The Middle East is the name of a complex geographical region comprising different countries and cultures between Europe, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Asia. It is also a space where many conflicts have existed and continue to exist today, in particular the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These disputes linked to a complex historical, religious and political situation should not obscure the presence of populations who struggle at their level and with their means against the domination that oppresses them. One thinks of the situation in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip and the difficult conditions of the inhabitants. We will discuss this territorial, border, human complexity with political scientist Michael J. Carpenter. He has written a book titled "Palestinian Popular Struggle: Unarmed and Participatory" (Routledge 2019).
Time Markers:
00:00 Our Guest today: Michael J. Carpenter
07:29 What is the “Middle East”?
14:15 Border disputes and border thinking in the Middle East
25:17 Key elements of the Palestine–Israel conflict
30:30 Life and struggle in the occupied Palestinian territories
38:25 Walls, bordering, and the anti-wall movement
45:51 The case of the village of Bil’in
50:41 Other examples of popular struggle in Palestine
57:11 Further reading in popular politics and the Middle East
Websites:
BIG Website: https://biglobalization.org  
JMN Website: https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/intd/europe/eu-grants/network/hmsdata-20-23/index.php
Subscribe: http://bit.ly/2AL0HbO

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BordersInGlobalization

Twitter: https://twitter.com/big_uvic 

#16 BIG Podcast - “Popular Protest, the Middle East and Borders” - With: Michael J. Carpenter – Political Scientist at the University of Victoria, BC, Canada, and Managing Editor of BIG Review

Borders in Globalization (BIG) is an innovative, integrative, and sustainable network of academic partners from Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, which is engaged with non-academic organizations that are involved in the management of borders and borderlands in Canada and worldwide. 

The basic goal is to build excellence in the knowledge and understanding of borders. To this end, the partners will work together to create new policy and foster knowledge transfer in order to address such globalization forces as security, trade and migration flows.

News

Politics

#30 BIG Podcast - “Democracy, Migration Studies and Border Studies: Bridges and/or Gaps” - With: Oliver Schmidtke, Political scientist, Director of the Center for Global Studies – Victoria, Canada; (PART 1)


Classically, Migration Studies explore all mobility regimes of human groups. There is a spectrum of public policies ranging from the migration of high-skilled workers to refugees. For the Migration Studies, national borders provide a form of social closure. Traditionally, Borders refer to issues that are fundamental to political community (state sovereignty, territorial delimitation, national security, political identity). And for this reason, borders are also instruments for regulating flows, policy tool for inclusion/exclusion. Several authors have pointed out a form of gap between Border Studies and Migration Studies. That there was a lack of cross-fertilization between these two research traditions. And some populist and nationalist discourses can exploit the ambivalence of the borders and the confusion around it. We will discuss about all the relations between democracy, migration and borders and get answers with Oliver Schmidtke.


Websites:
BIG Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://biglobalization.org  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
JMN Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/intd/europe/eu-grants/network/hmsdata-20-23/index.php⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/2AL0HbO⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BordersInGlobalization⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/big_uvic ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


TIME MARKERS
03:34 The Links between Migration Studies and Border Studies
07:16 Migration Studies and the concept of Border
13:16 Liberal paradox, Physical Walls and Administrative Walls
20:41 Ethical Challenges and The Hardening of Borders
26:58 No Borders and Mutual Assistance at Borders in Migration Studies
33.32 National Imagination of Borders and Migrations

#30 BIG Podcast - “Democracy, Migration Studies and Border Studies: Bridges and/or Gaps” - With: Oliver Schmidtke (PART 1)

With: David J. Breeze – British archaeologist and scholar of Hadrian's Wall⁠, the Antonine's Wall⁠ and the Roman army⁠; Chairman of the International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies from 2000 to 2015
A second wall was built to the north of Hadrian's Wall from 141-142 AD until 155 AD but was abandoned militarily in 164. This is the Antonine’s Wall (three meters high with a fence along the top, length of approximately 60 km with seventeen forts, other ‘fortlets’ and ramparts built from layers of turf and bordered north by a ditch 12 m wide at the top with a depth of 4 m; with also one military path south of the rampart, bath-houses, barracks, and around 7,000 soldiers living all along). Unlike Hadrian, Emperor Antoninus (reigned 138–161) never set foot in the province of Britannia. By ordering the construction of this wall further north, Antoninus therefore modified Hadrian's legacy in terms of frontier policies. What functions did the borders of the Roman Empire have? What functions did Hadrian's Wall have? Can the frontiers of the Roman Empire be considered strict separations between the civilized (Roman) world and the world of the barbarians ("qui barbaros Romanosque Divideret")? How is archeology an interesting and relevant discipline for Border Studies? We will discuss all this and get answers with archeologist David J. Breeze.


