Past event
13 April
11am-12pm
Interrogating Notions of Peace: A lecture by Mahdis Azarmandi
Yukari Kaihori, agates, pebbles and stones collected from Hakatere and Wakanui; aluminium cast agates; aluminium and pewter cast acorns, magnolia and conifer cones from Ashburton Domain, 2022.
13 April. Free entry.
Saturday 13 April, 11am-12pm
The Physics Room, 301 Montreal Street, Christchurch
This talk offers an exploration into the intricacies of 'peace' against a backdrop of genocide and colonial violence. In the context of the grim realities of war, particularly evident in regions like Gaza, this talk will examine prevailing notions of peace, unveiling the hidden violence perpetuated by colonialism and imperialism. The talk will draw on personal narratives, and art made in resistance, to challenge conventional understandings of peace and violence, emphasising the practice of 'hope as a discipline' as a pathway towards imagining a world without war.
The Physics Room commits to sharing our space and resources as part of our work to educate ourselves and our community about the occupation of Palestine, and to build resistance to colonial injustice at home in Aotearoa and globally. We hope you can join us.
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Mahdis Azarmandi is a Senior Lecturer in Educational Studies and Leadership at the University of Canterbury, where she also serves as the co-coordinator for the Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership program. After earning her PhD from the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Otago, she held a position as Assistant Professor at DePauw University. Additionally, she has taught in Germany and Denmark. Her research focuses on addressing the notable absence of race in peace and conflict studies, alongside examining the interplay between colonization, imperialism, and white supremacy in the context of peace and violence.
Azarmandi's current research extends beyond peace and conflict studies, encompassing abolition and the envisioning of a war-free world, with a focus on confronting the structural violence of capitalism, racism, and militarisation to dismantle oppressive systems. In addition to her work on peace and conflict studies, she also works on the politics of memorialisation in Spain and Aotearoa New Zealand. Her scholarly works delve into resistance to monuments and uncover the colonial inscriptions embedded within urban landscapes. She is one of the editors of the book Decolonize the City! Zur Kolonialität der Stadt – Gespräche | Aushandlungen | Perspektiven.
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You can listen to this lecture on Plains FM 96.9 at: https://plainsfm.org.nz/prog/artnotscience
Below is a list of resources mentioned during this lecture:
https://www.visionofhumanity.org/maps/#/
https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
https://www.buildingpeaceforum.com/no/fred/Positive_Negative_peace.pdf
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/operation-8-2011