This book investigates Euro-African cultural relations, considering their connected histories thr... more This book investigates Euro-African cultural relations, considering their connected histories through material and immaterial forms of representation, commemoration, and memorialization. Recent waves of protest around the world have called for restitution of looted African art, and toppled statues and vandalized monuments which are connected to white suprematism, colonialism, and imperialism. These events have highlighted an urgent need to debate the management and preservation of Europe and Africa’s shared heritage. Drawing on a range of varied, trans-continental case studies, this book considers the key question of whether such monuments should be removed as forms of unacceptable celebration of an evil past, or preserved precisely because of what they recount about that past of oppression and domination. The book encourages readers to consider how diverse and pervasive the notions of shared heritage and common past are, encompassing discussions of statues, exhibitions, graffiti, tapestries, and commemorations. Providing a timely analysis of the developing cultural relations between Africa and Europe, this book will be an important resource for researchers across the fields of global history, heritage studies, memory studies, and international relations.
The book provides a survey of key political, social, and economic issues affecting the Western Ba... more The book provides a survey of key political, social, and economic issues affecting the Western Balkans region. Taking a two-pronged conceptual approach focusing on fragmentation and integration, the volume highlights commonalities and differences in a number of simultaneous dynamics currently characterizing the region: Europeanization and EU access, market integration, and migration and socio-demographic transformations. Stressing the interconnectedness of these issues, the volume synthesizes key questions for the future of the region, such as the relationship between socio-demographic trends and economic development, the effects of depopulation on further EU integration, and the economic and political repercussions of enhanced intra-regional trade. Explicitly interdisciplinary, this Brief will be useful for researchers and students specializing in the Balkans and Western Balkans, post-socialist countries, European affairs, enlargement, foreign policy, international relations, regional studies, economics, economic transition, and socio-demographics.
Issues of welfare access and ‘deservedness’ are increasingly permeating political debates in pres... more Issues of welfare access and ‘deservedness’ are increasingly permeating political debates in present-day Scandinavian welfare states, which are worldwide renowned for their comprehensive safety net. Across the region, the Somalis are oftentimes singled out in political debates about immigration and integration policies as the ‘least integrated’ group, if not as a ‘burden’ for public finances. Against this background, Horizons of Security accounts for historical patterns of integration from the specific point of view of welfare and security among the Somalis in Scandinavia.
Drawing on qualitative interviews with the Somali diaspora, the book explores how the Somalis are experiencing relevant changes in the way they think and formulate expectations about the safety net, often embracing elements of both welfare systems; at the same time, not all of the integration measures set up by Scandinavian states are conducive for alleviating Somalis’ security issues, especially in the immediate time after the resettlement. This dynamic can cause considerable degrees of insecurity and long-term social vulnerability among the Somalis. Horizons of Security offers insight on integration and the organization of welfare to be applied in comparative perspectives to other diasporas and world areas.
This book provides various examples showing how Europe and Africa can be conceptualized and resea... more This book provides various examples showing how Europe and Africa can be conceptualized and researched as a single macro-area connected by interrelated, global and multilevel dynamics.
What types of relations characterize Europe and Africa today? The nature of the connections is neither clear nor unilinear: rather, they appear dialectical, multifaceted and pointing in different directions. This edited book explores narratives, contemporary dynamics and historical legacies demonstrating the long-standing relations between the continents, suggesting that the entangled Euro-African relations in multiple fields should be intended as a permanent condition for any analyses.
The authors provide various evidence of the fact that the two continents are deeply part of shared but uneven structures of global wealth and power. Within those structures, certain dynamics are constantly produced and reproduced, yet new opportunities to subvert existing relations have also emerged recently. Hence, instead of proposing conceptual premises holding Africa and Europe as separate regions that get in touch at specific moments in time, be it colonialism, the Cold War, globalization, migration, this book critically considers that each of the matters explored is anything but an episode in a more complex, intertwined story that ultimately represents the explanatory framework for present Euro-African relations.
ANATOMIA (DI UN INCONTRO): ovvero l'atto di sezionare in parti un corpo complesso per poterne com... more ANATOMIA (DI UN INCONTRO): ovvero l'atto di sezionare in parti un corpo complesso per poterne comprendere al meglio il suo funzionamento interno. Proprio su quest'azione si fonda la lettura offerta da Marco Zoppi sul corpo/tema dell'immigrazone. Tramite un percorso che ci accompagna dalle radici della questione attraverso la fitta rete di relazioni che unisce AFRICA ed EUROPA, l'autore ci propone un'analisi che, assorbiti i più classici strumenti di lettura economico-politici, prova ad indagare questo legame attraverso un approccio socio culturale e di costume. In controtendenza rispetto al main stream contemporaneo che, soprattutto in conseguenza dei fatti degli ultimi mesi, vorrebbe trovare una soluzione unilaterale, semplice e drastica per il “problema degli immigrati”, in queste pagine ci si radica alle cause di lungo corso, si scava, si va a fondo per proporre un'ipotesi di realtà futuribile, non solo sognata, ma praticabile; una proposta che tenga conto di tutte le parti in causa, mettendo in evidenza le responsabilità del Vecchio Continente nei confronti della situazione attuale e non si accontenti di suggerire agili vie di uscita o ricette buone solo per gli avanzi di una festa che abbiamo consumato senza renderci conto che eravamo in casa d'altri.
Il testo è acquistabile come segue:
- sul sito www.edizionieiffel.com ( in cartaceo e/o in ebook) - su Amazon.it ( in cartaceo e/o in ebook) - in contrassegno tramite segnalazione dei dati per l'invio all'indirizzo [email protected]
Through an extensive use of primary sources available at the Tanzania National Archives in Dar Es... more Through an extensive use of primary sources available at the Tanzania National Archives in Dar Es Salaam, the authors provide an historical analysis of the power relations dominating the marketing of coffee in Bukoba district during the 1920s to 1950s, when the territory was under British colonial rule. Local small-scale growers, merchants and colonial authorities were the three main actors involved in the coffee production chain. This paper specifically shows how Indian merchants dominated the coffee industry in Bukoba district. It identifies the colonial coffee marketing policies that were introduced in the area and analyses their rationale and outcomes; it examines why such policies were rejected by the Indian merchants; and finally, it determines the impact of the implementation of some of the policies on the coffee industry.
This article explores a policy initiative launched in 2020 by the municipality of Santo Stefano d... more This article explores a policy initiative launched in 2020 by the municipality of Santo Stefano di Sessanio aimed at incentivizing the arrival of residents and the establishment of new business activities in the village. Despite the great interest, eventually the policy was not implemented. The aim of the article is to analyze the factors that have hampered the implementation phase, and to extract comparative considerations from the case study that can be useful for territories experiencing the same territorial conditions. The article draws on existing literature and on interviews carried out in Santo Stefano with the mayor, members of the municipal council and other residents. Keywords: policy innovation, cohesion policy, marginalization
1992 was a crucial year for European defence and security policies due to changes in the internat... more 1992 was a crucial year for European defence and security policies due to changes in the international scenario. One of such developments was the Yugoslav crisis, that in 1992 turned into a violent and genocidal conflict shocking Europe and the world. Despite having the required capacity, the Western European Union (WEU) did not manage to end the conflict with its military and diplomatic efforts. By drawing on the archival documents of the Historical Archives of the European Union, this article explores the Proceedings of WEU Assembly to provide new evidence of the divisions existing among WEU members precluding an agreement.
The Somali federal government established in 2012 presents still limited capacity to provide for ... more The Somali federal government established in 2012 presents still limited capacity to provide for the needs of the population, particularly in terms of livelihood support and security. This creates space for state contestation and for other actors, including Somali clans and Islamist groups, to address people's needs in its place. Current Somali politics thus reverts around multiple sources of governance, which the Somali diaspora inevitably uses to channel support to relatives and trusted networks in Somalia. The diaspora plays a vital role in ensuring income and investments, and participates in statebuilding initiatives as well as peace and conflict dynamics embroiling the homeland. By doing so, the diaspora is caught in a double and opposite process, as its engagement can at once undermine state-building processes while foster development and security, the latter being key to favour long-term reconciliation and stability. This article seeks to examine patterns of Somali transnational engagement in order to assess its modalities of interaction and its relationship with societal dynamics and the ongoing federal statebuilding project.
