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Einaudi Center for International Studies

Cornell Gamelan Ensemble with Wakidi Dwidjomartono

December 10, 2024

3:00 pm

Lincoln Hall, B20

Master Javanese gamelan musician Wakidi Dwidjomartono joins the Cornell Gamelan Ensemble and students taking Gamelan in Indonesian History and Cultures for a program of traditional Javanese gendhing.

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Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Southeast Asia Program

Theory from the Trenches: Decolonization and the Promise of Subaltern Marxism

March 24, 2025

12:15 pm

Uris Hall, G08

Talk by Shozab Raza (Anthropology, University of Toronto)

In recent years, we have seen renewed efforts to “decolonize.” From the toppling of statues to the revision of disciplinary canons, much of this effort has focused on overturning colonial residues in our cultural and epistemological landscapes. This talk offers a radically different vision of decolonization — one driven not by bureaucrats, professors or social media activists, but by subaltern actors, a vision that was at once global and local, dedicated equally to dismantling the less visible structures of political economy as it was to fighting epistemic battles. I focus on how landless peasants in Pakistan — participating in a global communist movement stretching from Oakland to Saigon, from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean — reinvented revolutionary theory in their struggles against imperialist political economies. Joining a Mao-inspired party in the 1970s, these peasants not only occupied colonially-established estates (jagirs), but also acquired a meta-recognition that “theory” — now an emic category — was essential to global revolution. Some peasants retheorized Eurocentric Marxisms through the lens of Sufi Islam, while others developed theories of communist becoming inspired by Baloch tribal norms. I conceptualize these subaltern experiments in theory-making as trench theory, with the trench metaphor flagging a mode of subterranean theorizing grounded in political combat. Ultimately, this talk shows how subaltern actors drew on ideas spanning intellectual traditions, borders, and oceans to generate trench concepts aimed at heralding nothing short of a worldly, even other-worldly, liberation.

Shozab Raza is an Assistant Professor of Social Justice Education, with a cross-appointment in Anthropology, at the University of Toronto, and a 2024-25 Fung Global Fellow at Princeton University. He was previously an Agrarian Studies Fellow at Yale University and completed his graduate training at the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford. As a historical anthropologist, his research and teaching focuses on revolutionary political imaginaries and political economy as these unfold across Asia, the Indian Ocean, and beyond. He is finalizing his book manuscript, Theory from the Trenches, which explores how colonial residues and capitalist transformations inspire not only political but also theoretical insurgencies from below. Shozab’s research has been published in several journals, including Cultural Anthropology and Comparative Studies in Society and History, while his public writing has appeared in venues like The Guardian, Boston Review, and Red Pepper. He is also a founding editor of Jamhoor, a movement-oriented Leftist magazine focused on South Asia and its diasporas.

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Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

South Asia Program

The Violence of Recognition: Adivasi Indigeneity and Anti-Dalitness in India

February 24, 2025

12:15 pm

Uris Hall, G08

Talk by Pinky Hota (Anthropology, Smith College)

The Violence of Recognition explores the roots of ethnonationalism conflict between two historically marginalized groups—the Kandha, who are Adivasi (tribal people considered indigenous in India), and the Pana, a community of Christian Dalits (previously referred to as “untouchables”). Hota documents how Hindutva mobilization led to large-scale violence, culminating in attacks against many thousands of Pana Dalits in the district of Kandhamal in 2008. Bringing Indigenous studies as well as race and ethnic studies into conversation with Dalit studies, Hota shows that, despite attempts to frame these ethnonationalist tensions as an Indigenous population’s resistance against disenfranchisement, Kandha hostility against the Pana must be understood as anti-Christian, anti-Dalit violence animated by racial capitalism. Hota’s analysis of caste in relation to race and religion details how Hindu nationalists exploit the singular and exclusionary legal recognition of Adivasis and the putatively liberatory, anti-capitalist discourse of indigeneity in order to justify continued oppression of Dalits—particularly those such as the Pana. By showing how indigeneity works as a political technology that reproduces the political, economic, and cultural exclusion of landless marginalized groups such as Dalits, The Violence of Recognition reveals the violent implications of minority recognition in creating and maintaining hierarchies of racial capitalism.

Pinky Hota is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Smith College, with affiliations with the Program for the Study of Women and Gender and South Asian Studies. Her research has been funded by the Wenner-Gren and Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundations, and published in Modern Asian Studies, Anthropological Quarterly, and Political and Legal Anthropology Review. Her research interests lie in caste and race, religion, technology and capital, and extractive economies. The Violence of Recognition, published by University of Pennsylvania Press in 2023, is her first book.

