Decolonial Dispatch

Who decides who belongs in Britain? Who pays the price when a government turns hostile toward the people keeping the country running? With Labour proposing to extend migrant settlement routes from 10 years to over 20, families across the UK face a system designed to keep them in permanent precarity. The Windrush scandal, the visa bans on Sudan and Afghanistan, the broken promises to care workers and NHS staff, these are not separate stories. We speak to Nick Beales, the Head of Campaigning from Refugee and Migrant Justice, to understand how the hostile environment was built, why Labour is amplifying it, and what it means for all of us.Contribute to and/or Explore our Encyclopedia: www.decolonialcentre.org/encyclopediaFollow us for more storiesInstagram: @thedecolonialcentreTwitter/X: @decolonialcntrWebsite: www.decolonialcentre.org

We are living in unprecedented times. A time when genocide, daily images of death and trauma are flooding our minds. A time of uncertainty characterised by the state of the world but also our whole environment.This week on Decolonial Dispatch, we speak to Writer, Embodiment Social Justice Facilitator and Author of Tending Grief, Camille Sapara Barton. We explore the concept of embodied decolonisation, a practice centred on repairing the disconnect between our minds, bodies, and the land we inhabit; Somatics and how we need to learn what rest feels like; and practicing emotional hygiene and what it means to not bypass the body’s limitations.The title of this episode is inspired by Audre Lorde quote “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”Subscribe to our newsletter: https://decolonialcentre.org/subscribe/Contribute to and/or Explore our Encyclopaedia: www.decolonialcentre.org/encyclopedia Follow us for more stories Instagram: @thedecolonialcentre Twitter/X: @decolonialcntr Website: www.decolonialcentre.org

Who controls the cameras on our streets? Who is harmed from policing by algorithm in a fair society? With the rollout of AI facial recognition technology across the UK, citizens face a massive experiment that treats us like Guinea pigs. Police vans and fixed CCTV cameras are scanning thousands of faces. Cases of misidentification, like that of Shaun Thomson. We speak to Jasleen Chaggar, legal and policy officer at Big Brother Watch, to understand the history of these tools.Contribute to and/or Explore our Encyclopedia: www.decolonialcentre.org/encyclopediaFollow us for more storiesInstagram: @thedecolonialcentreTwitter/X: @decolonialcntrWebsite: www.decolonialcentre.org

In this episode of Decolonial Dispatch, host Mohammed speaks with Benny Wenda, leader of the ULMWP and the Provisional Government of West Papua, to discuss the West Papuan struggle against Indonesian occupation. The conversation begins by contextualising the recent Indonesian protests against the ruling elite as a parallel decolonial struggle against a "dying empire". Benny recounts his harrowing personal history, from witnessing the 1977 massacres and surviving in the bush as a child to the deep-seated racism he faced in the Indonesian education system. They explore the "Papuan Spring" following Suharto's collapse, the assassination of independence leaders like Theys Eluay, and how the new generation has utilised technology to bypass censorship and lose their fear. The episode concludes with Benny's "Green State Vision," the intersection of slow genocide with corporate ecocide, and a direct call for a global boycott of products fuelling the destruction of West Papuan land.

Who profits from oil in Venezuela? And who should? With what was once one of the world's most productive oil basins, Venezuela's resource rich landscape made it one of the wealthiest country's in Latin America. But the petrostate has suffered in recent years, becoming a nation in crisis. One in five people have left due to political and economic instability under President Nicolas Maduro and sanctions ordered by Trump. Venezuela has been described as a failed state. But with the US army kidnapping Maduro, and US imperial ambitions, we speak to Global Witness to understand - failed by whom? And for whose benefit?

The collapse of the Iranian Regime doesn't necessarily mean justice. We're trying to find out who on the ground is trying to replace the regime with a vision for all of Iran's peoples that is pro democratic, anti-monarchist, anti-imperialist, and represents the aspirations of Iran's popular forces. Is the Iranian Regime Collapsing? This might be wishful thinking.. But if so, what will replace it?

In this episode of Decolonial Dispatch, host Mohammed explores the pivotal role of youth in the Palestinian liberation struggle with organisers Janine and Dario from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM). The conversation traces the historical legacy of youth organising, from the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) to the post-Oslo landscape, highlighting how the accords served as a form of capitulation that fragmented the movement. The guests discuss their theory of change "from below," detailing the strategic success of the "Mask Off Maersk" campaign in disrupting the logistics of imperialism. They also offer insights on revolutionary optimism, the necessity of organised struggle against austerity and global capitalism, and how the diaspora can create crises for Zionism from within the imperial core.

Exposing Racism and Police Brutality with Marcia Rigg In this powerful episode of Decolonial Dispatch, host Mohammed dives into the critical issue of racism and police brutality, ignited by a recent BBC Panorama expose on police misconduct. Special guest Marcia Rigg, a key figure in the United Families and Friends Campaign, shares her deeply personal story about the tragic death of her brother Sean Rigg in police custody. The episode covers the broader implications of institutional racism within the UK's law enforcement agencies, highlighting systemic failures and ongoing struggles for justice. Don't miss this eye-opening discussion on an urgent and often overlooked problem.Chapters:00:00 - 01:19 BBC Panorama Investigation Exposes Metropolitan Police Misconduct 01:19 - 04:37 Officer Dismissals and Systemic Nature of Police Brutality and Prejudice 04:37 - 07:06 Introduction of Marcia Rigg and the United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC) 07:06 - 13:35 The Case of Sean Rigg: Mental Health Crisis, Restraint, and Custody Transport 13:35 - 17:32 Events in Custody Suite: Collapsing, Officer Claims, and Unconsciousness 17:32 - 22:07 Police Deception, False Testimony, Missing Footage, and Delayed Medical Response 22:07 - 25:54 Officers Claiming Faking, Other Deaths in Custody, and Narrative Verdicts 25:54 - 33:40 Institutional Cover-ups, Police Canteen Culture, and Host's Personal Encounters 33:40 - 48:15 Progress in Campaigns, Issues of Race, and Police as Modern Day Slavery