Questo saggio ripercorre la storia degli stati successori dell’ex Federazione jugoslava tramite l... more Questo saggio ripercorre la storia degli stati successori dell’ex Federazione jugoslava tramite l’analisi delle dinamiche migratorie che li hanno interessati negli ultimi tre decenni, sottolineando come tale approccio sia utile – oltre che per completare gli studi esistenti, anche per una serie di importanti ragioni, qui di seguito anticipate. Prima di tutto, fare dei migranti, rifugiati, sfollati interni, e delle traiettorie e problematiche ad essi connessi oggetto principale di studio aiuta a comprendere cosa si intenda in effetti quando si descrivono alcuni processi societari dei Balcani come “incompleti”, e alcune ferite storiche come ancora vive. Infatti, anche dopo la fine del conflitto, i Balcani sono rimasti una regione di forte emigrazione avente come protagonisti di questi deflussi la popolazione più giovane: ho descritto altrove come l’emigrazione di tanti giovani dalla regione rappresenti un caso di “voto con i piedi”, ovvero di una sfiducia verso la classe politica e di una reazione alla mancanza di prospettive economiche loro imputabili.
Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies 24(3), 2022
This article examines the political and policy-related developments regarding the Balkan Route in... more This article examines the political and policy-related developments regarding the Balkan Route intended both as a migration path and as a conceptual node where both symbolic and physical re-bordering processes converge. The article argues that these two processes represent the foundation on which the sum of the policies to address migration issues enacted in the last years are based: specific constructions of migrants and asylum seekers as well as of the Balkan region have shaped policies to push back migrants, eventually halting mobility and implementing containment in formal and informal camps in the region. This is not the result of challenges connected to ‘crises’ and ‘emergencies’, but rather the intended aim of both EU and non-EU national governments in the absence of more far-reaching strategies on migration and integration. These developments represent the political background of vulnerability and precariousness experienced by stranded migrants along the Balkan Route.
The constitution approved in 2012 represents an opportunity for Somalia to re-establish a central... more The constitution approved in 2012 represents an opportunity for Somalia to re-establish a central government which has been absent for the last two decades, and reach a stability that its society lacks since the pre-colonial era. The constitution envisages the implementation of a federalist structure for the new Somali state, a solution that is facing a number of issues in the prickly Somali political environment. However, these issues do not seem to be insurmountable; the question is if the Somali Federal Government (SFG) and the other actors involved are approaching the question with proper legal means and good intentions. Now as before, the core of the matter lies both in the relationship among Somali clans as well as in the harmonization of the different sources of authority which can be found on the ground. The analysis of federalism in Somalia, as it has been formulated so far, can thus shed light on the progress made towards stability and consequently on the practical possibi...
When the British colonial government took over Tanzania, colonial officials championed and encour... more When the British colonial government took over Tanzania, colonial officials championed and encouraged the inhabitants in Kilimanjaro to grow coffee along with settlers. The authorities gave priority to the local smallholders, relegating settlers to a minor role within colonial agriculture and the coffee economy in particular. This generated a vigorous protest among the settlers against the government policy. The tension would bring a number of remarkable developments, including the establishment of the Kilimanjaro Native Planters Association (KNPA) and, later, the promulgation of legislation regulating coffee farming and marketing via cooperatives, such as the Co-operative Societies Ordinance No. 7 of 1932 and the Native Coffee Control Ordinance No 26 of 1937. This paper examines the interlocked dimensions and intricacies related to the coffee industry policies, and their impact on agricultural policies in Kilimanjaro region as well as across the country. In particular, the paper discusses how the settlers' opposition influenced the promulgation of segregative, monopolistic and protectionist legislations, and the role of control Boards in this process. To do so, this paper relies on existing literature as well as underutilized primary sources obtained from the Tanzania National Archives (TNA) in Dar Es Salaam.
This article examines a migration pattern which has been overshadowed by the ‘security turn’ domi... more This article examines a migration pattern which has been overshadowed by the ‘security turn’ dominating European discourses: depopulation. Across Europe, emigration is responsible for significant demographic transformations, especially in rural and remote areas. Depopulation leads to the reduction of services provided to citizens, further diminishing the attractiveness of these territories. Against this background, migration can counterbalance depopulation as part of a strategy for rural regeneration. This article analyses the case of Riace, an Italian town that has been hosting people seeking asylum and refugees for decades, and compares it to the Serbian town of Sjenica, where increasing numbers of non-EU migrants are settling after the ‘closure’ of the Western Balkans route. Our empirical findings indicate that there is both an opportunity and a political will to implement a similar model to that of Riace in Sjenica and in the southwest Sandžak region.
Since the Great Recession started in the late 2000s, the European
Union (EU) has experienced an a... more Since the Great Recession started in the late 2000s, the European Union (EU) has experienced an acute crisis that has triggered internal divisions among EU members. Three factors can help shed light on this tendency towards political fragmentation: economics and finance, culture, and territory. Each of these reveals a specific ‘geography’, in terms of policies and narratives, of the current malaise regarding the EU project and the limits of the Union in addressing issues important for the domestic debates of its members. Such discontent, as well as anti-EU sentiment, fuels strong political reactions including populism and anti-elitism that could further fragment the EU in the future.
This paper explores the links between Italian colonial policies and food insecurity in Somalia du... more This paper explores the links between Italian colonial policies and food insecurity in Somalia during the period from 1900 to 1945. It is argued that over the long term, the policies put in place to ensure the necessary labour force for cotton and banana plantations dramatically reduced local staple food production to the point of making the area dependent on food imports for subsistence. Building on arguments inspired by Polanyi, the analysis shows that colonial policies disrupted the natives’ mode of economic production as well as their social structures. This combined effect contributed towards undermining food security in an area already severely vulnerable to drought and famine due to its arid climate. This paper draws primarily on documentation produced mainly by Italian authorities and individuals involved in the agriculture «valorization» efforts in Somalia in the first half of the twentieth century.
In questo articolo il concetto di "rete di sicurezza", definita dall’autore come l’insieme delle ... more In questo articolo il concetto di "rete di sicurezza", definita dall’autore come l’insieme delle strategie messe in atto da una comunità specifica per far fronte ai rischi sociali, è applicato all’analisi delle dinamiche di integrazione dei rifugiati so-mali e dei loro discendenti residenti in Scandinavia. In particolare, lo studio prende in esame le forme di supporto e assistenza diffuse all’interno della famiglia estesa somala o clan, al fine di portare alla luce alcune delle divergenze esistenti rispetto alla normatività culturale insita nelle politiche di integrazione scandinave. Queste differenze, quando non mediate, si traducono in esperienze di insicurezza nella diaspora somala che sono responsabili del rallentamento del processo di integra-zione. L’articolo presenta estratti da interviste con 11 donne e 11 uomini somali condotte tra il 2015 e il 2017 in Danimarca, Norvegia e Svezia.
East African Journal of Social and Applied Sciences, 2020
The "new" scramble for African resources, triggered by the expansion of Chinese trade and develop... more The "new" scramble for African resources, triggered by the expansion of Chinese trade and development cooperation, increasingly aims at the exploitation of African fish resources. This brings severe threats to local coastal populations, whose economy as well as protein intake is based on fishing activities. This article focuses on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) in West Africa to shed light on the risks that the massive presence of Chinese and European trawlers entails for biodiversity and for the livelihood of local artisanal fishermen. It will describe some recent cases of IUU fishing in the area and the challenges faced by local authorities, through literature evidence and information collected through an interview. The goal is that of providing an update view on the issue yet with a look also at the historical foundation of the investigated phenomenon. In fact, I link the case of IUU fishing to the broader question of the expansion of rapacious capitalism in Africa in the shadow of the global market, to reflect on the lack of transformation of some dynamics inherited from the last century that continue to penalize the continent.
