Convivial Thinking

What is the Convivial Thinking Collective?

We are an open group of people from all around the world, thinking, working and writing on issues related to post- and decolonial perspectives in the context of development, development studies and beyond. We feel that post- and decolonial arguments are far too important to be overlooked in the development debate and in academia generally.

Why Convivial Thinking?

The term conviviality is used in many different contexts. For us, it means equity, mutual respect for each other and the natural world and assuming joint responsibility for the ways we live, we act, we engage. With creating space for convivial thinking we want to make a humble attempt to breaking the cycle of dichotomous reproduction of Us/Them, West/Rest, developed/underdeveloped and the endless reproduction of reformers and those to be reformed.

What does the Convivial Thinking platform offer?

Convivial Thinking offers spaces for discussion and debate, collaboration and co-construction beyond boundaries of academic hierarchies, ethnicity, origin, gender and financial and visa restrictions. Keeping in line with the spirit of the post- and decolonial studies paradigm, the platform seeks to provide space and authority to authors, artists, writers, poets, thinkers who want to convey their messages via an informal, open-source medium.

How to engage?

Check out the website: There are collaboratively authored publication projects, regular online webinar sessions, our decolonial online reading group and an ongoing open call for contributions to blog.