This episode needs an introduction: we defend the spontaneity of podcasts and we think that linking professionality to the use of expensive technical means is yet one more attempt to keep power and resources in the hands of those few who can afford them.
Nevertheless we are conscious that the sound of this episode is especially disturbing.
Thank you for keeping supporting us, your support is our strength!


Join us as we conclude the second season of this podcast. We explore the essence of decolonial practices, reflecting on our journey.
We try to pull the threads of the practices discussed: reconnecting with nature, challenging binaries and imagining a more equitable future.  

What does it mean in a world where humanitarian and development actions are more needed than ever?
What does it mean for people working in our sector? 
How can we practice decoloniality and remain relevant?

Until next time, stay engaged, curious and decolonial.

The transcript is available here.

In this episode we dive into thought-provoking conversations with Karishma Shafi, who is working with One Future Collective, a feminist organization dedicated to social justice in India. From challenging colonial legacies to reimagining knowledge systems, Karishma shares invaluable insights that resonate across disciplines, suggesting alternative practices through examples provided by her work at OFC.

The transcrip is available here

Sources: 

• Colonial legacies, postcolonial ‘selfhood’ and the (un)doing of Africa
• One Future Collective
• Precolonial Intellectuals and the Production of Colonial Knowledge
• The Production of Colonial Knowledge and the Role of Native Intellectuals: The Case of Kavali Borraiah
• How we see the world: use of maps in transnational policies
• Coloniality of Knowledge and the Challenge of Creating African Futures
• Coloniality of power and de-colonial thinking

In this episode of Living Decoloniality, Carla interviews Themrise Khan.
Themrise is an independent professional in international development, based in Pakistan, who is working to develop what she calls “a new ecosystem for international aid”.
Themrise is not interested in using the framework of coloniality, although what she says echoes very much concepts and theories discussed in this podcast so far. She aims at creating a new roadmap that each country -and she stresses the national dimension of her plan – changes the way they live, provide, and ask for international aid.

Resources:
Themrise’s website
Keynote speech at the 2023 Humanitarian Leadership Conference

How was it recorded? zoom interview for Themrise. studio recording for Carla

This episode is focused on cooperation among universities.
This kind of cooperation, fostered by programs and funds called “cooperation North-South” or “triangular cooperation”, sits on a number of unspoken colonial dynamics that Carla will start unpacking through her interview.

The guests of this episode are three researchers: Adriana Moreno Cely, Kewan Mertens and Viola Nyakato. Through the story of how they personally met and decided to have open-ended transformative dialogues to iteratively unveil coloniality in their life and work, the 3 researchers share with us their decolonial practices and the methodology they are developing to tackle their own coloniality.

Resources:
Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Decolonization, Decoloniality, and the Future of African Studies: A Conversation (by Duncan Omanga)
Morgan Ndlovu, Coloniality of Knowledge and the Challenge of Creating African Futures
Kewan Mertens, Reassembling disaster risk: towards a more self reflexive and enabling geography

How was it recorded? first interview through whatsapp messages, second interview on zoom

In this episode Carla Vitantonio interviews Karishma Shafi (she/her)
Karishma is a program manager at One future collective.
She is an activist and researcher in the field of gender, media and culture. She aims to understand and address gender-based oppression along the axes of power and privilege. Her work at OFC focuses on shifting public narrative and policy with a social justice orientation.

One Future Collective is a feminist social purpose organisation with a vision of a world built on social justice, led by communities of care. We exist to nurture people’s feminist and rights-based leadership and influence their micro-communities and ecosystems to achieve social justice: through an alt school, advocacy lab and feminist justice project.

Starting from a definition of coloniality, Karishma shares her lived experience as a woman grown up in India, and brings us to reflect on coloniality in several realms, insisting on coloniality of knowledge. She explains how projects are often built on knowledge and practices that are not related to the knowledge and practices of the community that participates into the project.

When asked about her decolonial practices, she especially focuses on community work, and challenges concepts as “service provision”, proposing alternatives through examples from OFC’s work.

Resources:
One future collective
Fairshare of women leaders, on Feminist Leadership
Nokuthula Hlabangane, The underside of modern knowledge: an epistemic break from western science
Nazanin Zadeh-Cummings, Through the looking glass: Coloniality and mirroring in localisation Srilatha Batliwala, All about power

How was it recorded? whatsapp messages for Karishma, and improvised studio for Carla’s voice

In the first episode of Living Decoloniality, Carla Vitantonio shares with us the story of the podcast and the reasons that moved her to create it.
She introduces us to the doubts (or, as a social scientist would say, the research questions) that animated her research and to the answers she found: She shares the reference framework used through the episodes, briefly talking about the concept of coloniality, and she suggests ways to use and enjoy the podcast.

