Muhammad Rhaka Katresna
In June 2025, an extraordinary event unfolded simultaneously in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and Utrecht, Netherlands: the NICMCR Pokja’s Joint Research Kick-Off Programme. Under the evocative theme, “Decolonising Knowledge: Rethinking Research in Gender, Ecology, and Education,” this gathering marked the beginning of a crucial three-year joint research project. It was not just an academic meeting, but a deliberate act of bridge-building. Its dual purpose was to critique Eurocentric academic paradigms and to begin a creative, restorative effort to reclaim diverse, local knowledge traditions. The core aim was to collaboratively reframe research by foregrounding local epistemologies, supporting participatory approaches, and challenging the deep-seated colonial legacies in academia.
The hybrid nature of the event, spanning two continents, was symbolic, connecting geographical and academic divides in a shared dialogue on decoloniality. As a student reporter observing this enthusiastic exchange, my immediate impression was the pervasive nature of “coloniality” itself. It emerged not merely as an abstract concept for debate, but as a central, lived practice. Even long after physical colonizers depart, the colonial legacy, as I reflected during the event, often feels as though it “still runs in our veins.” It subtly or overtly manifests in various structures, be it the state, religion, or culture. It significantly shapes how we perceive the world, what we value as knowledge, and how we act within it.
The Essence of Decoloniality in Research
The pre-opening research presentations served as a compelling prelude, offering tangible examples of decolonial practices across a wide spectrum of fields. The session, moderated by Zainal Abidin Bagir, showcased a rich array of approaches to challenge ingrained coloniality, moving from theory to tangible action.
Teguh Wijaya Mulya, from Universitas Surabaya, opened with “Decolonising Climate Education.” He critically problematized dominant Western approaches, labeling their scientific universalism and technological solutionism as having “masculine vibes” rooted in patriarchal-colonial-capitalist systems. He proposed a powerful alternative embracing “feminine vibes”—an education that is embodied, communal, psychological, and ancestral, grounded in the wisdom of feminist participatory action research.
Zaimatus Sa’diyah of IAIN Kudus then explored “Decolonizing Materialism” through the Temon Banyu Beras (Meeting of Rice and Water) ritual in the Kendeng Mountains. She drew a sharp contrast between the modern, materialistic view of nature as a resource to be exploited and the local understanding of nature as a sentient being that praises God. This ceremony, she explained, is an act of embodied resistance against extractivist forces like cement mining, reaffirming the sacred human-cosmos interconnection and the concept of “Ibu Bumi” (Mother Earth).
The focus then shifted to spirituality and methodology. Kamilia Hamidah from IPMAFA Pati discussed “Spirituality as a Cultural Language in Post-Secular Societies.” In response to modernity’s cold rationalism, she framed “spiritual capital”—intangible resources like peace, hope, and morality—as a vital source for resilience and social cohesion. Following her, Haryani Saptaningtyas of Sebelas Maret University demonstrated “Decolonialisation through methodology.” She presented community mapping not as a simple data collection technique, but as a decolonial tool that fundamentally restructures power relations, transforming community members from subjects into co-creators of knowledge for advocacy.
The lens expanded to digital and indigenous realms. Riska Dwi Agustin from UINSI Samarinda analyzed “The Climate Change Discourse on Instagram,” using a feminist perspective and critical discourse analysis to examine how major Islamic organizations discuss the intersection of faith, gender, and ecology online. Irene Umbu Lolo from STT GKS Sumba addressed the urgent need to reclaim the agency of Marapu teachings for nature conservation. Her work directly challenges colonial views that dismissed this indigenous religion as “primitive,” revealing its profound ecological wisdom. Finally, Maaike Andrea van Tienhoven, a Ph.D. candidate at Radboud University, discussed the challenges of “Doing Decolonial Fashion Research.” By examining Indonesian ikat, she sought to unravel the colonial entanglement that separates “fashion” from “ethnic dress,” while thoughtfully navigating her position as a Western researcher engaging in this work.
The subsequent discussions deepened the understanding of decoloniality’s complexities. It was in this exchange that Tamara Soukatta, the keynote speaker, articulated a foundational insight: “Coloniality is an ongoing ontological position in knowledge production, where European culture is seen as rational, and others as inferior ‘objects.'” This statement powerfully reinforced the idea that colonial legacies are not historical relics but active forces that continue to structure our perceptions and validate certain forms of knowledge while marginalizing countless others.