*Paper awarded the 2019 Richard Gillespie Prize Award
This paper suggests that current policies ... more *Paper awarded the 2019 Richard Gillespie Prize Award
This paper suggests that current policies for the management of migration across the Central Mediterranean route aim more at the physical and metaphysical removal of black African migrants from the public sphere, than at dealing with structural factors. Such process, that the author names ‘absence policy’ is explored in three crucial stages of present migration dynamics: Libya, the Mediterranean Sea and Italy. The author argues that absence is instrumental to claim that migration flows can be and are managed, but in reality, it subsumes only a politics of containment of migration that creates concern for the protection of the migrants’ human rights.
This book investigates Euro-African cultural relations, considering their connected histories thr... more This book investigates Euro-African cultural relations, considering their connected histories through material and immaterial forms of representation, commemoration, and memorialization. Recent waves of protest around the world have called for restitution of looted African art, and toppled statues and vandalized monuments which are connected to white suprematism, colonialism, and imperialism. These events have highlighted an urgent need to debate the management and preservation of Europe and Africa’s shared heritage. Drawing on a range of varied, trans-continental case studies, this book considers the key question of whether such monuments should be removed as forms of unacceptable celebration of an evil past, or preserved precisely because of what they recount about that past of oppression and domination. The book encourages readers to consider how diverse and pervasive the notions of shared heritage and common past are, encompassing discussions of statues, exhibitions, graffiti, tapestries, and commemorations. Providing a timely analysis of the developing cultural relations between Africa and Europe, this book will be an important resource for researchers across the fields of global history, heritage studies, memory studies, and international relations.
The book provides a survey of key political, social, and economic issues affecting the Western Ba... more The book provides a survey of key political, social, and economic issues affecting the Western Balkans region. Taking a two-pronged conceptual approach focusing on fragmentation and integration, the volume highlights commonalities and differences in a number of simultaneous dynamics currently characterizing the region: Europeanization and EU access, market integration, and migration and socio-demographic transformations. Stressing the interconnectedness of these issues, the volume synthesizes key questions for the future of the region, such as the relationship between socio-demographic trends and economic development, the effects of depopulation on further EU integration, and the economic and political repercussions of enhanced intra-regional trade. Explicitly interdisciplinary, this Brief will be useful for researchers and students specializing in the Balkans and Western Balkans, post-socialist countries, European affairs, enlargement, foreign policy, international relations, regional studies, economics, economic transition, and socio-demographics.
Issues of welfare access and ‘deservedness’ are increasingly permeating political debates in pres... more Issues of welfare access and ‘deservedness’ are increasingly permeating political debates in present-day Scandinavian welfare states, which are worldwide renowned for their comprehensive safety net. Across the region, the Somalis are oftentimes singled out in political debates about immigration and integration policies as the ‘least integrated’ group, if not as a ‘burden’ for public finances. Against this background, Horizons of Security accounts for historical patterns of integration from the specific point of view of welfare and security among the Somalis in Scandinavia.
Drawing on qualitative interviews with the Somali diaspora, the book explores how the Somalis are experiencing relevant changes in the way they think and formulate expectations about the safety net, often embracing elements of both welfare systems; at the same time, not all of the integration measures set up by Scandinavian states are conducive for alleviating Somalis’ security issues, especially in the immediate time after the resettlement. This dynamic can cause considerable degrees of insecurity and long-term social vulnerability among the Somalis. Horizons of Security offers insight on integration and the organization of welfare to be applied in comparative perspectives to other diasporas and world areas.
This book provides various examples showing how Europe and Africa can be conceptualized and resea... more This book provides various examples showing how Europe and Africa can be conceptualized and researched as a single macro-area connected by interrelated, global and multilevel dynamics.
What types of relations characterize Europe and Africa today? The nature of the connections is neither clear nor unilinear: rather, they appear dialectical, multifaceted and pointing in different directions. This edited book explores narratives, contemporary dynamics and historical legacies demonstrating the long-standing relations between the continents, suggesting that the entangled Euro-African relations in multiple fields should be intended as a permanent condition for any analyses.
The authors provide various evidence of the fact that the two continents are deeply part of shared but uneven structures of global wealth and power. Within those structures, certain dynamics are constantly produced and reproduced, yet new opportunities to subvert existing relations have also emerged recently. Hence, instead of proposing conceptual premises holding Africa and Europe as separate regions that get in touch at specific moments in time, be it colonialism, the Cold War, globalization, migration, this book critically considers that each of the matters explored is anything but an episode in a more complex, intertwined story that ultimately represents the explanatory framework for present Euro-African relations.
ANATOMIA (DI UN INCONTRO): ovvero l'atto di sezionare in parti un corpo complesso per poterne com... more ANATOMIA (DI UN INCONTRO): ovvero l'atto di sezionare in parti un corpo complesso per poterne comprendere al meglio il suo funzionamento interno. Proprio su quest'azione si fonda la lettura offerta da Marco Zoppi sul corpo/tema dell'immigrazone. Tramite un percorso che ci accompagna dalle radici della questione attraverso la fitta rete di relazioni che unisce AFRICA ed EUROPA, l'autore ci propone un'analisi che, assorbiti i più classici strumenti di lettura economico-politici, prova ad indagare questo legame attraverso un approccio socio culturale e di costume. In controtendenza rispetto al main stream contemporaneo che, soprattutto in conseguenza dei fatti degli ultimi mesi, vorrebbe trovare una soluzione unilaterale, semplice e drastica per il “problema degli immigrati”, in queste pagine ci si radica alle cause di lungo corso, si scava, si va a fondo per proporre un'ipotesi di realtà futuribile, non solo sognata, ma praticabile; una proposta che tenga conto di tutte le parti in causa, mettendo in evidenza le responsabilità del Vecchio Continente nei confronti della situazione attuale e non si accontenti di suggerire agili vie di uscita o ricette buone solo per gli avanzi di una festa che abbiamo consumato senza renderci conto che eravamo in casa d'altri.
Il testo è acquistabile come segue:
- sul sito www.edizionieiffel.com ( in cartaceo e/o in ebook) - su Amazon.it ( in cartaceo e/o in ebook) - in contrassegno tramite segnalazione dei dati per l'invio all'indirizzo [email protected]
Through an extensive use of primary sources available at the Tanzania National Archives in Dar Es... more Through an extensive use of primary sources available at the Tanzania National Archives in Dar Es Salaam, the authors provide an historical analysis of the power relations dominating the marketing of coffee in Bukoba district during the 1920s to 1950s, when the territory was under British colonial rule. Local small-scale growers, merchants and colonial authorities were the three main actors involved in the coffee production chain. This paper specifically shows how Indian merchants dominated the coffee industry in Bukoba district. It identifies the colonial coffee marketing policies that were introduced in the area and analyses their rationale and outcomes; it examines why such policies were rejected by the Indian merchants; and finally, it determines the impact of the implementation of some of the policies on the coffee industry.
This article explores a policy initiative launched in 2020 by the municipality of Santo Stefano d... more This article explores a policy initiative launched in 2020 by the municipality of Santo Stefano di Sessanio aimed at incentivizing the arrival of residents and the establishment of new business activities in the village. Despite the great interest, eventually the policy was not implemented. The aim of the article is to analyze the factors that have hampered the implementation phase, and to extract comparative considerations from the case study that can be useful for territories experiencing the same territorial conditions. The article draws on existing literature and on interviews carried out in Santo Stefano with the mayor, members of the municipal council and other residents. Keywords: policy innovation, cohesion policy, marginalization
1992 was a crucial year for European defence and security policies due to changes in the internat... more 1992 was a crucial year for European defence and security policies due to changes in the international scenario. One of such developments was the Yugoslav crisis, that in 1992 turned into a violent and genocidal conflict shocking Europe and the world. Despite having the required capacity, the Western European Union (WEU) did not manage to end the conflict with its military and diplomatic efforts. By drawing on the archival documents of the Historical Archives of the European Union, this article explores the Proceedings of WEU Assembly to provide new evidence of the divisions existing among WEU members precluding an agreement.
