How has the continuation of colonial legacies through law and legal systems taken effect? How are multilateral institutions such as the IMF, WB, WTO governed by international laws which are largely derived from First World systems? How does neo-colonialism influence international business – AI and data extraction, businesses and HR responsibilities. The reformation of global governance and international relations requires a reclamation of laws and legal systems in a more globally inclusive way. To decolonize laws and policy, then, is to begin asking what’s next. What does a truly equitable system look like? How will this lead to the collective liberation of all?

How has the continuation of colonial legacies through law and legal systems taken effect? How are multilateral institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, and WTO governed by international laws which are largely derived from First World systems? How does neo-colonialism influence international business – AI and data extraction, businesses and HR responsibilities. The reformation of global governance and international relations requires a reclamation of laws and legal systems in a more globally inclusive way. To decolonize laws and policy, then, is to begin asking what’s next. What does a truly equitable system look like? How will this lead to the collective liberation of all?

In recent decades, the international community has begun to recognize and reckon with the colonial legacy of the international aid system. However, there is little clarity within the humanitarian sector as to how to actualize a decolonial approach to humanitarian aid. Further, conversations around decolonizing the humanitarian sector are often sidelined in the name of emergency and urgency, compared to the international development sector. Through this panel, we will explore what practical steps humanitarian actors can take now to reconstruct power dynamics between the global majority and the global minority. This panel will provide perspectives from various sectors, including academia, multilateral organizations, journalism, government donors, and NGOs. By exploring what a decolonial approach looks like in the humanitarian sector, and what practical steps we can take now, we hope to develop a stronger humanitarian community to support the people around the world affected by conflict and crisis today.

Artificial Intelligence is literally everywhere this year – in all sectors of policy, how we interact with each other on social media, how we write our papers (hello, ChatGPT). Yet, there is abundant skepticism around the expansion of AI. At their core, this skepticism can be traced to fears of increasing inequalities within society, locally and even globally. For instance, tech platforms deploy AI based moderation across the globe. However, AI-based moderation in Global South regions is less effective because of the lack of linguistic and cultural diversity coded into algorithms. This implies greater repercussions for the Global South as they rely on the same technology to curb hate speech, disinformation, election interference and the like.

This panel looks towards discussing these blind spots in AI policy and design. As such, it focuses on the ways in which emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence benefit from the systems that are based in coloniality. We will ask the critical question of who creates AI systems and who benefits from them, through a decolonial lens. Further, our panel will look at the future prospect of these technologies and consider how discourses surrounding decolonization of AI can be applied or if it is even necessary. As working groups and state governments embark on devising AI policies and strategies, while also actively contracting with AI companies to carry out administrative tasks, it is important to discuss these concerns now, so current and future policymaking can follow an inclusive AI-powered world.

Counterinsurgency is a concept with roots at least as far back as the days of direct colonization, typically referencing colonizing powers’ efforts to suppress rebellions, and has since evolved to capture modern day state efforts to counter extremist groups and other non-state actors.

States have adopted counterinsurgency (COIN) as a strategy and method since the days of direct colonization. The practice and term has since evolved to describe state efforts to counter extremist groups and other non-state actors. This panel will draw upon speakers’ expertise to establish a shared understanding of the roots of counterinsurgency and to draw linkages to modern purposes and practices.

J. Kēhaulani Kauanui (Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian) is an activist, radio producer and writer. She is Professor of American Studies and Anthropology at Wesleyan University, where she teaches courses related to Indigenous studies, critical race theory, settler colonial studies and anarchist studies. Kauanui earned her B.A. in Women’s Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and her Ph.D. in History of Consciousness at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is the author of Hawaiian Blood: Colonialism and the Politics of Sovereignty and Indigeneity (Duke University Press 2008); Paradoxes of Hawaiian Sovereignty: Land, Sex, and the Colonial Politics of State Nationalism (Duke University Press 2018); and Speaking of Indigenous Politics: Conversations with Activists, Scholars, and Tribal Leaders (University of Minnesota Press 2018).

Her work is widely published in a range of academic journals and edited books. Kauanui also co-edits a book series on “Critical Indigeneities” for the University of Carolina Press. She is one of the six co-founders of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, established in 2008. And she is the recipient of the Western History Association’s 2022 American Indian History Lifetime Achievement Award.