Difficult Conversations

In April 2023, I participated in a Panel Discussion entitled “Difficult Conversations”, discussing textiles as a “language”, drawing on the work of Conflict Textiles. 

The panel included Professor Paul Seawright and Dr Sandra Johnston from Ulster University, as well as poet Dr Paul Collis and Dr Jen Crawford from the University of Canberra. 

The difficult conversations project was co-developed, co-curated and co-produced by a team representing the British Council, the University of Canberra and Ulster University.  

Coming out of the event Roberta Bacic I published.

Hamber, B., & Bacic, R. (2023). Textile Language for Difficult Conversations: Reflecting on the Conflict Textiles Collection. In Ursula K Frederick, Ashley Harrison, Tracy Ireland and Justin Magee (Eds). Difficult Conversations. British Council: London [Download].

Victim Mobilisation: An antidote to denialism, a route to new relationships?

Recently presented at the Harvard University. I addressed the question: "Can bottom-up civil society groups influence how political elites engage in peacebuilding initiatives in a way that improves rather than undermines intergroup relations?" I focused on this from the perspective of victim groups. The paper is below.

Hamber, B. (2023). “Victim Mobilisation: An antidote to denialism, a route to new relationships?” at the Conference on Intergroup Relations After Violent Conflict: Insights from Research and Practice. The conference was held at The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University on 5-6 October 2023.

Ode to a Prime Minister

Arrived with pomp and pretence

A foppish comic faker

Pillaging with privilege

A practiced promise-breaker

Too cowardly for honesty

Believers buttered then betrayed

Attacked in the early hours

Wielding a witty charade

Truth evaporating in filibuster

Secrets muted by scrutiny

Dead cats bounced at voters

Disaster sold as opportunity

An upper-class merrymaker

Flinging cake at the sick

Sending the desperate to Rwanda

Dressing up pigs with lipstick

We’ll miss you like a blister

You awesome world-beating liar

Grinning while your pants burn

Saluting the tatters of Empire

Published by Brandon Hamber, Medium, 15 June 2023

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash