Unsilenced: Poems for Palestine Book Launch

On May 20, 2025, Daraja Press marked a significant literary and political moment with the launch of Unsilenced: Poems for Palestine, a stirring anthology edited by John P. Portelli. Bringing together the voices of 50 poets from across the globe, this collection weaves together art and activism, offering a lyrical testament to Palestinian resistance, resilience, and the enduring call for justice.

This special podcast episode presents a lightly edited recording of the powerful launch event in Ottawa, hosted by Adrian Harewood—award-winning journalist, professor at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, and former CBC anchor. With his decades of experience in media and cultural storytelling, Harewood guided an evening of profound reflection, where poetry became both witness and weapon against oppression.

The panel featured an extraordinary gathering of contributors, each lending their unique perspective to the conversation:

• John Portelli, the anthology’s editor, a poet, novelist, and professor emeritus whose work bridges academia and literary activism;
• Firoze Manji, Daraja Press publisher and public scholar, whose work centers African and global liberation struggles;
• Nahla Abdo, Carleton University professor and anti-colonial feminist scholar, whose research exposes the gendered violence of settler colonialism;
• Leila Marshy, writer and community organizer, whose novel The Philistine and family history inform her advocacy for Palestinian rights;
• Nibal Khalil, Palestinian anthropologist and gender studies expert, whose work amplifies marginalized voices;
• Shirani Rajapakse, award-winning Sri Lankan poet, whose writing explores themes of war, displacement, and healing;
• Omar Sabbagh, Lebanese-British poet and critic, whose forthcoming collection Night Settles Upon the City (Daraja Press) delves into Beirut’s layered histories;
• Xanthi Hondrou-Hill, Greek-German poet and translator, whose award-winning work bridges cultures and languages;
• Joseph Ogbonna, Nigerian poet and educator, whose verses resonate with historical and contemporary struggles.

Their readings and discussions illuminated how poetry can transcend borders, challenge silence, and forge solidarity. From personal narratives to collective calls for justice, Unsilenced is more than a book—it’s a movement.

Listen to this unforgettable day of words and resistance on Daraja Press’s podcast. Available now on all major platforms.

#UnsilencedPoems #PoetryForPalestine #LiteraryActivism #DarajaPress

Produced by Pierre Loiselle, Music by Arlo Maverick. Thanks for listening.

Between 2021 and 2023 West Africa saw three popular military coups. Assimi Goïta became the president of Mali in 2021, Ibrahim Traoré became the president of Burkina Faso in 2022, and Abdourahamane Tchiani, became the president of Niger in 2023. The three former French colonies expelled French and US military. They withdrew from ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, and confederated, forming the Alliance of Sahel States. In French, that’s the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES). They announced their intention to cooperate on regional security, integration, sovereignty, and economic independence.

In January, they announced a common passport, and in February, they raised a common flag. In March, Togo signaled its intent to leave ECOWAS and join the landlocked Alliance, giving it access to the sea. There’s talk of Senegal and other bordering states following suit.

Host and producer Ann Garrison spoke to Eugene Puryear, author, journalist and Breakthrough News host, who attended the November 2024 Conference in Solidarity with the Peoples of the Sahel.  This podcast was first published by Pacifica Radio  https://capitalismraceanddemocracy.org/2025/04/07/sahel-sovereignty-rises-afl-cios-foreign-arm-defunded-code-pink-calls-out-hands-off-hypocrisy-federal-workers-fight-echoes-patco/

The podcast discusses the growing alliance between Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—collectively known as the Alliance of the Sahel States (AES)—as they solidify their partnership in defiance of Western influence, particularly from France and ECOWAS. The interview highlights their shared commitment to sovereignty, anti-imperialism, and regional security, including joint efforts against jihadist threats without reliance on foreign military support.

Key points include the AES nations' rejection of neocolonial policies, their alignment with alternative partners like Russia (via the Wagner Group), and their push for economic and military self-sufficiency. The conversation also touches on Libya’s potential role in supporting this alliance, given its historical influence in African geopolitics.

The interviewees frame the AES as a bold step toward Pan-African unity, challenging traditional power structures while facing internal and external pressures. The discussion suggests that this alliance could reshape West African dynamics, potentially inspiring other nations to resist foreign dominance in favor of regional cooperation.

