A Blog on Cultures of Migration in Italy

A friend and colleague of mine, Dr. Federica Mazzara, a fellow at the UCL Mellon Programme, has recently started a blog, entitled, Moving Boarders: The Aesthetics of Migraton. I had the opportunity to meet Federica this past December and in March, she organized a workshop on the Aesthetics of Migration at UCL which I had the chance to present a paper on the use of parody in photoshopped and YouTube clips by those who are 2nd generation Iranian in the diaspora.

I hope that you take the time to visit Federica’s blog as it has great commentary and links about Italy, migration and visual cultures.

Sanaz

A Must Read on the Afro-Caribbean Diasporic Experience

Pilgrim State

My last post was about some of my favorite fiction and non-fiction about the migration/diasporic experiences. While I mentioned that most of my previous reading has an “Iranian” slant, I’ve just come across a great book written about a diaspora I know little about, but after reading Pilgrim State, I hope to learn more about.

Pilgrim State is about, author, Jacqueline Walker’s dynamic childhood and the lessons she and her siblings learned from their equally dynamic and strong-willed mother, Dorothy. I recently had the chance to meet and have a chat with Jacqueline and she alerted me to the fact that many books written about the migration and diasporic experience rarely are about mothers who bring their families over to begin a new life elsewhere. This is why I feel her book is a noteworthy addition to diasporic literature and to the Afro-Caribbean experience in Britain.

I’ve invited Jacqueline as a guest blogger for Intersections and am excited by the wealth of knowledge and genuine understanding she’ll be able to bring regarding the Afro-Caribbean diaspora.

Sanaz

Online video contest: Intercultural dialogue

Are you between 15 and 30  ? Do you feel like you have things to say
about Intercultural Dialogue in Europe? Do you like expressing
yourself with video?

The European project Xenoclipse.net is inviting young video/filmmakers
to submit their short clip now. We are looking for the most original,
creative and/or nuanced portrayal of cultural diversity in your
country, city, town, school, street or family…

What intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity mean we want to
leave up to you! You will be the ones showing diversity from different
viewpoints.

Your clip can be a short film, video-art, documentary, musical clip,
news item… Up to 15 nominees will be contacted and invited to
Barcelona for the international Award Event on November 21st and 22nd,
2008 and the winners will receive a prize award.

For more information look at: http://www.xenoclipse-net.eu/