Features
Understanding required system change

by Ranil Senanayake
We need a fresh paradigm towards a permanent truce with nature, in concurrence with her pace and in sync with her rhythm.” –– Ray Wijewardene,
Sri Lanka, is ‘the canary in the coalmine’ of fossil powered economic growth, that promises ‘development’. The pain of withdrawal from addiction is felt from the cooking fires of its homes, to the national energy grids. Can this pain provoke a realization that the only way to stop it from happening again, is to cease this addiction to fossil fuels and choose a new paradigm for growth and development.
It is not only the pain of withdrawal from fossil energy, it is also the awful reality of what we have done the environment that supports us chasing the myth of ‘development’ based the consumption of fossil fuels. I remember the taste of the water in the well from which I would drink go from sweet, to bitter. The bitter taste is a forerunner of the foul chemicals that will eventually make this well undrinkable. What is the value of a good, clean, drinking water well in my premises? To me priceless, but to the economic thinking that rules this nation, only worth what the market dictates. Being a good neighbour, I will gladly share the water from my well with my neighbours. However, because I will not charge them money for my water, the value that it represents to my neighbours, and me, is not computed in framing the national economy. Why?
This insensitivity to environmental and social contracts is not confined to Sri Lanka, it is an artifact of modern idea of ‘progress’ as defined and promoted by global politics as ‘Development’ today, it, unfortunately, compromises the basic needs of all of humanity. As pointed out by innumerable fellow travellers, on this journey of life, we are hurting ourselves; we are reducing our future options.
There is a paradigm shift needed but what is it? Can we look at this world in a different way, so that we can slow this rolling tsunami of hunger, disease and violence? We are constantly being made aware that there is a crisis in food, in water, in health and now in energy, the indicators of the coming tsunami.
In proposing a new paradigm, we must define the existing one first, so that the new can be evaluated. Today, humanity has defined consumerist-led growth, measured by indicators, such as the GDP, as ‘development’. Its operation has seen a rapid decline of the indicators of sustainable living, indicators such as water quality, oil quality, health quality and biodiversity. It looks to create transactions as the final goal. Often, these do not pay a real price and the cost of environmental services loss is externalized, so that it becomes a public liability. Further most of the transactions are made on non-living materials, value being relegated by rarity and demand.
In moving to a new paradigm the most obvious effect will be in the slowing down and, hopefully, reversing the current rapid decline of the indicators of sustainable living, indicators such as water quality, oil quality, health quality and biodiversity. The concept of consumerist growth will be measured by a host of other indicators and not merely transactions. These ‘indicators of sustainable living’ will provide the weighting factors for the computation of established economic indicators, such as the GDP. The real value of the ‘Global Commons’ will be formalized and value given to environmental services, especially those that provide positive externalities I the operation.
This reality is summarized effectively in a saying of the Shuar peoples of the Amazon, they say:
‘Oil represents the sprits of a long dead world, that we use to satisfy our greed for power and sacrifice and our children in return’.
This statement is correct in both metaphorical and real senses.
Oil (and other fossil fuels) does indeed represent a long dead world, be it Devonian coal that came from the mass of the great forests, of that time, or Jurassic oil that came from the productive oceans of that time. Our fossil fuels are indeed made from the bodies of the denizens of those times. They have condensed into energy high substances, from which we extract power and which in turn extracts the sustainability of humanity, as the life support system diminishes.
Carbon that cycles through living systems represents a fixed proportion of the planetary carbon. This carbon, called ‘biotic’ or living carbon, has a very different makeup to other sources of carbon. The biotic carbon cycling in the planetary biosphere is measured in time cycles of thousands of years. This carbon is activated by the energy of the sun fixed by living things. There is another pool of carbon, which is the ‘lithospheric’ or fossil carbon. This is carbon that once existed in the biosphere, but died and was buried underground where they reside for time periods measured in millions of years. This ‘dead’ carbon has no contact with the world of living carbon. Over geologic time, vast quantities of carbon, sequestered by living forms, became fossilized and removed from the biotic/atmospheric cycles to become distilled as the ‘spirits of a long dead world.’