Firoze Manji and Nnimmo Bassey discuss the environmental threats posed by the Trump administration's policies, particularly the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the prioritization of oil and gas drilling. Bassey highlights the severe environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, including contaminated water and soil, and the health impacts on local communities. He emphasizes the need for African unity and transformative leadership to combat these issues. Bassey also notes the broader implications for Africa, including potential environmental genocide in other regions like Senegal and Botswana. He calls for cultural and environmental education to foster sustainable practices and solidarity among African nations.

Thandisizwe Chimurenga talks about the threats to the Black Women's movement of the new Trump regime

A society born of white supremacy and patriarchy must, by definition, ignore the voices of Black women. We know that unfortunately, such an attitude will also naturally seep into every stratum of that society. With the ascent of the Trump regime, a whole range of policies and practices are being implemented and more to be planned on both on the USA domestic scene as well as on the international arena. Thandisizwe Chimurenga is an award winning, Los Angeles-based freelance journalist and writer. She is a former reporter, producer and co-anchor for Free Speech Radio News as well as the KPFK Evening News (Pacifica-Los Angeles). She is a New Afrikan revolutionary nationalist, a longtime activist, independent grassroots journalist and author based in South Central Los Angeles, CA. Thandisizwe is the creator, host and producer of “Rootwork: Getting Down to the Roots,” a broadcast of Interviews, News and Analysis of people, ideas, concepts and events that aim to dig deeper than mainstream colonial media, currently airing on KPFK 90.7 FM (Pacifica-Los Angeles) and the Black Liberation Media platform. She edited a two-volume series published by Daraja Press - Some of Us Are Brave.

Kali, of course, hardly needs an introduction, but for those of you who have not been fortune to hear and engage with Kali, let me say a few words about him: Kali Akuno is the co-founder of Cooperation Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi. He is the co-editor of Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and Black Self-Determination in Jackson, Mississippi and of Jackson Rising Redux: Lessons On Building The Future In The Present. As many of you will know, we have had the pleasure of interviewing Kali on several occasions here on Daraja Press Podcasts.

In our last podcast, Kali discussed the implications of a possible Trump electoral victory, sadly predicting the disastrous outcomes in the US elections, which the Democrats lost almost entirely for refusing to break with their genocidal policies in Palestine. And now, with a so-called ceasefire in Gaza, recognized more in its breach than its implementation, it is clear that the Trump regime wants to eliminate or remove Palestinians from their homeland. The West Bank is already facing what Gaza has faced over the last 15 months. With the freeing of those involved in the January 6 2021 insurrection and assaults on social policy gains that unions and political organizing over the years have fought for, what are the prospects for the Black movement and the movement of other oppressed groups in the USA? So, a warm welcome Kali to discuss this and many other issues, we have Kali Akuno joining us today to give his perspectives on the struggles we face in the coming period.

Kali describes a more effective and organized Trump regime implementing policies that are creating significant contradictions and challenges, particularly around immigration and labor. He highlights how deportations and anti-immigrant policies are already impacting food production and elderly care. Kali argues that Trump is attempting to reset the terms of the global empire and reshape American society, potentially moving towards more authoritarian governance. He warns of increased militarization of police and the empowerment of right-wing militias. However, Kali also sees opportunities emerging from these crises. He emphasizes the growth of mutual aid networks and community-based solutions, particularly around food production and distribution. He advocates for expanding these efforts, suggesting slogans like "every yard a farm, every garage a factory" to encourage local production. The conversation touches on the potential for civil conflict given widespread gun ownership, with Kali cautioning that right-wing groups have already been well-trained with arms and firepower.  Progressive forces will never match their military might, nor should they do so. "You're not going to outgun these folks, right?" Overall, while acknowledging the serious challenges ahead, Kali emphasizes the importance of building alternative systems and solidarity networks to meet community needs in the face of systemic crises.

