As the climate crisis accelerates, ecological degradation is making vast swaths of the planet uninhabitable. This slow-moving disaster is producing a wave of human displacement—millions forced from their homes by sea-level rise, drought, extreme weather, and environmental collapse. Yet those displaced are not being protected by the international legal system, and the countries most responsible for climate change are often the least willing to accept them. This paper argues that current frameworks around climate migration are both ethically and politically (...) insufficient. Legal definitions such as "refugee" and "migrant" fail to capture the structural violence and involuntary nature of climate displacement, leaving people unprotected and stateless. Through a synthesis of philosophical argument, legal analysis, feminist theory, and ecosocialist critique, I propose a reparative, justice-oriented approach to climate migration rooted in the concept of "ecologically displaced people." Building from the failures of adaptation and resilience narratives, this paper explores how the Global North must bear a disproportionate obligation to provide refuge, land, and rights to displaced people—grounded in both needs and culpability. It further examines the capitalist logic of borders as tools of exclusion and labor control, ultimately proposing No Border politics and mutual aid as radical, necessary alternatives to a collapsing global order. In doing so, the paper aligns with red-green political frameworks to advocate a collective, anti-capitalist response to the ecological and moral emergency of climate displacement. (shrink)

The article presents the innovatory understanding of the nomadic strategy of human being in the transitional condition. The aim of the article is to determine the role of the nomadic being way in the social group of internal migrants. It is substantiated, that aims and actions of a nomad are directed on creating new ways of realization and conceptualization of variants of nomadic being. It is explained, that a nomad doesn’t go by the way, offered by traditional types of activity, (...) but searches innovatory ways of realization, doesn’t stop on deciphering of traditionally existing being senses, but produces them him/herself. A subject, living in a space of “boundaries” is deprived of the settled comfort, he/she searches for a possibility of balance and harmony, social recognition and improvement of own life conditions in the movement and change. The culture of choice, formed by the logic of the modern market, gives a nomad resources for regulating the own freedom degree. Nomadic instruments correspond to the migrants’ way of life. Digital nomadism creates stimuli for the active life and adaptation to new conditions of different groups of migrants. (shrink)

MEDIA and humanitarian organizations inundate us with headlines and press releases decrying the “Global Refugee Crisis”, the “Syrian Refugee Crisis”, the “Mediterranean Migration Crisis”, the “2014 American Immigrant Crisis” and much more. Careers in academic and policy circles are built on analyzing and proposing solutions to migration crises. The representation of migration as a crisis is a default response to the challenges of human mobility. This default response is often misguided and harmful. This claim may seem odd or even perverse. (...) Why should we represent the forced displacement of millions of women, men, and children around the world as anything other than a crisis? Nonetheless, crisis is an evaluative term, representing an event as dangerous, difficult, and exceptional and often justifying drastic measures. In what follows, I identify four ways in which the representation of migration as a crisis is an abuse, mischaracterizing the nature of migration and harming migrants. I end with a series of remarks about when migrant crisis may be an appropriate label. (shrink)

This paper examines Bohdan Boichuk’s poetry by looking into the role his childhood memories played in forming his poetic imagination. Displaced by World War II, the poet displays a unique capacity to transcend his traumatic experiences by engaging in creative writing. Eyewitnessing war atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis does not destroy his belief in the healing power of poetry; on the contrary, it makes him appreciate poetry as the only existentially worthy enterprise. Invoking Gaston Bachelard’s classic work The Poetics of (...) Reveries: Childhood, Language, and the Cosmos, I argue that Boichuk’s vivid childhood memories, however painful they might be, helped him poetically recreate and reimagine fateful moments of his migrant life. (shrink)

Home and place are two interrelated concepts that have overlapping meanings. They are both referring to physical spaces that have meanings and feelings, spaces where common experiences shape and identities are formed. The concepts of home and place are intrinsically linked and are used interchangeably but the most important line that ties these two together is through the notion of belonging and attachment that bind individuals to meaningful spaces. However, there is a gap in the home and place literature about (...) understanding these meanings through negative attributes. This chapter explores the similarities and differences of home and place through negative experiences of two groups of vulnerable people: homeless people and migrants. In this chapter we examine how a lack of physical attachments leads to a lack of belonging and how, together, they create ruptures that ironically help to understanding of the meanings of home and place by separating them from the notion of space. The chapter acknowledges that not all places are called home and not all spaces have the capacity to be made into meaningful places, but that one must focus on the theoretical distinctions underpinning the two terms. The authors suggest that focusing on two vulnerable populations (migrants and homeless people) can offer a pathway towards a theoretical understanding of these two generic concepts. By examining the negative experiences of marginalization and exclusion, in relation to the meanings of home and place, the chapter discusses how negative experiences of displacement and homelessness can offer valuable insights into further theorization of the concepts of home and place. (shrink)

Gentrification can harm residents at a personal and emotional level, even when they are not physically displaced. Recognising these non-material harms as a source of wrongful ‘phenomenological displacement’ helps understanding why gentrification is unjust. But it also raises a challenge: similar harms are reported by communities that receive a large influx of needy migrants. If phenomenological displacement grounds injustice in gentrification, does it follow that mass incoming migration is also unjust? This is an unacceptable conclusion, insofar as hosting (...) needy migrants is a requirement of justice. Drawing from insights in the debate of affective injustice, I argue that while hosting needy migrants is a universal duty, the affective burdens linked to the fulfilment of this duty are often distributed unjustly. (shrink)

What is owed to individuals who find themselves in a stateless condition? This paper ad-dresses this question by providing a novel republican account of the human right to legal citizenship. I argue that such individuals are owed citizenship, and that this duty corre-sponding to their human right to legal citizenship falls primarily on the entire international community, and only derivatively on single states. I then show that those owed citizen-ship as a matter of human rights are not only the formally (...) stateless, but also, surprisingly, refugees, some displaced people and, arguably, some long-term migrants, too. This view improves the literature on human rights by showing that the standard view of states as primary duty-bearers, and international institutions as secondary duty-bearers only, needs improvement, for some duties correlated with human rights are primarily international. It also advances the debate in the political theory of migration on the duty to naturalize the formally and de facto stateless by clarifying this duty’s nature, grounds, scope, interna-tional dimension and implications. (shrink)

The ongoing refugee crisis is described as the most important concern since the Second World War, which has caused a great displacement of people. Many of these immigrants have been departing towards Mediterranean countries, as first-line states, seeking for a chance to enter Europe. This situation has created a challenging condition for many refugee accepting cities as well as for the migrants to get integrated within the new society. This fact has had a great influence on the sustainability condition (...) while the rapid and uncontrolled inflows can overwhelm the host countries' capacities to integrate new arrivals. In this regard, some European countries including Germany and Italy are coming about with strategies for accommodation and integration of these refugees in their countries. This paper aims to study and analyze two of the current case studies reflecting adaptive reuse strategies in European context for providing refugees' temporary housing facilities. In the context of this research, using the existing building stock introduced as the dominant strategy which can provide refugees with a proper shelter and also while providing the chance for their urban integration can contribute to revitalization of urban areas with the newcomers' participation. By analyzing the Berlin's largest refugee shelter inside Tempelhof Airport as the first case study, the major policies in Germany for providing refugee housing in national and local levels have been investigated. However, the second case study -Ex-Moi in Turin, is characteristically different from the case of Tempelhof airport of Berlin; since the refugees occupied the abandoned facility of the Olympic Village and settled down there. Regarding the fact that there is an urgent need for long-term policies and sustainable approaches to cope with the current refugee crisis, this research tries to shed a light on the path towards providing temporary housings by analyzing the challenges and opportunities of two different current case studies in Germany and Italy. (shrink)

-/- Globalization of Labor Supply: Impacts and Challenges -/- The globalization of labor supply is a significant feature of the modern global economy, profoundly shaping markets, industries, and the nature of work. This trend is driven by technological advances, the increasing mobility of workers, and the interconnectedness of economies. Labor supply globalization involves the integration of labor markets across borders, enabling businesses to access a diverse, global talent pool while workers can seek employment opportunities in new regions. While this phenomenon (...) offers economic advantages, it also brings about challenges and ethical considerations that must be addressed for a more equitable global workforce. -/- Drivers of Labor Supply Globalization -/- One of the primary drivers of labor supply globalization is offshoring and outsourcing. Companies, in their quest for reducing costs, often shift their production or services to countries with lower labor costs. This practice allows businesses in high-wage countries to remain competitive while capitalizing on cheaper labor in developing nations. For example, tech companies such as Apple and Microsoft outsource their customer support and tech support services to countries like India and the Philippines, where labor costs are significantly lower compared to the U.S. This shift has led to the rise of call centers and outsourcing hubs in these countries, where skilled workers provide services to global businesses. -/- Nike manufactures its products in Vietnam, China, and Indonesia, where labor costs are lower than in the U.S. This has allowed Nike to reduce production costs and offer more affordable products. Similarly, Apple’s assembly of iPhones occurs in China through its partnership with Foxconn, a major supplier based there. This practice is part of the company’s strategy to minimize labor expenses and maintain competitive pricing, which has sparked both criticism and admiration worldwide. -/- Another crucial factor in the globalization of labor is the increasing migration of workers. People are often motivated by the prospect of higher wages and better living conditions in economically developed countries. For instance, Mexican workers have migrated to the United States for decades, filling jobs in agriculture, construction, and hospitality industries. This migration has had a significant impact on both the economies of the U.S. and Mexico. Migrants from Central and Eastern Europe have similarly moved to Western European countries, particularly the UK, Germany, and France, to fill labor shortages in sectors like healthcare and manufacturing. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS), for example, relies heavily on healthcare professionals from countries like India, Philippines, and Poland. In fact, about 13% of NHS staff in the UK are foreign-born. -/- Additionally, migrants send remittances back home, which play a vital role in the economic development of their countries of origin. According to the World Bank, remittances from migrant workers in 2020 totaled over $540 billion globally, supporting families and contributing to poverty reduction. India and Mexico are among the top countries that receive remittances from migrants, with Indian workers abroad sending $83 billion back home in 2020 alone. -/- Technological advancements have further accelerated labor supply globalization. The rise of remote work and digital platforms has allowed workers to access job opportunities across the globe without needing to leave their countries. This trend is particularly prominent in knowledge-based industries such as information technology, finance, and marketing. For example, platforms like Upwork and Freelancer enable workers from countries like Pakistan, Ukraine, and Kenya to connect with clients in North America and Western Europe, offering services in areas such as software development, graphic design, and digital marketing. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for remote work, leading companies worldwide to embrace the flexibility of hiring international talent. Companies like Shopify, Twitter, and Facebook shifted to remote-first models, opening up opportunities for workers worldwide. -/- Impacts on the Global Economy -/- The globalization of labor supply has brought about both positive and negative impacts, especially in terms of economic growth and the redistribution of wealth. On the one hand, it has provided businesses with access to a larger pool of labor, which can increase efficiency, reduce production costs, and foster economic growth. Companies can outsource certain tasks to countries where labor is cheaper, allowing them to allocate resources toward higher-value work in their home countries. For instance, Nike manufactures its products in Vietnam, China, and Indonesia, where labor costs are significantly lower than In the U.S. This has allowed the company to reduce production costs and offer more affordable products, benefiting both the company and consumers. Similarly, Amazon has outsourced a significant portion of its customer support functions to regions such as India and Brazil, where labor costs are more affordable. -/- Moreover, the migration of workers and the subsequent remittances they send back home contribute to poverty alleviation in developing countries. Remittances are often a lifeline for families in low-income nations, improving their access to education, healthcare, and housing. For example, India and China are among the largest recipients of remittances, with millions of migrant workers in the Middle East and North America sending money back to their families. In 2020, India received approximately $83 billion in remittances, according to the World Bank. -/- However, the globalization of labor has also led to increased wage disparity and job insecurity in many industries. In developed countries, businesses that offshore jobs to countries with cheaper labor have led to significant job losses in sectors like manufacturing, customer service, and call centers. For example, in the U.S., the offshoring of manufacturing jobs to countries like China has been linked to the decline of the domestic manufacturing sector. In 2017, the Economic Policy Institute reported that U.S. workers had lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs due to trade with China alone. -/- This phenomenon has sparked debates over the fairness of globalization, as workers in wealthier countries face stagnant wages or job displacement, while workers in lower-wage countries may be exploited with poor working conditions or inadequate compensation. The Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh in 2013, which killed over 1,100 garment workers, is a stark reminder of the exploitation that can occur in global supply chains. Companies like Walmart and H&M had their products manufactured in the Rana Plaza factory, sparking global outrage and highlighting the risks faced by workers in low-cost production hubs. -/- Additionally, labor rights and standards vary significantly between countries. In developed economies, labor laws and worker protections tend to be stronger, while in developing nations, workers often face exploitation, unsafe working conditions, and lack of benefits. This discrepancy has raised ethical concerns about the treatment of workers in global supply chains, especially in industries like textiles, electronics, and agriculture. For instance, in Apple’s supply chain, there have been reports of workers facing harsh conditions and long hours at factories in China, leading to calls for reform and greater transparency. -/- Addressing the Challenges of Labor Supply Globalization -/- To mitigate the negative effects of labor supply globalization, it is essential to implement policies that promote fair wages, worker rights, and social protections. Governments and international organizations must work together to ensure that workers in all countries, regardless of their location or industry, are afforded basic labor rights and protections. For example, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has established global labor standards to improve working conditions and protect workers’ rights worldwide. These standards aim to ensure fair wages, safety, and decent working conditions for workers in all sectors. -/- One potential solution is the establishment of global labor standards that set minimum requirements for wages, working conditions, and benefits for workers in all countries. International agreements and treaties could help ensure that workers in lower-income countries are not subject to exploitation, and that companies that benefit from globalization are held accountable for the welfare of their employees. Additionally, businesses must embrace corporate social responsibility (CSR), ensuring that their supply chains adhere to ethical labor practices and contribute to local economic development. For example, companies like Patagonia and Fair Trade USA have committed to ethical sourcing practices, ensuring that workers in their supply chains are treated fairly and paid a living wage. -/- Another solution involves supporting workers who may face job displacement due to outsourcing or automation. Governments can invest in education and retraining programs, enabling workers to acquire new skills that are in demand in the global economy. For example, the European Union has invested in programs that retrain workers in sectors like manufacturing and coal mining, helping them transition to new jobs in renewable energy and technology. By providing access to lifelong learning and career development, workers can better adapt to changing job markets and enhance their employability. -/- Conclusion -/- Labor supply globalization is a defining feature of the modern world, reshaping how businesses operate and how workers engage with the global economy. It has brought about opportunities for economic growth, poverty reduction, and increased efficiency. However, it has also introduced significant challenges, including wage inequality, job insecurity, and labor exploitation. To ensure that the benefits of labor globalization are shared equitably, governments, businesses, and international organizations must take proactive steps to address these issues. By promoting fair labor practices, protecting workers’ rights, and investing in education and retraining, we can create a more inclusive and sustainable global labor market. -/- . (shrink)

