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Prof Oscar Guardiola-Rivera

Positions held:
  • Professor of Human Rights and Political Philosophy, 糖心logo入口 Law School
  • PGT Director, 糖心logo入口 Law School
  • PGT Dissertation Coordinator, 糖心logo入口 Law School
  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Oscar Guardiola-Rivera is the author of two critically acclaimed books:

    听What If Latin America Ruled the World? (Bloomsbury, 2010) was listed as a Book of the Year, Non-fiction by the Financial Times, won the Frantz Fanon Award for Outstanding Writing by the Caribbean Philosophical Association, 2010, was nominated for the Gladstone Prize 2011 and听for the George Orwell Award for Political Writing, and was features by the BBC Today programme with Andrew Marr.

    听Story of a Death Foretold (Bloomsbury, 2013) was shortlisted for the 2014 Bread & Roses Award, and listed as a Book of the Year, Non-Fiction by The Observer in 2013.

    More recently, he has published In Defence of Armed/Art Struggle (Bogota: UTadeo, 2019), 鈥淎 Future for the Philosophy of Liberation鈥 in Decolonising Ethics (Pennsylvania University Press, 2020), and the poetic novel Night of the World (The 87 Press, forthcoming 2021). He is a Fellow of the RSA. His 鈥淧eace & War鈥 Reformation and the docu-video 鈥淎rt & Fire: A Journey in Five Films鈥, with Hay Festivals, are available at 听听

    He has been the recipient of grants by the Leverhulme Trust and CAPES, among others, for research and teaching on peace-making, mediation and conflict-resolution, political philosophy and legal theory, art & human rights, human rights and international law, peoples' tribunals, advanced constitutional law and ethics, with an emphasis on decolonial and visual methodologies, political economy, and racial justice.听 听

    He curated the 2018 Global '68 exhibition & conference in Paris and London together with Fran莽oise Verg茅s and Marcus Rediker, and the 2017 Global Art Forum with Shumon Basra and Antonia Carver. Since at least 2015 he has curated the yearly 'Focus on the Funk' gathering between some of the most important thinkers, artists and activists interested in issues of social and racial justice today. He has taught at the 糖心logo入口 Institute for the Humanities, and regularly collaborates with Monocle Radio, BBC and BBC World Service, The Guardian, The Independent and El Espectador among other public media.听

    听听

    Web profiles

    Administrative responsibilities

    • College Academic Board Member
    • PGT Director
    • Associate Dean of the School of Law (Teaching & Learning, 2015-2019)
    • Associate Dean of the School of Law (Research, 2013-2015)
    • Convenor, Core Course LLM Human Rights, Issues in International Law & Human Rights
    • Convenor, Core Course LLM Critical Methods of Research in Law & Society

    Visiting posts

    • Visiting Professor, UFERJ-PUC-Rio, 01 April 2023 to 01 May 2023
    • Visiting Professor, UFERJ/PUC-Rio de Janeiro, 01 March 2020 to 01 May 2020
    • Profesor Visitante, , 01 August 2019 to 01 October 2019
    • Working Group Founding Member, Bard College, 01 December 2022 to 01 December 2022

    Honours and awards

    • Fellow of the RSA , September 2012
    • Frantz Fanon Prize , September 2010
    • Bread & Roses Award Bread & Roses Prize, Shortlisted, December 2014
    • Commencement Address Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, COL, December 2021

    ORCID

  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • Human Rights, Political Philosophy & Critical Legal Theory
    • International Law & Politics of International Relations
    • Art & Human Rights
    • Political Economy, Philosophy, and History of Human Rights
    • Decolonial Methods & Philosophy of Liberation
    • Negotiation & Mediation
    • Ethics, Law & Racial Justice
    • Law & Literature
    • Law & Anthropology
    • Comparative Constitutionalism

    Research overview

    听

    Member of the OSUN Working Group on Art & Human Rights Research, in partnership with Bard College, among others, and the LawArt journal听 collective active in the Uk, Italy and Latin America.听

    Member of the Caribbean Philosophical Association, aiming to salvage and reinvent the traditions of Caribbean, African diasporic, and indigenous philosophy.

