What on Earth IS decolonisation anyway?

I don't know if you have been as puzzled as I am at what people mean when they talk about "decolonisation"?

I decided to give myself a three day education by attending a conference on the subject held at UWC in Bellville, Cape Town, one of the flashpoints off student protest in the last two years - and the single most confrontational of the major campuses of Cape Town.

I didn't have time to open my conference folder before Eugene, the secretary, dropped his bombshell - "Martin, one of our speakers has dropped out - won't you please give us a paper?"

Well...I agreed. Partly because I was so flattered, of course. But also because I have had a burning desire to work through my experiences as a Peace & Justice Witness in 2016, walking around with the students, silently observing and praying for, well, peace and justice. But from up close and personal, once even getting caught up between shotguns, stun-grenades, and stones, as the students touted their "impossible" agenda: free decolonialised education for all immediately.

 A student graffiti-artist had sparked my presentation idea: it had seemed a little surreal to enter the campus at UWC and see no bullet-broken windows or debris of rubber bullets and tear-gas canisters lying around. Some hooded painter had reproduced giant bullet holes on the glass doors of the cafeteria. A threat? Or a plea for people to remember the issues that sparked the violence?

Painted faux bullet hole on UWC campus

Somehow I cobbled together a few thoughts: here's a summary (and I would appreciate any feedback before submitting the paperr for publishing :) )

As human beings we tend to want to control others and get our own way. Colonialism is that idea written on a national and global scale. Colonialism works on the springs of occupation & control of land/space; plunder; stratification & segregation; infantilisation; indignation at dissent; and violence. I pointed out that on that scale some churches and educational institutions (and other institutions!) could be graded as more or less colonised.

My suggested response figured around the book of Esther, and how she had used her limited capacities, under God's hand, to bring about God's Missional purposes.

I also suggested that the Kingdom of God offers contrarian strategies: not insisting on being in places we can control in order to function as Christians; voluntary work rather than refusing to work unless paid; humbly connecting rather than segregation; discipleship rather than infantilisation; respectfully hearing the voice of those who disagree with us; and being gentle, meek and self-controlled rather than violent.

What do YOU think decolonisation is?