Ways of raising awareness - A Sofa Talk with Elahe Zivardar

​Join us on 14 December and hear from an inspiring woman about how it is possible to raise awareness and document injustice, even from detention on the remote island of the Republic of Nauru!

An award-winning Iranian artist, architectural designer, journalist and documentary film-maker, Elahe Zivardar lives in Arizona, United States, where she obtained refugee status in 2019. After fleeing Iran, Elahe Zivardar was detained on the remote island of the Republic of Nauru for attempting to seek asylum in Australia from 2013 to 2019. During her detention in Nauru, she was highly active in using photos and video to document the horrific treatment and conditions endured by people seeking asylum and imprisoned offshore. An artist using diverse techniques, including painting, photography and documentary filmmaking, Elahe Zivardar seeks to depict and raise awareness on how refugee, stateless and migrant minorities are treated throughout the migration process, especially at borders. In addition to her art, she is active as an adviser to international refugee rights campaigns and organisations in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In our Sofa Talk series, we will meet on our virtual sofa for a conversation between Elahe and Anna Alboth, our Europe Media Officer. We always try to introduce you to an extraordinary woman from a minority, migration or indigenous background. Check out our Facebook page’s videos to see who we talked to in the past!

Tune in, hear Elahe and Anna, and share your favourite quotes using the hashtag #MRGSofaTalk.

Where? On Zoom – register above to attend. We will also be live on our Facebook page and our YouTube channel.

When? On 14 December, 10-11 am (Phoenix), 5-6 pm (London), 6-7 pm (Berlin).