The Left Berlin News & Comment

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Migrantifa

Organising Berliners with migrant descent

The Left Berlin
17/02/2022

Migrantifa Berlin was formed in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Hanau on 19 February 2020 where Vili Viorel Păun, Said Nesar Hashemi, Gökhan Gültekin, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar, Kaloyan Velkov und Sedat Gürbüz were murdered by a fascist. We are part of a wider network of Migrantifa groups across Germany.

Migrantifa Berlin is a group where people of migrant decent across various communities organise together, many of them born and raised in Germany. We consider ourselves a revolutionary organisation. We believe that people of migrant decent cannot rely on the state for their protection and security and that self-organisation is necessary in order to protect the lives of people in our communities. Therefore, our main focus is community organising in the neighbourhoods of Wedding, Neukölln, Kreuzberg and Lichtenberg.

We regularly organise anti-fascist neighbourhood walks as well as food, clothing, hygiene article distributions. Beyond the community organising aspect, we organise protests and educational events and engage in alliances with other migrant, anti-racist and/or revolutionary groups. We often serve as a connection between the German radical left scene and the anti-racist/migrant left.

We believe racism to be an integral part of capitalism, which serves as an ideology to justify the subjugation and exploitation of our people. Therefore, we believe that the only viable answer to the racism that we and our communities face is class struggle.

Initiative zur Aufklärung des Mordes an Burak (Initiative for information about Burak’s murder)

We will not be silent until Burat’s murder is explained.

The Left Berlin
10/02/2022

Our initiative understands itself as a platform where Burak’s family and friends, anti-racist groups, political artists, activists from various collectives in Neukölln, people from the neighbourhood, youth workers, victim counsellors, and researchers into Neo-Nazis can come together at one table, to speak with each other, listen to each other and become active.

The starting point: 5^th April 2012. Apparently an assassination in broad daylight, in the middle of Neukölln. A perpetrator who can can go around with a weapon and randomly choose a group of young people, where Burak, Jamal and Alex met with two more friends. Five shots, silence, no-one can understand why. We also have no explanation – but we have many questions. Above all we ask: was racism the motive again?

This murder in broad daylight is seen as a great threat, and not just by family, friends and neighbours. The murderer walks around freely and can carry a weapon. No-one knows what he will do next. Shock and helplessness spread. Questions as to how the police would react if the group did not consist of so-called “migrant youth”, Would a state of emergency have been immediately called? Would the media have called for stricter gun laws? And would the State have shown its toughness and visibility? We don’t know, but we can make assumptions.

Independently of the actual motivation of the unknown perpetrator, this attempted murder of a group of young people is a symbol. A few months after the NSU became public knowledge, the parallels are more than clear. Whether or not the murderer was an organised Neo-Nazi, a normal racist of a “troubled individual”, as the police like to tell everyone, the attempted murder has brought a broad insecurity onto the streets – above all among young people. Because the perpetrator is still free to walk around. And the police and the authorities are giving no information.

The starting point of our initiative was a self-reflexion of anti-fascist and anti-racist politics: after the exposure of the NSU murders, it has become obvious that strategies regarding solidarity and our relation to state authorities must change. This requires us to overcome the racist splits inside the Left and in the neighbourhood. After the NSU murders we have learned: all that is needed is that the majority remains silent and ignorant which the minority is threatened and attacked. This strategy cannot continue.

We live in Neukölln, a district in which Neo-Nazis have carried out many arson attacks against youth centres and homes of migrant families in recent years. Knowledge of the growing list of violence by Neo-Nazis, who do not shrink from murdering, the existence of the NSU and all the unanswered questions around it, creates a scenario in which we see that murder attempt on Burak and his friends as a threat to everyone who do not fit into the racist world-view of the Neo-Nazis. Whether it is the colour of our skin, our language, our sexuality, our friends, our politics or whatever.

Although we do not know who the perpetrator was, we fear that until we see contradictory evidence, this was a racist murder. In a social climate in Germany, which shows with alarming regularity that the NSU murders were just a professionalisation of racist murders, which are propagandistically staged and emulated. This is why we have formed this initiative. We will not be silent until the murder is explained!

It must also be said: building a joint platform is an exhausting and intensive task. There are reservations, and reducing them takes many discussions. We must set aside many assumptions and develop our interest in knowing each other. We must withstand the pressure from state authorities who for various reasons do not want to see such a platform, and build mutual trust. Every step forward we take together helps us know each other better.

There are different opinions of how and in which form Burak’s murder must be remembered – these must not contradict each other, but can develop into part of a joint strength, through communication and respect for each other – above all for the survivors. And the common question, which brings us together in raising a strong voice:

Who killed Burat?

We call for solidarity with Burak’s family and friends. Let us remember Burak together. We are not prepared to accept that Burat’s murder remains unexplained. We will not return to normal life, but remember this murder and demand its explanation. Today and in the future.

More information about the Initiative here.

KVOST

Promoting artists from Eastern Europe

The Left Berlin
03/02/2022

Kunstverein Ost – KVOST for short – was established in 2018 and is dedicated to promoting artists who come from Eastern Europe or whose life and work are shaped by the former Eastern bloc.

