Borders & Belonging
Migration is a complex phenomenon – for individuals, it is a personal journey that can result in struggle or triumph depending on life circumstances; and for countries, it can be an economic driver, or a source of social tension or even conflict.
Host Maggie Perzyna, a researcher with the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration program at Toronto Metropolitan University, explores the complexity of migration with the help of leading academics and professionals working with migrants on the ground.
Season 4 of Borders & Belonging explores reflexivity: the practice of turning research back on itself to examine how we know what we know.
This season draws on the lived experiences of pioneering scholars whose work has transformed how we understand human movement across borders. We then ask each scholar to nominate an up-and-coming scholar they admire, whose research builds on, challenges, or complements their own. Join us as we trace the threads connecting scholarship across time, experience, and perspective.
For show notes and transcripts, visit: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-migration/borders-and-belonging/
Signal Award wins in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Borders & Belonging
Artful connections: Challenging narratives of migration and belonging using arts-based methods
This episode takes a closer look at the powerful intersection of art and migration studies. How can creative expression challenge dominant narratives and help reshape the way we think about migration? Maggie Perzyna learns about art-based and community-based projects that move the needle. We also hear about WhereWeStand, a powerful multimedia storytelling project that pairs Indigenous and newcomer voices to reimagine their relationships to the land some call Turtle Island and others know as Canada.
Guests: Izzeddin Hawamda, Palestinian teacher, writer and co-founder of the interfaith dialog group Bridge; Aaron McKay, Anishinaabemowin photographer and the founder of Giiwe platform; Cyrus Sundar Singh, Research Fellow, CERC Migration, Toronto Metropolitan University, and an award-winning filmmaker, musician and storyteller; and Heather George, Executive Director, Woodland Cultural Center, curator, artist and educator.
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🌎 Have a question or episode idea? Email bordersandbelonging@gmail.com.
