Welcome to Issue 1.1
Featuring poetry by Kodi Arnu, Louise “Light” Mwangaza, and Milad Yousufi—essays by Hirwa Esperance, Raida Farzat, Claude Kaberuka, Mary Nyaluak, and Homaira Zamiri—videos by Thay Poe Mu—artwork by Abdulatif Aljeemo and Donay Habbak
The Power of Art Amidst Tragedy
I don’t know the exact day it started, but I do know that somewhere along its journey there were Syrian hands making Ancient Roman pottery, an architect designing Palmyra’s great arches and columns, a sculptor shaping young Syrian men and women with curly hair.
Art by Donay Habbak
“Who will bury us if we die? Naked, there’s neither a horizon nor a grave that covers us.” Moments of life and loss in Damascus, as illustrated by Donay Habbak.
Photography in the Highlands
People seemed to stop whatever it was they were doing. I heard somebody whisper, “He is coming!” as a hush fell over the market.
I asked my mother who it was. “The cameraman,” she whispered back.
Three Paintings of Syrian Women
Istanbul-based artist Abdulatif Aljeemo pays tribute to Syrian’s country women in this imaginative showcase of colour and texture.
Power and Gender
If a widely accepted definition of ‘power’ is the ability to make others do what you wanted them to, any discussions surrounding it arguably reflect the male experience of the world.
Paradise in Hell
“When you open your palms, let that be a wish you want for me.” A poem by Kodi Arnu.
4 Traditional Karen Sung Poems
Traditional Karen poetry sung by students from The Nu Chet La Middle School, recorded and directed by Thay Poe Mu.
Dreaming Somewhere: Empowering Refugees Through Education
I was about to embark on a beautiful career, full of opportunities and challenges. Did you know it was like climbing Kilimanjaro Mountain on foot?
A woman is not a thing, she is man’s photocopy
A stirring appeal to humanity, men, and women by poet and musician Louise “Light” Mwangaza.
Poems and Paintings
A special series from the Unheard Music Project’s first Featured Artist, Milad Yousufi.
Life in the Shadow of the Pandemic
“I have always been living in a pandemic — the only difference is that I now have to wear a mask all the time and refrain from shaking hands.” Homaira Zamiri reflects on COVID-19 and exile.