Call for Submissions | Ethnographic Diaries: Self-Reflections on Decolonization and Faith

Call for Submissions

DEADLINE: Saturday, 30 April, 2022

The JLI Fair and Equitable Initiative is inviting students, researchers, practitioners, theologians, faith actors, and members of civil society from around the world to engage in a new project “Ethnographic Diaries: Self-Reflections on Decolonization, Power, Oppression, and Faith”. 

WHY: To provide a non-conventional and creative way of articulating themes related to decolonization, power, and oppression in work aimed at bringing about social change, including but not limited to development, humanitarian and peacebuilding. Ethnography through diary studies works as an alternative research method that goes beyond traditional academic circles and approaches. It’s an opportunity for students, scholars, practitioners, theologians, and members of civil society to reflect from different positionalities based on their day-to-day encounters with decolonisation, power, and faith and dig deeper into how the different religious teachings and faith traditions can encourage resistance and decolonized practices.

PARTICIPATION

• Share regular short diary entries (max 500 words/ 1 page per diary)
• Attend 4 monthly meetings with other participants to read the entries together and discuss emerging and intersecting themes
• Participants will receive an honorarium (exact amount TBD) for their contribution at the end of the project

FINAL OUTPUT: The final output of the project will be discussed and designed with participants as the work progresses. We envision some kind of publication of the reflections, including art and other imagery, with the possibility of promoting it through a podcast/webinar.

PROJECT TIMELINE: 4 months (June – September 2022)

BONUS PARTICIPATION: If you cannot commit to the project, but still want to share reflections on decolonisation and faith, you are welcome to share other formats of creative submissions including but not limited to, journal entries, poetry, personal essays (800 words), photos and artwork, and interviews. Accepted submissions will be published at a later stage and will receive a $50 honorarium. Submissions should be sent to Zainab Chamoun at [email protected] by Saturday, 30 April, 2022.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The idea of this project was inspired by “Ethnographic Diaries: Capturing the Everyday in Crisis” project implemented by the Arab Council for the Social Sciences in Lebanon.