Decolonization is about asking a lot of questions

Summer school Decolonizing Global Health - Journal Day 1 By Mayra Salazar Volkmann It can be lonely to focus on decoloniality, as I mentioned in the introduction round of the first day of the summer school Decolonizing Global Health. And at least three people who introduced themselves after me agreed with my opinion. It is … Continue reading Decolonization is about asking a lot of questions

Journalists ridiculing well-being shows there is still a taboo

Photo by Medienstรผrmer on Unsplash Making fun of wellness coaches or people who pay a lot of attention to their health seems to be the everyday business for journalists, at least on Dutch Twitter. And even though I understand how ridiculous these coaches or health gurus sometimes communicate with their audiences - often on Instagram … Continue reading Journalists ridiculing well-being shows there is still a taboo

When you just discovered your blind spots, what to do?

(This article is written as a result of the serious debate on Twitter (in The Netherlands) about the new book of anthropologist, writer and journalist Joris Luyendijk. Read more about that here). Credits: Usman Yousaf for Unsplash. Dear Joris and everyone who just discovered their blind spots, As a white woman who has been through … Continue reading When you just discovered your blind spots, what to do?

When a white privileged man does self-reflection, we’re going in the right direction

Dutch anthropologist, writer and journalist Joris Luyendijk publishes his new book soon and in the run-up to the publication, he appears in two Dutch national newspapers this weekend. The title of his book is โ€œThe seven checkmarksโ€ which refers to seven characteristics he holds that make him a privileged human being. First of all, he … Continue reading When a white privileged man does self-reflection, we’re going in the right direction

“Balinese Women now are more open minded”

A conversation with entrepreneur Yanthi Putu Sayanthi. We meet in a local coffee place where we sit at a safe distance near an open window, according to the pandemic rules. Yanthi Putu Sayanthi doesnโ€™t let her family go out much, she tells me. Theyโ€™re careful about the COVID-19 situation and take the new imposed government … Continue reading “Balinese Women now are more open minded”

Reflections on the decolonial Summer School

The Maria Lugones Decolonial Summer School asked us to write a reflection about the three weeks of following classes on the topic of "Learning to Unlearn Decolonially (Living, knowing, the university & the museum)". We could write a letter, a dialogue, an op-ed/ essay, a diary or memory. I decided to write an op-ed/essay kind … Continue reading Reflections on the decolonial Summer School

Journalists can strive for objectivity but can never be completely neutral

The Israel-Palestine conflict is in the midst of the worst unrest itโ€™s seen in years. It started in the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem where Palestinians are forced out of their homes by Israeli settlers.  Needless to say, this conflict is one of the most sensitive issues to report on in journalism. And therefore … Continue reading Journalists can strive for objectivity but can never be completely neutral

โ€œThe Balinese women are doing so much for the island but theyโ€™re unseenโ€

A conversation with Balinese entrepreneur and priestess Luh Manis. When I first reached out to Luh Manis for an interview she invited me to join her on one of her โ€œSisterhood retreatsโ€ to Kintamani, the area in Bali where she is originally from. Together with eight other Balinese women and another foreign woman we went … Continue reading โ€œThe Balinese women are doing so much for the island but theyโ€™re unseenโ€

The latest violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict creates renewed momentum

There is so much going on at the moment, itโ€™s almost hard to keep up with all the articles and posts that are being published about the Israel-Palestine conflict. One thing seems clear though: all the uproar brings cracks in the old beliefs about the justification of the state of Israel.And because itโ€™s so easy … Continue reading The latest violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict creates renewed momentum