Making Ground for Sumoud

Making Ground for Sumoud on World Refugee Day
Thursday, June 20 (Noon – 1:00 pm)
Telus Building Room 131
Corner of 111 St & 87 Ave, U of A campus (map)

You are invited to this free noon-hour presentation delivered to mark this year’s World Refugee Day.

The event features two University of Alberta-based speakers who will use their involvements with Palestinians to consider how local groups or individuals can lend further support to refugees. The speakers’ experiences are separate and different, but they similarly rely on the importance of sumoud (roughly translated from Arabic as “steadfastness”) among Palestinians. It’s a condition which describes well the actions and outlooks of camp residents in Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon. While it’s an attitude upheld by refugees in these countries, it also might be adopted by others, in struggles to support them globally.

Coffee will be provided, BYO lunch.

About the speakers

Dr. Ghada Ageel is a visiting professor in Political Science, an independent scholar, and is active in Faculty4Palestine-Alberta)

John Doyle, who retired in 2018 from his position as programs director with the Alberta School of Business’ Centre for International Business Studies, recently taught at two Palestinian refugee camps in Sour (Tyre), Lebanon.

About World Refugee Day

June 20 is the annual, UN-designated day to commemorate strength, courage, and perseverance of refugees, who now number more than 25 million globally, over half under 18 years old. Schools, municipalities, faith groups, and NGOs in Canada have used this Day to share ways for standing with refugees, as well as asylum claimants and internally displaced persons.