Filmed portraits of individuals speaking out against the violence in Myanmar were commissioned to curb the growing Islamophobia in Myanmar. Using these short films and their impact as talking points, the lecture will explore the roots of the problem in both Sri Lanka and Burma, the links between extremist groups in the two countries, and possible ways to address intolerance, rhetoric and violence in the region.

Kannan is a documentary filmmaker and narrative journalist who uses video, photography and multimedia forms of storytelling. His work has appeared in the Guardian, The New Yorker, broadcast on the BBC and Al Jazeera. He is also a qualified media and human rights lawyer.  He studied psychology at the University of Cambridge and international human rights at the University of Oxford, focusing on new media and conflict. He is a visiting scholar with the South Asia Program, mid-August through mid-October 2015.

This event is co-sponsored by the Southeast Asia Program (SEAP).