This virtual conference, sponsored by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and Migrations: A Global Grand Challenge, brings together a diverse group of scholars, activists, and practitioners to discuss the role that plantations and plantation agriculture have played in shaping the nature, structure, and dynamics of the modern era.

Although plantations have long been the subject of study, the Plantationocene as a concept emerged only in the past few years to describe the role of racialized, large-scale plantation agriculture in establishing a world system that to this day lives with the legacy and continuation of slavery, forced migration, dispossession, and mono-crop extractive agriculture intended for export production.

This article serves as a frame for the conversation: Wolford, Wendy, 2021 “The Plantationocene: A Lusotropical Contribution to the Theory,” Annals of the American Association of Geographers, early view online.

Over two days of roundtable discussions (April 15-16), scholars and activists from a variety of disciplines of critical social theory and practice, including agrarian studies, political ecology, development studies, black geographies and feminist theory, will discuss the Plantationocene and to what extent this conceptional framework may be useful—not just for analytical purposes, but also for activism and practice.

Explore the schedule and presentersRegister nowThe conference is available in Portuguese through simultaneous interpretation on the same Zoom channel. All sessions will be recorded.

Moderator:

Wendy Wolford, Robert A. and Ruth E. Polson Professor, Department of Global Development, Cornell University

Panelists:

Gerard Aching, Professor of Africana and Romance Studies, Cornell UniversityYasmine Ahmed, Postdoctoral teaching fellow, The American University in CairoSarah Besky, Associate Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell UniversityRachel Bezner-Kerr, Professor of Global Development, Cornell UniversityJun Borras, Professor of Agrarian Studies, Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University, the HagueNatacha Bruna, PhD candidate, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University, the Hague Judith Carney, Professor of Geography, University of California, Los AngelesSophie Chao, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of SydneySharad Chari, Associate Professor of Geography, University of California, BerkeleyYoujin Chung, Assistant Professor of Energy and Resources Group and Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, BerkeleyAndrew Curley, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of ArizonaMary Jo Dudley, Director of the Cornell Farmworker Program, Cornell UniversityChristopher Dunn, Elizabeth Newman Wilds Executive Director of Cornell Botanic Gardens, Cornell UniversityDivya Dutta, Researcher, Oxfam America and Oxfam Great BritainJennifer Franco, Activist and Researcher at the Transnational Institute (TNI), the HagueShannon Gleeson, Professor of Labor Relations, Law, and History, Cornell UniversityJenny Goldstein, Assistant Professor of Global Development, Cornell UniversityEuclides Gonçalves, Director and Researcher, Kaleidoscopio, Research in Public Policy, MozambiqueCarla Gras, Researcher and Professor of Sociology, University of Buenos AiresJulie Guthman, Professor of Social Sciences, University of California, Santa CruzShalmali Guttal, Executive Director, Focus on the Global South, BangkokTania Murray Li, Professor of Anthropology, University of TorontoJuliet Lu, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cornell Atkinson Center for SustainabilityFouad Makki, Associate Professor of Global Development, Cornell UniversityPriscilla McCutcheon, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of KentuckyPhilip McMichael, Professor of Global Development, Cornell UniversityGregg Mitman, Vilas Research and William Coleman Professor of History of Science, Medical History, and Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, MadisonSharlene Mollett, Distinguished Professor in Feminist Cultural Geography, Nature and Society and Associate Professor of Geography, University of TorontoJoão Mosca, Director, Observatório do Meio Rural, Maputo Andrew Ofstehage, Postdoctoral Associate, Cornell UniversityKasia Paprocki, Assistant Professor of Geography and Environment, London School of Economics and Political ScienceDeniz Pelek, Postdoctoral Researcher in the MIGRADEMO Project, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaNancy Peluso, Professor of Society and Environment and Chair of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, University of California, BerkeleyPrabhu Pingali, Professor of Applied Economics and Policy, Cornell UniversityRachel Beatty Riedl, John S. Knight Professor of International Studies and Director of the Einaudi Center, Cornell UniversityCaitlin Rosenthal, Associate Professor, History, University of California, BerkeleySergio Sauer, Professor in the Center for Sustainable Development, University of BrasíliaJudite Stronzake, Activist in the Movement of Landless Workers (MST), Brazil and Professor of Education, Universidade Federal da Grande DouradosEric Tagliacozzo, John Stamburgh Professor, Department of History, Cornell UniversityAnna Tsing, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa CruzMichael Watts, Chancellor’s Professor of Geography Emeritus, and Co-Director of Development Studies, University of California, BerkeleyWendy Wolford, Robert A. and Ruth E. Polson Professor of Global Development, Cornell UniversityYunan Xu, Post-doctoral researcher, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University RotterdamJohn Aloysius Zinda, Assistant Professor, Global Development, Cornell University

Join the Institute of Politics and Global Affairs and eCornell for a conversation with President Bill Clinton on the state of democracy in America. This program will delve into the challenges faced by our democracy today and what can be done to strengthen our democratic norms for future generations. Following the conversation with President Clinton, please stay tuned for a panel reaction from Cornell experts and to learn how to get involved with the Campaign for the Future of Democracy, an exciting new project through the Institute of Politics and Global Affairs.

This event is sponsored by the Howard and Abby Milstein Foundation and marks the first event in the Milstein State of Democracy Address series. The event is also supported by The Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Distinguished Speakers Fellowship of Sigma Phi.

Biography of our esteemed guest, the 42nd President of the United States

William Jefferson Clinton, the first Democratic president in six decades to be elected twice, led the United States to the longest economic expansion in American history, including the creation of more than 22 million jobs.

After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation in order to continue working on the causes he cared about. Since its founding, the Foundation has endeavored to help build more resilient communities by developing and implementing programs that improve people’s health, strengthen local economies, and protect the environment.

In addition to his Foundation work, President Clinton served as the top United Nations envoy for the Indian Ocean tsunami recovery effort, the UN Special Envoy to Haiti—and has partnered numerous times with Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush to support relief efforts for communities devastated by natural disasters.

President Clinton was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas. He and his wife Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton have one daughter, Chelsea, and three grandchildren, Charlotte, Aidan and Jasper. They live in Chappaqua, New York.

Introduction by special guest, Chairman of Cornell's Board of Trustees

Bob Harrison is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cornell University. He served as Chief Executive Officer of the Clinton Global Initiative from 2007 to 2017 and worked for the Clinton Foundation since 2005 in two prior roles — Executive Director of the Foundation’s childhood obesity initiative and chairing a task force on access to water and sanitation in the developing world. Before joining the Clinton Foundation, Harrison spent over 20 years on Wall Street as an investment banker and attorney. He joined Goldman Sachs in 1987, where he became a partner in the firm’s Investment Banking Division and Global Co-Head of its Communications, Media, and Entertainment group. From 1981 to 1987, Harrison practiced corporate law in the New York and Paris offices of Davis, Polk and Wardwell. In addition to serving on the Cornell Board of Trustees, Harrison is a Director of the Clinton Foundation and the Association of American Rhodes Scholars, a Director and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of the Henry Street Settlement, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He received a B.A. in Government from Cornell University, an M.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

The Institute of Politics and Global Affairs is a non-partisan institute dedicated to elevating public discourse and stimulating civic engagement.

This event is part of the ongoing Critical Moves: Performance in Theory Movement series co-organized by Prof. Balance and Prof. Karen Jaime and co-sponsored by Cornell Asian American Studies Program (AASP), Latina/o Studies Program (LSP), and the department of Performing Media Arts. Basement Bhangra Redux is also co-sponsored by the South Asia Program (SAP) at Cornell.

DJ Rekha/Rekha Malhotra is a DJ, producer, curator, and educator. They have been credited with pioneering Bhangra music in North America via Basement Bhangra club night (1997-2017). They are a proud resident of Jackson Heights, Queens. Rekha was the sound designer for the TONY award-winning Broadway Show, Bridge and Tunnel and received a Drama Desk Award nomination for their work on the play Rafta Rafta. Rekha has done remixes for artists that range from Meredith Monk to Major Lazer, and has performed at the Obama White House and internationally. They are on the board of Queens-based Chhaya Community Development Corp., serving to economically empower New Yorkers of South Asian origin. They have produced events for Central Park SummerStage and the South Asian Block Party for the Biden Harris Campaign. They have a BA in Urban Studies from Queens College, a Masters in Comparative Media Studies from MIT, and produce the weekly podcast Bhangra and Beyond.