    Member of the Critical Legal Association in the UK and the Americas.

    Political Analyst with expertise in the Americas and Atlanticism, active in a variety of media outlets, think tanks and research networks.

    Collaborating with the Women of the World Foundation in the think-in designing platforms for women's rights.

    Pioneering decolonial听 & anti-colonial approaches in philosophy, law, and art practice and education. Member of the original modernity/coloniality research network.

    Founder and curator of Focus on the Funk, a yearly meeting of artists, thinkers, and rights advocates & social leaders.

    Currently preparing funding applications for research on the intersection between practices of publicity, calls for transparency or trustworthiness of rights-based democratic institutions, and legacies of empire. Specifically, the creation of a "popular culture of international law听 international affairs" in 20th century Americas & the Atlantic.听



    Research Centres and Institutes

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    • ,
    • ,
    • ,
    • Founding Director,

    Research clusters and groups

  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Supervisions within 糖心logo入口:
    8

    I welcome inquiries from researchers and prospective PhD students who are interested in developing collaborative or supervised work in relevant areas of interest. Chief among them:

    • Human Rights, Legal & Political Philosophy
    • Art & Human Rights
    • Politics & Political Economy of International Law, Human Rights and International Relations
    • Critical Approaches to the Study of Law and Society
    • The Americas

    Current doctoral researchers

    • AZAD SHARMA
      Nature of supervision:
      JOINT PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,
      Title of thesis:
      Post-Apartheid as Method: Late Colonialism, Creolisation, and Creative-Critical Literary Testimony.
    • STEPHANIE BAILEY
      Nature of supervision:
      JOINT PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,

    Doctoral alumni since 2013-14

    • CHRIS LLOYD
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      'A strange and paradoxical revolution': Derrida's Law as autoimmune.
      Awarded:
      2025
    • LIZZETTE ROBLETO DE HOWARTH
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      A Clash among Unequals: Nicaragua, the US, and the practice of economic violence against the right to self-determination.
      Awarded:
      2026
    • MONIZA RIZZINI ANSARI
      Nature of supervision:
      Joint Principal Supervisor,
      Awarded:
      2020
    • ALEXIS ALVAREZ NAKAGAWA
      Nature of supervision:
      Joint Principal Supervisor,
      Awarded:
      2019
    • ZAIN SARDAR
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor
      Awarded:
      2018
    • ENRIQUE PRIETO RIOS
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor
      Awarded:
      2017

    Teaching

    • Former Ass. Dean for Education, in charge of initial roll-out of the TEF exercise in the School of Law.
    • Current PGT Director, leading the design and creation of new LLM with pathways together with the proposal and implementation of a new PGT Research Methods Leading to Dissertation module to be taught across all Masters programs.

    Innovations in teaching and learning:

     

    • Pioneering decolonial approaches in the syllabus across all UG and PGT courses which I convene or collaborate with. 
    • Extensive use of fieldtrips and community engagement in the PGT optional module 鈥淣egotiation, Interpretation, and Explorations in Art & Human Rights鈥.
    • Innovative use of formative assessment and student presentations to facilitate peer-to-peer and convenor鈥檚 constructive feedback on outlines and early drafts projected as the basis of summative essay/final coursework.
    • Practice approaches and community building:
    • Collaboration in the short course on Drugs Regulation Reforms convened by Kojo Koram together with community organisations.
    • Collaboration with Justice 4 Grenfell and attendance to workshop by Tottenham Rights community organisers/curators in the PGT optional module 鈥淣egotiation, Interpretation, and Explorations in Art & Human Rights鈥.
    • Collaboration with the Women of the World Foundation to shape the largest festival in the world for women, girls, and non-binary peoples, with a specific focus on gender-based violence.

