The Kurdistan Society Supports Safe Haven Performance at London’s Arcola Theatre
On 26 June, the Kurdistan Society supported a performance of Safe Haven at the Arcola Theatre in London, followed by a special discussion chaired by Sir John Jenkins.
Written by former British diplomat Chris Bowers and directed by Yad Deen, Safe Haven is inspired by the events of spring 1991. Following the First Gulf War, Saddam Hussein’s forces violently swept through the Kurdistan region, forcing around two million civilians to flee towards the mountains and the borders of Turkey and Iran.
Moving between the Kurdish mountains and the offices of Whitehall, the play follows two diplomats and a Kurdish refugee as they press the British Government to intervene and help prevent a further humanitarian catastrophe. It explores the moral choices, diplomatic efforts and political pressures that contributed to the establishment of a safe haven in the Kurdistan Region.
Following the performance, Kurdistan Society Advisory Board member, Sir John Jenkins, chaired a panel discussion featuring H.E. Karwan Jamal Tahir, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s High Representative to the United Kingdom; Triska Hamid, a survivor of the 1991 exodus to the mountains; and Catherine Roe, who played a key role in Operation Safe Haven.
The discussion brought together diplomatic, political and personal perspectives on the events depicted in the play. It offered the audience an opportunity to reflect on the experiences of those who survived the crisis, the international response and the difficult decisions involved when governments are confronted with unfolding human suffering.
The Kurdistan Society was pleased to support both the performance and the post-show discussion. The Society extends its thanks to the cast and creative team, the Arcola Theatre, Sir John Jenkins and the panellists for an engaging and deeply moving evening.
