Meeting discusses effects of exile on humanity

The academic conference "Living in Exile" will be held today and tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the College Center's Highlands Room to remember the 700th anniversary of the political exile of Dante from Florence, Italy.

With over 60 participants from universities in the United States and Europe, the conference was organized by the department of foreign languages and literatures.

The idea was proposed by assistant professor of Italian Guiliana Fazzion to remember the extradition of the Italian poet and author of "The Divine Comedy."

"This made me think that 'exile' is as old as the world — Adam and Eve were the first to be thrown out of Eden — but unfortunately it has never died," Fazzion explained.

John A. Doyle Jr. will be the keynote speaker for the event. In his session, he will summarize the theme of the conference in general terms. As a lawyer practicing immigration law throughout the country, Doyle will "address the legal and psychological difficulties" he has had to confront.

"People continue to be exiled in the modern era," Doyle said. "Some must flee persecution on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion." A person who "can document a credible fear of persecution based upon one of these grounds" is eligible for political asylum in the [United States], but if the applicant cannot prove that their government abused them, they will be returned to their country.

"I do not do asylums on a full-time basis," Doyle said. "However, when working this closely with people who have been through so much, you cannot help but connect with them."

Doyle expressed his concern for the immigration policy becoming more restrictive after Sept. 11, 2001. "In their zeal to refine the policy, hopefully our legislators and immigration officials will not erect insurmountable barriers for people with legitimate claims for asylum." Doyle said he hopes to use what he learns at the conference to help his asylum applicants.

Doyle said his lecture will include examples from several Nobel literature laureates who have been exiled or imprisoned due to their writings or political beliefs.

Harry Dunstan, an opera tenor who has sung with opera companies in the United States and Europe, will participate in the "Exile in the World of Music" conference session. Former JMU music faculty member Sonya Baker also will be singing.

A lecture-demonstration based on a dance concert performed at JMU in the spring of 2002 will be performed by five JMU students and dance professor Cynthia Thompson. Their performance, "Exile in the Valley," was choreographed after interviews with local immigrants of Mexican, Kurdish, Iraqi, Vietnamese and Russian origins were conducted, according to a JMU press release on the conference.

A special bus route will run between the Wilson Hall parking lot and the College Center 30 minutes before each group of sessions.

Further information on the conference can be found at www.jmu.edu/forlang/exile.