Resources:
Anibal Quijano, Colonialidad Eurocentrismo y America Latina
Nelson Maldonaldo Torres, On the coloniality of being
Maria Lugones, The coloniality of Gender
Eugene Bardach, The extrapolation problem


How was it recorded? studio

Mara Tissera Luna, a polyglot international consultant with over a decade of expertise in protection and forced migration, delves into the critical intersection of inclusive research and societal engagement. Explore how Mara's unique blend of skills in social anthropology and public administration informs her work in addressing root causes and developing policies for displaced populations across Latin America, the US, and Europe. Discover the power of decentering knowledge hierarchies, amplifying marginalized voices, and fostering a more equitable world.

The transcript is available here


Sources: 

• Mara Tissera Luna 
• Epistemic decentering in education for responsibility: revisiting the theory and practice of educational integrity
• Decentering academia through critical unlearning in transdisciplinary knowledge production 
• Possibilities and complexities of decolonising higher education: critical perspectives on praxis
• Living Decoloniality, S01 E03- Adriana, Kewan and Viola 

In this episode I’ll have a transformative chat with Patrick and Suhee, artists based in Daejeon, South Korea.
We delve into their journey to reconnect with nature, challenging societal norms and embracing ecological respectability.
Discover the essence of their creative studio, City as Nature, and their rebellion against coloniality. Explore the power of finding a place, recognizing your existence, and giving yourself permission to engage with nature deeply.
Can we bring any of these practices to our daily work?

Tune in for an inspiring conversation breaking free from conventional norms. 

The transcript is availeble here.

Sources: 

• Placing diverse knowledge systems at the core of transformative climate research , 
• Representation of Indigenous peoples in climate change reporting, 
• El Buen Vivir y los saberes ancestrales frente al neo-extractivismo del siglo XXI, 
• Implementing ‘Vivir Bien’: Results and Lessons from the Biocultura Programme, Bolivia, 
• City as Nature

In this episode I address one of the implicit narratives of coloniality: the narrative that  separates humans from nature, giving the firsts power over the second.
I delve into the concept of 'coloniality of being' and its impact on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). 

In an insightful interview with two members of the Feminist Hiking Collective, I explore their research triggers, and learn how they rebel against colonial perspectives, and navigate the intersection of nature, humanity, and decoloniality.


The transcript is available here

FHC - Feminist Hiking Collective is a feminist non-profit organisation formed in January 2020 and registered in Italy.    Their aim is to contribute to transformative system change through feminist popular education, research and resource co-creation; and to build collective feminist leadership and power through hiking.


Sources: 

• A decolonial feminism 
• All about power
• Achieving Transformative Feminist Leadership 
• Feminist Hiking Collective

In this episode of 'Living Decoloniality,' I engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Charles Kojo Vandyck.
From challenging colonial mindsets to reshaping narratives in the aid sector, Charles shares his journey and introduces 'Alternative Convos,' a podcast aiming to amplify diverse voices in international development.
Join me as I delve into the complexities of decolonizing minds and practices, redefining leadership, and creating spaces for alternative narratives. 


The transcript is available here



Sources: 

• Decolonizing Knowledge: From Development to Dialogue
• Beyond the Master's Tools?: Decolonizing Knowledge Orders, Research Methods and Teaching
• Epistemic Decolonization: A Critical Investigation into the Anticolonial Politics of Knowledge
• Alternative Convos

In this episode I reflect on the journey of this podcast, drawing inspiration from my sabbatical in Florence to the streets of Havana.
I recall the framework of the Colonial Matrix of Power, and I introduce the second season and its themes.
We will dive into Coloniality of Being, Coloniality of Knowledge, and Coloniality of Gender in the aid sector.Embracing the concept of extrapolation, we move beyond sector boundaries.

No longer limited to replicating practices, we explore diverse contexts, seeking inspiration from unconventional sources.
Let’s challenge colonial structures and discover new possibilities.

The transcript is available here


Sources:

• Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective
• Epistemic Disobedience, Independent Thought and De-Colonial Freedom
• On Decoloniality: Concepts, Analytics, Praxis
• Colonialidad del poder, eurocentrismo y América Latina
• The Extrapolation Problem: How Can We Learn from the Experience of Others?

In this last episode of the first season of Living Decoloniality, Carla goes back to her initial purpose and recalls her initial questions.
She then summarizes the topics addressed through the season an mentions topics that she would like to touch in the next one.

In this episode Carla Vitantonio talks to Kenneth Amaeshi about the project he is supporting in Nigeria.
While talking about ways to improve livelihood for people and community, Kenneth admits that too often solutions are brought from abroad that don’t match local needs, practices, habits and customs. Kenneth explains how his working group and himself are, on the contrary, trying to build new opportunities based on local networks and practices.

