What, when & where
Call for papers “Between Immigration and Historical Amnesia” (Third Conference of the Symposium Diaspore Italiane – Italy in Movement)
Genova, 27-29 giugno 2019. Galata Museo del Mare – Calata de Mari 1 – 16136 Genova – Italy
“Between Immigration and Historical Amnesia,” will reflect on the role of migration today both in contemporary Italian society and in societies that host Italian communities.
Italians keep emigrating: this is a fact, proven by statistical data. The 21st century has witnessed a surge in numbers of Italians leaving their country. In parallel, Italy, like other Western European countries, has become a regular migration destination, not only for people searching for work but also as a place to settle and create a “community of destiny.” For this reason we can speak of communities of “new Italians”.
At the same time a negative perception of migration has been growing in Italy, as in Western societies in general; in parallel, we have developed an amnesia, a memory loss regarding the fact that historically we are a country of emigrants. Today the institutions that preserve memory—museums, archives, study centres, universities and associations—are called upon to reflect on how to transmit this memory and thus contribute to our self-awareness as a community that partakes of all aspects of migration: negative experiences such as uprootedness, culture shock, exploitation, and
discrimination; but also positive ones such as meritocracy, resilience, and the Italian influence on contemporary culture and societies at a global level.
Topics include:
- 1. Migration in contemporary society: a curse or an opportunity?
- 2. The reasons of amnesia: why have we forgotten what we were?
- 3. Preserving and promoting the memory of emigration as an antidote to racism and xenophobia: what is the role of memory institutions?
- 4. How to create a “migrant memory”? The role of institutions and the role of associations in the case of “new Italians.”
- 5. What does it mean today to be Italian, in Italy and abroad?
- 6. How can we counteract the amnesia that leads to the loss of heritage and identity?
Deadline & how to apply
Deadline 31 dicembre 2018.
Registration: € 50,00.
Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Guidelines for conference sessions: each session will last 60 minutes, followed by 15 minutes discussion. Each speaker has 15 minutes for their presentation. We invite proposals for:
Individual presentations;
Panel sessions and workshops, with several speakers.
Presentations may be in Italian or in English; support material (such as PowerPoint presentations) must be in English.
Please send the following documents in electronic format (.doc or .pdf) to
diasporeitaliane2019@gmail.com by 31 December 2018:
Abstract (250 words);
Short biography (100 words).
Acceptances will be notified by 4 February 2019.
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