Palestinian Collective Memory as Feminist Decolonial Methodology: On the Paraguay Transfer Scheme

Denison University’s Laura C. Harris Series welcomes Dr. Hadeel Assali, Palestinian Collective Memory as Feminist Decolonial Methodology: On the Paraguay Transfer Scheme. In this talk, Assali explores a lesser-known Israeli plan from 1969 to transfer tens of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza to Paraguay, using the story of her own family as a point of entry. Her great-uncle was among those affected. Drawing on oral histories and feminist research methods, she examines how family memory — particularly narratives passed down by women — can uncover broader historical patterns often omitted from official archives.

The talk engages critically with Israeli archival materials, reading them alongside Palestinian oral histories to trace how certain stories are silenced or obscured. It also considers the role of liberal Zionist discourse in supporting, or at least failing to prevent, policies of expulsion. In doing so, Assali contributes to ongoing conversations around the Nakba, historical memory, and methods for documenting dispossession.

Assali’s current work bridges research and public scholarship. In addition to her academic roles, she collaborates with grassroots organizations focused on environmental justice and has developed courses that challenge colonial frameworks in scientific disciplines. Her approach integrates ethnographic research, archival analysis, and community engagement to address both historical and contemporary forms of structural violence.

Assali is a postdoctoral research scholar at Columbia University’s Center for Science and Society and a lecturer in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Trained initially as a chemical engineer, she worked in soil and groundwater remediation before pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology at Columbia, which she completed in 2021. Her research focuses on decolonial approaches in the geosciences, environmental justice, and Palestinian histories of displacement. She has worked extensively on mutual aid initiatives and community partnerships, particularly around environmental harm and infrastructural legacies in marginalized communities.