Abstract

Conflict and climate change have forced millions of people from their homes in recent years alone. In this talk, Dr Naures Atto will introduce the case of the suffering of the Yazidis in the aftermath of the Yazidi genocide committed by ISIS in 2014, when thousands of Yazidis were killed, abducted, forcibly converted and used as child soldiers. The 400,000 community members have been forcibly displaced, uprooted from their homes and dispersed and the majority is still living in camps, either internally displaced in Iraq or in neighbouring countries. Very few have managed to reach Western countries and have been granted asylum. Almost six years after this disaster, there are still thousands Yazidis missing and their future as a community is unknown. This has huge effects on the health and well being of members of the community, as Naures will describe. She will also be screening the documentary POMEGRANATE : Voices of Sinjar, which details the struggle of the Yazidis.

Our speaker: Naures Atto is a social anthropologist and has conducted extensive research on reasons for emigration of minorities from the Middle East, their settlement in Western Europe and integration processes. Currently, she is the PI of Horizon 2020 RESPOND project at the University of Cambridge. She conducts research on migration, governance of migration and settlement, with a specific focus on the relationship between Assyrian and Yazidi immigrants in the West and those remaining in the Middle East in relation to future perspectives and their cultural survival.

* Everyone is welcome!

This event forms part of our 2020 University of Cambridge Global Health lecture series, featuring a range of lectures and panels delving into current issues in global health.

Access information: The Divinity School has a ramped entrance so there is step-free access to the venue.