Event Reflection: Ordinary Solidarities
On March 28, 2024, Professor Zeena Zakharia gave an important lecture on the pressing issue of structural racism and White supremacy in international global education. “Ordinary Solidarities: Toward an Anticolonial and Antiracist Agenda in Global Education Governance” engaged the audience in a discussion about power inequities in humanitarianism and the implications of ongoing efforts to meet the educational needs of refugee communities.
Professor Zeena Zakharia is an Assistant Professor of International Education Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park. She spent over two decades researching education systems and school leadership in war-affected areas. Her research focused on examining education in conflict contexts specifically in the Middle East.
Professor Zakharia first points to the criticism of humanitarian assistance as a source of power imbalances that perpetuate racism and coloniality in global education spaces. Critics claim that global organizations mainly stem from the Global North, holding most decision-making power while undermining local and indigenous knowledge. Professor Zakharia states that White ignorance in global education has caused numerous organizations to acknowledge the need for structural change.
Compounding crises such as the Syrian refugee crisis, COVID-19 Pandemic, Beirut Port explosion, and other political crises have negatively impacted education systems globally and increased anti-refugee sentiments. Professor Zakharia observed how different tactics in a Faith School in Lebanon welcomed Syrian refugee children with open arms through integration and promotion of diversity. Encouraging acceptance, respect, and love allowed the community to create new education opportunities for refugee communities. Professor Zakharia presents an “ordinary solidarities” framework to explain how the Faith School successfully sustained the right to education for refugees. This concept focuses on organic responsiveness, equitable relationships, and principles of inclusion and anti-discrimination as means to foster inclusivity and improve education for underrepresented populations.
Professor Zakharia’s research highlights the importance of equity and systemic change in order to fix colonial and anti-refugee attitudes in global education. This lecture was extremely insightful and provided a new perspective on international education and ongoing problems within global organizations.
You can view the video of the lecture here.
About the Author:
Zoe is a senior at the University of Maryland studying Marketing. She plans on attending law school after graduation. Zoe is excited to use her creativity with the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace while learning about important social, political, and economic issues.
To learn more about Zoe: www.linkedin.com/in/zhlebovic
