Why We Should All Speak for Palestine!
Everyone is welcome to this celebration of love for Palestine. Join us in marking this critical and emotional moment for the Palestinian community, following the devastation of Gaza and the intensification of violence under Israeli occupation in the West Bank. The event places emphasis on breaking the silence that surrounds Palestine in institutional contexts, while highlighting the beauty of Palestine and its people — their pride, traditions, and resilience, as well as their suffering. It will conclude with a Palestinian food banquet to bring us together in solidarity and community.
Participants will engage with Palestine through the narratives of experts who either come from Palestine, belong to the diaspora, or are involved in Palestinian education, history, and solidarity at the University of Sussex. The event will open with an overview of the current situation in Palestine — particularly in the West Bank and Gaza — delivered by Dr Zahira Jaser, offering insight into the settler-colonial oppression faced by Palestinians and the silence that surrounds their experience.
This will be followed by Ms Dana Ragab, a PhD student in Robotics who grew up in the West Bank, sharing her lived experience of occupation. The event will then adopt a more practical focus.
Professor Zahid Brown will speak about initiatives at the University of Sussex, including ongoing efforts to support the education of university students in Gaza despite the inhumane conditions they face. Dr Jacob Norris will then present a history of solidarity with Palestine, tracing connections to social movements from the 1960s onwards.
Finally, Danny Millium will highlight various resources available in the library for further engagement, and reflect on the longstanding connections between the University of Sussex and the study of Palestine.
The event will conclude with a banquet of Palestinian food.
This event is part of the Palestine Interdisciplinary Dialogues series.
All welcome (in person only)
Please register for your ticket here.
If you have any questions, please contact the organiser James Andrews j.andrews@sussex.ac.uk
This event is part of the Summer of Research 2025, a two-week festival of researcher-led talks, workshops and exhibitions celebrating our fantastic research here at the University of Sussex. Find out about and sign up for other exciting events here!