    Teaching modules

    • International Law 1 (Foundations) (Level 6)
    • The History and Philosophy of Human Rights
    • Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
    • Negotiation, Interpretation and Explorations in Law, Arts & Human Rights
    • Issues in International Law and Human Rights
    • Critical Research Masterclass
  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar and Koram, Kojo (2026) . Philosophy and Global Affairs 6 (1), ISSN 2692-790X.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2025) . LawArt. Journal of Law, Art and History 6, pp. 307-334. ISSN 2724-654X.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar and Garcia Arboleda, J.F. (2024) . The CLR James Journal ISSN 2167-4256.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2022) . Law and Critique 32 (1), pp. 139-146. ISSN 0957-8536.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2022) . Law and Humanities 16 (2), pp. 252-280. ISSN 1752-1483.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2021) . Philosophy and Global Affairs 1 (2), ISSN 2692-790X.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2021) . Hodos-Revista Internacional de Filosofia 10 (13), pp. 87-111. ISSN 2322-8369.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2017) . Discourse: Journal for Theoretical Studies in media and Culture 39 (2), pp. 155-176. ISSN 1522-5321.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2017) . Discourse: Journal for Theoretical Studies in Media and Culture 39 (2), pp. 177-194. ISSN 1522-5351.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2013) . Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge 11 (1), pp. 33-56. ISSN 1540-5699.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2012) . TRANSMODERNITY: Journal of Peripheral Cultural Production of the Luso-Hispanic World 1 (3), pp. 105-119. ISSN 2154-1361.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2012) . Law and Critique 23 (3), pp. 253-270. ISSN 0957-8536.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2010) . Law, Culture and the Humanities 6 (2), pp. 185-207. ISSN 1743-8721.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2010) . Nomadas 33, pp. 79-91. ISSN 0121-7550.
    • Coombs, N. and Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2009) . Radical Philosophy 158, pp. 59-60. ISSN 0300-211X.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2009) . Nomadas 31, pp. 75-91. ISSN 0121-7550.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2009) . Nomadas 31, pp. 75-91. ISSN 0121-7550.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2008) . International Journal of Law in Context 4 (2), pp. 111-134. ISSN 1744-5523.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2008) . Isegor铆a : Revista de Filosof铆a Moral y Pol铆tica 39, pp. 327-337. ISSN 1130-2097.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2007) . Law and Critique 18 (3), pp. 275-307. ISSN 0957-8536.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2006) . Law and Critique 17 (1), pp. 107-127. ISSN 0957-8536.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2003) . Modern Law Review 66 (5), pp. 792-808. ISSN 1468-2230.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2002) . Nepantla: Views from South 3 (1), ISSN 1527-0858.
    • Castro-G贸mez, S. and Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2002) . Nomadas 16, pp. 183-191. ISSN 0121-7550.
    • Castro-G贸mez, S. and Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2001) . Nueva Sociedad 175, ISSN 0251-3552.

    Book

    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2025) . London, UK and New York, U.S.: Bloomsbury/Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781666974454. (In Press)
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2019) . Aesthetics and Art History in the Americas/Social Sciences. Bogota, Colombia: Editorial U Tadeo. ISBN 9789587252576.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2015) . Bogata, Columbia: Editorial Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. ISBN 9789587167535.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2013) . London, UK; New York, U.S.; New Delhi, India: Bloomsbury Paperbacks. ISBN 9781408854761.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2010) . London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781408805992.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2008) . 糖心logo入口 Law Press. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: 糖心logo入口 Law Press (an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business). ISBN 978-0-415-45945-7.
    • Castro-Go虂mez, S. and Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar and Milla虂n de Benavides, C. (1999) . Bogot谩, Columbia: Santafe虂 de Bogota虂. ISBN 9789586831253.

