IES Migrations Series: Crossing the Mediterranean: Migration, Death, and Culture

In AY 2017-2018, the Institute for European Studies launched the IES Migrations Series which conceptualizes the migration of not only people, but also images, words, ideas, technologies, objects, information, and food. 

Continuing into AY 2020-2021, the series aims to unpack the historical and contemporary relevance of migration in writing global histories and understanding the present, as well as to put Europe in its global context. It critically acknowledges European countries’ role in the history of modernization and colonization of other countries within and outside Europe and disclosed the region’s character as an immigrant continent and diaspora of various peoples.

Crossing the Mediterranean: Migration, Death, and Culture:
The International Organization of Migration reported that approximately 4000 migrants had died while trying to cross the ​Mediterranean Sea in the year of 2016, and approximately 3000 by the tenth month of 2017. This panel brought together an international group of scholars and journalists who spoke about the historical and contemporary traumatic experiences, such as deaths, accidents, colonization, and forced migrations, suffered by those crossing the Mediterranean. Panelists exposed the extent of looted archeological objects across seas; discussed the violence of France’s spatial practices during the Algerian Revolution on both sides of the Mediterranean; ­reflected on the main causes of people's drowning in recent years; and focused on the maritime arena as a mobile border that envelops migrants seeking to navigate structural injustices as well as ideological and violent conflicts. 

Panelists:
Annetta Alexandridis (Associate Professor, History of Art and Visual Studies, Cornell University)
Samia Henni (Lecturer, Architecture, Princeton University) 
John Psaropoulos (Independent Journalists, Athens) 
Maurizio Albahari (Associate Professor, Anthropology, University of Notre Dame) 

Moderated by: Esra Akcan (Architecture, IES/Einaudi)