Busia Senator and activist lawyer Okiya Omtatah recently declared his intent to run for president in 2027. Over his career, Omtatah has sued multinationals, government, politicians, and many others on behalf of the public interest and promises to focus on "anti-corruption measures" and executing the Constitution. We've spent many hours helping people understand the structural nature of what ails Kenya. Omtatah has certainly played an important role as an individual, but is this at odds with what would actually be necessary, structurally, to liberate Kenya from the root causes of its problems? How then should we think about electoral politics? They objectively matter, but how should we organize within a context where its importance is overstated? How should we think about the issue of solidarity within coalitional politics — throwing women and queer people under the bus — for a "lesser evil" and "non-corrupt" candidate? Firoze Manji, PhD, is a Kenyan, but now resides in Québec, Canada. He has more than 40 years of experience in international development, health and politics. He is the publisher of ‪@darajapress‬ and an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of African Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. He is the recipient of the 2021 Nicolás Batista Lifetime Achievement Award from the Caribbean Philosophical Association. He is the founder and former editor-in-chief of the pan-African social justice website, Pambazuka News. He has published widely on health, human rights, and politics

Palestine is personal for writer, Yahia Lababidi. His Palestinian grandmother, Rabiha Dajani — educator, activist and social worker — was forced to flee her ancestral home in Jerusalem at gunpoint some eighty years ago. As an Arab-American, Lababidi feels deeply betrayed by the USA’s blind support of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. In Palestine Wail, he reminds us that religion is not politics, Judaism is not Zionism, and to criticize the immoral, illegal actions of Israel is not antisemitism — especially since, as an Arab, Lababidi is a Semite himself. Using both poetry and prose, Lababidi reflects on how we are neither our corrupt governments nor our compromised media. Rather, we are partners in humanity, members of one human family. Not in Our Name will the unholy massacres of innocent Palestinians be committed (two-thirds of whom are women and children) nor in the false name of ‘self-defense’. In turn, Lababidi reminds us that starvation as a weapon of war is both cruel and criminal, as is collective punishment. Palestine Wail invites us to bear witness to this historical humanitarian crisis unfolding in real-time while not allowing ourselves to be deceived, intimidated or silenced. We are made aware of the basic human truths that no lasting peace can be founded upon profound injustice and that the jailor is never Free…

In the remnants of a fractured UK, England is on the brink of collapse where far-right militias rise to power. As Islamophobia and English nationalism ignite brutal violence, 19-year-old Marah Sultana is thrust into a fight for survival. Hunted by forces seeking control, she carries a secret powerful enough to change the course of the war—and the future of the world. In a world in which America’s reign as a superpower has crumbled, its mercenaries now rule in its shadow, In The Second Coming, Tariq Mehmood delivers a searing, unflinching narrative that mirrors his own lifelong struggle for justice. This novel is not just fiction—it’s a reflection of real-world battles. Mehmood’s powerful storytelling compels readers to confront uncomfortable truths while offering a gripping, emotional journey of resistance and survival.

Written with urgency out of a war-time Beirut, this poetry collection registers the griefs and the heroism of the Lebanese, under siege yet again. Sabbagh lends his lyrical voice here, to give a voice to the voiceless, trying to find some harmonic sense out of catastrophe. This book will compel readers, both Lebanese and those with any kind of human heart. While much of the work was written swiftly, on impulse, and almost like, as one of the poem’s titles has it, a ‘War Diary,’ in verse, this work aims nonetheless to last in its significance and resonance at a time when the world as a whole (let alone Lebanon herself) has become so unpredictable, so fickle and so perilous. Night Settles Upon The City aims to be a worthwhile addition to the contemporary literature of war and, more specifically, to the literary representations of the modern Lebanese reality and experience. 

As many of our listeners will know, there have been racist uprsings across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The trigger for the riots was disinformation: that three small girls stabbed to death in Southport on 29 July had been killed by a Muslim asylum seeker. In fact, the suspected killer was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and is not Muslim. It is true that rightwing mobilization and counter-mobilizations have been on an unprecedented scale, but has this not been building up over many decades? How is this related to Brexit, which some suggest that it was essentially the result of a racist mobilization? Is the presence of people from the former colonies of Britain in the UK the result of active recruitment to do the shit jobs that white British workers refused to do both because of the demeaning nature of these jobs but also the low pay offered? And wasn’t it the Labour government that introduced the first immigration laws in Britain? So what has distinguished Labour from the Tories? To discuss this and much more, we have today Amrit Wilson, writer, activist, feminist and author of Finding a Voice: Asian women in Britain, published by Daraja Press.