September 12 marks the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, an observance date that grows out of a long and unfolding twentieth-century search for different (and perhaps cosmolocal) visions of globalization across an arc spanning the age of modern decolonization, the birth of the United Nations, the Bandung Conference, the launch of the UNDP, and much more.
In this seminar, we will discuss a couple thematic readings (links to chapter PDFs for prior reading):
From Baku to Bandung from John T. Sidel's Republicanism, Communism, Islam: Cosmopolitan Origins of Revolution in Southeast Asia
A World of Signals from Quinn Slobodian's Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism
After which we will subsequently watch the film Amma Ariyan (Report to Mother) by John Abraham.
All are welcome. Prior reading encouraged 🤓
1800 — Arrival and Mingling
1830-1930 — Reading Seminar
1945-2200 — Film & Discussion
A special series of pop-up seminars, reading groups, and discussions about cosmolocalism in contemporary critical contexts, in loose conjunction with Cosmolocal CNX this September 2026.
Open to all curious — if you're reading this, you're welcome to join!
Hosted by Seapunk Studios and collaborators, in continuing vein from 2024's Digital Humanities Un-College and 2025's Seapunk Proto-College.
Seapunk Studios is an open roaming research-and-imagination collective interested in solarpunk ideas for Southeast Asia and the Global South, inspired by our historical open common sea and the emergent thriving ‘punk’ worlds it fostered.
Optional Luma registration link (for additional reminders or to follow the Seapunk Studios calendar: https://luma.com/u20kfpg6
