GoingToMeet

Things are grim. Rumours and tales circulate that “the times they are a-changin’”, and not in the hopeful ways that Dylan called forth during days of humanist euphoria. Rather there are shifts afield. Weather patterns are changing, water is drying up in some places whilst they flood in other spaces, storms are on the up. The decadence of the west (or of those that ‘have’ in this west) continues unhindered. The US Empire proceeds with its rhetoric as it continues its “might makes right” strategy. Everywhere we are consumers and products for consumption, seeking escape in virtual playgrounds and reality game shows. Closer to home, Zimbabwe’s regime resorts to colonial rhetoric to justify its oppression and Africa struggles with how to respond. Whilst at home we grapple with rape, HIV/Aids, and the ANC’s neo-liberal elitism, of which violent crime, corruption and poverty are more and more clearly symptoms. Disabling environments abound.

So whence critical methods in such dark days? Is it too late for theory and paradigms? Were these mere substitutes for action – an intellectual pastime that calmed our nerves and allayed our guilt?

Or is there space to renew our struggles to effectively and courageously speak or, rather, enact truth to power? Is the above a narrative that ignores the signs of hope amongst the multitude; the turn to the left in South America, the actions of thousands of activists, the protests in the US, the renewed struggles in South African townships, the everyday lives of women, the poor, the disabled as they demonstrate their agency in a world stacked against them? Is it a stance that aligns with contemporary middle-class cynicism, turning the end of days into another commodity for capitalism to exploit?

This conference asks for a turn to such questions. It calls for action, a renewal of networks, a recognition of what is working and of what exists. Papers, conversation sessions, posters, dramatic/aesthetic pieces and debates in a range of areas relating to critical endeavours and critical methods are welcomed.