In this timely talk, refugee studies grad student Dunya Habash shares a powerful realization of how stereotypes get formed about the global refugee crisis. She challenges us to see beyond these and engage to understand more deeply.

Dunya Habash is a musician, filmmaker, and refugee advocate. The daughter of Syrian immigrants, Habash was born and raised in Birmingham. In August of 2014, she visited Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp in Jordan to collect footage and conduct interviews for her documentary, Zaatari: Jordan’s Newest City. The film documents Zaatari’s growth since its establishment in 2012 with a focus on the resilience of the Syrian refugees living in the camp. In addition to directing the film, Habash also co-wrote the film’s music.

Dunya was so influenced by her time in the camp that she pursued further study in refugee and forced migration studies at the University of Oxford in England. She is researching the conceptualization of refugee camps as “cities” and hopes to work with refugee communities throughout her career.

Dunya is a 2016 graduate of Birmingham Southern College, a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, and recipient of the Dorothy G. Baker Campus Leadership Award.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx