Period: 1 January 2023 – 1 January 2026
The Sahel conflicts are networked conflicts. In this project we question the role of distance to the conflict and how then participation is still a real experience. Examples are the diaspora networks, where people who left the Sahel conflict area long ago, are still engaged with the war through contact with those at home, via social media, actively archiving data, and in some cases by regular or sporadic visits to the Sahel. How do they participate in war (i.e. political violence) and create it actively? How does the evolving conflict influence their identity and feelings of belonging? Distanced wars have informed people about their identity, also in times that SM were not widely spread. In this project we also reflect on wars and distanced participation in other periods when SM were not part of networks in the Sahel.