Imperialist Humanitarianism: Tracing Colonial Connections in Post-Colonial Interventions in Africa and Asia

Where does the colonial past intersect with the deployment of European military forces and relief missions in the global South? Is the use of 'soft power' to underwrite democratic governance in former colonial dependencies imperialistic? These questions raise unsettling possibilities because the presumption that humanitarian interventionism, whether involving security forces or non-governmental agencies, is driven by compassion and urgent need is belied by its specific geographies.

Decolonisation Lecture Series

With Julia LaiteAdam Hanieh

This lecture series explores aspects of the global processes of decolonisation, from the earliest European colonial expansions to the political and economic upheavals of the 20th century. We will examine the colonisation of Newfoundland, plus the economic consequences of decolonisation in the 20th century, considering how former colonies navigated independence, economic restructuring, and global trade.