Stories of Solidarity

In our second episode, we'll explore a real-world connection between Palestine and Ireland: walls. These walls snake through Northern Ireland and the West Bank. These tall and dividing structures have a lasting impact beyond their physical intention to divide communities, they further perpetuate a lasting intention to divide and separate people. We will be exploring this topic with two guests who have direct experience growing up around these walls. As we’ll be featuring two guests in this episode, we’ll be releasing it in two parts. Our first interview takes us to Belfast to speak with Danny Devenny, a world renowned and hugely respected mural artist who has been painting the International Wall along with local and international artists for decades now as well as spearheading an initiative called Painting for Palestine. In March Danny and a number of artists unveiled 12 striking images on the International Wall in Belfast,  highlighting the genocide in Gaza. Together, we will delve into how these walls are not only tools of division and occupation but are also being used as mediums of resistance through the power of art. We were honoured to have Danny join us on Stories of Solidarity to tell us the journey that’s led him and others to using the walls of Belfast as powerful canvases to convey a message of solidarity to the people of Palestine.

In our launch episode, hosts Mary and Nagham are joined by Belfast native Dr. Brendan Ciaran Browne (https://brendancbrowne.com/), a multidisciplinary scholar from Trinity College Dublin. Together, they discuss the connections between Ireland and Palestine, drawing from Dr. Browne's unique experiences. He shares insights from his childhood as a Catholic in a predominantly Protestant area of Belfast during the Troubles and his later work at Al Quds University in Palestine.