This article analyses first person memories in relation to objects as documented in Belongings, an online exhibition curated through the NSW Migration Heritage Centre. It explores the role of objects in recreating domestic geographies in the process of migration, using the Italian anthropologist Ernesto De Martino’s notion of ‘crisis of presence’ as the moment when familiar objects become unfamiliar or uncanny by losing their relation with the web of domestic uses, habits, sense of belonging, and cultural memories. In this crisis, (...) objects acquire new layers of meaning entangled in the loss and re-creation of entire life-worlds, relational universes, senses of place, ‘homes’. Taking Belongings as its case study, this article argues that objects enable the telling and performance of displacement from one place and regrounding in another one as a continuum of affective, embodied and political experiences that question the separation between being at home and being a migrant. (shrink)

Palawan is a land of promise, and of paradox. On maps, it appears on the edge of the Philippines, isolated. Indeed, it is a kind of last frontier. Its population remained tiny for centuries, the government offering homestead land in the 1950s practically for free to attract migrants from outside. The Palawan State University was established by law in 1965, but did not become operational until 1972. A commercial airport did not exist until the 1980s, and for many years, flights (...) were limited. Yet Palawan is one of the oldest sites of human habitation in the Philippines with the famous Tabon Cave human fossils. The oldest bone fragment here has been dated to be about 47,000 years. We know, too, that trade with China goes back several centuries. Today, Palawan seems to be making up for lost time with new commercial investments pouring in at breakneck speed. In particular, outsiders have rediscovered its potentials around logging, mining, fisheries, and tourism. This has caused concern among individuals and civil society organizations who want sustainable development, and see the commercial developments mainly as extractive, not just of natural resources but of the human. There’s very cheap labor available. And when potential investors marvel about cheap land, they’re actually talking about displacing earlier settlers, including indigenous people, from their lands. A subtle but still insidious aspect of the exploitation of human resources is a transformation of the very concept of human development. Using the rhetoric of modernity, residents in Palawan are reorienting the way they view themselves as well as their families and friends. The value of a human being now hinges on how they look, and the desired appearance is defined from the outside, as we see in this anthology of research reports coming from the Chemical Youth project of the University of Amsterdam and the University of the Philippines Diliman. We read about the importance of fair skin as a projection of cleanliness, of high social status (meaning someone not engaged in manual labor and therefore not exposed to the sun). We read of how “femininity” is defined around body contours, and cosmetics, and how hormones are used by male-to-female transgenders. We go beyond the visual, reading about the importance of controlling or enhancing body odors among tour guides, who interestingly are especially concerned about the bad odor management of their foreign customers, using car perfumes to keep their work manageable and we learn how difficult it is for security guards to stay alert during their long shifts. Energy drinks and cigarettes help them perform their duties. All these transformations through what the French philosopher and historian Michel Foucault has called “technologies of the self” are as paradoxical as Palawan. On the surface, the products—which are technologies—seem to be mainly in the realm of the self but are, in reality, pushed, through marketing, from the outside, in contexts of inequality and exploitative labour relations. Personal aspirations are not personal but are for predefined standards of modernity, related to work-related demands and expectations. The self must be made presentable to the tourist, to the customers in malls, and to those who may threaten the properties that young people protect. It is not surprising that these transformations become problematic for the “self.” The skin whiteners, the hormones, the body deodorants, and the energy drinks are expensive and can distort budgetary priorities. The money for tonic drinks, for example, could well go into more nutritious food. The tragedy, too, many of the products used are of doubtful safety and efficacy. Even the energy drinks have much too high levels of caffeine that can cause cardiac palpitations. Cosmetics and the skin whiteners imported from China and unregistered with the Food and Drug Administration may contain toxic chemicals like mercury. But even registered skin whiteners can be problematic, their so-called “skin-whitening effect” coming about because they take away the upper layers of the skin, leaving behind a red glow (seen as “whitening”) which is actually inflammation. The whitened skin fails to protect against the sun, leading to adverse effects such as black spots. Ultimately though, the problems come with the very definition of the self. As the reports show, young people use the chemicals with some ambivalence, knowing how expensive they are and experiencing some of the undesirable side effects. There is, too, doubt about whether what they’re doing is indeed “good,” captured by how IP women will put on cosmetics only when they’re away from home and about to go to work. The cosmetics have to be removed before they return home because they are not socially acceptable. The research reports are not for Palawan alone. It must make us more critical and discerning as we revisit concepts of development and exploitation, modernity and tradition, self and community. The chemicals, in many ways, are like the products used in precolonial barter trade. For the Chinese, the beeswax and the sea cucumbers, for the inhabitants of Palawan the ceramics, represented faraway lands. To have those products gave prestige. Today, the skin whiteners and tonic drinks and other chemicals described in this anthology represent modernity with promises of not just of a more attractive self, but of better jobs, a better life. We are proud to have worked with the Palawan State University, and the people of Palawan, to gather powerful narratives that will now challenge the outside, the purveyors of modernity, to be more critical and discerning, the chemicals now to be seen not just as stuff applied to the biological body, but as powerful shapers of social bodies. (shrink)

We use the myth of Pygmalion as a lens to investigate and frame the relationship between women and artificial intelligence (AI). Pygmalion was a legendary ancient king of Cyprus and sculptor. Having been repulsed by women, he used his skills to create a statue, which was imbued with life by the goddess Aphrodite. This can be seen as one of the primordial AI-like myths, wherein humanity creates intelligent life-like self-images to reproduce or replace ourselves. In addition, the myth prefigures historical (...) and present gendered dynamics within the field of AI and between AI and society at large. Throughout history, the theme of women being replaced by inanimate objects (e.g. automata, algorithms) has been repeated, and continues to repeat in contemporary AI technologies. However, this socially detrimental pattern in technology — what we dub Pygmalion displacement — is often overlooked, whether due to naive excitement about new developments, or due to an unacknowledged sexist history of the field itself. As we demonstrate herein, Pygmalion displacement prefigures heavily, but in an unacknowledged way, in the original Turing test, the imitation game: a central thought experiment, foundational to AI. With women, and the feminine generally, being both dislocated and erased from and by technology, AI is and has been (presented as) created mainly by privileged men, subserving capitalist patriarchal ends. This poses serious dangers to women and other marginalised people. By tracing the historical and ongoing entwinement of femininity (from a patriarchal perspective) and AI, we aim to understand, make visible, and start a dialogue on the ways in which AI harms women. (shrink)