Metaphorically, it reflects the human traditions that state ‘From light comes life, from darkness death’. They represent the age-old battle that divides men, those who choose the power of light and those who choose the power of dark. In human experience, both give power, both extend promises, both require sacrifice. The sacrifice required of when asking for power from the light, is the containment of greed, fasting, meditation, prayer, selflessness, in short the sacrifice of ‘self’. The sacrifice required by humans asking for power from the dark, is the worship of greed, selfish gain and the sacrifice of others. They will happily kill the future for selfish gain, for personal power and wealth.
Thus, the old paradigm of the creation of desire for consumption at the expense of the future and driven by fossil energy must change, if humanity is to progress anywhere.
Just as the power of fossil energy manifested the old paradigm it is the power of radiant energy that will manifest the new.
Radiant energy or light empowers us in two fundamental ways. The first is by maintaining the life support system of the planet the second is by providing electricity to power technological advances that are becoming social norms.
The supply of electricity from sources of energy other than fossil is exemplified by using water (hydro) trees (dendro), wind or radiation (solar). The technology to supply the marketplace is slowed by vested interests (fossil lobby); it is further slowed down by official lethargy.
The other aspect of radiant energy is the phenomenon of primary production, by which the entire living world is maintained. Primary production or the capture of light energy to make biomass, is possible only through the action of photosynthesis, by which Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere is fused with water to provide the two essentials for life oxygen and biomass. It is the substance that provides the green colour of vegetation.
It is the action of this material, photosynthetic biomass, that makes life sustainable on this planet. The tragedy is, that under the current paradigm, no value is given to this critical substance, value is given only to its products of its action, such as timber or grain. As a consequence of this lack of recognition, the volume of photosynthetic biomass has begun to decrease dramatically planet-wide.
A fundamental consideration of photosynthetic biomass is that it retains value only as long as it is living. Unlike products such as timber, fruit, spices or grains which is valued after ‘harvest’ and is dead, it has no value in a dead state. The moment it is ‘harvested’ and ceases its activity, it loses its value.
So, what is photosynthetic biomass? It is the ‘green substance’ of all plants. On land, it is mostly the leaves of plants, in the sea it is the blooms of algae and phytoplankton. Photosynthetic biomass captures solar energy using atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and water to produce all the foodstuff for animal life of the planet. In addition it produces Oxygen to maintain an air that we can breathe. It also provokes water transformation or the cleansing of groundwater and the creation of rain, i.e. all actions essential for the sustainability of the life support system of the planet. Yet currently, it is only the product of photosynthetic biomass, as sequestered carbon, usually represented by wood/timber, fruits a grain etc. that has been recognized as having commercial value.
How can the recognition of the value of Primary Ecosystem Services contribute towards changing the paradigm?
A primary contribution would be to reverse the damage wrought to the planetary life support systems by making it profitable to restore and enhance the degraded environmental services. If economic and policy decisions create a climate conducive to placing a value on photosynthetic biomass, many critical activities to slow the current trend can be developed and implemented.
The greatest resource to implement these goals of restoration is the rural population. It is only the day-to-day attention to new plantings in the field and an increasing knowledge on the theory and practice of restoration that will produce the healed environments of tomorrow. Consideration of the rural populace, as key players in land restoration, is important because it is the rural person who will often be responsible for the acts that destroy or develop both biomass and biodiversity. Rural out-migration is often a consequence of an inability to make a decent living on the land. It has been the inability to place value on environmental services that constrains the development of new rural opportunities, beggaring the farming communities and their attendant biodiversity. But using photosynthetic biomass as a proxy for environmental services can contribute to reversing this trend.
As photosynthetic biomass can retain value only as long as it is living, the dependence of exporting a product to sustain economic activity ceases. He or she can be paid for the amount of photosynthetic biomass that they maintain alive on their land. Work on restoration suggests that the higher the complexity of vegetation the higher its photosynthetic biomass. Money can be now directed towards sustaining life rather than destroying it!
Such a paradigm change brings with it innumerable opportunities for research, business and market development. Such a move can indeed put us on a better track to sustainability. Such a move can move us from the dark to the light! It only requires the international system to recognize a value for photosynthetic biomass and let the market dictate its worth. We need to grasp the opportunity for change and move from a hydrocarbon driven economy to a carbohydrate driven one!
