Decentring the Lettered City: Exile, Transnational Networks, and Josué de Castro’s <i>Centre International pour le Développement</i> (1964–1973)

This paper discusses the relevance of radical scholarship by exploring case Centre International pour le Développement (CID), founded Brazilian geographer Josué de Castro during his exile in Paris. Drawing upon Latin American works on “Lettered City” and evolving role intellectuals constructing critical knowledge, I explore new archives revealing CID’s daily (net)working. My argument is that this suggests interpretations notion Lettered City, exposing slipperiness potentialities intellectuals’ roles influencing politics proposing solutions for global problems. On one hand, despite Castro’s international renown, CID failed its mission involving politicians “enlightened” businessmen Cold War because purposes clashed with interests most interlocutors. other, show performed a powerful networking to circulate ideas still inspire geographers. Esse artigo discute relevância da pesquisa explorando o caso do (CID) fundado pelo geógrafo brasileiro durante seu exílio em Inspirado por trabalhos latino-americanos sobre “Cidade das Letras” e evolução papel dos intelectuais na construção saberes críticos, exploro novos arquivos que revelam as redes funcionamento quotidiano CID. Defendo esse sugere novas interpretações conceito Cidade Letras, demonstrando ambiguidades potencialidades radicais para influenciar política propor soluções problemas globais. Apesar fama internacional Josué, falhou sua missão implicar políticos empresários “iluminados” Guerra Fria, porque os propósitos dele contrastavam com seus interlocutores. Do outro lado, mostram como organizou uma poderosa rede comunicação difundir ideias ainda inspiram geografias radicais. early geographies, engaged transforming society, analysing little-known (Centre Développement), Paris 1964 (1908–1973). Designed an independent think tank provide advice newly-decolonised “Third World” nations matters development, was directly animated Castro. Until death 1973, there work transnational gain people cause, circulating rethink very development promoting end meetings, schools advisory services. A political opponent military dictatorship author successful books geographies hunger were translated dozens languages, famous name Brazil, but scholarly contribution just beginning (Carter 2018; Davies 2019a, 2019b; Ferretti 2020a, 2021b). member parliament, Chair FAO Brazil’s ambassador at United Nations site Geneva 1963–1964. Recent has highlighted originality contributions nature–society relations (Davies 2019a) subaltern geopolitics (Ferretti 2021b), calling discovery (Melgaço 2017). extends these connection literature addressing histories inside outside Anglosphere (Barnes Sheppard 2019; Clayton 2020; Craggs Neate Pedrosa 2018), well anti-racist anti-colonial networks Featherstone 2012) internationalism mobilities knowledge (Hodder 2016; Hodder et al. 2015; Jöns geographical examples activism applying horizontal methods activists learnt more from socio-spatial practices indigenous cultures than ideologies European origin (Halvorsen Halvorsen Radcliffe Souza 2016). confirms epistemological pluralism recently Antipode Editorial Collective (2020), need intersecting different axes social critique (Asher 2017; Hopkins 2018). In paper, draw conceptual framework first elaborated authors, providing model analyse historically intellectuals, acknowledging intrinsic contradictions their figures who served reproduce power. Yet, functions became increasingly plural complicated, thanks also generation Latin-American authors which part. classical The Angel Rama (1926–1983) provides spatial history “Republic Letters” America colonial times rising “revolutionary” intellectuals. When literacy monopoly elites, intellectual activities concentrated urban centres considered posts “civilisation”, opposed “rough” “barbarous” hinterland where Amerindians, Blacks, caboclos declassed Europeans denied both citizenship. While noted “highly variable relationship between larger society elite city letters” (Rama 1996:27), it milieus that, 20th century, “the press direct beneficiary” 1996:56) increasing mass alphabetisation. circulation free journals, secular forms produced newly established universities disrupted former hierarchical bureaucratic order accounting presence emergent middle class” 1996:93) letrados no longer recruited among aristocrats. New literary expressions appropriated emerging socialist movements arguing use perform “profound change” 1996:98). For (1996:177), anarchism: “Of all influenced letters none fertile introduction anarchist thought”, ceaseless publishing activities. Later, heterogeneous range parties attracted growing cohorts proletarian contributed century insurgencies America, starting decentre complicate idea City. Jean Franco develops further theme relation left-wing cultural policies War, is, period argues time, radicals, “writers important arbiters taste, especially younger generation, critics or academics, monitors correctness politicians” (Franco 2002:4–5). Their students countryside, lower classes, massively enrolled guerrillas. (2002:88), “64 percent those died result counterinsurgency repression workers”. City then decentred neighbourhoods armed struggle Monte. not mentioned Franco’s work, worth