Return to Bandung

In this episode, I’m joined by Sai Englert, lecturer in the political economy of the Middle East at Leiden University’s Institute for Area Studies, to talk about the frequently invoked (but less frequently understood) concept of settler colonialism. We explore the nuances of what the term ‘settler colonialism’ really means, as well as how this phenomenon has historically manifested and continues to manifest in different contexts—from North America to Palestine and beyond. We also discuss the framework for understanding settler colonialism that Sai puts forth in his book Settler Colonialism: An Introduction, and how this framework overlaps with and differs from dominant understandings of this crucial concept. Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You can learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his website, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Sources and helpful links: Sai Englert — Settler Colonialism: An Introduction (Pluto Press, 2022) Sai Englert, Michal Schatz, and Rosie Warren (eds.) — From the River to the Sea: Essays for a Free Palestine (Verso Books, 2023) Sai’s lecture at the Socialism 2024 conference in Chicago, IL Patrick Wolfe — Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native (Journal of Genocide Research, 2006) Arghiri Emanuel — White-Settler Colonialism and the Myth of Investment Imperialism (New Left Review, May/June 1972) Gerald Horne — The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America (New York University Press, 2014) Ho Chi Minh — Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (September 1945) Massimiliano Tomba — Insurgent Universality: An Alternative Legacy of Modernity (Oxford University Press, 2019) Nick Estes — Our History Is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance (Verso, 2019) Mahmood Mamdani — When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda (Princeton University Press, 2001) Mahmood Mamdani — Neither Settler nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities (Harvard University Press, 2020) Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang — Decolonization is Not a Metaphor (Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 2012) Zapatista National Liberation Army — Fifth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle (July 1998) Social links: Return to Bandung: Twitter: twitter.com/returntobandung Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returntobandung/ Pranay Somayajula: Twitter: https://twitter.com/p_somayajula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranay.somayajula/ Website: https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/ Substack: https://www.culture-shock.xyz/

Episode summary: In this episode, I’m joined by Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and author of forty books including The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World, to talk about the history and contemporary legacies of Third Worldism. We discuss the origins and trajectory of Third Worldism and the ‘Bandung Spirit,’ what became of this radical worldmaking project, and what lessons this rich history holds for anti-imperialist organizing and internationalist solidarity in the present day. We also discuss the challenges and contradictions of internationalism, and what it really means to stand in solidarity with anti-imperialist struggles in the Global South from within the imperial core. Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You can learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his website, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Sources and helpful links: Vijay Prashad — The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World (The New Press, 2007) Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research website Hyper-Imperialism: A Dangerous Decadent New Stage (Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, January 2024) The Churning of the Global Order (Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, January 2024) Vijay Prashad, No Cold War, and West Africa Peoples’ Organization — In Africa They Say, ‘France, Get Out!’ (Tricontinental newsletter, May 2024) Vijay Prashad — Ten Theses on the Far Right of a Special Type (Tricontinental newsletter, August 2024) Fidel Castro — Speech at the 4th Conference of Nonaligned Nations (September 1973) Social links: Return to Bandung: Twitter: twitter.com/returntobandung Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returntobandung/ Pranay Somayajula: Twitter: https://twitter.com/p_somayajula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranay.somayajula/ Website: https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/ Substack: https://www.culture-shock.xyz/ Vijay Prashad: Twitter: https://twitter.com/vijayprashad Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/possiblehistory Tricontinental Institute for Social Research: Twitter: https://twitter.com/tri_continental Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetricontinental/

In this episode, I’m joined by Tiana Reid, an assistant professor of English at York University in Toronto and a member of Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG), to talk about WAWOG’s work organizing a revolutionary cultural front against Zionism and imperialism. We discuss the crucial role that cultural production and political education have historically played in anti-imperialist struggle, and the urgent need for writers, artists, musicians, and other cultural workers to use their art and their platforms to stand in solidarity with Palestinians against apartheid, occupation, and genocide. Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You can learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his ⁠website⁠, as well as on his Substack blog, ⁠culture shock⁠. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Sources and helpful links: Christina Sharpe — The Shapes of Grief: Witnessing the Unbearable (The Yale Review, September 2024) WAWOG’s "Creating a Revolutionary Cultural Front” Syllabus Cedric Robinson — Capitalism, Marxism, and the Black Radical Tradition: An Interview with Cedric Robinson (Perspectives on Anarchist Theory, Spring 1999) Amílcar Cabral — National Liberation and Culture (Lecture at Syracuse University, February 1970) Fayez Sagegh — Zionist Colonialism in Palestine (Palestine Liberation Organization, September 1965) Amiri Baraka performing “Black Art” (1967) Remi Kanazi performing “This Poem Will Not End Apartheid” (2011) Pranay Somayajula — "To Make Revolution Irresistible": Notes on the Politics of Literary Production (culture shock, August 2024) Fargo Nissim Tbakhi — Notes on Craft: Writing in the Hour of Genocide (Protean, December 2023) Printing the Movement (WAWOG Bulletin, November 2024) New York War Crimes Lylla Younes — “Think of It as a Genocide of Journalists”: An Interview With a Member of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate About the Unprecedented Killing of Reporters in Gaza (The Nation, January 2024) Marina Magloire — “Moving Towards Life” (Los Angeles Review of Books, August 2024) Basel El Araj — Exiting Law and Entering Revolution (The Bad Side, April 2024) Social links: Return to Bandung: Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/returntobandung⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/returntobandung/⁠ Pranay Somayajula: Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/p_somayajula⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/pranay.somayajula/⁠ Website: ⁠https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/⁠ Substack: ⁠https://www.culture-shock.xyz/ WAWOG: Website: https://www.writersagainstthewarongaza.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wawog_now Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wawog.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wawog_now WAWOG Toronto Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wawog_to

