one, related to the previous two, highlights the notion of local knowledge. Attending to the “why” question above, I suggest that local knowledge can contribute to a thorough re-thinking of predominant (Eurocentric) concepts and lead to what I would like to call “we-thinking”. The three perspectives are meant to open a forum for discussion and motivate the building of connections that transform what is already being connected – for instance through acts of translation. If epistemic decolonization were to be encouraged, strengthening connectivities may be suggested as a means to do so.

Idee/ Hintergrund„The readiness to involve oneself with the respondent´s perspective is crucial for producing and consolidating knowledge in the interaction between researcher and respondents“ (Andreas Witzel & Herwig Reiter, 2013: The Problem-Centred Interview: Principles and Practice )

Mateeullah Tareen, Doctoral Fellow, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

Sumrin Kalia, Doctoral Fellow, Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies, Freie Universität Berlin