When Does Knowledge Become an Obstacle? A Workshop and Lecture by Prof. Elísio Macamo
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Join us on 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟯, for 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, a 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 and a 𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, featuring 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗼, Professor of Sociology with a focus on Africa at the University of Basel. Both events are 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱, but 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱, check out the link below!
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲? 𝗔 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗼
Date: Monday November 23, 2026
Time: 10:00-13:00 (teach-in workshop) and 15:00-17:00 (public lecture)
Title workshop: 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴
Title lecture: 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀
Location: Bushuis, Room F001, Kloveniersburgwal 48, Amsterdam
Organized by: 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰, 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿, 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺, 𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗔 and 𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔
More info: www.facebook.com/events/2289039818547572
Registration (free but required): https://bit.ly/africadelic-elisio-macamo
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗼
Elísio Macamo is Professor of Sociology with a focus on Africa at the University of Basel (since October 2009). He previously taught development sociology at the University of Bayreuth, where he was a founding member of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies. He was born and grew up in Moçambique. He studied in Maputo (Mozambique), Salford and London (England) and Bayreuth (Germany). He holds a Masters in Translation and Interpreting (Salford), a Masters in Sociology and Social Policy (University of North London) and a PhD and Habilitation in General Sociology (Bayreuth). He was Post-Doctoral Fellow in Bayreuth, Research Fellow at the Center for African Studies in Lisbon (Portugal), AGORA-Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and visiting lecturer at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Moçambique.
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵-𝗜𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲? 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴
The workshop explores the question of when the production of knowledge can become an obstacle to the people, struggles or realities it seeks to understand. Rather than asking participants whether their research is sufficiently “decolonial”, the workshop examines the practical relationships created by knowledge, i.e., who acquires the authority to describe a problem, whose categories become authoritative, what becomes visible through those categories, and what disappears. The underlying tension is deliberately left unresolved. Science requires enough distance to discover things that social actors themselves may not know, while solidarity requires enough proximity to take seriously what people know about their own circumstances. Distance can become epistemic arrogance, but proximity can also turn research into confirmation. The workshop asks participants to explore this tension rather than choosing one side.
The readings will be sent by email a week before the Teach-In Workshop.
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲? 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀
Decolonial thought has made an indispensable contribution to contemporary scholarship by drawing attention to the relationship between knowledge and power. It has challenged the presumed neutrality of categories, exposed the historical conditions under which disciplines and canons emerged, and insisted that questions about who produces knowledge, from where, and under what conditions cannot be separated from the knowledge produced. This lecture takes these achievements seriously by asking a deliberately uncomfortable question: Might the intellectual resources developed to criticize domination themselves become obstacles to knowledge?
In this lecture, Macamo introduces the notion of 'epistemological grandstanding' to describe situations in which concepts function not primarily as instruments of inquiry but as signals of moral and intellectual positioning. Concepts such as coloniality, decolonisation, resistance, epistemicide, Western knowledge or indigenous knowledge may identify important features of the world. Yet, they also circulate within what Macamo calls a 'moral ecology of concepts', i.e. an environment in which some descriptions acquire moral authority, certain questions become easier to ask than others, and the perceived virtue of a position can inadvertently substitute for demonstrating its epistemic validity.
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰
Africadelic is an Amsterdam-based non-profit organization and platform committed to the programming and promotion of African and African diasporic cultural creativity, diversity, and activism in the Netherlands and beyond. Held annually around International Africa Day on May 25, the Africadelic Festival pays tribute to the African continent and its global diaspora, celebrating the invaluable cultural contributions of Afrodescendants, people of African descent, to the world's past, present, and future. This year’s edition, held from May 20-27, 2026, once again offered a vibrant week of events. Beyond the annual festival, Africadelic organizes a diverse range of events throughout the year, including concerts, talks, and film screenings. For more information, visit www.africadelic.com.
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲? 𝗔 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗼
Date: Monday November 23, 2026
Time: 10:00-13:00 (teach-in workshop) and 15:00-17:00 (public lecture)
Title workshop: 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴
Title lecture: 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀
Location: Bushuis, Room F001, Kloveniersburgwal 48, Amsterdam
Organized by: 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰, 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿, 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺, 𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗔 and 𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔
More info: www.facebook.com/events/2289039818547572
Registration (free but required): https://bit.ly/africadelic-elisio-macamo
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗼
Elísio Macamo is Professor of Sociology with a focus on Africa at the University of Basel (since October 2009). He previously taught development sociology at the University of Bayreuth, where he was a founding member of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies. He was born and grew up in Moçambique. He studied in Maputo (Mozambique), Salford and London (England) and Bayreuth (Germany). He holds a Masters in Translation and Interpreting (Salford), a Masters in Sociology and Social Policy (University of North London) and a PhD and Habilitation in General Sociology (Bayreuth). He was Post-Doctoral Fellow in Bayreuth, Research Fellow at the Center for African Studies in Lisbon (Portugal), AGORA-Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and visiting lecturer at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Moçambique.
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵-𝗜𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲? 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴
The workshop explores the question of when the production of knowledge can become an obstacle to the people, struggles or realities it seeks to understand. Rather than asking participants whether their research is sufficiently “decolonial”, the workshop examines the practical relationships created by knowledge, i.e., who acquires the authority to describe a problem, whose categories become authoritative, what becomes visible through those categories, and what disappears. The underlying tension is deliberately left unresolved. Science requires enough distance to discover things that social actors themselves may not know, while solidarity requires enough proximity to take seriously what people know about their own circumstances. Distance can become epistemic arrogance, but proximity can also turn research into confirmation. The workshop asks participants to explore this tension rather than choosing one side.
The readings will be sent by email a week before the Teach-In Workshop.
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲? 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀
Decolonial thought has made an indispensable contribution to contemporary scholarship by drawing attention to the relationship between knowledge and power. It has challenged the presumed neutrality of categories, exposed the historical conditions under which disciplines and canons emerged, and insisted that questions about who produces knowledge, from where, and under what conditions cannot be separated from the knowledge produced. This lecture takes these achievements seriously by asking a deliberately uncomfortable question: Might the intellectual resources developed to criticize domination themselves become obstacles to knowledge?
In this lecture, Macamo introduces the notion of 'epistemological grandstanding' to describe situations in which concepts function not primarily as instruments of inquiry but as signals of moral and intellectual positioning. Concepts such as coloniality, decolonisation, resistance, epistemicide, Western knowledge or indigenous knowledge may identify important features of the world. Yet, they also circulate within what Macamo calls a 'moral ecology of concepts', i.e. an environment in which some descriptions acquire moral authority, certain questions become easier to ask than others, and the perceived virtue of a position can inadvertently substitute for demonstrating its epistemic validity.
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰
Africadelic is an Amsterdam-based non-profit organization and platform committed to the programming and promotion of African and African diasporic cultural creativity, diversity, and activism in the Netherlands and beyond. Held annually around International Africa Day on May 25, the Africadelic Festival pays tribute to the African continent and its global diaspora, celebrating the invaluable cultural contributions of Afrodescendants, people of African descent, to the world's past, present, and future. This year’s edition, held from May 20-27, 2026, once again offered a vibrant week of events. Beyond the annual festival, Africadelic organizes a diverse range of events throughout the year, including concerts, talks, and film screenings. For more information, visit www.africadelic.com.
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Bushuis, Kloveniersburgwal 48, 1012 CX Amsterdam, Nederland, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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