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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-5-march-19-march</link>
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            <pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: Feministischer Kampftag, fundraisers, curious sonic innovations]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Diaspora Baby book launch  Poet Ana Mvangi will celebrate the launch of her first book, a collection of poetry, with a special program at Savvy Contemporary on 7 March. After years of performing spoken word storytelling, Mvangi gathers her works, a collection “written by [her] ancestors” to publish and share with the public. Poetry is a vulnerable medium, and 7 March marks a moment of celebration for Mvangi alongside Feministischer Kampftag. The event features a lineup of talented black women poets including Maame Marion and Liliana Filipa, vocalist Maëlle Fiancl, and a DJ set by Nzambisa. Additionally, visual art prints will be displayed by artist Sarah Domitille Johle, and Angolan cuisine served courtesy of Sabores a Mwangole. Doors will be open from 17:00, located at Reinickendorfer Straße 17. More info here.  Raumsonde Raumsonde is a new free web platform designed to help grassroots organisers navigate the complex permit process for events in Berlin’s public spaces. In recent years, Berlin has experienced a surge of urbanisation, changing the accessibility landscape for experimental and community-oriented cultural spaces. Further navigating the bureaucratic process of permits, especially since changes implemented during COVID, leaves organisers without institutional backing with an oftentimes unclear and confusing path. Launching at the start of the open-air season, Raumsonde supports non-commercial, grassroots, and community initiatives that often face barriers when organising outdoor events.  Raumsonde brings the entire application process into one place, where users can search for suitable locations through an interactive map, understand district-specific requirements, create site plans, and complete permit applications step-by-step in English or German. The platform makes Berlin’s public spaces more accessible for community organisations, simplifying the process and contributing to the development of sustainable structures for non-commercial cultural spaces in Berlin. For interested organisers and initiatives, learn more here.  Build in Struggle demo 8 March 8 March marks the annual International Day of Feminist Resistance with city wide demonstrations and events held across Berlin. This year, the main demonstration,  “Rise in Rage, Build in Struggle,” is headed by the Alliance of International Feminists. Starting at 15:00 from Kottbusser Tor, the march represents the ongoing global fight against patriarchy and oppression, rejecting liberal white feminism in favour of the intersectional, resistant feminist framework, challenging all forms of injustice, imperial power, and systemic violence. This day stands in solidarity with those facing oppression worldwide, including in Palestine, Mapuche Land, Iran, Rovoja, Niger, Mali, and Beirut. Longstanding restrictions on pro-Palestine and solidarity demonstrations, alongside the criminalisation and repression of activism, make these acts all the more criticalfor both Berlin and the global cultural landscape. Please refer to this digital toolkit for best practices on navigating police violence.  Bring your banners and comrades, and join the revolutionary 8 March demonstration. More info here.  Hermann Schulz Cafe open stage Cafe Hermann Schulz, a community-oriented cafe bar in Friedrischain, is launching a monthly open stage, hosted by Jessica Grace. Running every second Monday of the month from 19:30, the cafe turns into a communal living room, opening its stage to poetry, music, and spoken word of all languages. The next session will take place on 9 March.  Hermann Schulz is located at Finowstraße 33. More info here.  FLINTA Forward Poetry Meets is a Berlin-based, multi-lingual event series showcasing poets, musicians, and short films. On Saturday 7 March, Poetry Meets presents FLINTA Forward, a FLINTA-only gathering of workshops, panel talks, and live performances, free of charge. The evening kicks off with a panel talk hosted by Nicky Böhm that centres on community building and agency, featuring conversations with Asia-James, Aurélia Majean and Mandhla Ndubiwa. Following, Poetry Meets presents an intimate performance featuring Dreampoet, Audioslut Garden, vocalist Monica Mussungo, and saxophonist Tara Sarter – a collaboration that invites emotion, resonance, and connection. As well, later soundscapes of the evening are curated by XJAZZ!. Find more info here or RSVP here. Silk Road: ancient sound meets modern jam  Jia La, in collaboration with Oriental Techno Club, presents Silk Road at Kwia. The evening is a sonic journey, taking the listener through the historic Silk Road from Asia to the Arabic and Persian Regions, to Europe, with six traditional instruments from these regions, fusing the traditions into a modern jam session. The idea behind the curation is to bring together diverse traditional instruments and cultures, creating a unique artistic collaboration, and a reciprocating autistic experience. Instruments in this fusion include Tar (Persia), Saw U (Thailand), Xiao (China), Setar (Persia), Gayageum (Korea), and Pipa (China). Pop by Kwia on 18 March for a thoughtfully curatedsonic collaboration. More info here.  Hildashaus fundraiser event  On 7 March, an evening of feminist resistance takes place at Panke Culture, organised by Hildashaus e.V. Hildahaus is a Berlin-based non-profit organisation supporting integration, belonging, and community for Arabic- and Farsi-speaking Flinta+ individuals, filling a necessary gap in community initiatives for older immigrant and diasporic women.  The fundraiser is a community gathering in response to the ongoing funding cuts that dispropotionately affect migrant-led feminist and grassroots initiatives. But more than that, it is an evening of solidarity and joy, bringing together FLINTA individuals and allies to unwind, connect, and celebrate together. From 19:00–06:00, the program features workshops, poetry, live performances, DJs, food, and a community market. Suggested donations are €10 before 22:00 and €15 after. All proceeds support Hildashaus’ work creating multilingual, culturally rooted, trauma-informed spaces for FLINTA people aged 40+ from the global majority with displacement experiences*. Hildashaus’ work fills in critical systemic gaps in Germany by providing community empowerment, and rights to cultural authorship. Also, tune in to Hildashaus’ radio show at 12:00 on 6 March, where organisers and the community discuss the true meaning of safe spaces, alongside tunes rooted in resistance, memory, and collective liberation. If you are unable to attend the event but would still like to make a contribution, please support the crowdfunding here. Grab your presale tickets here, and find more info here.  Beirut community kitchens fundraiser  In response to the ongoing imperialist aggression in Lebanon, a fundraiser is being organised to support community kitchens in Beirut that are providing meals for people displaced by the ongoing violence. Taking place 7 March from 14:00–21:00, the event aims to raise funds for direct material support in order tosustain these kitchens under extremely difficult conditions. The programfeatures performances by Kechou, Najib, Sonic Interventions, and more., Coffee, cake, and other foods will be served. Organisers remind that this is  is not simply a charity or a party, but a wholesome gathering in solidarity — an act of collective responsibility to channel resources from the “belly of the beast” to those doing essential work on the ground. The fundraiser will take place at Linienstraße 206. More info here.  If you are unable to attend the event but would still like to contribute to those directly affected by violence in Lebanon, donate via this link.   Sonic storytelling workshop  On 7 March, from 17:00-22:00, the first session of the Sonic Storytelling workshop series will take place at Spore Initiative. The series is facilitated by Ivan Txaparro, an artist, musician, researcher, and the founder/director of Resonar Lab. The day centres on creative resistance: fusing storytelling, music, and movement as tools to contest the rising authoritarian and exclusionary politics. Drawing on activist and artistic practices from South America and across the Global South, the session explores how communities have long used voice, rhythm, and performance to carry memory, share knowledge, and respond to structural violence. Txaparro will introduce listening exercises, spoken word, sound experiments, and collaborative performance as ways for participants to build collective sonic expressions connected to wider ecosocial struggles. The workshop combines discussion with hands-on practice and willrun monthly until August 2026. Participation is free of charge and will be accessible in German, English, and Spanish. Register here.  Book Club: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist  Open Music Lab’s next book club will take place on 11 March from 18:30-20:30. This time, the discussion is on Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist. The book the ongoing inequalities of the increasingly monetised music industry, and the impacts of this onartists as well as the power that algorithm-driven streaming has on music as an art form. Author Liz Pelly draws on interviews with over 100 industry professionals, including Spotify employees. The book club will take place at Open Music Lab’s Project Space, located at Lenaustraße 3. More info here.  Multi-species Creativity in Music & Sound open call  Time to Listen, a Berlin conference taking place in June, is looking for artists, researchers, and curators to facilitate sessions for its first edition Multispecies Creativity in Music and Sound. The conference questions how sound practices engage with more-than-human worlds in a time of ecological crisis. Drawing on indigenous traditions and experimentations of multispecies justice and more‑than‑human governance, the conference will explore the role of sound, music, and listening within these fields: how attuning to animals, plants, and their ecosystems deconstruct the notion of anthropocentric (human focused) listening, and reconstruct an ecologically connected world through soundscapes? Diverse formats are welcome, including conversations, workshops, listening sessions, sound walks, and project presentations. The conference will take place from 26–27 June at the Akademie der Künste. Deadline to submit is 15 March. More info here. HEIST: Worker-Owned Magazine Launch HEIST is a new worker-owned online magazine here in Berlin. Founded by writers and editors who spent years across Berlin’s media landscape, the magazine was founded on the basis that something essential was missing. Mainstream outlets, where political censorship and billionaire ownership shape coverage, fail to encompass the complete truth and the multiplicities of narratives that exist in the diversity that comprises Berlin. HEIST aims to fill that gap. The magazine publishes daily news and weekly features on culture, food, art, people, and what’s actually happening in Berlin, uncensored. With worker ownership at its core, HEIST aims to be an alternative to mainstream media, telling the colourful array of Berlin’s diverse stories that lie at the heart of the city. Join the HEIST here.  Boui-boui Creative Community Cuisine On Sunday 15 March, join Samar from Boui-Boui for a warming 3-course family-style lunch. Samar is a food designer and multidisciplinary artist who explores the intersections of sound, food, space, and human interaction. This Tunisian-inspired lunch event will take place at Ikii Berlin from 15:00, alongside curated tunes to reimagine how we gather, eat, and connect. Samar blends Tunisian classics with contemporary, cross-cultural techniques to present a playful and bold take on community through food–an invitation to reflect on the ways we share food, culture, and community. Tickets are 55€ pp, but soli tickets are available via DM. Vegetarian and vegan options cannot be accommodated for this event, which will take place at Herrfurthplatz 8. More info here.  Alles bien? Community Gathering @ Arkaoda  For those needing a break from the demos on 8 March, join Allesbien? and Flur Funk at Arkaoda for a community gathering of political workshops, live music, DJs, trivia art, food, and drink. This day is about recognising, learning, and honouring the significance of March 8, centring queer voices, but is open to all friends and allies.  Arkaoda is located at Karl-Marx-Platz 16-18. Doors from 15:00-1:00. Entry is donation-based, with a suggested donation of 10–15 euros, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. The space is mostly accessible (20 steps to access the lower floor). More info here.  Photos courtesy of Boui Boui, Raumsonde, Ana Mvangi, and Hildashaus.  Send us your stories via discord or editorial@refugeworldwide.com.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Student Internship position at Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/student-internship-2026</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/student-internship-2026</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Applications are now open for a studio and content based role.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are now taking applications for a 3-6 month student internship position. This role is based in Berlin, involving a combination of studio, content, communications and social media work. We are looking for motivated, organised and adaptable people who share our values to join the team. Please note you must be currently enrolled at an educational institution for the duration of this position. This opportunity is limited to students (full or part-time) who wish to earn credits toward their course qualifications or studies, and receive funding through an ERASMUS+ programme or similar. We mainly communicate in English but knowledge of German is an added bonus / much appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you. About Us Refuge Worldwide is a radio station and community space in Berlin-Neukölln. We have a 24/7 output of music and conversation alongside weekly events, editorial content and creative community work throughout the year. We are committed to various social justice issues and enjoy sharing great music. See here for more details on our story so far.  The Internships Interns will receive in-house mentoring, access to audio and design editing software and are expected to be able to commit to a minimum of 15 hours per week, with a start date in Spring or Summer 2026. Responsibilities can include: Welcoming artists to the studio and helping with preparation for live broadcasts or recording sessions Editing show recordings (audio), assisting with archiving and genre tagging processes Record short artist interviews and BTS footage at the studio Assist with editorial content (written news and blog features) Join weekly content meetings and help create new projects and editorial content Assist at events hosted by Refuge Worldwide (externally and at our Niemetzstraße venue) Assist with the merchandising and webshop logistics Application Process (please read carefully) Your application must be sent to hello@refugeworldwide.com and include: "Internship Application - 2026" subject in the email title  Include a letter of motivation, your preferred start date, and time frame. Please give specific details about your study programme and educational institute. If applicable, we require proof of mandatory internship, such as a letter from your university. Complete CV/resume and date of birth. If you are not a resident of Berlin or Germany, please give details of how you plan to stay in the city during your internship, your valid student visa, and work authorization. Links to or examples of your portfolio or previous work are most welcome! Experience with any of the below is an advantage: · Adobe Suite (InDesign / Premiere / Audition / Photoshop / Illustrator / After Effects) · Ableton · Figma · Transcription software (e.g. Otter) · CMS (e.g. Contentful) · Field Recordings · Broadcast tools (e.g. Audio Hijack or BUTT) · Google Spreadsheets · Podcasting / podcast platforms Priority will be given to those with refugee backgrounds, BIPoC, people from the LGBTQIA community, disabled people, women and gender nonconforming people, or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face access difficulties. Please reach out to hello@refugeworldwide.com with any questions. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Feministischer Kampftag 2026]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/international-womens-day-2026</link>
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            <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Various crews and activities are representing at Niemetzstraße this March.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our programme on Saturday, 7th March, marks International Women's Day / Feministischer Kampftag. Come down to the Refuge Worldwide space and meet-up with various crews, enjoy a coffee or drink and an evening yoga session hosted by Acidfinky.

Beginning the day's radio broadcast (08:00 CET) with two shows submitted from Deep House Tehran, Niemetzstraße opens at 10:00 with Ordinary Wednesday's miszo & Deniz Everling duo helming The Breakfast Show. Coffee, tea, hot and cold drinks are available at the cafe. Between midday and 14:00, Éclat Crew invite 8 artists from their roster to bring music from FLINTA* producers. They will also host a hangout with sample potluck (where people can bring an audio sample to be added to a sample pack we’ll share for free on the Éclat Bandcamp page) and producer speed-dating, with short conversations for producers and interested people to meet each other to chat and connect. 
From 14:00-15:00 Abby and Edna dive into topics of local and global politics live on air, and at 15:00 Soyklō invites the participants of her recent DJ workshop for an extended B2B session. At 17:00, the latest episode of Delighful Barz spotlights FLINTA* MCs through live freestyles, conversation, and music. This time the guests are Alice Dee and Spike.

From 18:00-22:00, Maison Sot (run by Acidfinky) has curated an evening of deep listening, gentle yoga, and meditation: a space to slow down, breathe, and reconnect in collective care with downtempo sets from Rafush, Aalia B2B DJ Chichi, and yungfya. All proceeds of the workshops will go to Casa Kuà, supporting trans health care. Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin 10:00 - 22:00, free entry]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-20-february-5-march</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-20-february-5-march</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: listening sessions, Palinale, lunar new year]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[GoFundMe: Palestine Music Space in Ramallah Palestinian musician Ahmed Eid (co-founder of Bukahara) is raising funds to support his project Palestine Music Space, an independent community studio in Ramallah, Palestine, where young musicians rehearse, record and receive training free of charge, as well as his debut solo album, min ghazzeh la baghdad, min haifa la beirut, released this month. The record blends alternative pop, rock, electronic elements, and Arabic poetry, and was written during the ongoing violence against the Palestinian people and reflects lived experience in this moment, from grief and rage to memory, love, and the insistence on hope. Due to his public statements on Palestine, Ahmed has been blacklisted from several German cultural funding structures and lost institutional support for the album. Rather than compromise his language or message, he chose to refuse conditional funding. This has left the project €15,000 in debt, covering production, musicians’ fees, studio time, mixing, mastering and release costs. We are therefore running a fundraising campaign to ensure the album can be released independently, without censorship or external pressure. Donate here.  Hanau Memorial  19 February marks six years after the racist attack in Hanau, Germany, where far right extremists shot and killed six people of predominately Muslim background. We remember their names: Ferhat Unvar, Hamza Kurtović, Said Nesar Hashemi, Vili Viorel Păun, Mercedes Kierpacz, Kaloyan Velkov, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Sedat Gürbüz, and Gökhan Gültekin.  On Thursday 19 February this year, more than 1500 took to the streets by Leopoldplatz in Wedding to remember the victims of the attack. By remember lives lost, the city also calls to action for the  government to implement more initiatives protecting those belonging to minority groups, including community-based protection and support centres - a necessity for not only safety, but cohesion for the collective society.  Learn more here. See photos here.  Jia La: Moonrise  In cultures that celebrate the lunar new year, the festivities do not last just on the day; they continue for 15 days. In Berlin, Jia La Collective and A – ZN join forces for their event Moonrise, bringing these traditions to those who miss them and those who are curious. On 20 February at Casino, Jia La continues the welcoming of the year of the fire horse with an evening of shared food, performances, music, and more. Those who join are encouraged to bring a dish to share, potluck-style. Jiannyuh Wang will be showcasing his unique artistic practice of performance calligraphy, and Amnati, Ellie Phunk, and Keikee will bring their housey soundscapes. Doors open at 19:00, and entry is donation-based. More info here!  Demo for peace in Palestine A demo for peace in Israel and Palestine will take place on Friday, 20 February 2026, outside the Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek. Beginning at 17:00, the gathering is part of a regular series organised by Standing Together Berlin, which takes place every Friday to keep the ongoing violence accountable and in the public eye. The demo on Friday centres on the more than 20,000 children killed in Gaza, whose names and faces will be read and remembered. Alongside, participants will call for an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid, an end to German arms exports to Israel, respect for international law, and meaningful involvement of civil societies on both sides in any path toward peace. No registration is required; signs will be provided, and people are welcome to join for any part of the hour. For those who attend, please dress warmly and take care of each other and yourselves. It is recommended to review this digital toolkit for best practices on navigating police violence. More info here.  Care(filled)full Listening Session  On 28 February, the collective off:hybrid will run its second edition of Care Listening Sessions, engaging in listening as resistance, care, and community – an ongoing practice of presence. off:hybrid is a third space that centres the voices and visions of BIPoC individuals here in Berlin. From the artist, Abdul Dube: “The last solstice of 2025, I was invited to join a black feminist learning circle by Ra Malika Imhotep and Miyuki Baker. We dialled in via video call, and I experienced a space occupying the bottom, the supine in a way that felt so endearing and spacious. The Combahee River Collective is a pivotal inspiration in this work, and we honour them and bring their work to light. As we wrapped up this session, the organisers told us these are technologies to be used, and I invited fellow artists Sarah Batul Naqvi, Youde Monga to bring this to Wedding.” The sessions, running from 14:00-17:30, include the following program: a protocol to open the session – listening and input; reflecting in silence; journaling your resonances; an open discussion of what came up for each; and ending with crafting a group poem.  Artists endeavour to create a listening experience that combines the sound work we are engaged in with music connected to our heritages. This collective practice nurtures spaces for knowledge production and sharing in ways that honour us all. Bring a small snack to share, bring your journal, a small blanket or shawl — and join in a Supine possibility experiment at Off: Hybrid Studio, Lynarstraße 39
13353 Berlin. More info here.  Fundraiser for Flotilla This spring, Let’s Talk Palestine is joining the 1000 Madleens Coalition, a civilian flotilla sending 100 ships toward Gaza to break the siege and force the world to pay attention. More than double the size of the last flotilla, this mission also represents resistance, challenging 15 years of blockade while carrying aid and solidarity across the Mediterranean. The campaign is raising £25,000 to fund a ship, crew, travel supplies, safety measures and legal support, with any surplus going directly to families in Gaza. Supporters are invited to send messages with their donations, words that will travel with the crew, carried to Gaza and shared with international media. This is nonviolent direct action in solidarity with Palestinians’ right to movement, dignity, and self-determination. None of us are free until all of us are. Donate here.  Palinale festival  The Palinale Festival enters its final stretch this weekend. In collaboration with Music 4 Palestine, the festival programming spans film, photography, music, panel discussions, and more. Palinale runs alongside the Berlinale as a response to the ongoing repression of Palestine solidarity at the latter festival. Now in its last days this weekend, Palinale brings together film, photography, music, and conversation in collaboration with Music 4 Palestine. Friday, 20 February’s program includes film screenings, photography, and talks at 90mil, with all proceeds going directly to Yahya & Friends to support food aid during Ramadan in Gaza and to a family in the West Bank. Further events spread across Berlin at venues including Casino for Social Medicine, Ringbar, Spore Initiative, and more. The festival closes with a party at Panke Culture on 21 February, followed by a final lecture and film screening at Spore the next day. More info here. Still from documentary film "Sudan, Remember Us" (2024) Berlinale update Current and former participants of the Berlin International Film Festival have signed an open letter criticising the festival for its “silence” on the ongoing war in Gaza and what they describe as efforts to sideline artists who speak about it. As of mid-February, the letter has been endorsed by at least 81 filmmakers, actors, and industry figures, urging the festival to take a clear moral stance rather than remain neutral.  The controversy was sparked in part by remarks from the festival’s jury president that “filmmakers should stay out of politics,” prompting the novelist Arundhati Roy to withdraw from this year’s event in protest. In response to the open letter, festival director Tricia Tuttle rejected the censorship accusation, stressing the complexity of taking official positions while defending artists’ freedom of expression. Read the full open letter here. Soli Küfa and lecture on Nazi structures  This Friday, 20 February, a bar evening at TU Berlin’s Zwille brings people together to raise funds for ongoing costs related to repression. Doors open from 19:00, with affordable drinks and vegan food throughout the evening. Alongside the bar, the programme includes a detailed lecture unpacking the far-right group Deutschen Patrioten Voran (DPV), looking at its structures, key figures, and why this information matters right now. The evening is framed as both informative and social: come to listen, talk, and spend time together. More info here.  Deep Pockets soli auction On Sunday, 22 February, Deep Pockets, an early-evening fundraiser that blends care, pleasure, and collective responsibility, takes place from 17:00–21:30 at Biergarten Jockel. The event features an art market, a drag showcase, and an auction. All proceeds go to two urgent causes: Ibrahim in Gaza, navigating daily life under ongoing genocidal violence, and Nafas, a Berlin-based friend living with severe ME and Long COVID, facing life-threatening neglect. Guests are asked to come COVID-tested and masked (FFP2) to keep the space safer for everyone. Hosted by Sharifa Licious, with a lineup of local performers. Expect cocktails and snacks from 17:00, followed by a drag show and auction from 19:00–21:30. The art market will run throughout the evening. More info here. Black Power Soliparty To close out Black History Month, Black Queer Berlin and OYA come together for Black Power Party on 28 February, a night led by Black queer artists that marks both an ending and a shift forward. February offers space to reflect, but this gathering looks beyond a single month. It’s a reminder that Black history is queer history, and that Black life, culture, and resistance can’t be confined to a calendar slot. The party doubles as a call to stay visible, vocal, and politically active, and importantly, as an evening for joy and presence. Soundscapes span from baile funk to dancehall and afrobeats, with DJ sets by XD Erica, Nuhdelay, and DJ Astro Papiii. OYA bar is located at , Mariannenstraße 6, 10997 Berlin. More info here.  Atemporal Projects open call  Atemporal Projects, a newly opened cultural space in Friedrichshain, is calling for submissions for Hybrid Forms — a group exhibition exploring speculative objects that sit somewhere between art, design, furniture, and sound. The focus is on works that refuse neat categories, prioritising material presence, spatial tension, and imagined uses over labels. The exhibition runs 12–29 March 2026, with a submission deadline of 02 March. If your practice lives in the in-between and experiments with how objects exist, behave, or are encountered, reach out to atemporalprojects@gmail.com. The deadline to submit is 02 March.  As well, check out their listening session on 21 February, where the space will transform into a cinematic listening experience with movie soundtracks. More info here.  Feminist reading circle  Yes We Bleed returns with its next Feminist Reading & Social Circle on 26 February, a monthly gathering at BIWOC Rising. The circle is a place to slow down, think together, and reconnect outside of urgency. This session focuses on radical rest, reading, and reflecting on texts by Mariame Kaba, Tricia Hersey, and Adrienne Maree Brown through an intersectional feminist approach. Sessions are open to all FLINTA+ individuals, and participants are invited to listen, share, or simply sit in the circle;  no pressure, just presence. BIWOC is located at Dresdener Str. 11, 10999 Berlin. More info here.  Berlin’s Burning bloc party Sunday, 21 February, Berlin’s Burning Bloc Party brings people together for a day of food, performances, conversation, and a slightly unhinged round of fire Bingo, all in support of Sudanese individuals resisting war, dictatorship, and repression. The day unfolds with Jamaican–African fusion food (vegan and meat options), followed by performances, a discussion on the topic How We Survive the Flames, and a “Burning Bingo” session that reworks the classic game into something a little more liberatory. Come to eat, listen, play, and spend time together, with 50% of proceeds going to Sudanese comrades and 50% supporting a Berlin-based exodus fund. More info here. Access to Pop: Polyton Access Day Registration On 23 March 2026, POLYTON teams up with TLNT & TLNT e.V. for Access to Pop, a free action day focused on conversations about the music industry to share tools, knowledge, and strategies.Taking place at Atelier Gardens Pavilion, the afternoon brings together people interested in music and music-related professions for inputs from industry practitioners, insights into free mentoring programmes, and space for exchange and collective thinking. The day winds down with a relaxed get-together for networking and conversation. The action day is open to everyone aged 18+, with a particular welcome to women, people with marginalised gender identities, and those facing structural barriers. Participation is free, food is provided, and the venue is accessible. Registration is open until 2 March, with confirmations sent by 6 March. Sign up here.  Photos courtesy of Atemporal Projects and Danny Kötter.  Send us your stories via discord or editorial@refugeworldwide.com.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[3 Years of Heavy Feelings: An Interview with Parissa Charghi]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/parissa_interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/parissa_interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Catching up before Heavy Feelings & Refuge Worldwide takeover at Open Ground ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[PARISSA CHARGHI is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist known for her work as a graphic designer, creative director & producer, vinyl selector, and founder of Heavy Feelings, based in Cologne.  In her curation, Parissa Charghi champions emerging artists and cultivates spaces rooted in collaboration, authenticity, and wide-reaching representation. In 2022, she founded HEAVY FEELINGS, a platform for emerging and exceptional talents in the music scene, which focuses on events, media productions, and cultural interactions. Through her work with the platform, Heavy Feelings has been able to build a vibrant community and create a broad repertoire of artists across different backgrounds and genres.  Later this month, on the 28th of February, Refuge Worldwide teams up with Heavy Feelings to take over the Annex room of Wuppertal’s Open Ground Club, activating its revered sound system for a shared night of music. Ahead of the collaboration, we caught up with Parissa to learn about the ethos behind Heavy Feelings, what she is looking forward to, and the roots that continue to shape her journey. Photo by Parissa Charghi, Cologne 2026 I’d love to hear about the Heavy Feelings magazine project and the archive. The photos online already look brilliant. The magazine was released last year and marked a major milestone for all of us. I chose not to share many images online — it’s something meant to be experienced physically. Creating a magazine comes directly from my background in graphic design and print. I studied graphic design two decades ago, and self-publishing has always been my preferred way of communicating, far removed from digital media. The idea for the magazine grew out of the amount of documentation we had gathered. By “we,” I mean a small collective that formed organically. When I started Heavy Feelings in 2022, a group of young photographers and filmmakers began attending the events and shooting mostly on analog film. We stayed connected, and over time their work became an essential part of the visual language and archival documentation of HF. After about three years, we had built up a huge archive, and I started wondering what it all meant. There were so many strong images and thoughtful moments. Sometimes a single photograph can communicate far more than typed words. Photo by GG PINATA, D´MONK Video Production, Cologne 2023 Bringing everything together was a conscious step toward presenting our work independently and translating it into print. I think of it as an archive and a manifesto, once something is printed, it becomes tangible, owned, and part of a historical record. The publication includes written texts and a detailed index for every image, providing context, dates and background for each moment captured. It’s about preserving the moment and the path as a collective echo, a way of making our shared experiences and entanglements feel lasting and timeless. The connection between analog photography and print feels really important. That connection between analog photography and print feels essential to me. I appreciate digital spaces too — our website is built like a Tumblr page, and I genuinely enjoy that format. But holding something in your hands creates a different kind of presence than seeing it on a screen or a domain. It's more tangible and monumental. Photo by SMIKI / Internationale Photoszene Köln, Open Talk with HF 2024 So much of this work sounds like it's rooted in collaboration. What does collaboration mean to you? Collaboration has always shaped the way I work, long before Heavy Feelings. I was already active in music culture, working with labels and artists, but the practice only felt complete once the collaborations developed into deeper creative exchanges and a shared understanding of the work, such as directing a short film for Ray Lozano’s album Pairing Mode or designing album artworks for various artists. Heavy Feelings grew from this belief in “creating and fluid synergies.” I value collaboration because it brings different perspectives together and leads to stronger, more meaningful results. While I’m confident in my own creative practice, I don’t believe in hierarchy. The goal is the most compelling body of work possible, and that requires shared perspectives. For me, collaboration is about valuable exchanges. I work with people whose work resonates with mine and where there is potential for long-term development, which is why I gradually stepped away from short-term pitching. Partnerships need to extend beyond a single event, and the same applies to artists: people return, rituals develop, and a sense of community forms. It becomes a shared, communal space, a conscious response to short-term culture and fast consumption. Photos by MAKAYABUNDO / HF x InnerCity Expressions, Berlin 2023 | HF at King Georg, Cologne 2023 What makes Heavy Feelings important as a community space today? Community sits at the core of what Heavy Feelings represents. Today, aesthetics often take priority while substance and depth come second. I grew up experiencing music differently, and in Cologne, there are many mainstream scenes and closed bubbles but fewer spaces where music lovers truly come together. Heavy Feelings was never meant to be a scene to consume, it became a space to belong to. I book live musicians, vocalists, DJs and producers with a clear focus on the music itself. People return because they trust my taste, even when they don’t know the artists yet. That trust feels like confirmation. The aesthetic of Heavy Feelings grew alongside the people who shaped it. Creatives, friends and collaborators like Mina Amiri (Filmmaker & Photographer), Tembela Toto Kiesa (Photographer), Ugly Goethe (Photographer & Poet), Özben Önal (Writer & Journalist) SMIKI (Producer & Photographer), MAKAYABUNDO (Photographer & Creative), GHOSTY (Videographer & Allrounder), GG PINATA (Photographer) and many others helped turn it from an idea into a living community. Their contribution, energy and presence continue to define what Heavy Feelings feels like. That authenticity is something people genuinely recognize and keep coming back for. Photos by SMIKI: SALOMEA at Silvan Strauss Live at Clouds Hill Studios, 2024 Hamburg | HF, 2023 Cologne Beyond the events that HF regularly hosts in Cologne, what other projects has the platform undertaken? Heavy Feelings has gradually grown into a wider ecosystem that extends our curatorial methodology beyond the club space. Alongside events, we run home recording sessions and ongoing creative development through editorials, photo shoots, and video productions. All visual and audiovisual work is produced from within the collective, allowing our visual language and storytelling to grow organically from the people involved rather than being outsourced. Working closely across music, photography, video, design, and writing naturally leads to a more diverse and open creative output that continues to evolve across formats. Open calls play an important role in this process for example. We regularly invite musicians, DJs, and producers to share their work and become part of future lineups, creating entry points for longer collaborations rather than short-term exposure. Photos by MAKAYABUNDO / HF x InnerCity Expressions, Berlin 2023 | HF at King Georg, Cologne 2023 We have also initiated research-based formats such as the MARKK Museum (Hamburg) Vinyl Sampling Residency with producer Persian Empire in 2024, a five-day residency centred on archive research, sampling, and historical listening practices. Our ecosystem includes community involvement in shoots and productions, physical outputs such as merchandise and the Heavy Feelings photo magazine, pop-up stores in Cologne and Berlin in collaboration with HHV, and special projects like hosting Silvan Strauss live at Clouds Hill Studio in Hamburg around the release of his latest album. Over time, this way of working has developed into an approach to the discovery of new forms of expression. Many collaborators return and continue to grow alongside the platform, while new connections emerge between artists and creatives themselves. Heavy Feelings increasingly takes place beyond Cologne through collaborations and ongoing relationships with artists and creatives based in cities such as Berlin and London. Maintaining these connections has become an important part of the practice, allowing the platform to remain locally rooted while continuously expanding beyond its immediate surroundings. Connecting people, sharing resources, and building long-term creative relationships has become a central part of what we do. You often talk about building your own table. What does that mean to you? Building my own table means creating opportunities instead of waiting for permission. As an Iranian woman, a mother and a self-employed creative, I’ve spent more than 15 years navigating structures that often felt limiting and hierarchical (and still are). Heavy Feelings began as something small and personal, and gradually expanded into productions, films and research-based formats. One example was the sampling residency at the MARKK Museum in Hamburg, where we documented the art of sampling together with producer Persian Empire and the wider collective. I organized every part of it — from housing and transport to production. That’s what building your own table means to me: independence and self-determination. No one can take it away from me. A form of liberation and personal resistance. Photos by UGLY GOETHE, Vinyl Sampling Residency, HH 2023 What does three years of Heavy Feelings mean to you? Three years of Heavy Feelings feels like watching your garden grow in real time. Planting many different seeds and slowly witnessing what takes root, develops, and begins to bear fruit. I’m proud not only of my own journey, but of everyone who has been part of it. People have developed their own projects, started collectives, released music and gained confidence along the way. That growth is the greatest reward, more than money or recognition. And I’m still learning too. It feels like this is only the beginning and there’s much more ahead. Top: Photos by MINA AMIRI, HF at Bilker Bunker, Düsseldorf 2024 /Bottom: Photo by LUDOVIC SCHULD, RIAA BAR, Closing Residency, Hamburg 2024  How does music shape you personally? Music has always been central to my life. I grew up in a traditional Iranian household where weekends meant large family gatherings filled with music, dancing and joy. Memories that shaped my relationship to sound early on. With two older sisters, I was surrounded by Prince and 80s/90s Icons, and I spent hours making mixtapes and recording imaginary radio shows. In my early twenties, collecting records deepened that connection. I’m drawn to the physicality of vinyl: the artwork, the sound, the ritual of listening. I’m very sensitive to music; when it resonates, I can completely lose myself in it. When it doesn’t, I really can’t take it. Heavy Feelings grew from that sensitivity. It’s personal, but it resonates widely. People who attend understand the atmosphere: present, positive, and fully immersed in the music. How do jazz and hip hop inform your work? Cologne has a strong legacy of jazz, followed by hip hop and reggae scenes in the 90s and 2000s, which shaped my environment and led me into underground collectives and subcultural spaces. For me, jazz and hip hop are inseparable from their histories. Black American Music emerged from African American communities in the early 20th century, and hip hop was created by Black and Latino youth in the Bronx in the 1970s, responding to racism, economic neglect and urban inequality. Engaging with this music means acknowledging the histories of struggle, creativity and liberation that shaped it. This awareness shapes how the space is experienced and presented by the community and artists themselves, not as a political statement, but as a shared understanding of the roots and context of the music. Creating a space where people from many different backgrounds come together to build something collectively. Photo by SMIKI, HF, Cologne 2024 When did collecting become selecting for you? It started around my time at Refuge, where I began selecting more seriously alongside hosting radio shows. I never set out to become a DJ, I simply wanted to play my records. Selecting is a deliberate process: packing the record case, listening through everything again and deciding what fits the moment. There’s no screen or display to rely on: you have to listen! I choose my gigs carefully so they align with my vision and the space, and when I’m booked, people know they’re getting a thoughtful, intentional selection shaped for that specific occasion. There’s a sense of curiosity around what’s in my record case and what the next choice will be, and in those moments I’m fully present, totally lost in the music, playing for the universe I'm in and letting that energy carry through the room. Sometimes people Shazam what I’m playing, and I just show them the record directly. How are you feeling ahead of Open Ground? Collaborating with Refuge feels like a full-circle moment. It’s where I first began selecting and where people offered me space without me even asking, something that naturally grew into a lasting friendship. Open Ground is equally special for its dedication to sound, hospitality and details. I love playing dub and reggae there because the system allows me to bring those records I wouldn’t play anywhere else, from Flying Lotus to more experimental producer work. People don’t expect it, but it works. Every collaboration I take on is a conscious decision. It’s not about combining names, but about shared values, mutual respect and doing things with intention. I’m not a big club person, but when I know we’re playing at Open Ground, I know it’s right. Photo by CC MORGAN, JUMBI PECKHAM, 2023 London Tickets for the Open Ground Clubnight are available here 


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            <title><![CDATA[In Full Color: Celebrating Black Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/in-full-color-celebrating-black-stories</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/in-full-color-celebrating-black-stories</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Cinelogue, a curated global streaming platform]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On February 17th, we held a film screening of Young Soul Rebels together with Cinelogue, a streaming platform which provides a collaborative space for film curation, global streaming, and critical dialogue. 

As an extension of our screening program with Cinelogue, we invite you to stream In Full Color: A Celebration of Black Stories via the platform. In Full Color presents a collection to re-contextualize the past and insist on the fullness of Black life in the present and future. Spanning across the Caribbean, Africa, and the diaspora, and touching on topics such as colonialism, queerness, and political resistance, these films highlight the joy, persistence, and creativity of Black people across the globe. 

Cinelogue is strongly focused on the cinema of the Global Majority (people from formerly and currently colonized geographies who make up over 80% of the world’s population). By presenting critical independent cinema from regions and communities in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania, Cinelogue seeks and promotes local understanding and inter-regional connections between different films and their makers. In doing so, we aim to continue the legacy of many filmmakers, cultural practitioners, and thinkers from previous generations and their cinematic contributions to anti-colonial movements and solidarity building. Young Soul Rebels is a pioneering film for Black and queer British cinema, set against the backdrop of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and following soulboys Caz (Mo Sesay) and Chris (Valentine Nonyela) who run a pirate radio station in 1970s East London.  Stream now and access 25% off a monthly Cinelogue subscription with code REFUGE25. ]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-05-february-18-february</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-05-february-18-february</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: Black history month, fusion soundscapes, soli kufa ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Fundraiser for Rojava at Spore  As fighting between the Syrian Army and Kurdish forces continues, communities across Rojava have been living with ongoing violence and increasing needs for humanitarian aid. In response, a fundraiser will be held at Spore to raise funds to support on-the-ground relief efforts accompanied by a briefing on the current situation in Rojava and its implications for those affected. Open to all, the evening is both a moment of solidarity and a space to get informed. Organised by Bênav Mustafa and Rojda Yaşik; More info here. Open Letter: Against the closure of Udk’s MA Sound Studies and Sonic Arts  UdK, Berlin’s University of the Arts and Europe’s largest art university, announced the closure of the Master's programs in Sound Studies and Sonic Arts last week. This program has been running for over 20 years.  With this closure, Berlin, as one of the world’s central hubs for experimental music and sound art, would lose its only higher educational program in the field. Not only is it important to continue such a program for education in sound art, but Udk has also become a centre for artistic research and international/multidisciplinary collaboration. The linked petition calls on UdK to reverse the decision and take responsibility for preserving a program that has long been part of Berlin and the world's cultural and sonic ecosystem. Sign it here (must scroll to the bottom to sign). Monthly mass demo for Palestine  The monthly mass demonstration for Palestine will take place this Saturday, 07 February. Over the past year, both police presence and violence, along with state repression and legal consequences for protesters and activists standing with Palestine, have rapidly escalated. However, as these measures aim to reduce the number of protesters, it is even more important to gather in large numbers. This day also marks two years since Rafah, when Israeli occupational forces carried out two civilian massacres in the Palestinian city of Rafah, and we stand together to commemorate them.  Organised by PA Allies, Alliance of International Feminists, and more, the demo will start at S+U Gesundbrunnen from 14:00. The protest calls attention to ongoing violence in Palestine and Germany’s political and material complicity, urging collective presence, resistance, and accountability. The route: Gesundbrunnen, Badstraße, Pankstraße, Reinickendorfer Straße, Fennstraße, Müllerstraße, and Leopoldplatz. For those who attend, stay safe, dress warmly, and take care of each other. Please refer to this digital toolkit for best practices on navigating police violence. More info here.  Hildashaus open call for participants  Hildashaus, a non-profit in Berlin supporting migrant and refugee FLINTA+ individuals experiencing ageism, is seeking artists, DJs, performers, workshop facilitators, and food vendors to collaborate with for its annual party at Panke Culture on 07 March in honour of International Feminist Day of Struggle . The night is also a space for FLINTA* individuals and allies to come together, relax, and celebrate the strength and resilience of the community. Fill out this form to collaborate with Hildashaus. Additionally, following significant cuts to cultural funding in Germany last year, Hildashaus launched a crowdfunding campaign to support its incubator program for single mothers aged 40+ with displacement experiences. Donate here.  Sahra party On 06 February, Sahra Party teams up with Choka, bringing a fusion of Arabic and Latin sounds to the dancefloor. Sahra is a Berlin-based woman-run event series which often showcases Arab soundscapes here in Berlin. While Choka is a Berlin-based collective that centres diasporic sounds from the global South, especially those from Latin America. This Friday, the two collectives come together at Badehaus. Across two dance floors, the party fuses two cultures into one pulse. Doors from 23:59. More info here.  Activestills exhibition closing & panel talk: “Care before love” Join Activestills on Valentine's Day for an eye-opening evening centred on Care and Love. To mark the closing of the ongoing photo exhibition documenting Life, Death, and Resistance in Palestine, a final evening of discussion and reflection will take place at Villa Heike. Titled “Care before love”, the evening brings together cross-community perspectives on solidarity and resistance, marking the last chance to see the exhibition. The evening will open with with music, featuring clarinet tunes by J.K. Langford. Then an input by Rasha Salti, followed by a panel with Yasmeen Daher, Dorcas, Ahmed Isamaldin, and Buhari Lehbib, moderated by Nicky Böhm. Together, the speakers will reflect on how different histories of injustice and resistance intersect, and what it means to think solidarity through care, power, and empathy today. More info here. Ulm5 crowdfunding Ulm5, an organisation helping individuals facing state repression because of their stance on Palestine, is reaching out with a crowdfunding campaign to help cover prison and court costs for five activists in Germany who took action against genocide profiteers in 2025. In September 2025, Daniel, Vi, Zo, Walt, and Leandra targeted Elbit Systems in Ulm, a German production site of the Israeli arms company whose weapons and technologies are used in the genocide in Gaza. Since then, the five Berlin-based activists have been held in pre-trial detention, facing harsh and repressive conditions, with their trial expected to stretch well into 2026. While some legal costs are partially covered, many essential expenses are not. Donations will go directly toward prison- and trial-related costs, solidarity visits, materials, and anti-repression work. Any surplus will support others facing repression for Palestine solidarity. Whether you can give 1 euro, 10, or more, every contribution matters and goes directly toward supporting the cause. Donate here.  Black history month with Refuge Worldwide As part of Black History Month, Refuge will host an event across disciplines each week of February. The series kicks off this Saturday, 07 February, at our 5th birthday party with a live improvised Jam, featuring four artists, crafting vibes and melodies for 2.5 hours through artistic experimentation and impromptu collaboration. The following week is all about afro hair care: Black FLINTA folks are invited to share stories, hair care rituals, and more with experts and brands on 10 February. On 17 February, there will be a screening of Young Soul Rebels (1991). And to round off the month, a very special radio takeover on 27 February. More info here.  Soli kufa  From 19:00 on 06 February, join Berlin Migrant Strikers for Soli Kufa in Neuköln. This evening brings together food, wine, and conversation in solidarity with those facing repression and imprisonment. Soli Kufa remains a safe and open space for the community to voice experiences and thoughts related to recent crackdowns to reflect on how repression reaches far beyond prison walls, affecting families and entire communities, while reaffirming a commitment to organising, mutual support, and staying connected across borders. The night is a space to stand with political and non-political prisoners alike, especially those criminalised through migration regimes and structural exclusion, and to keep building networks even under pressure. Join the community for dinner and wine this Friday. More info here.  Film premiere: Between Memory and Hope – The Sign Language of Kafr Qasim On Valentine's Day, join filmmaker Meyad Sarsour-Ndaye for the premiere of her new film Between Memory and Hope – The Sign Language of Kafr Qasim, a work rooted in language, memory, and Palestinian life. The night will wind down with food made from recipes from Kafr Qasim. Sarsour-Ndaye is a deaf Muslim-Palestinian artist and filmmaker whose work stems from community, feminist practice, and the documentation of village sign language in her hometown. Now based in Germany, she continues to work with deaf youth and speak on Palestinian culture, disability justice, and anti-Muslim racism. The event is accessible throughout, with sign language, subtitles, and interpretation between German Sign Language and spoken German and English available. More info here.  Torte Bar fundraiser for free FLINTA self defence classes A fundraiser evening bringing art, music, and community together in support of free self-defence and Muay Thai classes for women and LGBTQIA+ people, responding to the rise in right-wing violence and femicide in Germany. The night takes place at Torte Bar, featuring an exhibition of I HEALED YOU FIRST, with a live performance by Thisfliss as queer chosen family. The evening continues with bouncy, breaky DJ sets from Linka Bozsémöj, Soyyklo, Unjostierbar, and more. Entry is donation-based, with all proceeds going directly to the trainers and the space behind Free Self Defence, a much-needed initiative amid the current political climate in Germany. More info here! Documentary screening: Hatay (Antakya) earthquake  For a cosy Sunday movie in Berlin Winter, see the final film in Imre Azem’s documentary series on the Hatay (Antakya) earthquake. This February, marks three years since the devastating earthquakes of 6 February 2023 in Antakya. Centring memory, loss, and survival, the film follows a city that was nearly destroyed and then gradually pushed out of the public conversation. Through residents' voices, it asks what futures are possible. After the screening, architects İrem Doğa Akgül and Selin Doğaner, alongside Necati Sönmez, will reflect on what has unfolded since: aggressive reconstruction, dispossession, and the erosion of Antakya’s cultural fabric, as well as the forms of resistance that continue to emerge. Doors from 16:00. More info here.  Refuge birthday bash Refuge’s 5th birthday bash is this Saturday at our favourite not-so-secret location. Join us for 2.5 hours of live improvised jamming across Black musical styles, as part of Black History Month, along with DJ sets by Anton from Mansions and Millions, Leona and Gaby D’Annunzio, Obelix, and more! Pizza will be served courtesy of Tiny’s Pizza & Antilles NY. Grab your tickets here! Photos courtesy of Maria Helena K. Nerhus, Active Stills, and Imre Azem.  Send us your stories via discord or editorial@refugeworldwide.com.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Suspension: Ep. 4 Unlearning and Reimagining]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/suspension-event</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/suspension-event</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A screening, conversation, and live performance at Niemetzstraße 1.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In a moment shaped by prolonged violence, displacement, and image saturation, how do we continue to watch, listen, and take responsibility? What happens when images no longer promise explanation or resolution, and when documentation becomes inseparable from survival? This evening approaches these questions through unlearning and reimagining as critical practices: loosening expectations of narrative progress, evidentiary clarity, and representational fulfilment, and opening space for forms of attention shaped by repetition, mediation, and endurance rather than coherence or closure. These questions are taken up through a screening of Kings and Extras (Azza El-Hassan, 2004), which reflects on Palestinian histories of representation, exile, and mediated visibility. Moving through over-rehearsed roles, recursive acts of filming, and encounters shaped by displacement, the film presents cinema as a lived condition structured by obligation and survival. By holding time in suspension, Kings and Extras examines what it means to exist within an image world where memory, identity, and death are continuously mediated.  The evening opens with an introduction to awhām magazine by İpek Erdöl and Quang Nguyen, followed by the screening and a conversation with Mudar Al-Kufash, moderated by Şirin Fulya Erensoy. In the second part of the evening, Mbiriko and his trio blend the deep rhythms of Gnawa music with contemporary instruments, hypnotic textures, and cross-cultural influences. A collaboration with Refuge Worldwide & awhām, Wednesday 4th February, hosted at the Refuge Worldwide space (Niemetzstraße 1, 12055). 18:00 - Door opening 18:30 - awhām Introduction by İpek Erdöl and Quang Nguyen 19:00 - Screening: Kings and Extras by Azza El-Hassan 20:00 - Discussion Moderated by Sirin Fulya Erensoy with Mudar Al-Khufash 20:45 - Live Music Performance by Mbiriko (Gnawa Vibes) Please note: the screening is limited to 40 seats, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Photo Credit @m_biriko ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Magnetic Fields present Nomads]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/magnetic-fields-nomads-2026</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/magnetic-fields-nomads-2026</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide will collaborate once again in Rajasthan this February.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide returns to present a second edition of In Tune at Magnetic Fields in India. This year's edition, "Magnetic Fields: Nomads" features many of the long-running festival's favourite elements, but in a brand new location. Hosted at the beautiful Abheygarh Khetri, a hillside heritage retreat built in traditional Rajasthan architecture style, the weekender takes place across 13th-15th February. In Tune, which we debuted in December 2024 at Magnetic Fields, features conversations and deep listening sessions as we explore the moments that have shaped the identities and journeys of some of our favourite artists. The festival's line-up itself leans towards melodic and analogue approaches in electronic music. Noteworthy inclusions include one of the UK’s most influential creators of electronic music, Rival Consoles; mercurial Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré; Auntie Flo Band’s global-electronic music fusion; Indian electronica artist Curtain Blue’s magnum opus ‘Kesar’; celebrated Portuguese selector Mafalda; Kia, the Melbourne-based DJ, producer and label head who champions organic and kaleidoscopic shades of electronic music; DJ Swisha, known for his high-octane, cross-genre approach to club music; the selections of D. Tiffany, a prolific producer and deeply daring DJ from Canada; the ambient conjurations of British-born, Berlin-based artist Barker; the playful, sticky hooks of R&B duo RANJ x CLIFR. Refuge Worldwide's No Plastic will also play the Picnic area on Saturday, and the Yurt on Sunday. 
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Dig Deep]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dig-deep</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dig-deep</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A record fair fundraising initiative in collaboration with RA.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On February 20th and 21st, we will be hosting Dig Deep, a charity record fair and two-day hangout together with Resident Advisor. Alongside the pop-up record fair join us for DJ sets from our stations residents, highlighting some of the donor labels and records available, as well as RA UNLOCKED: Labels—a series of talks offering a behind-the-scenes look into working in the music industry. The programme will feature discussions and radio broadcasts focusing on how to start your own independent label and working in the industry. Confirmed label donors include OYE Records, BBE, Field Records, !K7, Four Tet, Juno Records, Melodies International, Kynant Records, Clone Records, Rubadub and over 150 more that will be announced in the coming weeks. We’ve partnered with the Analogue Foundation and Audio-Technica, with Audio-Technica providing the listening stations. All proceeds will go to War Child, a charity supporting children impacted by conflict and displacement.

Entry to Dig Deep Berlin is free, with talks starting at 13:30 on the Saturday (21st), and the record fair open from 11:00 to 20:00 on both days.

Previous editions of Dig Deep have taken place in cities such as London, Leeds and Amsterdam, and the initiative has raised over £35,000 for War Child. We’re partnering with DHL to deliver all vinyl, with the firm offering free shipping. If you'd like to donate, you can do so here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-22-january-04-february</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-22-january-04-february</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: CTM festival, open calls, soli panel talks ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Archive of Silence Open Call  Archive of Silence, a crowd-sourced archive documenting media erasure and violence against Palestinian advocacy here in Germany, is collecting testimonies of censorship, silencing, discrimination, and professional consequences here in Germany by those who challenge the dominant political narrative on Israel–Palestine. The archive documents cases across institutions, organisations, and workplaces where expressions of solidarity with Palestine, political criticism, or even personal ties have led to exclusion or punishment. Despite the visibility of public cases, far more remain undocumented. If you have experienced or witnessed silencing, feel free to submit your story to this email.  Submissions have the right to remain anonymous, and should include what happened, where and when it occurred, and the reasons given. The archive currently focuses on cases after October 7, but is also open to instances before that. The archive’s work helps dismantle dominant, false narratives that perpetuate oppression by holding those in positions of power accountable for their complicity. More info here.  The Racist Origins of Zionism: Online Lecture On 23 January, from 18:30-20:00, join researcher, activist, and JEW. DESPITE GERMANY. author Udi Raz, in their online lecture, exploring the parallels between Jewish and Palestinian liberation. This lecture explores the origins and history of Zionism, examining how it developed alongside antisemitic racial thinking. While antisemitism cast Jews as inferior, Zionism adopted racial frameworks to claim superiority, often at the expense of Palestinians and non-European Jewish communities. The session will unpack both historical causes and contemporary contexts, highlighting why challenging Zionism is also a step toward freeing Judaism from its racialised and colonial entanglements. More info here, or register here.  Conference for Academic Boycott  From 23-25 January, a conference organised by Interbündnis Berlin will take place on the topic of academic boycotts in Germany. Since October 2023, movements in solidarity with Palestine have continued to surface across German universities, and this conference brings students, academics, and university workers together to reflect on where the movement stands and where it might go next, especially given the institutions' repression of solidarity actions. Panel talks and workshops aim to examine the role of universities within capitalism, imperialism, and settler colonialism, and to discuss how institutions in Germany can be held accountable for their political and material ties.  The programming topics include the importance of boycotts and sanctions, actions against Israeli settler colonialism here in Germany, skillshare workshops, and more. More info here.  Backhaus Open Call –  Feb, March, April  Backhaus Projects will remain on Weserstraße until May, providing a few extra months for projects in the space. If you’ve been thinking about doing something at Backhaus while it’s still on Weserstraße, this is an open invitation to get in touch. The space is open to a range of formats, including exhibitions, pop-ups, workshops, screenings, collective gatherings, or other proposals that respond to the space and its community. Submissions can be made via this form. Backhaus also welcomes suggestions for their next chapter. As a community space, hearing your thoughts on what kinds of spaces, formats, and resources are most needed can help the team plan for the future and ensure the space continues to best support artists and communities. More info here.  Radical Fashion Show & Market On 31 January, experience a Berlin-style fashion week with the Alt Fashion Show. The day includes a designer market (12:00–20:00, free entry) featuring local brands such as Letter Art and Fashion, Unleashed Berlin, and Ivy Berlin, plus bold jewellery, rave wear, and alternative fashion. At 18:00, three fashion shows take the stage alongside rope-and-pole performances and hypnotic DJ sets. Drinks and more round out the evening. More info here.  VibeLab Open Call: Grassroots Collectives Exploring VR  Vibelab, a Europe-wide advocacy agency preserving nightlife culture, is looking for grassroots cultural collectives, researchers, or venues exploring virtual reality in nightlife. This project is in collaboration with Democracy in Action, an organisation that connects individuals, grassroots cultural initiatives, and policymakers to explore how arts and culture contribute to activism that supports democratic structures. Reach out via dm! More info here.  Soli Flohmarkt On Friday, 25 January, a soli-market will take place at Roter Löwe from 13:00-19:00. Entry is donation-based (0–5€), and all funds raised will support a Palestinian friend in need who has lost their job and is facing ongoing repression because of their identity. Join for a day of shopping for clothes, vintage pieces, art prints, and crafts. To accompany, there will also be live music, food, and drink.  Entry is donation-based (0–5€).  More info here. For those who can’t attend in person, contributions can also be made via their GoFundMe. Elijah Fox: XJAZZ! On 04 February, XJAZZ! brings pianist and producer Elijah Fox to Emmauskirche, Berlin, for an improvised solo piano performance. Elijah Fox, a three-time Grammy–nominated musician, is known for his performance approach, treating each show as shaped in the moment, recorded as a response to the place it happens, drawing loosely from traditions of solo improvisation while staying open to mood, space, and spontaneity. Doors open at 19:00. More info here. Exhibition Opening: How the Soil Remembers  On Saturday, 24 January, Spore Initiative welcomes the exhibition opening of How the Soil Remembers, the second chapter of the Welto and the Sacred Bush. The first chapter, back in 2025, sparked conversations about the anti-colonial wisdom inherent in nature’s blueprints through getting to know garden ecologies in Martinique. Now, the second chapter, “shifts focus from the sacred bush to the ground beneath it: soil as a holder of memory, injury, and imagination.” The exhibition explores soil as a living archive, holding memory, injury, and the ongoing work of care and repair.  Through sculpture, installation, performance, and collective making, artists such as Annalee Davis and Mawongany will showcase works that trace histories of extraction, colonial violence, and resilience, while highlighting practices of healing, knowledge-sharing, and communal care. The evening begins with an exhibition tour with participating artists at 19:00, followed by the Ruedas de Bullerengue at 20:00, a participatory session of dance and percussion. This one is not to miss and free to attend – sharing what grows slowly, what persists across generations, and how communities cultivate care in challenging conditions. More info here! Soundcloud FLINTA* Meet-Up   On 24 January, SoundCloud’s monthly meet-up for Berlin’s FLINTA* artists and community members takes place once again. Come by our space at Niemetzstrasse 1 from 17:00-22:00 for an evening of connection, exchange, and support. This monthly space is for sharing experiences, reflecting on ongoing projects, and exploring collaboration in a respectful, confidential environment. Whether you want to discuss challenges, plan initiatives, or simply listen, the gathering creates room for conversation, learning, and celebration.The evening also features insights from the SoundCloud team on current initiatives and opportunities for emerging artists navigating the platform. Entry is free, and an RSVP is required. CTM Workshops  CTM Festival kicks off this week on 23 January and will run until 1 February.  This year’s theme is ‘dissonate < > resonate’, and the corresponding  programme will explore the polarities of tension between harmony and dissonance. This theme invites audiences to draw parallels between music and current socio-political life. In music, dissonance refers to soundscapes absent of harmony, yet it does not mean chaos. It is something which  cannot be ignored. Instead , it calls for action to confront what is unresolved and plant seeds of transformation Dissonance can give life to resonance, a resonance which embodies practices of mutual aid through listening and empathy.  Through a series of research initiatives, parties, concerts, installations, and exhibitions, Berlin is urged to contemplate these binary relations in our lived experiences through the arts. The festival, as always, will be hosted at renowned venues across Berlin, including the new Haus der Visionäre, Berghain, Revier Südost, and Morphine Raum. Check out the full programme here.  This year, Refuge will team up with CTM once again—come by our Space at Niemetzstrasse 1 from the 28th-30th January for workshops, DJ sets, and more! More info here. Police Violence Support  KOP Berlin is an organisation that offers guidance for people who have experienced police violence, racial profiling, or have received a yellow letter in Berlin. If you need support or related to these experiences, the team is a safe space to inquire, providing practical advice and connecting individuals with appropriate support structures, such as referrals to lawyers. Legal costs are also covered through the legal aid fund. If this resonates, contact is available by email or by phone at 030 23329027 and 0157 50697979. For more related information on tools to navigate police violence, here is a digital toolkit. More info here.  Music4Palestine Open Call  For their next edition of the Palinale Festival, Music4Palestine is looking for performers, musicians, poets, filmmakers, etc. to perform on the 15th or 20th February 2026. Palinale is a Berlin-based festival that brings together film, music, and other forms to open space for conversation about Palestinian liberation and wider struggles against oppression. Artists should engage with themes of anticolonial liberation, resistance, memory, grief, survival, and collective struggle. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and priority is given to Palestinian artists, those who are affected by displacement, occupation, and state violence, as well as artists from BIPOC, diaspora, migrant, and refugee backgrounds. If this resonates, apply via this link! Panel Talk: Palestine and Germany - where do we stand now?  On 22 January, Cafe Engels hosts a panel talk on the current state of Germany’s socio-political atmosphere regarding Palestine. Corner Späti is a Berlin-based podcast series talking about politics, culture, and society with a comedic flair. Alongside The Left Berlin, they team up to curate an evening featuring political journalist Hanno Hauenstein and activists Roser Gari, Lucas Febraro, and Toufiq Haddad, who will discuss the current state of the Palestinian solidarity movement here in Germany, the challenges it faces, and its prospects. The talk will run from 19:00 - 22:00. More info here.  Active Stills Film Screening: LYD  Active Stills, an exhibition series “Documenting life, death, and resistance in Palestine, presents a film screening of LYD (2023) this Friday, 30 January. This is a poetic documentary by directors Rami Younis and Sarah Ema Friedland about Lyd (the Arabic name for Lod, a city now in Israel), a 5,000-year-old Palestinian town colonised in 1948, when the Israeli state was established. The film looks back to remember what once was, examines the current state, and looks to the future for what could be. Watch the trailer here.  Following the screening, there will be a talk with the activist,photographer Sherbel Dissi, as well as guided tours around the exhibition. Doors from 18:00. More info here.  Photos courtesy of XJAZZ!, Stefan Sokolovski, LYD, CTM Festival, and Annalee Davis.  Send us your stories via discord or editorial@refugeworldwide.com.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Black History Month 2026 Programme]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/black-history-month-program</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/black-history-month-program</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We are partnering with adidas on a 4-part series in February.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The first of our Black History Month moments is another instalment of A Live Jam, an improvised performance concept we first hosted in December 2024. This time, the jam takes place as part of our 5th birthday party on February 7th, at a secret location near Jannowitzbrücke. K’Boko, KRTS, Cassie Kinoshi, Gavsborg and Sorvina will perform together for the first time, completely unscripted and running for 2.5 hours. Tickets and full details here. On February 10th (6-930PM) at Niemetzstrasse, we host SOFT - Hair Care Circle, a community-based gathering focused on learning, sharing, and caring for each other’s hair. Princela Biyaa invites hair experts and brands around afro hair, and we explore topics like hair and scalp care, braiding styles, and the stories and rituals connected to them. Black FLINTA folks are welcome to apply for a space, for free, here. On February 17th (630-930PM), also at Niemetzstrasse, we are hosting a screening of Young Soul Rebels (1991) in collaboration with global majority centred streaming platform, Cinelogue. A pioneering film for Black and queer British cinema, the film is set against the backdrop of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and follows soulboys Caz (Mo Sesay) and Chris (Valentine Nonyela) who run a pirate radio station in 1970s East London. RSVP here, open to all. The final event takes place on February 27th, with a radio takeover running from 3-10PM from our venue. There will be shows from Hervé exploring music from West Africa, okcandice focusing on Meshell Ndegocello, modú experimenting with Black prophecies, Quest?onmarc highlights call and response techniques, Ncube looks into Black cinema, yano2d playing Haitian music and Richard Akingbehin playing dub poetry. There will be a catering from Taste Of Ghana offered for free, and limited edition adidas t-shirts on sale to raise money for victims of Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean - more details TBA. Everyone is welcome. Artwork by Grant Gibson. 7th Feb tickets 10th Feb RSVP 17th Feb RSVP ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Heavy Feelings and Refuge Worldwide break common ground]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/heavy-feelings-x-refuge-worldwide-open-ground</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/heavy-feelings-x-refuge-worldwide-open-ground</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We head to Wuppertal in February for a night at Open Ground.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 28th February, Refuge Worldwide and our friends from the Cologne-rooted Heavy Feelings project will take over Wuppertal’s much-hailed Open Ground Club for a shared night of music. 

Open Ground have built a solid reputation as home to Germany’s most revered sound systems, both in their Freifeld and Annex rooms. In the Annex, Heavy Feelings and Refuge Worldwide bring an eclectic sequence of selectors: No Plastic, Parissa, Afrodisiac and Smiki spinning across the night, through dub, soul, funk grooves and cross-genre cuts from their record bags. Dutch duo Ring Noord—conceived by former Noisia member Nik Roos and Jasper Scholma—curate a full set of performances in the Freifeld room, with Upsammy, Coido, gyrofield and Current Value on the bill. Tickets are available here for the event, which runs from 22:00 until 06:00. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide hosts workshops and radio with CTM Festival]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ctm-festival</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ctm-festival</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join at Niemetzstrasse between 28th and 30th January.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The 27th edition of CTM festival is taking place across venues in Berlin between 23rd January and 1st February. We are excited to partner with CTM again, offering a slightly different partnership than in previous years. Instead of the extensive radio programme, this year we will facilitate two workshops at Niemetzstrasse, as well as some DJ sets and evening hangouts here at our space.  On Wednesday, January 28th, Radio Otherwise will host a workshop from 6-9PM teaching participants how to build a MicroFM radio transmitter. Radio Otherwise will give a short introduction to the history and politics of MicroFM transmission and practices, followed by building transmitters developed from Tetsuo Kogawa and piradio circuits, designed and made especially for this workshop. Please note this workshop has a cost of 15€ for the material parts - payment details will be provided after confirmation of your place in the workshop. RSVP here. Following the workshop, Guedra Guedra will DJ from 9-10PM. On Thursday, January 29th, we host DJ sets from artists who are part of this year's CTM programme: White Prata b2b Clementaum, Viiaan and ophélie. This is an open session, free entry and anyone can visit - no need for a CTM ticket. Finally, consent educator, musician and performer Louisahhh will give a workshop on burnout prevention and creative flourishing on Friday, January 30th. We will discuss how to use somatic tools of embodied consent to build and support careers in the music industry that are sustainable in terms of mental health and physical wellbeing. RSVP here. Following the workshop, there will be a DJ set from Roni, again open to all to drop by for a drink and hangout. Check out the full CTM programme via their website here, which includes performances from the likes of Marylou, Blawan, Assyouti, Batu, Nico Adomako, ophélie, DJ Babatr, DJ Love, John Glacier and many more.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Niemetzstraße Café Opening]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/free-coffee-date</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/free-coffee-date</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Free coffee date this Saturday.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our team are serving free coffee all day this Saturday as we officially open the café at Niemetzstraße for 2026. Kindly supported by La Marzocco's caffè sospeso initiative — with donations collected to support the Berliner Kältebus. Info We invite you this Saturday to drop by and enjoy free coffees from 10am-5pm to sips and socialise whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or just in for the vibes. Alongside great brews, there will be cakes baked by our team member Rachel Davy, music from the Time Machine duo, Tata Nuo, Dane Joe, hi.fi, and a special edition of The Breakfast Show.  From 5pm, please stay and enjoy a takeover with the Joy & Pain crew, featuring more great music and interactive workshops. Refuge Worldwide’s new location at Niemetzstraße of course isn’t just a café — this is the new home of the radio studio and event space, with room for hangouts, workshops, and cultural gatherings. The café opening this Saturday is a perfect chance to explore the space, enjoy free coffee, music, homemade snacks, and good company at our Neukölln base. A note on our coffee beans, which are sourced in Kenya and roasted in Neukölln. We are delighted to present our "Women From Nandi", available now from Niemetzstraße in collaboration with We Roast Coffee. The Women From Nandi initiative empowers rural women to become financially independent. “This time, the coffee belongs to us. Women are not just planting coffee, but we are planting independence, rewriting household power dynamics, and reviving a crop once forgotten,” (Sarah Jepkurui). Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin

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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide celebrates five years on Saturday 7th February]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/5th-birthday-2026</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/5th-birthday-2026</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Taking place at everyone's favourite DIY location near Jannowitzbrücke.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[5 years already?! Join us on Feb 7th.

As the headline act of our birthday celebration in February, five supremely talented local artists will perform A Live Jam together for the first time - a fully improvised journey through 2.5 hours of Black music styles.  Modern dancehall innovator Gavsborg, Afro-brazilian percussionist K’boko, acclaimed saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi, multi-genre beatmaker KRTS and Mississippi rapper Sorvina will be on stage together to conjure magic in the moment. This performance is part of our Black History Month collaboration with Adidas Berlin.

Beforehand, starting from 7PM, the main room will warm up with a reggae set from seasoned selector David Riley. After the live jam, get down to a first time B2B between hiphop legend DJ Amir and Refuge regular Jaxx TMS.

In the bar room, we’ve got a wide range of sounds from friends and family of the radio. Starting off with indie, downtempo and more from Mansions and Millions label founder Anton, before a spicy B2B from Refuge team past and present in Leona and Gaby D’Annunzio. Another of our crew, Obelix, takes over before the drag sensation and host of Poppers On The Radio, BLEACH, closes the room with her unique energy. Join us from 7PM until 2AM to celebrate five years on the radio. There will be food from Tiny’s Pizza & Antilles NY, and maybe a surprise or two. Tickets available here. Please email hello@refugeworldwide.com for location and accessibility info. Header photo by Miriam Alberti, art from Miriam Jacobi. Venue address: An der Michaelbrücke (Jannowitzbrücke) ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[End of Year Specials]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/end-of-year-specials</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/end-of-year-specials</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tune in for our holiday broadcasts as we wrap up 2025.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Each year, special broadcasts from across the station’s roster create space for reflection, relaxation, celebration and remembrance. To close out the year, nine Refuge Worldwide residents step up with sets to carry us into 2026. Wherever this season takes you, they have curated jazz, dream pop, soul, downtempo, electro, folk, beats and disco to match every winter scene.  This year, elliephunk, Milly Burroughs, DJ Lomalinda, Zaytoona, Sparkly Pony, Souphoula, Immy, AAMIROO & Shayan have each put together a special show, airing between December 22nd and January 8th.  As we return to live broadcasts on January 9th, you’re welcome to visit us, grab a coffee, and hang out at our new space on Niemetzstraße 1. We'd also appreciate your thoughts and feedback on the radio. Your input is invaluable to us, playing a crucial role in shaping the future of our station. Thank you for your time! 
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Radio Radio Radio]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/radio-radio-radio</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/radio-radio-radio</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A new multi-station project supported by Erasmus+]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On December 11th, we kicked off Radio Radio Radio, a new Erasmus+ project which will be running until June 2026. The project, which is co-hosted by several community radio stations from across Europe, aims to introduce young people to community radio as a medium, teaching a broad range of skills through podcast recording, workshops, and short-term residencies.  Led by Sydhavnsbølgen Radio (DK), the project brings together radio stations committed to strengthening youth participation across Europe. Alongside Refuge Worldwide, partners include Lahmacun Radio (HU), Seyðisfjörður (IS), radiOrakel (NO), and the Independent Community Radio Network (ICRN).   Alongside a series of co-produced radio shows, each partner station will run workshops aimed at facilitating access to broadcasting, and strengthening youth engagement. There will also be an international meet-up in early 2026 in Budapest.  You can now listen back to the first episode, in which young people from each partner station shared their thoughts, views, and experience about the current state of local nightlife. Keep an eye out for more episodes on topics such as staying connected to your culture while living abroad, the ecology of listening, and labour automations. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Wings Over Wires ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/wings-over-wires-fundraising-compilation</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/wings-over-wires-fundraising-compilation</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A fundraising compilation in support of Gaza Birds Singing.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Wings Over Wires, a compilation album by 14 artists from the Arab world, releases today on Marseille-based label Gros Oeuvre. The compilation features tracks by each artist using the same sample as a starting point: A group of students in Gaza being led by Ahmed Muin, founder of the Gaza Birds Singing musical support group, harmonising to the sound of drones above. After an initial video of Ahmed went viral on social media over the summer, a music producer named Hmenou took the opportunity to turn the haunting melody into a bigger project in support of the music school. The album will be released on 12th December on Marseille-based label Gros Oeuvre.  I saw the same video millions of people saw: Ahmed Muin Abu Amsha, a music teacher in Gaza, recognising the drone sound overhead as a B-flat and singing over it with his students. It hit me hard, the melody they sang haunted me for days, I couldn't create anything else. I just kept playing it. So I remixed it into a UK dubstep track. But I was terrified of disrespecting what they'd created, so I contacted Ahmed. Our conversation was beautiful, he told me he was happy about it. So I decided to release the track independently and give all proceeds to his organization.  That's when Metttani (Tunisian producer, founder of Arabstazy and Shouka) reached out saying he'd had the same idea and it clicked: why not make this bigger? Why not invite artists across the SWANA region to come together and honour Ahmed's work. - Hmenou With the compilation, Hmenou hopes to generate meaningful support for the Gaza Birds Singing, and shine an even brighter light onto the difficult and important work Ahmed and his colleagues are doing. Simultaneously, the compilation highlights a huge depth of talent in the SWANA region, with many artists creating powerful and meaningful art.  Find the compilation and support Gaza Birds Singing on Bandcamp, or stay up to date by following Hmenou, who already has his next album in the works - a project which explores the intersection between North African traditional rhythms, Arab sonic archives, and contemporary bass music.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-11-dec-november-january</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-11-dec-november-january</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: rise up for Sudan demo, soli exhibitions, talks of resistance]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Rise up for Sudan demo  Gather at 16:00 on Thursday, 19 December, (in front of the UAE Embassy in Berlin) for a demonstration marking the anniversary of the 2019 Sudanese Revolution. The rally calls for renewed solidarity with Sudan. Organised by Global South United, alongside Decolonise HU, Egyptian Diaspora Resists, Kandakat 4 Sudan, and Students for Liberation, the demonstration rejects the UAE’s domination over Global South regions, including Yemen, the DRC, and Palestine. It is a call to action to freeze arms exports and hold accountable those profiting from the war, and encourage material and logistical support for Sudanese communities confronting displacement and extermination. For those joining the rally, look after your neighbours and stay safe! More info here.  Migrant worker & student canteen From 19–20 December, the Migrant Worker & Student Canteen returns for its third edition. Hosted in Neukölln, the programming over two days will centre on stories, solidarity, and food. The space is created for skill sharing and intercultural exchange, legal advice, CV and job-seeking support, a free hip-hop lyric-writing workshop in English, Hindi, and Urdu, and a Sprachcafé offering space to practice German at any level. This event is run by Gerechte Arbeit, a Berlin-based organisation supporting migrant workers, in collaboration with Antifascist Curries, who will provide South Asian cuisine. More info here. Emerging solidarities & spontaneous care exhibition  Join off:hybrid’s artists from Fall 2025’s residency in showcasing their work. off:hybrid is a third space that centres the voices and visions of BIPoC individuals here in Berlin. As a process-oriented rather than product-oriented program, off:hybrid welcomed four artists over two months to explore the artistic experimentation that can arise from collective dialogue, and the creative possibilities when postcolonial thought intersects with different forms of lived BIPoC realities. The residency began as a question and grew through the people who gathered around it. To introduce the creative capacities of this unique approach, the exhibition will open with an artist talk taking place 18:00-20:00 this Friday, 12 December at off:hyprid. Participating artists include decolonial architectural researcher Vipua Rukambe, Haitian artist Youde Monga, who takes a decolonial approach to exploring diasporic identity, film and somatic artist Sarah Batul Naqvi, and Droster Aesthetics multidisciplinary artist Abdul Dube. The exhibition will take place at off:hybrid, with works displayed and accompanying workshops until 09 January. Pop by to see what has emerged from two months of exploring what it means to live in solidarity, exchange decolonial knowledge, and cross-disciplinary artistic collaboration. More info here.  Embodied resistance workshop From 18:00–20:30 on Thursday, 12 December, a session from this ongoing workshop series invites women*, refugee women*, queers, and activists to come together through movement, rhythm, and embodied practice. Grounded in drums, dance, and storytelling, the workshop centres movement as a tool for healing, resilience, and community. Through reclaiming the body from marginalisation and systemic isolation, the workshop teaches tools for active political resistance, through encouraging wellbeing, and fostering solidarity through collective movement and storytelling: embodied forms of care and liberation. This session is free for participants, part of a monthly series running throughout the year and is exclusively for FLINTA*, refugees, queers, and activists. The workshop will be facilitated in English by Pamoja Rhythms. Registrations are open via email. More info here.  Against police violence demo  As tensions between police and protesters continue to rise in Berlin, a demonstration will take place at S+U Warschauer Str. from 18:00 on 13 December. Organised by Antimilitarist Conversion, the demo is a protest against police violence, as well as a day of remembrance for all victims of police violence, calling attention to police brutality, racial profiling, deportations, and broader structures of oppression, both in Germany and worldwide. Organisers frame the demonstration as a stand for accountability, solidarity, and resistance, remembering victims of police violence and challenging entrenched systems of control. Join the comrades in collective presence to reclaim freedom of speech and take up space in the city. For those who attend, dress warm and stay safe! More info here. Support Hildashaus’ Crowdfunding for their New Project “Roots & Pathways" Hildashaus e.V., a Berlin-based non-profit working with FLINTA* individuals aged 40+ with displacement experiences, particularly those from hard-to-reach groups affected by intersecting forms of discrimination, is currently seeking support to raise funds for its upcoming project, “Roots & Pathways.” Launching in April 2026, the 12-month program is a holistic and multilingual incubator focused on textile art for single mothers. The program will accompany 15 participants and is designed to make participation truly accessible while encouraging meaningful engagement. It combines multilingual, peer-based facilitation with a trauma-informed, community-based, and co-designed modular structure, alongside wellbeing activities, soft-skills and system-navigation workshops, business capacity building, mentoring, as well as free childcare and transportation tickets.Together, these elements form a participatory, practice-oriented model grounded in textile art that honors participants’ cultural heritage while supporting them in taking concrete first steps toward sustainable cultural livelihoods, such as developing project ideas or creating initial prototypes. The program is shaped by wishes voiced within the Hildashaus community and by insights from its ongoing work, responding to critical gaps in the social system where migrant FLINTA* from hard-to-reach groups often lack access to long-term, holistic initiatives that center their diverse aspirations, knowledge, and lived experience. Donate here Lecture: What Palestine reveals about Aryan supremacy in Germany From 22 - 24 December (daily 19:00–20:30 CET), Berlin-based researcher, educator, and author of Jew.Despite.Germany Udi Raz will host a lecture and Q&A series on how Germany’s contemporary politics around Palestine expose deeper structures of Aryan supremacy. Drawing on their ongoing PhD research, the session examines how narratives of innocence, whiteness, and state power shape public discourse and what this means for those resisting erasure and racism today. More info here.  Walking tour: unrest in Moabit  Demonstrations regularly take place on the streets of Berlin. To learn more about their historical roots, join Revolutionary Berlin on a historical walking tour on Sunday, 21 December at 14:00.  During the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution rapidly reshaped Berlin, transforming former swamplands into dense industrial and metropolitan infrastructure, with Moabit becoming one of the city’s key industrial centres.  In 1910, Berlin experienced the largest riot in its history, when more than 30,000 workers took to the streets across Moabit. The riot began when workers at the coal company Kupfer & Co went on strike after industrialist Hugo Stinnes took over the company. What started as a peaceful strike over wages escalated into nine days of unrest, involving over 1,000 police officers and over 30,000 workers. The riot characterised the fragile social order of a newly industrialised German state, revealing tensions that World War I would later intensify. Join the walking tour to trace the Moabit Riot through the streets where it unfolded, and to understand its place within Berlin’s broader history of resistance, class conflict, and political struggle. More info here. Activestills – Documenting Life, Death, and Resistance in Palestine photo exhibition  On 13-14 December, Activestills, a collective of activist photographers committed to documenting Palestinian life under Israeli occupation, welcomes the opening of the exhibition Documenting Life, Death, and Resistance in Palestine. This exhibition brings two decades of their work to Berlin, tracing everyday life, loss, and organised resistance across Palestine, showcasing images of the ongoing destruction of Gaza, the continued displacement across Palestine, and the remains of villages depopulated in 1948. Through these visual representations, the exhibition highlights Palestinian’s people’s lived reality, not as victims but as diverse individuals with agency, from Palestine to the world. These continuous visual documentations become irreplaceable archives for the counter-narratives that challenge those in dominant media, which often fail to encompass Palestinian heritage and thereby contribute to the erasure of Palestinian culture. The images also honour the many Palestinian journalists and media workers killed since October 2023, acknowledging their essential role in recording the truth.  The opening weekend will also feature a programme of panels, talks, screenings, and tours running throughout the exhibition period. The exhibition will be showcased until 06 February. More info here.  Winter soli market at Niemetzstraße On 20 December, Refuge will host a day of solidarity for Palestine and Sudan, taking place from 14:00 to 22:00. The afternoon will feature a market with works from local artists and makers, alongside workshops including an Ableton beginner session with Charlotte Campbell, yarn-making with Geo Knits Slow, and a letter-writing session with Bryony and Helen.  From 18:30, live performances will take place by Chali, Merma Suelo, Cavid Chen, and Marlais. All donations raised during the day will go toward supporting Phoenix of Knowledge and Khartoum Aid Kitchen, organisations providing vital aid and educational resources to communities in need. Entry is free, and donations are welcome. Come by Niemetzstrasse for a day of gathering in solidarity through art and music.  If you cannot make it to the event but would still like to show support, you can donate to Phoenix of Knowledge here, Khartoum Aid Kitchen here .  Karne Kunst open call Karne Kunst is seeking project proposals for its upcoming program in March 2026. Submissions should embody community-based artistic practices that engage with topics centring feminism, migration, care, memory, bodies, creative resistance, or decolonial thinking.  Karne Kunst is a space for feminist, decolonial, and migrant-led cultural work, to hold space for projects that rethink how we live, move, and relate. Artists, collectives, and cultural workers are encouraged to submit performances, exhibitions, workshops, talks, installations, urban actions, or hybrid experiments that challenge dominant narratives and centre migrant, feminist, queer, and local perspectives. Apply by 29 December. More info here.  OMOB @ OHM On Saturday 13 December, Overthinker Mob returns to OHM with soundscapes that fuse afro-diasporic rhythms with club energy. This time round, the line-up features the international artists Ehua, Mukuna, and Bloomfeld. Enhua is an Italian-born, UK-based musician whose breakbeat sounds combine with melodic vocals to explore identity and meaning. Mukuna, a Swiss-Congolese DJ and curator of the club night Somatic rituals, is characterised by his genre-fluid sound, with his polyrhythmic approach shaped by years of percussion before stepping into the electronic scene. Bloomfeld is a Berlin-based producer and DJ, and the founder of OMOB, who blends the hedonism of club sound with spiritually grounded afro-futurism. Join OMOB this Saturday at OHM for a night of sonic experimentation. Doors from 23:59. Grab your tickets here.  A taste of solidarity Palestine fundraiser On 14 December, a one-night dinner at Pars Berlin brings together several of Berlin’s chefs for a collaborative evening in solidarity with Palestine. All ticket proceeds from this event support Medico International. Alongside the dinner, guests, including Riad Othman from Medico International, will share reflections from their work. Medico International is a German humanitarian organisation supporting grassroots movements and medical aid in contexts shaped by war, displacement, and structural violence. All proceeds from the evening go directly to Medico International.  Chefs include Florian Sperlhofer from Pars, Lode van Zuylen from Remi, Julian Mancuso from Ada’s Deli, and many more, who will each present a signature dish made using ingredients from Conflict Food, to spark conversations on sourcing, politics, and responsibility through food. The menu will also include a dish by Amina Zoe Papadopoulos, introducing culinary traditions from Palestine. The dinner offers a space to gather, listen, and learn through a shared meal. More info here.  Birdhouse Berlin 3rd birthday bash On 20 December, Birdhouse Berlin will celebrate its third birthday at Crack Bellmar, the collective’s first home, alongside Birdhouse residents Moehecan and Lea Czychy. The line-up features DJ sets by Aalia Iraki, DJ Chichi, and Jaymie Silk, who will share house tunes and more. Alongside, Viva Ink Stains joins the party, externalising the night’s soundscapes through a live drawing session, capturing sound through art as a representation of emotion. Entry is donation-based, and doors will open from 22:00.  Grab your tickets at the door. More deets here! Roundabout pop-up shop  From 8–14 December, Backhaus Projects hosts the Roundabout Pop-up Shop, a temporary creative space featuring work from a collective of five Berlin-based artists and designers. Visitors can explore illustrations and books by Cynthia Alonso, Elenia Beretta, and Frenci Sanna, as well as ceramics by Agile.Argile, and music from the label Neversleep. The shop is open daily from 10:30–19:00 on Weserstrasse. Special events include an Early Aperitivo on Friday, 12 December at 16:30, and a Friends & Cake gathering on Saturday, 13 December at 15:00, offering moments to connect with the artists and the community. More info here.  Photos courtesy of off:hybird, Hildashaus, Activestills, The Royal Danish Library, and Roundabout. All photos are under Creative Commons Licence.  Send us your stories via discord or editorial@refugeworldwide.com.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Nobody is free until everybody is free]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nobody-is-free-until-everybody-is-free</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nobody-is-free-until-everybody-is-free</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join a day of Solidarity for Sudan and Palestine on December 20th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are happy to invite you to a day of solidarity & holiday market on Saturday, December 20th, raising funds for Phoenix of Knowledge in Gaza and Khartoum Kitchen Aid in Sudan. Beginning at 18:30, live performances will be provided by Chali, Merma Suelo, Cavid Dhen and Marlais. Food will be prepared by Vania Flor, who will cook Mexican dishes, and by Jan Wichert, who will prepare a large pot of warm, comforting food. In addition, Lode Van Zuylen and Fiamma Aleotti will bring a selection of homemade baked goods for anyone with a sweet tooth.  The day also includes several workshops. Charlotte Campbell will lead a hands-on crash course designed to demystify Ableton Live for beginners, guiding participants through the interface, MIDI and audio clips, basic effects, automation, and arranging their first idea. The participation fee is €15–20, with sign-up available here. Geo Knits Slow will host a knitting workshop focused on creating yarn from second-hand fabric and using it to knit a mini bag, also with a €15–20 participation fee, you can sign-up here. In addition, BB and Helen are to host a session titled “Dear Comrade…,” which combines a talk on practical political-prisoner solidarity with a guided letter-writing session. Drawing on their experience supporting Filton24 and Ulm5, both held in pre-trial detention in Britain and Germany, they will provide input, materials, and support for participants. Come through, spend time, support local artists, and stand in solidarity with Gaza and Sudan. Everyone is warmly invited at Niemetzstraße 1, on December 20th from 2 to 10 pm. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[moe. and Acidfinky to host a fundraiser for Sudan and Palestine ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/moe-and-acidfinky-to-host-a-fundraiser-for-sudan-and-palestine</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/moe-and-acidfinky-to-host-a-fundraiser-for-sudan-and-palestine</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come down next Wednesday, December 10th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us at Niemetzstraße 1 for a fundraiser hosted by Acidfinky and moe.  Donations collected will support 3ezwa, providing financial and legal support for pro-Palestine activists criminalised by the German state, and Khartoum Aid Kitchen, providing lifesaving support to those affected by the crisis in Sudan.  The program includes a curated selection of Sudanese short films by Rawy Films. Music-wise, Acidfinky will open the evening with resistance songs. Later in the program, Balout Krew brings a set of Palestinian music, followed by Sudanese music from moe.  We'll also have Holysoul, offering a selection of clothes for purchase, and visual artist Burkey painting live on two canvases using colours associated with Palestine and Sudan. Both pieces will be auctioned or available for purchase, with proceeds going directly to the fundraiser.  There will be traditional Sudanese food all evening long, including tamiya (falafel), salatat dakwa (peanut butter salad) & desserts. 

