‘Humanising’ Statelessness Figure 4: Searching for hope. 102 In contrast to representing stateless people as frustrated, disappointed or as those with ‘bare lives’, the art experiment employed by the organisations emphasised one of the most basic human aspects — hope. ‘Hope itself is an interesting concept and political idea. Without it there is despair and a sense of futility’. 103 For centuries, hope has been featured as a central theme in artistic, philosophical and religious endeavours and explanations. 104 More recently, especially in the feminist school of thought, hope became a central theme. Rebecca Coleman and Debra Ferreday argue, ‘[h]ope is central to marginal politics which speaks of the desires for equality or simply for a better life’. 105 A leading theorist on hope defined it as something that, ‘sustains life in the face of despair’ and ‘the drive or energy that embeds us in the world — in the ecology of life, ethics and politics’. 106 The live performance of Manish shows hope — which values life and human aspiration over the unimaginable difficulties stateless people are facing — because: 102 Mizanur Rahman, Searching for Hope (Photo, World Conference on Statelessness and Inclusion, 26–28 June 2019). 103 Chris Barker, Brian Martin and Mary Zournazi, ‘Emotional Self-Management for Activists’ (2008) 9(4) Reflexive Practice 423, 430. 104 Nauja Kleist and Stef Jansen, ‘Introduction: Hope over Time — Crisis, Immobility and Future-Making’ (2016) 27(4) History and Anthropology 373. 105 Rebecca Coleman and Debra Ferreday, ‘Introduction: Hope and Feminist Theory’ (2010) 14(4) Journal for Cultural Research 313. 106 Marry Zournazi, Hope: New Philosophies for Change (Pluto Press 2003) 14, 14–15. 293