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Syrian-born architect and artist, Mohamad Hafez, takes us on a walk through the stree-tscenes of his miniature dioramas that transport the eye back to an imagined Damascus, before and after the Syrian war. We explore the visual conversation with homesickness and exile in a discussion of his work. Mohamad Hafez’s new exhibition, “Journeys from an […]

Marwa Al-Sabouni is an architect and writer from Homs, Syria. In this interview she talks about the problems in Syria before the war and the challenge of rebuilding. Building for Hope and The Battle for Home, by Marwa Al-Sabouni, are available now from Thames and Hudson. This interview was recorded by Anna and Steve (with […]

Part Two of the interview: Nasrin Parvaz is a women’s and civil rights activist from Iran. She published her book “One Woman’s Struggle in Iran” with Victorina Press in 2018 about her experience of being arrested, tortured and sentenced to death for her activism. Her first novel, the Secret Letters from X to A, is […]

Hove seafront will be transformed into a Riwaq in May 2022 by the Brighton Festival director Marwa Al-Sabouni. Find out about the refugee and migrant musicians who will be preforming there throughout the month in this special preview, courtesy of local legend Phil Minns from Best Foot Music. Check out the full timetable as new […]

This programme is dedicated to the memory of Angelina, the beloved sister of our friend, Alex Ntung. Angelina was murdered by the DRC army in 2021, a victim of the genocide against the Banyamulenge. The Banyamulenge villages are burnt, the people are massacred and the survivors are driven into refugee camps which are then subject to attack, all under the nose of the UN. Why is this happening and what can be done to prevent their extermination? Featuring: Adele Kibasumba, the president of the Mahoro Peace Association;Amber Maze, the co founder of the Crane Center for Mass Atrocity Prevention;Dr Gregory Stanton, former Research Professor in Genocide Studies and Prevention at the George Mason University and the founder of Genocide Watch;Thomas Shacklock, the Deputy Manager of Genocide Watch Please note that this programme contains information about events that are inherently disturbing. While we have taken care to be as accurate as possible, some details of the lynching of Major Kaminzobe are still under investigation. Photo (c) Amjambo Africa. Mahoro Peace Association (MPA) is a community organisation which promotes development of its members living in the US and supports peacebuilding, victims of armed conflits and displaced people in Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Genocide Watch exists to predict, prevent, stop, and punish genocide and other forms of mass murder. Their purpose is to build an international movement to prevent and stop genocide. Genocide Watch is the coordinating organization of The Alliance Against Genocide (AAG), an international coalition of organizations. The AAG aims to educate the general public and policymakers about the causes, processes, and warning signs of genocide; to create the institutions and political will to prevent and stop genocide; and to bring perpetrators of genocide to justice. The Crane Center for Mass Atrocity Prevention seeks to foster sustainable peace and prevent mass violence around the world through practical research, educator empowerment, and civic literacy.

Fuad is a refugee from Palestine who found family and friendship at Nam Yang Martial Arts Club in Brighton. In this programme we talk to Fuad about his experiences and we speak to Sam Byford-Winter, the manager and senior instructor at Nam Yang. Find out what’s so special about their club and why they have just been awarded the first ever Martial Arts Club of Sanctuary for their work with refugees and asylum seekers.

Senait Mesfin Piccigallo talks to Refugee Radio about her new book “You’re in America – Now What?” a guide for refugees and migrants to successfully settle into their new lives in their new homes. We discuss the 7 key Skillsets to Integrate with Ease and Joy, as outlined in the book, and talk about Senait’s own journey from Eritrea to California. You can follow Senait on Instagram and Facebook You’re in America, Now What? Available now from Waterstones and other online stores.

