Speakers:
Walaa Sabah, Project Manager of We Are Not Numbers (WANN)
Fiona O’Rourke, Author
Dr Nick Maynard, Surgeon
In attendance: Ms Zeina Alazzeh, Research and Policy Officer, Embassy of the State of Palestine.
Friday 26th July at 7:00 p.m. at Dance Cork Firkin Crane.
Walaa Sabah
Walaa Sabah is the director of operations at We Are Not Numbers (WANN). She works as a freelance journalist. Her articles about the Palestinian situation can be read on MEE, El, Mondoweiss and the New Arab.
Walaa recently spoke at the weekly Cork Palestinian Solidarity Group protest in Cork and described some of the heart breaking individual stories behind the statistics in Gaza.
When the world talks about Palestinians living under occupation and in refugee camps, it is usually in terms of politics and numbers – specifically, how many killed, injured, homeless and/or dependent on aid. However numbers are impersonal and often numbing. What they don’t convey are the daily personal struggles and triumphs, the tears and the laughter, and the aspirations that are so universal that if it weren’t for the context, they would immediately resonate with virtually everyone.
The mission of WANN is to create a new generation of Palestinian writers and thinkers who can bring together a profound change to the Palestinian cause to get their voices heard. WANN provides the world with direct access to the Palestinian narrative without any restrictions and without foreign intermediaries speaking on behalf of the Palestinians. To date some 350 contributors have published more than 1300 stories from Palestine.
Fiona O’Rourke
Fiona is a published author from the North of Ireland with recent stories included in Shorter Stories Ireland, Dublin Story Slam, Fortnight Magazine and the Storms Journal.
Her creative non-fiction was selected by Munster Lit. and will be published in the Southword Journal in Winter 2024.
A member of the Irish Writers Union, Fiona has designed and facilitated creative writing courses and programmes at Trinity College, Dublin Innovation Academy, Libraries, festivals, in the community and at the Irish Writers Centre Dublin.
She is the co-organiser and MC for Open Mic for Gaza Zoom fundraisers and the organiser/facilitator for eXpress Write for Gaza, a writing session fundraiser. All donations raised at these events have gone to the Ghassan Abu Sitta Children’s Fund.
Dr Nick Maynard
Dr Nick Maynard is a senior surgeon at Oxford University Hospital and has worked in Gaza leading an Emergency Medical Team for Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP). MAP’s vision is a future where all Palestinians can access an effective, sustainable and locally-led system of healthcare, and the full realisation of their rights to health and dignity. Through their programmes in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and Lebanon, they work with trusted and experienced local partners to achieve this vision. MAP programmes, designed and delivered by Palestinians, provide access to essential health services and build local knowledge and skills to address Palestinian health problems. In times of humanitarian emergency, MAP is ready to respond rapidly with aid and assistance.
See https://www.map.org.uk/ for more details.
Zeina Alazzeh
Zeina Alazzeh did her master’s degree in International Public Policy and Diplomacy at UCC and as part of her programme, she worked as a research assistant with Dr Andrew Cottey on EU-China relations. Zeina conducted her master’s thesis on the role of the EU and China in East Africa. She also worked as a research and teaching assistant at Birzeit University Palestine for three years. Her research interests are in EU foreign policies, international relations, and politics in conflict areas with the focus on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Today, Zeina works as a Research and Policy Officer at the Embassy Of The State of Palestine in Dublin and attends this meeting at the request of Ambassador Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid.. .
All are welcome. Its first come, first seated.