This week M.I.A stopped by the Oxford Union Society to participate in a Q&A session about her career, Trump, and her own experiences as a refugee. Over the course of 53 minutes the musician and activist reflected on the President’s first 100 days in office and the business of war, saying: “No matter how smart we are and how much technology we have and all the capabilities, we don’t know who is making the most money out of the war industry.”
READ: the i-D guide to activism in music videos
She also shared her personal history as a refugee, commenting, “Being a refugee is forever changing…We’re still a blob in the world, we’re faceless, and nobody can say why we’re here.” M.I.A’s family came to England from war-torn Sri Lanka when she was nine. Across her career she’s always been vocal about the experience, and used her music and public profile to narrate the lives and realities of other displaced people around the world.
Check the full conversation out below.
Credits
Text Wendy Syfret
Photography Wolfgang Tillmans [The Declaration Issue, No. 255, 2005]