Stitching a rights narrative : embroidery practices of Syrian women living in Shatila

Disruptive life events, devastating experiences of loss and harm, and gross human rights violations often spark a need to narrate and share these experiences. Yet, because of their painful and overwhelming nature, they can simultaneously hinder expression and communication in (exclusively) spoken or written language. How can such disruptive experiences be shared in ways that are not reductionist or extractivist and offer those who experienced violence ownership of their own story? How can these stories be told in non-linear ways that acknowledge both ongoingness as well as disruption? And how can we partake in these stories and conversations without enforcing particular scripts? In Shatila, a refugee camp in the South of Beirut, the language of embroidery has been present since it was established in 1949, then to host Palestinian refugees. Embroidery is a day-to-day gendered activity, as much as cultural heritage rooted in the region’s rich textile tradition. When the war in neighboring Syria sparked an influx of new refugees into the camp, embroidery practices increased, as a means to generate an income, to foster a new social network, to cope with trauma, and to document or tell (visual) stories about lived experiences. Although these functions are intertwined, this poster primarily focuses on embroidery’s storytelling function. How can embroidery’s storytelling provide a way out of the challenges raised above, and how does it foster insights into lived experiences, as well as avenues for resilience?