Join scholars, practitioners and community members to hear different perspectives from African migrants in the diaspora.
This event will be held over three days at Melbourne University, and attendees will have access to a masterclass, practitioner panels, academic panels and community members.
Borders, Identities and Belonging have been at the centre of debates on the profound transformations wrought by globalisation. But perhaps the movement of people across geographical borders, and the transformative impact of the digital revolution that has ushered in the information age, are the most illustrative examples.
Attendees will have access to masterclasses, practitioners panels, academic panels and keynote lectures. Registrations are now open.
Organised and curated by students of the African Studies Group (ASG), this conference is to enable informative and supportive discourse to foster better understanding of, and connections with, African communities in the Diaspora. While many debates on these issues have largely been confined to academic platforms, sterile public policy forums, or negative media, this conference aims to to guide positive, supportive discussions with key scholars, practitioners and community members.
Conference themes:
- The Concept of Home: What and where is home? Where, when and how do we feel a sense of ‘belonging’?
- Relevance of Borders: How do borders permeate our social lives?
- Digital Transformation: How have digital communication platforms transformed the concepts and experiences of borders, identity and belonging?
- Multiculturalism and Integration: What are the experiences and prospects of multiculturalism in increasing our sense of belonging and social integration?
Masterclass: The aim of the masterclass is to focus on building specific skill sets for effective communication of research to a wider audience and the art of constructive engagement on key policy issues. Beyond equipping the participants with rigorous analytical and communication skills, the masterclass will also facilitate learning and debating the key theoretical concepts of borders and identity.
Practitioner Panels: An innovative part of the conference will be to foster mutual engagement amongst practitioners, community members, policy makers and academics . In these panels, presenters will share and engage with their experiences in dealing with issues of borders and identity in their work. It is anticipated that this mutual engagement will be a hallmark of the conference, in that these groups will speak with each other, rather than past each other.
Academic Panels: These sessions will comprise both conceptual/theoretical and empirical papers, and will help to broadly shape the academic contours of the debate.
Keynote: TBA