ze:na will guide a relaxation workshop: As the year ends, we tend to feel weight and heaviness of events personal and collectively that have happened in the year We acknowledge all that had happened and tap in to ways we can care for ourselves so we can better care for our communities near and far. Join Genevieve / ze:na for 45 minutes with journaling, meditation and sharing guided by sound.

Join us on Wednesday the 10th, from 6 to 10 pm at our home space, Niemetzstraße 1. 

Head photo by Arthur Larie. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-27-november-11-december</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-27-november-11-december</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: Gaza Biennale, embodiment workshops, listening sessions]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Stop Complicity! Sanctions Now! demo  Gather at 14:00 on Saturday, 29 November and join Global Movement to Gaza, Global Sumud Flotilla, PA Allies, Palestine Speaks, and others as various groups call for an end to global complicity in genocide. Actions will take place at the same time in 16 cities worldwide, including Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Cape Town, Oslo, Luxembourg, Madrid, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Warsaw.  As the destructions of Gaza continues, activists are calling on governments and institutions to end all forms of complicity, including arms sales, trade, and the political support that enables the ongoing Israeli violence toward Palestine. The demonstration demands solidarity and support for Palestinian lives and rights. Take care of yourselves and your friends, and remember to dress warm! More info here.  Move78: In the Age of Data album launch Join Move 78 next Saturday evening for the launch party of their new album: In the Age of Data. The evening will take place at a secret location from 20:00. To accompany the release, Berlin-based hyper-pop trio Al Dente are opening the night with a live performance. As well, our beloved show host and organiser of Wild.Combination and Endless groove, moe. will be performing a DJ set.   Move 78 is a well loved band exploring the sonic potential at the interaction of jazz's improvisational nature and algorithm-driven hip-hop. Grab your tickets here! Sneak peek here.  Fundraiser market for Mwanamke fund  Kollektiv Kredenz is back with their third fundraiser flea market, serving first-advent vibes with a mix of gifts, preloved clothes, bags, and handcrafted accessories,  curated with “genuinely good taste”. Expect plenty to sip on, plus homemade cakes (with vegan options). Proceeds from the bake sale support the Mwanamke Fund, a feminist, women-led initiative that backs grassroots feminist organisations across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.Swing by on Sunday, 30 November, from 12:00–18:00 at B-Lage N. More info here.  Bodies of communities: workshops ADIRA is launching Bodies of Communities, a two-weekend workshop series that brings together community theatre, storytelling, movement, and collective cooking to explore memory, resilience, and cultural grounding within Arab and BIPoC communities. Hosted at Barazani Berlin, each session creates a soft, shared space for moving, reflecting, and nourishing together. The first weekend, Tajseed Cycle (28–30 November), led by ADIRA Party’s drag queen and DJ Hassandra, and performer/movement physiotherapist Ahmad Baba, dives into the politics and emotions held in our bodies. Through movement and performance, participants explore everything from joy and care to anger, trauma, and the stories we carry. The second weekend (5–7 December), ADIRA Party’s xanax_attax and Inana Othman will shift to the kitchen with ‘Hikayat al Matbakh’. Each session brings two dishes and the memories behind them, weaving together diaspora stories and creative impulses around a shared table. Both weekends are completely free to join. More info here.  Gaza Biennale Berlin Pavilion  The Berlin Pavilion of the Gaza Biennale opens this week and continues through 21 December. Initiated by artists in Gaza with the Al Risan Art Museum in the West Bank, the Gaza Biennale extends the voices and visions of Gazan artists beyond the borders that confine them. In Berlin, it takes shape through exhibitions at Flutgraben, AGIT, Khan Aljanub, Museum Called Baby, and Alternatives Denkmal für Deutschland, alongside programs at Galerie & Atelier Arabisk, Spore Initiative, KM28, and in public spaces throughout the city. More than thirty artists are featured in the Pavilion, whose works tell stories of the everyday realities of genocide. Many original works could not leave Gaza due to the ongoing siege, and were re-created in collaboration with artists in Berlin and in other Biennale pavilions worldwide.  The month-long programme of exhibitions, gatherings, and public interventions invites visitors to reflect collectively, hold space for grief and resilience, and consider the systems of fragmentation and extraction that underpin the occupation of Palestine and broader structures of colonial violence. More info here. Connecting struggles: interdisciplinary evening  On Wednesday, 10 December, pop by Refuge’s space at Niemetzstraße 1 from 18:00–22:00, where moe. and Acidfinky, together with Twisting Knob Records, will host an evening of music, film, discussion, and food in support of a Sudanese fund and 3ezwa.  3ezwa is a Berlin-based organisation providing legal support for pro-Palestinian activists who the German State has persecuted for their solidarity efforts. The night will include a workshop and panel discussion exploring connections between struggles in Sudan and Palestine, offering space for solidarity, shared learning, and the building of cross-movement ties. Entry is free. More info here.  Zora open call for artworks: women in resistance  Zora Berlin is looking for art of all kinds, photos, poems, short films, or anything else, to feature in their exhibition on 8 March 2026. Zora Berlin, part of Zora Group across Europe, is an anticapitalist, internationalist, antifascist women’s organisation. The theme of the exhibition, Women in Resistance, encourages submissions that explore, celebrate, and challenge ideas about women standing up, fighting, and creating change. The deadline for submissions is December 20. More info here.  Noise for Palestine This Sunday, music4palestineberlin hosts the second edition of Noise for Palestine, a community-led solidarity music fundraiser at bUm Berlin, bringing artists and friends together in collective support for Palestinians on the ground. The first edition, earlier this year in July,  raised over 13,000€ to support Gazan families. While headlines may shift, the supposed ceasefire agreements have been repeatedly violated. The realities in Gaza remain urgent. Throughout the day, funds will be raised for Yahya & Friends and Turab Mutual Aid, both of which provide essential resources such as food, clean water, hygiene products, winter clothing, rent assistance, and home-rebuilding support. Any additional donations will extend to medical treatment, education, direct support for families beyond mutual aid reach, and zero-interest loans for small business owners rebuilding their livelihoods in Gaza.  In addition to the Christmas market, the colourful programme features live music by Free Palestine Orchestra, Zoe Jamileh, and more, poetry readings, panel talks, belly dance, linoleum printing, and tatreez workshops. The event will take place from 13:00 to 21:00, and is family-friendly. For more info, visit here. Support Hossam's photo project and surviving in Gaza  Hossam, a 25-year-old Palestinian photographer living in Gaza, is reaching out for help to support his family of 7. The family, who lost their father to the war two months ago, has been struggling to adjust. Hossam, especially, has been working to adapt to the responsibility as the new head of the house, taking care of 6 other family members. The family needs financial support for medicine, food, and water.   Hossam has been documenting the realities of war with his camera for over 1.5 years. He shares, “I am just a photographer carrying his camera in the midst of the scenes of destruction, and I live every day between life and death, in the heart of the Gaza Strip. It is not easy to be a witness to suffering, but the camera has become my eyes that convey the truth, and my voice that reaches the world. Glimmer of hope in people’s solidarity, and in their ability to survive and survive. Sometimes, I see a child smiling despite everything, or a family gathering around a candle to tell stories about the past. These moments give me the strength to keep going and make me believe that documenting the truth is a non-stop process. I am the photographer stuck between the camera lens and the pulse of life, in the middle of a ruthless war. Maybe I will never survive, but I believe that Tyre will remain a witness to this stage of history, to convey to the world the cry of Gaza, its suffering, and its hope.” Support Hossam here. More info here.  Beinghunted campus study day: the evolution of electronic music Beinghunted is holding its first Campus Study Day on 06 December. The half-day programme pulls focus on the evolution of electronic music, from its underground roots in the 1990s to the digital shift today. The conversation will be led by Richard Akingbehin from Refuge Worldwide, Jörg Haas from Beinghunted, and emerging Berlin artist PAU, for a morning of conversation, reflection, and close examination of the cultural histories that move through sound. Campus Study Day will run from 10:00–15:00 at Beinghunted. Campus, Wallstr. 4, 10179 Berlin. Throughout the day, the group will move through discussions on music as a driving force across generations, contemporary approaches to listening and engagement, and close with the opportunity to access the archive. Register here. Circular Listening Sessions As the final session of the four-part series ‘Remixing the Stage’, which explores soundscapes that travel across borders and the ancestral memory and liberation they carry, Circular Listening Sessions will take place at Savvy Contemporary next Thursday, the 4 December. The evening will run from 19:00 to 23:00. To start, the programme spotlights Senegalese musician Dudù Kouate. Playing over 200 instruments, Kouate creates afro-jazz ​​soundscapes that fuse his heritage with contemporary music. As well, the supporting acts feature Thamsanqa Vuthela and Shiru. Following the performances, a Cassette Head Sessions will round off the evening with a jam session, inviting musicians and the audience to explore what emerges from shared soundscapes and improvisation to channel the invisible and different ways of embodying sound. As well, food will be shared courtesy of Shi Tamufor, and the venue is wheelchair accessible. Entry is free. More info here.  ANTI-X-MESS: day to night of music, market, and film  This Saturday, AL.Berlin teams up with Calentura and MIAAN for a colourful programme running from day to night. ANTI-X-MESS aims to carve out a gathering built on care, resistance, and collective warmth as the city leans into its annual wave of holiday consumerism. Starting 16:00, the afternoon opens with a soli market featuring independent makers and activist collectives working outside the usual holiday economy, as well as a free clothes swap where you can bring what you can and take what you need. Alongside, there will be hot drinks, food, and vinyl selections. As well, Rawry Films will host a pop-up cinema, ‘Unfolding Portraits’, with screenings at 19:00 and 20:00, centring on short films that explore identity as a shifting landscape shaped by duality, memory, and social context. From outdoor DJ sets by Shayan, Aladin, and Roots Daughters, the night shifts indoors from 22:00 with soundscapes by Hassandra, AAMIROO b2b fisk, and more. Join the crew in a colourful Saturday of music, films, food, and dance for a whole evening of community, sound, and shared heat in a cold season. More info here. 10 years of Einhundert @ OHM  Saturday 29 November sees the Einhundert crew celebrate 10 years of parties. Hosted at OHM, you can join the collective in celebrating their birthday with DJ sets by Bok Bok, who recently released (4-track solo EP Blood Moon), Nala Brown, and more. The event starts at 23:59 and tickets are available at the door or grab them here. Hang Jack @ Studio1111 Also on Saturday, 29 November, Hang Jack presents a night of cross-genre, cross-cultural grooves ranging from house and techno. Going down at Studio1111, the lineup features emerging talents like TAUREAN, Kallaloo, Pino Peña, and more.  Curated by Trinidadian artist Kallaloo, Hang Jack is a project dedicated to building a vibrant connection between underrepresented communities and the global electronic music scene. Doors from 20:00, grab your ticket here. Photos courtesy of douniah, Hossam, Natalia Alejarra, and Dudù Kouate.  Send us your stories via discord or editorial@refugeworldwide.com.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[EDWIN x Refuge Worldwide launch "From Acid To Zouk" t-shirt]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/edwin-x-refuge-worldwide-t-shirt-collaboration</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/edwin-x-refuge-worldwide-t-shirt-collaboration</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Out now, featuring every genre we've ever had on the radio.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Together with our friends from EDWIN, we celebrate the extensive catalogue of music on Refuge Worldwide with the launch of a new t-shirt, "From Acid To Zouk". The back of the shirt features all 400 genres we have been lucky to listen to on the radio since 2021, with typeface and design coming courtesy of long-time collaborator Raoul Gottschling. It's a limited edition item (only 100 pieces), with a regular fit garment on 100% cotton, made and printed in Portugal. 

Get yours here via the Refuge Worldwide web store, also available at our Niemetzstraße space and shipping worldwide.  (Modelled by Märta Lilja in photo below, wearing size S). Photos by Miriam Alberti. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Fundraiser: Raffle Prize Draw]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fundraiser-raffle-2</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fundraiser-raffle-2</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We are hosting another competition! Enter until midnight on Tuesday.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[After the success of the raffle back in summer, we've put together another great range of prizes in aid of our Crowdfunding campaign.  Being so close to the fundraising target, another raffle backed by some fantastic partners should see us across the finish line. There are huge prizes from our friends at SOUNDBOKS, FREITAG, Tresor, HOKA and noo.ma. Enter before Tuesday 2nd December before 23:59 CET to be in with a chance to win festival tickets, music equipment and audio gear, a camera, clothes and merch, music and NYE guest list spots. Prizes can be won by donating to our crowdfunding campaign. Check the full list of prizes below and donate 15€ before the deadline to enter! Each person drawn can select one prize from the list:

SOUNDBOKS
1 x Go Speaker FREITAG
1 x F41 Hawaii Five-O
1 x F11 Lassie Polaroid
1 x Now+ Camera SOUNDIT Festival
4 x weekend passes to Soundit Festival 17-18 July 2026 in Barcelona Tresor
1 x pair of guest list spaces to NYE party, a Surgeon Shell~Wave vinyl LP, and a classic t-shirts bundle HOKA
1 x pair of femme trainers
1 x pair of males trainers noo.ma
1 x Tul Throw blanket Cinelogue
1 x annual subscription

Beatport
6 months of Beatport Streaming (Advanced plan) HHV
2 x 50€ gift card Refuge Worldwide
1 x Retro Football Jersey Plugin Boutique
1 x Excite Audio Bundle

SIPS
1 x Case of natural wine (6 bottles, assorted)
 Winners will be announced Saturday 06 December. Each winner will be able to select one prize from the list. A huge thank you to all our partners for the generous gifts. There are 14 prizes in total. Please make sure to leave your name and email address within the donation (even if publicly anonymous). ]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[In Twos]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/in-twos</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/in-twos</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The second release on Refuge Worldwide’s in-house label is a five-track collaborative EP. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As part of Beatport Diversity + Parity Fund, we hosted an open call for upcoming artists to make a track in collaboration with five established musicians. The artists got together, in twos, in our production studio at Niemetzstrasse to learn from each other and make the music you hear on this EP. The EP In Twos features collaborations by the duos KMRU & Danae, Mehmet Aslan & Antemi, MSJY & Tan Brown, Alinka & Adelle Nqeto, and Zoë Mc Pherson & eioo. The artwork was created by Irene Fernández Arcas and the mastering done by Monibi. Thanks also to John Loveless and Dean Driscoll of Some Pulp for their support with distribution. Listen to and buy In Twos here. ]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Reading Room restarts at Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/reading-room-niemetzstrasse-1</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/reading-room-niemetzstrasse-1</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Berlin Book Club finds a space at Niemetzstraße.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[An evening of silent reading, ambient music, and chatting with your neighbours as we celebrate the first anniversary of Reading Room The Reading Room project returns to Refuge Worldwide for a first date with us since Oona Bar closed. This time, we’ll be hosting Reading Room in our spacious new spot on Niemetzstraße for a cozy session indoors. Driven by their love for books, Reading Room was created by three friends, (Deniz Everling, Shirely A. Heim and Teresa Krescentia) as a unique space to explore the social side of reading. Reading Room is a place to connect with fellow readers, somewhere conversations about literature and the ideas it sparks can naturally unfold. Join their digital community by subscribing to the Reading Room newsletter for book recommendations and more.  Tea, coffee, soft drinks and wine are available during the session. Bring your book, come solo, come in a group. (Update: please note this session's RSVP is full). Tuesday, November 25th
Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin

Doors: 19:30
Silent Reading: 20:00 A Community of Readers. A Space to Share Books.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Left Berlin to start film club series at Niemetzstraße]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/left-berlin-saffron-kingdom</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/left-berlin-saffron-kingdom</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our first screening runs this Saturday.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Saturday at 18:00, Niemetzstraße will host a new session of The Left Berlin's Film Club. The evening opens with a selection of Palestinian short films curated by Pali Diaries, before a special screen “Saffron Kingdom” (Arfat Sheikh, 2024). Following the film, we are delighted to say there will be a short Q&A session with the film's director.

“Saffron Kingdom” follows Masrat, a Kashmiri woman who flees the valley with her son Rizwan after the abduction of her husband. The narrative traces their life in exile, the persistence of memory and intergenerational trauma, and their attempts to rebuild identity and belonging in a new country.

The screening space has limited capacity, so arrive early to secure your spot. Refuge Worldwide is open the whole day. Saturday, Nov 22, 2025
18:00
Refuge Worldwide, Niemetzstraße 1
Free entry News, events and campaigns from the international left in Berlin: www.theleftberlin.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Winter Hangout]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/end-of-year-hangout-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/end-of-year-hangout-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[All day on December 6th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As is tradition, we choose a Saturday in December for a special day of radio, food, hangs and extra surprises, this year taking place at Niemetzstrasse for the first time. From 12 noon until 10PM on December 6th, we open the Niemetzstrasse doors for a Winter hangout with radio specials, Glühwein, an art exhibition by Fett Burger, a market curated by Nomansland and our second “bring-your-own-dish” dinner (food to be served from 6PM - sign up here if you want to bring a dish). On radio duties are D’Aro Mambu, elliephunk, Obelix, SENU, Jams & Kallaloo, MAKAYABUNDO, Balthazar Martinez, An Toi & Courtney Bailey, Laura Caprino and Feta Burger going B2B with Jekalo. As always, entrance is free. See you there! Artwork by Fett Burger.]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Soundcloud FLINTA* Meet-Up]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soundcloud-flinta-meet-up</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soundcloud-flinta-meet-up</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An evening of music, panel talk, and networking.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On November 28th, we’re joining forces with SoundCloud for an evening dedicated to community-building, visibility, and artistic exchange within Berlin’s FLINTA music scenes. Blending conversation, learning, and celebration, the event creates a space for artists and community members to connect, reflect, and uplift one another. The night opens with a vibrant DJ takeover by CRUSH members Vitamin C, alizé.e and Ina Vietha B2B, alongside complimentary refreshments and plenty of time for everyone to meet and mingle. This is followed by a short presentation from the SoundCloud team, who will share insights into current initiatives and opportunities for emerging artists navigating the platform. At the heart of the programme is a panel discussion exploring how to build sustainable, supportive structures for FLINTA artists and communities. Under the theme “Do you feel supported? Understanding the needs of the community” the conversation invites honest reflections and collective visions for change. Moderated by Pilar Rashad, the panel features Mamba Berlin founders Miriam Bender & Amba Kohlschmidt, Ruth MacMahon from SoundCloud & Keychange, and Femme Bass Mafia founder and general manager Lilia van Beukering. A Q&A session will open the conversation further to the audience. To close the evening, attendees are invited to continue connecting while discovering the work of FLINTA collectives, including Calabaddies, Slic Unit, and Cigggy break from across Berlin, while Refuge’s own eioo will be providing the soundtrack.  Initiative led by Lindsey Marie White, anchor for the European FLINTA* community at SoundCloud. Spots are limited, RSVP here. Date: November 28
Time: 17:30 - 22:00
Address: Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-13-november-27-november</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-13-november-27-november</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: Hurricane Melissa Fundraiser, Threads of Liberation, demonstrations]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[No Surrender — Keep the Flame Burning demo  25 November marks a day of commemoration for the Mirabal sisters: Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa — revolutionary activists of the Dominican Republic who dedicated their lives to standing up against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. The sisters, who had grown up in the time of his regime and fought for the country’s liberation, were assassinated in 1960. They remain martyrs of not only the revolution but for standing against fascist oppression, imperialism, and colonialism. A demonstration will take place at Schlesisches Tor from 17:00, organised by Ulm5 and the Student Coalition to honour those who have been persecuted, imprisoned, and oppressed for their actions toward our collective liberation. Fundraiser for Darfur & Trans Refugee Women  In solidarity with those at the heart of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Diaspora Rising hosts a fundraiser this Sunday 16 November from 16:00 to 21:00 to raise awareness and support those at the frontlines of war and those who have been displaced.  On 12 November, the United Nations migration agency called for a ceasefire in an effort to aid tens of thousands civilians, currently trapped in El-Fashur, the capital of the Darfur region in Sudan. Since 2023 at the start of the conflict escalation, there have been several massacres inflicted by the Sudanese Armed Forces, with more than 90,000 displaced from their homes.  Come down to bUm Berlin on Sunday to support those in need, with all funds raised directly going toward Sudanese community-led organisations providing services on the frontlines. As well, funds will be supporting 6 trans women who live in South Sudan's Gorem Refugee camp. There will be panel talks, performances, open mic, market stalls, and food all evening. If you cannot make it to the event, please consider donating through other means. All eyes, and hearts, on Dafur. More info here.  Berlin United for Jamaica Hurricane Melissa fundraiser On 20 November, Badehaus hosts an evening of art and music to raise funds for Hurricane Melissa, a category five storm that made devastating impacts on the Caribbean coast last month. Currently, a large part of the country still has no access to drinking water or electricity, which, in turn, affects food, rescue aid, healthcare, etc. All funds raised will go to HELP Jamaica!, an organisation raising direct funds to rebuild a school in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Funds raised will also help provide psychological support and pastoral care for its students. The evening will feature DJ sets from Roots Daughters, Soundquake, Barney Millah and more, who will share their reggaeton and funk/soul soundscapes. As well, live performances will accompany the evening, featuring artists such as Crazy Hype (Ja), Soultrain, and Yugotaguchi.  Although a natural disaster, these extreme weather patterns are also a direct result of decades of colonial extraction, specifically by corporate fossil fuel companies that continue to extract and burn non-renewable resources — coal, oil, and natural gas — from the area.  If you are unable to attend, please consider supporting in other ways, such as donating to these direct relief funds. Learn more here.    Threads of Liberation Come by Refuge at Niemetzstraße 1 this Saturday for the second edition of Threads of Liberation, a day of fundraising, music, art, and talks in solidarity with Palestine, Sudan, and Congo. After the success and energy from the last edition back in September, Refuge partners again with Birdhouse Berlin for the second round of Threads of Liberation, this time including poetry readings with Sara Musso, Mazen Safadi, and more. The day’s colourful programming reflects the intention of Threads of Liberation to expand the practice of protest to encompass collective joy as an act of resistance — a notion that has become increasingly important amid the oppression and injustice the world continues to experience.  Performances include Palestinian singer-songwriter Malak on Earth, singer and saxophonist Uwineza, and more, plus art exhibitions by ecological Palestinian artists Safa Creates, Water and Seeds, and more. Lastly, there will also be a market and Tatreez workshop hosted by Juthouri. Throughout the day, Arabic cuisine will be served courtesy of Birdhouse Berlin. Come by Saturday to weave the collective thread toward liberation in joy and solidarity! More info here.  No-Border Café!  Join Abolish Frontext for No-Border Café to hang-out and learn about political discourse concerning state borders. From 13:00 to 17:00, there will be cosy drinks, snacks, and crafts. In addition, this time round, Abolish Frontext invites Innah, a specialist in narrative change, strategic communications, and corporate campaigns at the intersection of migrant justice, climate justice, and the border and surveillance industry. At 14:00, Innah will present on the topic: “How do we change the story of the border to the real villains?” Following that, the community will have a chance to discuss strategies or campaigns against border profiteers. Learn more about border justice with a cosy drink in hand - more info here.  The November Revolution walking tour  Next Tuesday, the 18 November, Revolutionary Berlin will host a historical walking tour focusing on 1918-1919, visiting significant landmarks across the city where figures like Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht, and others changed the course of German history.  More info here.  People Against Genocide demo  As the genocide continues, and Israel and its allies persist in violating ceasefire agreements, protest in solidarity with Palestinian friends and allies on Saturday, 15 November at Platz de 18. Marz.  The demonstration will start at 12:00. This gathering is organised by Peacefully Against Genocide, Demo Ticker Berlin Collective, and Palestine Demos Germany. Take care of your friends and stay safe! More info here.  Raise funds for queer Palestinian friend  Help out a friend in need by contributing to raise funds to sustain their financial stability. For privacy reasons, their personal information is kept private, but they have reached out with this message:   I’d like to keep my personal information private, but I’m reaching out for help to cover essential costs — including insurance, living expenses, and study fees. Right now, I have no savings and am facing severe debt.  Last year, I lost my job because of my Palestinian identity, and since then, finding new employment has been extremely difficult. Despite the challenges, I refuse to stay silent about my people or the injustices we face under capitalism. In addition to my daily living expenses, I also face ongoing costs related to repression due to my activism. Donate here.  Soy&Synth annual discourse over hotpot & karaoke  On 21 November, Soy&Synth, a collective that supports emerging BIPOC artists with a focus on experimental and improvisational music, invites the community to their annual round-up over hot pot and karaoke. This year’s theme is ‘Fracturing Foundations’, and the programming reflects Soy&Synth’s sonic journey over the past year. Those attending are encouraged to bring 1-3 ingredients to share for the hotpot and to open their voices and ears for the karaoke taking place after dinner. The event will take place at Moving Poets Novella starting at 19:30. More info here.  Fundraiser bazaar – celebrating Palestinian culture Across three days this weekend from 14-16 November, pop by Vetomat to celebrate Palestinian culture with live music, Palestinian food, film screenings, and a DIY t-shirt screen printing booth. In these times, the organisations PA Allies, Cedar Voices Berlin, Palestine Speaks, Zora, and Young Struggle Berlin North come together to create a space to enjoy Palestinian culture and learn from one another. All funds raised in this event will be allocated to a camp in Gaza, families in Southern Lebanon, and 3ezwa. This organisation provides legal support for pro-Palestinian activists who the German State has persecuted for their solidarity efforts. More info here. 
 Spore Initiative Kurdish Music Collective workshop  This Saturday, Kurdish Music Collective will host another workshop (on 15 November) at Spore Initiative for all things Kurdish Music: movement, song-writing, experimentation, sharing, and revisiting nostalgia. As an ongoing series in partnership with Spore and Music for Identity, the project aims to provide equal access to Kurdish music here in Berlin through cultivating community and participatory workshops. The workshop is free to attend and open to all aged 14 or older, regardless of musical experience or cultural background. If you cannot make this session but are interested in attending, the ongoing series occurs twice a month until the end of the year. To register or for more details, click here.  Feminist Dance Histories of Kathak & fundraiser   From 18:00-20:30 (also 15 November), Spore will host Choreographies of Erasure, a workshop sharing knowledge on Kathak, the ancient Indian dance of the hands. In Kathak, narratives are constructed through movement in the hands, externalised in elegant dance. In this workshop, facilitator, interdisciplinary artist, and Kathak practitioner Ghazal Ramzani will perform a dance, followed by an artist talk as part of their ongoing project Choreographies of Erasure, which researches contemporary Kathak as a medium to decolonise, de-brahmanize, and re-imagine by revisiting and re-embodying its feminist legacies, which have been historically erased from dominant narratives. After the workshop, the gathering will continue with a dinner to raise funds for Sudan. More info here.  Afrikamera Cinema Transtopia: Namibia Focus  On 19 November, come down to Cinema Transtopia for AFRIKAMERA’s programming of Windhoek Shorts. AFRIKAMERA is a Berlin-based film organisation that aims to share diverse, inspiring, and groundbreaking narratives on past, present, and future socio-political issues that continue to affect the African continent. This series is curated by Namibian filmmaker Joel Haikali and features short- to medium-length films centring on Namibia, as well as narratives about Namibia’s colonial history and its present-day impacts. Films like the anti-apartheid documentary Image Restitution will be screened, as will SORRY For The Genocide, which tells of the present-day realities of Namibia-Germany reconciliation efforts. Doors open at 17:00, and the event is free. More info here.  Linoleum printing workshop  Come by bUm Berlin on 23 November to learn about linoleum printing as a tool for artistic and political expression. Multidisciplinary artist Elif Çelik facilitates the workshop, and participants will have the opportunity to experiment with designing and printing their own postcards using Palestinian motifs to express belonging, self-assurance, and resistance to oppression. According to Elif, the art of linoleum carving is a metaphor for the intention to create as a form of resistance and self-expression, as what is cut out of the linoleum creates an imprint – metaphors of visibility and loss. More info here.   Gaza fundraiser open call for artworks The weekend of 13-14 December, Officiana Kreuzberg will host a fundraiser for a family in Gaza, and is looking for artists who would like to sell their work. Artworks to be considered can be anything from prints and zines to t-shirts and accessories. Artists are encouraged to submit their work across the disciplines as they see fit for the event.  All funds raised will support Nareeman’s family in Gaza, 3ezwa, and Al-Jawad-Camp, an organisation providing free education camps for displaced children in Gaza. You can also donate to Nareeman’s family here. Submissions are to be sent to prints4pals@proton.me by 05 December. More info here.  Clothing Donation Open Call Rise Foundation Berlin is organising a donation drive to support those in need ahead of the fast-approaching winter months. If you have men’s or gender-fluid clothing to spare, such as jackets, sweaters, layers, shoes, or other winter items, the drop-in time is open on 16 November from 10:00 to 13:00 in Neukölln. Every donation counts! More info here.  Photos courtesy of Kurdish Music Collective and SORRY for the Genocide. All photos under Creative Commons license. For submissions, send us your stories via discord or editorial@refugeworldwide.com]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hyper-local, Hyper-global: a handbook about community web radios in Europe]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/handbook</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/handbook</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The new publication is part of our ongoing project with Kiosk Radio and new station Radio Dopo.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[What makes a successful European community web radio? Together with Brussels station Kiosk Radio (and with the support of Erasmus+), we’ve teamed up with a new collective in Palermo to bring their community radio project, Radio Dopo, to life.  Alongside its launch, we’ve gathered our shared knowledge and experiences into a public handbook on how to build and sustain an independent community web radio.  Featuring contributions from Radio Raheem (Milan), Infame Radio (Brno), foundation.fm (London), and the Independent Community Radio Network, the handbook offers a broad snapshot of today’s independent radio landscape in Europe. Accessible for free here.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[GALA Festival comes to Berlin with clubnight, radio takeover and photography talk]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gala-berlin</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gala-berlin</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join us at Niemetzstraße and Tresor on November 21st.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[After 5 years of hosting a stage at London's finest electronic music festival GALA, we are happy to invite them to Berlin as part of the Ten Years Of GALA tour. On November 21st, from 7-10PM, we will host the crew for a radio takeover at Niemetzstraße, featuring Robert Owens, Gabi Monteiro and Richard Akingbehin. In parallel, Frankie Casillo will host an open talk and visual session, exploring the craft of festival photography and how to capture the essence of a moment without falling into repetition. RSVP here. Later that night, we move to Tresor for a night at Globus, dancing to the sounds of rRoxymore and Monty Luke. Header photo by Angelina Nikolayeva.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Threads of Liberation]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/threads-of-liberation</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/threads-of-liberation</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A day of care, resistance, and solidarity, raising funds for Palestine.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Threads of Liberation returns for its second edition this Saturday, 15 November, at Niemetzstraße 1, bringing together artists, organizers, and communities to thread acts of care, resistance, and imagination into one living tapestry. From 2 to 10 pm, the day will unfold through live music, poetry, art, conversation, and shared meals, weaving solidarity with Palestine through collective care and joy as forms of resistance. The program features a tatreez workshop by Juthouri, an art exhibition showcasing works by Safa Creates, Artsy Sumi, Shoxnerdbox, Water and Seeds – Threads of Hope, and Jomana Haithem, and poetry readings from Jad El Choufi, Mazen Safadi, Orshi, and Sara Msso. Live performances by Iam Uwineza, Palo Santo, Malak On Earth, and Lucas Klepa will fill the space with rhythm and resonance.  A community market will highlight Ashwaq Shop and Wear Holy Soul, while Birdhouse Berlin provides Levantine cuisine and shared tables that invite conversation and connection. Rooted in solidarity and collective care, Threads of Liberation transforms art and culture into practices of resistance, repair, and remembrance for Palestine and all struggles intertwined within it. This fundraiser is hosted by Lea Czychy and Moehecan. Soli and community tickets are available here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ADIRA Party: in conversation]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/adira-party-in-conversation</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/adira-party-in-conversation</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Music as not just a party, but a necessity to solidarity in turbulent times]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[ADIRA is a grass-roots Berlin-based art and music collective, first starting as a pop-party nightclub series and expanding to a community. It’s a space where queer Arabs and allies alike can DJ, perform, dance, and collectively be together to celebrate the colorful array that consists of queer Arabic culture – a space for nurturing a community that uplifts and supports both emerging and established talents.  From 12-14 November, ADIRA presents the second edition of ADIRA Drag Festival at Festsaal Kreuzberg and Barazani featuring a series of workshops, performances, panel talks, and DJ sets by more than 30 artists from Arabic-speaking regions all over Europe. With the theme Queer Arab* Futurism, the weekend is “a love letter to our future selves”, imagining a future “of sovereignty, a world where borders don’t exist, legacy is redefined, astrology takes the place of authority, and pop divas honor the queers and girlies who shaped them.” In this interview, we speak with founders Zuher (aka xanax_attax) and Hassandra (aka Hassandra), to dive deeper into the role of music as joy, joy as resistance, and what it means to be truly seen in a community. Together, they reflect on ADIRA’s story, its roots, and the essential role diasporic spaces play in nurturing safety, self-expression, and belonging within their communities. Zuher — Music as Resistance; Period! ADIRA is run together by you and Hassandra. How did it all start, and what brought the two of you together? Zuher: We worked together before we started ADIRA. There was ‘a’ Queer Arab Party collective that Hassandra started around 2018 or 2019 with another friend, and I was a resident DJ. We stopped during the pandemic. Afterward, Hassandra and I reconnected by coincidence. They were offering drag makeovers, and my best friend and I are big fans of drag. I gifted her a session with Hassandra. Drag makeup takes a long time, so we had plenty of time to talk. My best friend, Gizem, runs the party Hoe__mies here in Berlin. Hassandra and I already knew each other from Queer Arab Party, and we just got along really well. Eventually, we thought, why not try something similar: an event focused only on queer and Arabic pop. That’s how the idea was born. We launched our first event in February 2023. Zuher and Hassandra, 2023 How did you come to focus on Arab pop? Was it a niche you felt was missing, or was it based on your personal interest? Zuher: Both. What drives me, and I think also Hassandra, is our love for Arabic pop-music we grew up listening to. I was born and raised in Berlin but also spent a long time in Saudi Arabia, so I was exposed to music that people here don’t really know. That’s part of my personal motivation. One story I often tell is from 2016 in Leipzig. I was in a group of German and Syrian friends. The German friends wanted to go to a 90s party, super excited about the music. But when we got there, it was mostly Germans enjoying it, as they recognized the Western music references. The Syrians, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy it at all because they had a different musical background. We joked, “Why don’t they play Haifa, Elissa, or Nancy?” And that question stuck with me. I thought, why not? That’s when I started thinking about learning to DJ, to bring the music I grew up with to people who miss it here. It started with wanting to create a sense of inclusivity. It was really painful to see how excluded the Syrians felt. The moment stuck with me. That same group of friends is still the most loyal, showing up to every event. They could ask to be on the guest list but never do, wanting to support the party by buying tickets. It’s beautiful how the event has grown and how much it means to people who feel represented. We wanted to build community not just through diversity in lineups, but also in sound. It’s so important for everyone on the dance floor to feel like they belong. It's a privilege because so many groups and communities are excluded from this Western-centered narrative. Many people didn’t grow up with Western culture. As the Arab community in Berlin, we’re lucky to be part of such  a large population here. If we tried this in a smaller German city, we probably wouldn’t have the same response. Even within the Arab community, we don't fully represent everyone. What we mostly bring is Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, and Egyptian Arab culture. But there are also Moroccan, Gulf, and other regions with their own specific music styles I’m not familiar with. So, we don’t claim to represent everything; we just share what we know and what resonates with the people who attend. At our last party, for example, we had a floor dedicated only to North African music. Do you feel like the dominant German party scene is aware of the Arabic or non-white communities? You're aware of North African scenes, for instance, even if you're not deeply familiar. Does the same effort exist within the German party scene? Zuher: I can only speak for myself. I don’t know what they think or how they see things. I don’t know how they view themselves, especially since the scene is heavily techno-driven and centered on white artists. I also don’t know how they view us: queer, Arab, and pop-focused; basically the opposite of what they are. There’s this recurring pattern: queer people are often laughed at or dismissed at first, but eventually, the very thing they mock becomes what's popular. I'm used to that kind of arrogant dismissal. Personally, I don’t think we’re respected the same way others are. But I also don’t want ADIRA to become a party that caters to white Germans. I'm happy if some come who genuinely resonate with the music and values — people who are anti-Zionist, pro-Palestinian, and want to engage with Arab culture beyond just political issues. Arabness isn’t only political. We're more than that. We’re more than music, too. It's about being taken seriously as people with struggles, culture, dignity, history, and individuality. We're not a monolith. A party space becomes a cultural space. It gives the queer Arab community room to express itself beyond the political narrative. How do you see parties as a protest? Zuher: Before ADIRA, I was involved in a lot of political work. Starting ADIRA was my way of creating something joyful and fun. I wanted something less political, but something that will last a long time. Our first event in February 2023 happened right after the major earthquake in Syria, Kurdistan, and Turkey. That first party became a fundraiser. We had planned it long before, and suddenly we were asking ourselves: should we cancel? The idea that this was going to be non-political didn’t hold up. Even our first party carried a huge emotional and political weight. People queued for hours in the snow just to get in. Other events were happening the same night, but people still came to ADIRA because it was our first. That support continued, and then in October, the 7th happened. But it turned out to be a deeply meaningful event. It brought people together through music, memory, and emotion without needing words. Music speaks in ways conversation can’t. We realized again that we aren’t just a party. We’re something more. And we have a responsibility as a community collective to curate this ‘third space’ with intention and care. Our next party was already scheduled for October 14, just a week after October 7. Again, we asked: “Do we cancel? What’s the right thing to do?” But every time, we’ve seen how important it is to hold these spaces, especially in moments of crisis. We're living through genocide against Palestinians, Lebanese, and Syrians.  During that October 14 event, seeing people dance, laugh, and cry at the same time proved how essential this is.  Music can hold that complexity. It’s not about words but a shared feeling, memory, and expression. And that’s become incredibly important. ADIRA Party, October 2023 Even though I’m someone who usually writes and intellectualises everything, there are things I just can't put into words. Having this outlet, doing something expressive without needing words, feels like a huge relief for me. Especially if you’ve done activist work, you know how long it takes, how draining it is, and how often it doesn't go the way you want. It's exhausting. So, having a space that is still activism, but in a healing way, is really important. To do something that’s not anti-anything, but instead reframed as pro-Arab community, pro-queer, and pro-solidarity. It’s a different energy: it changes how people feel. It’s about progress, connection, and mutual appreciation. That’s what makes it beautiful: people feel seen and valued. We're not just working against something. We’re working for something. That shift matters. Of course, it’s still exhausting to organise. But working for something gives you back energy. It feels more worthwhile. Yes, we’re tired, but seeing happy faces instead of angry, bitter ones, especially from people who deny your existence, makes it all feel that much more meaningful. Period. How have you seen this year’s political shift to the right impact the community? Why do you think having a space carved out for Arabic Queers to come together and celebrate is important, especially now? Zuher: So far, there haven’t been concrete effects, but they will come, unfortunately. The new right-wing government, as of this year, will have impacts, especially on Arabs. One major concern is deportation: sending people back to countries like Syria. I fear that’s going to become a very real issue soon. We’ll likely start seeing people directly affected by these policies. Another big concern, especially for those of us working in cultural and political spaces, is how the fight against anti-Semitism is being instrumentalised. People working in anti-Zionist or pro-Palestinian contexts who rely on public funding will be targeted. They’ll be forced to question how they can continue their work without losing financial support. Our new cultural minister has already said that no funding will go to “antisemites,” and, of course, they use that to discredit anyone with a critical stance on Israel or Zionism. That kind of rhetoric is dangerous. It’s frightening because it’s becoming a reality very quickly. That’s why we need to start thinking strategically: how to support one another, how to unionize, and how to survive as collectives that don’t align with the state’s ideology. This is really important for everyone because there’s no going back. There’s no return to the “good old times”, when diversity, Black Lives Matter, anti-racism, and queerness were widely embraced. That momentum is gone. We’re seeing a rollback, and now is the time to think about how we can better support each other. If you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. That’s the energy we need to build; real support across communities. For people in Germany, Arab or not, who want to be more inclusive and supportive of different cultures, what would you say is the best way to start? Zuher: There’s no limit. I love seeing how Arab pop music is trending on SoundCloud and TikTok. So many people are into it, and that’s great; that’s one way to start. But it goes deeper. We’re not just political subjects, and we’re not just music. We’re both and more. So I’d say: learn, read, organise, support, stay in solidarity. We’re in times of genocide; every form of support is needed right now. Support Arab collectives, especially the intersectional ones that are queer, feminist, or both. We’re doing a lot here in Germany. It’s wild how much we’ve built, especially our collective. We bring so much to the stage. But most of the support comes from within the Arab community. When it comes to the German white mainstream, I don’t feel seen. The dominant culture here, especially in nightlife, feels disconnected. I think it needs a real shift. We shouldn’t use the same standards for an Asian woman or a white cis man. I see strong support between communities from the Global South. I see it at protests. Of course, there could always be more solidarity, but it’s moving more than the dominant society does, especially on issues like Kurdistan, Congo, Sudan, or Palestine. We call it an Arab space, but it’s really a space for all marginalised people in this society to come together and feel seen. Just like with unionisation, it's part of resisting colonisation. What events can the community look forward to in the near future? Zuher: In November, we’ll host the second ADIRA Drag Festival, the first Arabic drag festival in the world. Last year was the first-ever, and this year there will be more than 30 participating artists from Arabic regions all over. It will take place across three days at Festsaal Kreuzberg with more than 700 attendees. The programming features more than just music. We will also host a series of workshops that encourage the continuation of cultivating Queer Arab* radical imagination. Next year, we’ll be touring other festivals and countries as well, and plan to throw a party every two months. We already have the dates. ADIRA Poster* & Festival Line-up, 2025 What’s a dream collaboration? Zuher: When Mia Khalifa comes to ADIRA, that will be a full-circle moment. I wish! What does a typical ADIRA party look like? Zuher: There’s always a twist. We have two dance floors: the main one and a smaller one we dedicate to specific themes. Sometimes it’s North African music, but we are also planning fusions like Baile Funk with Arabic. We get creative. Then there’s the twist, maybe a dance competition, fashion contest, drag performance, or comedy show. Not everything works perfectly, but we love to experiment. Most techno parties just have a DJ and a dance floor, which is fun, but sometimes it lacks togetherness. That might be why some people feel the need to take drugs to feel that connection. But at ADIRA, the vibe is already good. You don’t need that to feel like you belong. We’re not a druggy party. ADIRA is sweet and modest, very cutesy. People say, “I’ve never been to a party this fun. The music is great. The crowd is kind. I felt like I connected.” Maybe you don’t need to fall into a G-hole after all. ADIRA Party, October 2023 Any final message for the community? Zuher:  When there’s no solution, there’s prostitution. But seriously—there’s always hope. Period! (.) <3 Hassandra – Performing in a Safe Space  Can you start by telling me a bit about yourself and your practice as an artist? Hassandra: I'm Hassandra. I’m 31, originally from Beirut, Lebanon. I began my journey as an actor, having studied theatre and stage acting at the Lebanese University. But after moving to Berlin, I transitioned into drag which led me to DJing. Not long after that, I created ADIRA, something that really brings together my personal life and artistic practice. Through ADIRA, we launched the ADIRA Drag Festival, first in June last year and again this November. It’s the first festival that centers Arabic drag in this way, which felt like such an important step, especially with everything going on last year. It gave people a spark of hope, and for many, it was the first time they saw performances tailored not to a white gaze, but to our own community. Hassandra & Zuher at ADIRA, October 2023. Was this blending of drag, DJing, and community-based performance something intentional for you from the start? Hassandra: It was a natural progression, really. I didn’t want to conform to the strict structure of traditional theater; it felt limiting. Drag gave me the freedom I was craving. But drag, as we know, often lacks institutional support. You do so much for so little in return. That’s where nightlife came in. It felt like a space where you could be unfiltered and free, yet still artistic. Berlin’s nightlife, though, can sometimes be isolating. It’s very focused on techno, escapism, and intoxication. ADIRA was meant to be the opposite: communal, emotional, sensory. It became this space that feels more like your auntie’s living room than a club. We’ve even used scents in our parties that reminded people of sacred spaces or childhood homes. It’s a party, yes, but also a place of cultural and emotional reconnection. Can you talk more about the political dimension of your drag? Hassandra: Sometimes, the most political thing an Arab can do today is simply be on stage in drag and say: “I exist. I deserve joy.”  That in itself is radical. Drag is incredibly malleable, allowing for commentary on society, but also for healing. I’ve done performances around fetishisation and dating as an Arab, for instance. These are political topics, but I often approach them with humor. Humor softens the delivery but still communicates the urgency. It creates solidarity in a way that doesn’t exhaust the audience. ADIRA: Eid Edition feat hand-rhinestoned Abbayas by Rami Shalati. Text: ADIRA in Arabic, July 2023 What’s it like performing for a primarily queer Arab audience compared to other, less inclusive spaces? Hassandra: Empowering. I used to trim parts of myself, editing myself to cater to more “international” drag stages. I walked on eggshells, constantly afraid of being tokenised or misunderstood. At ADIRA, I don’t have to explain anything. The crowd gets it. That gives me and other performers a deeper sense of freedom and authenticity. We’ve had performers from all over, and sometimes they begin by performing for a Western gaze. But once they realise the crowd is full of Arabs, something shifts. I always tell them: you don’t need to perform in English. Choose the song you connect with. When that happens, it’s magical.  They stop translating themselves for others and start expressing themselves fully. Why do you think this type of space and art is so important for queer diaspora communities? Hassandra: It’s a form of comfort and healing. Especially last year, we just needed to be in the same room, to look at each other and say, “I know what you’re feeling.” No need for explanations. We’re all in this in-between space: we’re not fully at home in Berlin, but we’re also not back where we’re from. We float. And through music, scent, and visuals, we can revisit memories and reclaim them, even the painful ones. The next ADIRA festival’s theme is futurism. What can you tell us about that? Hassandra: Each performer will interpret the theme in their own way. But for us as a collective, futurism doesn’t exist without the past. We’re working on archiving and preserving, something that was historically denied to many in the Global South because of colonial structures.  We’re launching a digital archive! A website that houses articles, media, and documentation. It’s a tool for the community, and who knows who might stumble upon it years from now? Maybe a Gen Z’er in 2030 will discover what happened at Adira and feel something from it. You’re also a DJ. How does nostalgia play into your music? Hassandra: I grew up listening to a lot of Arabic pop that’s now considered nostalgic. But that nostalgia exists partly because production in the region declined due to political and economic instability. So we’re often working with a fixed archive of music that stops evolving at a certain point. I wonder what’s next for ADIRA musically. The songs millennials connect with might not resonate forever, and we follow the community’s needs. ADIRA emerged as a response to something missing, and it continues to shift with the moment. There’s a lot of nostalgia in the air these days. Do you think that’s a symptom of the current world? Hassandra: Absolutely. We’re living in chaos politically, socially, and environmentally. People are disconnected. So we romanticise the past or the idea of simpler times. But maybe it wasn’t simpler — maybe it was just different. Nostalgia can be powerful and healing, but also cringy or overused. It’s important to stay critical about it. Maybe that’s a future theme for ADIRA, too: romanticisation vs. nostalgia. Any final message for the community? Hassandra: Just that I’m grateful we can build spaces like this. Not only to perform, but to exist. To imagine. To laugh. And to ask, together: where do we want to go? ADIRA Party, October 2023 ADIRA’s impact While Berlin’s club scene is open to and inclusive of all identities, it is not only important but necessary to intentionally create carved-out spaces for minority groups where people with a shared identity can express themselves freely and safely. Parties without this intention, even if inclusive, still hold unspoken hierarchical tensions rooted in European colonial history, making intentionally reserved spaces like ADIRA vital for building feelings of familiarity and security for Arab Queers.  In everyday life, the unspoken tensions between groups in public space complicate how safety and belonging are felt for each individual, impacting the extent to which people feel free to explore, accept, and take pride in their authentic identities. Although dominant spaces in Berlin may be inclusive of all identities, they do not allow the same extent of freedom of expression as a space where most of the group has a shared background or identity. These are spaces carved out with the intention for one group to navigate their political and social realities. In ADIRA’s case, the party becomes a space to navigate queerness within Arabic culture while also reclaiming how Arabic identity is perceived in the West. This shared cultural grounding allows individuals to exist freely—without the burden of feeling like the “other.” As well, it is also important that ADIRA represents the queer Arab community in nightlife, rather than daytime spaces. Nightlife holds a unique value for embodying identity, especially for minority groups. They allow people  to not only to feel safe in, but also to explore and celebrate an identity that feels truly authentic to them.  As both Zuher and Hassandra emphasised, music conveys emotions without needing words, having the capacity to hold the complexity of whatever is felt in today’s political climate without being emotionally exhausting in the same way that traditional activism can be. At the party, the community can just dance, be, and feel for each other — a sacred solidarity that redefines culture, one beat at a time. ADIRA at Tag der Clubkultur 2024 Awards Dance as protest with ADIRA Party at ADIRA Drag Festival 2.0: Queer Arab* Futurism from 12-14 November. Grab your tickets here! More info here.  Photos courtesy of Derdie Tansu, Cora Hamilton, and Mayar Attia.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hurricane Melissa Fundraiser ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hurricane-melissa-fundraiser</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hurricane-melissa-fundraiser</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[On November 9th, Refuge Worldwide, Antilles NY, and Nomansland will co-host a fundraiser at Arkaoda.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Since making landfall in Jamaica on October 28th, 2025, Hurricane Melissa has caused widespread damage, catastrophic flooding, mass displacement and death across the Caribbean, predominantly in Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, but with severe warnings in multiple islands. It’s the strongest hurricane ever to have hit Jamaican shores, a Category 5 with 185 mp/h winds.  Melissa is already confirmed to have taken the lives of around 75 people, and destroyed countless homes and infrastructure. The death toll is sure to continue rising as rescue efforts take place, and ripple effects of the damage will continue to be felt for years to come. On Sunday, November 9th, Berlin collectives including radio station Refuge Worldwide, creative studio Antilles NY, and Caribbean culture collective Nomansland come together for a fundraiser and moment of communal reflection, raising vital resources and awareness. The daytime (2PM-midnight), family-friend event will raise funds for the Jamaican Government’s Official Disaster Relief & Recovery Portal, plus another Caribbean-wide relief effort TBA, via 100% of door donations, as well as profits from the food, merchandise sales and a contribution from the bar. We are inviting musicians, DJs, dancers, artists and community members from Berlin - all of whom have Caribbean background and a deep appreciation for Caribbean music and culture - to contribute with downtempo sets, live performances, dance workshops, crafts stalls and food. The suggestion donation on the door will be 10€ or more, but no one will be turned away for a lack of funds. If you wish to contribute to the event, please get in touch with richard@refugeworldwide.com Artwork by Grant Gibson.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-30-october-13-november</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-30-october-13-november</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: Palestine Cinema Days, ADIRA Drag Festival, Sudan Demo]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Call for Court Trial Support: “From the River to the Sea”   The slogan “From the river to the sea” was previously prosecuted in Germany under the “use of unconstitutional symbols,” which subjects individuals to local court trials. Recently, the German state has accused a protester who used the slogan of “distribution of propaganda material of unconstitutional and terrorist organisations”, to be handled at state court under the framing of terrorist propaganda. If this case is appealed, it will be heard in federal court, where negative decisions can be used in all future cases related to the slogan. This case represents the ongoing attempts to criminalise “From the River to the Sea”.  On 31 October, a team of lawyers experienced with the Palestine solidarity context in Germany will be present at the court case and call for trial support. Stand in solidarity with the legal team in court at 9:00 this Friday at Amtsgericht Tiergarten, and stop the criminalisation of “From the River to the Sea”. More info here.  Standing with Sudan demo On Friday, 31 October, 15:00–17:00, gather in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Berlin, to stand in solidarity with the people of Al-Fasher, Darfur, who are facing extreme violence and displacement. Since the beginning of the Sudan Conflict, over 11 million people have been displaced. El-Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, has already been under siege for over 500 days. Organised by The Salam Sudan Campaign, a Berlin-based network of Sudanese initiatives advocating for peace, justice, and human rights in Sudan, Sudanese in Berlin and allies demand an end to the siege on Al-Fasher, accountability for those responsible, and protection for civilians with humanitarian access. Bring your banners, comfortable clothing, and presence, and stay safe. More info here.  ADIRA Drag Festival  From 12–14 November, ADIRA Party presents the second edition of ADIRA Drag Festival at Festsaal Kreuzberg and Barazani, bringing together over 30 artists from Arabic-speaking regions across Europe for three days of workshops, performances, and DJ sets. What began as a Berlin pop-party series has grown into a thriving community space for queer Arabs and allies: a space to create, dance, and celebrate the richness of queer Arab culture. Last year's edition marked the first-ever Arabic Drag festival. This year’s theme, Queer Arab Futurism*, is imagined as “a love letter to our future selves, dreaming of a world where borders dissolve, legacy is redefined, astrology takes the place of authority, and pop divas honour the queers and girlies who came before them”. Grab your tickets here! More info here.  Unframe Festival  From 31 October to 02 November, Unframe Festival will take place at bUm Berlin. The festival features a series of panel discussions, workshops, film screenings, music, and more, centred on socialist ideas and culture. Panel talks include discussions with guests like Yasemin Acar, part of the organising committee of Freedom Flotilla on practices of resistance, Sinthujan Varatharajah and Hebh Jamal on Solidarity and the Politics of Liberation, and more. Unframe has invited a diverse group of speakers, each bringing their own diverse areas of expertise, encouraging a weekend of contemplation, reflection, and dialogue in these turbulent times. Across the topics, the festival makes accessible deepening understandings on the various socio-political happenings the world is currently facing. Film screenings, organised by The Left Berlin Film Club, Viva Palestina, and The Dockworkers, will also take place, highlighting narratives of Palestine, Sudan, and Congo. As well, Saturday evening features an afterparty put on by the AL.Berlin crew. See the complete programme here. More info here.  K-Fetisch Soli-Kufa fundraiser to support protestors K-Fetisch’s Soli KüFa return on 05 November, this time raising funds for the Demos Support Team in Berlin. This organisation has been supporting protestors, especially those Palestinian and Gazan, since 2024 with legal and medical aid. Specifically, funds raised will contribute to transportation for protestors to and from hospitals, making legal appointments, and other legal fees to aid in combating political violence faced in Germany, such as deportations. Tickets are on a sliding scale of 8-15 euros, with a vegan menu of Arabic-inspired cuisine. Come by from 18:30 onward. More info here.  Indie Chinese Cinema Week Cliens Berlin presents the fourth edition of Indie Chinese Cinema week across 3 days, from 6-9 November. This year’s programme features three feature-length films, 15 shorts, and community events with the overall theme Rewriting the Frame: Cinema as Language, Action, and Future. With limited censorship policies in the Chinese Art World, Indie Chinese Cinema Week creates space to diversify the homogenising art world in China, bringing alternative narratives, mediums, and voices in Chinese cinema to international audiences. Following the screenings, ICCW encourages this dialogue by inviting researchers and filmmakers to discuss their experiences, thought processes, and more in post-screening discussions. As well, performance artist and choreographer Po-Nien Wang will run a movement and dance workshop exploring gender fluidity through both contemporary dance, Tai-chi, and ancient Chinese Poetry , inviting participants to explore presence, balance, and movement as tools to reimagine identity. As well, ICCW will commence with an opening party at Giri on 5 November in collaboration with Jiā La, a Berlin-based collective centring Asian and Diasporic music and art. The lineup includes live acts exploring Chinese Ink traditions and more by Senaida and Jianyu, and DJ sets from 20:00. More info here.  The Berliner Strike  The Berliner Magazine, one of the most prominent publications on Berlin culture and society, continues to reduce its coverage of Palestine. Recently, the Berliner has accepted an ad campaign for the Nova Festival, a government-funded exhibition at the Tempelhof Airport, commemorating 378 Israeli casualties on October 7, while failing to account for the 65,000+ murdered Palestinians. By this, the exhibition uses selective empathy as war propaganda, perpetuating false narratives on the Israel-Palestine conflict. By these ads, the Berliner violates its allegedly ‘neutral’ stance on the ongoing genocide in Palestine. As one of the major English-language magazines that cover Berlin culture, refusing to cover candid conversations for major global conflicts, such as that of Palestine, contributes to the perpetuation of dominant political narratives both in Berlin and worldwide. Especially considering the rise of far-right movements and ongoing repressions for free speech in Germany, the value of free independent media is more critical than ever. Show support for the Berliner Strike by signing the petition. More info here.  Daddy Magazine Launch  Come down to Refuge Niemenstrasse 1 on 11 November for Daddy Magazine’s launch of POWER Issue. The evening will be hosted by Zeynep Dilek, with reflections from the Daddy Mag founders and team. Alongside, readings will be presented by Berlin-based writer Celina Baljeet Basra and Bayode Adafin from Love Deluxe. To end the night, R&B artist NADA will showcase a live set before a sneak peek of STILLLIEBEN, Emmanuel Amoako-Jansen’s debut film, and a DJ set by DC DREA. Come hang out and support the launch of Daddy Mag with some good talks and tunes. RSVP here.  Palestine Cinema Days  On 02 November, Palestine Cinema Days around the world, a day of international solidarity showcasing over 500 Palestinian Films, screened across the globe. In Berlin, ALFilms, Rawry Films, and Palinale teamed up to screen five films at various kinos. Features include A State of Passion by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, a documentary that tells the story of a war surgeon in Gaza in search of justice; Upshot by Maha Haj, a short film that has won multiple awards for its intimate accounts of the realities of war; and more. All screenings part of Palestine Cinema days are entirely free, and all venues are wheelchair accessible. More info here.  The Berlin Conference: Anti-Colonial Workshops Commencing on 15 November, the Berlin Conference is a monthly online workshop facilitated by Grief and Trauma Educator Tobi Aye. Created as a space for Africans and African descendants, the series invites collective reflection and resistance against centuries of colonial domination by European powers over Africa. Drawing inspiration from the Berlin Conference of 1884, where fourteen Western nations—including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—met to decide the continent’s fate without a single African representative, the workshop confronts the ongoing repression of African cultures, identities, and ancestral practices. Through storytelling, song, ritual, and collective grief work, participants are guided to remember, reclaim, and reweave ancestral sovereignty and belonging across the borders imposed by colonial histories. Find more information on the free workshop here. Radical sticker publishing workshop  Use art as a protest by attending the Radical sticker publishing Workshop on the 4 and 5 November. From 10:00–17:00, join Matt Plezier and Moritz Grünke for a hands-on two-day workshop exploring stickers as tools for protest and creative expression. Stickers, though small, are powerful: cheap ways to stick to almost anything in public spaces —walls, windows, and streets. Being accessible and eye-catching by nature, they hold quick information that can reclaim public spaces and contribute to cultural discourse. The workshop begins with a Sticker Manifesto and a showcase of inspiring collections, then moves into Risograph printing, where participants can experiment with overprinting to produce radical stickers of their own design. Participants will also have the opportunity to explore the sticker archive at Riso studio for inspiration. Day two focuses on sticker-making with analogue techniques, dry transfer, and cut’n’stick methods. At the end of the workshop, participants can take home a sticker stack featuring all the creations from the workshop. More info here.  Photos courtesy of Mayer Attia and Jaime Musso. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide launches record label with Fundraiser Compilation]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-label</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-label</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The 28-track collection is out on today.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The Refuge Worldwide in-house record label is finally launching this week. Long in the works, our new imprint will focus mostly on music made in the production studio at our Niemetzstrasse premises. However, before we start with the the studio productions, we are kicking off with Refuge Worldwide Fundraiser Compilation (RW000), an eclectic collection of tracks and vocal skits donated by residents and friends of the radio. The release is part of our ongoing fundraising drive and is available to buy as a bundle on Bandcamp, or with individual tracks on other digital retailers. The compilation includes artists such as Steve Bicknell, Move78, Yasmin Umay, chali, Henry Weekes, Sky Deep, Berenice Llorens, Monty Luke, Refuge team members eioo, gugol maps or Obelix and many more. The artwork was kindly created by Irene Fernández Arcas and the mastering done by Monibi. Thanks also to John Loveless and Dean Driscoll of Some Pulp for their support with distribution. The second release, In Twos (RW001), will follow in November. Listen to Refuge Worldwide Fundraiser Compilation here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Roland host ADE radio pop-up at Rush Hour]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/roland-ade</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/roland-ade</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We will be broadcasting from the beloved record store on October 24th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are happy to partner up with Roland again, this time hosting a 4-hour radio broadcast from Amsterdam Dance Event.

From 1-5PM on Friday October 24th, Refuge Worldwide's Adam Cooke will be hosting local artist KAAP, CARISTA, Mexican DJ Paurro and our longtime radio resident Sally C. They will all be playing and discussing their favourite tracks made with the classic Roland 808 and 909 drum machines, touching on the enduring legacy of these machines and the Rhythm Culture around them.

The broadcast will be hosted as a pop-up space where you are welcome to drop by. In parallel to the radio programming, Roland are celebrating the launch of their brand new TR-1000 drum machine. If you're in Amsterdam for ADE, drop by! Otherwise tune in online. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-16-october-30-october</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-16-october-30-october</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: soli-markets, healing workshops, resilience focused panel talks.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[XJAZZ! x HHV at Lido Berlin 
 In collaboration with HHV, XJAZZ! presents the jazz quintet Butcher Brown on the 21 October, who are currently on a Europe tour for their latest album ‘Letters from the Atlantic’. Come dance and hang out this Tuesday evening at Lido Berlin to celebrate the release. Alongside, opening acts for the night feature a DJ set by the Berlin-based nü soul drummer, producer, and DJ Ziggy Zeigeist and a live performance by poet and alternative-pop musician Otis Mensah, who’s work explores the capacities of language through literature and sound. Doors open from 19:00. Use our discount code “XJAZZFAM” to grab your tickets. More info here.  Migrantifa Soli flohmarkt für Gaza Come browse Migrantifa’s Soli flea market from 12:00-18:00 on the 19 October for an afternoon in solidarity with Palestine. Despite the recent announcement of the ceasefire, Israel repeatedly continues to break nearly all terms agreed upon. Stances of solidarity with Gaza do not stop: all proceeds will benefit the Palestinian town of Fakha including those providing aid in the area. Snacks and drinks will be provided! More info here.  FLINTA* Safe in Sound workshop On the 18 October, spend the afternoon with sound and light artist Shuudr as they host an immersive sound based workshop for FLINTA* individuals. From 14:00-16:00, Shuudr invites participants for deep listening to both the inner and outer world. With guidance, the workshop explores the impact of different types of sounds on one’s emotional and physical state, teaching to better understand how and why different sonic vibrations resonate with the body. Meeting in Charlottenburg, the guided experience pulls focus on the collective experience of soundscapes with a soundwalk in Schustehruspark, reflecting on the layers to sound. The workshop is part of Feminist Spaces Collective series Unseen in the Green. Sign up via email. More info here. Irish Bloc Berlin soli-célí  Irish Bloc Berlin returns next Friday 24 October with Soli-Célí from 18:00-22:00 at bUm Berlin. Irish Bloc is an initiative that focuses on gathering in solidarity with groups experiencing oppression, and aims to create safe spaces of community support to build resilience. Célí is a traditional Irish community dance, and in proper Irish fashion, the Soli-Célí will centre both teaching of the dance and practices for community building. As well, there will be live traditional Irish music, and a Soli market. All funds raised will go toward different aid initiatives supporting Palestine. The event welcomes children over the age of 10, and the venue is wheelchair accessible, with quiet resting spaces available. Tickets range from 10-20 euros by donation. More info here.  BiWoc Rising 3C’s cohort  Join BiWoc Rising for a healing weekend of collective joy through workshops, music, food, and community at the 3C’s Cohort from the 24-26 October. With the themes ‘Courage, Community, and Care,’ the programme is curated to with aims teach tools for collective and self care in order to build sustainable resilience in these turbulent times, as it becomes evermore essential to create safe spaces within both our communities and ourselves in times of ongoing oppression. Moderated by various Berlin-based facilitators across the disciplines, the weekend keeps protest fun with workshop that teach tools for anti-oppression, embracing identity through art, and using creativity as ways to foster joy and self-expression. The evenings will ease to an end with music, art, and mingling featuring a lounge DJ set by Indra Roy, and live performances including embodied dance, saxophone, and singing by local artists. Throughout the weekend, West African cuisine is served by Bantabaa. Registration is open to BiPOC individuals for Friday and Saturday, and open to all on Sunday. Saturday is now full, but spots remain for Friday and Sunday! Register for free here. More info here.  Frames Cafe fundraiser for Sudan, Congo, and Palestine Come by Frames Cafe in Neuköln on the 26 October for their fundraiser gathering  in solidarity with Sudan, Palestine, and Congo. The event will take place from 12:00-20:00, and all proceeds raised will go directly toward the donation platforms Hometax Sudan and Funds for Gaza, who send donations directly to individuals and families in need of aid in Sudan and Palestine. As well, proceeds will also be distributed to Focus Congo, an organisation providing education, medical relief, orphan aid, and more in Congo. The day will feature an array of programming including a vintage market, DJ sets, live performances, henna and toothgems, as well as food and drink. More info here.  Multi-sensory dining event: the duality of the migrant experience  In collaboration with Two Odd, a migrant collective that explores the intersection of food, culture, and community, the Berlin based chef Kūn presents Nai by Kūn x Two Odd, a multi-sensory immersive dining experience that will take place at Savvy Contemporary on 19 October. Two Odd brings their special designs  and curates an experience that is an extension of their ongoing dining concept “Remittance”, which explores the duality of the migrant experience. Chef Kūn brings their culinary creativity with Pakistani roots to create an evening to experience dining as an artform. More info here.  Femme Fatale comeback at Arkaoda  On Thursday 16 October, Femme Fatale makes their return after two years of hiatus at Arkaoda. Femme Fatale is a Berlin-based multi-disciplinary community that showcases femme, trans, and non-binary artistic talents. This evening, they have curated a gender-fluid, genre-fluid night of DJ sets, live sets, and live performances including talents Brazilian activist and DJ Rafush, femme DJ Lucy Dye, singer-songwriter Rayne, and more. Come dance in celebration of all things femme, and support Femme Fatale with a warm welcome as they bloom from their hiatus. Grab your tickets here. More info here.  Time to talk: panel on solidarity with Palestine in Germany This Thursday the 16 October from 19:00-22:00,  Spore Initiative hosts a panel discussion for strategies against dehumanisation and radicalisation at their space in Neuköln. The talk is open to all free of charge, and will be conducted in German. Subjects discussed will include combat strategies for the increasing anti-Palestinian racism in Germany today for both Palestinian refugees living in Berlin and those standing in solidarity with Palestine. Led by a panel of professors and experts, scholars will dissect how narratives and prejudices against Palestine reflect today as a continuation of historical narratives. Looking to the future, the panel will also pose questions for the next necessary steps to achieve free speech against oppression in Germany, touching on the role of the media, and teaching tools of resistance in consideration of the increasingly felt repression for speaking out in Berlin. Join Spore this evening for an evening of food for thought. More info here. Refuge radio pop-up at HHV  Refuge takes over HHV Records every day this week until 18 October with a pop-up radio station! Come hang out from 12-18 with coffees and beers on us, as well as t-shirt printing and vinyl sets. More info here.  Noor Amal Hildahaus registration open Hildahaus launches Noor Amal, a 10 month long holistic well being program aimed to support Arabic speaking women over 40. Hildahaus is a Berlin based non-profit organisation supporting integration, belonging, and community for Arabic and Farsi speaking Flinta+ individuals, filling a necessary gap in community initiatives for older immigrant and diasporic women. Noor Amal, meaning ‘light’ and ‘hope’ in Arabic, aims to nurture older migrant women’ journeys of personal growth and self-expression through intentional community, connecting through group initiatives that remind of home such Arabic textile arts and cooking, while nurturing personal growth journeys through learning tools for well-being. No German knowledge is required, and childcare is provided. Registration for the program is now open here. Learn more here.  Noor Amal represents 1 of 5 holistic modules, keep an eye out for the soon coming others, which will aim to support different FLINTA+ across different cultures and ages in the Arabic regions.  Submerged fundraiser launch party Submerged, an independent artistic platform creating culture through art and music, celebrates their official launch at 90mil the 19 October. Come celebrate their long awaited debut alongside DJs, collectors, and artists this Sunday. All proceeds of the launch party will be donated to Mokha Valley, an initiative supporting Yemeni Coffee farmers. That said, the event will also feature an array of Yemeni coffee variations. RSVP here. More info here.  CTM Festival Programme Reveal Next year from 23 January until 1st of February, the 27th edition of CTM Festival will take place. With the theme ‘dissonate < > resonate’, the programme will explore the polarities of tension between harmony and dissonance, a theme that invites audiences to draw parallels between music and current socio-political life. In music, the word refers to soundscapes absent of harmony, yet does not mean total chaos. However, dissonance cannot be ignored but rather calls for action to confront what is unresolved to plant seeds of transformation, giving life to resonance, which embodies practices of mutual aid through listening and empathy. Through a series of research initiatives, parties, concerts, installations, and exhibitions, Berlin is urged to contemplate these binary relations in our lived experiences through the arts. The festival, as always, will be hosted at renowned venues across Berlin including the new Haus der Visionäre, Berghain, Revier Südost, Morphine Raum, and many more. You can find more information about the theme and programming here.  Photos courtesy to Alex Forrest, Hildahaus, and Nippun Bhala.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Out Of The Box this Saturday]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/out-of-the-box</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/out-of-the-box</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Andiamo a Milano!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide joins Out Of The Box on Saturday 18th October, soundtracking La Marzocco's signature event with some local selectors. If you are in town please RSVP, or tune in live from around the world as we broadcast from the event.

