People's Tribunal | Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art Mediation Group

The People‘s Tribunal on Art for Resisting Oppression–Philippine Cases, presented by ALPAS Pilipinas, ICHRP Germany and Gabriela Germany

On Sunday, August 24th, 2025, as part of the 13th Berlin Biennale, a People’s Tribunal was held in the Kulturfabrik Moabit. A People’s Tribunal is a community-sourced judicial forum to address human rights violations and crimes against humanity when justice has been denied on a state or international level. This show is a recording of the hearing section of the live tribunal, to examine the persistent failure to deliver justice to the Filipino people, despite overwhelming evidence of repression and atrocity. The hearing was followed by an open forum with the public moderated by members of ALPAS Pilipinas, ICHRP Germany and Gabriela Germany. The People‘s Tribunal on Art for Resisting Oppression–Philippine cases put state forces on trial for their coordinated attacks on artistic and cultural rights. At the heart of the tribunal is the recognition that the right to cultural expression is inseparable from the political and economic struggles of the people. Art and culture are not a luxury—it is a weapon, a lifeline, and a reflection of a people’s dignity, aspirations, and resistance.

The Tribunal heard testimonies from Filipino artists who are grassroots organizers—some now in exile in Europe due to political persecution, others continuing to face repression in the Philippines. These artists presented narratives of their experiences, followed by their artistic expression that embody the very spirit authorities have tried to silence. Each act demonstrated how artistic repression is a deep form of violence—aimed at extinguishing not just voices, but the soul of resistance.

By exposing the cultural dimension of systemic oppression, the Tribunal reinforces the principle that human rights are indivisible. Cultural rights cannot be separated from economic and political rights. This event calls for solidarity, truth-telling, and collective judgment—challenging the powers that seek to silence, and honoring those who continue to speak and fight through their art.

The People‘s Tribunal on Art for Resisting Oppression–Philippine cases was presented by ALPAS Pilipinas, ICHRP Germany and Gabriela Germany.

ALPAS Pilipinas: ALPAS means “to liberate oneself.” ALPAS stands for “Alternatibong Pangarap para sa Ating Sambayanan,” or “Alternative Dreams for Our People.” ALPAS is a collective of political activists with Filipino migration histories and committed allies, founded in Berlin, Germany, in 2021. ALPAS works to support and organize the Filipino migrant community in Berlin and the surrounding area, while connecting their/our embodied experiences with the bloody legacy of colonialism and the global capitalist structures that continue to bring suffering to the vast majority of people in the world, especially in the Global South. International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) – Germany, founded 2024 in Berlin, Germany. ICHRP is a global network dedicated to campaigning for just and lasting peace in the Philippines.

Gabriela Germany is the German chapter of the GABRIELA National Alliance of Women, founded in 2018, Berlin. This grassroots alliance comprises over 200 organisations, institutions, desks, and programmes for women from across the Philippines. It seeks to fight for the liberation of all oppressed Filipino women and the rest of the population. Gabriela Germany campaigns on issues specific to migrant women, such as women’s rights, gender discrimination and violence against women, as well as women’s health and reproductive rights.

Speakers of the tribunal:

• Introduction from Berlin Biennale mediation team: Jasmine Grace Wenzel

• Prosecutor: Czarina Golda Musni

• Judge: Nerges Azizi

• Expert witness: Catherine Abon 

• Witness 1: Mercedita de Jesus

• Witness 2: Chris Ablon

• Witness 3: Reya Morgado

• Open Forum with: Catherine Abon, Patice Palaue, Mary Wall

• Mediation team (not heard): Duygu Örs

===== The first People’s Tribunal took place on June 22nd, 2025, on the Systematic Targeting of Women Activists in Sudan. You can find it here. https://refugeworldwide.com/radio/peoples-tribunal-sudan-sarj-bana-group-for-peace-and-development-and-berlin =====

mediation concept for the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art 2025 by Duygu Örs und Jasmine Grace Wenzel: "On the Re-Politicization of the Practice of Art Mediation" https://13.berlinbiennale.de/en/about/mediation-concept-by-duygu-oers-und-jasmine-grace-wenzel)