The ambassador explained that both Brazil and the Indonesian archipelago were important areas for European colonial powers, especially the Dutch, and faced similar experiences of foreign rule, local resistance, and global trade. “Our countries have shared stories, but many people don’t know about them. I hope this event helps to change that,” he added.

Prof. Farish Noor, known for his critical lens on colonial history and global connectivity, took the discussion further by challenging dominant historical paradigms on globalization. One of the problems with the conventional framing of globalization is that it often centers around New York, London, or Paris. “But in reality, connections between Latin America and Southeast Asia existed long before modern globalization took shape,” he noted.

He then urged the exploration of these historical moments through a different lens. “We need to question inherited narratives, especially those that portray cultures through static museum displays, as if your identity is just your food, your dance, your clothing. These are not just symbols to be preserved. They are expressions of lived, evolving experiences.”

Drawing on rich imagery, Prof. Noor described how colonial representations often distorted or romanticized non-Western peoples. “Growing up, I encountered images of half-naked non-Europeans all the time — powerful yet exoticized. These are the ghosts of orientalist narratives that still haunt us.” Drawing from the book under discussion, Prof. Farish emphasized the importance of visual archives and lesser-known historical records that reveal the presence of African communities in colonial Southeast Asia, possibly former slaves or conscripts. These stories, he argued, challenge mainstream historical narratives and highlight the complex, multi-directional flows of people, culture, and power long before the internet age.