What is to be gained and/or lost when Technology and the Humanities intersect in the production of art? As an invited speaker at the New Media and Global Diaspora Symposium, Catherine Crowe addressed this question on the Roger Williams University campus in October 2008. Crowe, an enamellist and musician, cautions us against prescriptive technologies that are often privileged over human judgment and creativity. Continue reading

Yuni Jeongyun Ko discusses the implications of the phenomenon known as the Korean Wave—the spread of Korean popular cultures around the East and Southeast region. Particularly, she considers the role of the Korean Wave in forging conversations across and beyond national boundaries among Asian nations that share complicated (neo)colonial and postcolonial histories. Ko’s paper was originally presented at the New Media and Global Diaspora Symposium at Roger Williams University in 2008. Continue reading

Employing Judith Butler’s theory of perfomativity, Mignonette Chiu analyzes the complex linkages between the expansion of Chinese language media, beauty pageants, gender as symbolic capital in the project of nation-building, and the potential refiguring of a global Chinese “nation.” Chiu’s paper was originally presented at the New Media and Global Diaspora Symposium at Roger Williams University in 2008. Continue reading

Civil Discourse at Roger Williams University

"I’m not sure why I’ve been invited to speak on civil discourse" is one of most common opening remarks audiences at RWU have heard in recent years. Intended as a humorous ice-breaker the comment, undoubtedly, hinges on the meaning of “civil” in civil discourse, particularly for such speakers as Salman Rushdie, Bob Geldof, and Sam Harris, who question… Continue reading

Considering the relationship between mass media, public opinion, and identity in Arab populations, Professor Peart argues that we should be cautious about thinking of media as omnipotent, and instead we should seek a more contextual framework that positions media within the cultures that produce it. Doing so opens up more meaningful dialogue that avoids universalizing “audience” reception of media communication and, thus, representation of Arab identity. Peart’s remarks were presented at the “Intellectual Freedom and the Middle East” colloquium hosted by Roger Williams University in April 2008. Continue reading

As chairman of CNBC Arabiya, the Arab world’s first and only 24-hour Arabic language financial and business information channel, Zafar Siddiqi reflects on why he is optimistic about burgeoning freedom of expression in the Middle East and suggests what other in-roads need to be made to promote further intellectual freedom in the region Mr. Siddiqi presented the following keynote luncheon address at the “Intellectual Freedom in the Middle East” colloquium hosted by Roger Williams University in April 2008. Continue reading

n response to the question “What is intellectual freedom: when, where, and why is it important?” Owen Kirby highlights the 2002 edition of the UNDP Arab Human Development Report, which makes an urgent call to action for empowering individuals through democratic practices that, Kirby points out, “co-relate” with educational opportunities. In his presentation at the “Intellectual Freedom in the Middle East” colloquium hosted by Roger Williams University in April 2008, Kirby outlines the measures the U.S. State Department has taken to create these opportunities. Continue reading

The concept of the public sphere has been frequently examined by different authors and in a variety of diverse contexts. The notions of democracy, public participation and functional public opinion are all materialized within such a unique conception. Nael Jebril questions the possibility of creating a public sphere among the Palestinian communities abroad and analyzes some of the communication aspects between those communities and their homeland with particular attention to the role of new media to the public sphere. His research was originally presented at the “New Media and Global Diaspora Symposium” hosted by Roger Williams University in October 2008. Continue reading