1st International Conference on Tamil Diaspora Organised Jointly by Ministry of Arts and Culture, Mauritius International Tamil Diaspora Association, Mauritius Institute of Asian Studies, Chennai in collaboration with Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Mauritius 1. Background Among the Indian diasporas, the Tamil diaspora is a very strong and vibrant community whose presence has been in Asia and Europe from age-old days, when the Tamil people developed commercial ties with various countries all over the world. Presently there are about 70 million Tamils spread in over fifty countries of the world. The Tamil diaspora is a togetherness rooted in an ancient heritage, a rich language and literature, and a vibrant culture. But it is a togetherness which is not simply a function of the past. It is a growing togetherness consolidated by struggle and suffering and, given purpose and direction by the aspirations of a people for the future - a future where they and their children and their childrens children may live in equality and freedom in an emerging one world. Today, the Tamil Diaspora can be found in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Middle East, Réunion, South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, Fiji, Guyana, Myanmar, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the French West Indies, Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States of America. A first “International Conference on Tamil Diaspora” will be held in Mauritius from 23 to 25 July 2014 in collaboration with the Institute of Asian Studies (Chennai) and the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (Mauritius). The Conference will pool together members of the Tamil diaspora countries and the scholars evincing keen interest in the study of the Tamil diaspora, to promote academic research on this most fascinating theme at the international level. This conclave would bring together people from the Tamil Diaspora living in various parts of the world and foster interaction and solidarity among widespread groups. 2. Theme The main theme of this first conference will be centered around the preservation of Tamil Culture given that isolated diaspora communities often preserve their cultural heritage more than their fellowmen still dwelling in the homeland. Each Tamil diaspora community has had to wage its own struggle over generations, to achieve economic prosperity while yet preserving cultural identity and ancestral traditions. Each has its own stories of how they have overcome obstacles peculiar to their adopted homeland. Despite their relative isolation from their native land, they have preserved and nurtured their multifaceted religious traditions and other cultural elements for posterity. Since this is the first conference which forms the basis for a number of subsequent programmes of international character, it can serve as an opportunity to launch a systematic and objective survey of the Tamil diaspora all over the world, with objective and authentic data, statistical details and connected discussions on various aspects of the cultural heritage. The conference should pool together all available resources for making further studies on various aspects of the Tamil diaspora communities--separately as well as holistically. 3. Research Paper Each research paper pertaining to each country may present a historical background about the place in Tamil Nadu from where the Tamils migrated in various periods, and the socio-economic and cultural backdrop of the migration. The type of migration, the journey to the new land, etc. should be presented in a brief manner. Profiles of the land and people of the country migrated to should be presented briefly, and the places in which Tamils have settled should be enumerated. Economic conditions, educational rate, social status, involvement in social, political, corporate activities, etc. should be briefly explained. The second part of the paper should present descriptive data covering all aspects of the socio-economic and cultural factors of the life-style of the Tamil diaspora in the country to which they have migrated. The study should be both descriptive and historical, based on data drawn from different groups and collected through objective field survey of different periods. The general presentation shall be on historical sequence. Wherever necessary, comparative methodology can also be attempted. The study should be holistic, taking into account all the vital issues of the Tamil Diaspora. 4. Secretariat c/o Tamil League Martindale Reduit Tel 5 771-0025 5. Registration Fees Foreign delegates US$ 100 Mauritian delegates Rs. 1,500
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 15:58:06 +0000
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