DECOLONIAL COMPARATIVE PROPERTY LAW
SPRING SCHOOL

SALVADOR (BRAZIL), 7-9 NOVEMBER 2024

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

The organising committee of the third edition of the ‘Decolonial Comparative Law’ (DeCoLa) programme series is pleased to invite you to participate in the Spring School, which will take place from 7 to 9 November 2024 at the Federal University of Bahia in Salvador (Brazil).

The deadline for applications is 22 September 2024.

The DeCoLa Spring School is an event that brings together members of the academic community and civil society to explore contemporary issues within the field of Comparative Law from a decolonial perspective. This year's Spring School will focus on issues related to the different forms of manifestation of the right to ownership of land, water, forms of life (fauna and flora) and other elements related to nature (minerals, air, etc.) from a comparative and decolonial perspective, building upon discussions held at the 3^rd DeCoLa workshop the days before at the Catholic University of Brasília. The Spring School offers an international, supportive environment for academics and diverse civil society representatives, providing an opportunity to discuss significant topics and build valuable networks. Our primary aim is to provide support and share knowledge in a non-vertical fashion through a range of activities, including theoretical and practical sessions that challenge the notion of property in light of coloniality and contemporary legal and territorial practices.

General Information

The Spring School is open to anyone interested in discussing and deepening their understanding of decolonial approaches to comparative property law, given that coloniality promotes a Eurocentric notion of property as an individual and absolute space of freedom, which excludes important and plural concepts not derived from the Global North. This includes community-based modalities of appropriation, agroecological land management systems, or rights of Nature (including rivers, seas, mountains, minerals, etc.), especially as articulated by Afrodescendents and Indigenous peoples.

The Spring School will run over three days, and participants must attend throughout the event to receive full credit. The working languages are English, Portuguese, and French, for which simultaneous translation will be provided.

Location and Programme

The Spring School will be held at the Federal University of Bahia (Salvador, Brazil) and the programme will include lectures, seminars, and round tables on the topic. Additionally, the programme will feature sociopolitical conversations and cultural excursions.

Participation Fee and Funding

There is no participation fee.

Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Law can provide financial support to a limited number of participants, in priority to minority groups living in Brazil.

Application Procedure

Interested individuals should apply by 22 September 2024. The application must include a motivation statement explaining the reason and interest for participating in the programme. Scroll down to complete and submit the application form.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications by the beginning of October 2024.

Expected profiles

This spring school is open to all academic or professional profiles who express, through their writings, thinking, or activist activities, the desire to engage with decolonial theory applied to law, comparative law, and/or property law.

In compliance with Brazilian law, we expect a minimum of 50% of Black and multiracial participants.

CONTACT

For questions related to the application or the content of the spring school, please write to decolonial@mpipriv.de and tatiana.gomes@ufba.br.

More information on the event can be found here.

Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law
Hamburg, Germany

Universidade Federal da Bahia

Salvador, Brazil

APPLICATION FORM

Deadline: September 22, 2024, 18:59 GMT-3 (Brasília time) / 23:59 GMT+2 (Germany time)

1. Personal Information

Surname: *

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First name: *

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Title: *

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Racial identification (in compliance with IBGE categories): *

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Institution / Organisation: *

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Country: *

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City: *

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Additional affiliations:

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Email address: *

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2. You & Decolonial Comparative Law

Prior exposure to or engagement with decolonial law is not required to be selected into the spring school. Clear potential connections with your legal or professional work suffice.

2.1. How have you been connecting decolonial theory to your comparative legal practice or scholarship? Please share any materials on your understanding of the matter with respect to your own work. (1500 characters max) *

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The 'Decolonial Comparative Law' project is co-organizing two events in Brazil in 2024. The overall topic is 'Decolonial comparative property Law', which could address issues of land claim, access to natural resources such as water, unequal distribution of resources at domestic and global scales, customary intellectual property rights, the restitution of stolen objects and art works, or the notion of possession in law.

2.2. Have you already or do you anticipate doing research in decolonial property law in the next months or years? Please specify your background in the subject matter. (1500 characters max) *

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2.3. What motivates you to participate in this spring school? What would you expect in terms of interaction, content, experience, or other? (1000 characters max) *

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2.4. Is there a particular topic you would like to study or discuss during the spring school? (500 characters max) *

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3. Language and Communications

This spring school will be run in three to four languages with the possibility to listen to a course in a language and interact with other trainees in another. To assign you to the right sessions, we ask you to self-assess your spoken or oral comprehension level in these languages.

You can use the linked videos to check how much you understand on the basis of the following criteria:

X = I do not speak this language;
A = I can understand key terminologies but am unable to make sense of the whole;
B = I have a good idea of context, secure passive understanding and may speak simple sentences;
C = I can understand most ideas
M = I can understand and articulate complex ideas

English (video): *

Portuguese (video 1; video 2): *

Spanish (video 1; video 2): *

French (video): *

Feel free to share other languages that you master at a C or M level:

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4. Funding

The institute may provide needs-based funding for in-person attendance of a select number of participants, particularly people from minority groups residing in Brazil.

Will you or your institution cover for your travel expenses (transportation, accommodation, visa, etc.)? Please specify if any restrictions may apply. *

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5. CV

Please attach a curriculum vitae in a PDF format HERE and tick the box below to indicate that you have uploaded it.
Please make sure the name of your file includes your surname and first name, e.g. "Surname_First name_CV.pdf".
Do not be surprised, there will be no confirmation of receipt for the CV. *

CV submitted

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6. Other

6.1. What are important themes of decolonial law that you would recommend our institute or the network in Brazil cover in our next activities?

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6.2. Any additional observations?

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7. Participation

Mode of Participation: *

I am applying to participate in the event on site at the Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, on 7-9 November 2024.

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PORTUGUÊS

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private LawHamburg, Germany

Universidade Federal da BahiaSalvador, Brazil

APPLICATION FORM

CONTACT

Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law
Hamburg, Germany

Universidade Federal da Bahia

Salvador, Brazil