Space as a battlefield\, as a geography studied to destroy an enemy\, as a territory with fixed frontiers\, \;is very different from the abstract idealization of empty space of Newton's physics or the existential space \;of phenomenology&hellip\;I am not speaking of the space of the claustrophobic or the agoraphobic. I am \;speaking of political space\, which includes all existentially real spaces within the parameters of an \;economic system in which power is exercised in tandem with military control. Unnoticed\, philosophy was \;born in this political space&hellip\; I am trying\, to take space\, geopolitical space\, seriously. \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;
\nEnrique Dussel\, Philosophy of Liberation\, 1980 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;
\nUndoing Coloniality: Sculpting Anti-colonial Geographies \;
\nin Philosophy of Education
\n\;October 23rd-25th 2015\, McGill University\, Montreal\, Canada
\nThe idea that there are politics &ndash\; as well as geography and economy &ndash\; to philosophy entails that there are also politics and geography to our philosophies of education and teaching. As educators\, we do not practice education in an abstract space\, but in a geopolitical one. Doing education as a geopolitical enterprise implies that there are difficult choices to be made: perpetuating pedagogies and philosophies of education from a specific geography &ndash\; space &ndash\; \; can mean excluding pedagogies from &ldquo\;other&rdquo\; geographies and spaces. Indian Residential Schools are cases in point that illustrate how engaging in assimilative pedagogies lead to subjugating and silencing\, hence \;colonizing \;&ldquo\;other&rdquo\; pedagogies and epistemologies. The history of these schools also show how education can do harm\, and serve as a manufactory of colonization\, oppression and collective pain. As educators\, teachers and makers of knowledges &ndash\;and in the meantime dwellers in a geopolitical space- our teaching philosophies and pedagogies always have far-reaching consequences beyond our classrooms. \; \;
\nThe central question that guides this year&rsquo\;s GSCOPE meeting is about education as a geopolitical enterprise: Do our pedagogies\, perhaps in ways we are not always aware of\, support and perpetuate colonial hierarchies and knowledges across the globe\, or are we fighting or resisting coloniality? To what extent do our philosophies of education safeguard or disrupt the current politico-economical order of the world? Most importantly\, how can we create new anti-colonial pedagogies that acknowledge education as a geopolitical process? \; How do we imagine new spaces of pedagogy in this world: new unimagined spaces? \;
\nThe 2015 Graduate Student Conference in Philosophy and Education invites high quality papers and panel proposals that address &ndash\; but are not limited to &ndash\; the following themes and inquiries: \;
\n- What do liberating educational philosophies look like? What values do they embrace and challenge/disrupt? \;
\n- How are multi-centric educational philosophies different from Euro-centric ones? \;
\n- How can philosophies of teaching transform into liberating praxis in education? \;
\n- In what ways are we/should we -as educational theorizers\, pedagogues\, curriculum planners and philosophers from across the globe- be similar? Should educational philosophy and theory be done differently in different parts of the world?
\n- What might it mean to think of education as an anti-colonial enterprise? \;
\n- How can our pedagogies pave the way for the restitution of lost/oppressed/colonized pedagogies/epistemologies? \;
\n- To what degree do liberating pedagogies lend themselves to indigenous ways of teaching and knowing? To what degree do they/should they differ? \;
\n\nWe are proud to announce the following exciting features of GSCOPE 2015: \;
\nOnline Presentation \;- For the first time\, GSCOPE accepts online paper presentations for participants outside of US and Canada. The online presentation event is reserved for graduate students who do not have the means to travel\, and it has been designed specifically for indigenous teachers and students across the globe who live far from Montreal. Once accepted\, presenters can join the conference and present their papers via Skype. Please note that there is a limit to the number of online presentations.
\nPanel for MATL and Philosophies of Teaching- GSCOPE has designated a special panel for McGill&rsquo\;s MATL students. All papers are subject to standard review and submission processes. In your email heading please mention PAPER SUBMISSION for MATL PANEL. \;
\nMcGill Indigenous Studies Program Panel \;- \; Students from Indigenous Studies Program at McGill are encouraged to submit high quality papers to this year&rsquo\;s GSCOPE. In your email heading please mention PAPER SUBMISSION- INDIGENOUS STUDIES PANEL. \;
\nCollaboration with PES- \; \;GSCOPE 2015 is in collaboration with PES for a pre-conference graduate student workshop in philosophy of education\, to be held in Memphis on March 12th. For further information please contact Nassim Noroozi \;NNoroozi@gmail.com \;or Eduardo Duarte at \;PES2015@gmail.com \;. \;
\nWe are seeking reviewers\, session moderators and volunteers to help with the conference. If interested\, please send an email to \;GSCOPE2015@gmail.com.
\nSubmissions :
\nAll submissions are blind reviewed. Proposal for individual papers \;should not exceed 1000 words (excluding references). Panel proposal should not exceed 1500 words (excluding references).
\nSend your submissions to PES2015@gmail.com. \;
\nConference Coordinator: Nassim Noroozi \;
\nNasim.Noroozi@mcgill.ca
\nOfficer.gscope@gmail.com
\nSpecial thanks to the following professors for their wonderful support: \;
\nTaiaiake Alfred - University of Victoria\, British Columbia \;
\nEduardo Duarte - Hofstra University\, New York and PES 2015 Program Chair
\nKathy Hytten - University of North Carolina at Greensboro
\nKevin McDonough - \; McGill University\, Montreal
\nAndrea Pitts - Vanderbilt University\, Nashville
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