The event has been aimed to work out some of the intricacies of identity formation in the shadow of a 14 (+) year war on terrorism that shows no sign of abating. In this way, the Dialogue – in roundtable format – has been an interactive dialogue between an assortment of international journalists, scholars and civil society members on the effect on socio-political, cultural, economic identities the sharp and gruesome spike in terrorism is producing in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and beyond.

Discussing the topic:

Jason Ireland - Expert on Terrorism, King’s College London

Layelle Saad – Editor, Gulf News

Prof. Michael Driessen – Professor, John Cabot University Rome

Shaista Aziz – Journalist, BBC 

Abubakar Siddique – Editor-in-Chief, Gandhara

 

While this round of the Rome Dialogues was focused on how identities are being affected – around the world – by a seemingly never-ending war on terrorism it quickly expanded to include discussions on political and social ethics, the struggle to retain political liberty in contexts of securitization and, importantly, specific elements of current discourses, narratives and actors that typically fall below the radar. Instead of a formal conference or round-table setting, the Rome Dialogues act as an open forum for debate and discussion—a space where speakers and the audience are able to bounce ideas off one another for the purpose of moving the debate forward. In this Dialogue, the composition of the panel assembled also helped to produce a dynamic atmosphere and the goal of covering important ground in understanding the impact on identities terrorism and the war against it are producing. From personal stories and experiences to recounting policy failures and successes this Dialogue was, by all accounts, an important step forward.