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Keynote Speaker - Alan Cobley:Decoloniality, Reparations, Digitisation and AI: the new paradigms and new technologies shaping Caribbean Archives in the twenty-first century
Time:
Wednesday, 29/Oct/2025:
11:00am - 11:45am
Location:Main Room - 113 to 117
Main Room 113-117
Interpretation: English / Catalan / Spanish / French
Session Abstract
Colonialism and imperialism profoundly shaped record keeping in the Caribbean, whilst simultaneously attempting to obliterate indigenous forms. This talk considers the resulting challenges that Caribbean Archives and Archivists confront today, using the concept of decoloniality. It argues that decolonial thinking for Archivists goes beyond the act of reinterpretation of records from the colonial era: it involves revalorizing indigenous forms of record keeping and exploring new approaches that can capture previously devalued aspects of Caribbean memory. This talk also discusses ‘Reparations’ and the role they could play in ensuring the survival and future development of vulnerable Caribbean Archives. Finally, the talk considers both the potential dangers and the possible benefits of the new technologies of digitization and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI). How can they be used to support the ‘decolonial turn’ in Caribbean archives both to empower Caribbean people and to document contemporary Caribbean societies in all their richness and variety?