The Global Yemen Project (TGYP) aims to reintroduce visitors to a multiplicity of Yemens that exists beyond the Yemen of the headlines. A quick survey of the stories on Yemen presents a dismal picture of the former Yaman al-Sa’eed (Happy Yemen): it is a place in perpetual crisis, a refuge for terrorist orginizations, and one stricken with famine. These stories often fossilize Yemen as a site of permanent chaos, one suspended in time, and unchanging. It reduces its historical actors to tribal sheikhs, political elites, foreign heads of states, and the occasional international organization. The focus of these works is understandable and important given the ongoing war on Yemen. However, it comes at the expense of recognizing the complexities of modern and premodern Yemen and its global legacies. These stories strip the rich social lives of Yemenis of everything but their spirituality, tribal affiliation, and masculinity. It also limits Yemen’s scope and influence to its territorial boundaries.
TGYP is interested in exploring the multitudes of Yemens that are not visible in these usual narratives. It aims to highlight the Yemeni historical actors and agents of change that are missing from Yemen’s more familiar story. These actors include rural women, Black Yemenis, and other marginalized communities. To do this, TGYP is interested in narrating Yemen’s global history. The first phase of this project does this through A) songs composed by rural Yemeni women in the northern highlands B) an Oceanic Yemen Syllabus to aid students and educators engagement with these other Yemens.
In this site, you will find resources to learn and teach Yemen’s global histories. More resources will be added as they become available. TGYP also welcomes any suggestions and collaboration on additional resources that help tell this chapter of Yemen’s story.