The building that houses the Kunstverein reflects this; situated in Berlin’s Mitte district, it was part of the major urban development project of Leipziger Straße, once designed as a socialist utopia.

Located at the geographical centre of Berlin, just next to the former wall, this is a place where history and the present day, East and West, meet face to face.

Offering stipends and a residency programme, KVOST invites selected artists to explore the multifaceted nature of a place and its surroundings or delve into other aspects of the east, presenting the resulting works in solo exhibitions.

Group exhibitions, cultural tours and discussions offer further opportunities for exchange on the aesthetic, political and personal narratives that define Eastern Europe beyond the usual clichés and prejudices. Especially with nationalism on the rise in many European states, the Kunstverein sees cultural exchange as a way to build bridges.

KVOST thus fills a gap in Berlin’s cultural landscape, presenting the East not within the confines of a museum, but as a relevant reflection of contemporary artistic production.

From 9th February until 16th March, KVOST is organising an exhibition Dialog between Generations. Belarusian Female Artists. Vasilisa Palianina, Kate Smuraga, Tatsiana Tkachova, Oksana Veniaminova along with a curated selection from the VEHA archive of Belarusian amateur photography – founded by Lesia Pcholka.

What causes us to think of one culture as familiar and another as exotic? Be passionate about one and put another one in a box? Looking and knowing beyond the stereotypical image of Belarus, or what mass media are presenting merely as yet another failing state on the map, or Europe’s last dictatorship, feels even more pressing now that we know what the actual situation in Belarus is: mass protests and political prisoners in the hundreds, silencing of the media, beatings, kidnappings and torture of civilians.

And while all this is happening, we again seek solace in art. It is this new generation of Belarusian artists who have gained the power to encapsulate and translate the ambivalence of historical silence into tangible works of art. For many of them, reflecting upon the past often means reimagining and rebuilding the broken dialogue with their own history. It is remembrance work out of an utmost necessity. And it seems that recuperating and examining the missing parts of collective memory oftentimes exposes the deliberate censorship of the present. Indeed, it is in the uncertainties of interpretation and the disjuncture between past and future that hope for transformation exists.

Additionally, the processing of history through the Belarusian artist’s subjective standpoint proves invaluable. Because currently in Belarus the personal is political to a much higher degree than elsewhere in Europe. Historical traumas, past and present ongoing political conflict and subsequent journeys of displacement are if not directly depicted, then continuously reflected upon. Intimate connections between private and political become starting points for dealing with memory.

KVOST and EEP, two Berlin-based organizations fostering the arts in the Eastern European context, present this exhibition which houses curators Maya Hristova and Jewgeni Roppel’s research into Belarusian visual codes of remembering and structuring knowledge. Unfolding in the form of generational dialogues through the photographic medium, the presented research will hopefully result in a deeper understanding of the multidimensionality of the contemporary Belarusian photographic context through the vision of some of its main actors. And female artists who in their work manage to transcend their personal experience of living through a decisive moment of their country’s history.

World Hijab Day

For the right of women to wear what they want

The Left Berlin
27/01/2022

As part of a global movement, a broad movement from civil society is organising a rally on International World Hijab Day on Tuesday, 1^st February 2022. It will take place at 2.30pm on the square in front of the Rathaus Neukölln.

The 1^st February, is the tenth anniversary of the call from hijabis throughout the world for the recognition of millions of Muslim women who have chosen to wear a hijab and to live humbly.

In around 190 countries, men, women, hijabis and children from all groups and none take part in World Hijab Day. Numerous volunteers, ambassadors and activists are part of this action.

The aim of the action is to increase awareness for the hijab as a symbol of self-determination and not oppression. These representatives come from different lives, but aim to strengthen a shared vision. The initiative is supported by many internationally well-known people, including scientists, politicians and celebrities.

Our aim is to create a world in which we are united in our diversity. Through consciousness, education and empowerment, we want to dismantle the stereotyping and discrimination against Muslim women which prevails in this country.

As part of a global movement, we call for religious tolerance, cosmopolitanism, cultural understanding and international solidarity. For a world, and a Germany, in which Muslimas can proudly and freely express their belief, irrespective of political beliefs and economic interests – united through our diversity.

We look forward to a large attendance in the name of the self-determined women of our country.

European Alternatives

Democracy, Equality & Culture Beyond the Nation State

The Left Berlin
20/01/2022

European Alternatives (EA) is a transnational grassroots organisation imagining, demanding and enacting democracy, equality and culture beyond the nation state. We act in the belief that a transnational renovation of our political imaginations, institutions, citizenship, collectivity, and actions needs to take place. Otherwise, we will not be able to truly understand and address the most urgent political, cultural and social challenges that Europe is facing in our time: the climate crisis, human rights violations at the European borders, socio-economic inequalities, democratic deficits, and the emergence of right-wing forces leading to a backlash on fundamental rights of all marginalised communities.

