Humanities

Vivien Sansour

“The Palestine Heirloom Seed Library: A Journey of Reclaiming Life in One of the World's Centers of Diversity - Palestine”

Heirloom seeds also tell us stories, connect us to our ancestral roots, remind us of meals our families once made at special times of the year. The Palestine Heirloom Seed Library is an attempt to recover these ancient seeds and their stories and put them back into people’s hands. The Seed Library is an interactive art and agriculture project that aims to provide a conversation for people to exchange seeds and knowledge, and to tell the stories of food and agriculture that may have been buried away and waiting to sprout like a seed. In this talk and workshop, Vivien Sansour will discuss the work of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, El Beir, Arts and Seeds, and the Traveling Kitchen, all located in the village of Battir, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Palestine.

Sansour is the founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. She works with farmers worldwide on agricultural issues, seed conservation, and cultural practices relating to crop diversity; this includes finding and reintroducing threatened crop varieties, and collecting stories to assert the ownership of seeds by communities and not companies. She feels most at home in the fields, where farmers plant their seeds and share their stories.

Lecture

Feb 20, 7 p.m. – 2452 Knauss Hall, WMU
In this talk, Vivien Sansour will discuss the work of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, El Beir, Arts and Seeds, and the Traveling Kitchen, all located in the village of Battir, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Palestine.

Writing Workshop

Feb 21, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Arcus Center, Kalamazoo College
"Seeds of the Past/Food for the Future"
Stories connect us to our histories and help us imagine possible futures. Join storyteller, artist, and founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library Vivien Sansour for a workshop in which you will explore your own connections between food, seeds, personal experience, and cultural heritage through story-writing. The workshop is free but RSVPs are requested. Kids and teens are welcome and encouraged to attend, too! To reserve your spot in the writing workshop, please register here. For more information, email @email.

Seed Swap and Story Share

Feb 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Arcus Center, Kalamazoo College
“If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive.” ― Barry Lopez

Join us for a sharing of stories, food, and seeds featuring Palestine Heirloom Seed Library founder Vivien Sansour and local and regional seed stewards. This event will include the following breakout sessions: a workshop on starting seeds and growing healthy transplants; a round-table discussion of community-based initiatives for ethical seed stewardship and sharing; and a cooking demonstration/recipe swap to inspire you to think about how seed-stewardship can revitalize food traditions. If you have seeds to share, you are welcome to bring them, along with cultural information that would help others get to know the plants and grow them successfully. If you have favorite garden-based recipes, we’d love to have you bring copies of those to share as well! This event is free of charge. Kids and teens are welcome and encouraged to attend, too! For more information, email @email.

Cosponsors

More info

All University Center for the Humanities events are free and open to the public. No tickets required.

Free parking in parking structure #2 adjacent to Miller Auditorium.