Our Sofa Cafés are a series of discussions around topics that touch on integration through languages and the arts. These informal discussions will be held once a month on Zoom, with audience members being encouraged to join in and ask their own questions to the panelists.

At our first Sofa Café on Thursday 29 October, we welcomed Piki Diamond (Auckland University of Technology), Fiona Dunn (University of Glasgow), Beverley Costa (Pasalo Project) and Tawona Sitholé (University of Glasgow) to join us on the Sofa for a discussion of Indigenous peoples and languages. It was such a warm and welcoming discussion, attended by participants from New Zealand to the USA, where the speakers provided insight into the languages they speak, have learned or grew up with, the meanings those languages give to them and their life and work. 

The event was not recorded, but we invite you to join us for our next Sofa Cafés - details below. 

Tuesday 17 November 2020  
Sofa Café #2:Women in peace-making, crafts and cooking

Professor Alison Phipps with Deborah May (Küche), Naa Densua Tordzro (University of Glasgow), Giovanna Fassetta (University of Glasgow) and Nazmi Al-Masri (Islamic University of Gaza).

Wednesday 16 December 2020        
Sofa Café #3: Access to education for students from refugee background

Professor Alison Phipps with Melanie Baak (University of South Australia), Rachel Burke (University of Newcastle, Australia), Sara Kindon (Victoria University Wellington), Sally Baker (University of New South Wales), Veronica Crosbie (University of Sanctuary Ireland), Gün Orgun (City of Sanctuary) and others still to be confirmed.

To register for all our events, see the UNESCO RILA Eventbrite page.

First published: 30 October 2020

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