As we close out the year, it feels fitting to revisit the vision we shared at the start of our journey with Decoloniality in the Everyday. In February, we framed this theme as an opportunity to explore the subtle, pervasive ways colonial legacies infiltrate our lives and how small, conscious acts of resistance can foster meaningful change. It was both a rallying cry and a guiding principle—a reminder that our collective and individual efforts hold power even amidst overwhelming global challenges. This year, we’ve seen that vision take root, sparking conversations, actions, and reflections reaffirming our shared commitment to a more just and inclusive world.
To say the very least, 2024 has been a difficult year for humanity and has provided multiple reminders about why this work is so necessary; numerous ongoing genocides, ecocides, genocide deniers, the persistence of white supremacy, the rollback of civil rights, and the deepening of inequalities perpetuated by global systems built on colonial foundations. The necessity of the fight for Indigenous land rights, the resistance against environmental degradation, and the pushback against racialised economic systems underscored how colonial mindsets continue to frame power, resources, and justice. In the Global South, many face the daily reality of systems collapsing under the weight of debt, extractive industries, and environmental destruction—systems inherited and reinforced by the same colonial powers that now frame themselves as arbiters of democracy and human rights. For many, the question isn’t how to resist but whether it’s even possible to resist when survival takes everything you have.
And yet, resistance persists. Not always in loud, visible ways, but in the everyday choices people make: farmers refusing to sell their land to corporations, communities coming together to rebuild after floods or fires, and workers striking for wages that reflect their worth. These are not just glimmers of hope; they are proof that change, however slow or fragmented, is happening. Resistance is not a luxury—it’s a necessity, and often, it’s all we have.
At Decolonial Thoughts, we’ve tried to offer a space for grappling with these realities without looking away. These topics don’t come with easy solutions, nor do they need to. The work of decoloniality isn’t about finding answers for everything; it’s about asking the questions that need to be asked and daring to sit with their complexity.
So where do we go from here? Maybe the answer isn’t in keeping our chins up or finding solace in small victories—it’s in understanding that no single act will save us but that every act matters. Resistance might look like choosing a local farmer’s produce over a corporate chain’s, learning the names of the Indigenous nations whose land you’re on, or simply listening to voices that are often drowned out. These actions might not change the world overnight, but they are part of the long and messy work of reimagining it.
As we step into a new year, let’s be honest about the weight of what lies ahead. Decoloniality isn’t a neat checklist or a feel-good slogan; it’s a process of unlearning, dismantling, and building anew. It’s exhausting, imperfect, and sometimes thankless, but it’s also necessary. For those of us in the Global South, it’s not just an intellectual exercise—it’s life itself. Let’s keep walking this road together, even when it feels unbearably long, because the fight isn’t just for change; it’s for the possibility of a future worth living.
Decolonial Thoughts
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