Resources:
Peter Ekeh, Colonialism and the two publics in Africa: a theoretical statement
Walter Mignolo, Coloniality, Subalterne Knowledge, Border Thinking
Srilatha Batliwala, Taking the power out of empowerment: an experiential account

How was it recorded? Live interview and studio for Carla’s voice re-recording

In this episode Carla Vitantonio interviews Nigerian health worker and activist Jennifer Uchendu. Jennifer is the founder of Sustyvibes, a community where young people with a passion for a just world come together to connect and design new ways of living, for themselves, the planet and the world at large. Carla and Jennifer talk about decolonial practices when linked to ecoanxiety, to narratives, but also to power relations and to how those power relations shall be unveiled, even when relations with donors are involved

Resources:
https://sustyvibes.org/
Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí, The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses
Sabelo Ndlovu Gatsheni, Coloniality of Power in Development Studies and the Impact of Global Imperial Designs on Africa

How was it recorded? Interview on zoom

In this opening episode of Season 3, we’re reconnecting with the essence of Living Decoloniality and diving into reflections from our journey so far. Join us as we unpack key lessons from the first two seasons, revisit the fundamentals of coloniality, and set the stage for the conversations to come. Whether you’re a longtime listener or tuning in for the first time, this episode is your gateway to understanding the ongoing impacts of coloniality and our paths toward decolonial futures. Let’s continue this journey together!

The transcript is here.

Sources:

• Frantz Fanon’s Enduring Legacy By Pankaj Mishra
• Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon
• Positionality Statements as a Function of Coloniality: Interrogating Reflexive Methodologies by Jasmine K Gani, Rabea M Khan
• Decolonizing the aid sector: how the global minority is holding on to power, by Carla Vitantonio
• Coloniality and the "aid bubble": can language be a driver for change? by Carla Vitantonio

In this insightful episode, we’re joined by Safieh, a trailblazer in decolonizing global health. With over 15 years of experience in the humanitarian sector, Safieh shares practical tools to dismantle the coloniality of knowledge and being within international public health projects. From her work as a medical doctor to establishing the first open-access, multi-country Ebola data repository, Safieh’s journey is a testament to the power of intersectional feminism, open science, and decolonial approaches.

Sources: 

• Transforming global health: decoloniality and the human condition, Raphael Lencucha
• Towards a bidirectional decoloniality in academic global health: insights from settler colonialism and racial capitalism, Bram Wispelwey, Chidinma Osuagwu, David Mills, Tinashe Goronga, Michelle Morse
• Shifting Power in Global Health: Creating partnerships to put decoloniality into practice, United Nations Univeristy
• Why and for whom are we decolonising global health?, Ong’era F Mogakaa, Jenell Stewart, Elizabeth Bukusi
• Safieh' s newsletter
• Epistemic violence in the humanitarian sector

You can find the complete transcript here

In this episode of Living Decoloniality, we sit down with Dawit Taddele Dessie. Dawit considers himself a person who works to promote sustainable change. Currently, his interest is mainly focused on the intersection between technology and development. Dawit shares insights on how he is engaging in  reshaping philanthropy in East Africa. We'll dive into his work at Project Tech for Development, the role of tech-enabled solutions in nonprofit work, and his vision for decolonizing philanthropy through long-term sustainability, data-driven insights, and strategic partnerships. He emphasizes that true decolonization must begin with a shift in mindset, transforming the way we think before we can reshape systems and institutions
Sources: 

• 3 ways to decolonize philanthropy right now, Geoffrey Thige, Jailan Adly
• Funders must reckon with the true motivations of philanthropy if they want to decolonise, Laura Somoggi and Shivani Gupta
• https://www.wildeganzen.org/
• https://kcdf.or.ke/
• Opinion: To truly walk the talk is to decolonize philanthropy

Dawit Taddele Dessie is a seasoned changemaker with over 15 years of experience driving transformative impact across diverse sectors. Currently, he is at the forefront of integrating technology into development through his role at Project Tech for Development, where he builds scalable and sustainable solutions, strengthens nonprofit tech capacity, and leverages open-source technology for the public good. Simultaneously, he serves as a strategic advisor to the East Africa Philanthropy Network, architecting an integrated ecosystem centered around three key pillars:

• Endowment/Pool Fund: Fostering long-term organizational sustainability through strategic fundraising and partnerships.
• Tech-Enabled Data Mapping Platform: Creating a comprehensive data-driven landscape of the East African philanthropic ecosystem.
• Technology Integration and Custom Tech Products: Empowering network members with innovative technology solutions to maximize impact.

A skilled collaborator, Dawit excels at building bridges between diverse stakeholders to drive systemic change. With a keen ability to identify opportunities and translate vision into action. Passionate about harnessing collective intelligence, he seeks collaborative partnerships to build a more equitable and sustainable future.

The transcript is here

In this episode, Ayelén Amigo joins us to explore coloniality of age, a concept that she created during her studies and shares practical tools for decolonisation projects with children. Applying her extensive academic training and years of participatory work with children and adolescents in Argentina and Mexico, Ayelén shares how adult-centrism and patriarchy shape childhood experiences. Focusing on the integration of feminist perspectives and on the use of the "pedagogy of tenderness", Ayelén offers valuable insights into creating more inclusive and equitable approaches to youth work. 

The transcript is here.

