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Organized by Jana Hönke and Jan Sändig (University of Bayreuth)

There is a long-standing and insightful research agenda on transnational activism. But still, most of the research and public interest has focused on the impacts of NGOs and social movements from the Global North. The vivid scene of movements, activists, bloggers, and concerned citizens in many parts of the Global South, and mobilization in South-South relations, has attracted much less attention. Therefore, this panel proposes to investigate how activism and social controversy works within the Global South, particularly along the South-South axis. Thereby, the panel seeks to engage with the hotly debated issues of postcolonialism, agency, and the question of whether a Southern social movement paradigm is needed. It also touches upon how (transnational) publics differ and the effects this may have on activism. The panel welcomes contributions on diverse topics such as youth movements, popular uprisings, environmental struggles, conflict over large-scale infrastructure development, digital media, and so on. Taking a critical approach, the panel also elaborates on how Northern civil society may both facilitate the networking of Southern activist, while also often acting as gatekeepers that may co-opt Southern-based actors.

Please send a proposal with title and short abstract to Jan.Saendig@uni-bayreuth.de until 28 May. If you are unsure whether you will be able to attend ISA physically, please feel free to still submit to us. We aim to ensure a hybrid format that will enable digital participation.