Online Event in English without translation. Questions and contributions to the discussion following the lecture can also be asked in Arabic, we will translate to the best of our ability.
Admission free, please register here: registration (link)
In 2015, a demonstration erupted in Burj al-Barajne, Beirut’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, after a resident was killed by a malfunctioning electricity cable. In response, young residents took to the streets in protest, directing their anger toward the camp’s internal Palestinian administration. This episode marked the emergence of a new type of protest movement among Palestinians in Lebanon—one in which youth mobilized against the dominant political factions governing the camps, demanding representation and participation.
In this talk, Dr. Erling Sogge offers insight into the origins, tactics, and impact of this movement. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, he challenges dominant academic narratives that portray Palestinian camps as “spaces of exception,” where refugees’ lack of rights renders them politically passive. Instead, Sogge argues that these camps function more like a “Palestinian state in exile”—deeply connected to broader Palestinian and Arab political dynamics. This includes the younger generation’s growing criticism of the political elite.
Dr. Marie Kortam will respond to Dr. Sogge’s presentation, highlighting the role of youth engagement in cultivating political awareness among Palestinian refugees. Her remarks will explore how these movements articulate a discourse of civil rights and position Palestinian youth as active agents of change, challenging systemic injustice.
About the speakers
Dr. Erling Sogge is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Culture, Religion, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oslo. He holds a PhD in Middle East Studies and is the author of The Palestinian National Movement in Lebanon: A Political History of the ‘Ayn al-Hilwe Camp (I.B. Tauris, 2021).
Dr. Marie Kortam is a Research Lead for Syria at War Child. She is a sociologist, researcher with interdisciplinary experience. She is a Human Rights and Security Research Policy Advisor at the Lebanese Palestinian committee Dialogue, an Associate Researcher at the French Institute of the Near-East (IFPO – Beirut) and research fellow at Harmoon Center for contemporary studies.
Moderation: Dr. Amany Alsiefy (Ibn Rushd Fund)
Date: May 26
Time: 7:00 PM (Online)
Language: English, with the possibility to ask questions, provide comments, and receive responses in both English and Arabic.
Admission free, please register here: registration (link)