Aesthetic Displacement Theory A Treatise on Witness, Alteration, and the Irreversible Encounter -/- By Dorian Vale -/- Not all displacement is spatial. Some begins the moment a work is truly witnessed — and cannot return to what it was. -/- -/- In this seminal treatise, Dorian Vale introduces Aesthetic Displacement Theory, a core pillar within the Post-Interpretive Movement. This theory argues that the true aesthetic event is not the artwork itself, nor even its creation — but the (...) irreversible alteration that occurs at the moment of witness. Once seen with moral proximity, a work can no longer be what it was before. And neither can the viewer. -/- -/- Drawing from principles of ontology, phenomenology, and ethical custodianship, Vale positions displacement not as a detour from essence, but as a confirmation of encounter. The aesthetic, here, is not defined by beauty, but by its power to alter what it touches without claiming it. Witness becomes both method and consequence. -/- -/- This treatise offers a comprehensive philosophy for critics, curators, and custodians of art who seek to honor the sacred instability that occurs when meaning is not extracted — but absorbed through presence. -/- -/- Aesthetic Displacement Theory is not an addition to aesthetics. -/- It is a recalibration of its purpose. -/- To displace without owning. -/- To alter without interpreting. -/- To remain present in the moment a work becomes unreturnable. -/- Dorian Vale is a chosen pseudonym, not to obscure identity, but to preserve clarity of voice and integrity of message. It creates distance between the writer and the work, allowing the philosophy to stand unclouded by biography. The name exists not to hide, but to honor the seriousness of the task: to speak without spectacle, and to build without needing to be seen. -/- Dorian Vale is the pseudonym of the author and theorist behind the Post-Interpretive Movement and the Museum of One. This name is used for all official publications, essays, and theoretical works indexed through DOI-linked repositories including Zenodo, OSF, PhilPapers, and SSRN. -/- Aesthetic Displacement Theory, Dorian Vale, Post-Interpretive Criticism, art philosophy, witness-based criticism, non-interpretive aesthetics, phenomenology of art, ethical art encounter, irreversible art experience, viewer transformation, aesthetic ontology, presence in art, sacred aesthetics, non-possessive criticism, moral proximity in aesthetics, trauma and displacement in art, post-critical theory, alterity in art, aesthetic event philosophy, witnessing art without interpretation -/- This entry is connected to a series of original theories and treatises forming the foundation of the Post-Interpretive Criticism movement (Q136308909), authored by Dorian Vale (Q136308916) and published by Museum of One (Q136308879). These include: Stillmark Theory (Q136328254), Hauntmark Theory (Q136328273), Absential Aesthetic Theory (Q136328330), Viewer-as-Evidence Theory (Q136328828), Message-Transfer Theory (Q136329002), Aesthetic Displacement Theory (Q136329014), Theory of Misplacement (Q136329054), and Art as Truth: A Treatise (Q136329071), Aesthetic Recursion Theory (Q136339843), The Journal of Post-Interpretive Criticism (Q136530009) . (shrink)

Entry point: Free Will Without Metaphysical Magic (++++ ≠ +++=) -/- Many modern debates treat causal explanation as if it displaces responsibility: as neuroscience, psychology, incentives, trauma, and “systems” explain behaviour more fully, agency is assumed to shrink. This paper identifies that inference as the Displacement Fallacy. Resolution Theory blocks it by separating verdict-types. Explanation answers how a decision came about; attribution answers where deliberation closed into action—where evaluation resolved into commitment within an integrated agent or sponsoring chain. Explanation (...) can become arbitrarily detailed without ever summing into authorship, because authorship is not a causal remainder but a closure verdict in a control architecture. Fixing this interface dissolves familiar confusions across free will, addiction and compulsion, institutional failure, and AI ethics: bypass remains rare, most impairment is distortion with mitigation, and “the system did it” stops functioning as a responsibility solvent. The result is a responsibility framework stable under determinism that scales from persons to institutions and artificial systems. (shrink)

This paper sets out a research agenda for a political theory of climate displacement, by critically examining one prominent proposal—the idea of a normative status for ‘climate refugees’—and by proposing an alternative. Drawing on empirical work on climate displacement, I show that the concept of the climate refugee obscures the complexity and heterogeneity of climate displacement. I argue that, because of this complexity and heterogeneity, approaches to climate displacement that put the concept of the climate refugee (...) at their centre will fail to treat like cases alike and relevantly different cases differently. In response to these failings, I outline an alternative—the pluralist theory of climate displacement—which confronts the specific challenges that climate displacement poses in different practical and institutional contexts, whilst also treating climate displacement as a unified phenomenon at the second-order level of burden-sharing. (shrink)

The increasing prevalence of climate change and its multifaceted effects on global ecosystems and human livelihoods have sparked widespread concern in recent decades. Recent studies reveal a disproportionately severe impact of climate change on developing nations, where environmental crises such as flooding, droughts, and deforestation exacerbate poverty and social instability. These studies also expose the ethical dimensions of global environmental responsibility, particularly the role of industrialized nations in contributing to and addressing the climate crisis. Thispaper explores the intersection of climate (...) change and internal displacement, focusing on Nigeria as a case study to highlight the vulnerabilities faced by developing nations. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the ethical responsibility of Western nations in mitigating the environmental crises that lead to displacement and social suffering in vulnerable regions. It argues that the West has a remedial responsibility, as conceptualized by David Miller, to address these issues due to its historical and ongoing contributions to global environmental degradation. Using the method of critical analysis to investigate the link between climate change, internal displacement, and global justice, this paper contends that equitable solutions to climate change must integrate principles of justice, global cooperation, and sustainable development to alleviate the burdens faced by vulnerable populations. (shrink)

Many economists have argued convincingly that automated systems employing present-day artificial intelligence have already caused massive technological displacement, which has led to stagnant real wages, fewer middle- income jobs, and increased economic inequality in developed countries like Canada and the United States. To address this problem various individuals have proposed measures to increase workers’ living standards, including the adoption of a universal basic income, increased public investment in education, increased minimum wages, increased worker control of firms, and investment in (...) a Green New Deal that will provide substantial employment in transitioning to green energy, buildings, and agriculture. In this paper I argue that both left-wing and right-wing positions in political philosophy, such as John Rawls’s Justice as Fairness and Robert Nozick’s Entitlement Theory, are committed to the conclusion that we should take political action to counteract the effects of technological displacement by undertaking such measures to increase workers’ living standards. (shrink)

The U.S. doctrine of employment-at-will, modified legislatively for protected groups, is being less harshly applied to managerial personnel. Comparable compensation is not otherwise available in the U.S. to workers displaced by technology. Nine pairs of arguments are presented to show how fundamentally management and labor disagree about a company's responsibility for its former employees. These arguments, born of years of labor-management debate, are kaleidoscopic claims about which side has what power. Ultimately, however, not even both together can solve without creative (...) public intervention the emerging problem of massive technological unemployment — the other side of the corporate dream of profit without payrolls. (Originally published as "Displaced Workers: Whose Responsibility?" in Social Policy and Conflict Resolution, eds. T. Attig, D. Callen, and R.G. Frey, Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green Studies in Applied Philosophy VI, 1984.). (shrink)

As a way of identifying factors that come into play in determining responsibility for displaced workers, author reviews a number of well known arguments for or against responsibility on the part of diverse actors in society. Key figures in this search for responsibility are corporations, unions, and government. No definitive responsibility is asserted.

The verb 'imagine' admits of perspectival modification: we can imagine things from above, from a distant point of view, or from the point of view of a Russian. But in such cases, there need be no person, either real or imagined, who is above or distant from what is imagined, or who has the point of view of a Russian. We call this the puzzle of perspectival displacement. This paper sets out the puzzle, shows how it does not just (...) concern language, but also states of imagining themselves, and then presents a solution. The solution draws on the idea that many reports of imagining conceal a distinctive kind of question, and such concealed questions have an extra argument place for (what we will call) an experiencer from whose perspective things are imagined. This solution has a range of advantages over other proposals in the literature, and helps to advance two debates concerning perspectival engagement with fiction. (shrink)

In this survey article, I discuss the variety of ways in which language allows us to talk about the future. Topics discussed include how the category of predictive expressions broadly understood relates to the syntactic category of tense; what it means to say that a language does not have tense; how predictiveness relates to modality; and finally technical issue concerning the scope of negation in a semantics that is capable of shifting evaluation towards the future.

