UNESCO Chair on Refugee Integration through Education, Language and Arts

When It Burns

The role of poetry and the poet in the climate and biodiversity crisis. Join Tawona Sitholé at Feast Cafe in Kirkcudbright for an evening of live performance and conversation. Tickets here.  

Alison Phipps in conversation with Yahia Labadia, author of What Remains to be Said. An evening organised by the Iona Community. Watch the video here. 

Forced to Flee, The Refugee Abyss

Hyab Yohannes gave a talk at Perth Museum from 6:30-7:30pm as part of UNESCO RIELA's collaboration with their Waters Rising exhibit.

Hyab discussed his as yet unpublished work, The Refugee Abyss, an unflinching exploration of the “un-grievable” and the “unsayable.” In his work, Hyab doesn’t just memorialise lost lives and forgotten histories; he gives voice to those who have been silenced by systems of power and challenges us to rethink the structures that deem certain lives disposable. The Refugee Abyss confronts the harsh realities of forced displacement, raising vital questions: Whose stories are we willing to listen to? Which voices do we ignore? Hyab invited us to reflect on the traces left by those seeking refuge - wounds, scars, and silent histories that shape the global landscape of migration.

Sinking Suburbs and Waters Rising

Alison Phipps gave a talk at Perth Art Gallery from 6:30-7:30pm as part of UNESCO RIELA's collaboration with the Waters Rising exhibit at Perth Museum.

Alison invited us to have an intimate glimpse into the lives of the Ōtepoti, a South Dunedin community where she has spent time over the past five years as a companion and resident. South Dunedin, a low-lying suburb in New Zealand, is home to nearly 3,000 houses and lies 50cm above sea level, with rising waters being the first of many obstacles. We’ll find out how a mix of runoff, seawater erosion, inadequate drainage, and economic hardship threaten the community.  Discover the actions that residents are taking to safeguard their homes and their futures, and learn about the efforts of The Seedling, a grassroots community initiative, whose small but powerful acts of resilience offer hope and a model of collective response to an uncertain future.

Creative Writing Workshop: Waters Rising 

Join artists and educators Jason Oliver and Tawona Sitholé in this creative writing workshop, 10:30am at Perth Museum, as they dive into the narratives inspired by the Waters Rising exhibition. In sharing their own connection to the carved Nyaminyami staff on display, a powerful symbol of protection and the strength of nature, Jason and Tawona will guide you through a range of exercises aimed at igniting creativity, improving writing skills and fostering collaboration. With a focus on the exhibition, this unique workshop will see you consider the ways in which objects and nature can connect people and inspire creativity.

Book your place here! 

Alison Phipps and Tawona Sitholé will be delivering a public lecture on their work with Gaza, entitled: Working with the rubble: the enduring resilience of Palestinian universities in Gaza. This will take place from 1-3pm at the Centre for Global Migrations, University of Otago.

Download the event poster COE seminar 6 March 2025.

Book launch: There She Goes: New Travel Writing by Women. All warmly invited to this anthology of travel writing, edited by Esa Aldegheri. Place: The Portobello Bookshop. Time: 7:00-8:00pm. Get your tickets here.

Poetry from out of the rubble

Dunedin Public Libraries and Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature warmly invite you to join poets Alison Phipps and Tawona Ganyamatopé Sitholé from Glasgow in conversation with Neil Vallelly.

Alison and Tawona will perform work from their first collection The Warriors who do not Fight and their upcoming collection In this Warriors Cry (Wild Goose Publications). Alison will also share from her bestselling collection Keep Telling of Gaza (Sìdhe Press), written with Khawla Badwan.

Please join us afterwards for tea/coffee and cake.

‘Expect an evening of emotion, plenty of laughter and nourishing, resistant, joy in life.’

Who’s Afraid of Decolonisation?

Featuring: Professor Alison Phipps & Tawona Sitholé

Join us for an insightful discussion on ‘Lumpy Crossings: Trauma Sensitivity in Traumatising Times’, where Professor Alison Phipps and Tawona Sitholé will explore their work within the UNESCO Chair at Glasgow University. They will share their experiences in navigating the complexities of race, gender, and class while designing and delivering research projects focused on refugees and migration in an increasingly challenging global landscape.

Time: 6:00 PM
Location: St Michael’s Kelburn
Entry: By Koha (donation)