» Where I Am Right Now:

Before joining LSE, I was active in the field of mediation and conflict resolution. I took part in numerous efforts by the international community to promote political dialogue, national reconciliation, and democratization in Kosovo and in Palestine. This background has inspired my Ph.D. project on Islamophobia, which focuses on rules and mechanisms behind the misrepresentation of Muslims in the media and how these affect the legislative and political decision-making process.

» Why I Took This Road:

Intellectual engagement needs coherent movement and collective social subjects to inspire and animate critical practice. Thus, from my early youth onwards, the most defining characteristic of my life has been my involvement in the struggle for political change and social and economic justice. I personally discovered a passionate and intelligent desire to explore new forms of activism beyond radicalism during the protest against the G8-Summit in July of 2001. The experience in Genoa was my living laboratory for clear thinking about globalization and also an important moment in time where many rethought their political and social space.

» What Are My Future Goals:

Academically, I envisage a theoretical dimension for what implications and changes Muslims will have on the European public debate. My aim is to learn new skills and expand my expertise on how media can work to drive social and political integration in ordert promote and teach respect for minorities. Professionally, I see myself contributing to international organizations and non-profit groups and making a positive difference in mediation and conflict resolution issues.

» What Else Has Been an Influence:

My first research interest has been the socio-cultural dimension of HIV/AIDS epidemic. AIDS is not only a major economic and demographic problem; the disease evokes universal themes of sex, death, and faith in all cultures. In the developed world, HIV is often conceptualized today as being chronic and manageable; yet in the developing world, AIDS has remained a frightening and immediate scourge. Therefore HIV magnifies and brings to the forefront a broad spectrum of contemporary social questions on a global scale, including race, class, sexuality, pharmaceutical profits, democracy, trade liberalization, and U.S.-Euro hegemony.

» What Would Help Now:

I would welcome your suggestions, challenges, thoughts, and references. Any ideas that others can offer arising from their own experiences and reading that relate to my own research interests would be an amazing help and an inspiration.