The medium of testimony: testimony as re-presentation
Marie Godin, Jennifer Kishan, David Muraskin, Léonie Newhouse
A brief review of websites, publications and other literature produced by United Kingdom-based ‘pro-refugee’ organizations will reveal that significant space is dedicated to biographical pieces about refugees and asylum seekers. Using language such as ‘testimony,’ ‘life stories,’ ‘voices,’ and ‘in their own words,’ these pieces often seek to counter the negative portrayal of refugees that appear in the U.K. media. This project seeks to investigate the manner in which pro-refugee organizations collect and use testimony and how this relates to their stated objectives.