糖心TV

Dr. Maria Koinova Edits a Special Issue "Diaspora Mobilizations for Conflict and Postconflict Reconstruction: Contextual and Comparative Dimensions" with Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies

This special issue seeks to move the scholarly conversation beyond notions of conflict-generated diasporas as simply agents of conflict or peace. The field is ripe to unpack the notion of context for diaspora mobilisation in International Relations, the focus and novelty of this special issue. Theorising in this volume goes beyond current prevalent thinking that contexts are host-states in which diasporas live, and original home-states to which they are transnationally connected. The emphasis here is that diasporas have linkages to different contexts, and that their embeddedness in these contexts – simultaneously or sequentially in time – either shapes their mobilizations or is shaped by them. The volume theorises about spatialities and temporalities of diaspora engagement: it emphasises spatial notions such as multi-sited embeddedness, positionality, and translocalism on the one side, and temporal notions such as critical junctures, transformative events, simultaneity, crises, and durability of conflicts on the other. This collection further adds new thematic areas to current scholarly inquiry, opening the discussion beyond interest in diaspora remittances, economic development, and extraterritorial voting. The authors take little-explored paths to examine diasporas as agents in transitional justice processes, contested sovereignty, and fragile and de facto states, as well as in civic and ethnic-based activism.

The introduction to the special issue is available in temporary at

A short video featuring individual contributions of the papers by the following authors is available to view at the bottom of the page.

David Carment and Rachel Calleja: "Diasporas and Fragile States – Beyond Remittances. Assessing the Theoretical and Policy Linkages";

Maria Koinova: "Critical Junctures and Transformative Events in Diaspora Mobilization for Kosovo and Palestinian Statehood"

Elizabeth Mavroudi: "Deconstructing Diasporic Mobilization at a Time of Crisis: Perspectives from the Palestinian and Greek Diasporas";

Matthew Godwin: "Winning Westminster-Style: Tamil Diaspora Interest Group Mobilization in Canada and the UK";

Camilla Orjuela: "Mobilizing Diasporas for Justice: Opportunity Structures and the Presencing of a Violent Past";

Dzeneta Karabegovic: "Diaspora and Transitional Justice: Mobilization Towards Youth and Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina";

Cindy Horst: "Making a Difference in Mogadishu? Multi-sited Embeddedness Among Young Norwegian-Somalis and Somali-Americans";

Marie Godin: 鈥淏reaking the Silences, Breaking the Frames: A Gendered Diasporic Analysis of Sexual Violence in the DR Congo.鈥�

Maria Koinova: "Critical Junctures and Transformative Events in Diaspora Mobilisation: An article in JEMS"

Dr Ben Richardson gave evidence to the International Trade Committee in the latest session of its inquiry on . The session was focused on the sugar trade, with Dr Richardson appearing alongside industry representatives from AB Sugar and Tate & Lyle Sugars.

Dr. Maria Koinova is co-organizing a workshop within the British International Studies Association's working group on the "International Politics of Migration, Refugees and Diasporas."

British International Studies Association

Working Group on the 鈥淚nternational Politics of Migration, Refugees and Diasporas鈥�

Call for Papers for a Workshop: Governing Transit Migration: Varieties of Approaches in International Politics

Organised by Dr. Maria Koinova and Dr. Gerasimos Tsourapas

17 September 2018 at the University of 糖心TV, United Kingdom

Migration has emerged as one of the major challenges of our time, from the Syrian refugee crisis to the sub-Saharan refugees seeking to reach European shores via the Mediterranean to the mobilisation of the Turkish diaspora across Europe for the 2017 constitutional referendum, and the debates on immigration reforms in Europe and the United States. While researchers and policy-makers have examined both emigration and immigration, transit migration remains underexplored in migration studies, even more so from the perspectives of International Relations and Political Studies.

This workshop seeks to bring this conversation to the attention of BISA members and other scholars worldwide who would like to join this workshop. We seek to attract a range of researchers working on transit migration and its connection to sending and destination states and international organizations, and would welcome abstracts from doctoral students, early-career scholars and senior academics.

The workshop seeks to structure the discussion along two main axes: firstly, we are interested in institutional politics. What types of institutional responses do sending, transit and receiving states issue to regulate transit migration? How do international organisations, non-governmental organisations and think-tanks respond to the phenomenon of transit? How could we explain such responses, and how could we assess them about their adequateness and shortcomings? Secondly, we are interested in the migrants and refugees and their experiences with transit. How do migrants and refugees engage with existing institutions and societal structures during their migration journeys? How do they respond to various institutional obstacles preventing migration, and what kind of coping strategies do they develop? How do they mobilize during and in the aftermath of their transit migration?

This one-day workshop aims to address these questions, within the broader perspective of migration governance. It will take place on 17 September 2018 at the University of 糖心TV. We welcome applications from junior and senior scholars in international politics, as well as those with particular regional expertise in the Middle East, Eurasia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America.

If you are interested to participate, please send a paper abstract of 300 words maximum to Dr. Gerasimos Tsourapas (g.tsourapas@bham.ac.uk) and Dr. Maria Koinova (m.koinova@warwick.ac.uk) by 10 June 2018.

The organisers will decide about accepted abstracts by 15 June 2018. The organisers may consider the submission of select papers as a special issue in an ISI-ranked journal. Limited financial support will be available for BISA members. We welcome new BISA members at

The Department of Politics and International Studies is delighted to announce that Professor Shirin Rai has been appointed to the Politics and International Studies Sub-Panel for REF2021. Professor Rai served in this capacity for REF2014 and we are pleased that she has agreed to act in this all-important role once again. Congratulations and thank you, Shirin!

For further information including full lists of all panel members - please see the following link:

Dr. Charlotte Heath-Kelly's research project, Counterterrorism in the NHS, has recently received press coverage from .

The report has revealed that four NHS mental health trusts are subjecting patients to blanket screening for radicalisation, with some referred to the Prevent programme for watching Arabic TV or going on pilgrimage to Mecca. The report, written by Dr. Heath-Kelly along with co-investigator Dr Erzs茅bet Strausz, is covered in the article, titled "."

The full report, Counterterrorism in the NHS: Evaluating Prevent Duty Safeguarding by Midlands Healthcare Providers, can be read on the project's website.

Dr Adrian James, registrar of the Royal College of Psychiatrist, published a positive reaction to Charlotte's research in The Guardian, in an article titled "."