EA was founded by Lorenzo Marsili and Niccolò Milanese (latest books: “Shifting Baselines of Europe”, “Planetary Politics” & “Citizens of Nowhere”) in 2007 in London on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the European Union. Our unofficial “celebration” event, the “Festival of Europe”, a civil society-initiated series of debates, lectures, workshops, and exhibitions, was the beginning of our story. We started small as a group of like-minded individuals with almost no material resources, only our energy, ideas and our email accounts, but it rapidly became clear that there was a need for an organisation, a structure, an institution, a medium to inspire, empower and call for a new generation of Europeans to act for a more just and fair future and reclaim citizens’ democratic control over our lives, economies, and ecologies.

In 2021, EA links three hubs operating as independent legal entities in three different European cities: European Alternatives Berlin e.V., Alternatives Européennes Paris, and Studio Rizoma Palermo. We are a cross-border team of 3 co-founders and co-directors, 7 staff members, interns, and multiple freelance collaborators working and traveling in changing constellations on different projects in many places around Europe with a variety of powerful partners (Another Europe is Possible, Arts of the Working Class, documenta Institut, European Community Organizing Network (ECON), Global Labour University, Maynooth University, New Economy Organisers Network (NEON), ulex project).

Our work focuses on organising citizens’ forums and assemblies, courses and trainings for activists, transnational campaigns and actions as well as conferences, performances, exhibitions, publications, and festivals involving academics, artists and grassroots movements, by using innovative online methods (multilingual websites, social media, videos, podcasts, magazines, web documentaries, etc.) and by involving marginalised groups (migrant communities, youth groups, mobile workers, artistic collectives, cultural organisations, local grassroots initiatives, etc.) in activities with a transnationalist focus. Our goal is to:

Articulate a radical, long-term vision of democratic, solidary and open politics, society and culture beyond the nation-state.
Create participatory spaces of active citizenship to question and rethink Europe’s connections with the rest of the world, its global role and its colonial history.
Build the civic capacity and mutual solidarity networks of members, activists and organisations working for progress and common good around Europe.
Experiment with models of governance and tools for action that lead to transformative change in political institutions, society, the economy and our imagination.
Educate a new generation of informed activists and skilled organisers to support new transnational movements, public campaigns, and citizen power for systemic change.
Develop new economic models which are socially just, sustainable, and democratically controlled based on solidarity, care, and responsibility for humans and nature.
Advance human, fundamental, civic, democratic, digital and social rights for a diverse and inclusive European community across borders.

Our mission and values guide how we work to pursue our mission:

Transnational and local: We believe local and regional initiatives become powerful by going beyond national boundaries and interests.
Transdisciplinary and diverse: We believe alternatives are generated at the intersection of activism, research, education and culture and are enriched by diverse expertise and perspectives.
Experimental and creative: We believe in the necessity of acting and learning through experimentation and especially in the power of the arts and culture to unlock future imaginaries.
Empowering and participatory: We believe in spaces for citizens to exchange and build networks and in activities and events which give space for co-creation and participation.
Inclusive and feminist: We believe in a culturally open society and in inclusivity as a precondition for sustainable anti-patriarchal alternatives to emerge.
Anti-racist and anti-eurocentric: We believe involving other parts of the world in our reflections and activities is necessary to make new alternatives based on the perspectives of people from all over the world.

The Berlin hub of EA is represented by Georg Blokus and Kasia Wojcik who are mainly responsible for all projects of the “School of Transnational Activism” (see also our work-in-progress “Online Handbook for Transnational Activists”) as well as “Workers Without Borders” (latest report on policy demands and best practices of care, agricultural and delivery workers) and “Trust Without Borders”.

Our latest project is the “Academy of Migrant Organizing” as part of the School of Transnational Activism, a reflection, research, and education program featuring 9 migrant organizers representing the whole spectrum of political struggles in Germany – from climate and diaspora movements to refugee and black solidarity to housing, queer and workers’ rights. The public program consists of an Online Workshop on “How to Organize Migrant Power through Feminist Artivism, Urban Movements & Workers’ Collectives” on the 29th of January 2022, an Assembly of Solidarity on the 19th of March 2022 in Chemnitz, and a Community Conference from 8th to 10th of April 2022 at Oyoun in Berlin.

On the 25th of January 2022, you can also join our “Voters Without Border Berlin” online citizens forum featuring Daniel Gutiérrez (DWE & Solidarity City Berlin), Sanaz Azimipour (“Nicht ohne uns 14 Prozent” & MigLoom), Tareq Alaows (#LeaveNoOneBehind & Seebrücke), etc. for a discussion about how to push for full political rights for all.

From the 21st to 25th of April 2022, we are organising our biannual “Transeuropa Festival”, this time in the city of Porto on postcolonial feminism and migrant workers’ rights. In autumn, we will be organising our next festival edition of “Between Land & Sea” in Bremen, bringing together migrant organizers, climate activists, and workers from Northern Africa, our friends from Sicily, and many other places around Europe to tackle “the climate crisis as a planetary class struggle”.

Join us

Are you a progressive activist, academic, or artist, part of a grassroots initiative, civil society organisation or social movement? Across borders, citizens in communities and cities build a new Europe of solidarity and justice. Join us!

Contact us

European Alternatives Berlin e.V.
Manteuffelstr. 57A, 12103 Berlin
berlin@euroalter.com

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