As a teen, Badr founded Narratio, an online platform that publishes
the poetry, art and stories of young people across the world, with a
focus on highlighting the voices of refugees and immigrants. In the
summer of 2019, Narratio launched an annual storytelling Fellowship for
resettled refugee youth in partnership with Syracuse University and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Following the discussion with Badr, four Narratio Fellows shared
their poetry with the audience and answered questions about the
Fellowship and their lives as refugees.
Badr’s book includes poetry, art, photography and narrative; the
works were collected through workshops and interviews in camps,
community centers, sidewalks, coffee shops and parks in Greece, Trinidad
and Tobago, and Syracuse, New York.
“What really captivated me was the fact that he used so many
different mediums to convey the message,” said Sophia DiFabio, a
first-year human services major. “I'm more of a visual person, and art
is really what takes a hold of me and helps me see things clearer. So
being able to see pictures and paintings really just moved me in a way
that writing can't always do.”
Annie Blimmel, a first-year environmental studies major, said the book and the discussion helped her to expand her mind.
“It made me reflect a lot on how sheltered I've been,” she said.
“Even though I may not be a displaced person, I shouldn't shy away or
turn away from people who are, and I should reach out and elevate their
voices and give them a platform to speak. Reading the book opened me up
to that even more. It was just amazing to hear from people and their
stories, which, as they were talking about tonight, often are glossed
over.”
Michaela Hodges-Fulton, a first-year neuroscience major, said the
book was easy to connect with because it’s composed of stories of people
who just happen to be refugees, and at the heart of it, they’re just
human stories.
“The biggest piece I learned tonight is the importance of
storytelling and the importance of being open to hearing stories that
you maybe haven't heard before,” she said.