On Thursday 2 May 2019, Dr George Vital Zammit, Lecturer within the Department of Public Policy, presented a Paper at the Association for the Study of Nationalities Convention, held at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University, New York City.
The ASN World Convention, the largest international and inter-disciplinary scholarly gathering of its kind, welcomes proposals on a wide range of topics related to nationalism, ethnicity, ethnic conflict and national identity, as well as thematic sections on Nationalism Studies and Migration/Diasporas. Disciplines represented include political science, history, anthropology, sociology, international studies, security studies, geopolitics, area studies, economics, geography, sociolinguistics, literature, psychology, and related fields.
Dr Zammit participated in the panel Critical Issues on International Migration - Practical and Normative Considerations. His Paper discussed 'The comune versus the state: the Riace Model and the contours of migration policy conflict', wherein he assessed the migration model adopted by the little Calabrian village, led by the mayor Domenico Lucano. The model rests on two pillars; namely hospitality of migrants through social integration, and the revival of the village through economic regeneration. Lucano attracted both scorn and admiration; he was placed on house arrest and suspended from the village, but at the same listed as one of the most influential leaders, and nominated for the Nobel Prize. The conceptual framework proposed two theoretical streams: 1) central-local governmental relations; and 2) the tension in the implementation of migration policy.
Dr George Vital Zammit is currently a Fulbright Scholar at the School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University, Newark.