Palestinian refugees: From the camp to the UN and back

DARE Liberty Lectures connect the curious and the experienced through a programme that has become an established part of Leeds’ cultural offering.

A series of specially commissioned public lectures at the Howard Assembly Room, these talks explore the myths and realities of liberty.  The events, which include a lecture followed by Q&A,  are introduced and chaired by an academic from the University of Leeds.

Our most recent lecture took place on Wednesday 20 March 2024, and focused on the current and long standing status of Palestine and its people.

The Palestinians have been refugees for longer than any other population in modern history. With the current Gaza crisis putting their dispossession in the news again, this talk will explore the background to Palestinian displacement and the critical role of international actors.

Dr Anne Irfan is an academic expert on the modern Middle East, Palestinian refugee rights, and colonial displacements.

She is based at University College London (UCL) and publishes widely on Palestinian refugee issues in both academia and the media. Her book, Refuge and Resistance Palestinians and the International Refugee System was published in July 2023.

Since the situation is changing so rapidly, Anne’s talk responded to the moment we found ourselves at in March 2024.

In association with the University of Leeds.

Past lectures have included: –

Jolyon Maugham: Good Law Project. May 2023

Dave Goulson: Silent Earth. November 2021.

Ann Pettifor: The Green New Deal. March 2020.

Afua Hirsch: Brit(ish). March 2019.

Gina Miller: Rise. February 2019.