noting some denouncing injustices Brazil written under form novels short tales 2020b). Some writers whose discussed acquaintances, namely Chilean poet Pablo Neruda writer Mário Andrade. them inspirations field socially committed conditions north-eastern Jorge Amado Graciliano Ramos. According Franco, popular culture, including cinema, interested (Cassarini 2017), succeeded “[i]n breaching walls … lettered city; through breach, languages entered into productive contact culture” 2002:10). Significantly, notes interest something only emerged America: numerous “Miguel Ásturias, Alejo Carpentier, Darcy Ribeiro, José María Arguedas, Roa Bastos, Andrade ethnographic studies own backlands [and] based claims fragments survivals non-Western cultures” 2002:161). Marilena Chauí interpretation considering letrado “an figure linked legal juridical, political, foundations state formation” (Conde 2011:xix) playing key establishing foundational myths nation. corresponded lawyer/bureaucrat position rather due nobility birth study, guaranteeing continuity power postcolonial times. (2000:89), such feudal mentality persists today, “popular classes perceive others”. Chauí, naturalisation differences, rendered unthinkable any swift mobility. like (2006:1) criticise “social values, utopian socialists, anarchists Marxists did”. remains pessimistic about observing how “committed” scholars traditional Left mostly worked hegemony respective parties, erasing syndicalist traditions workers’ fostering conservation privileges. can be claimed career, departing cliché “embedded intellectual”, he genuinely wanted transform society. Decolonial commitment decoloniality indigeneity departure building “worlds knowledges otherwise” (Aparicio Blaser 2008:59) alternatives modernity, related regimes “power/knowledge”. historical have confirmed complexity avoid generalisations. These “have complicated ways understanding general transmission modern America” (Dyck 2015:266) showing world Spanish terrain interaction contention” (Dueñas 2010:1), populated African what assumed. included “political resistance rule Andes” 2010:1) since 17th 18th centuries, when subverted impositions (Rappaport Cummins 2012). Aparicio out possibility “intellectuals trained ‘lettered city’ participate active members collaborators” 2008:83) rediscovering knowledges. They mention alternative Universidad la Resistencia Colombia, may add dedicated integration later opened Portuguese speaking countries (Cupples Glynn 2014; Hamel experiences “‘lettered allow within itself [different worldviews] partnership other sites practices” 2008:87), recalling projected University Development, institute challenging neo-colonial discuss below. recent years, definition been used identify “underground” flourishing expressing mobilisations societies (Rabasa 2019). Similar difficulties defining univocally are definitions “proletaroid intellectual” Max Weber, identifying modest living off published university jobs. “intellectual proletarians” feminist activist Emma Goldman (1869–1940), compared artists manual workers. Goldman, they had sell skills capitalist market, therefore never completely free, must accept substantial compromises “arrive” unjust society: “The uncompromising daring spirits ‘arrive’. life represents endless battle stupidity dullness time And if, Zola, Ibsen Tolstoy, compelled them, extraordinary genius” (Goldman 1914). overall cause opportunistic tendencies them. she admitted proletarians “[c]ould tremendous importance workers”, citing “Kropotkins hosts others [who] repudiated wealth went people” As Castro, argued “arrived”, pushed back exile, punishment remaining faithful ideas. Despite remarkable professional success experienced 1940s 1950s, lost positions after coup d’état. did go spontaneously “among people”, being forced circumstances, years intensified collaboration radicals although without making definitive choice diplomat humanitarian intellectual. in-betweenness characterised decolonisation. Heterogeneous Tanzania support Nyerere’s experiment decolonial (Sharp 2019), friend self-declared disciple Milton Santos 2020a). Furthermore, Ruth (2018:46) analyses original “geopolitical Commonwealth fostered, colonised countries, Sonny Ramphal. “increasingly agenda ran counter priorities largest funders (including UK), aligned needs post-colonial countries” (Craggs 2018:54), context institutional diplomacy. sympathy Non-Aligned Movement recalled stance non-aligned option experience politician Brazil. main allows cosmopolitan multilingual decentring over levels. First, take place continent, hub 1968 Second, almost-virtual network, materiality found sent received represent consistent body solidarity (Featherstone Third, material failure acting group pressure worldwide exposes intellectual’s impossibility “organic conceived Gramscian (Jazeel Spivak 2010), indispensable change, condition activism. bulk innovative environment, beyond logics, anticipating themes (Brooks Power Sidaway 2012), analysis shows inherent contradictions. That clash voluntarist inspiration politics, diplomacy business sought cause. story capitalism cannot “ethical”, anyway performance eventual outcomes project. rely two sets unpublished sources, police reports 1964, surviving Archives Préfecture Police, archives, centre La Contemporaine Nanterre, occasionally personal held