Eritrean Coffee Ceremony - Drop-in session

In some cultures (e.g., in Eritrea and Ethiopia), the coffee ceremony is an integral part of day-to-day life. It is a thread that binds together people, culture, and nature.

During coffee ceremonies, people talk about socio-political events, tell stories, dance, perform and celebrate the gifts of nature, such as rivers, arable lands, mountains, etc. As a space, the coffee ceremony creates the conditions of possibility for the “unsaid” to be “said” and unknowable (e.g., taboos) to be revealed. Most importantly, the joy of celebrating coffee together has a healing effect.

During this drop in session, we will facilitate a traditional Eritrean/Ethiopian coffee ceremony with some music and storytelling. You’re welcome to bring one item or think of a song that has a cultural significance to you or your community. We will then gather all the items and play the songs during the coffee celebration to discuss the “archives” and “memories” the items and songs carry and understand the intercultural and inter-epistemic points of connection between them.

Whilst this event will run from 14.00-17.00hrs, it is a drop in session and you are free to attend at any point during this timeframe.

Across Refugee Festival Scotland, the RSE is hosting several events, including a week-long exhibition showcasing artwork from Hannah Rose Thomas. The RSE is also hosting a lecture in partnership with UNESCO on World Refugee Day alongside group discussions and the opportunity to experience an Eritrean coffee ceremony.

Learn more here

FACILITATOR

Professor Alison Phipps FRSE

UNESCO Chair Refugee Integration through Languages and Arts

Alison Phipps UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts at the University of Glasgow and Professor of Languages and Intercultural Studies. She was De Carle Distinguished Visiting Professor at Otago University, Aotearoa New Zealand 2019-2020, Thinker in Residence at the EU Hawke Centre, University of South Australia in 2016, Visiting Professor at Auckland University of Technology, and Principal Investigator for AHRC Large Grant ‘Researching Multilingually at the Borders of Language, the body, law and the state’; for Cultures of Sustainable Peace, and is now co-Director of the Global Challenge Research Fund South-South Migration Hub. She is Ambassador for the Scottish Refugee Council. She is an academic, activist, educator and published poet.

FACILITATOR

Dr Hyab Yohannes

Research Associate, University of Glasgow

Hyab is currently a PhD researcher and graduate teaching assistant at the University of Glasgow and holder of the UNESCO RILA PhD Scholarship. He formerly worked for local charities and international organisations in Egypt, including UNHCR, IOM, Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA) and Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services (StARS). Hyab has research interest in refugee trafficking (which he wrote his MA dissertation on) and a life-long researching interest in the ambivalent position of ‘the refugee’ as an ‘unprotected’ figure (his PhD project).

Important points to note

• This event is suitable for age 16+
• This event may include distressing or controversial content relating to people fleeing conflict and persecution.
• Accessibility Statement: We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or any questions about how we can support this event, please contact the RSE Public Engagement team on [email protected]
• COVID-19: In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 we kindly encourage participants to continue to wear face masks if they feel comfortable to do so; use the hand sanitisers provided at the venue; and to stay at home if they have Covid symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19.

Host or Publisher The Royal Society of Edinburgh