Abdelrahman was arrested at the age of 17, just a curious young bystander in Egypt’s revolutionary chaos. He thought the police would soon realise their mistake and let him go. But they never let him go for, no for more than six years of his young life and his family’s tireless campaigning. In this interview, Abdelrahman talks to Refugee Radio about how he learnt to survive in his new life as a political prisoner, about some of the characters he met and about the ever-present fear of becoming another ghost, forgotten by the outside world. The image on this podcast shows Abdelrahman conducting an act of everyday resistance as he refuses to stop smiling for his prison mugshot, frustrating the guards and inspiring other inmates to assert their humanity in the face of dehumanising treatment and abuse. Abdelrahman now writes for the independent news outlet, Mada Masr, and you can read some of his articles online: https://www.madamasr.com/en/contributor/abdelrahman-al-gendy/ With music from Cairokee. Refugee Radio would like to thank Prisoners of Conscience for their help in putting us in touch with Abdelrahman.

Celebrating Library Week in Brighton with a selection of live courtesy of Best Foot Music. Featuring Bashir Al Gamar from Sudan and Kourosh & Reza with some Iranian folk songs. Bashir is raising funds for a well in his home village near the wartorn region of Darfur. Please support his campaign by purchasing his music: https://bestfootmusic.bandcamp.com/album/bashir-al-gamar You can also listen to a recording of a Lorestani piece by Kourosh on the Best Foot Music website: https://bestfootmusic.bandcamp.com/track/kourosh-kouchakpour-tar-medley

Herbert is a Kenyan journalist and human rights defender who was forced to flee his home after exposing police violence in his country. In this show he tells us about his life and work and we discuss the situation in Kenya today. Refugee Radio would like to acknowledge the help of Prisoners of Conscience, a charity that supports people who have been persecuted and imprisoned to settle in their new homes and achieve their goals. Prisoners of Conscience relies on donor support to help people like Herbert. Please visit their website to find out more about their important work and how you can get involved.

Hyab is a researcher at the Institute of Technology and is an expert in human trafficking. He was forced to flee his home in Eritrea because of persecution by the government who have been held responsible for extrajudicial executions, a lack of elections and the use of indefinite military service. In this interview, Hyab talks […]

Hamed Amiri talks about his book, out now from Icon Books, a love-letter to the NHS and a personal account of his family’s flight from Afghanistan. When the Taliban gave an order for the execution of Hamed Amiri’s mother, the family knew they had to escape, starting what would be a long and dangerous journey, […]

Political resistance and personal trauma; dehumanisation and the notion of “home”; we talk to Amir Darwish, a British-Syrian poet of Kurdish origin, about the life of a writer in exile. Featuring music from Kalochori, a refugee camp in Greece, by Amar, Rody and Ronav Zeno. This interview was recorded on the event of the publication […]

The poet, Shirin Razavian, talks about her life and work on the launch of a new book celebrating 20 years of Exiled Writers Ink. “Resistance- Voices of Exiled Writers” is available now from Palewell Press. Shirin Razavian: British poet born in Tehran, has been writing poetry since the age of 9. She studied Persian literature […]

Paul talks about the recent political violence back home in Uganda and the election struggle of reggae singer Bobi Wine, pictured.

Steve talks to the Kurdish musician Mansour Izadpanah about his life and work. Featuring a world exclusive premier of his new song, composed in exile and in lockdown with musicians across the world: Zayalay Awin, or “Love Echo.” In this programme you will also hear Mansour’s composition, Kobani, saluting the young fighters who resisted a […]

Musician and activist, Rahima Mahmut, talks to Refugee Radio about her life in exile and about the persecution of the Uyghur Muslim minority in China’s Xinjiang region. Xinjiang is west of the Great Wall, and was not historically part of China. The residents refer to it as East Turkestan. These days it has become a […]

Farah is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. She is a member of the Bahá’i Faith from Iran and has lived in the UK for a long time. I have interviewed her about her life a few times in the past and she always has a new story to tell me. In […]

A preview of the forthcoming Refugee Week online concert with Best Foot Music, featuring interviews and live performances from Sudanese poet Bashir Al Gamar and Jamal and Alaa from Syria. Please support the fundraiser >>

Kumar talks about the horrific persecution he faced as a gay man growing up in India and his desperate search for somewhere that would accept him. “The main thing in England is that homosexuality is legal. I can freely live openly with my sexuality. I have no need to hide and no need to be […]