Refugee journalists in Lesbos tell their own stories

Description

This is a September 2020 article by Katy Fallon for Al Jazeera, reporting on a refugee initiative to document their own stories in Lesbos, Greece. 

Dr Krystalli is quoted on the importance of refugee-centered storytelling. The quote is as follows: 

Roxani Krystalli, lecturer in the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews, said refugee-owned narratives are important to show the breadth of the experience.

“A key issue is that much humanitarian, journalistic, and academic interest in the lives of refugees centres on their experiences of violence, loss, and trauma. While those are significant, refugees also have stories of joy and care – and many refugees want to narrate those because they are as true a part of their experience as their losses. Centring refugee voices can allow for a fuller, more textured story of the refugee experience to emerge beyond the single narrative of violation.”