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Tag: authoritarianism

Imprisoned for a retweet: Swiss Geoscience Meeting 2021

Imprisoned for a retweet: Swiss Geoscience Meeting 2021

I’m not going to lie – I miss the energy of conferences in real life. I’ve given a lot of talks this year, and while I’m grateful for the opportunities that virtual participation gives you, I find it increasingly hard to focus during these marathon online conferences. A happy exception to this trend was the session organized by my friend Dennis Pauschinger at this year’s Swiss Geoscience Meeting in virtual Geneva. Dennis hosted a session called “Policing the city: State…

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The powerful innovation of video abstracts

The powerful innovation of video abstracts

I know I’m not the only one a bit overwhelmed at times by the amount of good, interesting, and important academic work there is coming out. Just about every day I get another content alert from a journal I like, and there’s usually at least one or three that I really want and need to read. This means that I often have to read selectively. I don’t like this, actually. It’s much nicer to sit and be with a paper…

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Blogging the Virtual – new article in print

Blogging the Virtual – new article in print

I’m extremely happy with this one. This came to life from a rough paper I presented at University College London’s Urban Lab, but it really took shape through the peer review process at Antipode. I’m going to be honest here: there was a lot of tough feedback, and it definitely threw me for a loop. It took a bit of time for me to recover composure enough to start thinking about how to address the problems and improve. The reason…

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UCL Urban Lab. At the frontiers of the urban: thinking concepts and practices globally

UCL Urban Lab. At the frontiers of the urban: thinking concepts and practices globally

This conference hit close to home. It was a very personal affair, and not one that would be immediately obvious even to those who know me. I got to spend several days at University College London, which as it happens has played a large role in my family’s story. I’m not English, but I’ve been going to London regularly for much of my life. My sister moved there in the early 80s and she graduated from UCL. Her daughter, my…

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Mega-events in Belarus

Mega-events in Belarus

I went to Minsk. I never thought I’d get to see it, especially after my unfortunate encounters with the Russian security and migration authorities. But I was invited by a good friend at the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and so, I thought, why not try? Aside from the desire to see Belarus, this would be a good opportunity to check my status with Russia. Russia and Belarus share security architecture, among much else, so if I’m on a list in one…

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The Battle for Mindshare: Duelling in 2018?

The Battle for Mindshare: Duelling in 2018?

There is something fascinating happening in Russia that, I think, also has applications on how we can interpret current affairs in the USA. A quick summary: On August 23, Alexey Navalny publishes an analysis of corruption in the procurement of foodstuffs for the Russian National Guard. It’s impressively detailed, meticulously sourced, brilliantly presented (they even included good English CC:subtitles for those who don’t speak Russian). In a normal system, this level of well-researched accusation would require some sort of response. At least…

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Secret Cameras and the Enemies of the State

Secret Cameras and the Enemies of the State

More than a year after I got in trouble with the Russian Migration Service and the FSB, and 11 months after I was featured in some trashy and sensational articles that claimed I was a foreign agent bent on disrupting the 2018 World Cup, here I am back in the news once again. I’m reluctant to give these people any more clicks, but here we go anyway: so, alongside some fine journalists and scholars (and, unfortunately, some less scrupulous journalists…

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Research and Spycraft Revisited

Research and Spycraft Revisited

In June, I was detained in Volgograd and questioned by the Russian migration authorities and the FSB. I was lucky, all things considered, even though the experience was extraordinarily unpleasant. I know that many others have had it much worse, particularly those Russians who might have differing or minority opinions and may try to effect change based on expressing those views. I was hopeful that the issue was merely one of local authorities flexing their muscles, and that with time…

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Doing Research in Russia, or I Swear I’m Not a Spy

Doing Research in Russia, or I Swear I’m Not a Spy

Written in a Volgograd café in the aftermath of being questioned by the migration authorities and the FSB I’ve been involved with Russia for a long time. I’ve lived here for several years in total, but even when this country wasn’t my home, I would come for extended visits every year. I’m not naïve. I know how hard the systems are in this country, how too often they are dysfunctional and demeaning, but I also know how beautiful things can…

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