30 April 16:00-17:00 BST
As part of the ‘Education, Ethics and Research Politics’ webinar series, the British Academy Education Research in Conflict and Crisis – Bilateral Research Chairs based at the Centre for Lebanese Studies, the University of Cambridge and the University of Ulster, School of Education and in collaboration with Koya University, Kurdistan Iraq, invites you to attend a webinar.
Description:
This talk engages with the narratives and practices adopted by selected universities and academics in Lebanon and the UK since October 7th, with most academic solidarity actions being reactionary and limited to the genocide in Gaza even though the struggle for liberation has persisted for over 75 years.
The aim is to unpack the spectrum of responses, from those that are increasingly securitised and complicit in genocide—either through silence or conditional solidarity —to those who stand in solidarity with the struggle unconditionally and without apology from their academic positions and positionality(ies). At the core of the argument is the assertion that Palestinians have historically provided both the concepts and actions necessary for genuine solidarity. This type of solidarity transcends performative or conditional gestures, exposing the continuous and relentless colonial violence not just in Palestine, but in liberation struggles worldwide.
Speakers:
Dr. Mai Abu Moghli is a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Lebanese Studies (CLS) and a Co-PI on the British academy bilateral chair in education in conflict at the University of Cambridge and CLS. Mai works with teachers in Lebanon and her research focuses on teachers’ experiences in conflict and contexts of mass displacement, decolonising higher education and teachers’ activism.
Dr. Vivienne Badaan is Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut. Dr. Badaan works at the intersection of psychology, politics, and the study of social issues.