The Somali federal government established in 2012 presents still limited capacity to provide for ... more The Somali federal government established in 2012 presents still limited capacity to provide for the needs of the population, particularly in terms of livelihood support and security. This creates space for state contestation and for other actors, including Somali clans and Islamist groups, to address people's needs in its place. Current Somali politics thus reverts around multiple sources of governance, which the Somali diaspora inevitably uses to channel support to relatives and trusted networks in Somalia. The diaspora plays a vital role in ensuring income and investments, and participates in statebuilding initiatives as well as peace and conflict dynamics embroiling the homeland. By doing so, the diaspora is caught in a double and opposite process, as its engagement can at once undermine state-building processes while foster development and security, the latter being key to favour long-term reconciliation and stability. This article seeks to examine patterns of Somali transnational engagement in order to assess its modalities of interaction and its relationship with societal dynamics and the ongoing federal statebuilding project.
Questo saggio ripercorre la storia degli stati successori dell’ex Federazione jugoslava tramite l... more Questo saggio ripercorre la storia degli stati successori dell’ex Federazione jugoslava tramite l’analisi delle dinamiche migratorie che li hanno interessati negli ultimi tre decenni, sottolineando come tale approccio sia utile – oltre che per completare gli studi esistenti, anche per una serie di importanti ragioni, qui di seguito anticipate. Prima di tutto, fare dei migranti, rifugiati, sfollati interni, e delle traiettorie e problematiche ad essi connessi oggetto principale di studio aiuta a comprendere cosa si intenda in effetti quando si descrivono alcuni processi societari dei Balcani come “incompleti”, e alcune ferite storiche come ancora vive. Infatti, anche dopo la fine del conflitto, i Balcani sono rimasti una regione di forte emigrazione avente come protagonisti di questi deflussi la popolazione più giovane: ho descritto altrove come l’emigrazione di tanti giovani dalla regione rappresenti un caso di “voto con i piedi”, ovvero di una sfiducia verso la classe politica e di una reazione alla mancanza di prospettive economiche loro imputabili.
Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies 24(3), 2022
This article examines the political and policy-related developments regarding the Balkan Route in... more This article examines the political and policy-related developments regarding the Balkan Route intended both as a migration path and as a conceptual node where both symbolic and physical re-bordering processes converge. The article argues that these two processes represent the foundation on which the sum of the policies to address migration issues enacted in the last years are based: specific constructions of migrants and asylum seekers as well as of the Balkan region have shaped policies to push back migrants, eventually halting mobility and implementing containment in formal and informal camps in the region. This is not the result of challenges connected to ‘crises’ and ‘emergencies’, but rather the intended aim of both EU and non-EU national governments in the absence of more far-reaching strategies on migration and integration. These developments represent the political background of vulnerability and precariousness experienced by stranded migrants along the Balkan Route.
The constitution approved in 2012 represents an opportunity for Somalia to re-establish a central... more The constitution approved in 2012 represents an opportunity for Somalia to re-establish a central government which has been absent for the last two decades, and reach a stability that its society lacks since the pre-colonial era. The constitution envisages the implementation of a federalist structure for the new Somali state, a solution that is facing a number of issues in the prickly Somali political environment. However, these issues do not seem to be insurmountable; the question is if the Somali Federal Government (SFG) and the other actors involved are approaching the question with proper legal means and good intentions. Now as before, the core of the matter lies both in the relationship among Somali clans as well as in the harmonization of the different sources of authority which can be found on the ground. The analysis of federalism in Somalia, as it has been formulated so far, can thus shed light on the progress made towards stability and consequently on the practical possibi...
When the British colonial government took over Tanzania, colonial officials championed and encour... more When the British colonial government took over Tanzania, colonial officials championed and encouraged the inhabitants in Kilimanjaro to grow coffee along with settlers. The authorities gave priority to the local smallholders, relegating settlers to a minor role within colonial agriculture and the coffee economy in particular. This generated a vigorous protest among the settlers against the government policy. The tension would bring a number of remarkable developments, including the establishment of the Kilimanjaro Native Planters Association (KNPA) and, later, the promulgation of legislation regulating coffee farming and marketing via cooperatives, such as the Co-operative Societies Ordinance No. 7 of 1932 and the Native Coffee Control Ordinance No 26 of 1937. This paper examines the interlocked dimensions and intricacies related to the coffee industry policies, and their impact on agricultural policies in Kilimanjaro region as well as across the country. In particular, the paper discusses how the settlers' opposition influenced the promulgation of segregative, monopolistic and protectionist legislations, and the role of control Boards in this process. To do so, this paper relies on existing literature as well as underutilized primary sources obtained from the Tanzania National Archives (TNA) in Dar Es Salaam.
This article examines a migration pattern which has been overshadowed by the ‘security turn’ domi... more This article examines a migration pattern which has been overshadowed by the ‘security turn’ dominating European discourses: depopulation. Across Europe, emigration is responsible for significant demographic transformations, especially in rural and remote areas. Depopulation leads to the reduction of services provided to citizens, further diminishing the attractiveness of these territories. Against this background, migration can counterbalance depopulation as part of a strategy for rural regeneration. This article analyses the case of Riace, an Italian town that has been hosting people seeking asylum and refugees for decades, and compares it to the Serbian town of Sjenica, where increasing numbers of non-EU migrants are settling after the ‘closure’ of the Western Balkans route. Our empirical findings indicate that there is both an opportunity and a political will to implement a similar model to that of Riace in Sjenica and in the southwest Sandžak region.
Since the Great Recession started in the late 2000s, the European
Union (EU) has experienced an a... more Since the Great Recession started in the late 2000s, the European Union (EU) has experienced an acute crisis that has triggered internal divisions among EU members. Three factors can help shed light on this tendency towards political fragmentation: economics and finance, culture, and territory. Each of these reveals a specific ‘geography’, in terms of policies and narratives, of the current malaise regarding the EU project and the limits of the Union in addressing issues important for the domestic debates of its members. Such discontent, as well as anti-EU sentiment, fuels strong political reactions including populism and anti-elitism that could further fragment the EU in the future.
This paper explores the links between Italian colonial policies and food insecurity in Somalia du... more This paper explores the links between Italian colonial policies and food insecurity in Somalia during the period from 1900 to 1945. It is argued that over the long term, the policies put in place to ensure the necessary labour force for cotton and banana plantations dramatically reduced local staple food production to the point of making the area dependent on food imports for subsistence. Building on arguments inspired by Polanyi, the analysis shows that colonial policies disrupted the natives’ mode of economic production as well as their social structures. This combined effect contributed towards undermining food security in an area already severely vulnerable to drought and famine due to its arid climate. This paper draws primarily on documentation produced mainly by Italian authorities and individuals involved in the agriculture «valorization» efforts in Somalia in the first half of the twentieth century.
In questo articolo il concetto di "rete di sicurezza", definita dall’autore come l’insieme delle ... more In questo articolo il concetto di "rete di sicurezza", definita dall’autore come l’insieme delle strategie messe in atto da una comunità specifica per far fronte ai rischi sociali, è applicato all’analisi delle dinamiche di integrazione dei rifugiati so-mali e dei loro discendenti residenti in Scandinavia. In particolare, lo studio prende in esame le forme di supporto e assistenza diffuse all’interno della famiglia estesa somala o clan, al fine di portare alla luce alcune delle divergenze esistenti rispetto alla normatività culturale insita nelle politiche di integrazione scandinave. Queste differenze, quando non mediate, si traducono in esperienze di insicurezza nella diaspora somala che sono responsabili del rallentamento del processo di integra-zione. L’articolo presenta estratti da interviste con 11 donne e 11 uomini somali condotte tra il 2015 e il 2017 in Danimarca, Norvegia e Svezia.