Features
Empowering Futures: Navigating intersection of innovation in globalised eduscape

In a recent interview with BBC’s Katty Kay, Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy and author of Brave New Words, presents a compelling and optimistic vision for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into classrooms. His views align closely with the themes of innovation, equity, and lifelong learning that frame current debates in global education.
The global education landscape is undergoing profound transformation, driven by rapid technological innovation, shifting socio-economic demands, and the imperatives of globalisation. As education systems, worldwide, grapple with questions of relevance, equity, and sustainability, the emergence of a fluid and interconnected learning ecosystem—what scholars and policymakers increasingly term the eduscape—demands urgent attention and critical reflection. This eduscape is not merely a digital evolution; it encapsulates the convergence of pedagogy, policy, and technology in a transnational context, marked by both opportunity and inequity.
A tool: Powerful assistant
At the forefront of this transformation is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into teaching and learning. Khan articulated a compelling vision for AI in education during the interview with Katty Kay. He envisions AI not as a substitute for educators but as a powerful assistant—enhancing personalisation, supporting creativity, and facilitating lifelong learning. His perspective reflects a growing body of scholarship that positions AI as a tool to augment human capabilities and address long-standing structural challenges in education.
However, the promise of innovation cannot be separated from the realities of educational inequity. The digital divide, disparities in access, and uneven capacity for adoption threaten to widen existing gaps. Moreover, the global diffusion of educational technologies raises questions about cultural homogenisation and the erosion of local pedagogical traditions. To navigate these tensions, a nuanced approach is required—one that blends technological advancement with inclusive policy, pedagogical integrity, and cultural responsiveness.
Investigation
I attempt to examine how innovation, equity, and lifelong learning intersect to shape education systems capable of empowering future generations. Drawing on recent developments in AI-enhanced learning, theories of constructivist and competency-based education, and global policy frameworks, such as Global Citizenship Education (GCE), this analysis aims to illuminate the pathways through which education can become more adaptive, inclusive, and transformative. Ultimately, this investigation seeks to articulate a vision for education that is not only future-oriented but also grounded in ethical and humanistic values.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into education, as envisioned by Sal Khan, represents a transformative yet complex shift in pedagogy. Khan presents AI as a tool to personalise learning, re-engage students, and augment rather than replace the role of educators. While this perspective aligns with broader scholarly enthusiasm for educational technology, critical examination reveals the nuanced challenges and conditionalities associated with implementing innovation within global educational systems (see Figure 1: ChatGPT-AI generated infographic).
Innovation: Transformative but Conditional
Technological innovations, such as AI tutors, learning analytics, and immersive simulations, have reshaped learning environments by enhancing personalisation and engagement. Tools like Khanmigo (AI-powered tutoring assistant developed by Khan Academy) demonstrate AI’s potential to support differentiated instruction and enable formative assessment in real time. These innovations are congruent with constructivist learning theories, which emphasise the active construction of knowledge through interaction and experience.
However, innovation is not inherently emancipatory. Some argue that without critical pedagogical grounding, digital tools risk reinforcing pre-existing hierarchies and inequalities. For instance, AI systems that lack cultural and linguistic sensitivity may marginalise diverse learner populations. Additionally, algorithmic systems can over-standardise learning and diminish opportunities for creative and critical thinking, if not guided by thoughtful instructional design. Hence, innovation must be deployed with a clear alignment to pedagogical goals and equity principles.
Equity: The Persistent Digital Divide
Equity remains one of the most pressing challenges in the digital eduscape. Although AI-enabled education offers tools to support inclusion, the digital divide persists across and within nations. In many contexts, students lack consistent internet access, digital devices, or the digital literacy required to navigate AI-mediated learning environments. As UNESCO underscores, technological access alone does not guarantee inclusion; educational systems must also invest in teacher training, inclusive curricula, and culturally responsive pedagogies.
Actually, inclusive education is not a technical issue but a structural one, requiring curriculum redesign and institutional commitment to address barriers related to disability, language, gender, and geography. AI can support equity only when these broader systemic factors are simultaneously addressed.