Music comes from No Plastic, Kasala. David Broghammer Kelly b, and Sonay. This year's edition of OOTB promises a full day of talks, workshops, tastings, and cultural collaborations — followed by an after-party until midnight. Music runs  Saturday, October 18, 2025 Superstudio Più, 27 Via Tortona 20144 Milano ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hoxton Charlottenburg "Wine & Vinyl" Residency]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hoxton</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hoxton</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We are curating DJs for the Hoxton hotel lobby for ten weeks from October.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Starting from 15th October, we will be heading to Charlottenburg every Wednesday until December 17th, for a vinyl-only DJ set at the Hoxton hotel lobby. Running from 7 until 11PM, there will be a welcome drink on the house plus some discounted deals on dinner from the House Of Tandoor. DJs across the residency will be Stella Zekri (Oct 15), sic (Oct 22), Olin (Oct 29), DJ Aficionado & Eleonora K (Nov 5), Kimchi Records (Nov 14, Friday*), Adam Cooke (Nov 19), Marylou (Nov 26), No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin (Dec 3), the Oona Bar All Stars (Dec 10) and Immy (Dec 17). ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bandcamp & Refuge Worldwide host meet-up at Niemetzstraße]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bandcamp-meet-up</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bandcamp-meet-up</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come by on Wednesday, ​29th ​October.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Following on from our recent, six-part radio residency with Bandcamp, we are happy to host an event on 29th of October, with a listening session, panel talk and music.  From 6PM, we welcome you to our space at Niemetzstraße 1 to enjoy experimental trumpet player and producer Perera Elsewhere running through her new album together with Yuko Asanuma. From 7-8PM, ​David ​Coleby (!K7), Deniz Everling (Bandcamp), and ​artist Ghostpoet will discuss "Alternative ​ways for artists ​and labels ​to ​find success," in a talk moderated by ​Caroline Whiteley. Musical selections for the evening come courtesy of Refuge Worldwide residents Dimitra Zine & moe., who will play until close at 10PM. Snacks and refreshments provided on the house. RSVP only, sign-up here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Home Again x Gop Tun Fundraiser]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/home-again-x-gop-tun-fundraiser</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/home-again-x-gop-tun-fundraiser</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to broadcast soli event from ADE.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide is partnering with Berlin-based collective Home Again and São Paulo’s Gop Tun for a special fundraiser during Amsterdam Dance Event 2025, uniting communities through music and solidarity. On Wednesday, October 22nd, the German and Brazilian collectives will take over Skatecafe in Amsterdam Noord to raise funds for Refugees Welcome, an international network supporting safe housing and integration for people facing displacement. Together with Refuge Worldwide and Echobox Radio, the fundraiser will be broadcasted live across our respective platforms.  The event begins at 17:00 with a programme of talks, panels, and workshops focused on music as a tool for inclusivity and resistance, inviting participants to engage critically and creatively with themes of migration and community. As night falls, Skatecafe opens up into three rooms for a seven-hour party running from 21:00 until 04:00. More than 20 artists will play without a fee in solidarity with the cause, including Coco Maria, DJ Westfa, Moody Mehran, Carlos Valdes, and many others. Listen back to Coco Maria’s and DJ Westfa’s sets on Refuge Worldwide to get a taste of what’s to come. “Music knows no borders and brings people together,” said Gop Tun founder Caio Taborda. “Seeing two collectives unite for a noble cause and witnessing the community come together is a powerful reminder that music is our universal language.” Join us in Amsterdam Noord for a night where music moves beyond borders. More information and tickets for the event can be found here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Interview with Dub & Dal]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dub-and-dal</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dub-and-dal</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Music, food, and community at Oona Bar’s Closing Weekend.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Dub & Dal is a project rooted in dub, reggae, bass music, homemade food, and a shared love for soundsystem culture. Founded by Indian-born, Berlin-based curator Aarti Kriplani, Dub & Dal started with a radio show and grew into sessions of workshops, shared meals, and heavy sound. This Friday from 6 to 8pm, they are back on air at Refuge Worldwide for a talk on wellbeing in dance music and a first listen to Eruption, the debut O.M.Theorem album, recorded live at Dub & Dal.  We caught up with Aarti to learn more about the project’s roots and the community behind it. 
How did Dub & Dal start?

It started at our home. Tobias (O.M. Theorem) had a monthly show on VersLibre, a community radio in Bergen, and we were really into dub music in all its forms. I began inviting friends and DJs I knew as guests for the show, and also friends to come listen and eat together with us. My go-to dish for a big group was always Dal, and one day we joked, “We’re having Dub & Dal”. We were going to a lot of dub and soundsystem parties because we wanted to hear the music as it should be heard. But the gender balance in those spaces was tough; even compared to other electronic music scenes. The culture around soundsystems, with the big stacks, dubplate exclusivity, and a lot of macho energy, felt overwhelmingly male-dominated. On the other hand, the modern bass music scene was much more diverse and welcoming, but often disconnected from the warmth of soundsystems and the roots of the music - reggae, dub.  Dub & Dal grew out of wanting to bridge that gap. To build a space for soundsystem culture that is diverse, honours its roots, and still carries the same welcoming vibe we had at home.  Homemade Indian food is central to your events. What kind of atmosphere does a shared meal create during your event? Food is communal. It’s at the centre of festivals, holidays, celebrations and rituals all around the world. At Dub & Dal, we all eat the same food, smell the same flavors, and feel that same warmth inside us. It softens the atmosphere: people look at each other, smile, and talk while eating, whether they’re old friends or meeting for the first time. Sharing Indian food, especially Sindhi dishes from my community, is also a way of storytelling. When people ask about recipes or the origins of a dish, it opens conversations about migration, memory, and how food travels. We want to keep the DIY spirit alive: ‘Homemade Food’ & ‘Handbuilt Soundsystems’. Your events often start slow and build through the day. How does that rhythm shape how people connect? We aim to create gatherings where people from all backgrounds can participate and make new connections, reconnect with familiar faces. Starting early with food makes that possible, even for families with kids. It also gives me the chance to showcase some experimental and not-dub acts, before the energy rises. Curry & Curiosity brings in conversations around care and collective action. Why do those themes feel important in a music space? Curry & Curiosity began as a talk series I started with Deborshi Chakraborty under the Community Chai project, and we’re now folding it, along with Feed & Feedback, into the Dub & Dal Collective. At Panke for the Kali edition, for example, we opened with a talk on the Iranian feminist movement Jin, Jiyan, Azadi. The point was clear: music spaces aren’t neutral; culture is political. The dancefloor can be a place of solidarity as much as celebration. Feed & Feedback sessions invite producers to share unreleased music. What are you hoping to nurture with that? The collaborative aspect of creating music, like a band would, is often missing in electronic music. Online feedback exists, but sharing music is personal, and we believe it’s best done in a safe, supportive space. The interaction is just as valuable for those giving feedback as for those receiving it, often sparking new ideas and co-creation. Grant and Tobias both experienced this through Martyn’s 3024 program. With Feed & Feedback, we’re adding food to the mix, making the exchange even more communal. You’re also running workshops on soundsystem culture. What do you want people to take away from those? Education has always been a big part of Dub & Dal. Whether that’s a soundsystem exhibition, polyrhythm workshop, or a panel discussion about live/hybrid setup. Over the years, while hosting soundsystems, I’ve realized that most DJs have not even seen a control tower, let alone operated one. It’s because access to a soundsystem (and the control tower) is impossible, unless you are part of a soundsystem crew or have enough money to own a whole stack. We wish to make this skill more accessible with this workshop format. We tested it in May and will offer it again on October 18th at MaHalla.  Dub and bass-heavy music are at the core of what you do, but you also include Konnakol, poetry, live performances. What draws you to that range of sound? When I think about curation, it’s not just about selecting artists. It’s about shaping an experience, a feeling I want people to carry through the evening. That’s reflected in the topic of the talk or workshop and even in the food menu. Live performances are central to that curation. The raw sound of instruments is eclectic, but also deeply personal. You’re witnessing something that can’t be repeated in the same way again. It's delivered in real time: mistakes, improvisations, emotions & all. I also want to platform South Asian sounds and musicians, especially Konnakol, which I believe has a huge potential to evolve into a rap genre of its own. In the end, this comes from a lifelong love of music. I grew up with my dad’s record collection, spent years diving into different genres, and while friends encouraged me to DJ, I’ve really found my home in the role of a curator and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. On the radio tomorrow, you’re talking with Zena about wellbeing in club culture. Why is that topic important to you right now? Zena (Genevieve) proposed this workshop to me, and I loved the idea because it’s something I think about a lot too. Community is at the heart of what we do, and many of the issues Zena wants to address are the same ones that drive our work. Club culture is often built on escapism, it gives people a place to forget reality, which can feel healing in the moment, but it isn’t sustainable for body or mind in the long run. I see a lot of people who go out all the time and still feel lonely. That’s why it feels important to talk about wellbeing now and Zena has valuable insights and suggestions to share. O.M.Theorem’s Eruption is your first label release?  It’s funny that you ask that. We were debating a lot if Eruption should be the first Dub & Dal album, and in many ways, it would make so much sense. In the end, we decided to keep it on the O.M.Theorem label, but we still present it through the Dub & Dal lens because the album was shaped here. It was performed several times on different soundsystems and finally recorded as a continuous piece of music at our MaHalla gathering earlier this year. That said, the Dub & Dal label extension is ready, I’m just waiting for the right moment to launch it. You often talk about creating spaces that feel like home. What does that look like to you, on and off the dancefloor? If you’ve read this far, hopefully you have an idea what this means now. Come experience it yourself on October 18th at MaHalla! Come down to Oona Bar for a listen and a meal with the Dub & Dal crew during Closing Week.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[D*CK DY*KE Takeover]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/d-ck-dy-ke-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/d-ck-dy-ke-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An ode to trans-masc brotherhood.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Open Dy*ke is a platform for queer becoming, rooted in care, radio, and community gatherings. This Thursday and for Oona Bar Closing Week, they are hosting D*CK D*KE, a takeover celebrating trans-masc brotherhood, opening the floodgates to all resilience, joy, and becoming. The night, running from 8PM until midnight, features sets from Mahita, Enana, Folly Ghost, and Alice Dee, alongside the launch of a new editorial series with Eden Jetschmann. Proceeds from the editorial release will support queer Palestinian friend, Ahmad Aladham.  We catchup with Aziz and Sacre Blair ahead of the event.  How did Open Dy*ke start, and what was the idea behind it? Aziz: Open Dy*ke has felt synonymous with building a village, an open playground for ramblings, expression, and self-documentation for those who will live on — a visceral archive of queer becomings, unfolding within the non-queer. I have carried Pakistan in my fists, but also in the gentleness of my open arms. “A visceral fragility, the filled crevices of my palm, with dense friction with your arm’s hair, at an arm’s length, the thickness of our brotherhood keeps my body warm, envisioning a home in the thickness of yours.” Open Dy*ke, whether on radio, or with parties, or in familial artistic works, is not about becoming spectacle, but rather platforming the slow work of becoming, together. Sacre Blair and I happen to share the urgency of nurturing. Sacre Blair: Open Dy*ke began as an active effort to foster conversations of queer vastness. With our radio show, we are building a space in which all the many tangents and fragments that have come to constitute our queer identities and relationships to music and culture are given space to exist, unapologetically. Our growth into an event and artistic series is a testament to the joyful and manifold ways in which our community longs to come together and build expression and connection.

SENSODY*KE became D*CK DY*KE for this takeover, what does that shift mean to you? Aziz: In our radio, event, and artistic series, we move with the various becomings slipping within the crevices of our queerness — boredom, resistance, sensuality, rage, hunger, grief, rupture, silence. D*CK DY*KE is a celebration of and an ode to our brotherhood. Sacre Blair: SENSODY*KE was our way of blooming into existence, bringing together friends in what manifested as the most joyful celebration of all things sensitive and sensual. D*CK DY*KE sees a solidification of our vision; celebrating the beauty and brotherhood of the Trans Masc community and yet again highlighting BIPOC artists in our lineup. 
What inspired the editorial series with Eden Jetschmann? Aziz: “I am my father’s father, and my mother’s too, and sometimes, a son of a friend, or a lover’s, too. I am letting go — these things are ridiculous — relationships, the past, the greener grass, the sun sinking in generosity, for the moon. I am you — runs hot in my blood — you are, often, an ode to me, too.”  The coming together with Eden felt like a reunion. Within four days, we were already nodding, smiling, dissecting, creating, and celebrating our collective work. That urgency and collision, is the reason, and inspiration, for Mascpit Brotherhood to unfold. A village can hold the impact of your body, emotion, clashes, and heat, with love. Sacre Blair: For D*CK DY*KE we wanted to curate a visual language that honours and reveres our community. Eden immediately understood and expanded upon our ideas with a delicate sincerity, building the most beautiful and safe shoot within a short amount of time. The energy from the shoot has now blossomed into an ongoing and expansive editorial series that we hope will continue to grow with us. What energy will each artist bring Thursday at Oona Bar? Aziz: The queer agenda, for Thursday, is storytelling, pulsating heavy in our chests, reminding us that pleasure is political. From Folly Ghost, to Enana, to Alice Dee, and Mahita — you will witness their becoming. Sacre Blair: The energy for D*CK DY*KE will be one of sheer exhilaration. We will begin by inviting members from our community, including those involved in our Masc Pit shoot to bare their thoughts and souls over the airwaves. As Aziz has said, the night will then unfold into the beautiful becomings of each of the artists, delighting and challenging us in equal measure. 

How do sound and radio shows help you explore the soundscapes of queer becoming? Sacre Blair: The queer experience is an embodied one, and there is nothing quite so embodied as the sensations and stirrings that are felt, expressed, and absorbed through sound. 

How do you balance visibility with care? Aziz: Open Dy*ke will always practice to keep five ears out, to listen, acknowledge, absorb, step forward, step back, and ten arms ready to hold, catch, and carry the fractures and the weight of becoming. Sacre Blair: Awareness, care, and learning are the pillars of Open Dy*ke. As Aziz has acknowledged, we are mindful of of the necessity to continually listen, absorb, and grow, alongside, with, and for our entire community.

Looking ahead, what do you hope Open Dy*ke becomes, for you and as a wider community? Aziz: A space of frolic, ramblings, care, and family — a village taking all shapes that come naturally. Sacre Blair and I dream of honing a physical space for Open Dy*ke, with collaborations that unfold beyond geographies and borders. Sacre Blair: My hopes for Open Dy*ke are for it to become a source of warmth and a sense of home for more and more people. We long to continue to grow our various avenues of creative expression, building ever-expanding space for silliness, celebration, heartbreak, and joy. Photos courtesy of Eden Jetschmann.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[AL.FESTIVAL 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/al-berlin-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/al-berlin-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host a series of events and talks, running October 3rd-11th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[With a week-long programme of exhibitions, workshops, talks, and radio broadcasts, Refuge Worldwide is partnering with beloved cultural collective AL.Berlin for the next edition of AL.FESTIVAL.  Since 2019, AL.Berlin has built a platform for music, art, and critical exchange, amplifying the voices and cultures of South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) and their diasporas. Over the years, AL.FESTIVAL has grown into Berlin’s leading festival for SWANA music, a place where community, resistance, and celebration come together. The festival launches on Friday, 3rd October, with an exhibition at Niemetzstraße 1 from 16:00–20:00, which will remain open daily (except Sunday) during the same hours. It will feature The Land, not a film by Youssef Chahine (2025), a sound-based interactive installation exploring the injustices committed in the name of Pan-Arabism, most notably the construction of the Aswan High Dam and the resulting dispossession of the Nubian people from their ancestral lands. Book your slot here. Across the week, participants can join a hands-on music production workshop on Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th (18:00–20:00), and attend two evening panel discussions: the first on Wednesday 8th (20:00–21:30), Liberating Music Technology: Re-engineering for Arabic Music and Beyond, and the second on Friday 10th (20:00–21:30), A Panel Toward an Arab Reckoning with Nubian Dispossession, featuring Dr. Alia Mossallam, Dr. Diana Abbany, and Leil Zahra Mortada. The programme will also include daily radio shows running from Tuesday 7th to Friday 10th (14:00–16:00), highlighting contemporary SWANA sounds. The week culminates on Saturday 11th (16:00–22:00) with a live stream from Festsaal Kreuzberg, closing the festival with live performances by SWANA artists, DJ sets, karaoke, and a vibrant community bazaar. Streaming live on the Refuge Worldwide stage we have invited Stratos, AAMIROO & Shiru, Katscha, and NaN to soundtrack the night. You can find more information on tickets and events at the spaces participating in the festival here.   ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona Bar Closing Week]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-bar-closing</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-bar-closing</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come celebrate the last days on Weserstraße.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On October 4th, Oona Bar will close its doors for the final time.

Since June 2021, five months after we began broadcasting online, Oona Bar has been the beating heart of Refuge Worldwide. Named after a six-year-old neighbour who hung around while we were first renovating, the bar has been home to the radio studio and a beloved meeting point for our residents, friends of the station and people around the city in search of a hangout.

We will sadly close the bar on October 4th - for reasons explained on our crowdfunder page - and move the radio station to our space at Niemetzstraße (just a short distance further into Neukölln). For the final days we have a great programme of radio for the closing week and hope you can join us on the street. On Tuesday, September 30th, loves_kills will host an evening takeover of house and disco, before Yasmin Umay, Tina & Key Clef, Njeri and more come through the following day. Thursday (the night before a public holiday here in Germany) will see the OPEN*DYKE crew running things until midnight. On Friday, the final weekend celebrations begin early, running through the 3rd October Feiertag. We will have food and a two-hour radio show from Dub & Dal, plus shows from station heroes mokeyanju, Andreya Casablanca, Obelix & Özay Öztürk, Laura Vargas and more.  For the final day (4th October), we welcome a new café in the kiez, Cheeky, to serve food. Oona Bar opens from noon and there is music and radio shows from Leona & gugol maps, MINQ, Souley, Nomansland, Kudur, D. Strauss and more.  Artwork by Miriam Jacobi. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Comment on LAS partnership]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/comment-on-las</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/comment-on-las</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Details on our recently cancelled collaboration.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[During Berlin Art Week we announced a collaboration with LAS Art Foundation at the CANK venue in Neukölln. Shortly after this announcement, and thanks to people within our network, we discovered that the founder of LAS, Jan Fischer, “has been involved in Jewish and Zionist causes since his youth” - see here. Until now, neither LAS nor Fischer have publicly condemned the ongoing genocide or commented on Fischer’s affiliation to Zionist causes.

This is obviously something that we cannot stand behind. We then learned that other participants in the same project had been informed of these details concerning Fischer's Zionism, but the same transparency was not offered to us. That same day we communicated with our contacts at LAS that the partnership was hereby cancelled, and told them the reason why. We reaffirm our support for Palestinian rights and again publicly call for an end to the ongoing genocide and German complicity therein. Arms supply to Israel must be stopped, and world governments must enforce international law to see the perpetrators of genocide face international accountability and criminal charges. Additionally, we demand the decriminalisation of Palestine solidarity. Apologies to our friends, partners and network for not doing an adequate background check on the LAS organisation. All partnerships should go through these checks before agreements are reached. This weekend Saturday 27th September at 14:00 (Moritzplatz, Berlin) there will be a 'United For Liberation' demo organised by Palestinians and Allies. Join if you can and stay safe.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[No Bounds Festival 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-bounds-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-bounds-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide announced as media partner for the Sheffield festival.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From 10 through 12th October, UK festival No Bounds returns across multiple venues in Sheffield and Rotherham. For the first time, Refuge Worldwide is collaborating with the festival as an official media partner, presenting exclusive recordings on the radio and taking part in a panel talk. The panel talk, set for 1PM on Saturday October 11th, will focus on running record labels and will feature James Burton (Warp Label manager), Alexa (Locked On Records), Chris Smith (CPU), Mikie Thompson (Off Me Nut) and Refuge Worldwide co-founder Richard Akingbehin. The talk will be available to stream via Refuge after the festival. This year's No Bounds program includes numerous film screenings and talks, alongside musical performances from the likes of Joy Orbison, Big Ang, Aba Shanti-I, Tash LC, Josey Rebelle, MC Yallah & Debmaster, a curation by Mark Fell and Rian Treanor and a slot for festival founder Lo Shea. Get more info & tickets here, and keep an eye out for the No Bounds radio shows dropping soon. Header photo by Frankie Casillo.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Digital Archive for Perspectives from the Global Majority ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/cinelogue-interview-with-rehana-esmail</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/cinelogue-interview-with-rehana-esmail</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An interview with streaming platform Cinelogue's founder Rehana Esmail.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Cinelogue is a platform dedicated to screening movies by filmmakers from the Global Majority who have been historically marginalised by colonialism and imperialism. By creating space for regional perspectives, Cinelogue fosters critical dialogue and examines the structures, histories and realities of colonialism, as well as the legacies of anti-colonial struggles, through the visual medium. Born out of frustration with the erasure of cinematic histories from the Global Majority on mainstream platforms, founder Rehana Esmail started Cinelogue as a digital archive that challenges colonial frameworks.  Operating with a decentralised approach, its curation is rooted in collaborations with regional filmmakers, artists, and academics, with lived experience and an understanding of the local histories and realities. Currently, Cinelogue is streaming programs such as Letters to the Future, a selection of video essays from Southeast Asia curated by Forum Lenteng, and films including Tableau Ferraille (1997) by Moussa Sène Absa. Beyond its distinctive curational approach, Cinelogue also implements a profit-share model: 50% of subscription revenue goes directly to the filmmakers or distributors. In this way, each subscription directly supports the growth of film industries beyond the Western-centric cinema landscape.  Ahead of Cinelogue’s first show at Refuge Worldwide on 23 September, founder Rehana Esmail reflects on the important of building a digital archive of decolonial cinematic histories – by filmmakers from, and for audiences of, the Global Majority.  What were some films or memories that shaped your understanding of cinema? Rehana Esmail: During my formal education, probably European postwar classics by Godard and Antonioni as well as Chantal Akerman. Also films like Patricio Guzmán’s The Battle of Chile – filmmakers who were deeply aware of cinema’s transformative potential. I did a master’s degree at the New Media school in New York City and while that was very formative, I quickly realized how Eurocentric the education around cinema was, and how much had been erased. I had to re-educate myself to learn about different cinema histories, cultures, and approaches to what the medium can be. Some influential works were by Ousmane Sembène, Djibril Diop Mambéty, Sarah Maldoror, Hussein Shariffe, Omar Amiralay, Assia Djebar, and of course Satyajit Ray. Cinema is a wonderful medium to engage with another reality – abstract or concrete – moving through time and space while remaining in a very intimate setting. You mentioned that a lot of this was knowledge that you had to gather yourself because of the narrow Eurocentric curriculum of most film schools. How did you find these alternative cinema histories and films? At that time, I was immersed in post-colonial thought and became more conscious through political movements like Black Lives Matter, which were unfolding around 2013–14. That was also when the war in Syria was happening. Those developments pushed me to look at cinema from various regions as a way to learn about their histories and societies. I was especially drawn to films from the 60s–80s and kept a long list of “films to watch” based on my research – but access to those films was extremely limited. Some platforms like MUBI had titles I was looking for, but I felt those films didn’t receive the thoughtful curation they deserved. How did you then get to the point of deciding to start your own streaming platform? During the pandemic, when life was on pause for many, I grew frustrated with the lack of streaming options for the films I wanted to see. Eventually, I asked myself: why don’t I create a platform that provides access to the films I want to see? Through my research, I had built a catalogue of works that were almost entirely absent from streaming. Cinelogue emerged from that personal need – for different cinematic perspectives that were missing from mainstream platforms. When I started Cinelogue, I wasn’t reinventing the wheel – there was already a strong body of work and curatorial thinking that inspired me. My initial focus was post-colonial cinema of the 60s and 70s. I was fascinated by film as a means of reclaiming the right to one’s own image, showing marginalized perspectives, and building solidarity through storytelling. Bringing this approach into the streaming space felt like a unique contribution.  You launched Cinelogue in 2022. What were some of the initial hurdles, and how has the platform evolved since then?  It’s not easy to build something completely new without external funding or guidance. The first three years were really trial and error. We launched in January 2022 with a pilot program called Cinema After Liberation, which was essentially our prototype. It featured films from the first one to two decades after formal independence across Africa and Asia – the kind of cinema at the heart of Cinelogue’s vision. In hindsight, it was a tough program to begin with. Most of these historic, often restored films are not in the hands of their original creators or families but are instead in the hands of Western institutions and foundations. Out of a list of 200 films, we managed to secure only five. That experience immediately exposed me to the neo-colonial structures governing film preservation. I’m grateful it happened early, because it shaped Cinelogue’s market model and pushed me to first start working more directly with filmmakers, collectives, and local archives. You describe the way you collaborate as decentralised. What exactly does that mean for Cinelogue?  Cinelogue is decentralised both in curation and in its revenue model. All of our films are tied to themed programs curated by cinema and visual art initiatives or individuals with a focus on specific regions. Curators can freely contribute their ideas through the programs and films they choose as part of it. Our goal is to establish new tri-continental connections across Asia, Africa and Latin America. With our 50% subscription revenue share model with independent licensors, we’re creating an ecosystem that is collaborative, transparent, and sustainable for the filmmakers whose work is on our platform.  How do you find the people to curate the different programs?  I invite curators based on intuition – on how their ideas connect with what we’re already streaming, but also on what’s happening socially and politically. Over time, I’ve built a wide network of cinema initiatives and collectives, from grassroots organisers to scholars working with archival and contemporary films. Because of our decentralised approach and explicit Global Majority focus, we tend to connect with people who share the same drive in terms of the audiences they want to reach and represent. Still from "Come to Me, Paradise" by Stephanie Comilang from the "Letters to the Future" program Cinelogue platforms films that turn a critical and political lens on the world we live in – past and present – and that use cinema as a means to create solidarity and internationalist connections. What makes cinema such a powerful tool for doing that? For so long, images of the Global Majority have been shaped through a colonial lens – or erased entirely from Western media landscapes. I think cinema allows people to narrate their own realities and imaginations, and for others to engage with and learn from those realities. True solidarity can only emerge when we encounter these realities within their broader historical and social contexts. Yet, despite this potential, there is still no real infrastructure for streaming truly global, independent cinema. What have digital archives and streaming changed for film, looking at films from the Global Majority in particular? Digital recording devices and online platforms have opened up film to a much wider range of makers and audiences. Film became a medium from below – a way to capture truths ignored by mainstream media, even a way to televise revolutions. Streaming lets people engage with realities they might otherwise never encounter. While there is a lot of appreciation for bringing all these different thoughts and regions in one digital global space, I also see the hesitation of people arguing that cinema is really about the collective experience of watching films together. I don’t see streaming as a substitute for this experience, but rather as a complementary access component. That’s precisely why Cinelogue aims to complement screenings with critical editorial work and offline partnerships. Do you see film also as a tool to connect struggles, not just regionally but also intergenerationally?  Definitely. I think cinema from previous generations is vital to understanding our histories and each other’s histories in order to make sense of where we are now and how we got here. Cinema is a powerful medium to engage with a place but also with a different time and generation, and to form intergenerational connections.  Cinelogue really makes a point to give back to the filmmakers. You, for example, have a 50-50 revenue share. How does that streaming model work? Our 50-50 model is a direct response to the way the market exploits filmmakers and how licensing structures often function as gatekeeping. Revenue is shared equally and distributed quarterly among all independent licensors – whether filmmakers, distributors, or small production houses – whose work is on Cinelogue. This happens regardless of a film’s so-called “commercial value” or streaming performance. The model is designed to support local and independent cinema culture over the long term. Of course, its full potential depends on growing a strong subscriber base. Looking at other digital media platforms, do you feel the landscape has changed? There’s a lot of progressive media culture emerging, trying to represent diverse voices. But representation alone isn’t enough. Too often, there’s a misalignment between the films streaming services show and their own positioning or economic models. It’s hypocritical to showcase films about liberation struggles while avoiding a stance on those same struggles today. Take No Other Land, for example. If a platform chooses to show a film about colonial legacies, occupation, and ongoing genocide, it has a responsibility to take a clear stand against that violence. Otherwise, it risks commodifying liberation movements for profit.  "Ainsi Meurent les Anges" (And So Angels Die) by Moussa Sène Absa  On 23 September, you are joining Refuge in the booth for a radio show. What can we expect from the show? Listeners can expect a one-hour conversation about Cinelogue: the platform, how it works, and what we stand for. Nora, who leads Cinelogue’s marketing and partnerships, will join me. We’ll discuss the origins and ideas behind Cinelogue, why it matters, and how our approach differs from other platforms. We’ll also highlight some of the films currently streaming on Cinelogue, especially those where music plays a role. Which film currently streaming on Cinelogue would you recommend to the Refuge Worldwide audience and why?  I would recommend Slingshot Hip-Hop. The documentary traces the rise of Palestinian hip-hop in the early 2000s – a movement that shaped Arabic hip-hop more broadly. The film shows how artists from different occupied territories came together through music and culture. Especially now, as genocide continues, it is vital to engage with Palestinian voices and histories. Showing this film in Germany, where representation, education, and activism around Palestine are being policed and criminalised, is also a form of resistance. It creates space for critical dialogue and connections, which is at the heart of what Cinelogue seeks to do. Check out the full program currently streaming on Cinelogue and tune in on 23 September to find out more. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[RSVP for a free party with Anthea, Cassy, Jaxx TMS, and Shy One]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/coco-boule-september-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/coco-boule-september-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Coco Boule - Saturday 27 September]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Time for a dance. Refuge Worldwide have co-curated a party at Berlin's Coco Boule this month, featuring Anthea, Cassy, Jaxx TMS, and Shy One on selection duties. This event is free to attend via RSVP, and we would be delighted to see you all there on the dance floor.  To join, RSVP here. In collaboration with Liberté Tou__R_ and starting at 22:00, we welcome Jaxx TMS (host of Expressions on Refuge Worldwide), legendary selector Cassy, alongside UK nightlife luminary Shy One, and CDV regular Anthea. Feel free to invite your friends! Party location: Prinzenstraße 85/D-F, 10969 Berlin ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[African Film Festival for Children & Youth 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/african-film-festival-for-children-and-youth</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/african-film-festival-for-children-and-youth</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join a free workshop at Oona Bar this Saturday.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In this free workshop at Oona Bar on 20th September, participants will interact with Kantarama Gahigiri’s short film Terra Mater to explore how cinematic forms can make social issues visible and foster creative reflection on global challenges.  To attend, please write a short RSVP email to festspielhaus@schlingensief.com, taking place Saturday 20th September at our venue on Weserstraße 166, 12:00-15:00. 

Bringing artistic voices from the African continent and diaspora to Berlin, the African Film Festival for Children & Youth opens on September 17 with The Brink of Dreams by Ayman El Amir & Nada Riyadh. Highlights include the panels: Activism and Political Cinema on September 19 with Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, Kantarama Gahigiri, and Ronnie Vitalia, and Youth Protest, Art, and Patriarchal Structures on September 20, moderated by Kemi Fatoba.

