Seminar: Surveillance and the contradictions of power (København)

What does whistleblowing and online diaspora engagement have in common? Both issues are key topics in contemporary struggles for democracy and threats to democracy that are deeply entwined with digital media.

At this DIIS-AMIS seminar, anthropologist Victoria Bernal highlights the contradictions of the potentials of digital media, based on long-term and recent research on security, surveillance and politics. With her recent research on digital surveillance, cybersecurity, and privacy in relation to the U.S. security state, she brings together long-term research on Eritrean politics online and how Eritrean diaspora groups have used digital media to express themselves politically. Victoria Bernal suggests that viewing Eritrean politics and American politics together finds lines of convergence such that the dichotomy between northern liberal democracies and southern authoritarian, dictatorial regimes is becoming much less distinct.

After Victoria Bernal’s presentation there will be a discussion by Simon Turner who has worked with social media and displacement in the recent conflict in Burundi.

Speakers

Victoria Bernal, Professor in Anthropology, University of California, Irvine; visiting professor at Institute for Anthropological Research in Africa, KU Leuven. 

Simon Turner, Associate Professor, Centre for Advanced Migration Studies (AMIS), University of Copenhagen.

Nauja Kleist, Senior Researcher, DIIS

Programme

14.45-15.00: Coffee and tea.

15.00-15.10: Introduction.
Nauja Kleist

15.10-15.50: Surveillance and the contradictions of power.
Victoria Bernal

15.50-16.00: Discussion.
Simon Turner

16.00-16.30: Q&A

Practical information

The seminar will be in English and livestreamed on diis.dk.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use our online registration form no later than Thursday 24 January 2019 at 10 AM. Livestream does not require registration.

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