Paper short abstract:

The paper explores ways in wich actions based on food made up by the activists of a local association in Italy create spaces of inclusion and solidarity between the civil society and newly arrived migrants. Ethnographical cases will show how food can be a tool for agency and for political action.

Paper long abstract:

The present paper will look at contemporary processes of forced migration, exploring ways in wich actions based on food made up by the activists of a local association create spaces of inclusion and solidarity between the civil society and newly arrived migrants and, following Rozakou (2016), challenge boundaries and State-based definitions. These actions include, among other things, provisioning and distribution of food to migrants just arrived in Italy crossing the Mediterranean route, as well as organization of public events in which food plays the main role.

Through ethnographical cases derived from an on going field research carried in Rome, Italy, we'll try to show how food can be a tool for agency and for political action. Analytical attention will be paid to the concept of 'event' as characterized by an ambiguous nature where the home and the new coexist, can be shown and performed (Lewis, 2010).