Possible Decolonial Futures: Let’s Rethink Our Minds
Published by Communication
Posted on June 18, 2025
On June 4, 2025, S-Com hosted the third workshop of the Urban Decolonization Walks in Europe (UDEW) project, titled “Possible Decolonial Futures: Let’s Rethink Our Minds!“. Held in Schaerbeek, Brussels, the event was co-facilitated by Caterina Aiena and Arzu Merali from Islamic Human Rights Commission and focused on the intersections between colonial heritage, current social issues, and artistic resistance.
Exploring Colonial Heritage in Schaerbeek
The session began with an urban tour of Schaerbeek, where participants encountered visible remnants of Belgium’s colonial past. Through short explanations and storytelling, facilitators guided the group through key places while shedding light on historical figures who still shape the public imagination and space. The walk served as an invitation to reflect on how colonial legacies are maintained or questioned in the fabric of the city.
The sites explored during the urban tour reflect how colonial violence and exploitation—particularly in the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo—are still embedded in the urban landscape. The tour invited participants to critically examine these legacies and reflect on how public memory is constructed, whom it celebrates, and whom it silences. The following places were mapped during the walk:
- Mat Électrique (Electric Mast): Originally created for the 1913 Ghent World’s Fair and displayed in front of the Congo Pavilion, this bronze structure features exoticized animal imagery such as tigers and snakes. It reflects the colonial fascination with African wildlife and served to glorify Belgium’s imperial ambitions.
- Avenue Ernest Cambier: Named after Ernest Cambier, a Belgian explorer and one of the first collaborators with King Leopold II’s colonization project. He established the first Belgian colonial post and railway in Central Africa. Cambier’s contributions were central to the expansion of colonial infrastructure and commercial exploitation in the Congo.
- Boulevard Général Wahis: Commemorates Théophile Wahis, the longest-serving Governor-General of the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo (1892–1912). He presided over the Congo during the height of the Red Rubber era, marked by extreme violence, forced labor, and mass atrocities. Despite international criticism, Wahis defended the colonial regime and its interests.
Critical Dialogues and Audiovisual Provocations
Back at S-Com’s headquarters, participants were introduced to the UDEW project and toolkit.
Then, IHRC introduced the theoretical framework of the workshop by unpacking key concepts such as colonialism vs. neocolonialism, decolonialism vs. postcolonialism, and decolonisation vs. decoloniality. This set the stage for an interactive session featuring the screening of a slam poetry performance by Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, which served as a powerful starting point for a discussion on representation, citizenship, islamophobia, and discrimination.
Participants also engaged with recent research by the IHRC on the repression of Pro-Palestinian movements in Europe, exploring how political dissent and anti-colonial narratives continue to face institutional resistance today. This moment highlighted the urgent need for a decolonial lens in analysing current affairs.
Zine-Making as a Tool for Collective Imagination
The final activity of the day was a Zine Lab. Participants learned the basics of self-publishing and each person created a zine combining drawings, text, and political slogans. This creative act empowered individuals to transform insights and emotions into concrete artistic outputs, reimagining a future beyond colonial legacies.
The workshop successfully bridged historical analysis, political critique, and artistic creation. By providing participants with tools to deconstruct colonial narratives and rebuild new ones, the session fostered an open space for alternative futures. Through collective reflection and creative practice, the UDEW project continues to offer powerful pathways for inclusive urban transformation.
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