HIER & JETZT is a political arts event that seeks to discuss Palestine-Israel from the point of view of artists, activists and journalists, Jewish and Arab, who are investigating the ongoing conflict.
The symposium aims to highlight the voices of joint Palestinian-Israeli grassroots movements and activists working for civil rights, equality, peace and justice.
Activist art and documentary make use of testimonies.
In a time of alternative truths, conflicting narratives, political interests and loss of truth, we rely on the testimonies of survivors, refugees and citizens of conflict countries from the Middle East.
Free entry with pre-registration.
Saturday, 25 Nov 2023
10:00 (CET): Open Exhibition – Common Ground
Common Ground is an art exhibition of artists coming from the Middle East, who are aiming to transcend political and ethnic divides by emphasizing shared humanity and a collective pursuit of peace and justice.
The exhibition Places the individuality of the artists, along with their values, beliefs, and background, as the common denominator. By doing so, the exhibition is not only showing the diversity of the artists but also emphasizes the universality of human experiences and aspirations.
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Osama zatar, Ariel shefi, Roni binder, Papyx, Daniel wanne, Benjamin Ben Amotz, Donya Aalipour, Sheri Avraham, Inbal volpo, Sami ajouri, Danielle Shoufra
14:00 (CET): Film Screening & Conversation With Director Rut Kurkiewicz – “We Are Prisoners of the Polish State”
In the post-truth era and in times of war, we will meet with the Polish journalist to talk about reliable sources of information, political and economic manipulations and interests, and distrust between narratives – to reach the truth and a reliable representation of the reality on the ground.
Film description: Since summer 2021 Poland is facing the so-called “refugee crisis”, on our border with Belarus. Russia and Belarus are the only European countries, who are giving visas to the Middle East and Africa. Naturally, it happened that the new migration path was discovered. It goes through polish forest and swamps. Despite so many deaths, it’s still the safest way to reach Europe. In the documentary we are telling the stories of Middle Eastern refugees, who came to Poland, and instead of getting protection, they were locked up in detention camps. They faced violence, hunger, no medical help, abuse, racism. They were running the hunger strikes, to protest and fight for their rights- basic human rights for respect and safety. Polish detention camps, refugee camps, are literally prisons, where people who commit no crime are kept for months, in horrific conditions.
The documentary and the Q&A will be in EN.
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16:00 (CET): Panel & Discussion: The Middle East at a Crossroad
The Middle East is once again facing a war that will change its character. In 1948 the borders of the Jewish state were determined, in 1967 the West Bank, Sinai and Gaza were occupied, in 1973 the peace agreement with Egypt was signed and redefined the borders of the Jewish state, and dictated the occupation on the ground. The Lebanon wars repeatedly defined the Israel-Lebanon and Syria borders, the Gulf War unequivocally defined the loyalty of the Western world to the State of Israel, and since the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip, Hamas has consolidated its rule over millions of citizens.
In the discussion three point of views will present possibilities of the future of the Middle East and in particular Israel and Palestine post war; Peace or farther violent conflicts, political solution or occupation and military control, an Arab Jewish alliance or an international war of destruction.
Dr. Sigall Horovitz, M.A of Laws Columbia University, D.r of Laws Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Former UN legal officer at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Initiated and directed transitional justice projects at Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Currently serves as transitional justice advisor to the Clinical Legal Education Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Issa Amro, A Palestinian activist based in Hebron, West Bank. He is the co-founder and former coordinator of the grassroots group Youth Against Settlements. Amro advocates the use nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience to fight the Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian Territories. In 2010, he was declared « Human rights defender of the year in Palestine » by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Atheer Elobadi, A Palestinian-Israeli citizen residing in Austria, is actively involved in Standing Together – Vienna, maintaining continuity with his previous pro-coexistence and anti-occupation activism in Israel-Palestine.
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19:00 (CET): The Gaza Monologues
in colaboration with Palestinian theater group Ashtar Theater
Thirty-three young people from Gaza believed after the first war on the Gaza strip in 2010, that they have a voice other than the cries of fear and the moans of frustration. A voice that can rise higher than the drones of war and the planes that bombarded them day and night. A voice that says: “Enough!!! We deserve a world better than this, a world without fear, siege or occupation.”
The Gaza Monologues are the testimonies of these youths from Gaza, rewritten for the stage back in 2010, by Ashtar theatre youth in Ramallah, in the West Bank. Tragically, these Monologues are still accurate today. They are highlighting the horrors, hopes and resilience of the courageous Gazans to a wider audience, bringing out the voices of children and people in Gaza.
Since October 2010 to date, more than 2000 youth from around the Globe in more than 80 cities in 40 countries have presented the monologues that are translated and presented into 18 languages.
Natalie Tamar Adler-Oppenheim, a Jewish Israeli theatre educator, theatre maker, musician and activist born and based in Vienna. She teaches non-violent communication skills at schools, very strongly relying on methods from Augusto Boal´s political `Theatre of the oppressed´. Throughout her art and educational work Natalie aims at empowering and giving a stage to withheld voices. With her own voice, she sings songs of protest and of hope.
Saad Al Ghefar, A Syrian actor, standup comedian, writer and activist. Back in Damaskus, he played in Theater, Cinema, on TV and in Dubbing. Since he came to Vienna he started to do standup comedy in Arabic and in English. He had a show called « Muslim in the Church » and did a standup comedy tour around the EU preforming in Arabic. He is currently working on his new show in both languages Arabic and English titled « Modern parenting for Arabs ».
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Sunday, 26 Nov 2023
10:00 (CET): Open Exibition – Common Ground
15:00 (CET): Round tables (closed event)
19:00 (CET): Music & Art Performances
An evening of performances by Arab and Jewish artists & musicians, with musical influences from protest songs, and ethnic musical cultures and traditions.
Danielle Shoufra an israeli based in Berlin. A choreographer, an artist, and a mother. In her work Danielle questions where and how we acquire knowledge, how different doctrines apply to us, and how they can be transform into a poetic gesture.
Golnar Shahyar an Iranian-Canadian vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist and activist. Shahyar musical style is driven from an interest in experimentation and transcending old boundaries, both aesthetic and cultural.
Isabel Frey an Austrian jewish. Yiddish singer and social justice activist based in Vienna. I specialize in Yiddish revolutionary and resistance songs and reviving the tradition of left-wing Jewish activism by connecting it to contemporary political issues.
Krrar Alsaadi an Austrian-Iraqi artist and musician, his extensive repertoire in sound design, composition, and performance, the artist has already demonstrated it through various projects. The result is a distinctive and unique sound palette of intercultural musicians. It combines contemporary music elements like jazz and funk with traditional Arabic sounds, African rhythm and Kiri’s authentic songwriting .His career has taken him to over 10 countries around the world and to the most prestigious venues.
Natalie Tamar Adler-Oppenheim a Jewish Israeli theatre educator, theatre maker, musician and activist born and based in Vienna.
William Elgan, William Elgan, An Austrian Israeli, musician, educator and activist. Engages and operates in the field of social science. Influenced by Rebellion music.
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