The University of the Western Cape brought together scholars, researchers and even a Human Rights Lawyer to discuss the political, social and economic ramifications of migration.
Bringing together the broadest range of disciplines was crucial to evaluate the patterns of migration that are constantly evolving as factors such as violence, climate change and political uncertainty leave millions of people searching for a new home.
According to the International Organization for Migration, in 2000, there were 1 million migrants living within the borders of South Africa and in 2017, that increased to 4 million.
The University of the Western Cape (UWC), together with scholars from the African continent and around the world, hosted the Decolonizing Education and Research on Migration (DERM) seminar.
The lead researcher for UWC was Professor Rajendra Chetty who is a post-colonial scholar and Professor in the Faculty of Education at UWC.
He said hosting DERM researchers was a milestone for UWC: “I was invited by the University of Ghent to facilitate a workshop on decolonisation. Leaders of the DERM project were participants in the workshop and they invited me to join the DERM project to contribute to the decolonial agenda and debates internationally.”
There are multiple universities involved in the project. UWC had the opportunity to host the first meeting to explore the project and set the agenda for global networking.
UWC was able to provide the venues for the engagement, as well as create a space for networking between the researchers, university staff and community organisations.
Prof Chetty said: “This research network has three main and interconnected goals. First, the scope of bringing together scholars from different regions of the world is to analyse and discuss the multiple forms in which coloniality shapes the broad interdisciplinary field of migration studies.
Based on that we then secondly aim to jointly develop better research methodologies and thirdly, better teaching tools to decolonise knowledge on migration.”
On the final day of the seminar series, community organisations were invited to join.
The organisations included St Theresa R.C Primary School, Reading and Writing Solutions (NPO), AMIK BK and Scalabrini (NPO).
They all had an opportunity to present the context of their organisation and the work they do on the Cape Flats.
They shared the challenges and successes of their community engagement and how they align with the scholarship of community engagement at UWC.
Prof Chetty said: “Their participation added a strong foundation for the context that we live and work in as well as the inequalities amongst the people of South Africa.
It also highlighted the plight of poor people, migrants and refugees and their struggle to belong and co-exist, as well as the resources (and lack thereof) available to them.”
DERM is a major project with team members from countries across the globe, including Belgium, Chile, Brazil, Tokyo, India, Pakistan, Tunisia, The Netherlands and Mexico.
Bringing together the broadest range of disciplines was crucial to evaluate the patterns of migration that are constantly evolving as factors such as violence, climate change and political uncertainty leave millions of people searching for a new home.
According to the International Organization for Migration, in 2000, there were 1 million migrants living within the borders of South Africa and in 2017, that increased to 4 million.
The University of the Western Cape (UWC), together with scholars from the African continent and around the world, hosted the Decolonizing Education and Research on Migration (DERM) seminar.
The lead researcher for UWC was Professor Rajendra Chetty who is a post-colonial scholar and Professor in the Faculty of Education at UWC.
He said hosting DERM researchers was a milestone for UWC: “I was invited by the University of Ghent to facilitate a workshop on decolonisation. Leaders of the DERM project were participants in the workshop and they invited me to join the DERM project to contribute to the decolonial agenda and debates internationally.”
There are multiple universities involved in the project. UWC had the opportunity to host the first meeting to explore the project and set the agenda for global networking.
UWC was able to provide the venues for the engagement, as well as create a space for networking between the researchers, university staff and community organisations.
Prof Chetty said: “This research network has three main and interconnected goals. First, the scope of bringing together scholars from different regions of the world is to analyse and discuss the multiple forms in which coloniality shapes the broad interdisciplinary field of migration studies.
Based on that we then secondly aim to jointly develop better research methodologies and thirdly, better teaching tools to decolonise knowledge on migration.”
On the final day of the seminar series, community organisations were invited to join.
The organisations included St Theresa R.C Primary School, Reading and Writing Solutions (NPO), AMIK BK and Scalabrini (NPO).
They all had an opportunity to present the context of their organisation and the work they do on the Cape Flats.
They shared the challenges and successes of their community engagement and how they align with the scholarship of community engagement at UWC.
Prof Chetty said: “Their participation added a strong foundation for the context that we live and work in as well as the inequalities amongst the people of South Africa.
It also highlighted the plight of poor people, migrants and refugees and their struggle to belong and co-exist, as well as the resources (and lack thereof) available to them.”
DERM is a major project with team members from countries across the globe, including Belgium, Chile, Brazil, Tokyo, India, Pakistan, Tunisia, The Netherlands and Mexico.
