The first workshop in the Anthropologies & Securities-Series included a very diverse range of topics and speakers in both of its sessions.

In the first session, practitioners and activists located in Chile, Mexico, Geneva to Eastern Ukraine elaborated on what happens when a global pandemic meets pre-existing humanitarian crises, conflict, socio-political turmoil, gender oppression, and shrinking space for the freedom of expression and human rights.

The second session then revolved around the perspectives, experiences and reflections of the Pandemic of anthropologists working in the medical, security, state, conflict and adjacent fields.

In their presentations, they raised points such as what does a “crisis” consist of in my field site, and for whom? How has the pandemic spotlighted and elevated pre-existing social relations bound by inequality? And how can we rethink our methodological relationship in these (pandemic) settings, and document and analyse the contemporary alike?

The discussions have touched upon crucial themes such as in- and exclusion and othering, the unexpected re-emergence nation-states’ borders, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration were key elements in addressing these questions.

Whilst it was in the spirit of the first launching event to cover broader, global grounds, the following workshops will focus more specifically on some of these raised aspects.