Events
Project Manager – CeiED | Ref. UIDB/4114/2025
Universidade Lusófona through the Talent Management Department intends to recruit a Project Manager, with the financial support of FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC), as part of the base funding of the Research Unit – CeiED/ Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Education and Development.
Èṣù and the Decolonization of Thought – Documentary and Conversation with Babá King
By the initiative of Association Amor Ilé Àṣẹ Ìgbà Mérìndínlógún Ọ̀ṣùn, in partnership with Casa do Brasil in Lisbon and the AGRRIN Project – Generative Bodies: from Aggression to Insurgency. Contributions to a Decolonial Pedagogy (Project Ref.: 2022.06269.PTDC), we hereby invite you to the event:
“Èṣù and the Decolonization of Thought – Documentary Screening and Conversation with Babá King”, to be held on July 16th, 2025, at Universidade Lusófona (Room S.0.11 – Campo Grande, 376, Lisbon), featuring Professor Babá King and moderated by Babá Pedro Barbosa.
Prof. Dr. Bàbálórìsà Adesiná Síkírù Sàlámì (Babá King) is a Yoruba priest and internationally recognized scholar in the fields of African culture, religion, and epistemologies. Holding a Master’s and a PhD in Sociology from the University of São Paulo, he has played a pivotal role in the systematization of Yoruba oral knowledge and in the affirmation of African cosmologies—especially with regard to the worship and symbolism of Èṣù.
The documentary "Èṣù and the Universe" offers a critical reflection on the effects of colonization on social and religious imaginaries. It exposes how Èṣù, a central figure in Yoruba cosmology, has been erroneously associated with evil and malevolence through colonial narratives. The event emphasizes the importance of preserving African collective memory—not only as a historical record, but as a living structure of knowledge, resistance, and ancestry. In this context, the cosmology of Èṣù serves as a vital tool for rebuilding epistemes that challenge Eurocentric logic and for advancing the decolonization of knowledge.
In his lecture, Babá King will delve into these themes, highlighting Èṣù’s role as a mediator, transformer, and guardian of knowledge, whose understanding is essential for strengthening Afro-diasporic identities and for building truly decolonial thought. The event will conclude with a debate featuring scholars, religious leaders, and activists, fostering a space for critical and intercultural dialogue on possible paths for the decolonization of thought and spirituality in the contemporary world.
Event Program
18:00 – 18:30 | Reception and Welcome
Arrival of participants and opening remarks.
18:30 – 20:00 | Screening of the documentary “Èṣù and the Universe”
A film exploring the decolonization of thought and the influence of the Yoruba people in Brazil and beyond.
20:00 – 21:00 | Lecture by Professor Babá King
Topics: Ifá epistemology, the worship of Ori and the Orisha Èṣù, the dismantling of colonial stigmas, and Èṣù’s vital role in education and resistance within the Yoruba diaspora.
21:00 – 21:30 | Debate and Q&A Session
Exchange of ideas and reflections based on the themes presented.
Moderator: Babá Pedro Barbosa
21:30 | Closing
Final remarks and acknowledgments.
Presentation of the book Exu and the Order of the Universe.
Film Briefing – ÈṢÙ AND THE UNIVERSE
Website: esufilm.com
Production: Druzina Content, Livres Filmes, and En Caliente Films
Trailer: MUBI – Èṣù and the Universe
Running time: 95 minutes
Directed by Thiago Zanato
Filming locations: Nigeria, Brazil, Spain, and Slovenia.
Èṣù is an African deity revered for thousands of years, and we may never know his exact origins. However, it is possible to understand how Èṣù transformed—from being a revered god in Africa to being demonized as the devil in Brazil. This tragic transformation, shaped by colonization and slavery, is still unfolding. Èṣù and the Universe traces the complex journey of a culture that has turned oppression into enduring resistance over centuries.
Awards
Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival (2022)
Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 49th São Paulo International Film Festival (2022)
Featured at FICCI – Cartagena Film Festival (2023)
SUPERS Webinar
Pedagogical Supervision: Contributions to Improving School Mediation Practices through School–University Collaboration
1st Conference on Art and Education
Date: July 4–5, 2025
IN-PERSON
Universidade Lusófona, Lisbon
Accredited training for teachers from preschool to secondary education as a 15-hour course (+10 optional online hours)
Registration deadline: June 26, 2025
REGISTRATION OPEN
Organized by Arte Central, in partnership with Universidade Lusófona, this conference aims to be a space for meeting, sharing, and reflection among in-service and pre-service teachers and educators, teacher trainers, researchers in arts education—particularly in the field of visual arts—as well as cultural professionals, strengthening the connection between schools, research, and cultural institutions.
The program will include lectures, workshops, debates, poster presentations, and visits to museums and galleries, promoting dialogue between theory and practice.
From the perspective of contextualizing and framing diverse pedagogical approaches in arts education, this conference seeks to reinforce the recognition of the arts as an essential part of a vibrant, active, critical, and humanistic school.
The conference is officially accredited for Early Childhood Educators, Primary and Secondary School Teachers, and Special Education Teachers. Participants can attend the 15-hour in-person course and may also join two additional short online training modules, reaching a total of 25 hours of professional development.
Register here. Take advantage of the early registration discount until June 14!
Ana Rita Alves Participates in the “Racism in Portugal” Seminar Series at CRIA
On May 29, 2025, at 4:00 PM, the 9th session of the seminar series “Racism in Portugal” will take place in Room A304,
Open Lesson - Community Groups: Building More Sustainable and Inclusive Communities
- Date: 27 May 2025
- Time: 10:30 – 12:30
- Room: U.0.5 (Lusófona University – Lisbon University Centre)
CeiED invites you to the session “Community Groups: Building More Sustainable and Inclusive Communities”, with Professor Rogério Roque Amaro, retired from ISCTE and a leading expert in Social and Solidarity Economy.
With a distinguished career in Local Development and the fight against poverty and social exclusion in Portugal and PALOP countries, he also collaborates with UNDP, the ILO, and is a founding member of the Portuguese Solidarity Economy Network (RedPES).
This session is part of the curricular units:
- Adult Education and Training and Family and Community Education (LCE-ES)
- Sociocultural Animation and Local Development (MCE-FA & IC)
Organised by: Margarida Belchior and Maria Odete Emygdio da Silva
Join us for this unique opportunity to reflect and share experiences on community action practices.