The War of Today: New kinds of technologies, old kinds of dying

We invite you to Jihlava! On Saturday, November 2, 2024, the Inspiration Forum, the discussion platform of the Ji.hlava IDFF festival, will focus on war and how its nature is changing in a world of geopolitical changes and new technologies. This thematic day was created in cooperation with Ji.hlava IDFF and Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague. 
 

Ji.hlava IDFF is one of the key European festivals, and the largest festival of auteur documentary cinema in Central and Eastern Europe.

The War of Today

New kinds of technologies, old kinds of dying

War, a phenomenon that had its own God in ancient Greece, has accompanied mankind since time immemorial. When we experience social progress, we redeem it with wars. If we experience technological progress, we also develop the technologies with which we wage war. People may stop killing in wars, but they are still the ones who die in them. The methods of warfare change, but the human suffering remains. What new perspectives should we open up so that we don’t lose the human dimension of the tragedy that each war represents? And how is the nature of war changing in a world of dramatic geopolitical change and the boom of new technologies? Can innovative strategies contribute to conflict management? Will environmental degradation and resource scarcity lead to increased conflict in the coming decades? We will focus on the crucial role of women in peace processes and their key contribution to achieving sustainable peace. And we will also embroider against war.

PROGRAM NOVEMBER 2, 2024 

The full day's programme including locations in the festival calendar can be found here, detailed below. 

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Art As a Tool of Resistance and Solidarity

Inner world - On the role of the artist in wartime

Czech

Embroidery, traditionally used in folk art, allows stories to be told through symbols and decorative patterns. Artist Rufina Bazlova uses this technique to depict political and social issues such as persecution in Belarus and the war in Ukraine. Narratives from personal experience will present stories of courage and the power of solidarity, including a project dedicated to political prisoners in Belarus. It will reveal the importance of manual labour and community support in difficult times. Rufina will also touch on the role of traditional ornaments in issues of self-identification and decolonization.
 

Speaker

Rufina Bazlova

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

War Without Rules

The future of conflict in a changing world

Czech/English

The way wars are fought in today's world is changing. Are we witnessing a safer global environment, or is danger becoming omnipresent? How were wars fought in previous decades and how are they being fought today? How are modern technologies and global shifts affecting the nature of warfare and the security of the world, and how do these changes affect civilian populations, health care, and the overall security of the world?

Speakers

Pavel Barša

Political scientist

Eva Kušíková

Anaesthesiologist

Jan Mazal

Colonel in the Czech Army

Moderated by

Jolana Humpálová

Journalist and reporter

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM workshop

The Thread As a Weapon

The peaceful potential of embroidery

Czech

Explore the traditional craft technique of embroidery in a non-traditional role. The aim of embroidery in our case will not be decoration, but nothing less than the fight against a dictator. For at least a moment, you can become a “needle in the eye” of totalitarian power. Learn the basics of cross stitching and create your own symbols of solidarity.
 

Moderated by

Rufina Bazlova

Artist

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

The Future of War and Peace

On the role of women in the search for peace and more

Czech/English

Last year saw the highest number of internal wars since 1946, with the last three years being the most violent in three decades. With 59 wars, 2023 was one of the most violent years since the end of the Cold War. What is the role of state and non-state actors in shaping 21st century conflicts? How should gender perspectives be incorporated into peace negotiations and political strategies? What practices can empower women and vulnerable groups, who may ultimately play a pivotal role in conflict resolution? How is globalisation, with its technological advances, distribution of resources and flow of information, impacting conflict dynamics? And what are the inequalities involved?
 

Speakers

Siri Aas Rustad

Researcher

Kirthi Jajakumar

Researcher, lawyer and foreign policy activist

Moderated by

Jakub Múčka

Expert on Eastern Europe

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

War in the Archives

From the Cold War to Gaza: a brief history of war reporting

Czech

This series of footage from Czech and Czechoslovak television news will capture the development of Czech war journalism from the collapse of the Socialist Bloc to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The conclusion of the Cold War, turbulent developments in the former Soviet Union, the global war on terror, the Arab Spring and other milestones crucial to the current context of military conflicts – all through the lens of war reporting. How does the television screen transmit the experience of war? How have media portrayals of protracted conflicts changed over time? How does the current historical context enter the genre? A unique inventory of media coverage of the most significant military conflicts of the postmodern era.
 

Speaker

Bohumil Melichar

Historian