ABSTRACT
‘Translation and activism’ is a rapidly growing field of study, which should not be confused with a related topic, ‘translation and conflict,’ though they may overlap in certain respects. Activism can be either militant or passive, although the main objective is often to assist or rescue subaltern individuals or communities from oppressive situations or autocratic regimes of power. Translation in this context can take various forms, from the usual interlinguistic mediation to other manifestations of cross-cultural collaborations and interventions. While the latter may at times require linguistic crossover, they may also simply involve the intervention of an enabler or expert to buttress the subaltern’s efforts at resisting or countering the oppressive effects of power. This afterword confirms and discusses the prominence of postcoloniality in research on translation and activism. Many of the contexts of activism being studied are defined by their postcolonial historical experiences. Even those under study that were never formally colonized at least share the experience of subalternity with a dominant power. The afterword elaborates on these characteristics and discusses a few historical figures and thinkers who have helped define contemporary understandings of activism, as well as the transcultural and transnational implications of activist expressions.
