Global Café: Perspectives on Gaza—Voices on a Humanitarian Emergency
A talk by journalists Fares Akram and Avi Lewis
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 23
Time: 5:30-7 pm
Location: Arts Building Room 143, 9 Campus Dr., Saskatoon
Free and open to the public | Register on Eventbrite
About this event
On Sept 23, the Global Café welcomes Fares Akram and Avi Lewis to share their personal experiences on the unfolding and continuing humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. They will share their insight on this tragedy, its root causes, and the importance of dialogue. As journalists, they will also speak to the horrific cost being paid by the Palestinian reporters who are fighting and dying to share this humanitarian catastrophe with the world.
Fares Akram is a Palestinian journalist who has covered the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades. Main topics included the intra-Palestinian conflict, and the Israeli blockade on the territory, and four major wars and countless smaller cross-border skirmishes. In addition to the conflict news, he dug deep to highlight and uncover stories of resilience and the bright sides of life amid the endless challenges. In 2021, he moved to Canada to join his family, and settled in Hamilton, splitting his time between Gaza and Ontario. He worked for nine years as the Associated Press correspondent in Gaza, and currently covering the ongoing war from afar on a freelance basis.
Avi Lewis has spent 25 years as a journalist, telling powerful stories of people engaged in social justice movements around the world. He co-hosted the landmark music show "The New Music" on City TV and was MuchMusic's first Political Specialist in Canada. As the host of counterSpin on CBC Newsworld, Avi presided over 500 televised debates. Avi also produced and directed two critically acclaimed documentaries, The Take and This Changes Everything. He is a long-standing advocate for human rights and justice. His visit to Gaza in 2009 was a defining moment, giving him firsthand insight into the harsh realities faced by Palestinians living under siege. This experience solidified his commitment to challenging systems of oppression and amplifying the voices of those fighting for liberation.
The Global Café series is hosted by the Department of Political Studies.
Info: martin.gaal@usask.ca
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