Please join us on Wednesday 29th September from 6:30pm for this specially convened round table discussion, which will explore the unique heritage of Afghan music, why its practitioners are targeted by the Taliban and how we can support their urgent resettlement needs.
The United Kingdom stands proud as a global champion of freedom of expression, especially in the arts. Over the decades, our world-leading music industry has been immeasurably enriched because successive governments have given refugee musicians sanctuary here. Wednesday’s panel of civil rights leaders, artists and international experts in Afghan music will examine in detail the human rights situation in Afghanistan and the particular threats that music and its practitioners are seen to pose to Taliban authority. The panellists will also discuss how we can help ensure that musicians are named among the categories for resettlement under the UK’s Afghan Citizen’s Resettlement Scheme.
Round Table Panellists:
- Baroness Royall, Principal of Somerville – Host
- Dr Katherine Schofield – Senior Lecturer in South Asian Music and History, King’s College London; Chair
- Benafsha Yaqoobi – Commissioner, Afghanistan Independent Commission for Human Rights
- Mirwaiss Sidiqi – Director, Aga Khan Music Initiative in Afghanistan
- Justin Adams – Musician and Founder, Festival au Désert (“Festival in the Desert”) in Mali
- William Dalrymple – Historian, writer, broadcaster and critic, author of Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan
Please note, the event will be held on Zoom. You can register here.