Lecture and NICMCR Project Kick-Off
The official program began with opening remarks that fostered a collaborative atmosphere. In his welcome address, NICMCR Steering Committee member Robert Setyo stressed the importance of challenging Western norms and building robust networks with activists to promote justice and equality on the ground.
The centerpiece was Tamara Soukatta’s lecture, “Decolonising Research Methodologies: Rethinking Knowledge from the Margins.” Her core message was unequivocal: “Decolonial is a verb, understanding coloniality to dismantle it.” Soukatta meticulously distinguished between “decolonisation” (the historical, physical departure of colonizers) and “coloniality” (the underlying logic of colonialism, a continuous, insidious process of erasing, classifying, and negating other ways of knowing and being). “Decoloniality,” she explained, is the crucial “option to de-link” from this modern/colonial matrix of power. She argued that coloniality relentlessly creates hierarchies in knowledge production, systematically marginalizing “knowledge from the margin.” This connects directly to my initial reflection on the “darkest side of modernity” being erased from our histories, a side effect of a system that positions one worldview as universal.
Following the lecture, the Pokja (Working Group) sessions provided a clear roadmap for how decoloniality would be applied over the next three years. Instead of top-down outlines from coordinators, key researchers presented their deeply engaged work. For Pokja Gender, Dewi Candraningrum shared the powerful “Voices of Mothers of Nguter Sukoharjo.” These women use “food diplomacy” and embodied prayers to fight river pollution from textile factories, framing ecological injustice as a contemporary form of colonization. For Pokja Ecology, Samsul Ma’arif introduced a “Decolonial indigenous methodology,” emphasizing “relational positionality” to build a “home of ours” where academia and community engage in mutual contribution and reciprocity, breaking down the researcher/researched divide. Finally, for Pokja Education, Ina Ter Avest presented comparative research on Religious Education as a space for liberation. She uses a “multi-voiced Self” framework to help students in both Indonesia and the Netherlands navigate their complex identities free from colonized positions.
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy, Coloniality in Our Veins
The NICMCR Pokja’s Joint Research Kick-Off Programme underscored that decoloniality is not an abstract academic concept but an essential, ongoing practice for rethinking the very foundations of research. As Yus Sa’diyah-Broersma powerfully encapsulated in her closing remarks, “Decolonizing is not a thick method, it is a mindset.” This resonates profoundly with my initial observation: coloniality is inherent, pervasive, and its legacy continues to shape our bodies, our thoughts, and our institutions, even after the colonizers have physically left.
This event served as a stark reminder that these colonial legacies are indeed “still running in our veins.” The presentations gave clear, compelling evidence of this by challenging Western scientific universalism in climate education, rejecting materialistic views of nature, and fundamentally restructuring power dynamics in research methodologies. The discussions brought to light issues often deemed “academically invisible”—like the silent, determined struggles of mothers fighting river pollution or the deep societal implications embedded in a banned song about domestic violence, “Hati yang Luka” by Betharia Sonata. As Yus Sa’diyah-Broersma noted, these are the “ordinary, emotional, and deeply rooted” issues that may not attract conventional funding but are crucial for understanding true societal well-being and the subtle ways coloniality endures.
The pervasive nature of this legacy demands an urgent, compassionate, and critical re-evaluation of our research practices. The event passionately stressed the need for humility, reciprocity, and genuine co-authorship, moving decisively away from extractive models where communities are merely subjects of study. It advocated for “living knowledge,” knowledge born from practical experiences and community struggles, not just from academic abstraction or the agendas of funding bodies. This collaborative approach, where researchers are called to redefine their relationship with communities, promotes an environment of mutual respect and shared ownership of the knowledge created.
The NICMCR Pokja’s Joint Research Kick-Off Programme stands as a vital and hopeful step towards a more just, equitable, and “pluriversal” understanding of the world. It is a powerful affirmation of the potential of collaborative, decolonial efforts to dismantle the unseen chains of coloniality and to reclaim the rich diversity of knowledge traditions, enriching both academia and the communities it must strive to serve. The journey of decolonizing knowledge is undoubtedly complex and ongoing, but this event illuminated a clear path forward, emphasizing that what we, as researchers, bring into this work, our mindsets, our humility, and our willingness to truly listen, matters most.