Lifelong Learning: Expanding Educational Horizons
AI-facilitated learning also intersects with the growing emphasis on lifelong learning. The concept of education as a continuous process aligns with global workforce demands and the emergence of micro-credentials, modular online learning, and flexible learning pathways. Also, lifelong learning environments, supported by AI and personalised platforms, offer learners greater autonomy and alignment with real-world competencies.
Nevertheless, these innovations carry risks. Without adequate institutional support, learners may be overwhelmed by fragmented learning opportunities and credential inflation. Moreover, those in marginalised communities may struggle to participate in such systems due to digital exclusion or lack of social capital. Thus, while lifelong learning is vital, it must be equitably accessible and embedded within coherent policy frameworks.
Globalisation: Balancing Global and Local Needs
Globalisation plays a dual role in shaping educational transformation. On one hand, it facilitates cross-border collaboration, knowledge exchange, and technological diffusion. On the other, it can homogenise educational practices and marginalise local cultures. While platforms, like Khan Academy, aim to offer globally accessible learning, they may inadvertently reflect dominant cultural assumptions about knowledge, language, and pedagogy.
To mitigate this, UNESCO promotes Global Citizenship Education (GCE), which encourages students to engage critically with global challenges while valuing local identity and diversity. Integrating GCE into AI-driven systems presents an opportunity to foster civic-mindedness and ethical engagement, but it also requires intentional curricular design and policy support.
Human Agency: Anchoring Ethical AI Use
Despite the capabilities of AI, the role of teachers remains central. As Khan emphasises, educators provide the social-emotional scaffolding, ethical guidance, and cultural context that AI lacks. Further, AI should support teachers in making informed instructional decisions, not replace them.
The impact of AI on learning depends less on the technology itself than on the values, intentions, and pedagogical frameworks that shape its use. Ethical AI integration requires professional development, participatory design processes, and safeguards to prevent misuse or over-reliance. Teachers, students, and communities must be active agents in determining how technology shapes learning.
Synthesis
While AI offers powerful tools to enhance personalisation, access, and creativity, its implementation must be grounded in inclusive, context-sensitive, and ethically informed practices. The global eduscape is marked by asymmetries in infrastructure, capacity, and cultural fit. Therefore, empowering futures requires more than technological adoption—it demands a reimagining of education that is human-centred, culturally responsive, and globally aware.
Conclusion
As the global education landscape evolves, the integration of innovation, equity, and lifelong learning emerges not as optional enhancements but as foundational pillars for sustainable educational transformation. Sal Khan’s vision of AI as a pedagogical scaffold—rather than a replacement for human educators—epitomises the balanced and ethical approach required to navigate the complex terrain of the modern eduscape. His insights underscore the importance of
aligning technological tools with human-centred values, equity-focused frameworks, and culturally responsive pedagogy.
Artificial Intelligence, when applied judiciously, holds immense potential to personalise learning, re-engage students, support teacher decision-making, and foster creativity.
Yet, its transformative capacity depends heavily on the context in which it is embedded. Without adequate attention to digital infrastructure, teacher training, policy integration, and socio-economic disparities, the very technologies designed to democratise education may inadvertently deepen inequalities.
This attempt is to explore the interplay between global innovation trends and local educational realities, highlighting both the possibilities and the perils of rapid digital transformation. It affirms that lifelong learning—flexible, modular, and competency-based—must be central to educational planning in the 21st century, especially in preparing learners to adapt to technological disruption and global change.
To truly empower future generations, education systems must be agile yet grounded, innovative yet inclusive, and global in outlook yet locally relevant. This requires not only investment in technology but also a commitment to inclusive policy design, community engagement, and ethical foresight. Moving forward, sustained cross-national research, policy experimentation, and institutional collaboration will be essential to shaping an eduscape that serves all learners—equitably, creatively, and sustainably.
(The writer, a senior Chartered Accountant and professional banker, is Professor at SLIIT, Malabe. The views and opinions expressed in this article are personal.)
