Centenary of Frantz Fanon Marked by Events Exploring Trauma, Resistance, and Decolonial Mental Health
A series of meetings and events, titled “Care and Liberation 100 years after Fanon: mental health, resistance and colonial oppression in the time of genocide,” will be held from November 3rd to 8th in Cesena and Bologna to commemorate the 100th birthday of psychiatrist and anti-colonial intellectual Frantz Fanon. The program aims to center the experiences and subjectivities of those most impacted by collective and prolonged trauma.
Organized by the Community Psychology Laboratory of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bologna,with support from the “Renzo Canestrari” Department of Psychology and the Department of Arts,the initiative has garnered the patronage of the Order of Psychologists of Emilia-Romagna.
The events seek to foster dialog between academics, mental health professionals, and organizations supporting migrants, particularly within a global landscape defined by militarization, colonial legacies, and border violence. Discussions will focus on the role of care in oppressive contexts, exploring psychological resistance and the development of more conscious, decolonial, and transformative intervention practices.
A diverse program will include seminars for university students, specialized workshops for mental health professionals, and public meetings with schools and the wider community. Key international guests will contribute to the conversation, including Palestinian psychiatrist Samah Jabr, clinical psychologist zaynab Hinnawi, psychologist Poor garnoui, dr. Yaser Abu Jamea, and journalist Wael Dahdouh. The events promise to enrich public and professional discourse with both theoretical frameworks and practical tools for understanding and addressing trauma.
