Diasporas Speaking

Rina Limoni

A trilingual and critical diasporas podcast series chronicling Kosovar, Albanian and Balkan diaspora histories.

  1. Jun 12

    Writing Oneself into History | Kosovar-Albanian Literature in the German-speaking sphere with Dr Chloe Fagan

    Dr Phil ⁠Chloe Fagan⁠ is our guest for the episode Writing Oneself into History | Kosovar-Albanian Literature in the German-speaking space. Dr Chloe Fagan received a Bachelor's Degree in German and English, and then her PhD in German Literature from Trinity College Dublin. She currently works for Goethe-Institut Irland. She has published 'Translation and the Renegotiation of Albanian-Austrian Migrant Identity: Ilir Ferra's "Halber Atem" as a Critique of Migrantenliteratur' in Moving Texts, Migrating People and Minority Languages (2017) and "Senthuran Varatharajah's Vor der Zunahme der Zeichen. Representing the Kosovo War and the Tamil Conflict as an Absence and the Trauma of Language" in Germanistik in Irland. Writing oneself into history | Kosovar-Albanian Literature in the German-speaking sphere. Situating and differentiating between experiences matters. Unlike Turkish-German literature, which took root in Germany with the arrival of the Gastarbeiter, Kosovar-Albanian and Albanian writing in German-speaking contexts did not begin to appear until the 1990s. While it is gaining more traction, it remains a marginal movement, and precisely for that reason, it highlights the stakes: the need for recognition and for recording different ontologies of place, memory, and identity. It shows how communities carve out visibility when the archive has not made room for them. To discuss this and the quest to learn Albanian, I spoke to Chloe Fagan for this episode.

    43 min

  2. 12/12/2025

    Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 Years after Dayton with Dr Jasmin Mujanović

    In this episode I am joined by Jasmin Mujanović to explore Bosnia's political and social landscape three decades after the Dayton Peace Accords, which were initialed on 21 November 1995 in Dayton, Ohio, and formally signed in Paris on 14 December 1995. We discuss how the country's constitutional setup shapes its sovereignty and democratic development, the importance of understanding pre-war ideologies from the 1990s, and how the memory and narrative of genocide continue to inform national identity and political life. Bosnia's geopolitical position in the Western Balkans also comes into focus as we trace the key turning points that have shaped the country since the war. We also speak about the role of the diaspora in shaping narratives about Bosnia from abroad and much more. Dr. Jasmin Mujanović is a political scientist and policy specialist focused on Southeast European politics and international affairs. He holds a PhD from York University in Toronto and has worked across North America and Europe as a scholar, analyst, consultant, and researcher. He is the author of Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans (Hurst/Oxford, 2018) and The Bosniaks: Nationhood After Genocide (Hurst/Oxford, 2023). Dr. Mujanović is currently a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Western Balkans Center of the Washington, DC–based New Lines Institute.

    57 min

  3. 12/07/2025

    Diasporas Speaking Season Two announcement

    After an enriching first season, Diasporas Speaking is happy to come back with a second season, with the first episode streaming the week of the 8th of December 2025.

    1 min

  4. 08/11/2025

    Music, Memory & Movement: Exploring Diasporic life through sound

    In this episode, Rina Limoni, founder and host of the Diasporas Speaking Podcast will be interviewed by Arbër Qerka-Gashi, to reflect on her life experiences through music. Using songs and music as prompts to evoke memories, the conversation delves into how these songs and music have accompanied Rina throughout her journey of displacement and migration, through the difficulties of navigating identity formation, code switching in different environments and exploring the personal significance they hold and the ways they symbolise key moments in her life

    57 min

  5. 07/27/2025

    Writing Oneself into History: Queer, Bosnian, Muslim, and Foreign with Ervin Malakaj

    Writing Oneself into History: Queer, Bosnian, Muslim, and Foreign with Ervin Malakaj Ervin Malakaj was born in Doboj. In the 1990s he lived as refugee in Germany before immigrating to the USA. After completing graduate degrees in German studies, he became a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, where he currently lives with his partner and dog. Ervin’s scholarly work focuses on queer and diaspora studies with a special focus on visual culture. He is currently completing a book of personal essays about live in the queer Bosnian diaspora provisionally titled Tetka Theory.What does it mean to write oneself into history when your existence sits at the margins: queer, Bosnian, Muslim, and foreign?In this episode of Diasporas Speaking, Dr Ervin Malakaj joins us for a moving and critical conversation on identity, displacement, and the radical act of self-definition. Blending personal narrative with critical insight, Dr Malakaj reflects on the politics of visibility, the weight of inherited histories, and the transformative power of storytelling. Together, we explore how queerness, diaspora, and cultural memory intersect and how speaking, writing, and remembering become vital acts of survival, resistance, and belonging.Intro music: North-Albanian Instrumental.Interlude: Himzo Polovina - 'Snijeg Pade Na Behar, Na Voće'

