The Colombian Studies Initiative is pleased to announce the recipients of the first round of Strategic Collaboration Fellowships between New York University (NYU) and Universidad del Rosario (UR), offered to members of both universities. This fellowship, which was opened in Fall 2021 and will be made available again in February 2022, is intended to support research stays, joint academic projects, or pedagogical internships that yield new understandings applicable to address relevant issues in Colombia. In the spirit of promoting academic exchanges between the two institutions, in addition to faculty research, thesis-related fieldwork or internships by doctoral and advanced Master’s students were also considered for the fellowship. The funding for this competitive fellowship was made possible by the office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs of the Universidad del Rosario.
The Colombian Studies Initiative: Past, Present and Futures, is a collaboration between New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) and Universidad del Rosario. The Initiative aims to create an Inter-American hub for Colombia-related research, multidisciplinary conversations and exchange of knowledge. It seeks to promote a broad and interdisciplinary understanding of the phenomena that affect the country. Through its activities and programs, the initiative supports dialogue, inquiry, and research for US, Colombian, and international scholars, students, practitioners, and the general public.
The selected winners of the 2020-2021 fellowship are:
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- María Ignacia Curiel, Politics/NYU: From strong wartime collaborators to weak post-conflict electorate? Wartime social order and electoral support for former insurgents. Hosting unit: Economics/URosario:
During this fellowship Curiel will conduct interviews with key actors involved in the most recent electoral transition of the former FARC. These include members of the former insurgent political party “Comunes”, non-FARC individuals involved in the peace process as well as community leaders of territories that experienced different types of wartime conflict. These qualitative sources will contribute to her broader dissertation research which is focused around understanding the participation of non-state armed groups as political parties and their incentives as well as the consequences of their political integration for domestic politics and peace. She will be working under the guidance and mentorship of Professor Juan Vargas.
- María Ignacia Curiel, Politics/NYU: From strong wartime collaborators to weak post-conflict electorate? Wartime social order and electoral support for former insurgents. Hosting unit: Economics/URosario:
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- Melody Andrea Feo Sverko, Wagner/NYU: Resistencia Sonora: Música de gaita en Ovejas, Sucre. Hosting Unit: Center of Peace and Conflict/UR:
This research will document gaita music from Ovejas, Sucre to produce a discographic series of original songs authored by master songwriters and musicians from this territory, focusing on four musicians who have lived in the veredas and sectors that surround Ovejas. The audio and visual material collected will be used to narrate the history of gaita music and systemic violence in the territory, with the goal that it could serve as primary source documents for future scholars and community members interested in researching the music, culture and narration from this territory.
- Melody Andrea Feo Sverko, Wagner/NYU: Resistencia Sonora: Música de gaita en Ovejas, Sucre. Hosting Unit: Center of Peace and Conflict/UR:
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- Félix Manuel Burgos Trujillo, Department of Spanish and Portuguese/NYU: “Los caleños no queremos indios en nuestra ciudad”:Discursos de odio y discriminación en Cali, Colombia. Hosting Unit: Escuela de Ciencias Humanas – Universidad del Rosario:
Under the frame of Discourse analysis, this proposal focuses on the discourses of opponents to the presence of indigenous people in the city of Cali during the national strike of 2021. Professors Félix Burgos (Department of Spanish and Portuguese/NYU), and Bastien Bosa (School of Human Sciences/URosario) will do the research. The goal of this collaboration is to analyze discursive forms used to produce and reproduce systems of power and exclusion in Cali, Colombia.
- Félix Manuel Burgos Trujillo, Department of Spanish and Portuguese/NYU: “Los caleños no queremos indios en nuestra ciudad”:Discursos de odio y discriminación en Cali, Colombia. Hosting Unit: Escuela de Ciencias Humanas – Universidad del Rosario:
- Leonard Cortana, NYU Tisch: Rising Emilsen Manyoma as a transnational figure of resistance. Hosting Unit: Grupo JANUS/UR:
Through this research, Cortana will examine how members of the African diaspora and their allies are mobilizing different platforms to seek justice for assassinated activists and to spread their legacy through activities on the ground and through social media platforms. More specifically, he will focus on how Afro collectives memorialize and celebrate the legacy of Afro-Colombian activist, Emilsen Manyoma during the ceremonies commemorating the fifth anniversary of her murder. Additionally, Cortana will partner with the UR Center for Studies on Conflict & Peace, the JANUS interdisciplinary research group, and NYU CLACS to host a webinar where activists based in the US and Colombia will be able to exchange good practices and create networks of solidarity.
The 2021-2022 cycle of this fellowship will be open on February 15; 2022 to students and faculty and strongly encourages applications from members of both universities. Interested applicants should contact colombianstudies@gmail.con for more information.