Heartfelt Gratitude to All Who Joined our Symposium
Resisting Colonizations took place on April 24-26, 2025. Central to this symposium was the genocidal settler-colonization of Palestine and Lebanon, which echoes and re-inscribes these century-long processes on Turtle Island. It brought together voices of resistance, hope, and relationship to Land, from Turtle Island to the various SWANA lands.
Beyond being an occasion to share research, papers, and academic analysis, these three days were a precious time to come together as a community — to live resistance, to show solidarity, and most importantly, to care for one another. Our Grounding Day offered us an invaluable space to learn about who we are in this journey — how each of us, in our own contexts and ways, has endured and resisted colonizations. Together, we carried our stories, our pains, our strengths, and our hopes into the circle.
As we moved deeper into the symposium, we unpacked the layered manipulations of history and bore witness to how colonizations continue to perpetuate harm. Your deep reflections and courage to speak truth gave power to the space.
“Once a circle is opened, it remains alive. It holds us together, no matter where we are.”
On our final day, we cultivated hope through art, affirming that resistance is alive, evolving, and finding new, creative forms to grow and flourish.
None of this would have been possible without all of the presenters and guests — their presence was not just an act of participation, but a commitment and a promise to keep resistance alive.
We promise to keep the spirit that brought us together alive, as a living force to sustain our collective resistance. We look forward to seeing you again soon — to dream, to act, and to resist together. We look forward to organizing a consultative meeting sometime over the summer, where we can come together to brainstorm ideas on how to keep our collective active and thriving.
Vicky Boldo and Catherine Kineweskwêw Richardson for grounding us in safety, care, and connection throughout the three days.
Johnny El Hage for curating a moving and inspiring arts space.
Imane Ammour and the CPN-PREV team for their tireless and unseen logistical work.
Marwan tahtah for all the gorgeous black & white pictures!
The Organizing Committee — Abdelwahed Mekki-Berrada, Catherine Kineweskwêw Richardson, Orev Katz, Maxime Comtois, and Imane Ammour — for their unwavering dedication and preparation.
Our sponsors — CPN-PREV, CSLP, Projet transnational de recherche-action participative : Colère et espoir des jeunes adultes; CRSH-Partenariat (Laval University), Indigenous Healing Knowledges Chair at Concordia University, Kawalees, and UQAM. Without your support, none of this would have been possible.
A Special Thank You to…
- Ghayda Hassan and Zeina Ismail-Allouche on behalf of the Organizing Committee