Sumud, Sabr and Sanity – Stories of Palestine

Join us for a insightful and moving panel discussion that delves into the personal experiences of Palestinians in diaspora and the passionate voices advocating for Palestinian human rights and liberation. With Sumud (steadfastness), Sabr (patience), and Sanity as key themes, this event will offer powerful accounts from those who have lived through the challenges and beauty of Palestinian life – from the trials of displacement to the realities of living and working within the region.

This is an unmissable opportunity to hear firsthand stories from those who have witnessed and lived these experiences. It’s an intimate conversation that is essential for understanding the human side of the Palestinian struggle and the enduring fight for justice. This panel discussion features guest speakers: Hala Shanableh, Hiba Farra, Sophie McNeil and Georgia Mulholland.

About the Panelists

Hala Shanableh is a Palestinian Australian who is a key organiser of the Palestine rallies in Boorloo, as well as a member of FOPWA, APAN and the Greens. While she has completed extensive research into dementia care and successful ageing at home, Hala is currently working in the disability sector and is aspiring to complete research in exploring the impact of war in neurodivergent individuals and the need for tailored supports in post conflict recovery.

Hiba Farra, whose parents are from Gaza and Jerusalem is an advocate for the Palestinian cause, with a legal background, an Executive Board member of Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), Perth Mums for Palestine, a former chair of the Palestinian Community of WA, and former Cochair of Friends of Palestine.

Sophie McNeill was just elected to the WA Parliament in the Upper House for The Greens (WA). McNeill was an investigative reporter with ABC TV’s Four Corners program and a foreign correspondent for the ABC and SBS in the Middle East, working across the region in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Gaza, the occupied West Bank and many other countries. McNeill has twice been awarded Australian Young TV Journalist of the Year and has won three Walkley Awards for her investigations in Afghanistan and Syria. She is the author of “We Can’t Say We Didn’t Know: Dispatches from an Age of Impunity.”

Georgia Mulholland is an artist, community organiser and dedicated human rights worker based between Australia and the Middle East. Since 2019, Georgia has served as Project Director of Made in Palestine, a non-profit organisation rooted in International Humanitarian Law dedicated to providing Palestinian families with humanitarian and economic support. She leads an active team in both Australia and the West Bank, and lectures across continents. She is deeply engaged in distributing humanitarian aid, voluntary work within refugee camps and occupied military zones, and maintains meaningful relationships across borders.

Public Program

This event is part of the public program of It's Your Head That Bleeds: Voices From The West Bank. In late 2024 the artist, Georgia Mulholland, engaged in a series of intimate interviews with her Palestinian friends in the West Bank, asking them to speak on their experiences in a moment defined by the ongoing echoes of 13 months of genocide. The exhibition can be found at PS Art Space, Fremantle / Walyalup March 14 - 21.

The exhibition is accompanied by a diverse public program, curated by the artist to enrich the community’s experience. Highlights include: an Artist Talk with Georgia Mulholland and Honny Palayukan, Live Analogue Ambience by Sound Artist Portia Rose, Tatreez Workshop with SAMARKAND (Bethlehem, Palestine), Panel Discussion ‘Sumud, Sabr, and Sanity’ with guest speakers Hala Shanableh, Hiba Farra, Sophie McNeil and Georgia Mulholland, and a documentary screening of ‘Naila and The Uprising’.

Fundraising
All proceeds from this event are directly donated to Palestinian families in Gaza and the West Bank supported by Made in Palestine. To read more about Made in Palestine's mission, please visit: itsmadeinpalestine.org