From June 16-17, 2016, the Netherlands Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (NALACS), where Film Faculty member Emiel Martens is board member, in cooperation with the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of the Delft University of Technology, will host the international conference Cities and Citizenship in Contemporary Latin America and the Caribbean in Delft, the Netherlands. The conference, with keynotes by Clara Irazábal (Professor of Urban Planning at Columbia University) and Rivke Jaffe (Professor of Cities, Politics and Culture at the University of Amsterdam) and more than 50 presentations by academic researchers, will be of interest for everyone interested in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and issues surrounding cities and citizenship more generally.
The 2-day NALACS-TU Delft International Conference will embrace a wide range of topics related to urban development and citizenship in Latin America and the Caribbean. In their pioneering collection of essays Cities and Citizenship, Holston and Appadurai (1999) as well as other prominent scholars stressed the importance of cities in the making of modern citizens. At the end of the twentieth century, they demonstrated that urban environments are salient sites for examining the renegotiations of citizenship, democracy, and national belonging. This is arguably particularly the case in contemporary Latin America and the Caribbean, where cities seem to embody the aspirations of citizens and to showcase the best and the worse of their respective societies. It is here that we can observe major opportunities and threats to development, security and human rights, as well as major struggles for rights, inclusion and democracy.
People interested in attending the conference as a listener (without presenting a paper), are very welcome to join. Entrance is free of charge for non-presenting visitors. In case they want to have coffee breaks and lunch in between the sessions, the fee is 25 euro. There will also be a conference dinner on June 16th at restaurant Experiment (7pm), which people are able to join for 33,50 euro. Both fees can be paid at the conference, though emailing NALACS in advance at info@nalacs.nl is recommended. The conference will be held at Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Julianalaan 134, 2628 BL Delft, the Netherlands.
For more information on the conference, including the full program, please visit the NALACS website, the NALACS Facebook page or the official conference page.
Conference Warming: Fighting for Peace
The conference will be informally opened with a conference warming in the evening of Wednesday June 15th (7.30-10pm) with the screening of the documentary film Fighting for Peace at Filmhuis Lumen (Doelenplein 5, 2611 BD Delft). Participants of the conference can obtain a free ticket for the film. All other people can purchase a ticket at the cashier at the day of the screening. Filmhuis Lumen is located at Doelenplein 5, 2611 BD Delft.
For more information about the conference warming:
facebook.com/events/983180631789955/
Comics Exhibition: Drawing on Violence, Comics from Argentina
On the days of the conference, there will be a showcase of the unique exhibition ‘Drawing on Violence, Comics from Argentina,’ which was especially designed for the conference. The exhibition draws on a broader trend in which comics are used to discuss human rights issues. Argentina has a relatively small but interesting comics tradition. The exhibited comics have an awareness rising component and a high artistic quality. Guided tours will be offered on both days at lunchtime.
For more information about the comics exhibition:
facebook.com/events/1347600828600510/
Conference Closure: Gringo Trails
The conference officially closes on Friday afternoon around lunch time. However, in the evening NALACS co-organizes the Dutch premiere of Gringo Trails in Doka (Volkshotel, Wibautstraat 150, Amsterdam). Gringo Trails is a though-provoking documentary on the impact of tourism across the globe.
For more information about the Gringo Trails screening:
facebook.com/events/482536525289822/
NALACS and the TU Delft look forward welcoming all participants and listeners at their 2016 conference in the beautiful city of Delft, the Netherlands!