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Dispersion

Episode 4 - Am I an activist?

Season 1, Ep. 4

In this episode, Ravneet and Taiwo explore ways that young Diasporans living in Canada support, help and advocate for their homelands. 


To learn more about the themes presented in this episode, refer to these papers from Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies


  • Singh, M., & Singh, A. (2014). Diaspora, political action, and identity: A case study of Canada’s Indian diaspora. Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, 17(2), 149-171. https://doi.org/10.3138/diaspora.17.2.149
  • Moss, D. M. (2020). Special report 2020: The importance of defending diaspora activism for democracy and human rights. Freedom House. https://freedomhouse.org/report/special-report/2020/importance-defending-diaspora-activism-democracy-and-human-rights
  • Panagakos, A. N. (1998). Citizens of the trans-nation: political mobilization, multiculturalism, and nationalism in the Greek diaspora. Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, 7(1), 53-73. https://doi.org/10.3138/diaspora.7.1.53


Guest Bios


Taiwo Bello is a senior doctoral student in African History at the University of Toronto, where he also works as a Teaching Assistant and Course Instructor. He is currently a Vanier Scholar, Martin Klein Fellow, and Carmen Brock Fellow in African History. His research interests include gender and women’s studies; violent conflicts and genocide; international history; diaspora studies; digital humanities; and Africa in 20th-century global history.


Ravneet Mann is a legal marketing professional in Toronto, Canada. After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts (specializing in Sociology and Education) from the University of Toronto in 2014, she started her role as Program Coordinator at the Zoryan Institute. Ravneet coordinated several of the Institute’s programs including the Genocide and Human Rights University Program, the Syrian Refugee Oral History Program. Her time at Zoryan Institute combined with her family history, led Ravneet to develop a keen interest in advocacy for social justice.


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