Volunteering and support work are often shaped by Eurocentric perspectives that reinforce paternalistic dynamics and racial hierarchies. Even well-intended efforts to support people on the move can reproduce structures of domination, sidelining the voices of those most affected. The upcoming panel seeks to challenge these power dynamics by centering the perspectives, experiences, and knowledge of activists from the Global South.

This panel discussion aims to provide a space for Global South-led initiatives to articulate their approaches to solidarity and resistance. By confronting the colonial legacies embedded in international volunteering, the panel will explore ways to dismantle racial practices in support work and foster meaningful and solidarity based alliances. Through critical analysis, we hope to uncover pathways toward decolonized, anti-racist forms of solidarity that do not reinforce dependency but rather stand with communities in their ways to define their own struggles and solutions.

Speakers:

Radwa Khaled-Ibrahim, Medico International, is a consultant for transformative aid in Medico's public relations department.

Adeola Carew, Safe Space Sierra Leone, is a feminist organiser, legal advocate, and the founder of Safe Space Sierra Leone — a survivor-led initiative supporting women and girls affected by sexual and gender-based violence. Her work sits at the intersection of law, community care, and creative expression, with a strong focus on trauma-informed, culturally specific support systems in contexts of social and institutional abandonment.
Through Safe Space, she has led grassroots healing programmes, co-created safe community infrastructures for survivors, and challenged stigma through feminist education and storytelling. Her work is grounded in the belief that solidarity must be more than charity — it must be rooted in justice, accountability, and proximity to lived experience.
As someone who navigates both African and diasporic realities, Adeola brings a sharp lens to the politics of care, the ethics of volunteering, and the emotional labour often placed on marginalised communities to “save themselves” without real structural support. She believes in building feminist spaces where survivors are not just protected — but trusted, listened to, and free.

Moderation:

Ceren is a human rights lawyer from Turkey. She serves as the Executive Director of the Progressive Lawyers Association (PLA) and Co-Secretary General of the European Association of Lawyers for Democracy & World Human Rights (ELDH). Additionally, she is the legal advisor for PEN Norway on Turkey.