National borders have been a fundamental issue in the Middle East for a century. The year marks the hundredth anniversary of the secret British-French Sykes-Picot agreement which carved up Middle Eastern parts of Ottoman Empire in anticipation of a Turkish defeat in World War I.[i] As with most Asian and African territories, twentieth century Middle Eastern borders were fixed on a basis of settlement, great power politics and war. (more…)
This Warsaw conference may be of interest to practitioners, especially in Europe. This one is from the “‘Never Again’ Association”: Conference: Jewish Cultural Heritage. Projects, Methods, Inspirations From the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association We invite all practitioners, museum professionals, educators, artists, and people working on a Jewish cultural heritage project to participate in the conference. We especially encourage them to contribute by submitting their abstracts in the open call. We wish to have presentations about as diverse a group of projects as possible. The conference will explore issues related to Jewish cultural heritage in contemporary Europe – preservation, animation, engagement, and impact. The conference is organized by the POLIN Museum of the History of the Polish Jews in collaboration with HL-Senteret in Norway and the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association from Poland. The conference will be held in Warsaw on 8-10 June 2016. The call for contributions is open until 31 March 2016. The conference will be held in English and Polish. For whom is Jewish cultural heritage being preserved and interpreted? What is its role in the renewal of Jewish life and memory? What is its impact on local and diasporic communities? How does Jewish cultural heritage figure in educational, artistic, and cultural programs? How is it deployed in wider historical and contemporary discourses? (more…)