[PHILOS-L] Open Call: ‘No & ...’ : A Forum on Technological Refusal

[Henningsen, Marte (PHILOSOPHY)]

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Dear colleagues, 

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a proposal to ‘No & ...’ : A Forum on Technological Refusal, taking place at Maastricht University on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th February 2026.
 
What is this forum about?

‘No & ...’ : A Forum on Technological Refusal begins from the idea that refusal is, among other things, a rejection of one’s current relationship to technology (as an individual and/or as part of a collective) and a simultaneous commitment to another way of being in the world. The ‘no’ is accompanied by a ‘yes’ to another path. In this sense, refusal demands a careful articulation of what needs to change as well as a vision for a future that can (and should) be worked towards.

With this forum we provide space for conceptual, practical, and alternative explorations of refusal, with the history and philosophy of technology as important starting points. At the same time, we welcome diverse perspectives to explore refusal as a method for going beyond critique, for opening pathways towards new possibilities, new choices, and new ways of being in the world.

Keynote:

We are delighted to announce that we have confirmed our first keynote speaker, Tanja Bosch, Professor of Media Studies and Production at the University of Cape Town.

Professor Bosch is the author of Broadcasting Democracy: Radio and Identity in South Africa (HSRC Press, 2017), Social Media and Everyday Life in South Africa (Routledge 2020); co-editor of Digital Citizenship in Africa (Zed Books, 2023), and Digital Feminist Citizenship in Africa (Bloomsbury, 2025); as well co-editor of the Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics (2nd edition, forthcoming). Her research includes work on decolonising digital methods, digital citizenship, and social media culture and activism.

Professor Bosch explores the concept of "refusal" as a generative and insurgent mode of scholarship within decolonial studies, moving beyond simple negation to enact epistemic disobedience and challenge capitalist structures in academia: rejecting extractive logics, resisting metrics of impact, and centring labour, sovereignty, and solidarity

Themes:

The forum will be organised around the following themes and formats:

Ideas about refusal: What does it mean to speak of refusal in relation to technology, and how does it differ from or relate to adjacent notions such as resistance, critique, non-use, disconnection, or withdrawal? How have scholars and commentators in different contexts framed the boundaries and possibilities of refusal?

The time(s) and place(s) of refusal: In what moments and settings does refusal emerge, and what conditions make it visible or sustainable? How might methods from history, ethnography, discourse studies, literary and artistic analysis, or data-driven research help us trace the rhythms, scales, and shifting forms of refusal over time?

The realities of refusal:  How is refusal practiced, narrated, and embodied by individuals, communities, or institutions? What kinds of cultural, political, or artistic strategies give shape to acts of saying no to certain technologies, whether through avoidance, critique, subversion, or experimentation with alternatives?

Futures worth wanting: Refusing technology opens the space for articulating futures that are worth saying yes to.  What are the ideas, conditions, settings, and discourses that we can now engage with as we embark upon a different way of being in the world? How can we best evaluate existing and emerging technologies through the lens of desired future states? 

Formats:

Panel presentation: A conventional academic format in which you share your research, theoretical reflection, or account of a project. Presentations will be grouped by the organisers into panels with related themes.

Making and Doing: A space for more experimental contributions such as workshops, collective exercises, activist practices, games, media works, or artistic provocations. (Please specify how much time the contribution needs and whether any additional materials or rooms are required.)

Dialogues and Conversations: A less formal setting designed for exchange and discussion. Short provocations, roundtable debates, or facilitated conversations can be proposed to open up dialogue across different perspectives.

 

Deadlines:

Please submit a short proposal (max 400 words) to techr...@posteo.com by October 31st.

Acceptance will be announced by November 14th, when registration will open.

Registration will close January 7th.

 

Costs and Practicalities:

The forum will be free and open to all, but capacity is limited to 80-100 people, maximum.

At this moment we cannot guarantee a hybrid option will be available, but we are exploring the options and will provide an update on this when registration opens.

Unfortunately, we are unable to contribute to travel or accommodation costs. However, we will be happy to assist in finding suitable options and solutions where required – please do get in touch.

Lunch and coffee will be provided on both days.

A dinner will also be offered (at participant’s own cost), more details will follow.

 

On behalf of the organisation committee:

Marte Henningsen, Dani Shanley, Tricia Griffin, Ricky Janssen, Judith Campagne, and Flora Lysen.

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Marte Henningsen (she/her)

Department of Philosophy | Maastricht University

marte.he...@maastrichtuniversity.nl

 

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