Features
Government’s success in building trust needs to expand

The government has been trying to overcome the most serious economic breakdown in the country’s modern history. By negotiating without prevarication with the International Monetary Fund and by allowing the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, the police and the courts to do their work, it has persuaded foreign partners and the general public that it can be trusted. That credibility now gives the government an opportunity that its predecessors failed to obtain. It can and must use the trust it has gained to confront the legacy of war and heal a country that is still divided.
The clearest indication of its credibility is the new relationship with the IMF. Last week the Executive Board of the IMF completed the fourth review of the Extended Fund Facility and authorised the disbursement of another USD 350 million to Sri Lanka. At the same sitting it granted waivers after the government admitted that it had under reported expenditure arrears during earlier reviews and outlined steps to improve the integrity of its data. Instead of imposing penalties, the IMF was lenient to acknowledge the corrective action and the deeper commitment to fiscal transparency.
In other cases, as in Ukraine in 2001 and Dominican Republic in 2004, the IMF has frozen assistance when borrowers misstate information. That it refrained on this occasion speaks well about the confidence it places in the government’s determination to reform. Tariff increases, steeper taxes and the withdrawal of blanket subsidies have caused economic hardship to the people, yet the government has persisted. Reserves have stabilised, inflation is low and output is returning to modest growth even as turbulence in global trade poses fresh risks. Debt restructuring with bilateral and commercial creditors is close to completion, and the automatic electricity tariff formula, another unpopular measure, has been brought into play.
People’s Priorities
As a result of inflation that took place in the past, and the failure of salaries to catch up, real income is still below precrisis levels. A survey undertaken by the National Peace Council in August 2024 just before the presidential election revealed that the first priority of people in their choice of candidate was economic development. The study conducted by Dr. Mahesh Senanayake and Ms. Crishni Silva of the University of Colombo offers valuable insights into the key drivers of voter behaviour within Sri Lanka’s dynamic political context. Despite the continuing economic problems, voters seem willing to wait as they continue to place their trust in the government’s sincerity.
The NPC survey examines how factors such as economic concerns, perceptions of leadership, trust in public institutions, and prevailing social issues influence electoral decisions. The research showed that voters overwhelmingly prioritised candidates who would offer clear strategies to address Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, fight corruption, and ensure good governance. 93% of respondents indicated they would vote based on a candidate’s ability to resolve the economic crisis. 83% prioritised candidates committed to tackling corruption. 86% favoured candidates with strong educational backgrounds, signaling a preference for qualified, competent leaders over political dynasties.
Trust also depends on tackling corruption. Nothing corrodes confidence faster than impunity. It is in relation to accountability for economic crimes that progress is most visible. Recently, a bench of three judges, acting on an indictment filed by the Bribery Commission, sentenced two former ministers to prison terms of twenty and twentyfive years for misappropriating public funds in a sportsequipment procurement scandal. The convictions, the first of their scale against former cabinet members, signal that no office is beyond the reach of the law and that economic crimes will be answered in court.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption together with the police and judiciary is showing that state institutions can tackle the problems of corruption if the government does not interfere to block them discharging their mandates. The same principles should hold where it concerns non-economic crimes as well. The recent arrest of a former Karuna group cadre for the murder of the Vice Chancellor of Eastern University nearly twenty years ago, shows this is possible. The success in dealing with economic crimes and making those guilty of those crimes accountable to the law and the courts shows the way to dealing with the festering problem of human rights violations that took place during the three decades of war.
International Involvement
The failure of successive governments to deal satisfactorily with the issue of war crimes has led to demands for international involvement in ensuring accountability for war crimes and serious human rights violations. This has been resisted by successive governments on the grounds that direct international involvement in the form of being investigators, prosecutors and judges will be an unacceptable erosion of national sovereignty which will give power to those from the international community who have no longer term stake in the country in the same way Sri Lankan citizens have. In the past this was also an excuse for inaction.
UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk dealt diplomatically with this issue. His offer of international assistance was to offer support to domestic mechanisms. He said, “Sri Lanka has struggled to move forward with domestic accountability mechanisms that are credible and have the trust and confidence of victims. This is why Sri Lankans have looked outside for justice, through assistance at the international level. Ultimately it is the State’s responsibility and it is important that this process is nationally owned – and it can be complemented and supported by international means.”
