Celebrating International Human Rights Day

From December 8 to 10, 2025, Conflict Textiles, Ulster University, INCORE, Queen's University Belfast, and the Tower Museum collaborated on a three-day programme honouring International Human Rights Day. This initiative highlighted the power of textiles and film in addressing human rights issues.

Participants included film students, researchers, activists, curators, and community members, all exploring how textiles and film can serve as vehicles for memory, truth, and justice. Events included film screenings, workshops, exhibitions, and discussions.

On December 10, the Derry-Londonderry Ulster University Campus hosted a special event featuring short films curated by Cinematic Arts student Jessica Buchanan and PhD researcher Tabassum Islam. Following the screenings, attendees engaged in a thought-provoking discussion with filmmaker Esther Vital, Roberta Bacic from Conflict Textiles, and Professors Élise Féron and Brandon Hamber from INCORE. 

The event underscored the vital role of film in fostering community dialogue around human rights. 

Conflict Textiles has curated a page with all the links and events.

Discussion with Ramin Jahanbegloo on Nonviolence

On 28th November 2024, Conflict Textiles, INNATE, and the Hume O’Neill Chair in Peace at Ulster University hosted an insightful discussion with Iranian political philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo at the Ulster Museum.

Ramin, known for his extensive writings on nonviolence, including his latest book Thinking Nonviolence: Struggle and Resistance, explored the connection between nonviolence and empowerment. 

The event coincided with the Ulster Museum’s Conflict Textiles exhibition Threads of Empowerment, showcasing textiles that serve as testimonies to empowerment through nonviolent resistance. Ramin's insights were particularly relevant in today’s challenging environment, highlighting the importance of nonviolence in social movements.

Thank you to everyone who attended!

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].

Interview with Nicole Drouilly

As part of the ongoing “Following the Footsteps of the Disappeared” programme run by Conflict Textiles a new video interview was released on 10 December 2020, Human Rights Day. In this video interview with Nicole Drouilly, I explore in-depth, her experiences of searching for her sister Jacqueline, husband and unborn child, who disappeared in Chile in 1974. The discussion centres around a textile she made about her experiences. The textile “Stitching the Search” was displayed on 3 December 2020 as part of the ‘Conflict Textiles’ permanent, rotating exhibition at the Magee Campus Library, Ulster University.

Footsteps of the Disappeared Programme

"Following the Footsteps of the Disappeared" is a two-day programme incorporating a textile display and 2 seminars to mark International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances 30 August 2020.

Programme of Events

• Launch of "Following the Footsteps of the Disappeared", 30 August 2020, 14:00pm for more information and/or register.
• Seminar "Transnational Experiences of Enforced Disappearances", 30 August 2020, 14:00pm for more information and/or register.
• Seminar "The Search for the Disappeared: Textile and art expressions", 30 August 2020, 16:00pm for more information and/or register.
  

Photo credit: Recuerdos de Guadalupe / Guadalupe's Longings (Peru/Chile arpillera, Guadalupe Ccallocunto, 1989), photographer Martin Melaugh, © Conflict Textiles

Partners

"Following the Footsteps of the Disappeared" is a partnership between Conflict Textiles, the Ulster Museum and the John Hume and Thomas P. O'Neill Chair in Peace, Ulster University, and also the Transformative Memory Network.