Coordenação-Geral Estudos História Brasileira (CEHIBRA) Joaquim Nabuco Foundation Recife. collections account huge correspondence leaders, world. Methodologically, internationalism. “more complex widely dispersed public, state-controlled dominated national regional histories”, given “international archive scattered archipelago, includes better known surveyed archival ‘islands’ alongside many smaller, previously unexplored collections” 2021:1). example islands, explore, following authors’ metaphor, networked institution, instead voluntaristic endeavour. investigated formation CEHIBRA collection (Amorim construction archive, incompleteness strikes researcher dissymmetry large number minutes significantly smaller received. CID-related materials Recife part remained family, archivist explains moved Contemporaine, named Bibliothèque documentation internationale contemporaine (BDIC). Founded aftermath First World research contemporary special emphasis Relations, BDIC attached 8 Vincennes, exactly took office split-up Sorbonne 1968, definitively Nanterre 1970. 1984, “was chosen recipient documentary funds Centre” (Palma Murga 1991:26), broke up. treating groups allocating seems preserving “other” memories exposed (2021). intentionality collection, arguably explained practical keeping record sent. Thus, survival thousands wrote decade precise narrative followed geographer. part, address trajectory Paris, foundation. second reconstruct attempts collaborators “selling” project politicians, diplomats entrepreneurs deaf appeals. third final radicalisation thinking endeavours years. rights government 1 April Geneva, UN. French records, diplomatic passport helped him moving Paris,1 77w5005-641029 (hereafter APP), Report February 1973. All quotes texts French, author. declared “[i]nvited lead Development” (Le Monde 1964a). show, institution someone invited him, actual invention sole leader sometimes factotum until death. locating organisation evidently strong connection, whom collaborated 1930s prototype letters, places matter production (Benjamin 1989). attraction capital exerted progressive intellectuals: “Neruda Amado, attended peace rally organised 1949, themselves sharing platform cream Left’s intelligentsia” 2002:66). Publishing indicator prestige: “Jorge Amado’s serialised L’Humanité, readership always dreamed of” milieu environment: identifies opposition “a littoral bourgeois caricature liberal Europe, real, poor, unlettered” (2000:69), helps Of Men Crabs (Castro 1970) Death Northeast 1969) deal problems migrations rural coastal cities 2020b), phenomena marked landscape north-east” 2021:15). tried bridge urban/rural divide “privileged” observer networks, reflected build alliance peasants working 2021:15) country. Exile meant control annoyances. already frequent trips recorded folder archives.2 2 APP, 7 January 1958. Although much less voluminous dossier accounts authorities foreign scholar. stricter involved cooperation France dictatorship, demonstrated analysed Paulo Cesar Gomes (2016) Helder Remigio Amorim (2016). Arguably, raised concerns turmoil around implicitly prickliness projects “development”. central leftist Francophone Négritude, exponents, Senegalese President Léopold Sédar Senghor, earliest supporters.3 3 August 1965. At policemen appointed sort radicals’ hideout (Zanoni directed Department Geography professor”.4 4 13 December 1968. unwanted biographers even came draft several versions CV try assessment report said “[a]lthough opinions classifying personalities Left, Mr. noticed our country”.5 5 Indeed, meddled internal anti-colonialist geographers Dresch Suret-Canale,6 6 Suret-Canale, 15 October 1971. du CID, Correspondence, FD 446 CID), 21-02. keep cordial everybody. writing General Charles Gaulle obtaining conservative government—in vain.7 “Monsieur Président République”, 22 1964. 14-04. acquaintance journalists Marcel Niedergang,8 Niedergang 1969. 14-03. specialist America. From Le articles authored demonstrating public. characteristics exerting appeal: accessible wide public; against carrying narrow labels might alienated wider sympathies, victim persecutions activation covered 1964b), symbols drama. long article Monde, drafted year tragic events seen targets repression, expressed trust called “great revolution advancing” 1964) there, made series small unstoppable guerrillas, land occupations, protests democratic renewals. refused see episode, somehow underplaying strength regime, lasted 1980s evoked debates. probably mistakes: available sources recollections confident forthcoming change maintaining hope soon allowed come relatives collaborators, deception seeing happening negative effects health (Magno editorial links strategy. book propaganda pretending Soviet plot behind peasants’ leagues pretexts incoming 2002). publisher Caio Prado Júnior, co-founder Association Geographers 1934, likewise politically persecuted (Heidemann 2008), explaining “for North [finished it] few days before coup”.9 9 Prado, Therefore, unforeseen rush implied “publishing urgently book” Portuguese, foster “radical reforms north-east Brazil”.10 10 fact believed regime harshly repressing peasant’s (Coutinho 1984), underestimation dictatorship. same year, manifesto Third co-authored Maurice Guernier, Inspector Ministry Economy “on leave” according reports,11 11 Secretary 1969.12 12 Laugier,