Tickets for the festival are here. THE FUTURE IS AFRICA is a biennial children’s and youth film festival featuring artistic contributions from the African continent and the African diaspora. It was first held in Berlin in 2021. Inspired by the KIFIFE Children’s Film Festival, which has been taking place at Opera Village in Burkina Faso since 2019, the festival focuses on films that explore historical as well as current political and social realities, creating connections between children and young people in Europe and those growing up on the African continent.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide's Berlin Marathon Weekend]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hoka-marathon-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hoka-marathon-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA["Find Refuge In The Run"]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On the 19th and 20th of September we partner up with Top4running and HOKA for a marathon event including shake-out runs, panel talks, an after party with Alex Kassian, plus t-shirt giveaways and refreshments. Celebrating the Berlin Marathon 2025, we've lined up a series of DJ sets and activities at the HOKA Experience Center on Potsdamer Str. 77 (Berlin, 10785) and across the city, featuring Refuge Worldwide residents on soundtracking duties. As the city gears up for race day, we'll be co-hosting three free to attend events. Everything is family friendly, while all running experience levels are most welcome.  Please RSVP below to reserve your spot:  RSVP Friday RSVP Saturday (morning) RSVP Saturday (afternoon) Starting Friday evening, there will be a 6km community shake-out run around central Berlin, with Refuge Worldwide DJs Adam Cooke, Meriem S and Hanaby stationed at every 1.5km of the route to keep you moving. Free shirts for every participant, plus an after party with Alex Kassian at the route's finishing point (HOKA Experience Center).  Friday's agenda: 17:00 Start and registration; distribution of HOKA test shoes 18:00 Runners Briefing 18:15 Run 19:30 Party with food / drinks and DJ set from Alex Kassian 21:00 Closing Can't make it on Friday? Make sure to get down early on Saturday (09:00AM) to land a pair of HOKA test shoes, join a short run around the area, and make it back for Refuge Worldwide's ophélie soundtracking your warm down with chilled sounds at the HOKA space at 11:00. On Saturday afternoon from 16:30 Peter Duran (founder of two Berlin running communities, BPM and Crews & Brews) is joined by Jacky aka Jacqnoise (a Berlin Braves runner with extensive ultra-relay experience), and Parker aka P Relief (a strong trail and ultra runner). The trio will discuss "Community in Motion: The connection between running, music and Berlin", touching on the psychological relationship between running and music. As a resident on Refuge Worldwide radio, Peter Duran will also spin some music after the panel talk (17:45) with snacks and drinks provided by team HOKA.  Finally, good luck to everyone participating in the marathon on Sunday! See you in the run. Instagram: @HOKA_EU #FlyHumanFly Event space is located at: Potsdamer Str 77, Berlin, 10785 ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Sublimation Festival: From Uzbekistan to the World]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sublimation-festival-from-uzbekistan-to-the-world</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sublimation-festival-from-uzbekistan-to-the-world</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Meeting tradition with interconnectedness, culture sharing, and artistic experimentation.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From 12-13 September, Refuge returns to Sublimation Festival, taking place at the Yunusobod Sports Complex in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Reflecting Uzbekistan’s rich history, this year’s lineup attests to Tashkent’s continuous adaptation of tradition, in flow with the multiplicities of cultures that have been imprinted on the country. Across disciplines of music, art, and workshops, the curation reflects the festival’s unique spirit: sitting at the crossroads between history and modernity, Uzbek tradition and globality, and at the point of junction that not only fosters collaboration but expands possibilities. Following its first-ever year in 2024, Sublimation has already been named one of the top 10 festivals this month by Resident Advisor and has collaborated with several renowned international platforms. This year, Refuge is hosting a stage featuring DJs No Plastic, Leona, basic chanel, Kikelomo, DSL System, and ISL. Across the three stages, the programme also includes live acts of Central Asian sounds like SAMRATTAMA and Shaxriyor. The weekend event also goes beyond music, spotlighting performances and workshops across artistic disciplines, giving the local audience a taste of what is possible when art across the disciplines comes together to experiment, enhancing rather than competing.   As a woman-led collective born from a lifelong friendship, founders Madina and Sabine, along with their crew, in this interview, reveal the journey of Sublimation and how the festival came to be a space for sharing culture, from Uzbekistan to the world. Sublimation has very sweet beginnings—can you tell us the story of how it all started? How did a lifelong friendship, grounded by a common passion, give birth to Sublimation? Sabina & Madina: We first met as classmates in Chirchik, an industrial city, where our friendship began with small school events we loved putting together. Those early moments showed us how much joy we found in creating side by side. Years later, after each of us had gone our own way — building experience in the cultural sphere and working on projects around the world — life brought us back together in Uzbekistan. Reconnecting felt natural, almost inevitable. With the bond of our friendship and a shared passion still as strong as ever, we knew we wanted to create something meaningful for our country. That’s how Sublimation was born - from our story, our friendship, and our desire for Uzbekistan’s unique voice to be heard on the global stage. Can you share a favourite memory from running Sublimation so far?  Diana (Tech Director, DJ): My favourite memory is gathering with the team right after the festival ends, still feeling the fatigue and the pride that everything worked out. Alen (Art Director, DJ): Actually, there were two moments. The first was after the festival, when my team and I stood on a stage for a team photo. I brought two birthday cakes, one for Sabina and Madina to congratulate them on their first huge festival, and the second one for my favourite Adele (she is a queen), our friend and colleague, who had a birthday. Just imagine 20-30 people taking turns blowing out this poor, god forsaken candle on camera; it was funny and cute.  And the second moment — more from a professional point of view: One day, Sabina sent a message saying, "Hey guys, what's up? I'll come to your office. I wanna do an agency rebranding of Sublimation." I stuck my fingers out. I’m still proud of myself that this entire design is our work. You can see the final result for sure. Making your festival debut last year at Culture Palace of Aircraft Builders, a building that sits at the crossroads of cultures across time, brings a unique energy to the festival. How did you come to choose this location, and how does it reflect Sublimation as a cultural hub for experimentation and collaboration?  Sabina & Madina: Hosting Sublimation at the Palace of Aviation Builders felt like the right choice. It’s not just an iconic modernist building, but also a place filled with memories — so many people in Tashkent grew up coming here for performances. After being closed for many years for renovation, we wanted to breathe new life into it, not only as a venue but also as a symbol of renewal. For us, Sublimation is about connecting the past with the present, giving people a chance to reminisce about their youth while also experiencing something new, experimental, and collaborative. Bringing the festival here allowed us to honour those collective memories while transforming the space into a living hub of culture and energy once more. Ivan Dorn DJ Set, 2024 As the tech director, how does the choice of location, both this year at Yunusobod, and Tashkent Modernist in the previous year amplify the listening experience? What are some intentions you keep in mind to create an immersive atmosphere and soundscape?  Diana: When creating a space, we always keep in mind that people should feel inspired to move through the festival — from stage to stage, from one point of attraction to another — and understand that each stage tells its own story, both in terms of sound and light. We approach this through the lens of genres and the future atmosphere of the stages, carefully selecting the most fitting solutions. The modernist buildings themselves can add depth to the sound when we are inside (as being the Palace of Aircraft Builders in 2024), or become a striking backdrop and symbol for the festival (as in this year’s edition). You mention that collaboration is key for Uzbekistan’s local scene—how did this priority shape your process of organising Sublimation? Sabina & Madina: For us, collaboration is at the heart of Sublimation. Uzbekistan’s local scene is still relatively young, and it can only grow if we connect with one another - artists, institutions, and international platforms. When we started organising Sublimation, we made a conscious choice to build everything together: from working with Ustoz musicians in the regions, to inviting international partners like Boiler Room, Resident Advisor, and Refuge Worldwide. This priority not only shaped the festival’s lineup but also influenced the way we work on a day-to-day basis. We see every step - from masterclasses to Yurt tours and art installations - as an opportunity to bring people together, exchange knowledge, and create something that one person or one organisation could never achieve alone. In that sense, Sublimation is less about us and more about the community we are helping to grow. What has been your experience like as a DJ in Uzbekistan? As there aren’t too many spaces built for deep listening, especially compared to a venue like the historical Tashkent Modernist, how did it feel to share your music in that way with your own community in Tashkent last year?  Diana: Being a DJ in Tashkent and playing something non-trivial is not the easiest task — there aren’t many spaces for that. But there are always enthusiasts trying to create them, just like new communities and parties. It’s even more powerful when promotional groups turn their projects into festivals and give artists the space to share their music in historically significant, unique locations, such as the Tashkent Palace of Aircraft Builders. That experience is distinctly different from small bars and clubs, making it truly valuable and unique. Alen: Well, for me it was a complete disaster, haha. I don't really fit into the format, as I've always been drawn to more complex musical structures, and that's not a bad thing. But for me, there aren't many venues to DJ. Most clubs are filled with cool house or afrohouse, or God forbid, pop music with a touch of cringe. Some venues closed where you could play (thanks to Gia for warm evenings and parties), some weren't suitable from the start, or they stopped inviting me, for the reasons described above. But I don't despair, there's always the Internet and great networking.  Now, I am extremely attracted to music production, starting to experiment a little with producing. But in any case, almost always during sets, there is a clear feeling that does not leave: "Oh my, what if this is too much, now everyone will leave, they will not understand, or this is not good". But these are unnecessary thoughts that prevent you from enjoying the game, because in the moment, it is not so important. What is, is how the soul sounds. ZenGxrl DJ Set, 2024 What are you most looking forward to about sharing your work through a multidisciplinary platform like Sublimation? How does the diversity of disciplines impact how your work is felt, both for the audience and for yourself?  Mirshod (Artist): Sublimation is a space where different disciplines don’t compete but amplify one another. Music, performance, and visual art merge into a single experience. For me, it’s essential that the audience doesn’t just look at the work, but is immersed in an atmosphere where each element complements the other. That exchange of energy also inspires me – I feel like I’m not creating an object, but part of a living environment.                         How would you characterise the current networks of mutual aid between artistic and cultural platforms in Uzbekistan? What’s still needed to build sustainable collaboration?  Diana: More and more small but interesting artists are being noticed, gaining recognition and popularity, but there’s still a strong need for greater attention and support for the different creative projects of local enthusiasts. This is an important step to show people around us that there are many ways to express yourself — and that it’s okay to be bold. Refuge has had the pleasure of collaborating on Sublimation’s radio residency. What role do international partnerships like this play in sharing Uzbekistani talent with the world? In your experience, how can global communities better support and learn from each other?  Sabina & Madina: Collaboration has been at the heart of Sublimation from the very beginning. For us, building a festival isn’t only about putting artists on stage — it’s about creating a community where local and international musicians, cultural institutions, and creative partners can learn from one another and grow together. In Uzbekistan, where the electronic music scene is still young, we see collaboration as the fastest way to strengthen it: from working with Ustoz musicians who carry the legacy of Uzbek folk traditions, to joining forces with international platforms like Boiler Room, to engaging local youth and emerging artists in every step of the process. This priority shaped everything in how we organised Sublimation — from the venues and partners we chose, to the way we built our sub-brands, such as the Music School and Radio.  The festival has grown into more than a music event; it has become a cultural hub where ideas, traditions, and talents meet, experiment, and create something that could never exist in isolation. Doppi Twins Live, 2024 What are your experiences as a woman-owned/led collective? Sabina & Madina: Being a woman-owned collective has significantly shaped who we are and how we work. For us, it’s not just about identity, it’s about creating a culture of trust, respect, and openness in a space where women’s leadership is still not always taken for granted. Of course, there have been challenges: sometimes people underestimate us at first or assume we need external approval to accomplish big things. But instead of discouraging us, that has given us even more drive to build something authentic and powerful on our own terms. At the same time, we’ve discovered that being women in leadership has become one of our greatest strengths: it allows us to bring sensitivity, empathy, and a sense of community into everything we do.  We’re proud that Sublimation has grown into a platform where people feel safe, inspired, and part of something larger, and that this spirit comes directly from our perspective as women founders.  Samantha Togni Workshop, 2024 As Sublimation grows globally, what do you hope to bring from Uzbekistan to the world? Sabina & Madina: For us, the most important thing is to show that Uzbekistan is not only a place with deep traditions, but also a place of constant reinvention and creativity. What we hope to bring to the world is this unique dialogue between heritage and the contemporary: from maqom (the native Uzbek genre) meeting electronic to folk voices joined by live synths — these become centuries-old rhythms transformed into something that speaks to a new generation. We also want to amplify the spirit of community that exists here: the way people come together, share, and support one another. Sublimation is not just about music, but about creating spaces where people feel connected, whether they’re in Tashkent, Samarkand, or Berlin. If the world can even catch a glimpse of that openness, warmth, and inspiration from Uzbekistan, then we’re doing what we set out to do. For both the crowd and participating artists, what do you hope they take away from the festival?  Diana: I wish people would leave the festival carrying inspiration with them. Projects of this scale should encourage others to grow, to create, and to try things they were once afraid of. It’s just as important that both guests and artists understand: this is not only about music, but also about an open and supportive community. A community worth developing and supporting, whether by becoming a part of it or simply by acknowledging its existence. Alen: I hope they will take away a good mood, pleasant memories, and new connections. To be honest, I think the second season of the festival will show that Sublimation is not a typical event; it is distinguished by its visual component and concept, thoughtful line-up, art and community. It looks fresh on the market, individual, without losing national identity, compared to what is usually done. This year, we introduce our own: an unconventional, unique format.  I hope that over time, people will be more open to discovering new things without fear. We have no restrictions; open to everyone who might be curious. The festival is unique among local and global festivals. This is a piece of those European parties held in unusual and attractive locations, featuring an interesting lineup in the event program, which attracts people not only in Uzbekistan but also around the world. With each edition, there will be more such people every time. Sublimation has a very distinct visual identity. How do you balance international aesthetics with Uzbek cultural heritage in your designs?  Alen: To answer this question, I will dive a little into the personal. I grew up in a culturally and ethnically diverse family, with roots in both Europe and Asia. My passion for art, music, and culture in childhood laid the foundation for what I do now in the professional design field. All my work as an art director or designer has always been eclectic, a format that I still feel drawn to. It is a kind of credo or philosophy. To give birth to a new branch, you need to plant something old there, add a little of your own madness and talent, and voila! What drives you is that you can create everything from nothing at once. And this forms new images that acquire uniqueness.  This is also what I bring to Sublimation. It is a big project, and the main objective is to retain this character. Navigating the merriment between the traditional and modern allows for more room to illuminate meaning through metaphors, experimentation, and a return to the origins of design and trends. This also gives me the courage to move forward, or yeah, something like that. I hope you enjoy these creations and visuals.  Mirshod: For me, the balance is simple: think global, but stay rooted in our tradition. I draw on universal visual codes that resonate in an international context and fuse them with Uzbek heritage, incorporating ornaments, architectural motifs, and symbols. That’s how a contemporary language is born, one that is both relevant and an honest reflection of our culture. This is where the strength of Sublimation’s visual identity lies. Sublimation Festival, 2024 What were the main challenges and opportunities of working with this year’s location, and how did you adapt the sound and light design? Diana: The main question, as always, is electricity! And of course, we hope the weather won’t let us down. But the fact that it's open-air makes it all worthwhile. The sound becomes so much more felt outdoors; there’s more air than inside, and guests have plenty of space to walk around and explore the location. How do sound, light, and visuals come together to create an immersive experience for the audience? Diana: Here, we’re creating a collaboration between our contractors in lighting, sound, and visual arts. What’s important is that all these people are ready to support each other in shaping the stage, which is why I think the best way is to come and see for yourself the results of their work! Sublimation Festival will take place in Tashkent from 12-13 September. We hope to see you there! More info here. Grab your tickets here.  Photos courtesy of Feruz Rustamov and Amir Melikov.


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            <title><![CDATA[Threesound Expo 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/threesound-expo-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/threesound-expo-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[3 days of workshops, sounds, art, and discourse. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Threesound Expo 2025: Political Disappointment is an immersive, three-day event exploring the powerful role of music and sound in political change, protest, and revolution.

Taking place from the 12th - 14th September, this inaugural expo is part of the Three Sound of Revolution project, inspired by global protest movements and the three-finger salute seen in Thailand, Myanmar, and beyond. The project highlights the values of solidarity, equality, and liberty through sound art, music, and discourse.  Threesound Expo spans three days and features three core themes—INDEXSOUND (Solidarity), MIDDLESOUND (Equality), and RINGSOUND (Liberty)—that will run simultaneously throughout the festival. These themes are not divided by day; instead, each will occupy its own dedicated physical space at the festival venue, allowing attendees to experience distinct, themed environments side by side. In addition to the three thematic zones on-site, the festival also includes an off-site satellite workshop, a marketplace (MARKETSOUND), and a closing party at OXI, all designed to complement the themes and complete the festival experience. The expo presents a dynamic mix of performances, sound installations, artist talks, workshops, and discussions, offering a platform for collective reflection on the intersection of politics, art, and activism. Through the lens of music’s role in protest and revolution, the event aims to foster understanding, spark dialogue, and highlight sound as a vital force in political movements. Tune in to Refuge Worldwide at 1PM this Saturday, September 6th, and 2PM on Thursday, September 11th, to hear more from the Threesound crew. More infos and tickets are available here. 
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[AUDRA Festival 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/audra-festival-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/audra-festival-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host stage in Kaunas on 18th September.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[International creators, complex installations, and elite culinary experiences, Audra returns this September to Kaunas. Taking place in multiple venues, this year's festival is a celebration of Lithuanian pioneer M. K. Čiurlionis' 150th birthday. Streaming live from a stage in central Kaunas, Refuge Worldwide will host a free party at Laukas on 18th September featuring Ugne Sync x Proflame, grad_u, Rey Colino, Gramrcy, and No Plastic x Monibi.  Elsewhere at AUDRA festival, there will be sets from Shanti Celeste, Prosumer, Midland, a back-to-back featuring Leon Vynehall and Batu, plus Brokenchord and Sepehr playing live. Venues across the weekend include the Kaunas Picture Gallery, the Central Bank of Kaunas, Šilainiai, and more. Tickets are available via RA here.  For more insight into Kaunas’ local scene, check out the Kauno Fonas residency on Refuge. AUDRA is a festival of forward-thinking electronic music and art, linked to the Lizdas venue which we visited on our 2022 tour. AUDRA Official Website]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide heads back to Uzbekistan for Sublimation]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sublimation-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sublimation-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We are hosting a stage at this year's festival.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are excited to be returning to Sublimation Fest, an independent festival of contemporary music and art, aimed at developing the Uzbek cultural scene.  On Friday 12th September, Refuge Worldwide will be hosting a stage for the second year in a row, this time featuring sets from Kikelomo, No Plastic, Leona, Basic Chanel, plus locally based artists DSL System (live) and ISL. You'll be able to tune and listen to the festival on Refuge Worldwide's second radio channel, which will automatically pop-up on the live banner at the top of our website. This year's Sublimation takes place at the 8000 capacity Yunusobod Sport Complex in downtown Tashkent, which will be home for the weekend to a range of DJs, live performers, speakers and workshop hosts. Founded by Madina and Sabina, Sublimation's vision is to "help the voices of their homeland resonate globally, breaking stereotypes and highlighting the rich cultural heritage of Uzbekistan." In recent months Sublimation's crew have hosted a monthly radio residency on Refuge Worldwide, find all the episodes here.

Elsewhere on the festival lineup is Less Feeling, Chloe Lula, Lola X Choir live, and a Sabinē percussion hybrid set. Friday 12th September 17:00-18:00 ISL  
18:00-19:00 No Plastic 
19:00-20:00 Leonа 
20:00-21:00 DSL System Live 
21:00-22:00 Basic Chanel 
22:00-23:00 Kikelomo Full Line-up Acid Arab 
Bajjo
basic chanel
Bu Qala live 
Chloe Lula
Lola X Choir live 
COC live 
Doppi Twins X Hayriniso Akbarova live 
DSL System Live
Edigee
Ianiiiron
ISL
ITNI
Josef Tumari X eenkay
Kikelomo 
KMRN
Leona 
Less Feeling
Loud373
Malicha 
Electrofocus
No Plastic
Q.zlar live 
Qaraqoom X Saya Musa live 
Sabinē X percussion hybrid set
Samratta live 
Shahrier live 
Smirnov
Trace
Xyarim
ayacantstop 
Aiko]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Paris Electronic Week ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/paris-electronic-week-radio-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/paris-electronic-week-radio-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tune in live from the French capital.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are hosting a radio takeover for Paris Electronic Week, a convention and festival of electronic music cultures taking place in the French capital. On Saturday from 6-7:30 PM we will take part in a panel discussion on web radios' independence & music communities under threat, featuring representatives from Rinse FM, GIMIC Radio, and Mutant Radio. Sunday will see a radio takeover at La Cité Fertile with sets by Refuge Worldwide's eioo B2B Obelix, Paris-based DJ and flutist MELANIN, as well as Moonshine Collective's Vanyfox. Music runs from 2-8 PM and entry is free, join us if you are in town or tune in to Channel 2 for the live broadcast.  ]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Médecins Sans Frontières present Humans in Transit]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-art-week-refugees-in-libya-and-on-the-mediterranean</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-art-week-refugees-in-libya-and-on-the-mediterranean</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A Berlin Art Week exhibition at Niemetzstraße.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As part of Berlin Art Week (BAW) 2025, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) present an exhibition at our Niemetzstraße location in September. We invite you to a special opening event on Friday 12th September, where some of the participating artists will also be present. Humans In Transit: Stories of refugees in Libya and on the Mediterranean Sea (2015-2025). Between 10th-19th September, the exhibition presents faces and voices of 400 people whose lives have been indelibly marked by their experiences searching for a safe life. Their stories have been selected from several of testimonies shared by refugees with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) over the past decade. Many were speaking from Libya. Others shared their stories aboard search and rescue vessels on the Mediterranean Sea, after being rescued from boats in distress as they attempted the perilous crossing to Europe. To protect their identities, refugees’ names and personal details have been omitted, but their stories (which have been edited for clarity) speak for themselves. There will also be six videos of seven testimonies, made by filmmakers and actors also from migrant or refugee backgrounds, shown in the exhibition. The 400 portraits in this exhibition have been created by four artists, who were inspired to put a face to every story. These images bring alive the faceless statistics of individuals who have endured physical abuse, kidnapping and sexual violence in their search for refuge, and pay tribute to their resilience and enduring human spirit. Every face and story represents a human being deserving of compassion and safety. For this exhibition, refugees have been active contributors to the storytelling process. All of the artists, filmmakers and actors involved in the project themselves come from refugee or migrant backgrounds. Their shared experiences have helped create a mosaic of stories by refugees, for refugees, that can speak to everyone. This is a collective act of storytelling – a reclamation of ownership over how stories are shared and preserved. Priscilla Osegie, Nigerian actress, shares the story of a Nigerian woman rescued in the Mediterranean The exhibition will be hosted this September at Niemetzstraße 1, opening times are at the bottom of this article. This is free to attend. A special opening event will take place on Friday 12th September from 18:00-22:00, please come by and have a drink with us. A digital version, including audio, video, illustrations, and text, is also available for online sharing via MSF and partner platforms. 8 years old | Male | Syria Search and rescue boat, December 2016. Opening Times: Wed 10th Sept (10:00-22:00)
Thu 11th Sept (10:00-18:00)
Fri 12th Sept	(10:00-22:00)
Sat 13th Sept (12:00-20:00)
Sun 14th Sept (12:00-20:00)
Mon 15th Sept (12:00-18:00)
Tue 16th Sept (12:00-18:00)
Wed 17th Sept (12:00-18:00)
Thu 18th Sept (12:00-18:00)
Fri 19th Sept	(12:00-18:00)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Broshuda - Asemic Intent Exhibition Launch]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/broshuda-asemic-intent-exhibition-launch</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/broshuda-asemic-intent-exhibition-launch</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Presented by Edwin Supply.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[To commemorate the launch of the collaborative Panku collection by EDWIN and Milan based visual and sound artist Broshuda, the 25th of September sees the opening night of his pop-up solo exhibition. Asemic Intent is an evening hosted by Broshuda & YDSP featuring the inimitable aural talents of his close friends. The event will take place at our Niemetzstrasse location and feature intense sonics across the broad spectrum of experimental electronic music, including dub, grime, musique concrète and beyond. There will be live performances and DJ sets by, Justin, Popon, Seven Sisters and Broshuda & YDSP, alongside Broshuda's visual art pieces. Entry is free and there will be drinks provided. For those not able to attend, the performances will be broadcast live via Refuge Worldwide. RSVP here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[DAYTIMERS WORLD takes over Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/daytimers-world-takes-over-refuge-worldwide</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/daytimers-world-takes-over-refuge-worldwide</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[8 cities join forces to celebrate 5 years of DAYTIMERS.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[DAYTIMERS WORLD marks five years of amplifying South Asian voices with a celebration in 8 cities across the globe. Spanning Melbourne, Berlin, London, Manchester, Bristol, Zurich, Toronto, and New York City, the party goes big. The Berlin chapter takes over Refuge Worldwide with a full day of groovy, percussive mixes curated by collectives and DJs shaping the scene. Founders Krithi and Sana of DAYTIMERS NYC join forces with local powerhouses to showcase the breadth of diasporic sound. From bass-heavy grooves and tribal rhythms to disco, house, and experimental textures. Performers include Abibi, ash.xpl, jivi2mebaby Jhumka, NaN, Neroli, Scorp Corp, Triqi, Twist Fire,  MOWGLI, kāmna, Lotus Phaze and Girl Called Sim each weaving their distinct influences into a collective statement of solidarity and joy. With a movement rooted in community and care, DAYTIMERS WORLD affirms that five years is just the beginning of a global rhythm that refuses to be ignored. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bird House Berlin: Weaving Threads of Liberation]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bird-house-berlin-weaving-threads-of-liberation</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bird-house-berlin-weaving-threads-of-liberation</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Dance floors as mutual aid, and collective joy as resistance. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 29 August from 15:00-22:00 at Niemetzstraße 1, Refuge collaborates with Bird House Berlin for Threads of Liberation. This is a day of solidarity to raise funds for four organisations across Palestine, Congo, and Berlin: Al-Jawad Refugee Camp, the Arab Centre for Alternative Planning (APN), Focus Congo, and GLADT Berlin.  The community gathering this Friday is both a fundraiser and a celebration of joy as resistance. The programme will feature artists across various disciplines, including an audio-visual storytelling of Palestinian identity by Jamila Al-Yousef, workshops, panel talks discussing Palestinian liberation struggles by Jamila and Udi Raz, and a community market featuring various independent artists. Musically saHHara Berlin are down for the evening with a special takeover featuring resident DJs saHHar and Rabibti Atable, who will blend neo-traditional Arabic sounds. Finally, Palestinian neo-Levantine cuisine will be served by Andek Akkoub.  This fundraiser is moderated by Bird House, who will soon be celebrating their 3rd anniversary. In conversation with co-founders Lea Czychy and Moehecan, below we discuss the evolution of their project, dance floors as mutual aid, and the fundamental value of collective joy as micro-revolutionary modes of resistance. Please start by telling us a bit about yourself. What is your role within Bird House?  Lea: I'm Lea Czychy, a special education teacher, cultural worker, and co-founder at Bird House. I see myself as an interface for many areas, handling communications, bookings, and artistic direction.  Moe: My name is Mohammad or Moe, and I’m the co-founder and curator behind Bird House. Notable mentions before I go on are our other co-founders, Khaled & Noah. I wear a lot of hats, organising events with Lea, building collaborations, and handling logistics. But really, my role is about weaving people and ideas together: artists, communities, and causes.  How did Bird House Berlin start as a collective? What were some founding values and how did they form?  Moe: We never set out with the intention of building a “collective” or a “community” in the formal sense. Simply, we wanted a reason to gather with our friends while creating opportunities to meet people who share similar values and ethos. Looking back though, the way we began naturally laid a foundation for that.  Lea and I were already working in clubs and parties at the time. We had a sense of how things operated in nightlife, but also felt like certain things could, and maybe should, be done differently. Bird House became a way to test that intuition — to explore whether we could create a space that feels more aligned with our values and with the communities we wanted to be a part of.  From the beginning, collaboration was central. We were motivated to create spaces for exchange, to collaborate with artists and collectives, and to learn from one another. Taking inspiration from how platforms we admired organised, built culture, and held space gave us not just a blueprint but the courage to try it for ourselves. With our first party, we took a shot in the dark: found a venue, and waited to see what could happen.  Lea and Khaled, 2-Year Anniversary at Watergate, 2024  What were some missing aspects you wished to see from working in club culture that you hoped to bring with Bird House? Lea: Club culture operates on a different scale than our dance floor. It’s been commercialised and commodified, making it difficult to attend to details and foster a crowd with a similar ethos, which for us, is essential to make a space feel safe. It's not that they don’t take measures to care for guests, but that there’s a lot more room for error simply because it's a company, meaning there’s less energy dedicated for care, which takes away the potential for that collective resonance. For us, the dance floor is an intimate and present space, where each night has the potential to create unique memories, authentic experiences, and serve as a collective healing environment.  Can you say more about the significance of collective healing, particularly in light of the current socio-political climate in Berlin?  Moe: I look at the dance floor through a slightly different lens — more from a neurobiological perspective. When we dance, when we feel safe in a room, our nervous system reacts in ways that counteract stress and even help us heal from trauma. It’s not just a place to gather; it’s an opportunity to defend ourselves from pressures of the socio-political world.  This isn’t new. Throughout history, from the Stonewall riots in the States to clubs like The Warehouse and Paradise Garage, dance floors have always been a refuge for marginalised communities. It was more than just about music. It was a means for those communities to survive, resist, and heal in the face of persecution. I discuss this more in depth in an editorial I'm publishing for an underground music journal Forward/Scratch in the coming months, and Tim Lawrence’s book Life & Death on the New York Dance Floor illustrates the significance of those movements. We’ve made a lot of progress since then, but I’d be lying if I said things are fine now. Homophobia, transphobia, racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism — they’re not only present but exponentially on the rise, everywhere. Keeping the dance floor a place to celebrate any identity is therefore essential, especially in these times. This was a big part of what motivated us to start our own parties, to keep the dance floor a refuge where people can come together and feel safe in their identity in an inclusive space, and keep these values alive. It’s an entirely separate thing from the commercial model of clubs.  Lea: With Bird House, there isn’t exactly a handbook on how to operate a community space responsibly. And because each collective operates in different contexts, we had to find ways that worked for us. Initially, we just wanted to bring friends together, share music, and align the money we generated with our values. Like any new collective, we couldn’t be too picky with venues and took what we could get. Over time, we realised the importance of standing firm in our values; no compromises. If we did, we’d be putting our friends and guests in potentially dangerous situations. Those are not responsible party ethics.   Especially since our two-year anniversary, I feel like we’ve really grown into our own. We’ve started to leave lasting impressions on people. And that, for me, begins with genuinely getting to know our guests because in a city like Berlin where there’s so many great options, when someone chooses to spend their night with us, it means something, and it’s a trust we have to honour and respect.  Lea and Moe, 2025 Lea: The media preaches inclusion, but in reality, discrimination against marginalised groups is persistently on the rise. Dominant modes for information masks this, which makes it all the more important to create spaces where people can meet and where low-threshold cultural and human exchange is possible.  As a teacher and also working at the theatre, I feel the recent policy changes from all sides. So much funding for culture and education is cut, while racially motivated violence is on the rise. For me, there is no such thing as a so-called “safe space” in public; there are just too many factors you can’t control and have to consider. Communities, united by shared worldviews, hold greater potential to foster that sense of unity. If we represent specific values, we invite like-minded people, and it is precisely this emerging togetherness that creates an atmosphere that comes close to a safe space. It’s always trial and error, asking ourselves with each event: Was there room for improvement? We try to learn from our experiences and adapt to changing contexts each time we organise, and each night we get better at it.  What kinds of values do you try to embody and promote to bring like-minded people together? Lea: We want to be open to everyone, regardless of their state. Regardless of their emotions, we want people to come as they are and be in the moment with us.  Moe: It’s values that you should find as the standard anywhere: We don’t care where our guests are from, what they do—none of that matters except the fundamental respect for these values, for themselves, and for the dance floor. Being considerate of consent, boundaries, and ethics.  There’s a lot of little things that we do at the party to be active in the event itself. It’s so easy when organising just to put out a flyer, promote the party, and then hang out backstage at the actual party. But if we’re not present and active, we can’t see what’s actually going on the dance floor. 

Lea: We really try to make sure we can see if someone is uncomfortable so we can address that, bringing a level of care that is felt in all facets of the community. That means having a relationship and cooperation with the venue’s security. Making sure all parties are on the same page on what is appropriate conduct or not.

Moe: It also means being inclusive from a financial standpoint. We always keep a community guest list because, well, shit gets expensive, especially in this economy.  What is your view on censorship and freedom of expression in Berlin? Has this impacted how you approach organising with Bird House?  Lea: For me, it's always been essential to communicate thoughtfully and respectfully to everyone, so  there was never a point where I thought, "Now I have to be careful about what I say or share." I'm aware of my privilege, and I try to use it to speak up for issues I believe in and give a voice to those not being heard. Part of organising with Bird House is about creating an environment where different voices can be expressed without fear, whether that’s through music, art, or conversation. Of course, freedom of expression comes with responsibility, which means ensuring that the space we hold is not only open but also protective of those who are most vulnerable. To take care and be aware. What does mutual aid mean to you?   Lea: So many things, but at its core, listening to each other and having a fundamental openness to ideas.  Just because something has always been done one way doesn't mean it has to be that way forever.  To actually listen and take the time to comprehend, reflecting on processes and developments within and outside the system. The party scene can get spontaneous and eclectic with so much going on at the same time. It’s easy to just push through, but major changes take time and should be evaluated both during the process and after. Making decisions overnight isn’t an effective strategy; taking time means being able to optimise solutions while remaining sensitive to changing needs and contexts.  It also means recognising that people’s capacities vary at different stages of their lives, and meeting each other where we are without judgment. It’s about building sustainable structures of care that don’t just react in moments of crisis, but strengthen us in the long run.  Evaluating decisions through open dialogue and listening enables us to provide the community with what they truly need, maintaining a space that adapts to an ever-changing landscape of politics, social life, and individual capacities.   Bird House’s parties are spaces where people can gather to “not be policed but rather celebrated”. Why is it important to keep celebrating despite the increasing prevalence of felt oppression for marginalised groups? How does this show up at your events?   Moe: Every day we’re left with fewer avenues to resist and to reclaim even the most basic conditions of dignity, fairness, and freedom for our communities. I don’t see celebration as an escape from that reality; it’s a way of confronting it, both as a responsibility and an act of care, not just as cultural workers and artists, but as members of society.  Early on, we decided our tools to bring that joy would be music, dance, and community building. Those are the things we’re good at, the things we love, and they’re also powerful ways to channel energy against oppressive systems. Celebration doesn’t mean ignoring the pain in our world. Rather, it’s refusing to let that pain silence joy, creativity, and solidarity.  Khaled, Walid, and Nicklas, Bird House at Badehaus, 2022 It’s thinking about the dance floor as this “other” space, free from what’s going on in the wider world, which doesn’t always represent who we are. Dancing with a like-minded community in a space where we resonate with values because they are co-created by each member of the community, and celebrating that collective truth as we dance, helps us reclaim our authenticity. It’s a tool to collectively heal, recharge, and spread that energy outside the dance floor.  Lea: In our programming, the lineups aren’t just about entertainment; the aim is to represent the voices and sounds of marginalised communities. We try to design spaces where people can feel unpoliced and safe enough to let go, even if just for a night. When we collaborate with other grassroots initiatives, we aim to build connections beyond the dance floor to foster a sustainable form of solidarity and expand our mutual aid network.  Can you tell us about one or two favourite memories from Birdhouse so far?  Lea: A personal favourite was playing B2B with my best friend Franca. It was our first gig at a “real” venue and not at a house party, and so many of our friends came to support us. The whole dance floor was intermingled with them. It’s the best feeling. That’s why I like playing openings: it’s not that packed, a lot of friends are dancing, talking, and hanging out. This moment took things to another level for me because I felt Bird House’s core peak through as a space of support, learning, and trust. I felt the dance floor as a place of joy for the community, not just for the crowd, but also for us as artists and organisers. These moments inspire so much and give us the confidence to explore more of that.   Lea Czychy b2b Francs, Crack Bellmer, 2024 What are some long-term goals for Birdhouse? Why do you see these as necessary inputs into the cultural sphere?   Lea: One of our most significant milestones was realising that less can be more. Over time, we built the confidence to understand that what really matters isn’t how often we throw parties, but the kind of energy we channel when we do. We always want to stay true to ourselves and focus on spaces that genuinely align with our values. That might mean hosting fewer events, but the ones that do happen can be executed with care, intention, and depth.  Moe: I think a lot about the current atmosphere in Berlin. With clubs like Watergate already closed and Renate soon to follow, there’s no denying that the scene is shifting. Many people feel that closures shrink the cultural space, but what I’ve noticed, and continue to explore, is the multitude of diverse venues in Berlin — more than people often realise. It was during my 6th year in Berlin when I discovered places like Arkaoda or Sameheads, which got me thinking how much the circles we’re in shape the spaces we know and the communities we feel welcomed by.  For Bird House, part of our long-term vision is to continue seeking out and nurturing those overlooked spaces: places where our community truly feel we belong. That is a necessary input into the cultural sphere: not just filling a calendar, but creating sustainable, intentional spaces that centre community.  In doing so, these spaces also become more accessible. People gravitate toward clubs or known collectives simply because they might not know there’s more. Nurturing a community in Berlin’s multitude of alternative spaces restores the values from which this very culture was cultivated.  For our readers, what events or collaborations can the community get excited about in the coming months?   Moe: We’re really excited to celebrate our 3rd anniversary in November — though I can’t share the location just yet. But before that, we have something very close to our hearts: our first-ever fundraiser, happening August 29th at Refuge’s Niemetzstraße space. For us, this feels like one of our most significant milestones yet.  It’s special because fundraisers were always part of Bird House’s DNA. Khalid, another co-founder and I actually met at Crack Bellmar, at a fundraiser for Lebanon 9 years ago. That moment really stuck with us. When we started Bird House, we always knew that one day we would organise something similar: an event where music, dance, and community directly contribute to a cause bigger than ourselves. It’s mad special to realise that vision now with Refuge, and collaborating with so many incredibly talented artists.    Personally, Refuge has been pivotal for me since I joined as a resident — it’s a space where I’ve learned a great deal about linking culture with solidarity, an ethos that deeply shaped how we think about Bird House. So in many ways, this upcoming fundraiser feels like a full-circle moment, and hopefully the start of more collaborations like this in the future.  Can you spill the beans on the programme for Threads of Liberation (TOL)? What kinds of artists, panels, workshops, and food can the community look forward to?   Moe: Absolutely! This fundraiser was heavily inspired by A Day of Remembrance, a day of solidarity with Congo organised by Josiane and Anna Lucao 10 months ago at the very location we’re hosting Threads of Liberation. Their level of care, thought, and detail deeply moved me, catalysing an imagining of other forms of solidarity we could exercise. A highlight was the Congolese dance workshop hosted by Anissa, so you can imagine how excited I was when she expressed interest in hosting the same workshop at TOL. That workshop was hands down one of the coolest, funnest things I've ever experienced, and I'm really excited to see share that with everyone. Jamila Al-Yousef from Jamila & the Other Heroes will also perform an audiovisual storytelling piece with live music and videos, sharing her experiences from her time volunteering in Jenin, her family's Palestinian heritage, and survival strategies as a Palestinian in Berlin before and after the genocide began. A Day of Remembrance, Niemetzstraße 1, 2024 Jamila will also be on the panel alongside Udi Raz, who will be discussing the entanglement of Palestinian and queer liberation struggles, as well as why the liberation of Palestine from Zionism also means the liberation of Judaism from Zionism. I’m over the moon that both Jamila & Udi are taking part; they are massive inspirations in their respective ways, so for them to join means a lot.  We’ll also have a Tatreez workshop hosted by Juthouri, an art exhibition by Ann Kiernan, and merch vendors like Wearholysoul, Ruby Darling, and Patu Comic. No great day goes by without any of Birdhouse’s super duper famous food! We’re thrilled to share some vegan Palestinian, neo-Levantine cuisine alongside Janine from Andek Akkoub and put a bunch of smiles on some faces. We’re very excited for Andek to join us this evening, as their work is a big inspiration to us.  Last but not least, we’ll have a DJ takeover from saHHara Berlin with resident DJs saHHar and  Rabibti Atable, who will share neo-traditional Arabic soundscapes with the dance floor. It’s heartwarming to see the level of solidarity under one roof, and we’re truly grateful for Refuge’s hospitality and support to realise an event so dear to our hearts. Please tell us a little bit about the fundraising. Who will the proceeds go to? How does the collective support for these causes add to creating threads of liberation?   Lea: We are supporting four incredible organisations doing crucial work: Al-Jawad Refugee Camp in Palestine, the Arab Centre for Alternative Planning (APN), Focus Congo, and GLADT in Berlin. Each of these groups approach liberation in their own way — from providing direct resources and improving living conditions in Palestinian refugee camps, to advocating for land rights and housing justice, to empowering communities in Congo, to fighting discrimination and offering support for queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and migrant communities in Germany.  For us, bringing these causes together under one roof is about showing that our struggles are interconnected. Whether in Palestine, Congo, or Berlin, marginalised communities are facing systems of oppression that deny dignity, land, safety, and freedom. Supporting them is not charity, but solidarity — a way of weaving threads between movements that might seem geographically distant but share the same fight for justice.  For Bird House, the dance floor is a starting point for people to experience joy, belonging, and collective strength. The fundraiser is a way to extend that energy outward and ask: how can we take the love, care, and resilience that emerge when we come together here and direct it toward communities resisting oppression globally? That’s the deeper purpose behind TOL, a trickling of mutual aid in the international network.  For you, how can fostering collective joy become an act of resistance?   Moe: Joy is one of the most radical things we can hold onto. When systems of oppression want to reduce people to survival, to exhaustion, or to silence, choosing to create joy together is an act of defiance. Collective joy interrupts the narrative that we are powerless. It reminds us that we have the ability to connect, to celebrate one another, and to imagine futures beyond what we’re told is possible.  For me, joy on the dance floor or in a shared workshop space is never superficial. Neurobiologically, joy regulates stress, heals trauma, and strengthens bonds, which is precisely what makes it so dangerous to oppressive systems. A liberated body in motion, a group of people singing or sharing food, a room full of strangers who become a temporary family: these are micro-revolutions. They strengthen us for the bigger fights and help people reclaim agency by feeling that joy as a collective. That’s what we stand for: joy as resistance, not an escape from reality but a rehearsal for a better one. Every time we gather, we’re not only resisting isolation and despair, we’re actively building the culture of care and resilience we want to see in the world. Refuge Worldwide, Niemetzstraße 1, 2024 When I think of our events or other fundraisers I've been going to, I think to myself in this climate, and I realise, it takes a lot of fucking energy to get out of your house, trek across the city, and show up. Fighting for these causes can get quite mentally and physically and financially taxing, especially as progress is hard to see, while friends are still getting beat up in the streets.   So yeah, showing up is hard, and it’s a true testament when we organise and many people do. It’s proof that we do have solidarity in community—those who care together, feel joy together, and dance together, despite everything that’s happening. It’s proof that systems don’t reflect people; dominant narratives that perpetuate society, like the media, history, politicians etc., want people to forget that to keep dominating.  Holding space to be collectively, in solidarity for these separate but interconnected causes, helps us realise we’re all part of the same network, connected by our values and sharing joy through that. It separates us from values imposed by society and politics, and reconnects us to values authentically ours. Physically witnessing the radical care present in our communities and seeing that so many people show up for the causes we believe in restores the notion that radical care is everywhere. This reclaiming is a form of resistance; it gives us resilience, keeps us hopeful by reminding that together, we can change things, that we hold the power to build a future that reflects our values.   Is there anything else you’d like to share?   A little motto we say to ourselves is “gatekeeping is wack yo” :)  Entry is by donation with a suggested entry of €7–15. Get your tickets here or at the door. See you Friday! Photos Courtesy of Bird House Berlin and Maria Helena, K. Nerhus, and @shotbymkz

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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to broadcast live from Hamburg's new hi-fi listening cafe]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-to-live-broadcast-new-hi-fi-listening-cafe</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-to-live-broadcast-new-hi-fi-listening-cafe</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[TRADER opening party - 21st September.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 21st September, TRADER will open the doors to its new hi-fi listening cafe in Hamburg. 

