Syrian Voices: Individual perspectives on the Syrian diaspora

March 2021 marks the 10-year anniversary of the conflict in Syria. Since 2011, more than 12 million people have left the country and around 30,000 individuals have resettled in the UK. Amid the devastation of the pandemic, the world has forgotten these refugees.

A new oral history project entitled Syrian Voices shines a light on the struggles and triumphs of ordinary Syrians now resettled in the U.K. through a series of film and zoom recorded interviews.  The aim is to create a lasting digital archive, using community and participatory history frames and representing perspectives which are often over-looked in the archival record. It also records aspects of emotion and affect.  Another key aim is to raise awareness, harness technology for community participation and build support for digital archival history.

Mehreen Saigol and Angela Flynn will briefly discuss the project and introduce a short film on Muradi Bakir, this will be followed by a round-table discussion with Muradi Bakir, Elisabeth Bolorinos and Meryem Kalayci.

Many thanks to Muradi Bakir and all our contributors, Nikki Carter and Sarah Bebb of TORCH, Lyndal Roper, Sian Pooley and Suzan Meryem Rosita Kalayci of the Faculty of History and CGIS, Univeristy of Oxford, Nour Bakir of the Oxford Languages Dept, Arabist graduates; Gabrielle Russo, Elizabeth Heyes, Jordan Jones, Mimi Buckley, Charlie Merson and Clover Godsal.

Thanks to our University partners, the Oxford Network for Armenian Genocide Research and Silence Hub.

Thanks also to our community partners for their kind support including Gilberto Estrada and Shena Merson of Asylum Welcome, Stephanie Solywoda of Stanford House, Elizabeth Parker of Getting Court, Rachael Henshilwood and Amy Hill, St Edwards School, Amanda Waggott and Anthony Biggs at The Playground Theatre London.

Oxford Network for Armenian Genocide Research, TORCH Networks 

Silence Hub, TORCH Networks