East African Journal of Social and Applied Sciences, 2020
The "new" scramble for African resources, triggered by the expansion of Chinese trade and develop... more The "new" scramble for African resources, triggered by the expansion of Chinese trade and development cooperation, increasingly aims at the exploitation of African fish resources. This brings severe threats to local coastal populations, whose economy as well as protein intake is based on fishing activities. This article focuses on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) in West Africa to shed light on the risks that the massive presence of Chinese and European trawlers entails for biodiversity and for the livelihood of local artisanal fishermen. It will describe some recent cases of IUU fishing in the area and the challenges faced by local authorities, through literature evidence and information collected through an interview. The goal is that of providing an update view on the issue yet with a look also at the historical foundation of the investigated phenomenon. In fact, I link the case of IUU fishing to the broader question of the expansion of rapacious capitalism in Africa in the shadow of the global market, to reflect on the lack of transformation of some dynamics inherited from the last century that continue to penalize the continent.
*Paper awarded the 2019 Richard Gillespie Prize Award
This paper suggests that current policies ... more *Paper awarded the 2019 Richard Gillespie Prize Award
This paper suggests that current policies for the management of migration across the Central Mediterranean route aim more at the physical and metaphysical removal of black African migrants from the public sphere, than at dealing with structural factors. Such process, that the author names ‘absence policy’ is explored in three crucial stages of present migration dynamics: Libya, the Mediterranean Sea and Italy. The author argues that absence is instrumental to claim that migration flows can be and are managed, but in reality, it subsumes only a politics of containment of migration that creates concern for the protection of the migrants’ human rights.
This article focuses on the recent flow of asylum seekers from the Western Balkans to EU countrie... more This article focuses on the recent flow of asylum seekers from the Western Balkans to EU countries. It contends that the comparison with statistics of other extra-EU28 asylum seekers and migrants reveals specific features that justify the description of mobility from the Western Balkans as a distinct “flow within the flow”. In fact, such a flow was not rooted in humanitarian issues, but was rather part of the established labor mobility dynamics in the region. In this sense, mobility from the area is not understood as a new trend but in terms of continuity stemming from the economic system interconnecting the EU and its neighborhood, of which the Balkans are a part. The pivotal year for the analysis is identified as 2015, when mass migration flows transited along the “Balkan Route” in their quest to reach the central and northern countries of the continent. The author concludes that, although on a larger scale, the 2015 flows that originated from the Western Balkan countries are the outgrowth of ongoing relations, especially for what concerns labor market dynamics between the two neighboring regions. This article features some data and maps elaborated in the framework of activities for the targeted analysis “MIGRATUP – Territorial and Urban Potentials Connected to Migration and Refugee Flows”, financed by ESPON, which ran from July 2017 to July 2018.
*La redazione della Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche ha premiato questo
lavoro come miglio... more *La redazione della Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche ha premiato questo lavoro come miglior articolo di policy presentato da un giovane studioso secondo il bando pubblicato nell’autunno 2018.
This article examines some of the most relevant challenges to territorial cohesion in the European Union and its neighborhood. Through a mix of quantitative data and document analysis, the author provides an overview of demographic, migration and economic inequality aspects across the area with the scope of underlining that European territories are characterized by different performances. Such differences should be addressed by the next Cohesion Fund’s long-term EU budget, in order to avoid further segmentation between territories. The author indicates also what should be some of the thematic priorities of the post-2020 territorial policies.
The intense migration flows peaking in 2015, and the subsequent events, represented a watershed m... more The intense migration flows peaking in 2015, and the subsequent events, represented a watershed moment for Europe and its neighbours, which have led towards a re-definition of the cohesion challenges and opportunities in the Adriatic-Ionian and Danube macro-regions. The whole area is simultaneously experiencing (i) a demographic decline combined with an expanding urbanization towards the capitals; (ii) an ‘internal’ macro-regional movement of people in search of better life conditions; (iii) an ‘external’ mobility involving people who are simply leaving their country of origins for other destinations (mainly Western EU Member States, or overseas). Building further on data collection, territorial typologies and case studies, a number of specific policy recommendations are made for improving migration management in the Adriatic-Ionian and Danube macro-regions, also taking into account territorial needs in the framework of the EUSAIR and EUSDR strategy and the ETC programmes.
This article examines the question of integration of Somali refugees and descendants in Scandinav... more This article examines the question of integration of Somali refugees and descendants in Scandinavia through an approach focusing on the practices and understandings of the “safety net,” which is defined as the sum of the strategies put in place to cope with social risks. The analysis sheds light on the normativity enshrined in the safety net and on the implications of the divergences between the integration policies and the Somalis’ conceptualizations and experiences of social security. The article draws on excerpts from 22 interviews conducted between 2015 and 2017 among the Somali diaspora in Scandinavia.
At the Intersection of Migration and Populist Politics, 2018
Since the mass migration registered in 2015 along the so-called Balkan Route, the debate about mi... more Since the mass migration registered in 2015 along the so-called Balkan Route, the debate about migration in Europe has quickly polarized between the proponents of unconditional humanitarian solidarity towards asylum seekers and supporters of different degrees of securitization. While the arguments of the former draw on principles of humanitarianism and international law, the latter have especially presented asylum seekers and economic migrants as threats to Europe’s national identities, social security and welfare systems. Transcending the specific types of argumentation put forward by each party, the narratives surrounding migration dynamics often seem dominated by an understanding of migration that is strictly associated with the idea of lacking resources and space, both physically and figuratively, to host newcomers. Within this general understanding, the debate has developed in terms of how the reception and integration of asylum seekers can fit into existing communities without generating social tensions, often neglecting the discussion of the territorial needs to which newcomers may contribute through their skills
Chapter 7: In-Securitization through Externalization? The EU and the Western Balkans “Borderlands... more Chapter 7: In-Securitization through Externalization? The EU and the Western Balkans “Borderlands”, by Stefano Bianchini, Silvia Cittadini, and Marco Zoppi
This publication is the culmination of a three-year long (2019–2022) research project entitled “BordEUr: New European Borderlands.” BordEUr is a collaborative research project of nine universities that documents and assesses the proliferation of new borders in the aftermath of the EU’s recent crises, with a special emphasis on the so-called migration crisis. The project analyzes the symbolic role of borders in ontological narratives (those of both the EU and its member states), as well as the bordering policies that these narratives enable. You can read more about the project on the project website at www.bordeur-project.com.
The Challenges of Democratization and Reconciliation in the Post-Yugoslav Space, 2020
Thousands of migrants are moving within and outside the Western Balkans every year in search of b... more Thousands of migrants are moving within and outside the Western Balkans every year in search of better opportunities. Migration brings important long-term consequences, especially in terms of demographic and socio-economic effects, yet comparatively less is known about its relation with the processes of democratization and reconciliation. In fact, the departure of the younger cohorts of the population implies a crucial loss of skills and knowledge for the origin country, and accentuates territorial inequality between urban and rural areas. Moreover, emigration may prevent national institutions from regenerating their internal human capital. At the same time, globalization offers Western Balkan diasporas many opportunities to interact with the homeland at all levels of the political, economic and social sphere, and to influence the path to democratization and reconciliation at home. In this chapter we explore the multidimensional connections between migration and political dynamics at both theoretical and empirical level, in order to understand their impact on the processes of democratization and reconciliation. To achieve this aim, the chapter relies on a theoretical framework connecting migration with democratic equality and reconciliation as a political value, as well as on statistical data to assess the diverse mobility trajectories within, across and outside the region.
Chapter in the book: "In the Aftermath of Gezi. From Social Movement to Social Change? edited by ... more Chapter in the book: "In the Aftermath of Gezi. From Social Movement to Social Change? edited by Oscar Hemer and Hans-Åke Persson (2017).
Playing Second Fiddle: contending visions of Europe's development
*Book chapter*. The chapter attempts at explaining the reasons for the diminishing political role... more *Book chapter*. The chapter attempts at explaining the reasons for the diminishing political role of the EU in terms of missed opportunities. What is missing or should have been there, it is argued, is transnational solidarity among EU citizens.