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Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

South Asia Program

A Subaltern Crematorium of India? Bombay, 1918 – 1953

February 10, 2025

12:15 pm

Uris Hall, G08

Talk by Sohini Chattopadhyay (History, Union College)

In May 1939, a 20-year-old man died in Bombay’s suburb of Vile Parle. He was a migrant worker, often without a home, and Dalit. His friends took his body to a cremation ground, but only by trespassing it at night since Dalits were not allowed access to the cremation ground that offered traditional funerals for dominant caste Hindus. Seemingly unconnected, the same year, the Bombay Legislative Council introduced a proposal to have a public electric crematorium in the city, which would be accessible to all. This paper links incidents of civil disobedience, such as the one in Vile Parle, to the political and social forces behind the establishment of Bombay’s first public electric crematorium. By analyzing these acts of resistance within the broader context of labor and anti-caste movements and a simultaneous comfort with new death technologies, the paper illuminates the complex interplay between public health infrastructure, colonial governance, and the struggle for social justice. The electric crematorium, as a response to these tensions, emerges as both a symbol of technological progress and a tool for social equality, highlighting the intertwined histories of caste, technology, and urban development in colonial Bombay.

Sohini Chattopadhyay (she/her) is currently an Assistant Professor of History at Union College. Her current book project, tentatively titled "Dead Labor: Comparative Histories of the Electric Crematorium in Colonial Bombay and Calcutta", tracks the intersections between technologies and social histories to underscore the connected and divergent patterns of urbanization in South Asia. Alongside courses in South Asian history and history of science, Sohini has also designed team-taught courses with the engineering school as part of the Science and Technology Studies Program. She received a PhD in History from Columbia University in 2023 and also holds an MA from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India. Sohini is also invested in public history. She was the founding editor of the web journal Borderlines and is now developing its advisory board. She frequently contributes articles on public health, social policies, and South Asian history on Indian digital media platforms.

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Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

South Asia Program

Exploring Intersectional and Syndemic Barriers to HIV Care Among Transgender Women in Mumbai and New Delhi, India

February 3, 2025

12:15 pm

Uris Hall, G08

Talk by William Lodge, II (Public Policy, Cornell University)

This presentation delves into the intersectional and syndemic barriers affecting HIV care among transgender women and Hijras (TGW) in India. Drawing on findings from a multi-method study conducted in Mumbai and New Delhi, the talk illustrates how compounded multilevel barriers—including mental health conditions, intersecting forms of stigma, and economic marginalization—impede effective HIV care for TGW. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative insights, the presentation sheds light on how these challenges intersect and magnify each other, further hindering ART adherence and viral suppression. The presentation aims to contribute to a body of knowledge that informs policy and promotes a responsive and inclusive HIV care model tailored to TGW in India.

William Lodge II is an assistant professor at the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy and a National Institutes of Health (NIH) FIRST Faculty Fellow. A behavioral and social scientist, Dr. Lodge is dedicated to advancing health equity and improving HIV prevention and care among gender and sexual minorities in the U.S. and globally. Dr. Lodge’s research integrates syndemic theory and intersectionality to understand and address multilevel barriers in HIV prevention and care by focusing on how social and structural determinants—such as stigma and discriminatory policies—shape health outcomes, particularly emphasizing marginalized communities in India and the U.S.

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Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

South Asia Program

Institute for European Studies Graduate Fellows Symposium

December 2, 2024

2:30 pm

Uris Hall, G08

IES Graduate Fellows will be presenting their work in conference style presentations followed by time for discussions. Presenters will be:

Panel 1

Alican Taylan- Architecture Art Planning- "Disentangling Modernity and Colonialism: The St. Joseph Mission School in Ngasobil, Senegal"

Victoria Pihl Sørensen- Performing and Media Arts- "Making “Moral Mothers” and “Better Babies”: Reckoning with Eugenics in the History of Reproduction in Denmark"

Maria Luisa Palumbo- Architecture Art Planning- "Histories of Land, Grain, and Architecture Across Italy and Libya, 1912-1943"

Panel 2

Nora Siena- Romance Studies- "Inside/Outside: Primo Levi’s Liminal Relationship with Jewishness as a Source for Critique"

Rachel Horner- Music- "Remapping València in the Festival Borderlands"

Matt Finck- History- "The Cosmologies of Victor Serge: Science and Catastrophe in the Revolutionary Novel"

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Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Institute for European Studies

Archives in Transit: Todosomos and the Venezuelan Migration Crisis

April 18, 2025

10:00 am

A.D. White House, Guerlac Room

In this event, we will be officially launching the archive Todosomos, a collection of handwritten testimonies by Venezuelan migrants who crossed the border from Venezuela to Colombia between 2019 and 2021. The event will have several panels and include interventions by the founders of Todosomos, the library team in charge of the processing and transcription of the archive, Venezuelan artists and writers, a representative of the NGO Ithaca Welcomes Refugees, and a talk by Professor Zeb Tortorici (NYU). It will also include a lunch, a reception, and a pop-up exhibit of the handwritten notebooks. This event is free and open to the public.

