VERIS - Voices of Palmyra : Engaging (in)tangible memorial heritage in social innovation for refugee inclusion – CIVIS

The scope of the project is to link the (in)tangible cultural heritage of the Temple of Baalshamîn and the Palmyra civilization with the narratives of refugees of Middle East whose countries have been affected by wars, in order to strengthen the social inclusion of such vulnerable extra-European groups across Europe and to raise the awareness on the essential role of culture in bridging and bonding communities with traumatic pasts.

VERIS has at its heart 6 major objectives:

To fill in the gaps between tangible and intangible cultural heritage
To explore the motifs that Syrian refugees used on the embroidery
To collect narratives of refugees
To host one exhibition of engaging (in)tangible heritage
To analyse the relationship between tangible and intangible cultural heritage related to traumatic memories
To develop a toolkit of social inclusion for Syrian refugees

Learn more about the project

Photos: University of Bucharest

Core Methodology

Combining the tangible and intangible heritage by producing personal objects that tell a story. This is a way we followed to preserve memories; through embroidery workshops, we were able to revive the memory of the lost monument

Events in the Project

Event Name	Date(s)	Location	Audience
VERIS - VOICES OF PALMYRA	17 September 2025	University of Bucharest	NGO
Toolkit workshop	April	Glasgow	Community Organizations and NGOs Working with Refugees Social Workers and Integration Practitioners Cultural and Creative Sector Institutions Educators and Trainers in Adult and Informal Education Artists, Designers, and Art Therapists Local Authorities and Municipal Integration Departments Diaspora and Refugee Communities Themselves Academic Researchers and Students Policy Makers and International Organizations General Public and Civil Society Actors
Conference on Heritage and local communities	18-19 May 2025	Lausanne	Academics InZone Geneva, and NGO’s

Woven Memories, Enduring Bonds

Take-Aways

The project supports our teaching by incorporating refugees’ narratives and cultural expressions into our educational subjects, thereby promoting critical thinking and empathy among students. This project has allowed us to challenge stereotypes and encourage a nuanced understanding of displacement, diversity, and global interconnectedness. As faculty members, we can use these insights to create experiential learning opportunities, such as workshops or collaborative projects, that engage students in real-world issues.

Lecturer Alina Mareci, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest

Partners

Partner Name	Type	Bio
Oana Serban -University of Bucarest	Academic	Oana Șerban is a member of YAE, Young Academy of Europe, and she teaches Modern Philosophy, Aesthetics, Biopolitics and Cultural Studies at the University of Bucharest, Romania, as titular professor of the Faculty of Philosophy and the UNESCO Chair in Interculturality, Good Governance and Sustainable Development. She is the Director of CCIIF – The Research Center for the History of Philosophical Ideas (UB)
Brittnee Leysen - University of Glasgow	Academic	She is dedicated to exploring how culture, memory, and community shape human experience. As an Associate Tutor at the University of Glasgow, she mentored master’s students in language, intercultural education, and sustainable futures. Her work bridges academic research in heritage and place-names with practical initiatives rooted in care, education, and creativity.
Patrick Michel-University of Lausanne	Academic	Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Ancient history. DAS in classical Archaeology and Heritage Law.
JRS – Jesuits Refugee Service	NGO	JRS Romania helps refugee families integrate through Romanian language classes, educational support for children, and vocational training for adults. Education is the foundation for independence – for dignity, and hope.

Contact point

Senior Lecturer

Patrick M. Michel
Email

Patrick M. Michel, Oana Șerban, and Brittnee Leysen on the VERIS project

In this new episode of the podcast released by UNESCO RILA, the UNESCO Chair on Refugee Integration through Education, Language and Arts of the University of Glasgow, we explore the story, challenges, and outcomes of the VERIS project — VERIS – Voices of Palmyra: Engaging in Tangible Memorial Heritage in Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion — through a conversation with Patrick M. Michel, Oana Șerban, and Brittnee Leysen. Together, they reflect on the collaborative process behind VERIS, a CIVIS Open Lab project, the inclusion of Syrian refugees in participatory heritage practices, and the opportunities and limits of using virtual reconstruction as a tool for cultural memory and social innovation.

Starting from the reconstruction of tangible heritage associated with Palmyra, the discussion addresses a central question: how can digitally mediated encounters with endangered or destroyed cultural sites become a point of departure for recovering intangible heritage — memories, narratives, identities, and lived cultural practices? The episode also unpacks the ethical, methodological, and practical challenges of working with displaced communities, co-creation, trauma-sensitive engagement, and digital representations of cultural loss.

VERIS emerged from a strong interdisciplinary and inter-university collaboration under the umbrella of CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance, bringing together University of Lausanne, represented by Patrick M. Michel, University of Bucharest, represented by Oana Șerban, and University of Glasgow, represented by Brittnee Leysen.

This conversation offers insight into how heritage, technology, and civic engagement can intersect to support refugee inclusion, cultural resilience, and new forms of participatory knowledge-making.

The episode on Soundcloud

Main Beneficiaries & Social Impact

Main Beneficiaries

Social Impact