WeDecolonize is a student project by UCOS with its headquarters at the Free University Brussels (VUB). The project consists of a library space on campus, an interuniversity network, a newsletter and (educational) events that are all carried by a group of BIPOC* students, they are the beating heart of the project. With this group we give students the opportunity to learn more about (de)colonization and anti-racism by creating a safe space that will tackle these sensitive topics and make room for students to meet, interact and exchange their thoughts and opinions. Since WD’s creation by a group of racialized students at the VUB in 2020, WD has served as a platform, a learning hub, a safer space and much more to (re)center racialized communities in higher education. Since then, the project has expanded to all Flemish higher education institutions.
*Black Indiginous People of Color
UCOS is a recognized Belgian NGO whose mission is to strengthen global citizenship skills among students in higher education. For this reason, we emphasize a critical perspective on global issues, international solidarity, and sustainable development.
Vision
The university, as a space and an institution, is based on white, male, heteronormative foundations and functions as a continuation of coloniality.
Moreover, the university plays an important role in terms of knowledge production and has a significant influence on shaping the world view and overall knowledge. Therefore it is essential to deconstruct the so-called universal character of Eurocentric knowledge by supplementing and contrasting this knowledge with intellectual and cultural output from other backgrounds, perspectives and sources. It also requires a thorough examination of long-standing and integrated systems of knowledge production and pedagogical approaches in order to tackle this knowledge imbalance which universities often sustain.
The universal and perceived neutral character the university benefits from, is not only an epistemological issue, it also generates oppressing structures that create spaces on campus of suppression and violence experienced by racialized students.
Mission
The project is built around three key pillars. First, we challenge Eurocentric knowledge systems through educational events, academic sensitization, and lobbying within universities. Second, we create safer spaces on campus, such as our decolonial library at VUB — a growing collection of fiction and non-fiction exclusively by racialized authors from across the world. This space is open to students and organizations as a place to gather, organize, and build solidarity.
Third, we focus on community-building by connecting student and diaspora organizations through our interuniversity network. We collaborate with groups such as UMOJA, Karibu, Dar Leuven, as well as NGOs and academic partners like BIRMM and Troubled Archives.