The launch event marks the beginning of a space dedicated to grounded listening sessions, with Refuge Worldwide broadcasting live throughout the opening day. The music program will feature sets from Mafalda (NTS), Ken Okuda (SHUSH) and douniah. With a custom designed bespoke H.A.N.D. sound system, TRADER is promising to bring a new listening experience to Hamburg, with regular events featuring guest bookings from the city and beyond.  Located at Große Rainstraße 18, the café will offer free drinks courtesy of La Marzocco for the opening party, starting at 11am. The event will be streamed live via Refuge Worldwide with guests invited to tune in online or join in person for TRADER’s sonic debut in Hamburg.  Header image by La Marzocco]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide open air takes place at Beach Neukölln]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-open-air-takes-place-at-beach-neukoelln</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-open-air-takes-place-at-beach-neukoelln</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Back on the sand - Sunday, August 24.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[After a fantastic debut at the hidden Neukölln Beach last month, we are heading back for one more party this summer on Treptower Straße. This time out we are joined on the sand by Refuge Worldwide residents TRU:L, do25inco, Mandel & Jana Falcon, and Adam Cooke.

Tickets are available here. 
If any tickets remain, entry at the kasse will be a sliding scale of 12€-15€. After paying our artists, all funds are going toward helping to keep Refuge Worldwide on the airwaves. Thank you for the support.

Last but by no means least - due to popular demand, the food stall by Vybz Catering will also be returning.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bad Times Disco]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bad-times-disco</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bad-times-disco</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA["Workers, Not Helpers".]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On September 1, join us for Bad Times Disco, a community gathering at our Niemetzstraße 1 space from 7:30 - 10:00 PM. This party and community organizing platform based in Hong Kong is building a global network of values-aligned, progressive, leftfield, and leftist partygoers from Berlin to Hong Kong and back (RSVP here). Co-founder Ani Phoebe will be leading a presentation and Q&A session discussing how the party operates independently in Hong Kong, its identity as a community-oriented underground dance party based upon real community organizing, and their current involvement in leading the Living Wage Campaign in Hong Kong in solidarity with migrant domestic workers, and in the global KKR boycott. Entrance is free, but a suggested donation or purchase of 'Workers, Not Helpers' is encouraged to help support the Living Wage Campaign.  Ani Phoebe has transformed the musical landscape in Hong Kong with the balearic and outsider digger musical direction of her party Bad Times Disco, and also tours regularly as an in-demand and multifaceted vinyl-oriented DJ. With incredible range and depth, she is able to transform the atmosphere with peak time oddball club sets, deep leftfield selections for openers, and eclectic upbeat, globally oriented storytelling for day parties. She’s toured Asia, Australia, Brazil, Europe, and the US, always a favourite returning to community-oriented clubs, parties, and festivals. In 2024, she made her debut at Wonderfruit Festival and Magnetic Fields Festival, cementing herself as a key figure in Asia.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Wild Combination Festival Returns ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/wild-combination-festival-returns</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/wild-combination-festival-returns</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An all-local lineup of artists on September 6th and 7th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Wild Combination is back for its second edition this September, bringing two days of music, art, storytelling, and community care to our favourite secret venue in Berlin, just steps from Jannowitzbrücke.  Organised by our beloved Breakfast Show host and longtime resident moe., the Non-profit festival stays true to the spirit of its first edition, celebrating Berlin’s creative scene through an all-local lineup of artists, DJs, collectives, and cultural organisers. Everyone involved is contributing their time and energy to build a space rooted in joy, connection, and mutual support. The weekend will feature DJ sets from African Acid Is The Future, AL.Berlin, Bird House, Body Language, CALABADDIES, Daytimers, PDA, Refuge Worldwide residents, and Unkompress. Film screenings will be curated by Rawy Films, and a dedicated listening space will be soundtracked by Astral Traveling, Shiru (Élan Vital) and Friends. Live music will come from a genre-spanning selection of artists including Aver (Move 78), Henry Weekes, Myles Morgan, sic, and more to be announced. Pauric Keenan (Funeral Sandwiches) will lead poetry and storytelling sessions, while the Records Club will be hosted by Adam Cooke (Throwing Shapes). Alongside the music and art programming, the festival will also feature a children’s program, food trucks, a marketplace, as well as panel talks and workshops, all to be announced soon.

Everyone’s contributing their art, energy, and time, with all profits being split equally between several vital initiatives: 3ezwa, which provides financial and legal support to those facing repression and police violence in Berlin for their commitment to the Palestinian cause; Mutual Aid for Refugees, affiliated with No Border Assembly and Support Group Network, offering legal aid to refugees fighting deportation in Berlin; Lilipad Library, which creates safe, welcoming libraries for children in refugee shelters, youth homes, and underserved neighborhoods, featuring books in their native languages. Wild Combination will also raise money for Refuge Worldwide crowdfunder to stay on air and the Sudanese American Physicians Association, which is providing desperately needed aid to over 30 million Sudanese people facing the world’s worst, and most tragically forgotten, humanitarian crisis. Door sale only, join the telegram for more information. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Soy & Synth]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soy-and-synth</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soy-and-synth</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[51st Edition of the event series to be held at Niemetzstraße 1.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Saturday, August 23, Soy & Synth is back for its 51st edition at our event space, Niemetzstraße 1.

This episode will continue the collective’s mission of fostering radical empathy, care, and connection across the rich and complex landscapes of southern diasporas, with performances by Monica Mussungo, Hany Tea, Anguezomo Nzé Mba Bikoro, and Rusnam. 

Soy & Synth is an independent grassroots event series initiated by Berlin-based Indonesian art collective Soy Division, dedicated to experimental and improvisation music practices from BIPOC emerging artists in Berlin since 2018. To initiate the 2025 edition, it will be co-organized by L_KW (a sound collective which works with sonicactivism), AL.Berlin, Decolonoize and Mixtape Menage.  The 2025 edition contain 3 concerts, 1 discourse talk, and 1 compilation album containing live recording sets from those concerts. It will feature 12 emerging Berlin-based musicians and sound artists from South East Asia, Africa, South American and Middle East/West Asia diasporic backgrounds. Soy & Synth has taken place 49 times across multiple cities, including Berlin, Vilnius, Zurich, and Yogyakarta. Since its inception in 2018, it has become a vital platform for building new friendships, artistic collaborations, and cultural exchange. 

More information here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Soundbath Session - Fundraiser]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soundbath-fundraiser</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soundbath-fundraiser</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Ambient soundscapes and healing tones on August 13th]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us at our Niemetzstraße space for an evening of deep soundscapes, curated by Karolina from Records and Bowls on August 13, from 7.30PM to 9.30PM. After long years of dancing in clubs, Karolina's interest turned more inward, finding grounding and inspiration in ambient and downtempo music, coupled with singing bowls and gongs. Records and Bowls combines her passions into soundbath events, individual personal sessions and performing on festivals. She has kindly offered to host a session at Refuge Worldwide, with the funds generated from ticket sales going toward our crowdfunding campaign.

Reserve your space here.  If you have your own matt, pillow or blanket, please feel free to bring them to the session. Tea and soft drinks will be provided. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Planting Seeds of Liberation Through Solidarity]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/planting-seeds-of-liberation-through-solidarity</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/planting-seeds-of-liberation-through-solidarity</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Raising funds for Sudan, Palestine & Congo ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us on August 16th from noon to 10PM at Niemetzstraße for a day of talks, music, workshops, and a bazaar, all in solidarity with Sudan, Palestine, and Congo. The program includes music performances, screenings, poetry, and DJ sets by AMA LUMA, Femdelic, Mazen Alsafadi, Anwaar Al Nour, Najib Blacky Abidi, LA TÁUCAN with presentations from Scorpio DeBaddie, ISM Palestine, Laure Gotlost, and many more. There will be delicious homemade Lebanese and Congolese food available throughout the day and evening, plus flash tattoos, henna, and a kids’ soli-crafting workshop at 3pm. The bazaar features ceramics, handwoven items, knitting and embroidery, candle holders, kuffiyeh hairbands, tinctures, info booklets, stickers, patches, cards and prints, vintage clothes, and more. Bring your own clothes to screen print on, original designs will be available throughout the day, alongside a collaborative screen printing workshop open to all. The kids’ corner is handled by Anna Sophie Belle, flash tattoos by Jill Winnie, and Lebanese food prepared by Halla Farhat.  100% of funds will go to We Must Plant Campaign & De:Criminalize, Focus Congo & Bel Avenir, Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, Hope in Gaza, Sulala Animal Rescue, and many families in Gaza campaigns. Header image by Revive Gaza Campaign Flyer by Jude Gardner-Rolfe]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide joins MUTEK Montréal as international media partner]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mutek-montreal</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mutek-montreal</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The festival runs from August 19 until 25.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Tune in to Refuge Worldwide for exclusive recordings and more from MUTEK Montréal this month. For six days, from August 19 until 25, MUTEK brings over 80 live performers and DJs to Montréal for a "laboratory of artistic innovations." The music program, which takes place over multiple venues around the city, includes names such as Kyle Hall, NikNak, Cousin, Yu Su, Nicola Cruz, Bitter Babe, Cassy and Martyn Bootyspoon. Alongside the performances, MUTEK hosts a Forum which "brings together artists, digital experts, researchers, and cultural actors to exchange ideas around contemporary creative practices." Refuge will be broadcasting a range of recordings, both live sets and discussions from the Forum, which "explores how artistic and technological practices can serve as tools for resilience, meaning-making, and systemic transformation." Head to the MUTEK website for tickets, and keep any eye out for the MUTEK radio shows coming soon. Header image by Vivien Gaumand.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Remixing and Editing Workshop]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/remixing-and-editing-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/remixing-and-editing-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A 3-part workshop hosted by Sarah Farina]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Apply now for a relaxed, beginner-friendly workshop exploring the art of remixing and editing. Hosted by Sarah Farina, this three-part series is ideal for anyone with a basic understanding of Ableton who wants to get creative without building a full track from scratch. Across the sessions, you’ll be introduced to core editing and remixing techniques, explore the ethics of remix culture, and learn how to approach sampling in a respectful and informed way. The sessions will be held on August 19, 26, and September 2 from 18:00 - 21:00 at our NM1 space.  UPDATE: Applications are now open until August 11th, 11:59PM CET. This workshop is supported by Ableton. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-31-july</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-31-july</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Police brutality in Berlin, Magic Dyke* Splashgasm, 90mil festival]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Police brutality in Berlin  Last week, the German police once again brutally cracked down on people protesting in solidarity with Palestine. On Thursday, they attacked a peaceful civil disobedience gathering in protest of the starvation of Gaza at Checkpoint Charlie. Videos showed police officers punching a person on the ground, dragging a mother away from her children, and handling an unconscious person. PA Allies issued a statement with more information, which you can read here. The following Saturday, in another incident of police violence, the authorities pushed into the crowds at the Internationalist Queer Pride demonstration and made several arrests. IQP is an annual counter-event to the commercial CDS Pride and advocates for an intersectional and anti-imperialist understanding of queer liberation. Before the march was able to start, police had already interfered, leading to a delay. At the midway point, they burst into the crowd and dissolved the protest ahead of its official end. Refuge Worldwide community conversation  On 4 August, Refuge Worldwide invites cultural workers and activists in Berlin for a community gathering and exchange about the current challenges of working in Germany’s repressive climate while staying true to one’s values and advocating for a free Palestine. The event includes a panel conversation and open discussion, creating space to share ideas on navigating financial pressure, commercial collaborations, and political repression. This gathering especially welcomes those who publicly express solidarity with Palestine and are facing repressions or funding cuts as a result of their stance. The event takes place at Niemetzstraße 1 and starts at 18:00. You can read more and RSVP here. We hope to see you there and exchange ideas and strategies. Petition against special registry for trans people German minister Alexander Dobrint is planning to reintroduce a special register of trans people, who make use of the Selbstbestimmungsgesetz – a bill aimed at making changes to name and gender marker more accessible. The proposed register would list everyone who has changed their name and gender marker, alongside their previous information. This not only violates the right to privacy but also puts them in danger by permanently marking trans people on paper. Special registries for minorities have historically made it easier to target them and are a long-standing feature of fascist strategies. Trans activist Penelope Alva Frank has launched a petition against this planned measure. You can sign it here. Magic Dyke* Splashgasm On 2 August, Magic Dyke* returns after almost a year-long hiatus. Magic Dyke* is an event series made by and for queers featuring sensual performances by queer butches, studs, bois, mascs, and gender benders. Their big comeback, “Splashgasm”, takes place over 13 hours on Saturday, 2 August, at Festsaal Kreuzberg. From 17:00, there will be a queer market with local vendors, food, and DJs, as well as an outdoor Magic Dyke* show. The main show starts from 21:00 and is followed by an afterparty with two dance floors and a dark room. This event gives priority to SLINTA* visitors, and an awareness team will be present at the venue.  You can get tickets and find more information regarding accessibility here.  RSLA session for collective deep listening  Radical Sounds Latin America is teaming up with America & Terminal Tribe for an event at KWIA. “Listening Shelter” is a session for collective deep listening in an atmospheric setting, exploring altered states, voices, rhythms, memories, and textures through subdued sounds. This attentive listening practice is designed to cultivate an intentional space where sound serves as both refuge and resistance. Come by KWIA on 2 August from 20:00 to experience sets by four DJs. Tickets are available on a sliding scale of 8-12€. Enana and mx.pinky release party  The Berlin-based rapper Enana has teamed up with producer and DJ mx.pinky. Together, they created the EP Becoming, which was released last week on the all-trans label and fundraiser event series exude. The artists will celebrate the release on 1 August at ACUD. The release party starts at 22:00 and the performance by Enana and mx.pinky will be followed by DJs Alada and Bad Puppy on the decks. Tickets start from 15€. 90mil festival  From 1-3 August, the cultural hub 90mil is hosting its first-ever festival. Over the course of three days, the 90mil crew has curated a packed lineup featuring artists from Berlin’s diverse countercultural scene. The festival kicks off on Friday at 15:00 with performances by artists like Ghostpoet, Alex Rapp, and Devon Rexi. On Saturday, from 14:00 until late, artists like Dengue Dengue Dengue, NaN and Azemad will take the stage. Sunday wraps up the festival with sets by RÛVEYDA, Eve Martin, and more. The festival is part of the farewell to 90mil – the beloved will have to close its current location in 2026. Check out the full lineup here, and make sure to come around to celebrate the last summer with 90mil. Photos courtesy of Sonic Interventions, Sinema Transtopia, and K-Fetisch.

]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Fundraiser Raffle Prize Draw]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fundraiser-raffle</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fundraiser-raffle</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Enter until midnight on Saturday!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We’ve put together a huge range of festival tickets, production equipment and audio gear, hotel nights, wine, clothes, merch, music and vinyl - which some lucky people will win THIS WEEK, by donating to our crowdfunding campaign. Check the full list of prizes below and donate 15€ before this Saturday 23:59 to enter! Each person drawn can select one prize from the list, in the same order that they were chosen. A huge thank you to all our partners for the generous gifts:

Bandcamp
50$ gift card XJAZZ!
2 x vinyl – Entangled Grounds. The Sound of XJAZZ! Berlin
1 x 3-Day-Pass for XJAZZ! Festival 2026 (May 29-31, Berlin) Edwin
Campus Jacket (M)
Regular Tapered trousers in rinsed Kurabo Natural Selvage 14oz Denim (W31 L 30) GALA
2 x weekend pass for GALA 2026 (May 22-24, London) Horizn
1 x Carry-on suitcase Teenage Engineering
1 x Pocket Operator Synth

CTM Festival
2 x 2 tickets for Exponential Function at Haus der Visionäre on 2 October. ADAM Audio
Pair of A44H studio monitors Refuge Worldwide
1 x bottle of Refuge Worldwine
1 x Refuge Worldwide x Kappa football shirt
2 x tickets to 24th August event @ Beach Neukölln Hoxton Hotel
Two nights complimentary stay at Hoxton Charlottenburg with breakfast

Sound Metaphors
Vinyl bundle
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Telephones to host fundraising event at Niemetzstraße]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/telephones-50th-episode-fundraiser</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/telephones-50th-episode-fundraiser</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Celebrating the 50th episode of New Massage, with special guests and a marathon broadcast.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Celebrating the 50th episode of his New Massage radio-series, Telephones is throwing a 12 hour marathon show and fundraiser, live from our Niemetzstraße location on Wednesday 6th August from 10:00 - 22:00. You can tune in from home, but better yet, if you are in town - come on down! Proceedings from the event are going to local mental health/support phone-line initiatives Frauenkrisentelefon e.V. and Schwulenberatung Berlin, as well as pet-adoption/welfare organisation Tierschutz Berlin (courtesy of his most frequent and vocal celebrity guest, Cosmo the poodle). We have an array of special guests dropping by during the broadcast and in true eclectic New Massage-style the day starts with horizontal ambient, experimental and jazz, slowly moving on through downbeat, street-soul, dub, leftfield pop, balearic, disco, acid, house and trippy techno-flavours.  Joining Telephones in the Niemetzstraße booth will be Hong Kong and Mihn Club-resident Xiaolin, followed by recently relocated Tokyo-DJ, Courtney Bailey. The Orbita-trio DJ Aficionado, Eleonora K and Llupe drop by with sandy sandals and Balearic discs, meanwhile DJ Fett Burger goes b2b with DJ Sommer for a proper house-jam. Finally, NYC's Public Records-resident DJ, Sinéad, swings by with her pure groove spin on 90/00s UK and West Coast house. There also be massages offered (physio+chiro) courtesy of Out Of Seven, a record-sale, prizes, drinks, ice cream, as well as live-painting from visual artists Naomi Takaki and DJ Fett Burger, making their own visual interpretations of the music during the event. The paintings will be sold at the end of the event, with funds going towards our chosen charities. J. Hannevold International, and Douglas Lee aka An-I will also exhibit prints and artworks for sale. Holding it down on the catering side is HOT JAM 38 and sweet serves from Kuréme - the newest ice cream shop in Kreuzberg. We are excited to invite you for an all-day community hangout and celebration, for your mind, body and soul.. Unity in the community!]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Humans in Transit: Refugee testimonies from Libya and the Mediterranean]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refugees-in-libya-and-on-the-mediterranean-testimonies-collected-by-msf</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refugees-in-libya-and-on-the-mediterranean-testimonies-collected-by-msf</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A cross-platform project by Médecins Sans Frontières.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Humans in Transit brings together the voices of 400 people whose lives have been shaped by the search for safety. 

Their testimonies were collected by Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) over the past decade, many from refugees held in detention in Libya, others shared from aboard search and rescue vessels in the Mediterranean following rescue from boats in distress. Names and personal details have been removed to protect their identities, but their words speak with power and urgency.  Each testimony is paired with a portrait created by one of four artists who set out to give a face to stories too often reduced to numbers. These images illuminate the realities of people who have survived violence, abuse, and exploitation while seeking refuge. Together, they serve as a tribute to strength, resistance, and the enduring right to dignity and safety. Refugees were not only subjects of the exhibition, but co-creators of it. All of the artists, actors, and filmmakers involved come from refugee or migrant backgrounds themselves” to be replaced by “The 400 artworks and six videos are all created by artists, filmmakers and actors from refugee or migrant backgrounds. Their shared experience informs a powerful collective narrative, stories told by those who have lived them. Humans in Transit is a collaborative act of storytelling, reclaiming how those stories are shared, remembered, and honoured. This project would not have been possible without the vital contributions of volunteers who recorded the voices of refugees, amplifying testimonies that deserve to be heard. A 21-hour audio compilation of these recordings is accessible for listeners worldwide. These recordings will also be broadcast in exhibition spaces, creating a moving, uninterrupted tribute to the endurance and courage of displaced people. The exhibition will be hosted this September at Niemetzstraße 1 - more info soon. A digital version, including audio, video, illustrations, and text, is also available for online sharing via MSF and partner platforms. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona Bar Summer Party]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-bar-summer-party</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-bar-summer-party</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Food and drinks on Weserstraße - August 2nd.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our last summer on Weserstraße, and it's the final edition of the annual Oona Bar summer hangout. Don't miss! Holding it down with the music we've put together a fine selection of Refuge Worldwide residents, including Blurry Vision, Christophe Darbouze, Kira Joanna, Mez, Ratchet Berlin, Mr. Redley & Richard Akingbehin, Sueya and TRUL:L There will be food outside from Kroque, competitions to win merch and drinks, plus a tasty cocktail specials list backed by the lovely folks at Monkey Shoulder.  This starts nice and early, is family friendly, and of course no charge to come chill on the street with us. We'll also be giving away some Refuge Worldwide merch and guest list to our beach party during the afternoon. From 16:00 - 18:00, it's also 2-4-1 on Aperol and Campari Spritz. See you there, Saturday 2nd August from midday. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[90mil Festival: truly here, truly now, and never to be repeated]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/90mil-festival-truly-here-truly-now-and-never-to-be-repeated</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/90mil-festival-truly-here-truly-now-and-never-to-be-repeated</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Catalyst for collaboration, a living practice of mutual aid, and visions beyond the end.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From 1-3 August, Berlin’s beloved cultural hub 90mil hosts its first, and possibly last festival. With the theme beginning of the end, the weekend is a love letter to the spirit it has nurtured since 2023: a home for experimentation, cross-pollination, and creative collaboration across the spectrum of Berlin’s cultures and artforms.  Born from impermanence, and built with care, 90mil is a living, breathing act of resistance: proof of what’s possible when people come together and create from what they have. As the temporary space nears the end of its time on Holzmarkstrasse, we speak with co-founder Thea Hope to discuss how the space came to be not just a living room for alternative culture, but a practice: of mutual aid, resilience, and imagining new futures through collective care.  Your motto is “In the making to be destroyed”. What motivated this and the start of 90mil? 90mil is about embracing impermanence, acknowledging that in our lives, how we live and everything we know could be gone tomorrow. That’s a very real and increasingly common reality for many people. The motto speaks to that—to embrace our situation, both as 90mil and as the greater collective.  The impermanence reflects the nature of 90mil, on all levels. In the literal sense, there is no certainty for how long we will have use of the space. Right now we are working towards the approximate date of March 2026, after which, the building will likely be demolished for development. But having that time constraint created urgency. People brought and gave so much, throwing their heart and soul into the community from the get-go. It's kind of like, "If not now, then maybe never." I sometimes think about a future space, a longer-term space, and wonder how it would be different. We created a precious and unique opportunity, and so much of what we achieved in such a short time we owe to the fact that we knew it would be gone. When building the space with this timeframe in mind, what did you envision? Having been in Berlin for a long time and being part of the creative scenes, sometimes it can feel somewhat separated or cliquish. People have their own genres, scenes, nationalities, or areas where they tend to hang out. The aim with 90mil, therefore, was to create a space that was not only multidisciplinary but also cross-genre and cross-community. We wanted to get people mixing. 90mil Members Lounge To encourage this, we aimed to create a space that feels like a living room for all people, where people feel safe and welcome to claim as their own from the moment they walk in, regardless of their affiliation. When making the lounge bar area, for instance, we wanted it to feel truly relaxed and inviting, where people can unwind, be themselves, read a book, hold a meeting, or just hang out. Some residents are there all day. It's their creative home on a day-to-day basis. The kitchen is like our family kitchen. Artists and organisers are free to use it like they would in their own home, which immediately elevates the collective living room vibe.  Both the project space and the theatre are very blank rooms. We don’t want to impose any aesthetic onto it, so that people who use the space can make it their own. We ask them, "How do you want to transform it?" and try not to impose an aesthetic or idea. It’s a blank canvas we invite Berlin to paint.  90mil GOOCH Theatre 90mil means something different to everyone. They have different experiences here with their own communities. For me, the most beautiful moments are the transformations that happen because of these intersections. When a fundraiser and a punk show intersect, for example—setting up, breaking down—people see how the space transforms for another group. That’s something really juicy but lacking in this city.  Why did you choose to take a DIY approach, and what does that look like in practice? How does working outside of institutional structures shape what’s possible creatively? DIY isn’t about making do with what you’ve got; that framing suggests that you don’t have anything. It's about creating from the resources that already exist: asking what you can offer, what someone else can, what’s missing—piecing the puzzle together through looking at existing resources within us and our community, and asking what can happen from that, as opposed to looking externally to institutions or funding. That to me is DIY. It means working with what we have in our limited resources, which also holds true time-wise, as we are also under time constraint.  The two go hand in hand in our creative process. These constraints enforce action. Was the compatibility of DIY and temporality with 90mil’s motto something you had in mind, or did it just happen? Again, it goes back to the building being demolished. Everything in it, anything we leave, will essentially go into a dump. It’s about finding the balance between the energy invested in the space and knowing it’s not forever. Environmentally, resource-wise, and materials-wise, we want to use what we already have.  We also know that what we build doesn’t have to last forever, which is an amazing thing. Obviously, that doesn’t lead to the most aesthetically pleasing constructions, but they work, and that’s the point. Things just need to work to support what we’re doing for that particular time. It doesn’t have to last forever, but it’s practical. It serves the purpose we need it to at that time, which is super creative. Even though it's not a pristine space, it feels real because it does the job. It’s very beautiful, maybe not physically, but energetically in the way that life moves through it. It's designed to be a space for people to connect, and being here for only a limited time draws focus to the possibilities of collaboration.  It means something that the two synchronise so well, reflecting the nature of art in its ability to encourage newness, which stems from learning from one another.  This is a quality that is often lost when art is institutionalised because it becomes standardised, and the product of the collaborative process is capitalised.  There’s something about being able to build with what you've got and feeling autonomous, feeling like you have the ability to change things in the space you're in. We don’t often think about it because we’re typically in spaces where how we interact with it is prescribed or predetermined. In a DIY space like 90mil, if you see a problem, you can fix it. This is the way of being on the daily.  Engaging in this as a daily practice changes how proactive you are not only in your communities but in the world. You relearn your capacity for agency.  Something else we run is our monthly volunteering day Fix & Mix, where anyone can come down to help take care of the space by assisting with various tasks around the venue in exchange for food, drink and entry to whatever event is on that night. Whether it's fixing fixing pipes or building sound systems, it applies to the whole spectrum. That’s also why things get done in such a short time. Through this as a daily practice, we want to restore the notion that we are the ones in control of how we want to live and collectively be. This practice helps people reclaim the authority to transform their own lives, creating newness by intermingling knowledge from different kinds of people, starting with the little practicalities in everyday life.  Can you say more about the other projects that go on at 90mil? With the DIY ethos, what we try to do is say, this is a space for you. It's like an incubator for people to test ideas—events, workshop concepts, studios. As they grow and people respond, we give them autonomy to develop their own ecosystems within the space. For instance, the movement space now has a huge program, including summer residencies with new groups arriving every two weeks. The art school became a separate ecosystem of alternative education, and the radio as well. It's amazing to see them grow into their own lives, which adds a whole other pull into the space. There’s now an entire section of people moving into the building because of a specific project they're interested in, who then cross-pollinate and get involved in other things.  Das Zwischen: Between Dreams & Demolition (2024), Funded by Music Board Berlin, featuring Mama Matrix & Alf Brooks We recently started Community Nights on Tuesdays, a programme of events by and for marginalised groups, including BIPOC and FLINTA groups. They’re cosy, chilled early evening events in the living room. We also run residency programs, especially in the winter, providing space for a group of artists—typically 10 to 15—to develop and showcase their work. The theatre is now finally getting going. That was a tricky satellite to launch, but we now have several theatre development residencies. At its core, these programs are about offering space for people to explore whatever project. It’s hard to find space to dedicate time to developing things here in Berlin without money. But when the space is given, amazing things happen that take on a life of their own. This is something we really try to support, filling the gap left by institutions to give the depth of cultures and creative disciplines in this city a chance to experiment and flourish.  How do the different levels of accessibility to opportunity in the arts for marginalised identity groups reflect systems of power in Berlin, and how can a space like 90mil combat that? The main issues, both in Berlin and globally, are funding, representation, and access. There’s a lot of gatekeeping across all of those. With our programming, we strive to strike a balance and make it as diverse as possible. We have a quota of different types of events and communities, and when we don’t see them in the program, we make sure to go out and find them. That includes fundraisers, new people, new collectives, or musicians who’ve never put on an event before, or don’t know how to make the jump to access venues. We also try to create visibility for different political and social causes and minority groups. When we meet weekly for programming, we are always looking to the future, identifying gaps, and being proactive in encouraging them to create. Considering everything you’ve achieved in such a short time, how is the space different from how you envisioned it? 90mil is the clubhouse of The Palace Collective, which started running residencies in Poland back in 2016. There, we follow a teal organisational structure where people take the initiative to develop their own projects. We brought that approach to 90mil with a general idea of the spaces and art forms we wanted in mind, then waited to see who came forward with motivations to bring their visions to life.  The creative process in that sense was very much planned, and the way it was executed was beyond my wildest dreams. The exact intention worked, and more. That just goes to show how much Berlin needed a space like this. It’s not that people don’t want to collaborate, it’s that they often don’t have the tools and space to make it possible. If there’s no practice to teach that people can do things differently from how they’re set, then it’s not possible.  We need to recover the understanding that we have the power to make things happen. It should be so obvious, but it’s not. How have you seen temporality and DIY culture, whether consciously or not, affect how people approach collaboration in the creative process? What’s a shame is the lack of funding for artists and creatives to be paid for development. That sadly means there are a lot of fantastic ideas and initial work done, but the depth and quality of development aren't supported enough. Much of the time, work developed here scratches just the surface of something brilliant, to be actualised only within this timeframe, which is great because those constraints are what initially bring the idea to life. However, the step beyond that is hard to achieve.  What makes it frustrating is that we would like to offer more resources, and they should be given more resources. While it's incredible that we have this space and can offer it, the reality is that artists are often only able to create work in this space-time capsule, and often without funding. Sadly, that reflects the current state of politics surrounding culture and funding. Newness, in some ways, is so unsupported by institutions and governmental policies that dictate how culture can develop. Institutions don’t want new; they don't want DIY; they want the power to dictate what constitutes culture and who has the tools to build it, and they want that power to remain within the institution. Nonetheless, there are many examples of people undertaking residencies, then discovering through collaborations that there's something truly worth continuing. Dwam Collective, for instance, is a great example of a group who after doing a 90mil residency have continued to develop work together as a collective. They now run regular multidisciplinary events and showcases at 90mil. Zaki in Blu Bone’s Hi Cotton, 2023 How does being financially independent from institutions allow more freedom for what you can do? Both The Palace Residency and 90mil have always been completely independently funded through contributions from community members. We’ve had small pots of funding for specific projects, which have been amazing. But especially now, considering the political situation, censorship, and funding in Germany—if you’re dependent on funding, you can very suddenly end up stranded. I believe that will only get worse. We plan to find a way to finance the projects and groups that need it sustainably. On a higher level of mutual support, partnerships are always welcome. By showing those with more resources that what we’re doing is worthwhile, their support can trickle down to our networks to fund creatives in their projects, thereby equalising accessibility in the larger social network.   Something I find exciting about being self-organised is that it’s also up to us to find alternative ways of financing. That’s what mutual aid should be about. We really want to get the message across that there’s so much you can do with the resources you have to work collectively towards more financial independence, and raise money to channel into the things that we care about and want to support. Long-term, when we try to find a future space, something on our minds is how we can become not only a pool of resources but also offer financial means to support projects that aren’t getting funded.  How does mutual aid manifest in 90mil? It’s the heart of 90mil, really, and it’s reflected in everything that we do. To us, it means being a network of actionable support. Something we try to normalise is asking for help because it’s another key teaching we’re not used to in this world: saying, “I need help with this,” or “Someone probably knows this better and could support me,” especially because we don’t expect to receive it. Grants, for example, are scarcely accepted.   In the making” also means embodying the process of unlearning through collaboration over time, knowing that support will come.  The reality is that people do want to help one another. People do want to create things together. That’s an understanding that’s been taken away from us, not only in the arts, but in most facets of life because of individualist norms in capitalist society. The collaborative creative process here normalises that network of exchange, and vice versa. That process is how you build community. You’re not only achieving your goal, you're also creating relations through collaboration. It’s a practical love. And the beautiful and creative thing, because of that, is ideas transforming in ways that you couldn’t have imagined, then suddenly taking on a life of their own.  The Palace Collective x 90mil Wrestling Show featuring Bianca Stephens and Marilou Pelmont-Beguin On a simpler level, having a donation entry means that if you can give more, give more. If not, that's fine.  There's still a place for you. In the bigger picture, that’s what has happened with 90mil since its founding. So many people brought so much to it, and it’s transformed beyond anything we could have imagined—a living, breathing example of mutual aid, the essence of what community should be. It's holistic, a way of living. If you can manage to achieve that, it’s when things start to make sense because there is flow. It all makes sense, like this conversation.  What does resilience mean to you? How does that play out in the collaborative process? It follows the same idea of daily practice. 90mil is about inviting people into the daily practice of mutual aid. We aim to be a working, living, and practical example of how we can support one another and build creative networks of support.  We want to show that when people actively practice it, they're building resilience. Then, it doesn’t matter if the space is gone, because once it's gone, people still have the networks, tools, and understanding to continue that elsewhere. The different communities we’ve worked with, for example, are always looking to the future, thinking about how they might continue what they're doing—whether in a new building with 90mil or somewhere else. Resilience is what we give to others and the community that continues on to support them, and us, wherever we go in the future.  It’s a taught tool, and at its essence, a political act because we reclaim intrinsic care we have for one another, something in our nature that we’ve been alienated from. Through daily practice, it becomes a reality that people can take with them wherever they go.  Das Zwischen: Remaining Hopeful in Chaos (2024) funded by Clubcommission, featuring a panel with Nicky Boehm, Yuko Asanuma, Katharin Ahrend, Jamila and NaN For people not part of 90mil who wish to support you, how can they do so?  Entry for our events is also by suggested donation. The idea is that people who can pay more do. The festival offers supporter tickets, allowing people with more financial means to help cover the costs for those with less. It’s sometimes a tricky conversation—but understanding through community the varying degrees of people’s situations, recognising our positions within that, and evening out the degrees, whether financially or in other ways. This is key to building resilient communities and spaces. We also have a donate button on our website. As your time at this location nears an end, what are the future prospects for 90mil?  The estimated end date is currently March 2026. We're working to find an alternative location. I can’t say much yet, but definitely—we’re throwing our heart and soul into it. This festival is partly about showing the city that what we’ve done is worthwhile, that this system not only works but is necessary, and that we should be able to continue offering this space to Berlin's cultural landscape. Cassettehead Sessions, 2024 Can you spill the beans on the end-of-summer goodbye festival? What can the community get excited about? The festival is extremely exciting. The whole idea is that this is our first festival, and it might be our last. And in case it’s our last, we want it to be fucking good. In the theme of impermanence, many artists are creating unique works for the festival that are specific to the space. The programm for the festival opening Friday night is a 90mil X Dwam showcase, featuring many of the artists who came through this collaboration. It embodies the core of 90mil. Aesthetically, it’s very DIY, super multidisciplinary. You can sense that it’s not just about the end product or the “art”. It’s also deeply about the process, the community, and the intention of working together.  Somehow, that comes through to be very tangible. The DIY context emphasises the process as the main event. The whole site will be activated with workshops, performances, and strange happenings across all genres and art forms. Blu Bone, an artist who performed very early on in the 90mil journey, is coming over from America with something special—a multidisciplinary hip-hop horror swamp inspired performance in collaboration with local artists. Liaz and The New Love Experience are planning a special show. Abdullah Miniawy will be performing his new work that just premiered at Lost Festival, which as big fans, we are really excited about.  All the spaces will feature open studios and numerous workshops run by residents and local artists, as well as a full slate of community programming. Everyone’s putting something on—old and new, inside and outside. From life drawing on the roof to witchy stew-making around the fire at midnight, you won’t be bored—that’s for sure. There’s something for everyone, every day. The Palace Collective x 90mil Wrestling Show featuring Emma Patmore, Oliver Zimmermann and Thea Hope The broader narrative across the weekend is the themes of impermanence, demolition, resilience, dreams, and looking to the future. To start with, Friday is focused on destruction and DIY impermanence. Saturday is about resilience, solidarity, and joy. Sunday explores wishes for the future, a gentle closing. The weekend is a celebration, a collective experience that’s truly here, truly now, and never to be repeated. Come down, get involved. In true 90mil fashion, it’s now or never.  Find more info on the full 90mil festival programm here. Grab your tickets here.  Photos courtesy of Ana Torres, Mishka Kornai, and Tamu.


