A Palestinian graduate has won the European Union (EU)-funded MedReset Young Writers Prize award.
Twenty-three-year-old Omar Shanti graduated from Northwestern University in Illinois, USA, in 2018 with a degree in computer science, economics and Middle East and North Africa studies. He was born in the UK to Palestinian parents, before living for some time in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Shanti was awarded the Young Writers Prize earlier this week, with the award presented by Federica Mogherini, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Council.
Omar Shanti, the @ProjectMedReset Young Writer Prize winner, reading his winning piece at the conference, "The #MiddleEast and the #EU: New Realities, New #Policies".
Read his article on Jadaliyya! "'El Haraga' Read Through Maghrebi Literary Production"https://t.co/jpL4AlL60J pic.twitter.com/JvWq0RTuQs
— Jadaliyya (@jadaliyya) March 6, 2019
On accepting the award, Shanti thanked the EU for the opportunity to address the conference, saying:
“I’d like to acknowledge my university professor […] my mother in attendance today, without whom nothing would be possible, and my biggest academic influence, [Palestinian intellectual] Edward Said, whose thoroughness, eloquence and refinement – as well as whose relentless pursuit of humanism – have provided a model for much greater figures than myself.”
Young Writers Prize: Omar Shanti @3mrsh_ @FedericaMog @ProjectMedReset & @MenaraH2020 @EgmontInstitute pic.twitter.com/pw8C7txu2D
— Egmont Institute (@EgmontInstitute) March 6, 2019
Shanti spoke at length about the paper for which he was awarded the prize – “El Haraga” Read Through Maghrebi Literary Production – which, in his own words, explores “how clandestine migration across the Straits of Gibraltar is represented in a small sample of recent Maghrebi fiction”.
He explained that, by exploring the themes of migration and Maghrebi identity, his paper hoped to challenge the dominant representation of Maghreb migrants and refugees that has developed in the wake of Europe’s so-called migrant crisis, which has seen thousands attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea since 2013. He wished to explore those factors “which not only make the human a migrant but which make the migrant a human,” he added.
Young Writers Prize: Omar Shanti @3mrsh_ @FedericaMog @ProjectMedReset & @MenaraH2020 @EgmontInstitute @IAIonline @CidobBarcelona pic.twitter.com/ikKdJ2mv7y
— Egmont Institute (@EgmontInstitute) March 6, 2019
Shanti also placed his paper in the context of Palestinian-Maghreb relations. In concluding his acceptance speech, he explained:
“I hope that this can be seen as an earnest gesture of love from a Palestinian, in myself, to the Maghreb. As far as national salutations go, and at risk of being a little bit reductionist, I don’t think that any outweigh the phenomenal support and love the Palestinians have received from the Maghreb.”
Maghreb countries regularly express their support of Palestine and the Palestinian cause.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
