S04E03: City of Thorns. Inside Dadaab camp.

Fractured

This episode of Fractured explores the experiences of refugees in the Dadaab camp, the motivations behind writing 'City of Thorns', and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It highlights the challenges faced by refugees, the role of humanitarian organizations, and the complex dynamics within the camp, including safety concerns and the informal economy. In this conversation, Ben Rawlence shares his experiences and insights from his time in the Dadaab refugee camp, discussing the complexities of life for refugees, the cultural tensions between different communities, and the challenges faced by young leaders. He highlights the deteriorating conditions in the camp, the difficulties of returning to Somalia, and the misconceptions surrounding refugee needs in Western politics. Ben also reflects on the impact of his book and his ongoing efforts to support education and justice through initiatives like Black Mountains College.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Ben Rawlence -Founding director of Black Mountains College, Author “City of Thorns”

S04E03 EPISODE GUIDE:

00:00:00 - In this episode

00:00:55 - Intro and title sequence

00:01:14 - Interview with Ben Rawlence

00:54:14 Outro and Closing Credits

You can find Ben’s books here:

City of Thorns: https://www.amazon.com/City-Thorns-Worlds-Largest-Refugee/dp/1250118735

Radio Congo:

https://www.amazon.com/Radio-Congo-Signals-Africas-Deadliest/dp/1851689656

The Tree Line:

https://www.amazon.com/Treeline-Last-Forest-Future-Earth/dp/1250270235

Check Black Mountains College:

https://blackmountainscollege.uk/

"Fractured" is an original production of ReFOCUS Media Labs

(@refocusmedialabs on all social media platforms)

PRODUCTION FAMILY:

Host: Rasheed Ghalli

Production Family:

Sude Fazlollah, Eli Fazlollah, Dawoud Nouri, Rasheed Ghalli,Lotta Luley, Federico Rinaldi, Dariia Stepanova

Citizen Journalists:

Yaser Taheri, Milad Ebrahimi, Yaser Akbari, Naqib Rasuli, Mohammad Ali Alami

Mentorship: Douglas Herman

Producers: Sonia Nandzik-Herman, Douglas Herman

Graphic Design: Eli Fazlollah for designs by Eli go to: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/shop⁠

MUSIC:

Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound)

Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

OUR PARTNERS:

Allianz Foundation, Choose Love, Aputure, Leave No One Behind, Europe Cares, Parea Center Lesvos

SPECIAL THANKS:

To the extended ReFOCUS Family for their dedication, passion and creativity all year long. We’re not where we are today without all the effort from Florian Krauer, Louise Holm, Chryssa Kouroukli, Natalia Tsarenko, Fine Bieler, Tommaso Stingo, Matthew Goncalves O’Kelly, Jennifer Perez, Jule Pehnt, Majid Bakhshi, Nazanin Foroghi, Yaser Akbari, Dariia Stepanova, Paul “Al” Simon, Jaime Moro Saavedra, Joëlle Hübscher, Beni Rietmann, Jakob Mayr, Jurek Edel, Francisco Ibanez, Bart Van Son, Federico Bustamente, Myriam Rey, Lotta Luley and Federico Rinaldi.

SUPPORT:

This podcast is the product of our ReFOCUS citizen journalism program

Donate to support the artists and journalists by visiting: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org

CONTACT:

Thoughts or questions about this episode;

Suggestions for topics we can cover later in the season?

Contact: ⁠[e-mail]