The Global Politics of Hunger and Starvation

We live in an era of mass starvation. In Sudan, 48 million people face a harrowing and unprecedented scale of famine and hunger, while regional sub-imperialist states extract and trade Sudanese food commodities and minerals with higher and higher profit margins. Devastating scenes from Gaza have exposed Israel’s depraved colonial food politics and the use of starvation as a weapon of war. And in Tigray, 13 million people continue to feel the impact of Ethiopia’s deadly civil war and the collapse of the food system.

Why does famine and food insecurity continue to persist in some of the world’s most fertile and arable lands? Why is deliberate starvation of populations in Sudan, Palestine and Tigray framed as a food shortage rather than a weapon of war that works in tandem with mechanisms of displacement and resource extraction? And how has aid been weaponised to control food access and undermine local and communal food production?

Our speakers will explore these questions, helping us understand the root political and economic causes as well as the impact of famine and starvation in each region. We will explore the weaponisation of hunger as a tool of war and coercion, the resistance to these conditions by farmers and locals, and the grassroots initiatives you can support. This will be followed by an open discussion with the audience.

This event is a collaboration between The Decolonial Centre and Restless Beings. Ticket proceeds will help us continue funding the work we do.

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SCHEDULE

6.30 - Doors Open

7.00 - Panel

8.00 - Open Discussion

9.00 - End

9.30 - Close

Catering will be provided by Toteil Restaurant offering authentic Sudanese cuisine.

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SPEAKERS

Dr. Muna Dajani is an action researcher with a background in critical political ecology. Her work aims to understand environmental and water governance through decolonial and critical lenses. Her doctoral research focused on examining community struggles for rights to water and land resources in settler colonial contexts in Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, with special attention to how farming practices acquire political subjectivity.

Dr. Edward Thomas is a Fellow of the Rift Valley Institute. He has worked in Sudan and South Sudan as a teacher, human rights worker and researcher for two decades. He is the author of ‘South Sudan: A Slow Liberation’, as well as several RVI reports including ‘Moving Towards Markets: Cash, commodification and conflict in South Sudan’ and ‘The Kafia Kingi Enclave: people, politics and history in the north-south boundary zone of western Sudan.

(Speaker on Tigray TBC)

Mabrur Ahmed (Moderator) is the Co-founder and Director of international human rights movement, research group and UK charity Restless Beings, who directly work with marginalised communities across the world. Mabrur has been an active voice on Genocide, attrocity crimes and forced displacement, regularly camapigning and presenting policies for human rights issues at various international governments. His recent work includes research and advocacy for human rights freedoms in India in particular in Assam and Panjab. He has been a long standing campaigner for Palestinian rights and is currently spearheading a team of humanitarian relief across Gaza, Sudan and South East Bangladesh.

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ACCESS INFORMATION

A prayer room and quiet breakout/breastfeeding space is available at Root/25

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The Decolonial Centre is a political education platform committed to spreading anti-colonial and decolonial perspectives on history, social theory, and current affairs. We deliver our work via our Newscast episodes, Decolonial Encycopaedia, and community events. By fostering solidarity and collaboration, we aim to amplify the powerful movements at the forefront of challenging and dismantling the enduring legacies of colonialism today. Our vision is to help inspire a new intergenerational cohort of activists that pushes for systems change and create links between communities in struggle.

Restless Beings is an international human rights organization and UK charity dedicated to supporting the world’s most marginalized communities through advocacy, activism and humanitarian response. We put communities at the heart of everything we do. Through deep consultation, grassroots engagement, and research, we ensure those we support lead the decision-making process—shaping solutions that truly meet their needs.

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