The Conference

The same afternoon of the boat tour, we attend the SUDI 2012 Conference on Sustainability and Disability hosted by Dr. Gouvea. Dr. Montoya was the last presenter on the subject of "Global Economics, Cultural Entrepreneurship, and Post-Colonialism: Sustainability, Vulnerability, and Disability in the New World Economy." After a long day of presentations and translations (most of the presentations were in Portuguese, but with the sole work of one diligent and hardworking translator, we were able to hear the presentations in English), Dr. Montoya concluded the first day of the conference. Dr. Montoya explored the relationship between the role of colonization to the role of emerging economies today who are fueling most of the world's growth. He then concluded with the theme of 'disability' in the post-colonial theory to economics. Colonialism creates an environment in which individuals and groups are made to feel excluded and not important to the population at large, known as "Alterity" or othering. This perspective of "us vs. them" is being recreated in today's global economy as emerging nations address this concept of vulnerability. This role of disability and vulnerability is best summarized by Dr. Montoya himself: “Disability, is the colonization of the body by the conventions of embodiment, an attitude that assumes that the world has to work a certain way, and that bodies – individual or communal – must all function according to one socio-cultural code or value.” A great conclusion to the first day of the conference!