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70 years of Nakba: Refugees, Return, and International Solidarity with the Palestinian People
7th May 2018 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
May 15th marks the 70th anniversary of the Nakba (Arabic for catastrophe), which resulted in the expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians from their homeland. Since then, the process of colonization and dispossession has been ongoing. While the Nakba is commonly referred to as a specific day, the reality is the Nakba is an ongoing reality for Palestinians.
This is particularly true for the Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon where Palestinians are forced to reside in crippling and suffocating conditions scattered throughout 11 refugee camps. Lebanon is “home”/host to some 450,000 Palestinian refugees who are denied their most basic of rights and face systemic discrimination. For youth, growing up in the camp means attending an overcrowded and inadequate school with a deteriorating education system.
While Palestinian refugees are granted the right to return under international law–as any refugee population–any attempt to exercise that right is denied, thwarted, and met with violent response. The recent and incredible Great Return March is the latest demonstration of Palestinian steadfast determination to return and resist.
How can Palestinians in the diaspora and those in the solidarity community support in advancing the struggle of justice in Palestine? How can we ensure the voices of the exiled community are centered in these movements? How can we create a participatory and representative collective of voices that honor Palestinians in their fragmented and scattered realities to ensure any movement captures the voices of all Palestinians?
Join the LEAP Program for a panel discussion featuring Palestinian activist and academic, Mezna Qato and the LEAP Program Director, Basma Eid.