In "Playing second fiddle? Contending visions of Europe’s future development" edited by Hans-Åke Persson, Bo Petersson & Cecilie Stokholm Banke
Porta d'Africa Porta d'Europa Percorsi di interazione interculturale , Sep 8, 2013
Tanto i governi africani, quanto i media internazionali, celebrano da un decennio a questa parte ... more Tanto i governi africani, quanto i media internazionali, celebrano da un decennio a questa parte il progresso economico di cui l’Africa tutta è protagonista. L’ingresso del Continente nel circuito capitalistico mondiale ha implicazioni rilevanti per l’Africa: denota infatti sia il superamento definitivo di quello stato di “bestialità” con cui i primi esploratori europei avevano descritto le civiltà africane nel XIX secolo, sia la fine dell’assistenzialismo. Ora l’Africa è parte di un mercato globale e richiede beni del tutto simili a quelli richiesti dagli altri mercati. E’ il segno della conquista della moralità individuale, del concetto collettivo di Civiltà, definiti dall’Occidente e per tanto tempo negati: è la conquista dell’autodeterminazione. L’africano non è più e non sarà mai più un indigeno, come era giuridicamente definito nelle colonie, ma un cittadino del mondo con tutti i diritti che questo status comporta. Valide ragioni che danno adito all’ottimismo che ruota attorno al continente, che incoraggiano gli investitori e che risvegliano l’interesse mondiale verso l’Africa. Ma come si bilanciano capitalismo e globalizzazione con tradizione e appartenenza comunitaria, elementi imprescindibili nella quotidianità di molti africani? È anche attraverso la risoluzione di questi nodi che verranno sanciti gli attributi definitori dell’Africa come civiltà. Sarà, cioè, questo il volto nuovo con cui l’Africa coniugherà i valori occidentali con quelli della sua tradizione, preparandosi ad interagire con il resto del mondo. Il rapporto tra locale e globale e l’analisi della civiltà africana del XXI secolo saranno dunque il tema del paper.
This book collects the proceedings of the Conference “Economic and Social Integration of Asylum S... more This book collects the proceedings of the Conference “Economic and Social Integration of Asylum Seekers and Refugees through Social Entrepreneurship – International Conference for Sharing Best Practices” held at the Forlì Campus of the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna on the 10th and 11th of March 2022. The organisation of the conference took place in the framework of the Interreg-ADRION-funded project REInSER. The project aims to improve the economic and social integration of refugees and asylum seekers in host societies of the ADRION area by using social economy approaches and, in particular, social entrepreneurship (SE). The long-term objective is to enhance the possibilities for refugees to become active economic actors and agents of their integration in a given host society, contributing to the local and regional sustainable economic development by generating employment and supporting the creation of new social and responsible businesses.
In an interview with Dr. Marco Zoppi-about his upcoming book that is expected to be released in S... more In an interview with Dr. Marco Zoppi-about his upcoming book that is expected to be released in September by Rowman and Littlefield, WardheerNews, without the least hesitation, wishes to share with you perhaps what would be described as the longest discussion with our own contributor, Mr Zoppi, who selflessly spent considerable time to bring to us a subject that has never been debated before. Up north Europe, in what we know as Scandinavian or Nordic countries that constitute Norway, Denmark and Sweden, there is a paradox in ontological security that constitute food security, political security and personal security. Unbeknown to many, Scandinavia means "dangerous island." Even though the dangers are natural physical features, Somalis who constitute 165,000 in these countries have experienced enormous inevitable social ramifications that requires to be addressed by the host governments and configurations of spokesmen and spokeswomen that is currently gaining ground among those from the unstable Horn of Africa nation of Somalia that collapsed in 1991. The interview was conducted by our own Adan Makina. We hope you enjoy it.
On June 12-13, Berlin hosted the latest initiative of the G20 Compact with Africa, an internation... more On June 12-13, Berlin hosted the latest initiative of the G20 Compact with Africa, an international conference that has brought political leaders together under the promising title " Investing in a Common Future ". The Compact with Africa (CWA) aims at providing a framework to " significantly increase private and infrastructure investment in Africa " , relying for this purpose on the expertise and assistance of G20 member countries as well as international organizations, such as the African Development Bank (AfDB); the International Monetary Fund (IMF); and the World Bank (WB). The general impression is that while CWA’s economic formula contains appealing guidelines for initiating economic development (infrastructures; investments; service delivering), it does not address with the same adequacy long-term stability and protection from risks (from the environment to debt management) and global volatility. Risks are only understood as risks for the investors. The development strategy discussed in Berlin, thus, embraces for most part the still prevailing economic credo— the self-regulating market, and subsequently re-proposes similar measures seen already in the recent past, at least in the general framework of action presented so far.
Interview piece with the project coordinator of the exhibition titled “Et somalisk hjem” (A Somal... more Interview piece with the project coordinator of the exhibition titled “Et somalisk hjem” (A Somali home), at Den Gamle By museum, Denmark.
The current relationship between Africa and Europe may seem to have moved past colonialism, but a... more The current relationship between Africa and Europe may seem to have moved past colonialism, but a dynamic of economic subordination of the first to the second persists. The vision of Eurafrica, in fact, is built on the legacy of colonialism and positions Africans as the eternal Other.
With the first round of elections already completed the Kingdom of Swaziland is preparing to vote... more With the first round of elections already completed the Kingdom of Swaziland is preparing to vote again on 20 September in order to elect the new members of the Assembly (the lower house of the Parliament). However, just as many times during last decades, the electoral system in conjunction with the repeatedly reported human right violations have made the chances of holding free election vain. Again, several international organizations have preferred not to send their observers, underlining to a greater extent the contradictions still characterizing this "island of autocratic rule" (AfriMap). On the occasion of the elections, we interviewed Mr. Skhumbuzo Phakathi, Secretary General of the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), in order to follow the events of the country a bit more closely. PUDEMO is today the leading Swazi political organization opposing the rule of Mswati III.
It will be impossible to reconstruct Somalia without addressing its complex past. Yet the current... more It will be impossible to reconstruct Somalia without addressing its complex past. Yet the current definition of transitional justice appears too narrow to be beneficial, since it limits the space for local-based procedures in favor of Western concepts like the state, rule of law and democracy.
Whether as skilled labourers, domestic servants, field hands, or as soldiers in the military, ens... more Whether as skilled labourers, domestic servants, field hands, or as soldiers in the military, enslaved Africans brought to Brazil not only such important skills but their cultural and religious beliefs and practices that were to blend with European practices and customs. Ultimately it led to an Africanization of Brazil
European powers imposed the nation-state on Africa through colonialism. But even after African in... more European powers imposed the nation-state on Africa through colonialism. But even after African independencies, mainstream discourses and government policies have amplified the idea that sedentariness and the state are the only acceptable mode of modernity. Migration is portrayed as a menace to the societies where the migrants wish to settle
This handbook is the output of the REInSER (Refugees' Economic Integration through S o c i a l E ... more This handbook is the output of the REInSER (Refugees' Economic Integration through S o c i a l E n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p ) p r o j e c t . Geographically, it covers the ADRION area whose common societal developments and challenges call for more cooperation and shared initiatives. This is especially true if the region is looking towards a common future in the EU.
Questo manuale è il risultato del progetto per l'integrazione economica dei rifugiati attraverso ... more Questo manuale è il risultato del progetto per l'integrazione economica dei rifugiati attraverso l'imprenditoria sociale REInSER (Refugees' Econoomic Integration through Social Entrepreneurship)
by Sarah J. Zimmerman, Athens, OH, Ohio University Press, 2020.
Research on the military histor... more by Sarah J. Zimmerman, Athens, OH, Ohio University Press, 2020.
Research on the military history of empires and their expansion is permeated by accounts of military operations, tactics and manoeuvres. Through her remarkable, multi-source research Sarah Zimmerman has complemented such descriptions with the history of women associated with the military campaigns staged by the French military in the previous two centuries. Putting together the study of gender, race and militarism, Militarizing Marriage describes and analyses how the French military managed African soldiers’ conjugality and intimate relations, as their ‘sexuality and their households were crucial to the operation of French colonialism’ (2).
