The University’s Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage Staff Network (REACH), in collaboration with Widening Participation & Social Mobility and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, are pleased to invite colleagues and students to a special event commemorating World Refugee Day.
Lost Homes, New Horizons takes place on Tuesday 20 June from 17:45. This is a hybrid event and attendees can either join the event online or in person at the Turner Sims Concert Hall on Highfield Campus. The event is an opportunity to hear directly from those who have experienced displacement and resettlement and to gain a deeper understanding of the legal and policy frameworks that shape their lives.
Dr Homira May Rezai, Chair of Hazara Committee UK, and Hewan Omer, Country Director of the Free Yezidi Foundation, will share their experiences of seeking refuge and resettling, highlighting the challenges they faced and how education played a crucial role in their journey and helped them to succeed in their new homes. They will also discuss the importance of refugee rights and the need for more inclusive policies to address the global refugee crisis.
They will be joined by barrister Dr S Chelvan who specialises in the claims of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or intersex (LGBTI) asylum seekers fleeing homophobic or transphobic persecution. Chelvan will provide insight into the legal issues facing refugees and asylum seekers, his experiences and successes, and why he has chosen to specialise in this area of law. Chelvan is Head of Immigration and Public Law at 33 Bedford Row Chambers, and a Visiting Adjunct Professor at Southampton Law School.
After hearing from all three speakers there will be a Q&A session.
UoS staff, students and alumni are all invited to join this important conversation and to show their support for refugees on World Refugee Day.
The running time will be about 1 hour 30 minutes. Refreshments are available from 17:45 ahead of an 18:15 start.
To attend in person please register on the Turner Sims website. If you would prefer to select an online ticket, please register via Eventbrite.
