The Global Souths Hub Best Contribution Prize, now in its second year, celebrates outstanding work that enriches the field of Global South Studies. This prize honours scholarship that is original, accessible and engaging. We’re delighted to announce that this year’s winning article is…
The Politics of Care: The Pot Lid of Resistance in Colombia’s Street Cooking
The 2025/2026 winner of this year’s Best Contribution Prize is The Politics of Care: The Pot Lid of Resistance in Colombia’s Street Cooking by Ana María Cruz, Viviana García Pinzón and Jan Grill.
The article explores how street cooking in Colombia became a powerful form of protest and collective care during moments of social unrest. Through vivid storytelling and critical analysis, the authors examine how everyday practices such as cooking and sharing food can become acts of resistance, solidarity, and political expression.
“We immediately thought about all the care work of all these women, the mamás ollas, and how encouraging it is to see that their experiences and struggles receive not only greater visibility throughout our collaborative work but also a recognition through this special award! Long live the pot of ollas comunitarias!”
Ana María Cruz, Viviana García Pinzón and Jan Grill
Ana María Cruz, Viviana García Pinzón and Jan Grill are currently in the final stages of producing an illustrated book containing the life stories of the activists and a short video about them. The book and the video will be freely available online in Spanish and English.
This year’s judges – Ginbert Permejo Cuaton, Ritu Vij, and Silas Udenze – selected this year’s winner because of its unique framing of food as both a political practice and a form of care. The judges praised the piece for its strong sensory storytelling, originality, and accessibility, as well as its timely exploration of non-violent protest and social justice.
Judge Silas Udenze described the article as:
“Highly engaging, original, and accessible,”offering “a unique framing of food as political practice and protest.”
Silas Udenze
Meet the Winners
Viviana García Pinzón, Ana María Cruz Vidal & Jan Grill
Viviana García Pinzón is a Senior Researcher at the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institut ABI in Freiburg (Germany) and an Associate at the German Institute of Global and Area Studies GIGA.
Ana María Cruz Vidal is a Doctoral Candidate in Sociology at the Universidad del Valle and an Associate Professor at Universidad Buenaventura in Cali, Colombia.
Jan Grill is a Professor of Sociology and Social Sciences at the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia.
Outstanding Contributions
Alongside the winning article, the judges also recognised the work of George Tsitati and Noha Atef for their outstanding contributions.
When the Intestines Speak: Indigenous Climate Forecasting in the Horn of Africa
George Tsitati’s article, When the Intestines Speak: Indigenous Climate Forecasting in the Horn of Africa, explores Indigenous climate forecasting practices and epistemic pluralism in pastoralist communities across the Horn of Africa. The judges commended the piece for foregrounding decolonial perspectives and introducing readers to lesser-known Indigenous forecasting systems in a highly engaging and accessible way.
George Tsitati is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh, where his research investigates how pastoralist and agropastoralist communities in Kenya’s drylands anticipate and respond to climate-accelerated shocks.
“If It’s Not in English, It’s Not There”
Meanwhile, Noha Atef’s article, “If It’s Not in English, It’s Not There”, examines language inequality in academic publishing and the marginalisation of non-English scholarship. The judges commended the piece for tackling a deeply relevant issue facing Global South scholars.
Noha Atef is an Egyptian media scholar, educator, and consultant. She is an Assistant Professor of Journalism at the University of Galway.
Judge Ginbert Permejo Cuaton noted that this year’s shortlisted contributions demonstrated “thought-provoking, accessible, and critically engaged reflections on decolonising knowledge and amplifying underrepresented voices.” Meanwhile, Ritu Vij praised the winning pieces for their originality and ability to connect local experiences to broader global conversations around justice, resistance, and knowledge production.
The winners will receive recognition across the Global Souths Hub platform and an opportunity to further showcase their work to the Hub’s growing international readership.
Submissions are now open for 2027!
As the Global Souths Hub continues to grow, the Best Contribution Prize remains part of a wider mission: to decolonise knowledge production and prompt critical conversations by inspiring debate and reflection.
We’re excited to announce that submissions are now open for next year’s prize!
The Hub works closely with contributors to help shape ideas into accessible and impactful pieces that can reach audiences within academia and beyond. If your work challenges dominant narratives and brings forward Global South perspectives, we’d love to hear from you. Find out more at how to contribute to Global Souths Hub.
Join the conversation
Join a growing international community of scholars, writers, activists, and practitioners committed to reshaping global conversations. Sign up to the Global Souths Hub newsletter today.
