Gaza Sunbirds co-founder and international co-ordinator will share learnings from the process of building a para-cycling team now globally recognised for courageous aid missions in the strip as well as milestone international sporting achievements. Karim Ali will discuss how design has fits into the journey and its integral place from challenges around accessibility to storytelling through mass video format. Exclusive Gaza Sunbirds merchandise will also be available at the session.
Donate to the Gaza Sunbirds
The Gaza Sunbirds call on the world to join in demanding an end to Israel’s atrocities. Followers can support by donating to their continuing aid missions in the strip, their international sporting goals as well as attending / organising a Great Ride of Return. This is a synchronised solidarity cycle series which has brought together thousands in 60+ cities to raise flags and voices on two wheels for Palestine with a special anniversary edition upcoming on 30th March. For more information, visit www.gazasunbirds.org
Karim Ali, is the international coordinator and co-founder of the Gaza Sunbirds. Launched in 2020, the Sunbirds are a Palestine-based para-cycling team, comprising of 20 athletes in Gaza, most of whom are aged 21 and under, representing Palestine on the global stage. With an original mission of promoting cycling and providing rehabilitation to amputees—in light of the ongoing genocide, the para-cycling team has diverted all its resources to providing mutual aid to communities in Gaza. They describe themselves as “not aid workers, but a group of athletes that know how to make things happen in Gaza.”
Claire van den Helder (she/they) is a cultural anthropologist with a specialization in disability studies. With their disability glossary, Claire makes definitions of important concepts such as ableism accessible to a Dutch-speaking audience. Claire also hosts ‘Gewoon Disabled’, a Dutch-language podcast about disability. Claire works from the belief that all systems of oppression shape and sustain each other and should be criticized as such. In all her projects, Claire tries to bridge the gap between academia, activism and the rest of society.