Hope in a Land of Strangers

Abstract

This response to Ash Amin's new book, ‘Land of Strangers’ considers his argument that an ‘urban commons’ of multiplicity must be underpinned by a cultural imaginary that creates momentum and musters sentiment with affective force. He argues encounters are always deeply mediated and attitudes shaped by material, technological and symbolic influences with provenances near and remote. This paper targets the sphere of public narratives of encounter, providing two examples of interventions aimed at mobilising sentiment towards ideas of intercultural solidarity and care, and at re-working place identities in ways that highlight multiplicity, interdependency, and intersecting realities.

Keywords:

• Multiculturalism
• coexistence
• cultural diversity
• racism