In contrast to the objective conditions and the current images of Africa in the global geo-politics measured by indicators of socio-economic performance, as the cradle of humankind, for tens of thousands of years the people of the continent exhibited what Basil Davidson referred to as the African genius. From the onset and throughout the different historical moments, ingenuity was crucial in all aspects of their livelihood. The tragic centuries of the transatlantic enslavement did not halt the creative capacities of the Africans who survived, amidst extreme hostile contexts.

Moderator: N'Dri Assie-Lumumba, Professor, Africana Studies, and Director, Institute for African Development, Cornell

Discussant: Professor Gregory Jenkins,Professor of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Geography, and African Studies, Penn State University

Ancient African Inventions and Innovations - Professor Gloria Emeagwali, Central Connecticut State University

African Knowledge and Skills in the Creation of the Americas - Professor Sheila S. Walker, Afrodiaspora, Inc.

Challenges and Potential Long-Term Solutions to Sustainable Agricultural Development in Africa - Professor Kifle G. Gebremedhin, Cornell University

Building Resilience: Low-cost Innovation as the cornerstone for facing challenges and improving the lives of young people in Africa and its Diaspora - Professor Gregory S. Jenkins, the Pennsylvania State University

Issues in African Development Seminar Series examines critical concerns in contemporary Africa using a different theme each semester. The seminars provide a forum for participants to explore alternative perspectives and exchange ideas. They are also a focal activity for students and faculty interested in African development. In addition, prepares students for higher level courses on African economic, social and political development. The presentations are designed for students who are interested in development, Africa’s place in global studies, want to know about the peoples, cultures and societies that call Africa home, and explore development theories and alternate viewpoints on development.

Register:

The research seminar series is an initiative of the Emerging Markets Theme of the Cornell S.C. Johnson College of Business, which focuses on engaging students and faculty in discourse over the role of emerging markets in an increasingly connected world.

Every month, we will host a speaker to expand our understanding of emerging economies through research and diverse perspectives. Join us in welcoming Claudio Ferraz on April 2 at 12pm ET.

Claudio Ferraz is a Professor of Economics at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia. He is also a part-time professor at the Department of Economics of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). He currently serves as Scientific Director of J-PAL Latin America & Caribbean and as co-director of the Political Economy Network of LACEA. He is an honorary member of LACEA, fellow of the Econometric Society and currently an Associate Editor of Econometrica, Journal of Political Economy, and Journal of Development Economics. His academic research focuses on economic development, political economy, and public economics.

Image, Stories, and Silences of “Ex-Returnees” Who Defected from North Korea to Japan: Artist Talk with Soni Kum

Kum will discuss her installation work, Morning Dew-The Stigma of Being "Brainwashed" exhibited in Tokyo in November 2020. It is based on interviews conducted with North Korean ex-“returnees” now living in Tokyo. Most are zainichi Koreans (“ethnic Koreans resident in Japan”) or their children, who from 1959 to 1984 moved to North Korea as part of the Repatriation Program. They thought the DPRK was ‘a paradise on earth,’ only to experience the severe living conditions of North Korea’s recovery from the Korean War. They are compelled to hide the fact that they left, or fled from, North Korea, or experience discrimination and other troubling consequences. Facing these fears of her interviewees, Kum’s work weaves together archival images, text, and silences to artistically evoke their hidden stories.

Discussants include Brett de Bary, Professor Emerita, Cornell, and Rebecca Jennison, Art Critic, Kyoto, Japan.

This event is co-sponsored by the Central New York Humanities Corridor from an award by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This event is also co-sponsored by the Migrations initiative and the Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS).

