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South-South relationships are multifaceted with a rich diversity of experiences being brought to the table by the dynamic regions that make up the global South. A panel discussion at the Community Engagement Conference brought together CE practitioners from across the global South to discuss the mutual benefits, challenges and lessons learnt from South-South collaborations.
The panel featured international researchers Matias Flores, a Chilean researcher at Cornell 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网; Dr. Agustín Cano Menoni from the Institute of Education at Universidad de la República (Udelar) in Uruguay; Dr. Kanya Padayachee, a researcher focused on Global South Partnerships at Integral Education-Sri Aurobindo Society and Diaspora Studies at Mumbai 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网. The panel also included South African researchers, Prof. Darren Lortan, Chairperson of the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE), and Dr. Grey Magaiza, Deputy Director of the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 of Free State.
Sakhe Ntalbezo, the facilitator of the session noted, “This is an exploratory conversation, and in planning, we frame it as a discussion and a dialogue of discovery.”
Dr. Magaiza emphasised the need to understand the South as an epistemological position, where multiple knowledge systems and struggles converge.
"When we speak about the South, we are talking about an epistemological position where multiple epistemologies are produced and where struggles have occurred. So it doesn't matter whether these struggles are in Canada, in the U.S., in South Africa, in India."
He underscored the importance of South-South collaboration to reclaim epistemic justice and counter the dominance of Western knowledge. "We are speaking of communities of scholars, communities of communities that are really looking to regain epistemic justice and to bring back that knowledge which had been lost as a result of all these forms of different types of violence.”
Prof. Lorton reflected on the importance of community engagement practices and building relationships through dialogue and mutual understanding. "The principles that underpin community engagement are essential. We treat each other equally, respectfully, and positionality doesn't matter because you and I understand in the work that we do, that's what we do best."
Flores highlighted the differences between global South and North universities and the impact of academic capitalism.
"The biggest assumption in community engagement is that there's a divide between the university and the community. But scholars from the global South, we don't feel that way. We are part of the suffering of the people. We are embedded in the destiny of our countries."
Flores called for action to reclaim the agency of the global South in community engagement and emphasised the urgency of addressing current societal issues. "We have the urgency of acting now, of seeing changes in our community now. That sometimes makes us work even beyond what we are being paid for."
The session incited a lively discussion from the audience about the role of students in community engagement, countering the hegemony of the global North, and the importance of agency despite limited resources. One audience member asked, "How do we reframe the narrative around the Global South to reflect the mobilisation of diverse knowledge traditions?" Panellists asserted that Universities have a primary responsibility to produce engaged, critical, democratic citizens."
Wrapping up the dialogue, the panellist reiterated that there is a need for academic diplomacy, the importance of community-defined resources, and the role of students in driving societal change.