The Politics of Displacement and the Contradictions of Humanitarianism

Friday, May 6, 2022
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Register Here

Hosted by the Earth and Environmental Sciences Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York (CUNY)

Sponsored by the Department of Geography and Environmental Science, Hunter College, CUNY, and the Department of Political Science and Global Affairs, and Geography Program, College of Staten Island, CUNY

Globally, the number of displaced persons has dramatically increased in the past decade.  Continued political and economic crises (in places like Ukraine, Syria, South Sudan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Venezuela, among others) has led to tens of millions of people being displaced. Not only does this necessitate a greater focus on the displaced and their struggles, but also warrants a closer examination of the entire humanitarianism network that aims to assist and govern the displaced. In what ways are humanitarian efforts constraining and violent toward the displaced? How do we make sense of the lack of consistency in approaches, aid, and attention afforded different displaced groups? What are the place-making practices of both the displaced and actors in various aid, NGO, and INGO networks? What can a geographic perspective add to this debate? What does/should the future of humanitarianism look like? To begin to answer these questions, this webinar brings together five leading academic experts on displacement for a discussion about the politics of displacement and the contradictions of humanitarianism. Join us to learn more about this timely topic.

Co-organized and co-moderated by CUNY faculty, Dr. Peter Kabachnik (College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center) and Dr. Marianna Pavlovskaya (Hunter College and the Graduate Center).

Panelists

• Beth Mitchneck, Professor Emerita, School of Geography, Development, and Environment, University of Arizona
• Elizabeth Cullen Dunn, Professor, Department of Geography, Indiana University
• Ammar Azzouz, Short Term Research Associate, University of Oxford
• Deen Sharp, LSE Fellow in Human Geography, Department of Geography and Environment, London School of Economics
• Romola Sanyal, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Environment, London School of Economics

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://gc-cuny-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pMD552AgQ-ifUVn7IO44fw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email.