Perry and Recanati have argued that thought and speech can concern entities that they do not represent. This is possible because speakers and thinkers are pragmatically situated within their environs. I argue that thought and speech can go much farther than that. Consider a semi‐nomadic tribe who tell the time only by sundials, and who say such things as, “Everywhere we go, we dine at 7”. Their speech and cognition can thus transcend the local environment, and concern remote entities without (...) the aid of either representation, or the context of utterance, or that of assessment. (shrink)

The term inday implies two possible meanings depending on where one is in the Philippines. In the Luzon group of islands, more specifically in Metro Manila, inday refers to the female help, usually of Visayan descent. On the other hand, in the Visayas and Mindanao group of islands, inday is a term used for endearment and respect for female family members, friends, and women of influence. What this paper aims to do is to provide a theoretical grounding, through oppositional gazing, (...) of why the term inday oscillates between varied definitions in the context of placism or discrimination of people based on where they (used to) live or where they come from, and displacement or the movement of something (in this case, someone) from one’s place. Furthermore, it shows the role that the term inday plays in the complex web of oppressive realities given the actuality of inday’s membership in marginalized groups. Finally, it explores ways of how one can recover the endearment for inday despite placist culture. (shrink)

How does one know the phenomenal character of one’s own experience? I aim to present and defend a new view of the epistemology of qualia that addresses this issue. My view results from a reworking of Dretske’s displaced perception model. The guiding line is the key Wittgensteinian insight of his Private Language Argument, namely the claim that no inner perception of qualia can justify our corresponding qualia-beliefs. My reworking of the original model starts with the rejection of Dretske’s representationalism, as (...) well as any other metaphysical views about the ultimate nature of qualia. The reworking of the displaced perception model I am proposing is supposed to be compatible with any available meta- physical view on qualia. The second step consists of rejecting the epistemological misgivings of the original model, namely the view that knowing qualia requires “connecting beliefs” along with “meta-representations.” Yet, Dretske’s crucial mistake has been to force knowledge of qualia into the “belief-box.” As a matter of fact, there is only one belief involved in intro- specting qualia, namely the qualia-belief itself. The third final step is this. Assuming the key Wittgensteinian insight, I argue that introspection of qualia is a process that is both epis- temically reliable and automatic. It is reliable because it dispenses with justification of any beliefs whatsoever. Moreover, it is automatic because it also dispenses with reflexive con- necting beliefs. For example, it takes nonconceptual awareness of the color blue as an input and automatically yields the belief that phenomenal blue is the conscious character of my experience of the sky as an output just by employing the concept BLUE. (shrink)

Raymond Carver's stories have received many labels: minimalism, K-mart fiction, low-rent tragedy, neo-realism. Paring language, plot, and characterization to the bone, Carver concentrates his stories on instances of judgment and choice. These climactic moments affect not only the characters, but also the reader, who is called to fill the gaps in the text. The gaps generally show the unrelatedness of the characters' responses to the situations in which they find themselves. Relying on formulae, concepts, and rules taken for granted as (...) common knowledge, Carver's characters make choices and judgments which reveal the displacement of their consciousness of themselves and of the world. In trying to fill the gaps, the reader finds himself/herself in the same stance of making judgments and choices, and of looking at his/her own displacement. This predicament is more poignantly conveyed in the early stories, collected in Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?, Furious Seasons, and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, since Carver writes about people "on the other side of the tracks," that is, on the edges of the sites of power and decisions. Bartenders, wage workers, and salespeople, Carver's characters in these early stories see their lives always threatened by joblessness, bankruptcy, and homelessness. In the later stories, collected in Cathedral and Where I'm Calling From, Carver explores possibilities in conversation, storytelling, and rituals that celebrate the here and now of each occasion and allow the merging of voices and feelings that places the individual's consciousness in the world. (shrink)

How does one know the phenomenal character of one’s own experience? I aim to present and defend a new view of the epistemology of qualia that addresses this issue. My view results from a reworking of Dretske’s displaced perception model. The guiding line is the key Wittgensteinian insight of his Private Language Argument, namely the claim that no inner perception of qualia can justify our corresponding qualia beliefs. My reworking of the original model starts with the rejection of Dretske’s representationalism, (...) as well as any other metaphysical views about the ultimate nature of qualia. The reworking of the displaced perception model I am proposing is supposed to be compatible with any available metaphysical view on qualia. The second step consists of rejecting the epistemological misgivings of the original model, namely the view that knowing qualia requires “connecting beliefs” along with “meta-representations.” Yet, Dretske’s crucial mistake has been to force knowledge of qualia into the “belief-box.” As a matter of fact, there is only one belief involved in introspecting qualia, namely the qualia-belief itself. The third final step is this. Assuming the key Wittgensteinian insight, I argue that introspection of qualia is a process that is both epis- temically reliable and automatic. It is reliable because it dispenses with justification of any beliefs whatsoever. Moreover, it is automatic because it also dispenses with reflexive connecting beliefs. For example, it takes nonconceptual awareness of the color blue as an input and automatically yields the belief that phenomenal blue is the conscious character of my experience of the sky as an output just by employing the concept BLUE. (shrink)

This paper presents a novel interpretation of Zeno's Achilles paradox through direct textual analysis of Aristotle's Physics (239b14–18). We argue that the paradox's recursive logic reveals a structure of 'displaced presence' whereby sequential exclusivity prevents spatiotemporal co-occupation. Unlike interpretations that import modern mathematical concepts foreign to 5th century BCE thought, our reading requires only concepts demonstrably available to ancient Greeks: exclusive spatial occupation, temporal sequence, and observable pursuit dynamics. We make no claims about Zeno's intentions but analyse what the paradox's (...) logic necessarily implies. A new line of evidence is introduced: Aristotle's own chain of definitions in Physics V.3 (226b34–227a17), distinguishing successive (ἐφεξῆς), contiguous (ἐχόμενον), and continuous (συνεχές) relations, formally describes the very structure the Achilles paradox exploits, a relation locked in succession that can never become contiguity. This approach opens philosophical inquiry rather than dissolving the paradox through anachronistic frameworks. (shrink)

Fifteen large language models from five provider families were tested on a 10-item narrative interpretation instrument under baseline conditions and again after random assignment to one of two spoiler prompts: anti-bias (reinforcing accuracy; n = 8) or forensic (probing reasoning; n = 7). The forensic condition produced a significantly higher response change rate (37.1% vs 12.5%; χ²(1) = 12.43, p <.001) with changes overwhelmingly directed away from the baseline consensus basin (96.0% of non-ambiguous forensic changes; Fisher's exact p =.002, OR (...) = 30.0). The model-level comparison of raw change counts was marginal (t(9.4) = 2.24, p ≈.053), but net basin displacement — which accounts for direction — was significant (t(6.5) = 3.08, p =.020, d = 1.70). Only two items (Q2, Q3) were completely resistant to both conditions; notably, both involve structural power logic. Five items with 100% baseline consensus showed markedly different forensic vulnerability (0% to 57%), confirming that basin depth is independent of basin width. No model-family clustering was detected. Forensic displacements were directionally consistent within items, with models converging on the same alternative answer — suggesting that forensic prompts activate specific latent attractors7,9,15 rather than introducing random perturbation. One item (Q5) showed systematic divergence between LLM consensus and the intended answer, consistent with prior findings on text-minimal versus theory-of-mind inference styles. (shrink)

