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Friday, May 1, 2020
By Ghadah Alrasheed Whenever there is a crisis, people often go to technology for “help”. It is what historians and cultural scholars describe as “technological optimism”. It means that technology evokes hopeful aspirations for people whenever they struggle with large issues and crises. So when physical communication is interrupted,... More
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
By Zamzam Abdikader My name is Zamzam Abdikadir and I am based in Kakuma refugee camp. Kakuma is located in the north-western side of Kenya and as per UNHCR statistics done on 29th February 2020, there are 194,914 registered refugees living in the camp. In regards to the current COVID-19 situation, there is no... More
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Credit: Globalresearch.ca By Ghadah Alrasheed I write this while at home following my province’s social distancing rules and homeschooling my kids. The furthest I go is our local grocery store. If we ever need to spend any time outside, our backyard will be the main location. Although very unfamiliar, this situation is weirdly nostalgic.... More
Friday, March 13, 2020
On March 12, as part of a series on Media Training and Writing Workshops, ALiGN hosted “Storytelling with Impact,” a workshop presented online with refugees from Kakuma Camp in Kenya. The theme of the workshop, presented by interim co-Directors of the lab, Kathy Dobson and Ghadah Alrasheed, included the importance of knowing what... More
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Credit: CNN By Scott Mitchell What’s going on with this coronavirus pandemic? There are some concerning developments, but there is also some cause for optimism. There are some things we don’t know. This may sound like it's oversimplifying a very complex situation - or maybe this piece will offer comforting or useful information to... More
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Research on the coverage of refugees reveals that less than a quarter of all news articles on migration or refugee issues mention a refugee or migrant, and far fewer directly quote them. Kathy Dobson and Ghadah Alrasheed, Interim co-Directors of ALiGN Media Lab, became more aware of this issue after they visited Nairobi last... More
Monday, March 9, 2020
On the International Women's Day, Carleton University honoured Dr. Merlyna Lim, among 10 women, who have had impact on our world through their "innovative teaching, ground-breaking research and vital community outreach". The ALiGN Media Lab stands out as one of Dr. Lim’s great and innovative contributions in facilitating community-outreach... More
Thursday, January 23, 2020
By Rebecca Mitchell I was introduced to the work of the Indigenous Canadian DJ collective A Tribe Called Red this past summer. As a long-time Ottawa resident, I had already heard the name of the group due to their Ottawa roots, but had never actually heard their music. After listening to the first few... More
Sunday, October 13, 2019
By Scott Mitchell Can polls accurately predict future outcomes of elections? Or are they meaningless numbers often disconnected from reality? The latter sentiment is often tied to conversations around the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The story goes that polls were showing Hillary Clinton as a near-certain victor, and so Donald Trump winning... More
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
ALiGN stands in solidarity with the global community in fighting climate change. The strikes were started by the Swedish young activist Greta Thunberg in September 2018 and now are happening in different communities around the world. They are joined by people protesting the lack of awareness and action towards climate change. ALiGN is proud... More
Monday, September 30, 2019
ALiGN recently spoke with several students who attended the climate change protest on Friday, September 27th, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, inspired by the strikes initiated by Greta Thunberg. This includes Carmen Warner, a PhD student at Carleton University. “I’ve had many conversations with people about the value of protesting, that... More
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
By Ghadah Alrasheed Credit: AFP In the first federal leaders’ debate, three party leaders talked through some of the issues that matter most to Canadians including the economy, health care, and environment. But when the debate shifted to the UNRWA, it seemed strange that an organization unlikely familiar to many Canadians took centre. In... More
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