27 Dec “Art x Peace” Conference Held in Brussels
In collaboration with the international organization Human Rights Education Youth Network (Belgium), INTEGRA NGO (Kosovo), and Civic Initiatives (Serbia), Youth Initiative for Human Rights (Serbia) hosted a three-day conference in Brussels focused on the intersection of art and activism.
Titled “Art x Peace”, the conference took place across various locations in Brussels from December 12 to 14, including the European Parliament. It brought together a diverse group of artists, activists, politicians, Members of the European Parliament, and academics engaged in exploring the role of art in the fight for human rights.
The conference opened with a session at the European Parliament, where Members Vladimir Prebilič and Gordan Bosanac (Greens / European Free Alliance), as well as former European Parliament Vice President and State Secretary for Cultural Affairs in Sebastian Kurz’s government, Ulrike Lunacek, delivered inspiring speeches.
During the event, the documentary-advocacy film “Connecting…”, directed by Idro Seferi, was previewed. The film explores the cultural and artistic collaboration between Kosovo and Serbia, highlighting its importance as well as the challenges faced by those advocating for such cooperation. In addition to contributions from established artists from both the Serbian and Kosovo scenes, young voices were also featured, sharing their perspectives on the value of cross-cultural collaboration. The film will have its official premiere on January 31 in Belgrade and [end of January] in Kosovo.
Over the course of the three-day conference, participants had the opportunity to engage in a variety of debates and discussions, including topics such as: “Art as a Medium for Peacebuilding and Strengthening Democracy,” “Normalization of Ban or Ban of Normalization,” “Prospects for Peace through Education and Culture” and “Dealing with the Past – Challenges and Issues.” The organizers of the “Mirëdita, Dobar Dan!” festival – Kushtrim Koliqi (INTEGRA, Kosovo), Maja Stojanović (Civic Initiatives, Serbia), and Tijana Đuknić (Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Serbia) – reflected on this year’s ban of the festival by Serbia’s Ministry of the Interior, as well as other obstacles to artistic cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo. Participants and panelists also drew parallels between the repressive tactics used by authoritarian regimes in Georgia, Serbia, and Kosovo, while discussing the process of European Integration in Georgia and The Western Balkans.
Conference attendees also had the chance to hear examples of how art has been used for social betterment, along with inspiring speeches from Francesco Ronchi – Administrator at the Directorate for Democracy Support of the European Parliament, Francesca Corbo – Representative of Amnesty International, Tekla Tevdorashvili – Member of the feminist-artistic multimedia platform GrlzWave from Georgia, and Neira Šabanović – PhD candidate at the Free University of Brussels.
The “Art x Peace” conference is part of a project implemented by Human Rights Education Youth Network (Belgium), INTEGRA NGO (Kosovo), Youth Initiative for Human Rights (Serbia), and Civic Initiatives (Serbia), funded by the European Union.
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