Knowledge Exchange Series

Moderator:

Brenda Rodriguez Alegre, Lecturer in the Gender Studies Programme, School of Humanities, The University of Hong Kong

Panelists:

Anthony, Refugee Artist

Marisol, Migrant Worker

Lynette Nam, Senior Legal Advisor, Justice Centre Hong Kong

Johannie Tong, Community Relations Officer, Mission For Migrant Workers

Syeda Safeena-E-Zahra Zaidi, HKU Undergraduate Student

Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Time: 6:30-8:00 pm Hong Kong Time

Venue: On Zoom

The HKU Faculty of Arts’ Committee on Gender Equality and Diversity and the Justice Centre Hong Kong invite you all to a panel discussion that looks further into the narratives behind selected artworks from the Special Exhibition of the Hong Kong Human Rights Arts Prize 2021. Composed of migrants with lived experiences and intervention specialists, the panel will dissect the intersectional layers of struggles and survival from gender-based violence - one of the common themes which emerged from the artwork. We will walk through the power of narratives spoken through the exhibit images and explore the contours of real experiences beyond the images that inspire and empower.

Echoing the United Nations’ Global Compact for Migration, the Hong Kong Human Rights Arts Prize 2021 encouraged artists to explore the complexity of migration and other human rights issues under the theme of “Shared Future”. The Special Exhibition of the Hong Kong Human Rights Arts Prize 2021 at HKU is co-organised by Justice Centre Hong Kong and the Committee on Gender Equality and Diversity from 16November 2021 to 29 November 2021 at the G/F Gallery, Run Run Shaw Tower, HKU Centennial Campus.

Brenda Rodriguez Alegre is a Lecturer in the Gender Studies Programme, School of Humanities, The University of Hong Kong. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and is a registered psychologist. Both her MA thesis and PhD dissertation were about transgender women. She is on the Board of Directors of the Society of Transsexual Women Advocates of the Philippines (STRAP), the country’s first and longest active support and advocacy group for and of transgender women.

Lynette Nam is an Australian qualified lawyer with over eight years experience in immigration and refugee law. As Senior Legal Advisor at Justice Centre Hong Kong, she has played a key role in building the organisation's Legal Services and Pro Bono Programme. She is also Chair of the Legal Aid & Advocacy Working Group, Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network. Before joining Justice Centre, Lynette worked as an immigration lawyer at Fragomen Worldwide in Hong Kong and Australia, a human rights trainer at Karenni Social Development Center on the Thai-Burma border, and a consultant for Refugees International Japan.

Johannie Tong is the Community Relations Officer for the Mission For Migrant Workers. She graduated from HKU with a bachelor degree in Social Work. She is a Registered Social Worker and has been involved in efforts to serve and empower migrant workers for more than 5 years.

Syeda Safeena-E-Zahra Zaidi lives by the values of openness, kindness, and growth. She has always cared about helping people and the environment, which is why she is currently studying Global Health and Environmental Science at HKU. Having attended Li Po Chun United World College, she met people from over 90 different countries, where she learned the importance of embracing diversity. She holds a great interest in learning about topics related to race, gender equality, feminism, and human rights and has always been a strong advocate for the victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Her interests pushed her to take a course on "Sexuality and Gender: Diversity and Society", as well as becoming a young ambassador for Rainlyly, an organisation that helps women who suffered domestic violence.