However, the reluctance to get into the area of war crimes persists due to the possibility of political backlash. The visit of the High Commissioner to the Chemmani mass grave site was made possible because the Magistrate’s Court in Jaffna stood firm and acceded to the demand made by human rights lawyer K. S. Ratnavale that the High Commissioner should be given access to the Chemmani site. The court overruled objections by the government representatives who said that the High Commissioner should be given access only to the entrance to the Chemmani site and not to the mass grave itself. A process that is independent and open to scrutiny would strengthen the government’s standing both at home and abroad.
Winning Trust
Allowing independent observers to monitor evidence preservation, witness protection and laboratory analysis could offer the assurance victims now demand. The government already has a model for such openness. It has accepted extensive external oversight of its fiscal policy. IMF staff examine Treasury books each quarter, verify information and insist on course corrections when targets are missed. The general population now believes this supervision helps rather than weakens the country. It is regarded as a seal of confidence that attracts investment and assures taxpayers that rules apply to all.
Sri Lanka will not lay the ghosts of its war to rest until the truth about the missing persons is ascertained. Although not much reported in the media in the English and Sinhala languages, in the north and east, the issue of the Chemmani mass grave has revived painful memories and made this the topic of everyday discussion. In view of justifiable concerns and past failures to protect evidence, an international role in safeguarding evidence can be considered. In addition, international experts can be brought in to ensure that the evidence is gathered and analysed in a scientific way drawing on international experience.
Just as the government has won the trust of the IMF and the general public regarding its commitment to improving their economic lives, it can win the trust of the people of the north and east who lost their loved ones in the war. The government can design an accountability process that is credible, nationally owned and internationally respected. This can pave the way for national reconciliation of which Sri Lanka can be an example to the world that is increasingly conflictual and divided.
by Jehan Perera
Features
Oh Palestine, Palestine: Unchaining education

Why do the books deceive?
Why is every letter of the alphabet chained,
every human mouth bridled
From Concerto Al-Quds by Adonis (On Palestine): Trans: Khaled Mattawa
Why is every letter of the alphabet chained, indeed, as this poet asks. If I may attempt an answer to this question, I will want to raise it as an epistemological and pedagogic concern. And I do have to raise it as a question of Palestine as well, for our lives caught in the systems of knowledge production, and shaped by their parameters, have to reckon with one of the greatest political infamies of our shared global history: Palestine.
Many of us watch with horror the war on Gaza. We are anxious about the ongoing conflict, and the uptick on the war, with USA bombing Iran and the counter offensives. The war in Ukraine had already raised concerns about an impending World War III. Continuous wars, one leading to the other, had always been a part of our lives in recent times. We had always put it down to geopolitics and the West’s need to dominate and shape the world order in the way it wants to. Palestine had always been central to this. But this understanding, important as it is, has to be combined with a theoretical and semiotic understanding of what Palestine stands for, in very material terms; its peoples, the multiple dispossessions that the land has undergone, the horror of war and mayhem, the resistance of the Intifadas – in other words, in historical and political terms. We need to do this as our own act of solidarity and strategy, because our “books deceive.”
Colonialism, Neocolonialism and Neoliberalism
Let me begin, genealogically, with neoliberalism, the current political and economic moment. It is no overstatement to say that today neoliberalism as an economic and cultural truth of modernity (progress) has become naturalised, an uncontested premise of our economic and political system, an economic and political world order that combines colonialism with extreme economic appropriation, misappropriation. Neoliberalism is a neocolonial moment, in which the world’s working population is turned into an exploited (reserve) army of labour for global capital. We see colonial capital reinvented as global capital and financial markets, crisscrossing the world and masquerading as the new world order, the messianic deliverer. Yet, Palestine tells us, no!
One of the enduring colonial characteristics of the neoliberal moment is the way land in the third world, and in colonised regions across the globe, has been a chief marker of the process of dispossessing people of their livelihoods in their places of living. Global capital recolonises land through marketising it as a commodity. Colonialism has always been about land, the control of land, the control of the people of the land, the exploitation of land, and the exploitation of the labour of its people.
