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Workshop

Symposium: Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Great Lakes Region

group picture in front of the institute

The symposium took place at ABI in Freiburg, where many international colleagues joined in person.

The ABI research cluster “Patterns of (Forced) Migration” in association with the Africa Centre for Transregional Research (ACT), organised a symposium on Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Great Lakes Region on the 25th of September, which provided an opportunity for researchers from the region, as well as those working there, to offer their insights. 

The keynote speaker, Dr. David N. Tshimba (Uganda Martyrs University) shared valuable insights from his research and hands-on experience working with refugees in Uganda, focusing on current challenges in funding and recent research developments in the region.

Dr. Kalyango Ronald Sebba (Kyambogo University, Uganda) and Dr. Franzisca Zanker (ABI) complemented this by presenting a paper on the political discourse around refugees and Uganda and how that has influenced local and national responses. 

After this, the symposium turned its focus to the challenges, but also successes of humanitarian and non-governmental work with refugees. Prof. Dr. Dennis Dijkzeul (Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict) shared outcomes of organisations working with South Sudanese refugees in the Gulu region of Uganda. He emphasized how different organizations learned to collaborate and improve the outcomes of projects ranging from agricultural training to soap production and cash transfers. 

Volker Gerdesmeier (Caritas International, Germany) was then able to expand the focus by relaying Caritas International’s work with refugees in the Eastern Congo. The dynamics of the conflict there are also changing the refugee situation in the region, but Caritas International has been able to continue providing valuable assistance because of its long-term presence and close cooperation with local agencies. 

The diverse group of 14 participants engaged in lively discussions with the presenters, covering topics such as ethnicity, funding, local responses, impacts on host communities, and the political implications of hosting refugees. Despite the many challenges that were discussed, the symposium also revealed the good work being done on the ground and the opportunities for improving the lives of refugees. The symposium offered participants a valuable opportunity to engage with experts who have extensive experience working with refugees in the Great Lakes region, facilitating meaningful discussions and the exchange of ideas.

 

Workshop Report: Human Remains in University Collections - Comparison and Entanglements

Photo from the workshop at ABI. From left to right: Evelynn Hammonds (Harvard University), Jenny Reardon (University of California, Santa Cruz), Tricia Close-König (Strasbourg University).

Photo from the workshop at ABI. From left to right: Evelynn Hammonds (Harvard University), Jenny Reardon (University of California, Santa Cruz), Tricia Close-König (Strasbourg University).

| © ABI

Following up on research projects at ABI and the University of Freiburg/ACT on the restitution of Human Remains, the ABI hosted a workshop on Human Remains in University Collections - Comparison and Entanglements on July 15, 2024.

Participants from France, (Southwest) Germany, Switzerland, the United States of America and Tanzania gathered for an informal exchange on both, “collections” of human remains dating back over 100 years, and current challenges related to the commemoration and rectification of injustices represented by these collections. Organised primarily by three FRIAS fellows (Jenny Reardon, Anika Walke, Andreas Mehler) with the support of the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute (ABI), the Africa Centre for Transregional Research (ACT) and the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), workshop participants explored avenues of research identified in the title— comparison and entanglements—by sharing knowledge and practical experience. The opportunity to hold such a workshop was linked to the visit by Evelynn Hammonds (Harvard University), an eminent researcher in the fields of the history of science and medicine and Chair of Harvard University’s Committee on Human Remains in University Museum Collections.

Read the full report on the Workshop to learn about the outcomes of the exchange:

Workshop Report: Human Remains in University Collections - Comparison and Entanglements (198.71 KB)

Workshop-Report: East African Perspectives on Citizenship

Workshop: East African Perspectives on Citizenship. Plenum in Base, April 22nd 2024
© Zeynep Şenbabaoğlu

On 22nd and 29th April 2024 the "Citizenship in times of change: East-African perspectives" was held as a collaborative effort between the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institute, the Africa Centre for Transregional Research of the University of Freiburg, and the Basel Institute on Governance and Centre for African Studies from the University of Basel, to deepen understanding on the topic and promote cross-border discussion amongst colleagues.

The two-part workshop centered on the temporal dimensions of fluctuating citizenship, affected by crisis, violent conflict and refoundations of polities, which offer opportunities for mobilization (or resistance), but also potentially new constraints on civil rights. It also explored how denial of citizenship and civil rights during conflicts or occupation influences migration decisions and experiences, alongside how citizenship can change due to constitutional
revisions or shifts in regional structures. From various disciplines and foci, this workshop brought together reflections on citizenship in times of change.

Read and download the full report here (PDF).