18th March 2015
Edward Said Library, Al Feneiq Center (Dheisheh Refugee Camp)

“Big Confinement” and “Production of Space”:
Horn of Africa as a Home of Refugees

by Ömer Faruk Günenç

 

omer

In this presentation, Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya and Ogaden Region in Ethiopia will be discussed in terms of great confinement and production of space. Horn of Africa hosts and produces both space and individual beyond the “border” and “camp”. On the one hand, Dadaab was designed and constructed as a refugee center between the border of Kenya and Somalia. With it’s almost twenty-five years history, there has been ultimate changes and transformation on space, time, individual, perception and politics about “the urbanization”. On the other hand, Ogaden region located southeast part of Ethiopia has been facing biopolitics produced by Ethiopian Central Government. In this sense, all apparatuses have been created and used by the government for production of space and sociality as well. In light of these, two different interrelated “models” about refugee/camp in the Horn of Africa are intended to be scrutinized.

Biographical note

Ömer Faruk Günenç (Turkey) is a research assistant.
He received his masters degree in architecture from Erciyes University. Currently he works as a research assistant and is doctoral candidate at Mardin Artuklu University Architecture Department. Major research interests include architectural historiography, refugee camps, dwelling culture, and Islamic architecture history. He works as an international volunteer at CANSUYU Charity and Solidarity Organization in Africa and Asia.