Book launch: Mediated Lives — Waiting and Hope among Iraqi Refugees in Jordan

Author Mirjam Twigt is joined by Christine Jacobsen and Abdullah Yassen to discuss the role of technologies in the lives of urban refugees.

Image containing the text "book lauch, September 8,2022, 18:00-19:30, becco, Oslo. It also includes a picture of the cover of the book and the logos of UiO and Berghahn.

Technologies play important roles in making sense of how humanitarian support works, for carving out a sense of place and for holding on to hope against all odds. Illustration: UiO.

About the event

Many of the world's refugees live in uncertainty about their legal stay. How do information and communication technologies (ICTs) play out in their everyday experiences?

We invite you to the launch of the book “Mediated Lives — Waiting and Hope among Iraqi Refugees in Jordan” by Dr. Mirjam Twigt on September 8, 2022 at 18:00.

In conversation with Prof. Christine Jacobsen and Dr. Abdullah Yassen, Twigt will share insights from the book and discuss the potentials of technology for sustaining hope in displacement without falling into the traps of tech-optimism.

The book launch takes place at Becco. A welcome drink will be served.

About the discussants

Mirjam Twigt is the author of "Mediated Lives — Waiting and Hope among Iraqi Refugees in Jordan". She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Oslo, researching the move towards technologies in humanitarian assistance for refugees.

 

Christine Jacobsen is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen. Her current research focuses on temporality as an analytical lens to examine power relations and experiences in irregular migration.

 

Abdullah Omar Yassen is Assistant Professor in Public International Law and Head of Cultural Relations at the International Office at Erbil Polytechnic University. He is involved in several research projects based at the University of Oslo for his expertise on Iraq and International Refugee Law.

About the book

Using the example of Iraqi refugees in Jordan's capital of Amman, this book describes how information and communication technologies (ICTs) play out in the everyday experiences of urban refugees, geographically located in the Global South.

It shows how interactions between online and offline spaces are key for making sense of the humanitarian regime, for carving out a sense of home and for sustaining hope.

This book paints a humanizing account of making do amid legal marginalization, prolonged insecurity, and the proliferation of digital technologies.

Published Aug. 9, 2022 3:15 PM - Last modified Oct. 10, 2022 11:54 AM