Voice Notes from Palestine + Director Q&A

Join us at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, for the evocative storytelling through the lens of students with disabilities, living with the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The "Voice Notes from Palestine" film will take you on the personal journeys of resilience of those who are often overlooked. Students use socal media to tell their stories about living in Gaza. The film allows for audience reflection on the multilayered constraints, whilst immersing yourself in the rich culture and experiences of Palestine. It spotlights the struggles, triumphs, and everyday life of the Palestinian people.

The screening will be followed by a Panel Questions & Answers examing the vulnerabilities experienced by those with disabilities, underscoring the intersection of disability, conflict, and survival in Gaza.

We will be joined by Amal Al-Agroobi (Film Director), Dr Itab Shuayb (Associate Producer) and Yaser Sawada (Humanitarian, born at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza), whose early life was shaped by the limited use of his right arm at birth. The session will be Chaired by Professor Maha Shuayb, Director of the , University of Cambridge.

See Panel biographies below.

The is pleased to be supporting the screening of "Voice Notes from Palestine" + Director Q&A as a part of the Cambridge Festival.

PANEL

SPEAKERS

Amal Al-Agroobi is a documentary filmmaker, director, producer and writer. Her career as a director began in 2012 when her first short documentary Half Emirati premiered at Dubai International Film Festival and was nominated for best film. Amal is the filmmaker, director and writer behind the Voice Notes from Palestine..

Dr Itab Shuayb

Dr Itab Shuayb is an academic and researcher specialising in inclusive design at the Centre for Lebanese Studies. She is currently a Inclusive Design Research Fellow at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. Her work focus is on the improvement in accessibility and promoting inclusive environments for diverse users. Her vision - to promote inclusive design as a mainstream in the built environment. Itab collaborated on the film as its Associate Producer.

Yaser Sawada

Yaser Sawada is a humanitarian, born at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Raised in the Sheik Radwan neighborhood of northern Gaza, Yaser’s early life was shaped by the resilience and struggles of occupation and displacement. Born with a congenital birth defect that limits the use of his right arm, Yaser spent his life challenging societal perceptions of disability, striving to be seen for his abilities rather than his physical limitations. His unique perspective, shaped by growing up in Gaza with a disability, fuels his advocacy for inclusivity, disability rights, and the rights for Palestinians.

His family’s history is deeply rooted in the Palestinian experience—his mother, Bakeza, is from Jaffa, and his father, Faraj, from the Negev. Both were displaced to Gaza during the upheavals of the mid-20th century. Having been denied the right to return to Gaza for over two decades, Yaser has made the UK his home since leaving. Yaser’s work and lived experience offer a powerful lens into the intersection of disability, displacement, and identity. His voice is a testament to resilience, hope, and the struggle for justice and equality.

CHAIR

Maha Shuayb is the British Academy Bilateral Chair Education in Conflict at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and the Centre for Lebanese Studies. She is a founding member and the former president of the Lebanese Association for History. She is also a co-founding member of the Disability Hub, a collective initiative that aims to promote research and advocacy around disability in the Arab World.

Host or Publisher Cambridge Global Challenges IRC