The second event of the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) Speaker Series, titled “BHER the MIC: A creative showcase by Dadaab youth,” takes place Nov. 3 at 9 a.m. (EST) on Zoom.
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie stated in her TED Talk (“The danger of a single story”) that, “Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.” In the BHER Speaker Series’ first open mic event of the year, join Dadaab youth who will share stories that will disrupt the danger of a single story. Using various creative mediums, Dadaab youth will address the themes of identity, belonging and the meaning of home amidst the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Serving as MCs will be Philemon Misoy, a BHER Project liaison officer based in Dadaab, Kenya; and Molade Osibodu, an assistant professor in York University’s Faculty of Education.
Misoy is responsible for the co-ordination of the implementation of BHER programs in Dadaab. He holds a bachelor of education degree from Moi University in Kenya. He has served in the Dadaab Refugee Education Programs in various capacities for more than 10 years, primarily in secondary education, teacher training and tertiary education. His research interests include the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning in humanitarian projects. He is also keen on taking part in discourses on ways of increasing access to tertiary education by at-risk students and those from marginalized communities.
Osibodu came to Toronto from Michigan State University, where she completed her PhD in mathematics education. She situates her work in decolonial theory and uses decolonizing, participatory and critical methodologies in her research. A member of the speaker series’ planning committee, Osibodu’s other interests include: sub-Saharan youth mathematics experiences; immigrant and refugee math experiences; race, equity and power in math education; and African Indigenous mathematics practices.
To attend the event on Zoom, visit bit.ly/3nqcO3s.
This event is a part of the BHER Speaker Series 2021-22: Reciprocal Learning Beyond Crisis, which is co-sponsored by Windle International Kenya and York University’s Faculty of Education, Centre for Refugee Studies and Borderless Higher Education for Refugees Project. For more information about the the speaker series, visit yorku.ca/edu/reciprocal-learning-beyond-crisis.