Websites:
BIG Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://biglobalization.org  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
JMN Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/intd/europe/eu-grants/network/hmsdata-20-23/index.php⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/2AL0HbO⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BordersInGlobalization⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/big_uvic ⁠⁠⁠⁠


Time Markers:
00:01 How was a normal day in Hadrian's Wall camp or fort? Vindolanda Tablets Answers.
07:44 Archeological Evidence of Customs Relations at the Frontiers?
10:36 Antonine’s Wall/ Hadrian's Wall: Comparison
19:41 The great flexibility of the Romans in the organization of their numerous and diverse frontiers
24:56 Fall of the Roman Empire: Which borders were the most difficult and fragile to defend?
30:00 Frontiers of the Roman Empire and UNESCO World Heritage Sites
32:37 How is archeology an interesting and relevant discipline for Border Studies?

#29 BIG Podcast - “Hadrian’s Wall, Frontiers of the Roman Empire and Border Studies” - With: David J. Breeze (PART 2)

With: David J. Breeze – British archaeologist and scholar of Hadrian's Wall, the Antonine's Wall and the Roman army; Chairman of the International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies from 2000 to 2015
The history of the Roman Empire is intertwined with the control of the entire Mediterranean Sea and reached at its peak 5 million km² for 60 million inhabitants. The empire was heterogeneous and expanded through conquests and was maintained through a network of frontiers and a system of friendly, allies or “client” states (reges amicique populi Romani). Due to rebellions from some tribes as the Brigantes, and after having visited the Danube and Rhine frontiers, the Roman Emperor Hadrian (reigned 117–138) came to Brittania in July 122 BC. By ordering the construction of the Wall (between 122 – and maybe before according to certain authors – and 127 AD), Hadrian put an end to the territorial expansion of the Roman Empire. In short, Hadrian adopted a policy of protecting frontiers without expansion. What functions did the borders of the Roman Empire have? What functions did Hadrian's Wall have? Can the frontiers of the Roman Empire be considered strict separations between the civilized (Roman) world and the world of the barbarians ("qui barbaros Romanosque Divideret")? How is archeology an interesting and relevant discipline for Border Studies? We will discuss all this and get answers with archeologist David J. Breeze.


Websites:
BIG Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://biglobalization.org  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
JMN Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/intd/europe/eu-grants/network/hmsdata-20-23/index.php⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/2AL0HbO⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BordersInGlobalization⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/big_uvic ⁠⁠⁠


Time Markers:
00:00 Intro with David J. Breeze
01:41 State of Archeological Knowledge of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire
05:13 The Functions of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire
13:15 Roman “limes” and Empire's defensive systems?
20:10 Organization of the Roman army on the frontiers and the question of what is beyond the frontiers
27:12 Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus) and the Frontiers of The Roman Empire
36:57 Hadrian’s Wall: history of archaeological research and the functions of the wall

#28 BIG Podcast - “Hadrian’s Wall, Frontiers of the Roman Empire and Border Studies” - With: David J. Breeze (PART 1)

The Nation-State model is built on the synchronization between a so-called state territory and a so-called national population. The mechanical imposition of this specific model has led to serious conflicts in certain parts of the world. What are the consequences of this model on the design of the country's borders? How to organize borderlands while avoiding conflicts with neighbors? With Nick Megoran, this podcast (in 2 parts) is an opportunity to talk about several original practices such as condominiums, joint development zones, territorial leasing, enclaves, the exchange of territory, statutory autonomy, free and customs zones, law of neighborliness, mobile borders, decoupling of international borders from other functional or administrative limits, juridical, fiscal and economic cross-border cooperation. So many illustrations that allow us to think differently about sovereignty and state borders. Transboundary Cooperation transcend the Border Nation State System. Sovereignty doesn’t have to be Zero-Sum.
Websites:
BIG Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://biglobalization.org  ⁠⁠⁠⁠
JMN Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/intd/europe/eu-grants/network/hmsdata-20-23/index.php⁠⁠⁠⁠
Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/2AL0HbO⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BordersInGlobalization⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/big_uvic ⁠⁠


