Our team recently returned from an impactful research trip to South Africa, where Jane Freedman, Glenda Santana de Andrade, and Aron Tesfai had the opportunity to share our ongoing work and engage in vital dialogues with academic partners.
1. Panel Discussion at ACMS (Wits University)
We kicked off our series of exchanges with a panel discussion at ACMS. Prof. Jane Freedman (Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis) and independent researcher Aron Tesfai introduced the foundational vision of the GRABS project to colleagues and students.
The discussion focused heavily on the ways mobile youth navigate access to healthcare, social support, education, and economic opportunities within deep-seated contexts of inequality and precarity. The session allowed us to ground the project’s macro-objectives in the micro-realities of urban life in Southern Africa, sparking a rich and productive exchange with attendees.
2. Forced Migration and Young People: A Dialogue at Future Africa
In June, the team—Jane Freedman, Glenda Santana de Andrade, and Aron Tesfai—partnered with Future Africa UP and the CNRS–IRD–CIRAD Office in Southern Africa to host a dialogue exploring the challenges migrant youth face regarding stability, belonging, and future opportunities in South Africa.
Together, we presented our paper:
“The Architecture of ‘Stoppedness’: Exploring Administrative Violence and Ontological Insecurity through Participatory Research with Migrant Youth in South Africa.”
Reflections on Participatory Methods & Paths Forward
A major highlight of this dialogue was the honest, critical discussion regarding the challenges of participatory methodologies. Together with speakers and attendees, we collectively brainstormed possible paths forward for ethical engagement, even as rigid structural and political constraints remain.
While many complex questions about administrative violence and youth mobility remain open, this dialogue marks a significant and necessary step forward in our collective research journey.