Memory Practices of the Afghan and Somali Diasporas in the USA and Italy.

Project Information

MEMODIAS

Grant agreement ID: 101068484

DOI

10.3030/101068484

Project closed

EC signature date 15 June 2022

Start date 1 November 2022

End date 31 October 2025

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 288 859,20

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MEMODIAS (Memory Practices of the Afghan and Somali Diasporas in the USA and Italy.)

Reporting period: 2024-11-01 to 2025-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

MEMODIAS investigates how memories of conflict, displacement, settlement and possible return shape the lives of people in exile, helping them engage with host societies while maintaining ties with their homelands. Focusing on Afghan and Somali diasporas in two national contexts – Italy and the United States – the project examines how memories travel across borders, intersect with identities, and are reshaped through everyday interactions and intercultural encounters.

The objectives are to analyse memories of conflict, flight, prospects of return, settlement and mobility; to trace how these memories circulate within and between diasporas and are exchanged in shared urban spaces; to assess how gender, generation, class, race and religion intersect in shaping these processes; and to develop an interdisciplinary framework clarifying how political, economic, social and memory related solidarities interact within emerging transnational settings.

By addressing interactions between diasporas – rather than only single communities or generic global trends – the project generates knowledge that supports social inclusion, intercultural understanding and meaningful participation in civic life. The comparative design across Italy and the United States provides a clear basis for drawing conclusions on how different socio cultural and political environments shape memory practices, solidarity and civic engagement. Overall, the findings indicate that carefully facilitated interdiasporic encounters and exchanges, supported by safe spaces and participatory cultural initiatives, can strengthen mutual trust and democratic participation while reducing barriers that often keep communities apart.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Across the work packages, the project delivered the following outcomes.
WP1 – Career and project management: effective coordination and regular supervision ensured timely delivery across tasks; risk management and data protection safeguards enabled safe, trust based engagement; institutional and community partnerships facilitated access to relevant networks and settings.
WP2 – Literature review, theoretical and methodological tools: a coherent analytical framework clarified the state of the art and identified gaps on interdiasporic memory; tailored research tools – sampling strategy, interview guides and field protocols – ensured a comparable design across countries and communities and supported consistent analysis.
WP3 – Data collection and analysis: cross country fieldwork in the United States (New York, Washington, D.C. Minneapolis) and Italy (Rome, Florence, Arezzo) combined observation in community settings, meetings with diaspora members and key informants, 44 in depth biographical interviews, and four creative workshops exploring non verbal and performative dimensions of memory; transcription, coding and comparative analysis produced a robust qualitative corpus and core themes.
WP4 – Training activities: targeted courses and conference participation strengthened methodological rigour, research ethics, creative/participatory methods and comparative insight, improving the quality and interpretability of results.
WP5 – Communication and dissemination: a coherent strategy sustained outreach through a dedicated website integrated with an institutional repository for non sensitive materials, an active social media channel, public talks and community workshops, and an open Educational Toolkit for schools and community settings. Exploitation focuses on practical uptake: the Toolkit is designed for immediate use by educators and NGOs; the website ensures sustained access to resources; and open access outputs support reuse in research and teaching. These channels jointly broadened reach among diasporic communities, practitioners, stakeholders, and scientific community as well, supporting continued use of the project’s concepts and tools beyond the project’s formal end.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project advances the objectives to understand interdiasporic cultural spaces – relational, hybrid settings where communities meet – and to provide comparative evidence of how memories circulate both within and across diasporas through two main outcomes. Firstly, whereas previous work often focused on single communities or abstract global trends, the project shows how concrete interactions between diasporas generate new forms of mnemonic exchange and solidarity, alongside tensions that require careful facilitation. Secondly, by integrating creative, performative and non verbal modalities into rigorous fieldwork, MEMODIAS offers practical tools for studying embodied memory and co producing knowledge with participants, bringing into view voices that conventional approaches can overlook.

The cross country comparison demonstrates how different socio political environments shape what is remembered, how it is shared, and which publics are addressed. This shift from single diaspora perspectives to a relational and interdiasporic focus specifies the conditions under which memories become resources for connection rather than division – notably the availability of safe spaces, trust building and culturally sensitive facilitation. The advances have ongoing wider societal implications and potential socio economic benefits: they point to the value of participatory cultural programmes and small scale civic initiatives that can be adopted by schools, libraries, museums and local community hubs; and they suggest that practical supports – such as language mediation, basic media training and practical support for community led activities – can measurably improve participation and inclusion. Potential users include researchers seeking robust comparative frameworks, educators and cultural organisations designing inclusive activities, community-leaders operating inside the diasporas, NGOs and journalists working with migrant and refugee communities, and policymakers interested in evidence based approaches to engaging hard to reach publics. The Educational Toolkit and the comparative framework are designed to be transferable to teaching, community practice and pilot actions, supporting further scientific exploitation and sustained societal impact across European and transnational contexts.

In-depth biographical interviews and creative participatory workshops

Final event presenting MEMODIAS results to an international audience

Participation in an international migration conference

Networking session with researchers and stakeholders during a thematic seminar

Memodias cover

Participants sharing and discussing their creative artifacts in a participatory workshop.