In the neocolonial, neoliberal world we live in, this colonial legacy repeats itself not just as farce, but as tragi-comedy. And then we have the tragedy of Palestine. Neoliberalism can be understood as the deep vulgarisation of the tragedy of colonialism. As neocolonial subjects, we gleefully adapt, change and create policies on education that have become a blanket endorsement of the global north’s, and the global order’s, politics and policies. Committees, Commissions and Collaborations converge to market these policies. The books continue to deceive.
Decolonising Knowledge: The Other
Decolonising knowledge has gained some traction in the postcolonial world, particularly in the areas of knowledge production and in education. It does put up a valiant challenge to colonial premises of advancements. Yet, much of this interesting trend, a politically demanding one, has become entangled for the most part, in creating east/west or north/south binaries. More often than not decolonisation merely re-narrates colonial paradigms in nationalist idioms, an act that Frantz Fanon, the arch anti-colonialist theorist warned us against in Black Skin White Masks and Wretched of the Earth. While we look on with horror at what is unfolding in Palestine, a century after the brazenly racist, colonialist Balfour Declaration that inaugurated the settlement of European Jews in Palestine, Palestine might well be a starting point for us to engage in a conversation on decolonisation. In such a re-examination of what Palestine was and is today, we may have to side step geopolitics as the point of entry and instead recentre colonial pursuits and persuasions as our primary focus.
The area around West Asia (called the Middle East from the European perspective) has always been, materially and metaphorically speaking, the pathway to the land masses around Russia, China and the Indian subcontinent in Asia. Politically and culturally, it was the crucible in which a European identity was forged, forming its crucial Other. The crusades are an early indication of it. In early modernity, the lines harden. Can one forget the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Spain in 1492, the same year, Columbus lands in Bahamas, to inaugurate that side of the genocide project? When Emilia in the play Othello, tells Desdemona, “I know a lady in Venice would have walked barefoot to Palestine for a touch of his [Lodovico] nether lip,” we can immediately see the central role Palestine plays in the nascent colonial imaginary of Shakespeare’s Europe. Shakespeare’s classic play on race immediately centres this othering of Othello as a question of the European Christian versus all others, including other Christians. The play is not just about race, but is about race and sexuality, one of those constitutive anxieties of the European psyche that helped shape colonial appropriations in the name of a putative moral superiority. Sometimes we seem to be still stuck in early modernity. Tracing the place of Palestine in the colonial imagery is important for any epistemological project of decolonisation.
Epistemologically and pedagogically, the question of Palestine should lead us to question our own nationalisms and nation state prerogatives. The Naqba in Palestine was in 1948, the same year, the people of Malaiyaham in Sri Lanka were disenfranchised, just a year after the conflagration that the independence of India and Pakistan was. These were not fortuitous. We have story after story to tell of this series of dispossessions. As Mahmood Mamdani insists, in Neither Settler nor Native, writing on Palestine, one needs to think beyond the nation and nationalism. Beyond the specificities of the conflict and war in Palestine, solidarity for Palestine may want to begin with this exploration of our shared colonial legacy, leading us into far reaching queries about the sociopolitical order of global capital in the world today. Decolonisation lies at the heart of an active democratisation process of the polity, both nations, and nation states, challenging the global world order at the same time. In any project that examines our knowledge systems, and in any putative attempt to decolonise education, we may need to begin with that.
As Adonis, the poet, writer and theorist, has enjoined us, every letter of the alphabet needs to speak freely, openly and honestly. Palestine, in 2025, has to show us the way and the friends of Palestine have to set the tone for this challenge. And then, just then, we may be able to turn around and look back at what happened in 1996, in Chemmani, and look at the children buried in the shallow graves of mass murder, without flinching, all while accepting responsibility.
In Jerusalem, and I mean within the ancient walls,
I walk from one epoch to another without a memory
to guide me. The prophets over there are sharing
the history of the holy … ascending to heaven
and returning less discouraged and melancholy, because love
and peace are holy and are coming to town.
From, “In Jerusalem” by Mahmoud Darwish
(Sivamohan Sumathy is attached to the Department of English at the University of Peradeniya)
Kuppi is a politics and pedagogy happening on the margins of the lecture hall that parodies, subverts, and simultaneously reaffirms social hierarchies
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