Join us for a panel discussion to celebrate the launch of Daftar: Beginnings, the inaugural book from afikra | عفكرة which features 14 essays that explore the past, present, and future of culture from the Arab World.
Named after the Arabic word for notebook, Daftar is intended as a space for reflection, ideas, and marginalia—a humble but essential artifact to spark discourse. Titled Beginnings, this edition marks both a starting point and a return, symbolizing the act of reclaiming authorship over the Arab narrative—a history often scattered, erased, or narrated by others.
In this panel discussion, we explore origins across the Arab world not as fixed points, but as living forces. From cities built on buried stories to the enduring lineages of design and heritage, our speakers will discuss how the past moves through us not as residue, but as momentum that shapes what comes next.
About Daftar: Named after the Arabic word for notebook, Daftar is intended as a space for reflection, ideas, and marginalia—a humble but essential artifact to spark discourse.
About afikra: afikra is a global movement to reframe the narrative about the Arab World through community events, academy courses, podcasts, and its magazine, Daftar.
Meet the Speakers
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi: An Emirati educator, art collector, scholar, and columnist who founded the Barjeel Art Foundation.
Alia Yunis: A screenwriter and filmmaker whose work focuses on memory and heritage, gaining international recognition for her feature documentary The Golden Harvest.
Mikey Muhanna: The Founder & Executive Director of afikra, who has grown the organization from a Brooklyn rooftop into a global education and media platform.