The event image is from the installation named, 'Morning Dew-the stigma of being brainwashed'. To learn more about artist Soni Kum, please visit her website: http://www.sonikum.com/

The time of global pandemic presented many obstacles for communities engaged with Southeast Asia to stay connected and thrive. At the same time, the limitations upon meeting in person or conducting fieldwork inspired new ways to forge dialogues, shake old conventions, and embrace creative, often technological, change. As graduate students, we witnessed a boom of new and revamped platforms that emerged to connect those separated geographically by COVID-19 and enable academic, social, and professional relations. On the other hand, physical limitations within our communities have produced severe economic and personal fractures that have not yet been remediated. These patterns of Links and Fractures have long existed before COVID-19 in Southeast Asia, arising out of historical processes of colonization and decolonization, religion, commodity and cultural exchanges, migration, language, information technology, economic expansion, social unrest, political upheaval, and more. Within these patterns are both opportunities and losses for a wide range of diverse Southeast Asian communities, creating “new normals” before the “new normal” instigated by COVID-19.

The Graduate Student Conference will be held March 19-21, 2021 online, catering to the opportunity to bring together participants and attendees from all over the world, and powered by SEAP web-platforms. PhD and Master students will present their research united by this common theme across all academic disciplines, presenting their work on how these Links and Fractures have shaped communities in Southeast Asia as part of a panel with faculty discussants. Over this immersive three-day period, the sharing of related research with Cornell SEAP faculty, academics and fellow peers within the graduate community will be facilitated.

- Keynote by Prof. Juno Salazar Parreñas (STS/FGSS), "Fracture or Linked? Southeast Asia after Area Studies Died"

- Full listing of Speakers and Abstracts

- Overview and registration links for each panel: Conference Schedule

Quick panel registration links:

SEA and the Indian Ocean: flows of ideas, goods, and labourState-making and resistancePolitics and gender in religion: entangled text and imageMemory: in poetics, battles, and campsEducating modernity, teaching nationalismMigrated Culture: politics of diaspora across generations This conference is organized by the Southeast Asia Graduate Student Committee

Keisha Blain leads a discussion of excerpts from her book "Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Struggle for Global Freedom" published by University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018.

Note: The author will join for a conversation about their work. No formal presentation will be given; please read in advance. A link to the reading will be sent with the registration confirmation.

Part of the Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) seminar series.

About the author

Keisha N. Blain is an award-winning historian of the 20th century United States with broad interests and specializations in African American History, the modern African Diaspora, and Women’s and Gender Studies. She is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh and the president of the African American Intellectual History Society. She is currently a 2020-2021 fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University. She also serves as an editor for the Washington Post’s ‘Made by History’ section.

Blain has published extensively on race, gender, and politics in both national and global perspectives. She is the author of the multi-prize-winning book Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom (2018) and co-editor of three books: To Turn the Whole World Over: Black Women and Internationalism (University of Illinois Press, 2019); New Perspectives on the Black Intellectual Tradition (Northwestern University Press, 2018); and Charleston Syllabus: Readings on Race, Racism, and Racial Violence (University of Georgia Press, 2016).

Her latest books are Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019, edited with Ibram X. Kendi (Penguin Random House/One World, February 2, 2021); and Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America (Beacon Press, October 5, 2021).

Follow her on Twitter @KeishaBlain and on Instagram @KeishaNBlain.

Margaret E. Roberts, Associate Professor of Political Science at University of California at San Diego, discusses her book Censored: Distraction and Diversion Inside China's Great Firewall (Princeton University Press, 2018).

The author will join for a conversation about their work. No formal presentation will be given; please read in advance. A link to the reading will be sent with the registration confirmation.

Part of the Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) seminar series.

About the author

Margaret E. Roberts is an Associate Professor of Political Science at University of California at San Diego. Her research interests lie in the intersection of political methodology and the politics of information, with a specific focus on methods of automated content analysis and the politics of censorship in China. She received a PhD from Harvard in Government (2014), MS in Statistics from Stanford (2009) and BA in International Relations and Economics (2009). Currently, she is working on a variety of projects that span censorship, propaganda, topic models, and other methods of text analysis. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the American Journal of Political Science, American Political Science Review, Political Analysis, and Science.