Reminder! March 15, 2pm EDT: Academic freedom, political repression, and unrest
Hi friends,
Quick reminder that our next reading group session will be tomorrow, March 15, at 2pm EDT. Cihan Tekay, PhD candidate in anthropology at CUNY Graduate Center, will join us to help contextualize and lead the discussion.
Readings and discussion questions from Cihan and me are below, and can also be found in our collective notes document (https://bit.ly/inkcap-notes).
Register here if you’d like to come. Hope you can join us!
Warmly, Katina
Session 6: The intersections of academic freedom, political repression, and unrest
Discussion Questions
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What can we do in higher education to address racism & bias in talking about international conflicts? What are people already doing?
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What do you notice about the US public and academic response to this conflict relative to the wars on Afghanistan & Iraq? What can we learn from anti-war academics in Russia and Turkey about how we can mobilize our relationship to our governments, the society, the world?
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Have there been similar examples in the US? How do we support people who break walls of silence? How can we better support them?
Suggested Readings
On Ukraine:
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Arab and Middle Eastern Journalist Association Statement in Response to the Coverage of the Ukraine Crisis – very brief, and I think this is an essential read, and as important for people in the West to think about while we react and respond to the invasion of Ukraine - Cihan
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An open letter from Russian scientists and science journalists against the war with Ukraine - very short read, brave protest letter by Russian academia - Cihan
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A letter to the Western Left from Kyiv - medium size read but quick - the word Left here is geared towards socialists – I’m not sure about the political alignments of this group, however I still suggest reading it, because the second part of the letter gives an autobiographical account of the author’s personal experience in Ukraine with his far-right family members while he becomes a socialist, since the 2014 revolution and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. This should resonate in the US context especially for people who are close to left or even liberal ideas, but who themselves come from conservative families. - Cihan
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There can be no Vne by Marina Mogilner
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Open letter/manifesto by Feminist Anti-War Resistance, a Russian feminist collective. - Katina
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Studying Identity in Ukraine by Olga Onuch, Henry E. Hale, and Gwendolyn Sasse. This intro and the special issue it’s a part of came out in 2018; the authors have been resharing it now to provide context for the current situation. - Katina
In other global contexts:
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#AşağıBakmayacağız (“We Will Not Look Down”) by Cihan Tekay (Liu). This focuses on academic freedom in Turkey and international solidarity around the movement.
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Academics for Peace (Turkey/Northern Kurdistan):
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HAKKIMIZDA/ABOUT US | Barış İçin Akademisyenler - just see the about section, I am a member/signatory and can answer Qs - Cihan
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Academics for Peace (just to browse the latest developments) - Cihan
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Middle East Studies Association of North America’s Committee on Academic Freedom
- Especially see the latest violation of academic freedom in the US in the Letter to the President of University of Washington - Cihan