View the event program

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Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Migrations Program

Shifting Landscapes: A Conversation with the Cornell Community on Migration and Trump-Era Policy Changes

November 21, 2024

12:00 pm

The recent U.S. election is likely to have significant impacts on immigration policy and practices. Based on experience with the previous Trump administration and standing efforts among Republicans in Congress, these changes may impact Cornell students, staff, and faculty. Join Cornell’s Migrations Program in a conversation about the current state of immigration policy.

This is a virtual-only meeting open to Cornell faculty, staff, and students. Registration is required.

Panelists

Shannon Gleeson, School of Industrial and Labor Relations and Brooks School of Public PolicyLaura Taylor, Director of International ServicesStephen Yale-Loehr, Cornell Law SchoolModerator

Wendy Wolford, Vice Provost for International Affairs and Robert A. and Ruth E. Polson Professor of Global Development in the College of Agriculture and Life SciencesHost and Sponsors

The Migrations Program, part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, builds upon the work of Migrations: A Global Grand Challenge to inform real-world policies and outcomes for populations that migrate.

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Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Migrations Program

Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

East Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Institute for African Development

Institute for European Studies

South Asia Program

The Demographic and Health Survey Program and The New Nutrition Team

November 21, 2024

11:15 am

109 Ives Hall

Rukundo Kambarami Benedict is a highly experienced nutrition researcher currently serving as the Lead Nutrition Research Associate at The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program since August 2017. In this role, Rukundo analyzes national datasets and authors reports to guide nutrition policy and programs. Prior to this, Rukundo was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Cornell University, where research focused on breastfeeding practices in South Asia and the quality of maternal nutrition counseling. Rukundo's academic journey includes a PhD from Cornell University, where teaching and research on nutrition and health were key components, and a Master of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. Early experiences included a role as a Research Assistant for a WHO/Johns Hopkins collaboration and various research positions at the Zvitambo Institute, further emphasizing Rukundo's dedication to advancing nutrition and public health interventions.

Public Registration

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Institute for African Development

Seeing Others: The Ongoing Challenges of Recognition Gaps in the United States and Europe

April 21, 2025

5:00 pm

Physical Sciences Building, 120

IES Luigi Einaudi Distinguished Lecture
Building on her recent book Seeing Others, on her recent work on the urban/rural divide across EU countries, and on the non-college educated young workers (18-30) in Manchester New Hampshire, and Manchester UK, Michèle Lamont discusses the challenges of addressing recognition gaps in the US and Europe at a time when attacks against various minoritized groups are multiplying. She also presents analytical tools and strategies for dealing with the current political backlash against inclusion.

Michèle Lamont is Professor of Sociology and of African and African American Studies and the Robert I. Goldman Professor of European Studies at Harvard University. Born in 1957, she grew up in Quebec and studied political theory at the University of Ottawa before obtaining a doctorate in sociology at the University of Paris in 1983. After completing post-doctoral research at Stanford University, she has served on the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin (1985-87), Princeton University (1987-2002) and Harvard University (2003-present). A cultural and comparative sociologist who studies inclusion and inequality, she has researched how we evaluate social worth across societies, the role of cultural processes in fostering inequality, symbolic and social boundaries, and the evaluation of knowledge, as well as topics such as dignity, stigma, racism, class cultures, collective well-being, social resilience, and social change. Her books include Money, Morals and Manners: the Culture of the French and the American Upper-Middle Class (1992), The Dignity of Working Men: Morality and the Boundaries of Race, Class, and Immigration(2000), How Professors Think: Inside the Curious World of Academic Judgement (2009), Getting Respect: Responding to Stigma and Discrimination in the Us, Brazil and Israel (coauthored, 2016), and Seeing Others: How Recognition Works and How It Can Heal a Divided World (2023). She is also the author of several collective works, and over a hundred articles published in American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Annual Review of Sociology, Human Nature Behavior, and other prominent outlets.

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Institute for European Studies

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