[TimorLesteStudies] Workshop: ‘Reflections on Colonial and Postcolonial Policing in the (Former) Portuguese Empire.’

[Bu Wilson]

Fourth GERN (Post)colonial policing workshop‘Reflections on Colonial and Postcolonial Policing in the(Former) Portuguese Empire.’Escola de CriminologiaFaculdade de Direito da Universidade do Porto14-15 April 2011
Recent years have witnessed increasing academic attention towards the issue of colonial policing. This workshop, to be held in Porto in April 2011, is the fourth in a series of events convened by the GERN Working Group on Colonial Policing. Preceding workshops have focused on policing in the British, French, Belgian and Dutch Empires. Expanding on the Group objective to examine connectivity, continuity and change across these former European Empires, this event will concentrate upon the Portuguese experience. It seeks not only to foster greater awareness of existing research regarding Portuguese colonial policing but moreover to generate future projects and collaboration in this comparatively under-examined field.
The principal objective of this interdisciplinary workshop is to bring together both established and early-career scholars with research interests in the areas of police history, colonial history, crime, justice and security regarding the Portuguese Empire. It will focus upon the organisational forms, methods and structures of Portuguese colonial policing, consolidating knowledge of the Portuguese colonial state and reflecting upon its postcolonial legacy. In this context, particular attention is directed towards the complex interaction between metropolitan, colonial and indigenous policing and security strategies. We are also keen to identify policing links forged beyond these connections, including those established with other imperial powers, colonial neighbours, other foreign state and non-state actors as well as international organisations. Drawing the colonial into the contemporary, we wish to examine those resonances of Portuguese colonial policing that are now echoed in more contemporary policing transfers across the Lusophone community, and within the governance of security more generally in the former colonies.
In the context of projected comparative analysis with the other European Empires, specific attention is drawn to the peculiarities of the Portuguese experience. In the context of the most enduring modern European Empire, what were the key phases in the evolution of its colonial policing structures? At one stage, both fascist regime and colonial power, what influence did the structures of ‘O Estado Novo’, and political policing in particular, exert over latter forms of Portuguese colonial policing? How did inter-related political transformations – democratization at home and decolonization overseas – impact upon the role of the colonial police? How was (post)colonial policing shaped by international security politics, most specifically during the colonial wars and the Cold War era? What were the experiences of these diverse forces across the various Portuguese colonial contexts?
Themes
Whilst we invite all contributions of relevance to the workshop title and those questions outlined above, suggested themes include:
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Area-Studies (Luso-African; Luso-Asian; Luso-Brazilian);
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Colonial Memory & Colonial Policing;
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Policing Knowledge Transfer & Colonial Policing Connections;
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Policing and Political Transitions: Decolonialisation & Democratisation;
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Political Policing & the Role of the Intelligence Services;
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Punishment, Repression & Incarceration in the Portuguese Colony;
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Transnational Crime & Transnational Policing in the Lusophone Community.
Please send abstracts (max. 250 words) and a brief biography to the workshop convenor ( coreilly at direito.up.pt ) by December 15th, 2010.
GERN Working Group on Colonial Policing
This is the fourth in a series of workshops that have examined aspects of policing across the European Empires, organised by the Groupe GERN Colonial:
1. Policing the British Empire – Milton Keynes – September 2009
2. Policing the French Empire – Paris – November 2009
3. Policing the Dutch and Belgium Empires – Leiden – September 2010
4. Policing the Portuguese Empire – Porto – April 2011
Group Members: Emmanuel Blanchard (CESDIP & Université Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France); Georgina Sinclair & Chris Williams (ICCCR, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK); Margo De Koster (CHDJ, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium); Marieke Bloembergen (KITLV, Leiden, the Netherlands); and, Conor O’Reilly (Escola de Criminologia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal).

Dr Bu V.E. Wilson
T: Australia +61  0  407 087 086
T: Timor-Leste + 670 744 0011
E: buvewilson at gmail.com





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