Language for Resilience exhibition comes to the Library
Monday, 11 March 2019
In partnership with the University, the British Council has brought the Language for Resilience Exhibition to the University. Opening today, this free and public exhibition, will be hosted in the Library Building, on the Whiteknight's campus until the 29 March.
Based on research by the University’s Dr Tony Capstick and in collaboration with international institutions across the Middle East, Africa, EU and Americas, this interactive exhibition will demonstrate the ways language is used to build resilience among the millions of people that have been displaced from their homes by conflict and civil unrest.
Language learning is imperative to helping refugees and communities overcome miscommunications and social barriers. This exhibition is a valuable opportunity for visitors to understand the challenges associated with building resilience, and gives a voice to the young people and adults who deserve to have their stories heard.
Refugees displaced by conflict often find themselves far from home, without essential language skills for even basic communication, which hinders the education and career opportunities for both themselves and their children. The exhibition aims to break down barriers by protecting the use of refugee's home languages and allowing refugee communities to integrate with their host communities so they can feel valued within their new society. Building language resilience will reduce isolation and play a huge role in helping create a safe space for refugees to address the trauma caused by their displacement.
As it stands, only 1 to 5 percent of young refugees are currently enrolled in a university programme in their host countries. Improving language skills will allow more refugees to access the information required to progress in the education system and start to rebuild their lives.
For more information please visit the project website. To learn more about language and migration research at University, please visit the Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism.