Frantz Fanon: Colonialism, Decolonisation and Post-colonial State
Frantz Fanon (1925–1961) was a doctor, revolutionary theorist, pan-Africanist, and a towering anti-racist and anticolonial thinker whose ideas continue to resonate globally. His multidisciplinary insights have shaped fields like postcolonial studies, psychiatry, international relations, and revolutionary movements.
Fanon’s first key work, Black Skin, White Masks, draws on psychoanalysis and existentialism to explore how the colonial “white gaze” dehumanizes Black lives, particularly in the French imagination and broader colonial contexts. His experiences in Algeria during its independence movement deeply influenced his monumental work, The Wretched of the Earth, a foundational text for liberation movements across the Global South, inspiring groups like the Black Panthers and civil rights activists in America.
Adam Shatz’s biography, The Rebel’s Clinic, revisits Fanon’s groundbreaking ideas on colonialism, racism, identity politics, and globalism. This talk will delve into Fanon’s life, his enduring relevance, and his profound impact on disciplines ranging from psychiatry to revolutionary studies.
About the Speaker:
Arif Azad is a medical doctor with postgraduate degrees in Public Health and Public Policy from Sweden and London. He has extensive experience consulting for international donors, INGOs, and think tanks in Pakistan and Europe.
A longtime member of the UK Labour Party, Dr. Azad has been closely associated with former leader Jeremy Corbyn, contributing to his leadership campaigns and his independent run in Islington North. He has also been actively involved in civil and Black rights movements in the UK and has collaborated with the esteemed journal Race and Class, known for its focus on anti-colonial thought and third-world liberation.
As a writer, Dr. Azad has contributed to The Guardian, Index on Censorship, and the BBC. In Pakistan, he is a regular columnist for Dawn. His published works include The Patient Pakistan: Fixing Healthcare for All, addressing global and public health issues, and Thinkers, Dreamers, and Doers, a collection of essays on world politics, literature, arts, and films.
Dr. Azad also serves on the editorial board of the Journal for Humanitarian Affairs, published by Manchester University, UK.
This session is free and open to all. Just visit the venue to attend it.
The Black Hole
Plot 5H, Street 100, G-11/3, Islamabad.
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