    53 min

  6. 07/11/2025

    Srebrenica Genocide 30 Years on | Survival, Loss, and the Ongoing Fight for Justice with Selma Jahić

    Selma Jahić was born in 1988 in Srebrenica and grew up nearby in a village called Blječeva. During the war years from 1992 to 1995, she and her family stayed exclusively in Srebrenica and the surrounding area.In August 1995, Selma came to Vienna after being expelled from Srebrenica in July 1995, a time during which she lost many family members. Since then, she has been living in Vienna. She completed her schooling in Austria and trained as a media designer.She currently works as a content manager for a public institution. In her private life, Selma is very active as an activist and has been deeply involved in memorial work related to the genocide against the Bosniaks for several years.On 11 July 1995, in the town of Srebrenica declared a United Nations "safe area" two years earlier—over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were systematically murdered by Bosnian Serb forces. At the time the worst atrocity committed on European soil since the Second World War.Despite rulings from international courts, including the ICTY and the ICJ, formally recognising the massacre as genocide, denial and political manipulation continue to distort the truth. Over 8,300 victims have been identified, yet the remains of more than 1,000 are still missing.Truth, accountability, and recognition of the genocide are essential for reconciliation and lasting peace in the Western Balkans.For this episode of Diasporas Speaking, I speak with Selma Jahić, who, together with her brother and mother, survived the Srebrenica genocide. She shares her family’s story of survival, loss, and the ongoing fight for justice and remembrance.

    44 min

  7. 06/13/2025

    From the Margins to the Centre: Reframing Mental Health Through a Community Lens

    From the Margins to the Centre: Reframing Mental Health Through a Community Lens with Alberta Sinani Alberta Sinani is a Kosovo-born artist and community psychologist based in Austria. Her work explores themes of migration, intergenerational resilience, and liberation practices within communities. As a Fulbright Student in the U.S., she has focused on immigrant youth mental health and civic engagement—work that inherently demands generational healing as a first step toward sustainable peacebuilding. With a background in political science and social design, Alberta bridges academia, activism, and art to create transformative spaces for collective healing and agency, grounded in cross-communal solidarity. Community psychology is a branch of psychology that looks beyond the individual to understand how wider social, economic, and cultural factors shape people's lives. It focuses on collective wellbeing, social justice, and empowering communities to address the root causes of inequality- such as poverty, discrimination, and marginalisation.In this episode, I am joined by Alberta Sinani, who shares her insights into how community psychology engages with these communities-not to impose solutions, but to work with them, recognising their strengths and supporting grassroots efforts to create meaningful change.Intro music: North-Albanian Instrumental Interlude: Defatoret Shamikuqet - 'Potpuri'.

    42 min

  8. 05/29/2025

    Post-2000 Migration from Serbia: Storming Against Your Government's Political Legacy

    Post-2000 Migration from Serbia: Storming Against Your Government's Political Legacy with Damnjan Jovanović'sDamnjan Jovanović was born in Montenegro and grew up in Serbia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology from the University of Belgrade. A passionate technologist, Damnjan is fluent in multiple programming languages and thrives at the intersection of creative work, human connection, and technical problem-solving.Driven by curiosity and a love for engaging with people, he brings energy to every project and finds inspiration in meaningful audience interactions. Outside of work, Damnjan lives by a "family first" philosophy. He’s a proud father who cherishes time spent camping, hiking, exploring, and simply being present with his loved ones—no car, just adventure and closeness.A devoted endurance athlete, Damnjan’s biggest personal treat is long-distance triathlons. These solo challenges fuel his deep connection to nature, mindfulness, and the power of the human body in motion.In this episode, we explore the political legacy of Slobodan Milošević and how it continues under the leadership of Aleksandar Vučić. From nationalism to media control, we trace the threads of authoritarianism that have shaped Serbia’s post-Yugoslav reality. We also look at why so many Serbians—especially the young and educated—are choosing to leave, driven by corruption, stagnation, and a lack of real change.Tune in to listen to Damnjan Jovanović's story and understand how a healthy alternative to history can exist. Intro: North-Albanian Instrumental

    26 min
See All (28)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A trilingual and critical diasporas podcast series chronicling Kosovar, Albanian and Balkan diaspora histories.

Information

  • Creator
    Rina Limoni
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rina Limoni
  • Show Website
    Diasporas Speaking