The Euro-Mediterranean migrant crisis prompted by the turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East continues to be discussed with increasing frequency in the media as well as in public debates, featuring experts from diverse backgrounds. Still, among the various perspectives presented, the Italian one has not been as central as its crucial role in the arrivals of both economic migrants and political refugees would warrant. As of Spring 2016, Italy is one of the chief landing points for migrants after the recent restriction of the Turkey/Greece route. Italy’s unique position in geographical and political terms as an established country of immigration – and a long history of emigration – offers materials for a fruitful reflection not just on a national case but on the entire Mediterranean scenario and its effects on the supranational stability of the E.U.
A two-day event scheduled for April 26-27, 2017 will address a wide range of topics ranging from reception to detention, asylum laws, and international agreements.
Panel of Experts at Columbia University April 26, 2017
(Faculty House, 64 Morningside Drive NYC, Presidential Room 1) 6-8pm
Program:
Introductory Remarks by Ernest Ialongo (Hostos Community College, CUNY; Chair, Columbia University Seminar in Modern Italian Studies)
Speakers:
Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, Montclair State University, USA): Italy as a Laboratory of Migration: A Cultural Perspective on Inbound and Outbound Flows
Nando Sigona (University of Birmingham, UK): Leaving the ‘Crisis’ Behind: Sea Arrivals, Reception Regime and the Normalisation of the Emergency in Italy
Giuseppe Campesi (Università di Bari, Italy): Crisis, Migration and the Re-bordering of the European Space
Enrica Rigo (Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Italy): Beyond the Spectacle of Borders: Governing Public Order and Negotiating Rights in Times of Crisis
Q&A will follow
RSVP required by Tue. April 24
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Like the Weight of Water: Film Screening and Q&A with Director Andrea Segre April 27, 2017
(Feliciano School of Business Lecture 1 Normal Ave Montclair, NJ, Hall 101) 6:30-8:30pm
Program:
Introductory remarks by Teresa Fiore and Ernest Ialongo
Screening of Come il peso dell’acqua,
Q&A with the director, Andrea Segre, moderated by José Moya (Barnard College)
RSVP required by Tue. April 25