Please stop looking only for win-wins when trying to decolonise academic practice. The whole point is that for once we should lose out so that those who have historically been held back can benefit. 1/5
There may collective gains from decolonisation in the long term, but the immediate burden must be borne by those who have previously been beneficiaries. It might be financially costly, involve additional effort, or require us to confront uncomfortable facts. 2/5
More important, however, is that restorative actions and reducing inequity are worth doing on their own merits, not because we might eventually gain some benefit or reputational advantage from decolonisation of our fields. 3/5
If we focus on actions that are commensal or cheap (e.g. diversifying reading lists) then this is performative decolonisation and will never achieve the fundamental transformation of relations that is required. 4/5
Universities, academic societies and other bodies who pay lip service to decolonisation while offering only trivial remedies send a clear signal about their level of commitment. It's better than nothing, of course, but we are obliged to do much more. 5/5
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