FreshEd FreshEd #344 – Critiquing Education in Emergencies (Jessica Oddy)
Nov 9, 2025
Jess Oddy, a researcher from the University of Bristol, delves into the complexities of education in emergencies, exploring its colonial legacies and ties to racial capitalism. She critiques how organizations often carry imperial baggage, perpetuating white supremacy despite recent anti-racism statements. Oddy emphasizes the inequities in pay and visibility between global north and local educators. Highlighting grassroots movements, she showcases community-led education in South Sudan as vital alternatives to traditional aid-based models.
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EiE's Colonial Roots Persist
- Education in emergencies (EiE) is deeply entangled with colonialism and continues colonial patterns today.
- Many organisations delivering EiE inherit histories and practices rooted in empire rather than neutral benevolence.
Acknowledgement ≠ Transformation
- INEE's 2020 anti-racism statement acknowledged white supremacy culture within the EiE sector.
- That admission opened conversation but did not by itself transform everyday program design or power relations.
Talks Rose After 2020, Practice Lagged
- Statements after 2020 created visible conversations but practical change remains limited.
- Donor politics and entrenched funding structures keep power concentrated and aid conditional.