Sources: 

• Linde, R., The globalization of childhood: The international diffusion of norms and law against the child death penalty. 
• Nxumalo, F., & Cedillo, S.,  Decolonizing place in early childhood studies: Thinking with Indigenous onto-epistemologies and Black feminist geographies. 
• Elizabeth A. Faulkner and Conrad Nyamutata, The Decolonisation of Children’s Rights and the Colonial Contours of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

In this episode we welcome Michelle Lokot, an esteemed researcher and practitioner, to explore the coloniality of gender and how it intersects with monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in humanitarian contexts. Michelle shares practical tools for fostering decolonial approaches to M&E, drawing on her extensive experience in feminist research, GBV, and qualitative methods. As Co-Director of the Health in Humanitarian Crises Centre at LSHTM, Michelle brings unique insights into the power hierarchies shaping gender, forced migration, and humanitarian aid. With years of frontline experience in Jordan, Nigeria, and Burundi, and collaborations with agencies like UNICEF and IRC, Michelle’s expertise will challenge and inspire your perspective on humanitarian work. 

The link to the transcript is here

Sources: 

• Gani, J.K & Khan, R.M,  Positionality Statements as a Function of Coloniality: Interrogating Reflexive Methodologies
• Lokot, M., Pichon, M., Kalichman, B., Nardella, S., Falconer, J., Kyegombe, N., & Buller, A. M.,  Decolonising the field of violence against women and girls: A scoping review and recommendations for research and programming.
• Lokot, M., Reflecting on Race, Gender and Age in Humanitarian-Led Research: Going Beyond Institutional to Individual Positionality.
• Lokot, M.,  Whose Voices? Whose Knowledge? A Feminist Analysis of the Value of Key Informant Interviews.
• Meger, S, The Fetishization of Sexual Violence in International Security.
• Zreik, T., El Masri, R., Chaar, S., Ali, R., Meksassi, B., Elias, J., & Lokot, M., Collaborative Coding in Multi-National Teams: Benefits, Challenges and Experiences Promoting Equitable Research.

In this last episode, we (Matilde and Carla) recollect the themes that touched us the most through the past season: co-creation, language, intersectionality, and pervasitivy of coloniality are some of them.

We also delve on the structure of Living Decoloniality and on how this podcast is, at the same time, bringing attention to decolonial practices and also transforming itself into one of them.

We know and feel that while we are closing this season the world looks uncertain and scary, but we also hope that the example given by the many people we interview will inspire and give strength to others.

Until the next time!

The transcript is here

This episode is a bit of an exception, as it talks about coloniality, and decolonial practices, in the framework of a big international initiative: the WASH Agenda for Change.
Listening to Bethlehem Mengistu and Susan Davis we will dive into the coloniality of power and what it means to decolonize governance, using the WASH Agenda for Change as a case study. With decades of leadership in international development, Bethlehem and Susan share insights on fostering collaborative systems, strengthening efforts, and challenging traditional power dynamics in global water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives. This conversation offers practical strategies for building more equitable and sustainable governance models in development work, but it also gives interesting insights on inclusion beyond tokenism and on feminist leadership.
 
Sources: 

• Agenda for Change
• From an implementing partnership with local NGOs to partnering with local government, Bethlehem Mengistu
• Implementing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

The link to the transcript is here

Dr Salmah Eva-Lina Lawrence joins us to bring back the discussion on the intersection among coloniality of gender, knowledge and race. And to do so, she shares with us her experience in the Pacific Islands. Drawing on her matrilineal heritage from Papua New Guinea and her extensive experience of decolonising international development, Salmah links theory and practice with insights from ethics, epistemology and feminism. From her role in governance and civil society to her academic contributions, Salmah offers a nuanced perspective on the dismantling of colonial frameworks in development.

Sources: 

• Jean Louis Rallu, The Impact of Colonization and Christianization on Gender Violence in the Pacific Islands
• Seema Khan, Gender Issues in the Pacific Islands
• Pacific Women:  Ending discrimination on the basis of sexuality, gender identity and expression 
• Dr Salmah's website and training opportunities

The transcript is here

In this episode with Ammaarah Nilafdeen, a social researcher from Colombo, Sri Lanka, we critically examine the coloniality of language and the concept of ‘local’ in the process of "localization".
With a strong critique of colonial frameworks and the recognition that language carries meanings that reveal power differentials, Ammaarah's ideas aim to challenge entrenched narratives. 

The transcript is here.

Sources:

• SPOKEN TAMIL DIALECTS OF THE MUSLIMS OF SRI LANKA: LANGUAGE AS IDENTITY-CLASSIFIER, M. M. M. MAHROOF
• How a unique Tamil dialect survived among a fishing community in Sri Lanka, Ajay Kamalakaran
• Coloniality and the ‘aid bubble’: Can language be a driver for change?, Carla Vitantonio
• Deconstructing Decolonization: The Case of Language, Ammaarah Nilafdeen
• The relationship between Language and Neocolonialism - Carla Vitantonio

En este episodio conversamos con Isabel García y Miguel Bello de Pluriversa, una comunidad de pensadoras y pensadores críticos que impulsan las transiciones ecosociales en el Sur Global a través del diseño y la tecnología.
Inspirados por el pensamiento pluriversal de Arturo Escobar, Isabel y Miguel nos invitan a imaginar alternativas al desarrollo, basadas en la regeneración, la interdependencia y la autonomía.
Juntas exploramos cómo el diseño decolonial puede desafiar los modelos extractivistas y lineales del desarrollo occidental, abriendo caminos hacia el bienestar colectivo, la diversidad y la reconexión con la Madre Tierra.
Escucha este episodio para descubrir cómo el diseño puede convertirse en un acto político y relacional, capaz de cultivar nuevos mundos posibles.

