Panel 4: Identity, Conflict and Diasporic Politics - Changing Identities... Symposium
This panel will use the Diasporic backgrounds of the two speakers, Maher Mughrabi a bicultural (Palestinian-Scottish) immigrant to Australia who grew up in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, and Michael Furmanovsky, a Zimbabwean-born child of Jewish immigrants to Africa (from Lithuania and Nazi Germany), to explore issues of identity formation, transcendence and its consequence in conflict reconciliation. The speakers will examine and reflect on how their diverse and complex personal backgrounds have shaped their identity as both individuals and scholars. Emphasis will be placed on how and why their personal and intellectual sojourns have ultimately led them to develop a very similar set of values and opinions, not only in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict itself, but when dealing with the personal repercussions of the conflict – sometimes played out in strained relationships with family, friends or colleagues. Shimizu, in turn, will provide a theoretical explanation on how and why Diasporic identities are useful in resolving political tensions underlying conflicts.
Abstracts of Presentations
Kosuke Shimizu (Ryukoku University): Diasporic Identity and Conflict Resolution: an Attempt of Generalized Diasporic Theory of Conflict
This presentation will explore possibilities of diasporic identities for settling some disputes and confrontations in international relations. In some cases of non-violent resistance, we can find diasporic leaders and activists who were actively involved, and performed crucial roles, in organising movements. Following Prof. Furmanovsky and Mr Mugrabi’s experience in the Palestinian – Israeli conflict resolution in Melbourne, I argue that diasporic identities often provide substantial contributions to conflict resolution in the way they break down, and show their transcendence over, the strictly demarcated lines of the “Self” to “Others”.
Michael Furmanovsky (Ryukoku University) and Maher Mughrabi: Jewish-Palestinian Dialogue: The Role of Cultural, Ethnic and Religious Identity in Shaping the Conversation
This paper will use the personal backgrounds of the two speakers, Maher Mughrabi a bicultural (Palestinian-Scottish) immigrant to Australia, who grew up in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, and Michael Furmanovsky, a Zimbabwean-born child of Jewish immigrants to Africa, from Lithuania and Nazi Germany, who grew up in the Zionist movement in the UK, to explore issues of identity formation and transcendence. The speakers will examine and reflect on how their diverse and complex personal backgrounds have shaped their identity as both individuals and scholars. Emphasis will be placed on how and why their personal and intellectual sojourns have ultimately led them to develop a very similar set of values and opinions, not only in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict itself, but when dealing with the personal repercussions of the conflict - sometimes played out in strained relationships with family, friends or colleagues. Ethnic and religious loyalties (based on often highly rigid identities formed during and after adolescence) can continue to shape and define the positions and public lives of Jewish and Palestinian intellectuals. The way in which these loyalties are formed must be confronted when considering conflict resolution in the Middle East and will be discussed here, against our personal and professional backgrounds. [Maher Mughrabi is an editor at The Age (newspaper) in Melbourne, Australia and a regular speaker on issues related to the Israeli-Arab conflict.]