It is now widely expected that climate change will be serious enough that a very large number of people will be displaced from their homes because of events relating to or resulting from climate change. Such events may include rising sea levels (and resulting increased salination of ground water), stronger hurricanes and tropical storms, drought, floods, increased and more intense wildfires, and other extreme or (previously) unusual weather events. Although estimates vary widely, it seems very likely that many millions of (...) people—perhaps hundreds of millions if sufficient precautions are not taken—will be forced from their homes by these events related to climate change. In the public imagination, much of the attention has been on ‘climate refugees’, where this is taken to mean people who have crossed borders. However, there is good reason to believe that a very large percentage—probably a significant majority—of displacement resulting from climate change will be, or could be, internal. In this chapter I argue that there are likely to be a large number of cases where internal displacement related to climate change is of international concern, and where, therefore, states have significant moral reasons to provide assistance, either directly to those displaced, or else to the state in which the displacement has taken place. My claim is that internal displacement arising from climate change is of international concern and so grounds a duty of aid by states able to provide it, when this displacement threatens the basic human rights of those displaced, and when the local or domestic government cannot or will not take the necessary steps to meet the needs and protect the rights of those who are displaced. (The uploaded version of this paper is an uncorrected proof. Please cite and refer to the published version.). (shrink)

This paper interprets Salvador Dalí’s The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory as a structural critique of modern urban cognition, temporal domination, and the existential displacement produced by industrial society. Where traditional analyses read the fragmented blocks in the composition as references to nuclear physics, I argue instead that Dalí depicts the perceptual architecture of urban life: a world in which buildings, windows, and environments are not understood but processed as repetitive, interchangeable symbols. These segmented forms reflect the collapse (...) of qualitative experience into quantized perceptual units. -/- The melting clocks are examined as visual metaphors for the tyranny of industrial time. Far from surreal symbols, they represent the inescapable pressure of schedules, productivity, and the requirement to justify even rest through social approval. In Dalí’s visual narrative, time does not “flow”—it dominates. -/- The distant landscape functions as a phenomenological horizon: a natural world visible yet inaccessible, producing a persistent longing that urban consciousness cannot resolve. The beached fish at the center, interpreted as a self-portrait, embodies Dalí’s recognition of his own displacement—an observer whose honesty about reality forces him into a position of existential exile. -/- I argue that the painting should be read not as a fantasy but as a hyperfaithful representation of modern experience. Its “surrealism” lies not in its distortion of reality, but in its revelation of the cognitive structures that organize contemporary life. Dalí exposes the madness of a world that mistakes its own pathological normality for sanity. (shrink)

The flame displacement speed is one of the major characteristics in turbulent premixed flames. The flame displacement speed is experimentally obtained from the displacement normal to the flame surface, while it is numerically evaluated by the transport equation of the flame surface. The flame displacement speeds obtained both experimentally and numerically cannot be compared directly because their definitions are different. In this study, two kinds of experimental flame displacement speeds—involving the mean inflow velocity and the (...) local flow velocity—were simulated using the DNS data with the different Lewis numbers, and were compared with the numerical flame displacement speed. The simulated experimental flame displacement speed involving the mean inflow velocity had no correlation with the numerical flame displacement speed, while the simulated displacement speed involving the local flow velocity had a clear correlation with the numerical displacement speed in the cases of higher Lewis number than unity. The correlation coefficient of the simulated displacement speed involving the local flow velocity with the numerical displacement speed had a maximum value on the isosurface of the reaction progress variable with the maximum temperature gradient where the dilation effect of the flame is strongest. (shrink)

Despite a heavy philosophical focus on issues pertaining to immigration, little discussion is taken up that examines the duties we owe to migrant children. This article works to bridge the gap between global justice literature and work on children’s autonomy and well-being. To capture what migrant children experience in the context of immigration and detention, the article examines the conditions on the island country of Nauru, where at least 222 migrant children experienced detention between the years of (...) 2013 and 2019. Using this lived experience as an example, the article argues that we owe children specific positive duties, which are further supported by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Throughout this article, the aim is to indicate how migrant children occupy a particularly vulnerable and nonautonomous status in the context of detention. Because of this, children are owed especially weighty positive duties that are not discussed in the current global justice literature. (shrink)

This paper applies the Human Rights+ framework through a reflexive single-case design, examining how institutional processes in a high-income country can produce invisible displacement through structural recognition failure. Building on Harm Attribution Gap (HAG) Theory, it explores how bureaucratic and administrative systems can perpetuate harm while maintaining an appearance of procedural legitimacy. Using reflexive qualitative analysis, the study identifies mechanisms of institutional attrition, where individuals are gradually displaced not by physical force but by systemic exclusion, epistemic invalidation, and administrative (...) inertia. The findings reveal that institutional harm emerges when accountability systems prioritize formal compliance over perceptual justice, leaving significant forms of harm socially unrecognized. This paper contributes to the growing conceptual foundation of Human Rights+ by empirically demonstrating how Harm Attribution Gaps function within advanced institutional contexts, and by outlining pathways toward recognition, accountability, and preventive governance. (shrink)

Message Transfer Theory (MTT) A Treatise on the Reversal of Meaning, the Displacement of Intent, and the Object as Conduit -/- By Dorian Vale -/- What happens when the message no longer belongs to the maker? -/- -/- In this defining treatise, Dorian Vale introduces Message Transfer Theory (MTT) — a foundational pillar of the Post-Interpretive Movement that reorients our understanding of the art object as a conduit, not a container. Rather than treating artworks as stable vessels of artist (...) intent, MTT proposes that meaning is displaced, reversed, or even transferred entirely — not during creation, but at the moment of reception. -/- -/- Here, the object becomes a threshold. It does not hold meaning — it reroutes it. The artist initiates a signal, but the work lives on in the shifts, slippages, and interruptions that occur in its wake. This theory explains how art can haunt, harm, heal, or transform in ways the artist never imagined — and how the critic’s attempt to reassert original intent is often an act of aesthetic erasure. -/- -/- Drawing from theories of semiotics, trauma transmission, media studies, and sacred encounter, this treatise reframes the artwork as a relational event. It introduces new terms into the Post-Interpretive Lexicon — including Conduit Object, Transfer Shock, Residue Receiver, and Reversal Gaze — each articulating a more fluid, ethical understanding of art’s unpredictable passage between maker, medium, and witness. -/- -/- If the artist is the sender, and the viewer the receiver, then Message Transfer Theory is the study of what the artwork becomes when neither controls the signal anymore. -/- -/- Message Transfer Theory, Dorian Vale, Post-Interpretive Criticism, art theory, meaning displacement, semiotics of art, art as conduit, reversal of intent, artist intent in art criticism, object-oriented aesthetics, aesthetic transmission, art reception theory, sacred encounter in art, trauma and art reception, relational aesthetics, affective transfer in art, conduit object, interpretive slippage, signal and residue in art, phenomenology of viewing, post-criticism philosophy -/- This entry is connected to a series of original theories and treatises forming the foundation of the Post-Interpretive Criticism movement (Q136308909), authored by Dorian Vale (Q136308916) and published by Museum of One (Q136308879). These include: Stillmark Theory (Q136328254), Hauntmark Theory (Q136328273), Absential Aesthetic Theory (Q136328330), Viewer-as-Evidence Theory (Q136328828), Message-Transfer Theory (Q136329002), Aesthetic Displacement Theory (Q136329014), Theory of Misplacement (Q136329054), and Art as Truth: A Treatise (Q136329071), Aesthetic Recursion Theory (Q136339843), The Journal of Post-Interpretive Criticism (Q136530009) . (shrink)

