Season 2 · Episode 2 | Decolonising Aid and Solidarity

Show notes

Episode 2 of Change of Perspective “Decolonising Aid and Solidarity” reflects on how humanitarian systems often go hand in hand with systems of human containment.
In conversation with Salahadine Djouma Abdallah, co-funder of Refugees in Libya, we speak about the Book of Shame, written by refugees across Libya, Tunisia, and Niger to break the silence around UNHCR’s crimes. Our guest Salahadine confronts Europe’s role in funding detention centers in Libya, the violence faced by refugees, and the power structures that decide who is “worthy” of protection, “who is evacuated or left behind, who is allowed to live, and who disappears”. Salahadine calls for radical care and solidarity that includes evacuation, resettlement, and collective action. He reminds us that silence is what kills first, and that is why we must keep speaking up for those who are still stuck in Libya or in other North African countries.

Throughout this episode Hadis Yakubi will read extracts from the Book of Shame, out of the chapter: “The witness must speak - On UNHCR in Libya and Beyond” written by David Yambio. The extracts will appear at different moments and will be combined with the conversation we had with our guest Salahadine.

This episode contains references to violence, systemic abuse, and human rights violations experienced by refugees and migrants.
Source: Book of Shame: How UNHCR Fails to Protect Refugees in Libya, Tunisia, and Niger (Vol. 1, 2025) https://www.refugeesinlibya.org/book-of-shame.

Know more about Refugees in Libya: https://www.refugeesinlibya.org/