******

In this episode, we talk with Isabel García and Miguel Bello from Pluriversa, a community of critical thinkers accelerating ecosocial transitions in the Global South through design and technology.
From their work inspired by Arturo Escobar’s pluriversal thinking, Isabel and Miguel invite us to imagine alternatives to development. What are other ways of designing which are rooted in regeneration, interdependence, and autonomy?
Together, we explore how decolonial design can challenge the extractivist, linear models of Western development and open paths toward collective well-being, diversity, and reconnection with Mother Earth.
Tune in to discover how design can become a political and relational act — one that nurtures new worlds in the making.

*****

Recursos/Resources

• Libros y publicaciones
  • Arturo Escobar: Autonomía y Diseño
  • Anthony Dunne, Fiona Raby: Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming
  • Donella Meadows: Thinking In Systems
  • Fritjof Capra: The Systems View of Life

 

• Multimedia
  • Anab Jain: TED Talk: Why We Need To Imagine Different Futures
  • Transition Design Institute: 10 years of transition design
  • Los derechos de la Naturaleza. Un movimiento global: https://youtu.be/RupkZM8dV14?si=bgSJammuNFCoUqzS
  • Terry Irwin: Designing for Systems-Level Change and Transitions Toward More Sustainable Futures

 

• Herramientas// Tools
  • Pluriversa: Guía de pensamiento sistémico para la innovación pública
  • Design Council: Systemic Design Framework
  • UNDP: Foresight Playbook
  • UK Government Office for Science: Futures toolkit for policymakers and analysts

TRANSCRIPT

En este episodio, hablamos con Romel González Díaz, activista maya y defensor de los derechos humanos, sobre sus más de tres décadas de trabajo protegiendo los recursos naturales, el desarrollo comunitario y la vivienda en comunidades indígenas de México.Romel es miembro del Consejo Regional Indígena y Popular de Xpujil y colabora con la Cooperativa Chac Lol, promoviendo la organización comunitaria, la educación en derechos humanos colectivos y prácticas de desarrollo sostenible, como la agricultura, el turismo biocultural y la gestión de recursos naturales.En esta conversación, Romel comparte su enfoque para empoderar a las comunidades a conocer y defender sus derechos, cambiar las actitudes de empresas y gobiernos, y garantizar la participación activa en las decisiones que afectan su entorno y su futuro. Su mensaje al mundo es claro: necesitamos mecanismos internacionales y espacios judiciales que responsabilicen a los gobiernos y protejan efectivamente los derechos de los pueblos indígenas, creando un futuro sostenible y equitativo para todos.Conéctate a este episodio para descubrir cómo los movimientos indígenas están transformando la cooperación y defendiendo la tierra, la vida y los derechos de sus comunidades.

*****

In this episode, we speak with Romel González Díaz, a Maya activist and human rights defender, about his more than three decades of work protecting natural resources, community development, and housing in Indigenous communities across Mexico.Romel is a member of the Regional Indigenous and Popular Council of Xpujil and collaborates with the Chac Lol Cooperative, promoting community organization, education on collective human rights, and sustainable development practices such as agriculture, biocultural tourism, and natural resource management.In this conversation, Romel shares his approach to empowering communities to know and assert their rights, change the attitudes of businesses and governments, and ensure active participation in decisions that affect their environment and future. His message to the world is clear: we need international mechanisms and judicial spaces to hold governments accountable and effectively protect Indigenous rights, creating a sustainable and equitable future for all.Tune in to this episode to discover how Indigenous movements are reshaping cooperation and defending land, life, and the rights of their communities.

*****

Recursos/Resources

• The Chac Lol Cooperative, by Elizabeth A. Bowman
• Los pueblos indígenas de América Latina – Abya Yala y la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible, CEPAL
• DECOLONIALIDAD E INTERCULTURALIDAD CRITICA, Dr. Luis Pincheira Muñoz Dr. Germán López Noreña 
• Thirty years of community forest management in the maya biosphere reserve: A review of its successes and challenges for conservation and governance of tropical forest socio-ecological systems, Silvia Ximena Ureta Cifuentes, Fabián Marcelo Zamora Mejía, Pedro Arnulfo Pineda Cotzojay, Marie Ange Ngo Bieng, 

Transcript 

En este episodio conversamos con María Arteaga Villamil, antropóloga mexicana y activista feminista radicada en Estados Unidos, sobre las mujeres, las migraciones y el poder de la organización colectiva. Desde su trabajo en The Women’s Building en San Francisco, María explora cómo las perspectivas feministas y decoloniales pueden transformar nuestra comprensión sobre la migración, el cuidado y la solidaridad.María es doctora en Antropología y cuenta con una amplia experiencia en metodologías cualitativas basadas en marcos teóricos feministas. Inspirada en la ética del cuidado feminista, su trabajo promueve prácticas de comunicación generativas que fomentan el impacto, la colaboración y la expansión de redes de solidaridad.Su investigación académica se centra en cómo las mujeres navegan la autoridad y la identidad en entornos laborales altamente masculinizados, utilizando la investigación narrativa feminista para visibilizar las barreras estructurales que limitan el acceso de las mujeres a la justicia y la igualdad.Conéctate a este episodio para descubrir cómo las mujeres migrantes están transformando las narrativas de resistencia y pertenencia, y cómo la solidaridad feminista puede abrir nuevos caminos hacia el empoderamiento y la transformación colectiva.

*****

In this episode, we talk with María Arteaga Villamil, a Mexican anthropologist and feminist activist based in the United States, about women, migration, and the power of collective organization. From her work at The Women’s Building in San Francisco, María explores how feminist and decolonial perspectives can transform our understanding of migration, care, and solidarity.María holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and has extensive experience in qualitative methodologies grounded in feminist theoretical frameworks. Inspired by the feminist ethics of care, her work promotes generative communication practices that build impact, collaboration, and solidarity networks.Her academic research focuses on how women navigate authority and identity in highly masculine work environments, using feminist narrative research to expose the structural barriers that limit women’s access to justice and equality. Tune in to this episode to discover how migrant women are reshaping narratives of resistance and belonging, and how feminist solidarity can create new paths for collective empowerment and transformation.

*****

Recursos/Resources

• Decolonial and intersectional feminist psychology for the future of (forced) migration and refugee resettlement, Özge Savaş and Anjali Dutt 
• Women's building story
• "Women are Everywhere": Celebrating The Women's Building, Donna Graves
• Storied San Francisco “Women’s Building” Episode 
• From ‘unbelonging’ to ‘radical connection’ among migrant women, Cathy McIlwaine and Renata Peppl and Carolina Cal
•  Instagram de la Organización: https://www.instagram.com/thewomensbuilding/
• Página de Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Women%27s_Building_(San_Francisco) 
• Historia de la Organización: https://www.womensbuilding.org/who-we-are/our-history 
• Historia de la Organización en SF Digitial Archives: https://www.foundsf.org/THE_WOMEN%27S_BUILDING & https://www.foundsf.org/How_the_Women%27s_Building_Came_To_Be 
• Another podcast that covers our history and the current programs we have: https://www.storiedsf.com/episodes/the-womens-building-s5e16 
• Women are Everywhere’: Celebrating The Women’s Building.” Forum Journal 2019. https://www.academia.edu/38170197/_Women_are_Everywhere_Celebrating_The_Womens_Building 

TRANSCRIPT

En este episodio conversamos con Gabriela Villacís Izquierdo, investigadora feminista ecuatoriana radicada en los Países Bajos, sobre cómo opera la colonialidad en la academia y en la acción humanitaria, y cómo la ética feminista del cuidado puede ofrecer alternativas decoloniales.Gabriela comparte sus reflexiones sobre la posicionalidad, las violencias epistémicas y la importancia del acompañamiento, la reciprocidad y el cuidado colectivo como prácticas políticas y transformadoras.Escucha este episodio para descubrir cómo poner el cuidado en el centro desafía los modelos extractivistas, patriarcales y neoliberales tanto en la investigación como en la acción humanitaria.

****

In this episode, we talk with Gabriela Villacís Izquierdo, an Ecuadorian feminist researcher based in the Netherlands, about how coloniality operates within academia and humanitarian work, and how feminist ethics of care can offer decolonial alternatives.Gabriela shares her reflections on positionality, epistemic violence, and the importance of accompaniment, reciprocity, and collective care as political and transformative practices.Tune in to explore how centering care challenges extractivist, patriarchal, and neoliberal models in both research and humanitarian action.

****

Recursos/Resources:

• Contra la colonialidad de la cooperación y solidaridad internacionales, Mounia Chadi 
• The importance of practices of collective care: Exploring directions for an alternative productive paradigm fitting our times’ social, economic and ecological requirements, Ioannis Rigkos-Zitthen and Nikos Kapitsinis
• Feminismos del sur: recorridos, itinerarios, junturas, Mariana Alvarado 

TRANSCRIPT

Estamos encantados de comenzar la cuarta temporada de nuestro podcast con Asier Hernando Malax-Echevarria, en conversación con Carla Vitantonio. En este episodio inaugural, exploramos la matriz colonial del poder y sus manifestaciones perdurables, la labor transformadora de ACAPACA y el papel de la solidaridad en la remodelación del desarrollo y la cooperación desde la perspectiva del Sur Global.
Asier lleva más de 20 años dedicado a la cooperación internacional, centrándose en la defensa y las campañas en favor de los derechos indígenas, los derechos humanos, los derechos de las mujeres y otros. Un punto de inflexión en su carrera le llevó a replantearse los modelos de desarrollo tradicionales y a trabajar para transformar la cooperación internacional. Actualmente es codirector de ACAPACA, donde colabora con movimientos sociales y asesora a organizaciones de todo el mundo sobre estrategias de desarrollo y cooperación. También colabora a tiempo parcial con la Fundación Europea del Clima, apoyando a 700 organizaciones asociadas con estrategias de defensa y comunicación para una Europa descarbonizada. Colaborador habitual de El País, Asier escribe para cuestionar las narrativas dominantes y fomentar nuevos debates en el panorama del desarrollo y la ayuda. Conéctate para explorar cómo persisten las estructuras de poder coloniales y cómo la solidaridad y los enfoques de desarrollo alternativos pueden remodelar nuestro mundo.

La transcripción se encuentra aqui


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We are thrilled to kick off the 4th season of our podcast with Asier Hernando Malax-Echevarria, in conversation with Carla Vitantonio. In this opening episode, we explore the colonial matrix of power and its enduring manifestations, the transformative work of ACAPACA, and the role of solidarity in reshaping development and cooperation from a Global South perspective.
Asier has spent over 20 years in international cooperation, focusing on advocacy and campaigns defending Indigenous rights, human rights, women’s rights, and more. A turning point in his career led him to rethink traditional development models and work toward transforming international cooperation. He is now Co-Director of ACAPACA, partnering with social movements and advising organizations worldwide on development and cooperation strategies. He also contributes part-time at the European Climate Foundation, supporting 700 partner organizations with advocacy and communication strategies for a decarbonised Europe. A regular contributor to El País, Asier writes to challenge dominant narratives and foster new debates in the development and aid landscape.Tune in to explore how colonial power structures persist and how solidarity and alternative development approaches can reshape our world.

The transcript of the interview is available here


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Recursos/Resources

• Coloniality of Power, Eurocentrism, and Latin America  by Anibal Quijano
• Modernidad, Colonialismo y Emancipación En América Latina by Rueda, Eduardo, and Susana Villavicencio 
• Solidarity Platform Cooperativism in Latin America Report, María Belén Albornoz, Daniel Vizuete Sandoval, Alexandra Belén Gualavisí, Rafael Grohmann, Alessio Bertolini, Jonas Valente
• Introduction, Feminist Solidarity and Collective Action, Caroline Sweetman
• En torno a lo poscolonial y lo decolonial en los feminismos del Sur Global, Érika Calvo Rivera
• Acapaca

¿Qué sucede cuando un sistema global como la cooperación internacional para el desarrollo, que se presenta como solidario y emancipador, en realidad reproduce las mismas lógicas de dominación que pretende superar?
En este episodio conversamos con Kelly Saavedra Flores, investigadora peruana radicada entre Perú y España, sobre su trabajo en torno a la descolonización de la cooperación internacional.
Kelly es autora de la Guía para la Descolonización de la Cooperación, desarrollada junto a Acápacá, una herramienta práctica y política que invita a repensar la cooperación como un acto de justicia, dignidad y reciprocidad.
Reflexionamos juntas sobre cómo las perspectivas decoloniales pueden transformar las estructuras de poder del sistema, impulsando prácticas horizontales, equitativas y transformadoras, especialmente desde las organizaciones del Norte Global.

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What happens when a global system like international development cooperation, designed to promote solidarity and emancipation,  ends up reproducing the same power hierarchies it seeks to dismantle?
In this episode, we talk with Kelly Saavedra Flores, a Peruvian researcher and activist based between Peru and Spain, about her work on decolonizing international cooperation.
Kelly is the author of the Guide to the Decolonization of Cooperation, developed with Acápacá, a practical and political tool to rethink how cooperation can become an act of justice, dignity, and reciprocity.
Together, we explore how decolonial perspectives invite organizations in the Global North to move beyond rhetoric: towards horizontal, equitable, and transformative practices that truly center the voices and knowledge of the Global South.

Recursos/ Reference list: 

• Decolonizando la Cooperación internacional. by Kelly Saavedra and Acápacá
• Social Work Education’s Cultural Hegemony by Gurid Aga Askeland and Malcolm Payne. 
• Descolonización y despatriarcalización de y desde los feminismos de Abya Yala by ACSUR
• The nine roles that intermediaries can play in international cooperation  byPeace Direct

Colonial Difference, Geopolitics of Knowledge, and Global Coloniality in the Modern/Colonial Capitalist World-System by Ramón Grosfoguel

TRANSCRIPT

Español

En este último episodio de la cuarta temporada de Living Decoloniality, Carla Vitantonio conversa con Matilde Dani y Asier Hernando Malax-Echevarria para recoger algunos de los hilos que han atravesado esta temporada, la primera realizada en español.
A partir de las voces que han participado en los distintos episodios, reflexionamos sobre la ética del cuidado, el lugar de los cuerpos y los saberes situados, y sobre cómo la colonialidad se reproduce en lo cotidiano dentro del trabajo cultural, social y de cooperación.La conversación retoma también una pregunta clave que atraviesa toda la temporada: cómo pasar del discurso a la práctica, entendiendo la decolonialidad no como una identidad, sino como una práctica cotidiana hecha de decisiones, tensiones y responsabilidades.En la parte final, Carla abre además una reflexión sobre la colonialidad del género, un tema todavía poco abordado en el sector de la cooperación internacional y la acción humanitaria.