    Book section

    • Koram, Kojo and Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2024) . In: Arvidsson, M. and Jones, E. (eds.) International Law and Posthuman Theory. Abingdon, UK and New York, U.S.: Routledge. pp. 244-257. ISBN 9781032044040.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2024) . In: Alvarez Nakagwa, A. and Douzinas, Costas (eds.) Non-Human Rights: Critical Perspectives. London, UK: Edward Elgar. pp. 164-188. ISBN 9781802208511.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2023) . In: Clave-Mercier, V. and Wuth, M. (eds.) Decolonising Political Concepts. Routledge Research on Decoloniality and New Postcolonialisms. Abingdon, UK and New York, U.S.: Routledge. pp. 1-6. ISBN 9781032275918.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2021) . In: Fabra-Zamora, J.L. and Molina-Ochoa, A. and Doubleday, N. (eds.) The Colombian Peace Agreement - A Multidisciplinary Assessment. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9780367528812.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2021) . In: Allen, A. and Mendieta, E. (eds.) Decolonizing Ethics: The Critical Theory of Enrique Dussel. Penn State Series in Critical Theory. Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 9780271089553.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2021) . In: Bell, S. (ed.) Moving Impressions: Essays on Art and Experience. The South London Cultural Review. the87press.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2019) . In: Klingan, K. and Rosol, C. (eds.) Technosphare. Berlin, Germany: Haus der Kulturen der Werde. ISBN 9783957574152.
    • Koram, Kojo and Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2019) . In: Koram, Kojo (ed.) The War on Drugs and the Global Colour Line. London, UK: Pluto Press. ISBN 9780745338804.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2018) . In: McCall, C. and Ross, N. (eds.) Benjamin, Adorno, and the Experience of Literature. Routledge Studies in Twentieth-Century Philosophy. Oxford, UK: Routledge. pp. 32-62. ISBN 9781138103429.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2015) . In: Aristodemou, Maria and Macmillan, Fiona and Tuitt, Patricia (eds.) Crime Fiction and the Law. 糖心logo入口 Law Press. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 71-86. ISBN 9781138818460.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2015) . In: Baxi, U. and Paliwala, A. and McCrudden, C. (eds.) Law's Ethical, Global and Theoretical Contexts: Essays in Honour of William Twining. Law In Context. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1-38. ISBN 9781107116405.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2012) . In: Stone, M. and Wall, I. and Douzinas, Costas (eds.) New Critical Legal Thinking: Law and the Political. 糖心logo入口 Law Press. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9780415619578.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2010) . In: Johns, F. and Joyce, R. and Pahuja, S. (eds.) Events: The Force of International Law. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9780415554527.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2009) . In: Barbour, Charles and Pavlich, George (eds.) After Sovereignty: On the Question of Political Beginnings. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge-Cavendish. pp. 130-145. ISBN 9780415490412.
    • Guardiola-Rivera, Oscar (2006) . In: Sanin-Restrepo, R. (ed.) Justicia constitucional: el rol de la corte constituucional en el estado contemporaneo constitutional justice. Bogot谩, Columbia: Legis Editores. ISBN 9789586534666.
  • Business and community

    Business and community

    I have media training.

    Media

    I am happy to receive enquiries from the media on the following topics:

    • International and National Politics in the Americas
    • Current Affairs
    • Human Rights
    • Art
    • Racial Justice
    • Film, Visual Technologies

    Outreach

    14/05/2020. 鈥淎rt & Fire鈥, five chapter video event in co-production with Hay Festivals (excerpt)听

    01/05/2020. 鈥淕uaido鈥檚 coup-by-media shows his Venezuelan revolution to be little more than a PR campaign鈥, The Independent,听

    24/10/2019. 鈥淭he 鈥楻isk to Democracy鈥 in Chile isn鈥檛 from protesters. It鈥檚 from Pinera and the 1%鈥, The Guardian,听

    27/08/2019. 鈥淎mazon in Flames鈥 with Oscar Guardiola-Rivera and Daniel Wills, Tisky Sour at Novara Media.

    Filmography & Radio Series

    听

    Filmography:

    The Secret Philosophy (Mark Charles, 2010)

    Poor Us: An Animated History of Poverty (Ben Lewis, 2012)

    Unflapabble (Neil Arun & Will Spinal, 2012)

    An Organization of Dreams (Ken McMullen, 2010/2014)

    听Projekt Cybersyn. Chiles kybernetischer Traum von Gerechtigkeit, radio/tv series produced by Deutschlandfunk & Westdeutscher Rundfunk, GERMANY (Jakob Schmidt & Jannis Funk, 2020)

    听