Seminar « IC-Migrations Palestine : Migration, Forced Displacement and Dispossession », Initiative IC Migrations - Palestine, 2024-2025

The « IC-Migra­tions Pales­tine : Migra­tion, Forced Displa­ce­ment and Dispos­ses­sion » working group is part of the IC Migra­tions – Pales­tine initiative.

The « IC-Migra­tions Pales­tine : Migra­tion, Forced Displa­ce­ment, and Dispos­ses­sion » Working Group takes the form of a monthly seminar. This seminar faci­li­tates the connec­tion of research axes on Pales­tine with the research axes of IC Migra­tions, aiming to bring toge­ther the huma­ni­ties, social sciences, and health sciences around migra­tion. It offers a socio-histo­rical pers­pec­tive on the Pales­ti­nian ques­tion, rene­wing the study of forced displa­ce­ments, both internal and external. It engages with iden­tity issues, parti­cu­larly as they crys­tal­lize in refugee camps in Pales­ti­nian terri­to­ries and neigh­bo­ring coun­tries, and aims to renew metho­do­lo­gical challenges.

While the working group takes a longer-term view of migra­tion in Pales­tine, it comple­ments the more imme­diate focus of the call for projects in Gaza. Toge­ther, these efforts aim to raise aware­ness, foster research part­ner­ships, and ensure that Pales­ti­nian voices and know­ledge are central to the field of migra­tion studies. We will prio­ri­tize trans­la­tion efforts to ensure that Pales­ti­nian resear­chers can acti­vely parti­ci­pate. The group is open to both IC Migra­tions fellows and non-fellows.

The seminar program is co-orga­nised by the coor­di­nator of the working group (Yahya Al-Abdullah) in colla­bo­ra­tion with the seminar parti­ci­pants throu­ghout the year ; infor­ma­tion is commu­ni­cated by email and on the IC Migra­tions-Pales­tine initia­tive website. To subscribe to the infor­ma­tion mailing list, please write to : icm-​palestine@​proton.​me

The seminar will be held in a hybrid format : at the Campus Condorcet (Room 3.01, Centre des Colloques du Campus Condorcet, Place du Front Popu­laire (exit métro 12), 93322 Auber­vil­liers CEDEX), and via visio­con­fe­rence through the follo­wing link : https://​spaces​.avaya​cloud​.com/​s​p​a​c​e​s​/​6​7​1​a​0​9​9​c​e​9​c​d​a​1​7​2​6​6​30d717

Upco­ming session 

The second seminar of the IC-Migra­tions Pales­tine Working Group will take place on Tuesday November 26, from 1:30 PM to 3 PM. In this seminar we invite Dr. Assad Taffal, Rola Matter, and Dima Sairafi, to present critical insights from their field­work research in Pales­tine and in France with displaced and migrant Pales­ti­nian groups. The seminar will be conducted in English.

The seminar will include 2 interventions :

Inves­ti­ga­ting Sexua­lity in Times of Geno­cide, by Rola Matter

Rola Matter, a doctoral candi­date at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris (Centre Maurice Halb­wachs labo­ra­tory), is conduc­ting a disser­ta­tion project on the little-studied migra­tion of Pales­ti­nian women from Gaza to Europe. Her research examines how immi­gra­tion reshapes their repre­sen­ta­tions and prac­tices related to sexua­lity and romantic rela­tion­ships, explo­ring gender and sexual socia­li­za­tion in Gaza, shaped by Israeli colo­ni­za­tion, the blockade, and an autho­ri­ta­rian govern­ment, consi­de­ring migra­tion as a trans­for­ma­tive expe­rience for sexuality.

She will present on Inves­ti­ga­ting Sexua­lity in Times of Geno­cide. Drawing on her research into the migra­tion of Pales­ti­nian women from Gaza to Europe, her presen­ta­tion explores how migra­tion reshapes their repre­sen­ta­tions and prac­tices regar­ding sexua­lity and rela­tion­ships. She will also discuss the metho­do­lo­gical and personal chal­lenges of conduc­ting research amid the ongoing geno­cidal war on Gaza, and how these condi­tions ques­tion the legi­ti­macy of her subject matter.

The chal­lenges and diffi­cul­ties faced by Pales­ti­nian resear­chers and scho­lars during times of geno­cide, siege, and inva­sion, by Dr. Assad Taffy and Dima Saraifi

Dr. Assad Taffal is a specia­list and acti­vists in Pales­ti­nians’ refu­gees affairs and the curent Coor­di­nator of An Najah National University’s Master’s Program in Migra­tion and Refugee Studies. He will be joined by Dima Saraifi, who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Migra­tion and Refugee Studies at An-Najah Univer­sity in Nablus.

Their inter­ven­tion examines the chal­lenges and diffi­cul­ties faced by Pales­ti­nian resear­chers and scho­lars during times of geno­cide, siege, and inva­sion. It discusses the barriers for students, teachers, and acade­mics, inclu­ding move­ment restric­tions in the West Bank due to check­points. They will also look at the effects of inter­na­tional deci­sions and the role of UNRWA. Despite the harsh condi­tions and psycho­lo­gical chal­lenges, their inter­ven­tion high­lights the resi­lience of Pales­ti­nians and the posi­tive impact of inter­na­tional support in main­tai­ning hope and affir­ming the justice of their cause.