Time Markers:
00:00 Cross-border cooperation legal tools (Ex: Local Cross-border Cooperation Group (GLCT) of The Greater Geneva ; European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) of “Cerdagne Hospital”)
04:12 Cross-border tax cooperation between Geneva/France; Economic Co-Development of the Columbia River between Canada/USA
07:33 Luxembourg, Cross-Border Workers, Teleworking, Fiscal Challenges and Legal Solutions
09:03 Cross-Coordination for Whom?
13:40 Law of neighborliness and 4 fundamental rules for contiguous States
16:03 Examples of “Quinto Real”, “Mundat forest”, and the “free zones of Pays de Gex and Haute-Savoie”
23:28 Mobile Watershed lines on the Mountains and Mobile Borders in the Rivers
26:10 Transboundary Cooperation transcend the Border Nation State System
28:12 Added Value of Political Geography for Border Studies

#27 BIG Podcast - “Nation State Model and Creative Solutions for Border Problems” - With: Nick Megoran – Political Geographer at Newcastle University, England

The Nation-State model is built on the synchronization between a so-called state territory and a so-called national population. The mechanical imposition of this specific model has led to serious conflicts in certain parts of the world (we will discover the ancient situation of Denmark/Germany border and the current one of Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan border). There have been several ways of thinking and representing the construction of this nation-state with its constituent factors, its regime of political sovereignty and territorial boundaries: community of origin, community of language, community of interests and values, cultural homogenization, elective community, common history and territorial patriotism but also imagined community. What are the consequences of this model on the design of the country's borders? How to organize borderlands while avoiding conflicts with neighbors? With Nick Megoran, this podcast (in 2 parts) is an opportunity to talk about several original practices such as condominiums, joint development zones, territorial leasing, enclaves, the exchange of territory, statutory autonomy, free and customs zones, mobile borders, decoupling of international borders from other functional or administrative limits, juridical and economic cross-border cooperation. So many illustrations that allow us to think differently about sovereignty and state borders. Sovereignty doesn’t have to be Zero-Sum. Borders don’t have to be Walls and Barriers.


Websites:
BIG Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://biglobalization.org  ⁠⁠⁠
JMN Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/intd/europe/eu-grants/network/hmsdata-20-23/index.php⁠⁠⁠
Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/2AL0HbO⁠⁠⁠ 
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BordersInGlobalization⁠⁠⁠ 
Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/big_uvic ⁠


Time Markers:
00:00 Intro
01:53 Our Guest today: Nick Megoran
03:28 The Nation-State Model and its links with Borders
07:13 Denmark/Germany Schleswig War and Modern State Building Challenges
15:57 Condominium; Joint development Zone; Territorial Leasing
22:21 Cross-Border Ferghana Valley (Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan/Tajikistan) facing National Bordering Processes
29:14 Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan Border Clash and the Overcome of the Violence by Open Borders
32:34 Bilateral Exchange of Lands and International Boundary Delimitation (Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan; Eritrea/Ethiopia)
37:09 Enclaves/Exclaves : Pros and Cons
42:23 Enclaves Patchwork between Netherlands and Belgium in Baarle and Common Services Successes
45:43 Cross-Enclaves Fireworks Businesses and The Rule of Front Door for Citizenship
48:51 Autonomous status and the Example of Åland Islands (part of Finland Territory but Swedish Official Language)
50:16 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Situation
50:50 Example of 1923 Lausanne Treaty and Greece/Turkey Population Exchange: Ethnic Cleansing as one of the Darkest Side of The Nation State

#26 BIG Podcast (PART 1) - “Nation State Model and Creative Solutions for Border Problems” - With: Nick Megoran – Political Geographer at Newcastle University, England

#16 BIG Podcast - “Popular Protest, the Middle East and Borders” - With: Michael J. Carpenter – Political Scientist at the University of Victoria, BC, Canada, and Managing Editor of BIG Review

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