The Refugee Speakers Programme is an initiative, run with support from speaking coaches from TEDx organizations, which provides an opportunity for aspiring speakers with refugee background to develop their storytelling and public speaking skills.
Throughout the programme, participants take part in a series of workshops and receive individual coaching in public speaking from TEDx coaches to prepare them for sharing their personal stories about fleeing and building a new life in Sweden.
UNHCR has run the Refugee Speakers Programme since 2022, with participants from countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.
Invite a Refugee Speaker
Are you a teacher or event organiser? Are you looking for ways to include speakers with refugee background in your work?
All too often, discussions about forced displacement, migration and integration are about refugees rather than with refugees.
Through UNHCR’s Refugee Speakers Programme, UNHCR is in contact with a network of public speakers with refugee background who are open to sharing their own stories of fleeing and starting over.
Below, you will find bios of each of the speakers, information about their speaking preferences and a link to watch the personal story shared by the speaker during World Refugee Day 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Would you like to invite a speaker to your classroom or to an event you are organizing? Click here to get in contact with us and we will find the best speaker for your class or event.
Biographies
Ayan
Ayan was born in Uganda and arrived in Sweden in 2022. She has lived in 9 countries. Ayan currently works as a check-in agent, having previously worked as a business administrator and IATA travel and tourism consultant.
Ayan is a board member of Rainbow Refugees Sweden, a member of RFSL and an LGBTQI+ activist who loves yoga and meditation.
Ayan is open to speaking opportunities in person and online, in English, Luganda and Swedish.
Kateryna
Kateryna, from Ukraine, worked with journalism and communication in Ukraine for over 16 years before coming to Sweden with her three children in 2022. She is the founder and author of Voice4Ukraine, a video interview project about how ordinary Swedes support Ukraine during the war. Kateryna is currently working as a Project Manager for the Sustainable Healthcare for Ukraine project at the semi-governmental organization Swecare.
Kateryna is open to speaking opportunities in person and online, both in English and Ukrainian.
Lesia
Lesia was born in Ukraine and arrived in Sweden in 2022. She currently works as a Microsoft Azure Consultant at ALSO Sweden and in here free time she teaches dance to young girls from different countries. In Ukraine, she was involved in running cultural festivals in the eastern part of the country.
Lesia is open to speaking opportunities in person and online, in English, Swedish and Ukrainian.
Miles
Miles was born in Zimbabwe and arrived in Sweden in 2012. He is an international migration researcher, LGBTIQ+ rights activist and founder of Queerstion Media. Miles sits on the committees of European migrant-rights organizations EPIM and EUCOMAR.
Miles is open to speaking opportunities in English, both in person and online.
Purity
Purity was born in Uganda and arrived in Sweden in 2021, after 5 years as a refugee in Kenya. Purity is a trans woman and trans activist. She is an executive Director of Queerstion Media and board member of Transgender Europe and Transammans-Sweden. Purity is also the founder of the only trans refugee organization in Kenya, Refugee Trans Initiative – Kenya.
Purity is open to speaking opportunities in English both in person and online.
Ahmad
Ahmad was born in Syria and arrived in Sweden in 2015. He currently works as a pharmacist and is the founder and manager of the NGO Organization for Migrant Safety.
Ahmad is open to speaking opportunities in person and online in English, Swedish and Arabic.
Eva
Eva was born in Ukraine and arrived in Sweden in March 2022. She currently works as a teacher trainer and regularly organizes international events for teachers. Eva is currently involved in a project to promote vocational education for internally displaced people, veterans and others in Ukraine impacted by the war.
Eva is open to speaking opportunities in person and online, in both English and Ukrainian.
Sayed
Sayed was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and arrived in Sweden in 2018. He currently works as Coordinator at the NGO Svenska med baby. Sayed has previously lived in Tokyo, Japan, where he studied international agricultural development.
Sayed is open to speaking opportunities in person and online in English, Swedish and Dari.
Olga
Olga was born in Odesa, Ukraine, and has a background in foreign languages and education. When she arrived in Stockholm in March 2022, she started to work at a school, helping Ukrainian children integrate into the Swedish school system. She currently works in the wind power sector, continuing her career interrupted by the war in Ukraine.
Olga is currently located in Malmö and is open to speaking opportunities in person and online, in English, Ukrainian and Russian.
Olga
Olga was born in the Donbass region of Ukraine and arrived in Sweden in April 2022. She is a qualified French teacher and currently works as Coordinator at the NGO Svenska med baby. Olga has previously published her story in the Swedish magazine Vi.
Olga is open to speaking opportunities in person and online in English, Ukrainian and French.
Elnaz
Elnaz was born in Iran and arrived in Sweden in 2020 and now works as a dance and theatre artist, dance teacher and academic researcher. Elnaz previously studied English literature, theatre and dance anthropology in Iran and around Europe.
Elnaz is open to speaking opportunities in person and online in English, Swedish and Farsi.
Faiaz
Faiaz was born in the Balkh Province in Afghanistan and arrived in Sweden in 2015. Faiaz works as a writer and journalist and has written six books, and is an active member of the inter-religious organisation A World of Neighbours.
Faiaz is open to speaking opportunities in person and online in primarily English and Swedish.
Widad
Widad was born in Syria and arrived in Sweden in 2013. She now lives in the UAE and works at the Museum of the Future. Widad has previously worked as an intern with UNHCR and is currently completing her Masters degree in Middle Eastern Studies at Stockholm University.
Widad is open to online speaking opportunities in English and Arabic.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the speakers are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the position of UNHCR. When inviting a speaker, UNHCR acts as an intermediary between the speaker and the person/organization wishing to invite a speaker, but the practical arrangements are to be agreed upon between the speaker and the organization inviting the speaker.
News about the Refugee Speakers Programme
Aydin Soei
Author, Journalist and Sociologist
Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada
Actor
Olivier Mukuta
Actor and biomedical engineer