In this episode of Across Archives, host Kristi sits down with Max Saakyan, the creator of Uncovering Roots. Max’s work focuses on the intersection of audio documentary and historical preservation, specifically centering on narratives that have been sidelined by mainstream discourse.

The conversation dives deep into the mechanics of memory, the ethics of handling trauma in storytelling, and the specific challenges of reconstructing history when official archives are sparse.

Inside the Episode

Max shares the origin story of Uncovering Roots, which began as a personal exploration of Armenian history and evolved into a global project. A significant portion of the discussion focuses on his series regarding Palestinians in Paraguay—a 1969 covert relocation plan that left many families stranded under false pretenses.

Key discussion points include:

* The Power of Oral Testimony: How to shape a narrative when official records are incomplete or intentionally obscured.

* The 1969 Relocation Plan: A look into the specific case of Palestinian migration to South America and the “false promises” of labor that drove it.

* Ethical Storytelling: Navigating the delicate balance between historical accountability and the sensitive nature of personal trauma.

* Archives as Tools for Justice: Why timing and accessibility matter when bringing these echoes of the past into current global contexts.

Key Topics

* Reconstructing the Past: The role of local newspapers and community memory in filling archival gaps.

* Community-Centered Narrative: The importance of elevating voices from within affected communities rather than observing from the outside.

* Storytelling & Accountability: How preserving history serves as a form of education and a check on power.

* Memory Reconstruction: The psychological and political significance of what a society chooses to remember—and what it forgets.

Resources and Links

* Uncovering Roots Podcast: uncoveringrootspod.com

* The Refugee Archive: therefugeearchive.org

About the Podcast

Across Archives is a production of The Refugee Archive, a research initiative dedicated to the lived experiences of displaced people worldwide. Alongside our companion series, The Archive Speaks, we explore how community storytelling can reshape history, amplify marginalized voices, and build global solidarity.

In this new episode of Across Archives, host Kristi speaks with Noor Azizah, Co-Executive Director of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network, as she shares how Rohingya women are reclaiming their voices, resist ongoing violence, and lead a global movement for survival and solidarity.Noor is one of the most visible Rohingya advocates of her generation. She has served as a UNHCR Refugee Expert in 2019 and 2023, was named NSW Young Woman of the Year in 2024, and was a finalist for NSW Young Australian of the Year in 2025. Her leadership comes from persistence, memory, and a refusal to stay silent.In this conversation, Noor talks about how she and a small group of Rohingya women built RMCN into a transnational network spanning Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, and the United States. She explains how women are stepping up to lead their communities even in the face of decades of violence and displacement.Noor also discusses RMCN’s documentary Hate Speech as a Weapon, which explores how disinformation has fueled real world violence against Rohingya communities in Southeast Asia. She reflects on the power of storytelling, showing that sharing the Rohingya story is not about sympathy, it is about survival, resistance, and solidarity. Every story told, every conversation started, and every classroom discussion becomes an act of resistance.Key Topics• Building a global network of Rohingya women leaders• How decades of violence and displacement have shaped Rohingya society• Using storytelling and digital advocacy to confront hate and raise awareness• The importance of breaking the silence and amplifying refugee voicesResources and LinksRMCN: https://tinyurl.com/RMCN-RohingyaGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime: [https://tinyurl.com/GIATOC-GlobalAmnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org/en/About Across ArchivesAcross Archives is produced by The Refugee Archive, a storytelling and research initiative highlighting how archives, oral histories, and community storytelling preserve the lived experiences of migrants, immigrants, internally displaced people, and refugees worldwide.Together with our companion series, The Archive Speaks, we explore how archives can amplify refugee voices, build solidarity, and reshape how displacement is remembered.🎧 Continue the journey on The Archive Speaks, featuring the real voices of displaced women and single mothers around the world.

In this episode of Across Archives, host Kristin from The Refugee Archive speaks with Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director of TSOS, and Brandi Kilmer, Community Programs Coordinator and co founder of the Refugee Physicians Advocacy Coalition.

Kristen and Brandi walk us through the real experiences of refugee and internationally trained doctors who arrive in the United States ready to care for patients but find themselves stuck in long and expensive pathways to re enter medicine. They share what they see on the ground every day and how TSOS uses careful storytelling to help communities and decision makers understand what these doctors are truly facing.

Kristen talks about how her background in law shapes the way she protects storytellers and how consent is never a one time thing. Brandi explains what she has learned from walking with doctors who are trying to get back into the workforce and why a coalition can move change faster than any single group working alone.

Key Topics

• How Kristen began working with refugees and why consent guides her leadership

• What Brandi sees when supporting refugee physicians through the licensing maze

• Why storytelling influences policy and community programs

• How real stories from doctors help shape practical solutions like supervised practice and provisional licensing

• What ethical storytelling looks like in a world where online safety and privacy matter

• How local partners in Washington DC support refugee and immigrant professionals

Resources and Links

TSOS website: https://tsosrefugees.org/Refugee Physicians Advocacy Coalition project pageGeorgetown University School of Medicine partnership

About Across Archives

Across Archives is produced by The Refugee Archive, a storytelling and research initiative highlighting how archives, oral histories, and community storytelling preserve the lived experiences of migrants, immigrants, internally displaced people (IDPs), and refugees worldwide.

Together with our companion series, The Archive Speaks, we explore how archives can amplify refugee voices, build solidarity, and reshape how the record of displacement is remembered.

🎧 Continue the journey on The Archive Speaks, featuring the real voices of displaced women and single mothers around the world.