The Mamasapano Incident of January 25, 2015, marked a tragic episode in Philippine history, stemming from an operation aimed at neutralizing the suspected international terrorist, Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan. This operation, conducted by the Philippine National Police – Special Armed Forces (PNP-SAF), led to clashes resulting in casualties from both the SAF and MILF/BIFF members, as well as civilians, and the displacement of local residents. While the incident garnered national attention and spurred investigations primarily focused on (...) the casualties and political ramifications, the plight of the displaced civilians received inadequate scrutiny. Motivated by the impact on families associated with MSU – Maguindanao, situated near the conflict zone, this research delves into the conditions faced by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the aftermath of the Mamasapano Incident. By exploring the experiences of these respondents, the study contributes to the broader understanding of IDPs and the detrimental effects of armed conflict on society. Moreover, it aims to identify opportunities for mitigating such conflicts. The research objectives encompass examining the evacuation experiences, soliciting suggestions for supporting affected communities during times of conflict, and understanding the challenges faced by IDPs and coping mechanisms. Through an exploratory approach, the study investigates firsthand accounts of evacuation and post-return experiences in Mamasapano, Mindanao, Philippines. Findings reveal that during evacuation, respondents received basic assistance such as food, water, medicine, and clothing from various agencies, yet essential facilities like proper sanitation were lacking. Challenges encountered include food scarcity, inadequate water supply, overcrowding, and health issues. Upon return, observations of increased security presence and dwindling assistance highlighted the enduring impact of the incident on social, economic, educational, and health aspects of the community. In summary, this research sheds light on the overlooked plight of IDPs affected by the Mamasapano Incident, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive support and interventions to address their multifaceted challenges and facilitate sustainable recovery. (shrink)

This book offers a much-needed new political theory of an old phenomenon. The last decade alone has marked the highest number of migrations in recorded history. Constrained by environmental, economic, and political instability, scores of people are on the move. But other sorts of changes—from global tourism to undocumented labor—have led to the fact that to some extent, we are all becoming migrants. The migrant has become the political figure of our time. Rather than viewing migration as the exception (...) to the rule of political fixity and citizenship, Thomas Nail reinterprets the history of political power from the perspective of the movement that defines the migrant in the first place. Applying his "kinopolitics" to several major historical conditions and figures of migration, he provides fresh tools for the analysis of contemporary migration. (shrink)

Arlie Hochschild glosses the practice of women migrants in poor nations who leave their families behind for extended periods of time to do carework in other wealthier countries as a “global heart transplant” from poor to wealthy nations. Thus she signals the idea of an injustice between nations and a moral harm for the individuals in the practice. Yet the nature of the harm needs a clear articulation. When we posit a sufficiently nuanced “right to care,” we locate the harm (...) to central relationships of the migrant women. The “right to (give and receive) care” we develop uses a concept of a relational self drawn from an ethics of care. The harm is situated in the broken relationships, which in turn have a serious impact on a person’s sense of equal dignity and self-respect, particularly since the sacrifice of central relationships of the migrant woman allows others (mostly women) to maintain these same relationships. The paper ends with a brief discussion of some of the solutions we need to consider. (shrink)

The local burning velocity and the flame displacement speed are the dominant properties in the mechanism of turbulent premixed combustion. The flame displacement speed and the local burning velocity have been investigated separately, because the flame displacement speed can be used for the discussion of flame-turbulence interactions and the local burning velocity can be used for the discussion of the inner structure of turbulent premixed flames. In this study, to establish the basis for the discussion on the (...) effects of turbulence on the inner structure of turbulent premixed flames, the indirect relationship between the flame displacement speed and the local burning velocity was investigated by the flame stretch, the flame curvature, and the tangential strain rate using DNS database with different density ratios. It was found that for the local tangential strain rate and the local flame curvature, the local burning velocity and the flame displacement speed had the opposite correlations in each density ratio case. Therefore, it is considered that the local burning velocity and the flame displacement speed have a negative correlation. (shrink)

The article explores the place of women and migrants in Italian Neorealist and New Migrant cinema, arguing that New Migrant cinema continues and reworks key Neorealist tropes and tendencies. It intends to render explicit how an ensemble of films challenge the stereotypes concerning gender, national and cultural identities. Among the figures that are scrutinized are the borgatari, extracomunitari, popolane and terrone. Its main objective is to demonstrate how the cinematic expression of these figures in Italian Neorealist and New (...) Migrant cinema enhanced the reinvention of italianità and the generalised understanding of gender. It also aims to explain why the cross-fertilisation between migration studies, urban studies and gender studies is indispensable for comprehending this reinvention. Particular emphasis is placed on the shared interest of Roberto Rossellini’s Roma città aperta and Vittorio De Sica’s Il tetto in the plight over housing and the special character of the urban landscape of Rome. The article also sheds light on certain common concerns of Italian Neorealist and New Migrant cinema, especially as far as national and gender narratives are concerned. Pivotal for the reflections developed here are the roles of Anna Magnani in Roberto Rossellini’s Roma città aperta, Luchino Visconti’s Bellissima and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Mamma Roma. (shrink)

The refugee, migrant and human rights crisis ravaging the African continent through the Libyan coast is one that is self-inflicted, due in part and primarily so, a result of bad governance on the part of the African leaders who have not made the management and welfare of her citizens a primary and a going concern. Ethnic conflict and wars on resource control have also led to the forceful migration of some of these citizens from their homes. Thus, having been (...) frustrated and uncared for, dreams dashed and hope in the leaders lost, the average African citizen, in a bid to achieve their natural given potential have decided to seek alternative means to do so in other climes other than their home countries, no matter the cost. Using the documentary method of data collection and expost facto research design, the study found that the current crisis in Libya is largely a product of neglect by African leaders of their citizens and their seeming cluelessness in the ordering and direction of the lives of their citizens for individual, collective and societal growth. Apart from determining if the dearth of leadership was responsible for the current human rights crisis in Libya, the study also found that the average living conditions of African citizens was a probable cause. Thus, to properly understand the philosophical reason for the exodus of Africans out of their home countries, the study adopted the Neoclassical Migration Theory. The study finally recommends that African leaders should address the structural imbalance in their various domains that have sparked both internecine and genocidal conflict across the continent, and also ensure the implementation of the tenets of good and inclusive governance. (shrink)

