THE JOURNEY
Refugees all take unique journeys to their new homes: through physical space, through legal gateways and pathways, through human relationships, through emotions, and through time. In 2021, the Sponsorship Research Colloquium coordinators put out a public call for art and artefacts reflecting refugee journeys, and people with sponsorship and/or refugee experience from around the world sent in their contributions. The result is this exhibit, where people share their reflections on refugee journeys that have touched them. Some of the pieces reflect a person’s own journey, while others are contributed by refugee sponsors who have welcomed refugees to their community. We hope you are inspired by the humanity and creativity of this exhibit.
‘The Journey’ exhibit is part of a broader research project investigating refugee sponsorship around the world—the Research Colloquium on Refugee Sponsorship. Over 2021-2022, the Colloquium has brought together leading scholars and experts in a series of educational workshops to examine key questions about the study and practice of community-based refugee sponsorship. Sponsorship has a 40+ year history in Canada and is being adopted by an increasing number of countries around the world. This is an important moment to take stock of existing knowledge, critically re-examine assumptions, and chart a forward-looking agenda for knowledge creation and critical inquiry. The Colloquium was coordinated by the University of Ottawa Refugee Hub. Information on our Colloquium partners and funders can be found here.
THE ARTISTS
Tatum Burdo
Louise Gow
Hammed Babatunde
Aseel Al Maamari
Ala’a Al Maamari
Abdullah Al Mamari
Valerie Howes