Fayyaz Baqir and Jai Sen (visiting professor and senior fellow, respectively, at the School of International Development and Globalization Studies, uOttawa) organized an event at the University of Ottawa on November 5, 2019, titled “Turning the Tables: International Development and the Games of Empire.”
The event was an exploratory workshop to initiate and contribute to critical dialogue on emerging world politics and (dis)order.
Fifty to sixty people, from within the University — professors and students — and from outside, took part in the event, which featured some 10 speakers over three sessions.
The “development project” is seen by many as part of the games that empires have historically played to convert subsistent economies into market economies through official development assistance, technical guidance, and institutional development. In this context, “development” is now being questioned and contested.
At the same time as this disenchantment, new economic powers such as China and Russia are challenging the hegemony of countries in the North. The information and communication revolutions and the rise of social media have added to this growing chaos. However, they have also contributed positively by enabling other actors to challenge the status quo, initiating powerful democratizing movements across the world, including feminism, and increasing the awareness among the general population of various issues, including climate change.
It is time to question the idea of development, to re-examine international development and to search for a new decolonized and more pluralist development paradigm.
The purpose of this workshop was to create a space where scholars, development practitioners, thinkers and students could share their thoughts and to facilitate the creation of networks for collaboration on research-related initiatives.
Turning the Tables Podcast Series
Produced by Radamis Zaky, in collaboration with Fayyaz Baqir and Jai Sen, starting in March 2020. For information, email Radamis Zaky at rhany096@uOttawa.ca.
This series of podcasts comes out of a Workshop organized by Fayyaz Baqir and Jai Sen at uOttawa on November 5, 2019, titled “Turning the Tables: International Development and the Games of Empire,” a first exploratory workshop on emerging world politics and (dis)order.
The Workshop was co-sponsored by the School of International Development and Globalization Studies, University of Ottawa; the Joint Chair in Women’s Studies at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa; the uOttawa Development Student Association (AEDSA); and the uOttawa International Development Graduate Student Association (GDVM).
Here are the links to listen to the podcasts:
Podcast on Podbeam
Podcast on Itunes
Podcast on Spotify
Podcast 1: Introduction and Invocations to the Turning the Tables Workshop
- Jai Sen: Introduction
- Carolyn Laude (senior policy analyst, Indigenous Services Canada): “Invocation to Pluriversal Worldviews”
- Molly Kane (executive director, Council of Canadians): “A Changing World: Emerging World Politics and (Dis)Order.”
Podcast 2: Wrap-up and Closing of the Turning the Tables Workshop
- Susan Spronk (associate professor and interim director, School of International Development and Globalization Studies, uOttawa): “Perspectives in and on Latin America” and closing remarks
- Rika Mpogazi (vice president, Development Student Association): Closing remarks
Podcast 3: Indigenous worldviews and Perspectives in and from the Middle East
- Carolyn Laude: “Indigenous Worldviews”
- Nadia Abu Zahra (associate professor and Joint Chair in Women’s Studies at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa): “Perspectives in and from the Middle East”
Podcast 4: Perspectives in and from Asia and Africa
- Fayyaz Baqir: “Perspectives in and from Asia”
- Aoua Bocar (research associate, Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies, uOttawa): “Perspectives in and from Africa”
Podcast 5: Perspectives in and from Europe and the North
- Costanza Musu (associate professor, Public and International Affairs, uOttawa): “Perspectives in and on Europe”
- Syed Sajjadur Rahman (senior fellow, School of International Development and Globalization Studies, uOttawa): “Perspectives in and on the North”
Podcast 6: Reflections on the Turning the Tables Workshop
A compilation of interviews conducted during and after the workshop.
Production of these Turning the Tables podcasts was made possible by funding from the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at the University of Ottawa, support from Professor Sanni Yaya at the School of International Development and Globalization Studies, and cash donations from participants at the “Turning the Tables” workshop in November 2019.
We gratefully acknowledge this and thank all of you!
For further information on the podcasts: Radamis Zaky
For information on the TTT Workshop and the forthcoming workshop report: Fayyaz Baqir and Jai Sen