Issues of welfare entitlements and “deservedness” are increasingly permeating political debates i... more Issues of welfare entitlements and “deservedness” are increasingly permeating political debates in present-day Scandinavian welfare states, which are worldwide renowned for their comprehensive safety net. The Somalis especially, are oftentimes singled out in political debates about immigration and integration policies as the “least integrated” group in the entire region, or as a “burden” for public finances. Against this background, this study emphasizes that issues of welfare and security exist also among the Somali diaspora in Scandinavia, although they have attracted considerably less attention. Therefore, I explore constructions as well as negotiations of the safety net, reflecting on the encounter between the Somali society, which is definable to a good extent as stateless, and the countries of the so-called Nordic model, which display conversely a crucial component of both “statism” and nationalism in their social security arrangements. In this manner, this study intends to account for historical patterns of integration from the specific point of view of welfare and security. In order to pursue this aim, I have conducted qualitative interviews with Somalis living in Scandinavia about themes where matters of welfare and security emerge: the qualitative approach allowed me to underline the variety of experiences and solutions adopted by my interlocutors to re-construct a meaningful safety net. The study concludes that the Somalis are experiencing relevant changes in the way they think and formulate expectations about the safety net, often embracing elements of both welfare systems; at the same time, not all of the integration measures set up by Scandinavian states are conducive for alleviating Somalis’ security issues, especially in the immediate time after the resettlement. This dynamic can open up for considerably degrees of insecurity and thus long-term social vulnerability among the Somalis.
Inserto "Scenari", lunedì 27 settembre 2021, p. 18
Reinser è un progetto del programma Adrion pa... more Inserto "Scenari", lunedì 27 settembre 2021, p. 18
Reinser è un progetto del programma Adrion partito lo scorso febbraio sul tema dell’innovazione sociale. Racchiude un consorzio di ricerca internazionale, cui partecipano università ed enti della macro-regione. Si occupa di studiare l’integrazione dei rifugiati nel settore dell’imprenditoria sociale e capire il nesso tra l’economia dei territori e i flussi migratori. Il suo lavoro è iniziato con uno studio di contesto grazie alla collaborazione don il Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali dell'università di Bologna il cui responsabile di progetto è il Professor Stefano Bianchini. Racconta il dottor Marco Zoppi dell’Università: “Abbiamo elaborato delle analisi comparative per valutare i flussi migratori e le loro varie tipologie, in Italia e nei paesi balcanici, affrontando quindi anche il tema delle migrazioni interne”. Cosa succede nei diversi territori dell’area Adriatico-Ionica? Possiamo far emergere delle criticità e delle problematiche che abbracciano tutti i paesi? Lo studio iniziale dell’ateneo bolognese mira a dare una visione completa delle dinamiche: “Ci sono aree di spopolamento, aree rurali che soffrono la mancanza di opportunità, di servizi ma anche di competenze”, spiega Zoppi. In Italia le migrazioni seguono la direttrice "classica" da sud verso nord (migrazioni interne), in Croazia per esempio c’è un movimento dalle aree interne e montane verso la costa. “Questo panorama evidenzia subito un quadro di sfide comuni: noi lavoriamo per le possibili soluzioni. Quest’iniziale fase preparatoria, di studio dei contesti, servirà per elaborare delle azioni pilota sul territorio. In parallelo, stiamo lavorando per pubblicare un catalogo delle best practices per progetti di imprenditorialità con i richiedenti asilo”, ricorda il dottor Zoppi. Di certo l’Italia sembra avere un bagaglio di esperienze maggiore rispetto ad altri Paesi come Grecia e Slovenia. Esperienze quasi assenti in Bosnia o in Serbia. La partenza italiana? A Brindisi, dove si effettuerà l’azione pilota in collaborazione con il Comune.
Dear all,
for a research paper I am working on I am seeking reading suggestions and recommendati... more Dear all, for a research paper I am working on I am seeking reading suggestions and recommendations for exploring the topic of Italian agriculture policies in Somalia Italiana and their impact on local societies. In particular, I am interested in understanding more on the issues of slavery in the Italian colony, the social construction of categories (e.g. “liberti”) and the effects of the introduction of large cotton/banana production on the native economy (including implications for community cohesion and food security). If you have written / are aware of published material on any of these topics, kindly share titles and authors with me (here or at [email protected]). Sources and works that include the voice/memory of Somalis concerning those years are very welcome. If relevant, feel free to suggest also material that is not included in the indicated time frame. Moreover, I can compile a list of the material to be uploaded and kept here on academia.edu for free access. Thank you. Please get in touch if you need more information. Marco 20th February 2020
Uploads
Books by Marco Zoppi
Drawing on qualitative interviews with the Somali diaspora, the book explores how the Somalis are experiencing relevant changes in the way they think and formulate expectations about the safety net, often embracing elements of both welfare systems; at the same time, not all of the integration measures set up by Scandinavian states are conducive for alleviating Somalis’ security issues, especially in the immediate time after the resettlement. This dynamic can cause considerable degrees of insecurity and long-term social vulnerability among the Somalis. Horizons of Security offers insight on integration and the organization of welfare to be applied in comparative perspectives to other diasporas and world areas.
What types of relations characterize Europe and Africa today? The nature of the connections is neither clear nor unilinear: rather, they appear dialectical, multifaceted and pointing in different directions. This edited book explores narratives, contemporary dynamics and historical legacies demonstrating the long-standing relations between the continents, suggesting that the entangled Euro-African relations in multiple fields should be intended as a permanent condition for any analyses.
The authors provide various evidence of the fact that the two continents are deeply part of shared but uneven structures of global wealth and power. Within those structures, certain dynamics are constantly produced and reproduced, yet new opportunities to subvert existing relations have also emerged recently. Hence, instead of proposing conceptual premises holding Africa and Europe as separate regions that get in touch at specific moments in time, be it colonialism, the Cold War, globalization, migration, this book critically considers that each of the matters explored is anything but an episode in a more complex, intertwined story that ultimately represents the explanatory framework for present Euro-African relations.
Tramite un percorso che ci accompagna dalle radici della questione attraverso la fitta rete di relazioni che unisce AFRICA ed EUROPA, l'autore ci propone un'analisi che, assorbiti i più classici strumenti di lettura economico-politici, prova ad indagare questo legame attraverso un approccio socio culturale e di costume. In controtendenza rispetto al main stream contemporaneo che, soprattutto in conseguenza dei fatti degli ultimi mesi, vorrebbe trovare una soluzione unilaterale, semplice e drastica per il “problema degli immigrati”, in queste pagine ci si radica alle cause di lungo corso, si scava, si va a fondo per proporre un'ipotesi di realtà futuribile, non solo sognata, ma praticabile; una proposta che tenga conto di tutte le parti in causa, mettendo in evidenza le responsabilità del Vecchio Continente nei confronti della situazione attuale e non si accontenti di suggerire agili vie di uscita o ricette buone solo per gli avanzi di una festa che abbiamo consumato senza renderci conto che eravamo in casa d'altri.
Il testo è acquistabile come segue:
- sul sito www.edizionieiffel.com ( in cartaceo e/o in ebook)
- su Amazon.it ( in cartaceo e/o in ebook)
- in contrassegno tramite segnalazione dei dati per l'invio all'indirizzo [email protected]
Papers by Marco Zoppi
Union (EU) has experienced an acute crisis that has triggered internal divisions among EU members. Three factors can help shed light
on this tendency towards political fragmentation: economics and
finance, culture, and territory. Each of these reveals a specific ‘geography’, in terms of policies and narratives, of the current malaise
regarding the EU project and the limits of the Union in addressing
issues important for the domestic debates of its members. Such
discontent, as well as anti-EU sentiment, fuels strong political reactions including populism and anti-elitism that could further fragment the EU in the future.
This paper suggests that current policies for the management of migration across the Central Mediterranean route aim more at the physical and metaphysical removal of black African migrants from the public sphere, than at dealing with structural factors. Such process, that the author names ‘absence policy’ is explored in three crucial stages of present migration dynamics: Libya, the Mediterranean Sea and Italy. The author argues that absence is instrumental to claim that migration flows can be and are managed, but in reality, it subsumes only a politics of containment of migration that creates concern for the protection of the migrants’ human rights.
