Dear PSi members,
PSi is re-emerging positively changed after the pandemic years. Work has been done on anti-racism and decolonization, accessible blended conferencing solutions, distributed and open curation/publication, and community engagement. Our website has been rebuilt with a membership HUB that gives our community easy access to publish in our newsletter or the Lexicon, apply for awards, or express interest in partnering with us or hosting a conference.
PSi keeps our membership fees low by relying on volunteer labour for all organizational mangement and initiatives. This means that we are our community; and guided by strategic objectives, we do what our community and hosts realize.
With one postponed and two cancelled in-person conferences during the pandemic, the volunteer board of directors stepped up. Supported by our community, Bruce Barton (CA) and Jennifer Nikolai (NZ) organized the online working-group and community event Constellate in 2021 and Jazmin Llana (PH) led the online conference Hunger in 2022. These events brought us together and made us more inclusive.
PSi’s initiatives and online community presence over the pandemic have allowed us to grow through meaningful engagement – and that is one of the reasons why we re-emerge positively strengthened.
The other reason is of course the result of the outstanding conference team at the Wits School of the Arts in Johannesburg. Neka Da Costa, Kamogelo Molobye, and Hamish Neill had a beautiful vision for this conference on Uhambo (wandering). They worked with Tumy Motsoatsoe, Traver Mudzonga, Amy Suelithgow and many more to realize that vision alongside several community partners in Johannesburg.
Here we are, about to engage in the first in-person/blended PSi conference since the pandemic, and I simply am in awe of the program the Wits team has created for and with us all. I, the PSi, Board, and the Wits hosts look forward to connecting with you all in Johannesburg or online from August 2-5.
Please join me in expressing deep and heartfelt congratulations to the Wits School of the Arts, the conference team, their partners, and their funders for this beautiful conference.
– stay updated and register at www.wits.ac.za/wsoa/psi-conference-2023/
– Purchase or renew your PSi membership at www.psi-web.org/membership
Pil