Episode summary: In this episode, I’m joined by Jia Hong, an organizer with Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, to discuss the history and contemporary politics of imperialism and anticolonial resistance in Korea. We dive into the long history of foreign imperialism in the peninsula, from the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century to the ongoing U.S. military presence and its role in inflaming North-South tensions, and discuss the impact of the incoming Trump administration on Korea’s future. We also discuss the U.S. Out of Korea campaign that was launched earlier this summer by Nodutdol, a grassroots organization of diasporic Koreans and comrades organizing against imperialism in Korea and around the world. Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You can learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his website, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Sources and helpful links: US Out of Korea Campaign Website Nodutdol Website Nodutdol’s Korean War Syllabus Jia Hong and Erica Jung — The Sacrifice of Human Health and Environment in South Korea Under US Military Occupation (Science for the People, 2023) What Does a Trump Presidency Mean for Korea? (Statement from Nodutdol, November 2024) Sanctions of Empire (Zine by Nodutdol, October 2020) Max Balhorn — South Korea’s “Economic Miracle” Was Built on Murderous Repression (Jacobin, May 2021) Social links: Return to Bandung: Twitter: twitter.com/returntobandung Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returntobandung/ Pranay Somayajula: Twitter: https://x.com/p_somayajula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranay.somayajula/ Website: https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/ Substack: https://www.culture-shock.xyz/ Nodutdol: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nodutdol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nodutdol

In this episode, I’m joined by Alex Press, a staff writer and labor reporter for Jacobin Magazine, to examine the complex relationship between the U.S. labor movement and anti-imperialist politics—its history, the current situation, and where we go from here. We discuss the historical entanglement of American labor with imperialism during the Cold War, the complexities and contradictions of anti-imperialist labor organizing in the imperial core, and the role that labor unions have played in the ongoing Palestine solidarity movement over the last year. Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You can learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his ⁠website⁠, as well as on his Substack blog, ⁠culture shock⁠. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Social links: Return to Bandung: Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/returntobandung⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/returntobandung/⁠ Pranay Somayajula: Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/p_somayajula⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/pranay.somayajula/⁠ Website: ⁠https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/⁠ Substack: ⁠https://www.culture-shock.xyz/ Alex Press: Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexnpress Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexnpress

Episode summary: In this episode, I discuss the BRICS—what it is, where it came from, and what significance it holds for the future of international politics. Reflecting on the bloc’s history and the most recent BRICS summit that took place last month, I explore the BRICS’ relationship to the emerging multipolar world order, and tackle the question of how we on the anti-imperialist left should think about projects like the BRICS, which pose a threat to Western hegemony without directly or explicitly challenging the capitalist-imperialist world system. Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his website, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Sources and helpful links: Laurence Piper — The BRICS phenomenon: from regional economic leaders to global political players (Transnational Institute, April 2015) Joint Statement of the BRIC Countries’ Leaders — Yekaterinburg, 2009 Kazan Declaration: Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security — Kazan, 2024 Paul Millar — “How the BRICS nations failed to rebuild the global financial order” (France 24, August 2023) Paulo Nogeira Batista — BRICS financial and monetary initiatives – NDB, CRA, and a possible new currency (November 2023) Atlantic Council — Dollar Dominance Monitor Yanis Varoufakis — “US ‘neo-imperialist’ dollar scheme explained” (Geopolitical Economy Report, Feburary 2023) Ben Wray — “It’s Time to Dismantle the US Sanctions-Industrial Complex” (Jacobin, February 2024) Marco Rubio — "Tyrannical China wants to topple the US dollar" (The Telegraph, May 2023) Lydia Polgreen — “We’ve Just Had a Glimpse of the World to Come” (The New York Times, October 2024) Farah Stockman — "The Summit in Russia Should Be a Wake-Up Call for the West” (The New York Times, October 2024) Vijay Prashad — Neoliberalism with Southern Characteristics: The Rise of the BRICS (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, May 2013) Samir Amin — “Contemporary Imperialism” (Monthly Review, July 2015) Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research — Sovereignty, Dignity, and Regionalism in the New International Order (March 2023) Mao Zedong — On Contradiction (August 1937) Qiao Collective — “Why China’s Vaccine Internationalism Matters” (April 2021) Vijay Prashad — “We Know a Different World Will Be Born Out of This Mess” (Tricontinental Institute, January 2024) Kwame Nkrumah — Neo-Colonialism, the Last State of Imperialism (1965) Social links: Return to Bandung: Twitter: twitter.com/returntobandung Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returntobandung/ Pranay Somayajula: Twitter: https://x.com/p_somayajula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranay.somayajula/ Website: https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/ Substack: https://www.culture-shock.xyz/

