Stories of peace and self-empowerment

Images of war and violence currently dominate the news. And yet they still exist - people who overcome enmities and work towards coexistence without violence. All too often, their commitment and their stories remain invisible. On this evening, they will become visible: a new exhibition by the Forum Civil Peace Service e.V. presents ten people who have themselves experienced war and flight and who are using these experiences to campaign for peace. At the vernissage, you will get to know the moving stories of these courageous people. In the spirit of UN Resolution 1325 ‘Women, Peace and Security’, which was adopted in October 2000, you will learn why the perspectives of women and other marginalised groups are essential for peace processes.

Three ‘faces of peace’ will take centre stage this evening: Fadwa Mahmoud from Syria, Anastasia from Russia and Yuliia from Ukraine. Fadwa Mahmoud founded the organisation ‘Families for Freedom’ together with other women and is campaigning for the release of political prisoners in Syria and for the fates of the disappeared to be clarified. Anastasia and Yuliia use ‘playback’, a form of improvisational theatre, to create spaces for dialogue and encounters, including between people from Russia and Ukraine. In conversation with the three activists, we will explore the liberating power of storytelling. We will hear what self-empowerment, gender equality and freedom have to do with peace. Finally, we discuss with Fadwa, Anastasia and Yuliia why their commitment is also important for German society.

Following the panel discussion, Yuliia and Anastasia will perform a short playback theatre piece with the involvement of the audience. They share their personal stories, and the actors, without a pre-prepared script, immediately play them out on stage.

Introduction to the exhibition: Christoph Bongard (Forum Civil Peace Service e.V., Cologne)

Panel discussion with:

Fadwa Mahmoud (Families for Freedom)

Anastasia (Playback Theater)

Yuliia (Playback Theater)

Moderation: Dr. Inga Luther (OWEN - Mobile Academy for Gender Democracy and Promotion of Peace e.V., Berlin)

Program

17:30 - admission to the exhibition

18:00 - introduction to the exhibition

18:15 - 19:30 - panel discussion

19:30 - 20:00 - playback theater (with Anastasia and Yuliia)

Cooperation of the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation with Forum Civil Peace Service e.V.

The exhibition can be viewed from 21 October to 8 November 2024.

Information:
Joanna Barelkowska, Global Unit for Feminism and Gender Democracy, Heinrich-Böll-Foundation
E-Mail, barelkowska@boell.de,   Telefon +49(0)285 34 -319

More information on the exhibition »

» Participation on site
at the the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Conference Center, Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin

Please register in advance. Unfortunately, the number of seats for this event are limited. If we are at capacity, the conversation will be transmitted via video to other rooms.