Drawing on qualitative interviews with the Somali diaspora, the book explores how the Somalis are experiencing relevant changes in the way they think and formulate expectations about the safety net, often embracing elements of both welfare systems; at the same time, not all of the integration measures set up by Scandinavian states are conducive for alleviating Somalis’ security issues, especially in the immediate time after the resettlement. This dynamic can cause considerable degrees of insecurity and long-term social vulnerability among the Somalis. Horizons of Security offers insight on integration and the organization of welfare to be applied in comparative perspectives to other diasporas and world areas.
What types of relations characterize Europe and Africa today? The nature of the connections is neither clear nor unilinear: rather, they appear dialectical, multifaceted and pointing in different directions. This edited book explores narratives, contemporary dynamics and historical legacies demonstrating the long-standing relations between the continents, suggesting that the entangled Euro-African relations in multiple fields should be intended as a permanent condition for any analyses.
The authors provide various evidence of the fact that the two continents are deeply part of shared but uneven structures of global wealth and power. Within those structures, certain dynamics are constantly produced and reproduced, yet new opportunities to subvert existing relations have also emerged recently. Hence, instead of proposing conceptual premises holding Africa and Europe as separate regions that get in touch at specific moments in time, be it colonialism, the Cold War, globalization, migration, this book critically considers that each of the matters explored is anything but an episode in a more complex, intertwined story that ultimately represents the explanatory framework for present Euro-African relations.
Tramite un percorso che ci accompagna dalle radici della questione attraverso la fitta rete di relazioni che unisce AFRICA ed EUROPA, l'autore ci propone un'analisi che, assorbiti i più classici strumenti di lettura economico-politici, prova ad indagare questo legame attraverso un approccio socio culturale e di costume. In controtendenza rispetto al main stream contemporaneo che, soprattutto in conseguenza dei fatti degli ultimi mesi, vorrebbe trovare una soluzione unilaterale, semplice e drastica per il “problema degli immigrati”, in queste pagine ci si radica alle cause di lungo corso, si scava, si va a fondo per proporre un'ipotesi di realtà futuribile, non solo sognata, ma praticabile; una proposta che tenga conto di tutte le parti in causa, mettendo in evidenza le responsabilità del Vecchio Continente nei confronti della situazione attuale e non si accontenti di suggerire agili vie di uscita o ricette buone solo per gli avanzi di una festa che abbiamo consumato senza renderci conto che eravamo in casa d'altri.
Il testo è acquistabile come segue:
- sul sito www.edizionieiffel.com ( in cartaceo e/o in ebook)
- su Amazon.it ( in cartaceo e/o in ebook)
- in contrassegno tramite segnalazione dei dati per l'invio all'indirizzo [email protected]
Union (EU) has experienced an acute crisis that has triggered internal divisions among EU members. Three factors can help shed light
on this tendency towards political fragmentation: economics and
finance, culture, and territory. Each of these reveals a specific ‘geography’, in terms of policies and narratives, of the current malaise
regarding the EU project and the limits of the Union in addressing
issues important for the domestic debates of its members. Such
discontent, as well as anti-EU sentiment, fuels strong political reactions including populism and anti-elitism that could further fragment the EU in the future.
This paper suggests that current policies for the management of migration across the Central Mediterranean route aim more at the physical and metaphysical removal of black African migrants from the public sphere, than at dealing with structural factors. Such process, that the author names ‘absence policy’ is explored in three crucial stages of present migration dynamics: Libya, the Mediterranean Sea and Italy. The author argues that absence is instrumental to claim that migration flows can be and are managed, but in reality, it subsumes only a politics of containment of migration that creates concern for the protection of the migrants’ human rights.
lavoro come miglior articolo di policy presentato da un giovane studioso secondo il
bando pubblicato nell’autunno 2018.
This article examines some of the most relevant challenges to territorial cohesion in the European Union and its neighborhood. Through a mix of quantitative data and document analysis, the author provides an overview of demographic, migration and economic inequality aspects across the area with the scope of underlining that European
territories are characterized by different performances. Such differences should be addressed by the next Cohesion Fund’s long-term EU budget, in order to avoid further segmentation between territories. The author indicates also what should be some of the thematic priorities of the post-2020 territorial policies.
This publication is the culmination of a three-year long (2019–2022) research project entitled “BordEUr: New European Borderlands.” BordEUr is a collaborative research project of nine universities that documents and assesses the proliferation of new borders in the aftermath of the EU’s recent crises, with a special emphasis on the so-called migration crisis. The project analyzes the symbolic role of borders in ontological narratives (those of both the EU and its member states), as well as the bordering policies that these narratives enable. You can read more about the project on the project website at www.bordeur-project.com.
In "Playing second fiddle? Contending visions of Europe’s future development" edited by Hans-Åke Persson, Bo Petersson & Cecilie Stokholm Banke
https://wardheernews.com/an-interview-with-dr-marco-zoppi-about-his-upcoming-book-horizons-of-security/
Published on WardheerNews on May 5, 2017.
Research on the military history of empires and their expansion is permeated by accounts of military operations, tactics and manoeuvres. Through her remarkable, multi-source research Sarah Zimmerman has complemented such descriptions with the history of women associated
with the military campaigns staged by the French military in the previous two centuries.
Putting together the study of gender, race and militarism, Militarizing Marriage describes and analyses how the French military managed African soldiers’ conjugality and intimate relations, as their ‘sexuality and their households were crucial to the operation of French colonialism’
(2).
Reinser è un progetto del programma Adrion partito lo scorso febbraio sul tema dell’innovazione sociale. Racchiude un consorzio di ricerca internazionale, cui partecipano università ed enti della macro-regione. Si occupa di studiare l’integrazione dei rifugiati nel settore dell’imprenditoria sociale e capire il nesso tra l’economia dei territori e i flussi migratori. Il suo lavoro è iniziato con uno studio di contesto grazie alla collaborazione don il Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali dell'università di Bologna il cui responsabile di progetto è il Professor Stefano Bianchini. Racconta il dottor Marco Zoppi dell’Università: “Abbiamo elaborato delle analisi comparative per valutare i flussi migratori e le loro varie tipologie, in Italia e nei paesi balcanici, affrontando quindi anche il tema delle migrazioni interne”. Cosa succede nei diversi territori dell’area Adriatico-Ionica? Possiamo far emergere delle criticità e delle problematiche che abbracciano tutti i paesi? Lo studio iniziale dell’ateneo bolognese mira a dare una visione completa delle dinamiche: “Ci sono aree di spopolamento, aree rurali che soffrono la mancanza di opportunità, di servizi ma anche di competenze”, spiega Zoppi. In Italia le migrazioni seguono la direttrice "classica" da sud verso nord (migrazioni interne), in Croazia per esempio c’è un movimento dalle aree interne e montane verso la costa.
“Questo panorama evidenzia subito un quadro di sfide comuni: noi lavoriamo per le possibili soluzioni. Quest’iniziale fase preparatoria, di studio dei contesti, servirà per elaborare delle azioni pilota sul territorio. In parallelo, stiamo lavorando per pubblicare un catalogo delle best practices per progetti di imprenditorialità con i richiedenti asilo”, ricorda il dottor Zoppi. Di certo l’Italia sembra avere un bagaglio di esperienze maggiore rispetto ad altri Paesi come Grecia e Slovenia. Esperienze quasi assenti in Bosnia o in Serbia. La partenza italiana? A Brindisi, dove si effettuerà l’azione pilota in collaborazione con il Comune.
for a research paper I am working on I am seeking reading suggestions and recommendations for exploring the topic of Italian agriculture policies in Somalia Italiana and their impact on local societies. In particular, I am interested in understanding more on the issues of slavery in the Italian colony, the social construction of categories (e.g. “liberti”) and the effects of the introduction of large cotton/banana production on the native economy (including implications for community cohesion and food security).
If you have written / are aware of published material on any of these topics, kindly share titles and authors with me (here or at [email protected]). Sources and works that include the voice/memory of Somalis concerning those years are very welcome. If relevant, feel free to suggest also material that is not included in the indicated time frame. Moreover, I can compile a list of the material to be uploaded and kept here on academia.edu for free access.
Thank you. Please get in touch if you need more information.
Marco
20th February 2020