In this episode, I’m joined by Aline Batarseh, Executive Director of Visualizing Palestine, to reflect on the past year of genocide and resistance in Palestine and beyond. We discuss the current state of the global Palestine solidarity movement, the importance of the information front in the fight against Israel's occupation and apartheid regime, and the crucial work that Visualizing Palestine is doing to combat propaganda and shed light on the truth about what’s really happening in Palestine. Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his website, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Sources and helpful links: Aline Batarseh — Major media and the systemic silencing of Palestinians (Mondoweiss, March 2023) Visualizing Palestine — A System of Silencing (February 2023) Visualizing Palestine — Automating Genocide: Israel's Use of AI-Driven Warfare (February 2024) Visualizing Palestine — Stop Killer AI (May 2024) No Tech for Apartheid campaign Visualizing Palestine: A Chronicle of Colonialism and the Struggle for Liberation (Haymarket Books, 2024) Visualizing Palestine and Law for Palestine — Intent Portal (October 2024) Basil Farraj — In memory of Walid Daqqah (People’s Dispatch, April 2024) Social links: Return to Bandung: Twitter: twitter.com/returntobandung Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returntobandung/ Pranay Somayajula: Twitter: https://x.com/p_somayajula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranay.somayajula/ Website: https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/ Substack: https://www.culture-shock.xyz/ Visualizing Palestine: Twitter: https://twitter.com/visualizingpal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualizing_palestine/ Website: https://visualizingpalestine.org/

In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Galant, member of the Progressive International’s Secretariat and senior researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (here on the show in his personal capacity!). Michael and I talk about the decades-long campaign to build a New International Economic Order—a radical proposal, first articulated in 1974, for radically reshaping the entire global economy as we know it in order to level the playing field for the nations of the Global South. We discuss the history and trajectory of the NIEO, the connections between this worldmaking project and the broader Third Worldist movement, and the Progressive International’s new efforts to revive the NIEO’s radical vision as we mark the 50th anniversary of the UN’s original Declaration on the Establishment of the NIEO.Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his website, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock.If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!Sources and helpful links:​UN General Assembly Resolution — Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order (May 1974)​Progressive International — Program of Action on the Construction of a New International Economic Order (September 2024)​Progressive International — A Manual for Mutiny: Presenting the Program of Action on the Construction of a New International Economic Order (September 2024)​UN General Assembly Resolution — Towards a new international economic order (December 2022)​Karuna Mantena — Getting the NIEO Right (Law and Political Economy Project, May 2018)​Adom Getachew —Worldmaking After Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination (Princeton University Press, 2019)​Michael Galant — Who’s Afraid of the Global South? (Foreign Policy, April 2024)Social links:Return to Bandung:​Twitter: twitter.com/returntobandung​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returntobandung/Pranay Somayajula:​Twitter: https://x.com/p_somayajula​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranay.somayajula/​Website: https://www.pranaysomayajula.com/​Substack: https://www.culture-shock.xyz/Michael Galant:​Twitter: https://twitter.com/michael_galantProgressive International:​Twitter: https://x.com/ProgIntl​Website: https://progressive.international/

About this episode: Return to Bandung is a podcast that explores questions of imperialism, resistance, and internationalist solidarity throughout history and into the present day, and seeks to make the case for why anti-imperialist politics are as important in our current moment as ever before. In this pilot episode, I introduce Return to Bandung, provide a brief overview of the anti-imperialist history and analysis behind the show, and share more about my vision for the show going forward. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and subscribe to stay up to date with new episodes as they are released! About the show: Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. His work explores themes of diaspora, (inter)nationalism, anticolonial politics, and the many lives and afterlives of empire. You learn more about Pranay and read his writing on his website, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock. Links and resources mentioned in the episode: ​“We Are All Palestinians: Notes on Solidarity and Collective Resistance” by Pranay Somayajula [LINK] ​Robin D.G. Kelley’s appearance on the Makdisi Street podcast [LINK] ​Indonesian President Sukarno’s opening address at the Bandung Conference [LINK] Stay in touch: Website: returntobandung.com Email: returntobandung@gmail.com Twitter: twitter.com/returntobandung Instagram: instagram.com/returntobandung

Welcome to the Third World. My name is Pranay Somayajula. I’m a writer, organizer, and host of Return to Bandung—a podcast that explores questions of imperialism, resistance, and internationalist solidarity throughout history and into the present day. Through historical analysis, interviews with expert guests, and deep dives into classic works of anticolonial theory, Return to Bandung seeks to make the case for why anti-imperialist politics are as important in our current moment as ever before. With new episodes dropping every two weeks, be sure to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, so that you can stay up to date with new episodes as they come out. Broadcasting to you from Washington, D.C.—the heart of the empire, the belly of the beast—this is Return to Bandung.