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English

In this final episode of the fourth season of Living Decoloniality, Carla Vitantonio is joined by Matilde Dani and Asier Hernando Malax-Echevarria to reflect on some of the key threads that have shaped this season, the first one produced in Spanish.
Drawing on the voices featured throughout the series, the conversation explores the ethics of care, the role of bodies and situated knowledge, and the ways coloniality continues to operate in everyday practices within cultural work, social action, and international cooperation.The discussion also returns to a central question running through the season: how to move from discourse to practice, understanding decoloniality not as an identity, but as a daily practice shaped by choices, tensions, and responsibilities.In the final part of the episode, Carla opens a reflection on the coloniality of gender, a topic that remains largely unaddressed within international cooperation and humanitarian sectors.

Source List// Recursos:
Kamlongera, M. I., & Katenga-Kaunda, M. W. (2023). Researchers’ reflections on ethics of care as decolonial research practice: understanding Indigenous knowledge communication systems to navigate moments of ethical tension in rural Malawi. Research Ethics, 19(3), 312-324.

Mathebula, Kgatitswe (2026). More than paperwork: Towards a relational, reflexive, and decolonial ethics in research with black women in South Africa.  Methods in Psychology

Constantinou, C.M., McConnell, F., Dilar Dirik, Asebe Regassa, Loong, S. and Rauna Kuokkanen (2024). Reimagining self-determination: Relational, decolonial, and intersectional perspectives. Political geography, pp.103112–103112.

Lugones, Maria. 2007. “Heterosexualism and the Colonial / Modern Gender System.” Hypatia 22, no. 1: 186-209.

Jhagroe, S., & Salazar-Morales, D. (2025). A theory of policy coloniality: the role of race and colonial knowledge in policy formulation. Critical Policy Studies, 1–21. 

Trisos, C.H., Auerbach, J. & Katti, M. Decoloniality and anti-oppressive practices for a more ethical ecology. Nat Ecol Evol 5, 1205–1212 (2021).

Transcript// transcripciòn 

La protagonista de este episodio es Maydi Bayona Estrada, antropóloga cultural, que nos habla desde Cuba. 
Activista feminista y decolonial, Maydi comparte con nosotras su mirada lucida hacia la cooperación internacional en su país y en la academia, tocando cone ejemplos evidentes y reales aspectos como la reproducción del privilegio y el poder.

Al mismo tiempo, Maydi nos propone alternativas y practicas de sanación que pueden apoyar nuestro trabajo de re-existencia decolonial.


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This episode features  Maydi Bayona Estrada, a cultural anthropologist, who speaks to us from Cuba.
A feminist and decolonial activist, Maydi shares her insightful perspective on international cooperation in her country and in academia, addressing issues such as the reproduction of privilege and power with clear and real-world examples.At the same time, Maydi proposes alternatives and healing practices that can support our work of decolonial re-existence.


Transcipcción aqui// transcript here

Recursos// Resources
Oshún in front of the mirror: the defense of the territory-body-land of herself, in Afropolitical keys
Afrofeminismos: P eminismos: Pensamient ensamiento, Ciencia y Acción
Queremos romper con la visión colonial
Pluriversario: Crisis climática y racismo ecosistémico en Afroamérica

En este episodio conversamos con Maria Chalaux, del equipo de Fundació Nous Cims en Barcelona, sobre impacto social, responsabilidad y el papel de las fundaciones en la transformación de las desigualdades estructurales.
A partir de su experiencia en el ámbito de la filantropía y la innovación social, Maria reflexiona sobre cómo el poder, la financiación y la toma de decisiones condicionan lo que se considera impacto y lo que queda fuera de foco.Exploramos juntas las tensiones entre la medición del impacto y los procesos de cambio a largo plazo, la importancia de los enfoques ecosistémicos y la necesidad de ir más allá de soluciones tecnocráticas hacia prácticas relacionales, éticas y situadas.

***English*****

In this episode, we speak with Maria Chalaux, who works at Fundació Nous Cims in Barcelona, about social impact, responsibility, and the role of foundations in addressing structural inequalities.
Starting from her experience within philanthropy and social innovation ecosystems, Maria reflects on how power, funding, and decision-making shape what is possible, and what remains invisible  in social and international cooperation.Together, we explore the tensions between impact measurement and long-term transformation, the importance of ecosystem approaches, and the need to move beyond technocratic solutions toward relational, ethical, and context-aware practices.

Resursos// Resources

Ebrahim, A. & Rangan, V. K. (2014). What Impact? A Framework for Measuring the Scale and Scope of Social Performance

Nous Cims

Biggs, R., Clements, H. S., Cumming, G. S., Cundill, G., de Vos, A., Hamann, M., … Reyers, B. (2022). Social-ecological change: insights from the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society.

de Sousa Santos, B. (2014). Epistemologies of the South

Moulaert, F. et al. (2013). The International Handbook on Social Innovation