West Asia + North Africa + East Asia: A Global Youth Dialogue to Unlearn Orientalism

​West Asia + North Africa + East Asia:

​A Global Youth Dialogue to Unlearn Orientalism

​An intercultural youth dialogue and free public event on how Orientalism manifests in the contemporary context of media, pop culture, arts, education, and everyday life, with critical perspectives and lived experiences shared by speakers from West Asia, North Africa, and East Asia, co-presented by Critical Alternatives x Centre for Culture, Identity and Education x UBC Campus + Community Planning

​Bios of Dialogue Speakers/Interlocutors:

​Merihan El-Salakawy has recently got MSc in international migration and public policy from London School of Economics (LSE). She has an academic background in political science and 4+ years of experience in the field of migration, post conflict reconstruction and social development, especially in the context of the Middle East and North Africa. She is a UNAOC fellow, AUYVC alumnus and UNESCO fellow. She was awarded the Biggest Social Impact Award by the Global Entrepreneurship Network. She organized the first Refugees Youth Forum which empowered young refugees and enhanced their inclusion and coexistence in their host communities.

​Jasmine Hawamdeh is an artist, art educator, and creative producer whose work is deeply rooted in advocacy. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in Scarborough, Toronto, she is a proud Palestinian who uses her craft to amplify underrepresented voices and social movements. Holding a Bachelor’s degree from the Schulich School of Business, Jas blends strategic insight with artistic expression, creating work that is both impactful and socially conscious. As the founder of Jas Hawamdeh Studios, she has collaborated with advocacy organizations, cultural institutions, and grassroots movements, using design, illustration, and digital media to tell powerful stories. Beyond her studio practice, Jas is an experienced art educator and event producer, curating exhibitions, workshops, and creative experiences that foster community engagement. Whether through visual storytelling, educational initiatives, or large-scale productions, her work is a testament to the power of art as a tool for change.

​Sepehr Sharifzadeh is a Brussels-based networker, curator, and international performing arts producer. Currently, he is working as the international distributor of laGeste dance company(formerly known as Les Ballets c de la b). He co-founded the first international theatre agency in Iran in 2012, aiming to facilitate cross-cultural relations between Iranian theatre and the International performing arts scene. After the pandemic, he initiated several independent projects, including the Re-connect online performance festival, the New Narrative Showcase of Iranian contemporary performing arts, and PADA (Producers, Agents, Distributors Alliance), a global network to connect performing arts distributors, producers, and agents to connect, gather, and collaborate sustainably. Sepehr has been a member of the IETM advisory committee since 2022.

​Melody Yun Ya Ma is a second-generation Hakka Toisan Chinese Canadian, community organizer, and tech entrepreneur. She co-founded Chinatown Together 華埠團結, organizing intergenerational arts and culture events to resist gentrification in Vancouver’s Chinatown, and leads the #SaveChinatownYVR digital advocacy campaign.

​A fellow of the EU’s Global Cultural Relations Platform and United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), Melody serves on The Tyee’s board and has previously held roles with the Vancouver Public Library's Board of Trustees, and the City of Vancouver’s Arts and Culture Advisory Council. Her advocacy and writing have been featured in The Economist, CBC, Macleans, Vancouver Sun, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and South China Morning Post. She also co-founded Kirin Rising 麒麟革命, Vancouver’s only dedicated youth-led Hakka kirin dance troupe.

​Beck Feifan Ochiai is a Gen Z Japanese Chinese climate and human rights activist, originally from Tokyo and now based in so-called 'Vancouver, BC'.

​Beck is also a member and organizer of the Nikkei Vancouver for Justice, an anti-imperialist Japanese diaspora organization.

​Dr. Yao Xiao is a lecturer at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice, Faculty of Arts, as well as the Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education at The University of British Columbia, where he serves on the Steering Committee of Centre for Culture, Identity, and Education. As an educator, writer, and grassroots researcher, Yao works in the fields of social justice education, cultural studies, migration studies, critical Asian studies, and Asia-Africa interface.

​Yao has published collaborative work in international journals including Cultural Studies, Critical Arts, Postcolonial Directions in Education, and Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education. He is an Associate Editor of Critical Arts, and now lives as a Cantonese-Hakka first-generation immigrant settler of colour on Turtle Island.

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