The United Nations’ Rapid Response Media Mechanism (RRMM) project has named filmmaker, scholar, and Columbia professor Frances Negrón-Muntaner a Global Expert. Negrón-Muntaner is the author of Boricua Pop:Puerto Ricans and the Latinization of American Culture (NYU Press 2004).
The Rapid Response Media Mechanism (RRMM) project is part of the Alliance of Civilizations, which was established in 2005 at the initiative of Spain and Turkey, under the auspices of the United Nations. The Alliance’s mission is to increase cross_cultural understanding and cooperation across countries and societies through a range of practical initiatives.
At the core of the RRMM is an online resource called Global Expert Finder (GEF), which connects journalists covering stories of religious, cultural, and political tensions to leading analysts and
commentators on intercultural crises and their likely long_term impact. Global Expert Finder was developed to bring multiple perspectives to charged debates that go to the core of relations between cultures and threaten to widen existing divides.
Negrón-Muntaner, who has written on issues of nationalism, sovereignty, and cultural production across the Americas, considers working with the RRMM project a great opportunity. “I am honored and
excited to join the U.N. in this project,” said Negrón-Muntaner after accepting the invitation. “This project will allow me to bring my several areas of research-Latin America, mass media, and politics-to
improving the quality of people’s lives by de-escalating and understanding the roots of conflict. I hope to make a difference.”
For more information about the RRMM project can be found at
http://www.unaoc.org/content/view/91/126/lang,english/
Further information on Negrón-Muntaner’s work is available at
http://www.francesnegronmuntaner.net/
