in this series of six audio reports, grounded in a study of the fifty interviews that make up the oral history collection Peaceful Coexistence in the Diaspora, sharq.org explores the experiences of migrants and refugees and the impact of different factors on their ability to peacefully coexist with the various communities they come across and live among in their host countries.
audio episodes [Arabic, 2019]:
Syrians in the Diaspora
produced by Reem Maghribi
narrated [in Arabic] by Ranem Khallouf
sound production by Saad Alsawan
integration, assimilation, tolerance…. these are all words used by politicians, community hubs, employment centres, and citizens in countries with refugee and immigrant populations. in using these words, they are asserting that immigrants and refugees are an “other”, unlike them, in need of a change in attitude and lifestyle if they are to be welcome.
but not all politicians and citizens in these countries put the onus solely on the immigrant to find contentment and prosperity in their new home country. some talk about acceptance and peaceful coexistence.
