1rV90K8
📖｜簡介｜
▋一場 50 多年前結束的戰爭，為什麼直到今天，仍有人無法回家？
▋而當他們來到台灣尋求庇護，又會面對什麼？

1967 年，比亞法拉宣布脫離奈及利亞獨立，一場延續近三年的戰爭隨之爆發。1970 年戰爭結束，短暫存在的比亞法拉共和國也隨之終結。
但對許多比亞法拉人而言，苦難並沒有因此結束。
殖民留下的族群分裂、戰爭的集體創傷、持續的政治迫害與流亡，直到今天仍影響著散居世界各地的比亞法拉社群。

▋但這場戰爭並不是突然發生的。
英國殖民時期，不顧族群、宗教與區域差異的疆界劃分，以及殖民治理下被加劇的族群對立，早已埋下衝突的種子。殖民結束後，這些矛盾並未消失，而是在政治權力競爭與動盪中持續累積，最終走向比亞法拉戰爭。
近三年的戰爭、封鎖與飢荒造成大規模平民死亡，也迫使無數人離開家園。

▋而其中一些人，如今就生活在台灣。
10 月 3 日，我們邀請比亞法拉在台交流協會理事長Charles Opanwa，從自己的生命與社群經驗出發，帶我們回到英國殖民與奈及利亞建國的歷史，談比亞法拉戰爭，也談一個民族在失去家園、跨越國界之後，如何繼續記得「我們是誰」。

同場也邀請長期研究離散、移民與流亡社群的國立暨南大學東南亞學系劉堉珊副教授，從人類學視角帶我們進一步思考：
▋當土地失去了，民族還存在嗎？
▋當戰爭結束了，創傷與流亡也會跟著結束嗎？

講座最後將把視角拉回我們所在的台灣，由台灣人權促進會的難民議題專員賴彥蓉接著分享當部分比亞法拉人輾轉來到台灣、尋求一個可安身之地，他們的流亡之路卻沒有就此結束。

在缺乏完整難民庇護法制的台灣，尋求庇護者不只要面對離開家鄉的失落與不安，更可能因為難以取得合法身分，而無法穩定地取得教育、醫療等基本資源，同時還要面對文化差異、歧視，以及如何在陌生的社會中重新建立生活等一道又一道難題。

▋並邀請大家一起討論：當一個無法回家的人來到台灣，在現行政策與制度下會面臨哪些處境與人權困境？並進一步討論，臺灣社會應如何建立承擔國際人權責任的政策與制度，以及目前相關立法面臨哪些挑戰？

🏷️更多資訊
主辦單位：
教育部高教深耕計畫特色領域研究中心
台灣人權促進會
國立陽明交通大學文化研究國際中心子計畫三研究群：難民與無國籍

🎙️ Forced Displacement under Colonial Legacies: Resilience, Memory, and Unequal Citizenship among Biafrans
🎤 Speakers: Charles Opanwa (Presiding Officer of the Biafran Community in
Taiwan)
👤 Moderator: Mei-Lin Pan (Professor, Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, NYCU)
👥 Discussants: Yu-Shan Liu (Associate Professor, Dept. of Southeast Asian Studies, NCNU), Yen-Rong Lai (Refugee Rights Campaigner, Taiwan Association for Human Rights)
⏰ Date and Time: October 3, 2026 (Saturday), 14:00-17:00 (GMT+8, Taiwan Time)
🌐 Format: Hybrid (onsite & online). Venue: HC103, Humanities and Social Sciences Building III, Guangfu Campus, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (No. 1001, University Rd., East Dist., Hsinchu City).
📥 Registration Link : https://neti.cc/1rV90K8
🔤 Forum Language: The event will be conducted in English, with Webex providing simultaneous interpretation for the speeches.
📄 Abstract
▋A war ended more than 50 years ago. Why are some people still unable to return home today?
▋And when they come to Taiwan seeking asylum, what challenges await them?
In 1967, Biafra declared independence from Nigeria, and a war that would last nearly three years broke out. The war eventually came to an end, and the short-lived Republic of Biafra ceased to exist.
But for many Biafrans, the suffering did not end there.
Ethnic divisions rooted in colonial rule, the collective trauma of war, ongoing political persecution, and displacement continue to envelop Biafran communities scattered around the world today.

▋But this war did not come out of nowhere.
Under British colonial rule, borders were drawn with little regard for ethnic, religious, and regional differences, while colonial governance further deepened divisions between communities. These tensions did not disappear with the end of colonial rule. Instead, they continued to build amid political instability and struggles for power, eventually contributing to the outbreak of the Biafran War.
Nearly three years of war, blockade, and famine caused mass civilian deaths and forced countless people from their homes.

▋And some Biafrans now live here in Taiwan.
On October 3, we will invite Charles Opanwa , a presiding officer of the Biafran community in Taiwan, to share his own experiences and those of his community. He will take us back to the history of British colonial rule and the formation of Nigeria, explore the Biafran War, and reflect on how a people, after losing their homeland and crossing borders, continue to preserve a shared sense of identity.

We will also be joined by Associate_Professor Yu-Shan Liu from the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at National Chi Nan University. Drawing on her long-term research on diaspora, migration, and communities in exile, she will bring an anthropological perspective to two larger questions:
▋When a people lose their homeland, can their collective identity endure?
▋When a war ends, do trauma and displacement end with it?

In the final part of the talk, we will bring the discussion back to Taiwan. Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR) Refugee Rights Campaigner Yen-Rong Lai will share how some Biafrans travel far and wide to reach Taiwan in search of a safe haven, only to find that their journey in exile does not end upon arrival.

Without a comprehensive refugee and asylum system in Taiwan, asylum seekers face not only the grief and uncertainty of leaving their homes behind, but also difficulties in obtaining legal status, which can limit their access to basic services such as education and healthcare. At the same time, they may face cultural barriers, discrimination, and the challenge of rebuilding their lives in an unfamiliar society.

▋Together, we invite you to reflect on these questions: What happens when someone who cannot return home comes to Taiwan? What challenges and human rights concerns do they face under the current policy and institutional framework? The discussion will further explore how Taiwan society can develop policies and systems that uphold its international human rights responsibilities, as well as the challenges currently facing relevant legislative efforts.

🏷️More info
Organizer:
Featured Areas Research Center, Higher Education Sprout Project, Ministry of Education, Taiwan
Taiwan Association for Human Rights（TAHR）
International Center for Cultural Studies, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (ICCS-NYCU) , Sub-project III Research Group: Refugee and Statelessness