This review engages with Ee Ling Quah's Fire Dragon Feminism: Asian Migrant Women's Tales of Migration, Coloniality and Racial Capitalism (2025), a timely contribution that theorises 'fire dragon feminism' through the lived experiences of Asian migrant women in the Australian academy. Quah examines their shifting positions of privilege and vulnerability within global racial capitalism, colonialism and neoliberalism, analysing how racialised myths condition migrant women's lives and how myths embedded in corporate equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) programs further (...) shape their experiences. In this review, I highlight how Quah's framework captures the structural dimensions of emotions such as burnout, hypervigilance and isolation in the white-dominant academy. While appreciating Quah's critique of binaries that portray Asian migrant women as either helpless victims or self-sufficient agents, I raise concerns about her use of 'culpability' to describe migrant women's complicity in oppressive systems. Drawing on Marilyn Frye's and Sukaina Hirji's accounts of 'double binds' and Iris Marion Young's 'social connection' model of responsibility, I argue that Asian migrant women are responsible for structural injustice without being blameworthy. By distinguishing implication and complicity from culpability and blameworthiness, I suggest a more adequate framework for understanding the collective responsibilities fire dragon feminism calls us to embrace. (shrink)

This chapter demonstrates the role that displacement can play in generating moral injury (MI) within refugee communities. To better understand the consequences of displacement, it considers how individuals’ identities and values are formed through their local communities. While there are many reasons that displacement ought to be understood as a potentially morally injurious experience (PMIE), particular attention is given to the negative effects of disorientation, which are associated with displacement. The chapter uncovers multiple facets of disorientation, (...) such as despair, confusion, and apathy. Understanding the morally injurious consequences of displacement marks an important first step toward better serving refugee communities, particularly those citizens of Ukraine who have been forced to flee their homes in the wake of Russian aggression. (shrink)

Attacks on migrant and refugee entrepreneurs and their properties by South African rivals and ordinary citizens have become a common phenomenon throughout the country, including the city of Cape Town. Business robberies often result in deaths or serious injuries. The Somali Community Board has noted that over 400 Somali refugees, many of them informal traders, were murdered in South Africa between early 2002 and mid-2010. The police are frequently accused by migrants of fomenting or turning a blind eye to (...) xenophobic attacks on their businesses. Meanwhile, the government refuses to acknowledge the existence of xenophobia or the xenophobic rhetoric in many of these attacks, claiming instead that they are simply the actions of criminal elements. Photographs published in the media of the looting of migrant stores do not tend to feature hardened criminals, but ordinary citizens including children in school uniform. -/- Migrant businesses are portrayed by officials, citizens and the media as having a negative impact on the South African economy and undermining the livelihoods of South Africans. The prevalence of such perceptions helps to explain growing xenophobic sentiment against migrants and refugees. Contrary to these popular perceptions, an emerging literature on migrant entrepreneurship is beginning to demonstrate the positive economic contributions of migrants and refugees to the country. This report examines the nature of informal migrant and refugee entrepreneurship in Cape Town and whether or not the negative stereotypes have any validity. It also seeks to examine what economic contributions migrants and refugees make to the local economy. -/- The report is based on the research conducted by the Growing Informal Cities project, a partnership between SAMP/IMRC, the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town, the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) and Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 518 migrant owners of microenterprises, which had to meet three basic criteria for inclusion: (a) owned by a non-South African; (b) in operation for at least two years; and (c) unregistered with the South African Revenue Services (SARS). Although migrant entrepreneurs are located in most areas of the city, certain areas have particular concentrations of migrant-owned businesses. "e questionnaires were administered in four such areas: Imizamo Yethu, Philippi, Bellville, and Cape Town CBD. Thirty in-depth interviews were also conducted with selected owners of informal micro-enterprises. Two focus group discussions were held in the Cape Town CBD and Philippi respectively. Fifteen key informant interviews were held with various stakeholders in Cape Town to understand the operation and constraints faced by migrants operating in the city’s informal economy. -/- The major findings of the personal profile of the migrant and refugee entrepreneurs were as follows: -/- • The entrepreneurs came from over 20 different countries of which Zimbabwe, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Malawi, Ethiopia and Cameroon were the most prominent. Just over a third were from other countries in the SADC. The prominence of Zimbabwean entrepreneurs in the Cape Town informal economy is not surprising, given the events in that country over the past decade and a half and resultant mass migration to South Africa. A total of 57% of the entrepreneurs were from other African countries, especially the DRC, Somalia, Nigeria and Ethiopia. "e majority of migrants from these countries (except Nigeria) came to South Africa as refugees. -/- • A third of the entrepreneurs had refugee permits. Of these, nearly 60% came from only three countries: the DRC, Ethiopia and Somalia. A further 31% held asylum-seeker permits. Of these, 32% were Zimbabwean while another 30% came from DRC, Ethiopia and Somalia. Nearly 12% had permanent residence permits while 8% were holders of work permits. Only 7% of the respondents indicated that they did not have official documentation to stay in South Africa. Thus, the majority of migrant entrepreneurs have forced migrants who are entitled to human rights protection under international and South African refugee law. • Very few of the entrepreneurs entered South Africa before 1994. Only 8% arrived in the immediate post-apartheid years. While another 20% came in the period 2000to 2004, the vast majority (70%) came during the last decade. As many as 44% arrived between 2005 and 2009 and a further 27% thereafter. Migration from Zimbabwe, in particular, escalated between 2005 and 2009 as the country plunged deeper into crisis. • Despite the perception that unemployment at home is a driver of migration to South Africa, only 14% of the entrepreneurs were unemployed immediately before leaving for South Africa. Another 19% were students. Twenty-six percent were working in the informal economy in their home countries. -/- .......INCOMPLETE..... (shrink)

This is a review of Serena Parekh's book: Refugees and the Ethics of Forced Displacement.

The conceptualisation of schooling is often based on “ideal children” in “ideal situations.” However, in determining the level of participation for children who are considered vulnerable in schooling, it is important to understand the lived experiences of these children. In this study, migrant children (particularly undocumented ones) in South Africa are the focus, and their lived experiences were considered through reflections from their parents and teachers. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, and analysed using a constant comparative method of (...) qualitative analysis within a grounded theory approach. The study found that challenges affecting migrant children’s schooling include the lack of documentation, language barriers, issues of transition and adaptation (discrimination), and the inability to access further education. Strategies were identified to address the challenges, including schools liaising with the Department of Home Affairs, implementing cultural diversity programmes within the school, and through deliberate inclusive programmes. (shrink)

This paper considers the debate between teams of skilled contributors versus a genius by focusing on a specific case: a team project to overturn some remarks by Wittgenstein on Frazer’s The Golden Bough. In theory, there can be a team which does this, but in actual practice, such a team seems unlikely to arise.

In this article we introduce the notion of non-home as an attempt of meaningful insight into the migrants' dwelling constructed from elements of different provenance, depending on tenants housing experiences, definitions and the very materiality of a living space. In developing the idea of a non-home we refer to the theoretical concepts of non-places and heterotopias.

Access to education for undocumented migrant children in South Africa remains a significant challenge. While the difficulties related to their inability to access education within the country have been highlighted elsewhere, there remains a lack of clarity on an approach to how this basic human right can be achieved. In this conceptual paper, we draw on the distinction between equality and equity, and describe the various ways in which education has been conceptualised in the South African Constitution – which (...) in part contributes to the existing confusion on education for various groups, including undocumented migrant children. In this paper, we critically reflects on the need to develop an integrated approach for creating a platform that allows all undocumented migrant children access to education in South Africa. We argue that an integrated approach – which entails ways through which access to education can be delivered through the lens of equity – will enhance the right to education for undocumented migrant children in South Africa. We conclude that the South African government must urgently consider this integrated approach to enable access to education for undocumented migrant children, so that they can achieve their full educational potential. (shrink)