CFD Conversations

Boston University Center on Forced Displacement

As forced displacement numbers continue to rise worldwide, new minds are needed to enter the solution sphere. Join us monthly for conversations about the complexities of forced displacement with researchers, practitioners and artists from across the globe. This podcast is produced by Boston University’s Center on Forced Displacement. For more information about research and events, check out our website: https://www.bu.edu/cfd/

  1. Jun 9

    The Fulbright Experience: Questioning the Purpose of Academia with Maryam Khalil

    Maryam Khalil, a CFD research fellow and Fulbright recipient, joins Kate and Sabrina in the studio. She shares how her firsthand experience of the Libyan Revolution informed her research on migration in Southern Europe. From personal anecdotes to academic debates, Khalil offers her fresh takes on motivations in academia, autonomy in death, and finding goodness in one's life.

    41 min

  2. Mar 12

    Never Belonging Can Be Belonging: A Song of Earthroot by Kinh Vu and Aaron Hwang

    Joining Kate and Sabrina in the studio, Kinh Vu and Aaron Hwang discuss the behind-the-scenes of their 2023 documentary Song of Earthroot. The film follows Vu as he rediscovers himself in Vietnam, the place he was born but evacuated from during the American War. Vu, a BU music education professor, and Hwang, co-founder of Fourth District Productions, trace their creative decisions and personal challenges. Covering topics from grief to hope, yearning to sexuality, and 3 am dim sum to mall boba, the group explores their experiences of longing and their special moments of belonging. For more information on research and CFD events can be found here. The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here.

    41 min

  3. Feb 5

    Seven Months in Captivity: Colombian History with Maria Antonia Blandon

    Kate and Sabrina sit down with Maria Antonia Blandon, a graduate student fellow at the CFD, to discuss her father’s kidnapping. With his diary in hand, Maria shares her father’s accounts of the grueling guerrilla warfare tactics and her research into this often-avoided, multifaceted history of Colombia. Studying this period to frame her upcoming translation, Maria explores how history, both individual and collective, shows up in today’s challenges. They discuss conflict between political and regional groups, explanations for extremism, and the effectiveness of dismissal as a coping method. For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website. The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here.

    46 min

  4. 12/10/2025

    An Inquisitive Dialogue of Border Lives and Works with Muhummad Zaman, Carrie Preston, and Marina Lažetić

    In this episode, Kate and Sabrina sit down with editors Muhammad Zaman, Carrie Preston, and Marina Lažetić to discuss their newest volume, Mexico-US, Serbia-EU: Border Lives and Works. They reflect on the interdisciplinary exploration of how migrants, artists, activists, and researchers navigate, reshape, and define life in global borderlands. Could these parallel challenges possess parallel solutions?

    51 min

  5. 11/21/2025

    An Interrupted Border Crossing: A Story of Courage and Hope with Dorsa Ghazanfari

    Join Kate and Sabrina as they step in the studio for the first time with Dorsa Ghazanfari, a CFD Undergraduate Fellow. Dorsa opens up about her mom’s experience as Baháʼí Post-Iranian Revolution and how it led to an unsuccessful border crossing, which impacts their thought processes today. They dive into state-based religious oppression, finding a welcoming religious community, and channeling generational trauma into motivation.  This episode contains mention of gun violence. Please keep this in mind when deciding if and how you’ll listen.  For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: https://www.bu.edu/cfd/ The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here: https://www.criticalforceddisplacement.com/

    37 min

  6. 04/30/2025

    Collaborative Solutions through Academia-Practitioner Partnership

    In this episode, Shandra sits down with Marina Lazetic, Director of Programs at CFD, and Alexandra 'Xan' Weber, Chief Advancement Officer and Senior Vice President of the International Institute of New England. They discuss the timely importance of academic and practitioner collaborations in the field of forced displacement, highlighting new initiatives and research both organizations are undertaking together. For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/ ⁠⁠⁠ The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.criticalforceddisplacement.com/

    23 min

  7. 04/16/2025

    Understanding Literary Translation with Ibrahim Fawzy

    In this episode, Shandra chats with CFD Graduate Fellow Ibrahim Fawzy about the ins and outs of translating Arabic literary texts into English. They dive into how this process intersects with Ibrahim's own experience of moving to the United States, tackling the world of translations on many levels. For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/ ⁠⁠ The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here: ⁠⁠https://www.criticalforceddisplacement.com/

    22 min

  8. 04/02/2025

    The Home I Worked To Make: Interview with Author Dr. Wendy Pearlman

    In this episode, Shandra sits down with author and scholar Dr. Wendy Pearlman, to chat about her latest book "The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora." This powerful book, based on hundreds of interviews conducted over a decade, explores the profound question of what home means for those who have been forced to leave everything behind. For more information on research and CFD events, check out our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bu.edu/cfd/ ⁠ The newest edition of the Critical Forced Displacement Magazine can be found here: ⁠https://www.criticalforceddisplacement.com/

    26 min
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About

As forced displacement numbers continue to rise worldwide, new minds are needed to enter the solution sphere. Join us monthly for conversations about the complexities of forced displacement with researchers, practitioners and artists from across the globe. This podcast is produced by Boston University’s Center on Forced Displacement. For more information about research and events, check out our website: https://www.bu.edu/cfd/

Information

  • Creator
    Boston University Center on Forced Displacement
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Boston University Center on Forced Displacement
  • Show Website
    CFD Conversations