The Nakba from 1948 to Now

Rawan Damen

Rawan Damen is a Director-General of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism(ARIJ) (2020 - today). She was a senior commissioner at Al Jazeera Network for 10 years (2006 - 2016), leading a team who produced more than 250 documentary and investigative TV episodes. Her award-winning documentary series Al-Nakba traces the Nakba, meaning the ‘catastrophe’, the 1948 Palestinian exodus—from Napoleon’s 1799 campaign through the British Mandate and 1948 to its ongoing impact today. The documentary was translated to 10 languages and used in universities across the globe to teach about the story of Palestine. Rawan received a master’s degree with honours in media and communication fromthe University of Leeds in the UK, 2003. She was also awarded the Media CreativityAward from the Arab Thought Foundation in Beirut, 2015.

---

Fintan Drury

Fintan Drury was a journalist with RTÉ in the 1980s. Before co-anchoring Morning Ireland for its first three years, he was a correspondent in Northern Ireland and reported from Britain, Europe, Africa and the USA. In 1985 he volunteered in the then largest refugee camp in the world, in Darfur, with GOAL. A longtime activist on migration, he’s written extensively on the subject.

His book, Catastrophe: Nakba II, (Merrion Press, 2025) was shortlisted for Non-Fiction Book of the Year. It offers an unflinching and insightful analysis of the decades-long oppression of the Palestinian people by Israel.

---

Claire Hanna

Claire Hanna is the Leader of SDLP (Social Democratic & Labour Party) and a Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast South and Mid Down, known for her work in international development before entering politics, she has served as a Belfast Councillor, MLA, and has led the SDLP since October 2024. Born in Galway, she's a strong advocate for social issues, fair wages, and anti-sectarian politics, balancing her career with family life as a mother of three. She has been one of the most prominent and consistent voices in the UK Parliament advocating for Palestinian rights and speaking up for Gaza since the start of the war.