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            <title><![CDATA[Radio Series: Queer Liberation Pride Special]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pride-special</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pride-special</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As part of Pride weekend in Berlin, we hosted a four-part series about queer culture, music and politics.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We kicked off the series with an interview with Joanna, a Jordanian-Palestinian activist and community organiser fighting for trans rights and the liberation of the Global South. She joined Ilo from the Refuge Worldwide editorial team for a chat about trans Arab liberation, her upcoming film, and how to organise from within the repressive German state.  On Wednesday, Dream from the House of Louboutin and Gisèle 007  hosted a 100% Ballroom show. They played beats and talked about Ballroom culture, its history, past, present, and future in Berlin. On Thursday, we had a chat with Eden and ley from Queer Analog Darkroom about queer and trans photography and what it means to use it as a political practice. Queer Analog Darkroom is a collective of Berlin-based queer and trans analog photographers who share a communal darkroom for photo development. They regularly host fundraiser events and share their skills through community workshops. On Friday, Gizmo and Mouna from the beloved queer feminist OYA bar located in Kreuzberg shared some insights into the herstory of OYA and what it means to run a queer, trans BiPoC-centered space in Berlin.  In addition to this series, this week we hosted lesbian bar night (lip) service on Wednesday evening at Oona, plus "FLURFUNK CSD: PRIDE IS A PROTEST" by the Calabaddies crew on Thursday, Open Dy*ke Takeover on Friday (curated by Sacre Blair and Wooly Aziz), and finally a Fiestuki takeover on Saturday night, with Girltalk and Kudur in the afternoon. No pride for some without liberation for all! ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-21-july-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-21-july-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Starvation in Gaza, Murder of Rahma A., Workers Block Arms Shipment]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Israel’s deliberate starvation of Gazans Gaza is being starved. In recent days, people on the ground have been reporting the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions, with barely any food or aid entering the Gaza Strip. One million children are at risk of starvation, warns UNRWA. Most shipments are being blocked by the Israeli army at the border, and the Gazan Humanitarian Foundation – administered by Israel and the United States – deliberately distributes insufficient aid. People seeking aid at their distribution centers, often queueing for hours, are frequently killed by Israeli forces firing into the crowds. Malnutrition rates have reached an all-time high, with much of the damage caused by hunger now irreversible, even if those affected were to receive adequate care.  Racist femicide of Rahma A.  In Germany, Rahma A., a 26-year-old Algerian woman and nursing trainee living in Hanover, was fatally stabbed by her neighbor, in what was widely described as a racist and anti-Muslim femicide and hate crime. Rahma A. has reportedly told family members about being previously harassed and verbally threatened by her neighbor for wearing a hijab. On 4 July, she was stabbed multiple times in the stairwell of her apartment building. Authorities have yet to confirm the motive or press formal charges against the suspect, who was arrested the same day. The murder of Rahma A. has sparked outrage across Germany, with widespread calls for a thorough investigation. However, as previous cases have shown, structural racism remains deeply ingrained in the police and judicial system, and cases of racist violence and femicides are rarely met with accountability or justice. Druze Community in Sweida under attack In the southern Syrian province of Sweida, violent clashes against the local Druze community erupted last week between the Druze and Bedouin fighters. Hundreds of people - the majority of whom are Druze - have been killed, and videos of executed and burned bodies on the street have circulated widely on social media, drawing attention to the situation in Sweida. Damascus sent government troops to stop the fighting, but reports emerged of them participating in violations against the Druze and further escalating the situation. Fighting continued on Saturday despite a call for a ceasefire. Israel, which also houses a large Druze community, attacked the Syrian capital of Damascus and Sweida in what the Israeli military spokesperson claimed to be an act of protection of the Druze. However, this might just be another way to excuse the attack of yet another country. Civilians caught in the crossfire in the province have largely been cut off from food and medical supplies.  ICE steps up deportations and gains access to health data  Under newly passed legislation introduced by Donald Trump, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has intensified its attacks on civilians and escalated the violent deportation of undocumented people. The Trump administration has granted ICE officers access to personal health data through Medicaid, further expanding state surveillance into people’s lives. With funding increased by $45, new deportation tent camps are being built to hold those facing forced deportation. These centres are known for their inhumane conditions. The new bid also allows for migrants to be detained without hearings. These measures, part of Trump's racist and anti-immigrant mobilisation, have already torn apart thousands of families and are being met with protests by the local population organising to protect one another. Greece suspends asylum rights  Last week, Greece suspended the right to asylum for people arriving by boat via North Africa – a move that violates European law and puts lives at risk. Approved by the Parliament, asylum seekers will now be returned to their countries of origin without being granted the right to claim asylum, which is still enshrined in the obligation of EU member states. The Greek prime minister also seeks to collaborate with the Libyan authorities to prevent the departure of boats carrying migrants. The Libyan forces and coast guards are documented for committing grave abuses against people on the move. Several Human Rights Organisations like Human Rights Watch and UNHCR have condemned Greece’s suspension of asylum rights.  New agreement between Kanaky and France  Last year, protests erupted in Kanaky, also known as New Caledonia in the Pacific, which to this day remains a colony, or so-called “French Overseas Territory” under French control since 1853. In 2024, protestors raised their voices in protest against French rule of the island, which continues to deny true autonomous agency to the indigenous Kanak population. Now, on Saturday, 11 July, new conditions have been agreed upon by representatives of both France and Kanaky. While the agreement does not grant full independence, it extends more freedoms to the Pacific territory and establishes a “State of New Caledonia” within the French Republic.   French military withdraws from Senegal  After 65 years, the French military has officially withdrawn from its last remaining military base in Senegal. Although Senegal gained independence in 1960, France maintained a military presence in the West African nation for decades. The withdrawal marks another step in the broader expulsion of French military from former colonies in the Sahel region like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was elected in 2024 in a landslide victory, had demanded the full withdrawal by 2025. He has also called on France to acknowledge and apologise for its colonial atrocities committed in Senegal. Dock workers in Greece block arms shipment to Israel  Last Wednesday, hundreds of Greek workers and activists gathered to block a military shipment to Israel. In a coordinated grassroots action, they successfully prevented five containers of military grade-steel from being used in aid of Israel’s war on Gaza. Markos Bekris, the president of the port’s container handling workers’ union, publicly condemned the genocide of Palestinians and declared that the port would refuse to take part in any transport operations aiding Israel’s war on Gaza. All photos under Creative Commons License.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-17-july</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-17-july</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Pride Weekend, OEZ Memorial, Radical Rest Residency]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Shift Lab Summer Art Laboratory Performance Event On Friday, 18 July, Shift Lab Berlin is hosting a special summer art laboratory performance event, “Gathering in Resistance”, in collaboration with ASNAM. SHIFT is a community-oriented art platform that merges club culture and performance, while ASNAM is an initiative founded to dismantle barriers within the music industry. At 17:00, the Garden of Gatherings opens with crafts and soli market stalls, workshops, tattoos, and food. From 20:00, performances will take place on the indoor stage at OHM, featuring artists such as ENANA, Sami, and LUNA LIAS.  Pride Weekend: IQP, Community Dyke* March, Kiki Ball Next weekend, several Pride events will take place in Berlin. In addition to the large commercial CSD demonstration on Saturday, 27 July, which starts at 12:00 from Leipziger Straße, there will also be the alternative Internationalist Queer Pride (IQP). This non-commercial event focuses on intersectional solidarity with global struggles against oppression and advocates for liberation and decolonisation. The IQP begins at 15:00 at Südstern. Ahead of the Pride marches, Friday, 25 July is Dyke March Day. This year, the protest uplifting anyone who identifies with the label dyke, was cancelled by the organiser team. However, a community initiative has stepped in to make it happen. The Community Dyke* March takes place on 25 July at 16:00, with the meeting point at Oranienplatz. If you would like to support the initiative, stop by the solidarity event at Stagger Lee hosted by the Ivy Project Berlin on 20 July at 19:00. The proceeds will go toward the new Community Dyke* March. Also on 26 July, after the IQP, the “Colors of Pride” Kiki Ball will take place at Social Hub Berlin. Hosted by German Mother Gina Angels and Papi 007, the ball honors the roots of ballroom culture, trans people, and especially trans femmes. It starts at 15:00 and you can get your tickets here. “War Against War” Soli Event by Migrantifa and Global South United  Migrantifa, Global South United, and Guerre à la Guerre are teaming up to host a solidarity event, “War Against War”. It takes place on 20 July from 13:00 at BUM. There will be a solidarity market with booths by several activist organisations mobilising against genocide, a panel discussion on “internationalist perspectives on warmongering” with Stop Arming Israel German and the Resist NATO Campaign (14:00-16:00), and a closing screening of “We Are the battlefields” by Mathieu Rigouste. Food will be provided by Food for Palestine. Come by to discuss, learn, exchange, and support local political organising. Palestine Fundraiser Market and Music 4 Palestine On 27 July, Palestine Speaks and other activist organisations in solidarity with Palestine are inviting to a fundraiser for Social Media Club Palestine, a grassroots organisation working with Gazan children. From 12:00 to 18:00 at Biergarten Jockel, there will be solidarity merchandise, food, drinks and workshops like a Dabke lesson, Palestinian music and a backgammon match. On the same day, BUM is hosting a fundraiser event for Palestine as well: Music 4 Palestine. This event supports grassroots organisations across Palestine and runs from 15:00 to 00:00. Expect performances, workshops, DJ Sets, poetry, panel talks, art exhibitions and much more. Entry is donation-based, with a suggested sliding scale from 10-20€. 13 Years Revolution in Rojava Demonstration This Saturday, 19 July, marks the 13th anniversary of the revolution in Rojava. The Kurdish autonomous region in northern Syria was established after years of resistance against occupation,  marginalisation, and discrimination against the Kurdish people. On 19 July 2012, the revolutionary project of Rojava began in the city of Kobanê, aiming to build alternative societal structures in opposition to oppressive regimes. To this day, Rojava continues to face attacks by the Turkish military and other forces. Join us at the demonstration at Oranienplatz on 19 July to celebrate the resistance and revolution in Rojava. The protest begins at 18:00. Bîjî berxwedana Rojava!  OEZ Erinnern Memorial and Demonstration  On 22 July, a memorial and demonstration will take place in remembrance of the nine victims of the far-right and racist attack at the OEZ shopping centre in Munich in 2016. The initiative München OEZ Erinnern has been fighting to raise awareness of the murders and continues to demand justice for the survivors. To this day, as in so many cases of right-wing violence, the state has failed to provide adequate support and accountability.  We remember: Armela Segashi, Can Leyla, Dijamant Zabërgja, Guiliano Kollmann, Hüseyin Dayıcık, Roberto Rafael, Sabine Sulaj, Selçuk Kılıç und Sevda Dağ. The memorial event will take place at Oranienplatz from 17:00 to 19:30. Twirl Recordings Pride Takeover at Oona On 24 July, Oona Bar is hosting a special CSD takeover by TWIRL Recordings. They will accompany the evening with music by artists on their label like Shaun J. Wright, Alika, DJ Holographic, and Kiddy Smile. Join us from 19:00-22:00 for a drink at the bar or tune in online. SWANA Healing Residency OYOUN is teaming up with SWANA Healing for a Radical Rest Residency in Marrakech, Morocco. The retreat is open to all FLINTA* BiPoC artists and cultural workers in Germany and is especially aimed at those who have been affected by the repression around Palestinian solidarity. Designed as a week-long sanctuary for rest, the residency is not about productivity, but about collective care and refusal to conform to capitalist structures. In the face of increasing repression and systemic violence in Germany and beyond, rest and recovery are acts of resistance. The SWANA Healing Residency is fully funded, covering travel, accommodation, meals, facilitation, and includes an honorarium of 500€. Applications are open until 20 July. Leave No One Behind needs support The activist organisation Leave No One Behind is in urgent need of support. In the past five years, Leave No One Behind has been supporting people on the move, documenting human rights violations and the European border, aiding rescue missions at sea, evacuations, and providing medical and legal support to refugees. In the current climate of austerity and budget cuts, Leave NO One Behind is now more than ever in need of donations to keep operating. The organisation has released a statement outlining its financial struggles. You can read it here, and please consider donating to help sustain their crucial work. Photos courtesy of IQP, under Creative Commons license via Etienne Girardet on Unsplash, Wikipedia Commons. 
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            <title><![CDATA[In Conversation With Nazanin Noori ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/interview-nazanin-noori</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/interview-nazanin-noori</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Talking sound and process ahead of Gaswerk Music Days.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As Gaswerk Music Days 2025 continues this week at Gaswerksiedlung studio complex in Rummelsburg, we spoke with Berlin-based multidisciplinary artist and director Nazanin Noori. With a background in sciences, Noori’s practice moves across composition, installation, lecture performance and text, manipulating sound as a way of thinking and feeling - her AMBIENT HARDCORE radio shows on Refuge are a good introduction. Primarily working within the ambient hardcore and doom electronics realms, her compositions explore the intersections of space and post-dramatic poetry. Together with drummer and collaborator Andrea Belfi, she is preparing a set that leans into both tension and texture. We spoke about shared presence and what it means to listen in a time that asks for it.  This year’s Gaswerk lineup is bold and conceptual. What made you want to join?

We are excited to be part of a lineup with so many strong artists that have a very distinct sound each. The curation has done an excellent job. The last time Andrea and I played together in Berlin was at Martin Gropius Bau, in their big hall that is a space with an architecture that really shaped how we approached the set. It was a memorable experience for both of us, as we played very delicately. Now playing in Berlin as part of Gaswerk Music Days feels meaningful in a different way, as the setup allows us to approach the music much more physically and indeed boldly, which brings a completely different context and therefore energy to the sound. You’re performing with Andrea Belfi. How did this collaboration start, and how do your sounds meet each other? I met Andrea almost two years ago during an artist residency at Callie’s in Berlin. Andrea was already a permanent resident, I was there temporarily. By now Andrea has also become my partner. We produce, compose and perform together. Andrea also composes for the plays that I direct. Our most recent production, I PITY THE GARDEN, was staged at the Studio Я, at Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin. Our next piece, DEATH FUGE, will premiere there in October. In this specific set at Gaswerk Music Days Andrea will play the drums and I will perform the vocals and electronics. Speaking of that, what kind of tone are you shaping for this set? All things AMBIENT HARDCORE. Meaning everything happens at the same time.  Your work carries displacement, and grief. How do those feelings move through your music? It feels almost impossible to produce works that don't carry those elements. When I think about political realities, meaning how they solidify into history, how they shape public opinion, how they are expressed, it often starts with a word. But what I try to bring to the table is something that goes beyond words. I work with sound as a way to respond to the world, especially to the parts of it that are difficult to articulate. I try to translate that tension, that grief, into something felt, not just heard.

I see sound as a way of thinking or as a way of translating a state of mind that’s more complex than language or the logic we usually use to make sense of things. Within any discourse built on words, there's a limit. Words tend to simplify, unless they’re poetic, but that’s probably another conversation. What I try to do is to tell a sound story of what is felt. Something that comes from under the table. There’s a complexity in sound that resists simplification, and for me, that’s where an emotional narrative can unfold. That’s also where listening becomes essential, listening as a form of presence, of holding space. Do your live sets come from places of resistance?  Resistance is a strong word. I might aim to resist, but I’m not sure I can say I succeed in doing so. I would rather call it, as Pauline Oliveros did, Sonic Meditation. A practice of deep listening, of being present with the present and sound and what it carries. I simply think that in a world of empathy, there must be listening. And in a world of empathy and listening, there may be justice. What’s a sound you heard recently that is stuck in your mind? It’s not a new sound to me, but I’ve been listening a lot to the works of Kurdish tanbur master Seyed Khalil Alinezhad lately. His music is deeply spiritual and, for me, healing. It helps me especially when I feel myself starting to dissociate. Also, I feel a little obsessed with it. 

You move between artistic mediums. What ties all those forms together for you?

Having the opportunity to move between different branches of the arts allows me to think more freely within each field, without being limited by the specific expectations or restrictions they often carry. I know it’s a real privilege to be able to navigate across disciplines, and I have to say that the diversity in my work is a constant source of co-inspiration. Also, I get to work with a wide range of people, each with their own stories, perspective and personality, which continues to inspire my thinking. By now, I must say, I cannot even imagine not working within these many fields at the same time. 

How has your experience of sound evolved through Refuge Worldwide radio shows?

Having a broad taste in music and maybe a slightly odd perspective on pop culture, or what I think should be pop culture but mostly lives in the niche, I was genuinely afraid I’d stop listening to new music when I turned 30. But then came Refuge Worldwide. I met George and Richard during the early days of planning the platform, and I knew right away it would become something special. Refuge launched at a time when everything felt like it was on hold, and yet it found its voice and audience. They’ve built a space that gives visibility to communities, embraces diversity and does so with care and inclusivity. Chapeau. What conversations are you hoping to open with this Gaswerk performance? I don’t think I have any specific expectations. I just hope that we can share a moment of insight, and that the audience allows themselves to be present with the music. As the set is made up of different episodes, my hope is that people can move through those shifts with us in a way that invites feeling and feeling differently too. If the audience is able to let themselves stay with the music, even as it changes and turns, then maybe we can create a space for something to happen. Not in a big or obvious way, but within. Ultimately, it’s about trust. What new projects or directions are you leaning into now?

I tend to work on multiple projects at once. Right now, I’m preparing rehearsals for DEATH FUGE, a spoken word opera based on texts by Paul Celan, which I’m directing. The piece will premiere at the Maxim Gorki Theatre in October 2025. It requires a lot of preparation, so I’m glad to be developing it further during my upcoming artist residency at Rupert in Vilnius, Lithuania, before rehearsals begin in Berlin. This year, I’m also composing music for a theatre production in Amed, Kurdistan, directed by Mizgin Bilmen. The piece is being developed with local actors and navigates around questions of war and peace, drawing from Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth and Georg Büchner’s Danton’s Death. I’ll also be composing music for Murat Dikenci’s new staging of The Legend of Paul and Paula, which will also premiere at the Maxim Gorki Theatre in December. The more, the more.  

Full program of Gaswerk Music Days is available here. Tickets available here. 
Header photo by Diana Pfammatter. Visual by Cosmodernism.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Film Screening: We Become One]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/we-become-one-rsvp</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/we-become-one-rsvp</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[RSVP to this music documentary presented by Kikelomo.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us for a free screening of AlphaTheta's We Become One documentary at our Niemetzstraße space later this month (31st July). RSVP here. "We Become One” follows DJ/producer/curator Kikelomo Oludemi as she goes on a journey to learn why people choose music as a vehicle to connect with others, appreciating it as a universal "language" that speaks to everyone, and how the human brain harnesses sound to evoke euphoria and reduce stress. The film features interviews and segments with Moodymann, Seth Troxler and Kink. There will be snacks and drinks on the house, plus a Q&A with Kikelomo after the screening. DJ sets come from SONKO and Aria Santillana Doors 18:00, screening 19:30 About AlphaTheta Documentaries:
Pioneer DJ/AlphaTheta started making long-form documentaries in 2016 to bring attention to current issues in the electronic music scene from a unique and neutral perspective. Previous subjects have included the physical and mental health of artists, the positive and negative impact of social media within the industry, and the experiences artists had during the pandemic. The aim of these documentaries is to encourage debate and promote unity and understanding: One Through Music.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Help Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/crowdfunder-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/crowdfunder-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An open call for support.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Over the last few years, we’ve built a space where artists, collectives, people young and old can come together to share music, stories and knowledge, broadcasting live from Neukölln to the world. Providing 300+ workshops, transmitting over 12,000 radio shows, coordinating 3000 hours of teaching - with the contributions of so many incredible people, Refuge Worldwide has become part of the fabric of this city. The truth is, we need help to keep this going.  While considering our options and the current climate in Germany, we have decided that we have little choice but to launch a crowdfunder in order to support the station's projects and stay on air. Berlin is changing, quickly. To reduce costs and protect the future of the station, later this year, we are closing our beloved HQ at Oona on Weserstraße and moving the radio and bar to the space at Niemetzstraße. Rents are rising, costs increasing, and the political climate has become hostile toward independent spaces, grassroots culture, and organisations that platform diverse and marginalised voices. Public funding that once supported the arts is being redirected or reduced. Many of our peers are facing closure, and it is harder and harder to operate within Germany. With shrinking resources we’ve really struggled to keep the station afloat in the last 12 months, have had to reduce opening hours and unfortunately also make staff cuts this year.  While we still have kept busy with many amazing projects, the resources gained mostly just cover the projects themselves, and do not stretch to cover our general running costs and offerings. Refuge has never been about profit, we are about people, telling stories, creating space, providing opportunities and amplifying voices. We want to continue offering our programming for free, the studio rentals for free, educational opportunities and events without door charge. But we only survive by the community around us. By contributing to this crowdfunder, you are supporting more than a radio station, you are helping us to lift up the people around us, you are supporting a platform of resistance and counterculture. With your help, we can keep this project going at the new location. Whether you can drop in 1€, 10€ or more it makes a huge difference to keeping us on air. Please share this crowdfunder as far as you can. From Neukölln to the World, we aren’t going quietly just yet. Thank you for the support. 
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            <title><![CDATA[Shiru and Kava join The Breakfast Show]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/the-breakfast-show-kava-and-shiru</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/the-breakfast-show-kava-and-shiru</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Rotating Monday mornings from Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Meet Kava and Shiru, our new Monday morning Breakfast Show hosts! Kava is a record detective at OYE Records, hailing from Aotearoa - New Zealand, well adept at easing you into the week with his genre-fluid selections. On alternating Mondays, he shares the day with Shiru, a London-born, Berlin-based DJ, as she wakes you up gently with her culture-centred morning melodies, sharing tunes she enjoys outside of the club environment. Get to know your new hosts in conversation below, where they share philosophies on music, give sneak peeks of the vibes they’ll bring, and more. What’s your favourite breakfast? Shiru: Depends, but right now: green tea and fried eggs with chilli oil. Kava: It’s seasonal. I like different porridges in winter when it’s cold, with lots of nuts. Eggs of any kind. In the summer, fruits are also my favourite. I must say, though, don’t eat leftover döner for breakfast. How would you describe your selector style in the DJ booth? Shiru: For my shows, I normally have some kind of theme or concept that I select the music around. It’s more specific than The Breakfast Show, where I usually play tunes that are a bit more easygoing, still keeping a little narrative thread through each track. That’s why I love listening to The Breakfast Shows because they ease you into your day. Hosts play what they want and venture out of their usual genre. Or play things you wouldn’t play in a bar/club. Tunes for waking up slowly and putting on a cup of tea. Kava: For Monday, it’s a low-stress kind of vibe easing into the week. Trying to invoke optimistic determination and chill motivation. I’m a big fan of the narrative arc. This is the start of the arc for the week, we don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’re optimistic. In a cinematic sense, it's the opening scenes of the first act. Maybe we’re a little curious, not overly gushy, letting the flower unfurl while still considering what happened on the weekend. I like to think of it like the ideal alarm clock. Finding a good harmony of encouragement and energy. How did you get into the music world? Shiru: I’ve been hosting shows and DJing for around three years. I started doing the radio show at Refuge Worldwide before I knew how to mix. I learned how to use everything on-air. Refuge was the perfect place to get started. Kava: Haha, I’ve been around the block. I started collecting records and Djing in 1995. I’m from Aotearoa New Zealand, and as a music/culture hungry teenager I would always hang around record stores, Student Radio stations, and any raves, bars or clubs I was lucky enough to sneak or be snuck into. They say “Birds of a feather flock together”, and for me, that was true in the late 90s in Wellington.  At Refuge, I was lucky to be invited to do the OYE show and feature on a Gavsbourg takeover. I would be hanging out at Oona sometimes after those sessions, and end up having cool chats with this random chill dude about music and stuff, haha, I didn't know it was George, one of the managers! He reached out and was like, “Do you want to come and do a breakfast show?” After a few test runs with no major blunders, here we are. Compared to when you first started, how has your music progressed? Kava: I'd like to think it's become more nuanced and elegant, but in reality, I still don't entirely know what I'm doing. I just have more records, am forever discovering stuff, more open-minded, and a little better at playing the right thing at the right time. Shiru: I used the shows to learn and explore a lot of music. They were like research projects. I’d have an idea, like playing music from different islands around Africa. Through this, I learned a lot about music I didn’t know. Now, I have a broader understanding of music from different places. Whereas before, it was more random and less intentional. I still listen to a lot of music I grew up with, so a lot of the music I play is what my parents listened to. In my house, we had Cesária Évora, Youssou N'Dour, big African popular music, but also lots of jazz. Both my parents liked rock too, especially Bruce Springsteen. On my own, I listened to a lot of hip-hop and R&B. Now, I explore the discographies of particular musicians, deep dive into specific genres, or delve into a country's music history. I’ve been learning more about Kenyan music. I knew it by ear, but didn’t know the specific genres or the history. I love that about radio shows. Before Refuge, I didn’t take that approach. Now I research and learn so much. It’s a culture-centred practice for sure. I grew up in London listening to music around me. Now I know a lot more, even about the music I thought I knew. Dub, grime, stuff I listened to when I was young but wasn’t old enough to be in the scene—now I can recognise it and understand it better. What’s your favourite thing about music? Kava:  Music can elevate the vibe, be healing, energising, and inspiring. Music helps us celebrate magical times and gets us through tough ones. It nourishes the soul and helps us see the magical things in this seemingly dark world. Shiru: It feels like work in the sense that I can spend hours on something, but it's always fun. Unlike writing, which often feels hard, selecting music feels effortless. You don’t have to explain or defend yourself. You can just say, “I like this,” or “this fits.” It’s a straightforward way to express what I’m feeling, externalising emotion through soundscapes. I’m not so into the technicalities of mixing. It’s more like: can I make this sound good and be fun? So that other people enjoy it too? Do you have a vision for your music? Kava: In the bigger picture: A continuation of the narrative arc. More storytelling. In the smaller picture: Killer Tunes, Bad Riddims, Smooth Deep cuts, Soundsystem Bangers with minimum Lysergic and/or Fromage factors of 6.7%. Shiru: I take things as they come, so not really, but it would be cool to travel and play music. Use music as a way to connect with places, share energy with people, and learn from them. Going back to Kenya and playing music there would be amazing. The scene is really exciting. I’ve already played once at a festival there, and that was really cool. There are venues like The Mist in Nairobi; I know about it, but haven’t been. DJing and making radio shows is how I creatively express myself at the moment. Also writing poetry, more like diary writing. But music is the only thing I create and share publicly. What most inspires your approach to music and what hopes do you have for the future of the music scene? Kava: I’m a curious natured person, I get excited about getting to witness, support, help, and encourage people at the start of their creative journey. Ground zero grassroots stuff. It’s disheartening in these times we get tricked into thinking we need external validation as some sort of metric for success, when what we actually need is to just get together with some likeminded people and make some cool shit - that’s what inspires me. Allow the magic. Shiru: Lots of radio shows. Refuge has many that inspire me. I love Lupercia and recently Dane Joe’s country show. Great artist name also, Dane Joe. One of my favourite shows was Bridontknow and Nzambiza’a Dancefloor Diaries, where they pit Ghanaian and Congolese music against each other, so fun and silly. Also, KMRU, who I did a Breakfast Show with, is from Kenya. He has this dream to open a space there, and being part of something like that would be amazing. Something run by Kenyans, self-organised. The colonial past still shapes many of the creative spaces there, just as with everywhere—things are often owned by those in power. It’d be great to have more grassroots venues. What can people expect vibe-wise for the show? Shiru: I want to ease people in, but also surprise them. Maybe play things you wouldn’t expect for breakfast, perhaps some rhythmic tunes to accompany people at the start of the week: sitting in the sun, sipping coffee or tea, or reading. Hopefully, people get in the chat and interact! Kava: Optimistic grim determination. Berlin’s like that. Sometimes it’s grim, but we’re still gonna get through! Berlin solidarity or something.  Favourite hobby? Kava: Making food and eating it haha, being outside, sharing music and food. After a long Berlin winter, as soon as it’s nicer, I want to be outside. Soak in the sun and light.  Shiru: Cycling around, especially in summer. Playing music. I went to the lake on Tuesday and cycled back with music playing, it was so lovely. Three words to describe yourself? Kava: A. Curious. Monkey. Shiru: In my feels. Is there anything else you’d like to share? Shiru: We’re your new Monday morning hosts on The Breakfast Show; we’ll alternate between the weeks, so I’m excited to listen to Kava’s work and see how we complement each other. Maybe we’ll do something together, a joint session. Kava: And jump in the chat! :) Photos by Allan Whyte

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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide joins We Out Here 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/we-out-here</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/we-out-here</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[See you in Dorset.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This summer we join the radio stage alongside 13 other wonderful stations at We Out Here Festival, curated by Gilles Peterson and his team. This year’s WOH Radio programme celebrates the art of radio by bringing together voices from across the scene. Festival goers and anyone stuck at home can enjoy grassroots presenters broadcasting alongside radio legends, and for the first time, a handful of student radio presenters step up to the microphone too. With a nod to festival headliner, Rotary Connection 222’s historic Chicago debut which celebrated the legendary Charles Stepney, We Out Here have used the theme of ‘Out of the Shadows’… and invited presenters to shine a light on the different scenes, communities and stories that they hold close. Refuge Worldwide's No Plastic will host a show on Friday evening at 19:00 UK time, with other slots filled by radio favourites Anu, Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy and Lupini. We Out Here is a 4-day award-winning festival that celebrates world-class music, alongside wellness, family and cultural activities, with the help of an outstanding musical community. This year's edition features headline shows from Michael Kiwanuka and Rotary Connection 222 joined by Noname, Jalen Ngonda Pa Salieu, Nala Sinephro, KOKOROKO, Bashy, Joe Bataanand more. Revered selector Theo Parrish headlines the DJ offering, with Jamz Supernova, Livwutang, Roni Size, Francoise K, Major Force, Marcellus Pittman B2B Maurice Fulton, Distant Planet, Channel One, Aba Shanti & more across the weekend. Curated by BBC Radio 6’s Gilles Peterson, the festival platforms genre pioneers alongside the best in emerging talent across the realms of soul, hip hop, house, afro, electronica, jazz and everything in between. The festival takes place on August 14th-17th 2025, in the beautiful grounds of Wimborne St Giles, Dorset. Header photo by Jake Davis ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Remixing the Stage: Circular Listening Sessions]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/re-mixing-the-stage</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/re-mixing-the-stage</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[SAVVY Contemporary is hosting listening sessions at Oona Bar, Studio db, HKW, and its own space.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From July to December 2025, Re-Mixing the Stage: Circular Listening Sessions—a project by SAVVY Contemporary, created and curated by Amuleto Manuela, together with Billy Fowo, with artistic direction by Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock and Bonaventure Ndikung —unfolds across various Berlin venues, including Oona Bar, Studio dB, HKW, and SAVVY’s own space in Wedding. The project brings together artists and collectives working across sound, resistance, memory, and rhythm: Ariel William Orah & Tengal, Cassette Head Sessions, Círculo de la Palabra with SAVVY, Dudù Kouate, Laura Robles, LY:I, Oroko Radio, Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos de Bolivia, Ra Mava, SACA SAL, SHUSH, TRU:L, among others. Structured across four thematic chapters, On Partying, On Polyphonies, On Grooving, and On Jamming & Crossing Rhythms, the series reimagines how we gather and listen. Rather than reinforcing hierarchies through stages, booths or fixed formats, Circular Listening invites participants into shared spaces for deep, embodied listening. The project draws on Indigenous and diasporic practices of sonic gathering: from the Wiwa Circle of Words in Colombia to the Rueda de Cumbia and Roda de Samba, where the audience and performers form a circle rather than a division. These are practices where rhythm travels across bodies and meaning is held collectively. In a time of escalating social fragmentation and rising fascisms, the series reflects on how sound can help us unlearn dominant ways of knowing and open up space for plurality. It takes inspiration from theorists like Jacques Attali, who describes music as a form of communication, knowledge, and healing, a means of connecting across time, place and difference. Re-Mixing the Stage asks what it means to listen together without dominance, without distance, without superiority. Full program Session I: On Partying
12 July 2025, 21:00–04:00, Studio dB
Featuring LY:I, Ra Mava, SACA SAL, SHUSH Session II: On Polyphonies
9 August 2025, 14:00–00:00, Refuge Worldwide
Featuring Ariel William Orah & Tengal, Círculo de la Palabra with SAVVY, Dudù Kouate, Oroko Radio, TRU:L, Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos de Bolivia and more Session III: On Grooving
28 October 2025, 19:00–23:00, Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Featuring Laura Robles and guests Session IV: On Jamming & Crossing Rhythms
4 December 2025, 18:00–23:00, SAVVY Contemporary
Featuring Dudù Kouate, Cassette Head Sessions Header image by Juliana Toro]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-7-july-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-7-july-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Gaza Ceasefire Talks, Budapest Pride, Maja T. Hunger Strike]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Renewed Gaza ceasefire talks This week, negotiations over a potential ceasefire between Hamas and Israel have begun. The proposed deal includes a 60-day pause in fighting and the release of 10 hostages, as well as 18 corpses of hostages who have already been killed. In exchange, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails would also be released. The first round of talks in Qatar reportedly ended without meaningful progress. Hamas is demanding a guaranteed end to all hostilities and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip – conditions Israel repeatedly rejected. Despite these divisions, US President Donald Trump claimed that a deal could be reached by the end of the week. Since the last ceasefire ended earlier this year, Israel has resumed its relentless bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip, killing and displacing large numbers of Palestinians. Under the humanitarian blockade imposed on Gaza, all UNRWA humanitarian aid and food distribution centers were banned from operating. They have since been replaced by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, funded by the US and Israel. UN reports and documentation from Gaza show civilians being targeted and killed while attempting to retrieve aid. Since May, at least 613 people have been killed at humanitarian aid centres. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have continued expanding operations in the West Bank. Just last week, demolition orders for than 100 houses were ordered in the Tulkarem refugee camp, causing more than 400 families to flee their homes. Huge Budapest Pride Protest despite ban On 28 May, more than 200.000 people took part in the banned Pride march in Budapest. Despite Hungarian president Viktor Orbán’s official prohibition of this year’s Pride, the city’s mayor, Gregely Karácsony, defied the ban and allowed the protest to go ahead. The ban is part of a broader crackdown on LGBTQIA+ rights led by Orbán’s far-right Fidesz party, which has been in power for the past 15 years. Ahead of the march, Orbán threatened attendees with fines of up to 500€ and authorised the use of facial recognition technology to identify participants. Even though a neo-Nazi counter protest forced the demonstration to change its route, Budapest Pride 2025 proceeded without major incidents and recorded the highest turnout in its history–a powerful statement of resistance against state repression. Trump signs “Big Beautiful Bill” into law  In a highly controversial move, US President Donald Trump has signed what he calls the „Big Beautiful Bill” – a sweeping tax and spending package that makes permanent the tax breaks he introduced during his first term. The bill also allocates an additional $350 billion to border enforcement, deportation policies, and increased militarisation. The legislation narrowly passed in Congress with 218 votes in favor and 214 against. It will be financed through deep cuts to the social sectors, most notably the Medicaid health insurance program. According to projections from the Congressional Budget Office, by 2034, an estimated 11.8 million people will have lost access to health insurance as a direct result of the bill. Further cuts include reductions in funding for school food programs – primarily affecting marginalised communities – as well as the rollback of subsidies for renewable energy initiatives.   Ceasefire agreement in DRC In late June, a peace agreement was signed by representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. The deal aims to halt the ongoing conflict between the Rwanda-backed armed militia M23 and the Congolese Army, who have been fighting for control over the mines in the eastern regions of the DRC since 2021. In recent years, the M23 made significant territorial gains, with reports emerging of brutal attacks and the mistreatment of civilians. Thousands have been killed or forcibly displaced. The newly signed agreement calls for a mutual ceasefire along the DRC-Rwanda border. Both governments have pledged to work toward maintaining peace. However, uncertainty remains over whether all armed factions operating in the area will respect the ceasefire. The United Nations has criticised the deal for failing to address the widespread destruction and displacement suffered by civilians in and around the conflict zone, particularly the Goma region. It also remains unclear whether, as Donald Trump claimed, the DRC will grant the United States preferential access to mineral resources as part of the negotiations. Youth-led Anti-Government protests in Togo In Togo, youth-led protests have erupted against President Faure Gnassingbé, whose family has ruled the West African nation for over 60 years. The demonstrations in late June were sparked by a proposed constitutional reform that would allow Gnassingbé to remain in power, as well as a sharp increase in electricity prices. The arrest of prominent activist and singer Aamron, who spoke out against this via social media, also fueled the anger. Thousands of people took to the streets in the capital, Lomé, where they were met with repression and violence by the authorities. Dozens were arrested, and rights groups report that several people were killed. In reaction to the growing unrest, the Togolese government restricted public access to several social media platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, and Telegram.   Anti-Fascist activist Maja T. on hunger strike Non-binary anti-fascist activist Maja T. was transferred to a prison hospital on the 27th day of their hunger strike due to dangerous weight loss. Maja is a German citizen who is currently facing trial in Hungary and has been imprisoned since last year. They were arrested on charges of participating in an anti-fascist action targeting and injuring people at a neo-Nazi congress held in Budapest in 2023. Despite their German citizenship, Maja was extradited to Hungary, where Maja now faces trial. Since their detention, Maja has been largely held in isolation with minimal access to translation services. In protest against these conditions, Maja went on a hunger strike on 5 June. Human rights advocates and activists have called on the German government to intervene and return Maja to Germany, but the government refuses to act. All photos under Creative Commons License.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Zalando present "The Corner"]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/zalando-pres-refuge-worldwide-the-corner</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/zalando-pres-refuge-worldwide-the-corner</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Meet us at the corner of style & sound.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join our three-day streetwear experience The Corner, happening July 17–19 at the corner of Linienstraße and Kleine Hamburger Straße in Berlin - Linienstraße 161. The Corner runs daily from 14:00 to 22:00, featuring a lineup of Refuge Worldwide residents and various special guests.  Stop by for live music, fresh streetwear drops, workshops, merch customisation provided by adidas and much more.  The evening sessions will run from 19:00–22:00 with live performances and artist talks, DJ Sets and radio shows. Food and drinks are on us! Free entry with RSVP, see below for details. Please note that evening session RSVP doesn’t guarantee entry - it's based on capacity and first come basis. DAY 1 - THURSDAY JULY 17TH  Afternoon Session - No RSVP Required
14:00-15:30
Live Radio Show hosted by Saint September ft. Shamiro
Open Showroom & adidas Merch Customisation
Matcha & Coffee Bar Workshop Application HERE
15:30-17:00
Artistic expression, styling and photography with JADA, Milena Zara, and Matan  Evening Session - RSVP HERE
19:00-22:00 
SURPRISE ACT (live)
DJ Spit & JADA
SWAK
Özay Öztürk  Food by Tokyo Gohan


DAY 2 - FRIDAY JULY 18TH  Afternoon Session - No RSVP Required
14:00-18:00
Live Radio Show hosted by Saint September ft. ace of demons
Open Showroom & adidas Merch Customisation
Matcha & Coffee Bar Workshop Application HERE 
15:30-17:00
A Visual Identity & Graphics workshop led by Tim Lindacher  Evening Session - RSVP HERE
19:00-22:00 
Dreamcastmoe (live)
Natalie Robinson
deadHYPE
Ani Innocent Food by Romeo's
 DAY 3 - SATURDAY JULY 19TH  Afternoon Session - No RSVP Required
14:00-18:00
Live Radio Show hosted by Saint September ft. Peeps
Open Showroom & adidas Merch Customisation
Matcha & Coffee Bar Workshop Application HERE 
15:30-17:30
Hands‑on upcycling session with Can Demirezen of MiDNIGHT  Evening Session - RSVP HERE
19:00-22:00 
Ace Tee (live)
Sosa
Makayabundo Social Club ft. YALLAH, Lui35 & Candeece
Vanta Black 

Food by Tiny's Pizza Please see here for all terms & conditions related to this event.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Airtime: Canino FM]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-canino-fm</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-canino-fm</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A chat with the Barcelona station ahead of SOUNDIT festival.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In the latest instalment of our Airtime interview series, we spoke with Barcelona's blossoming hub, Canino FM. "Barcelona has this tight, vibrant underground community that thrives outside the prevalent commercial dynamics of the city," the Canino FM team say. "So, we thought, why not give those voices more space?" This approach feels very much aligned with the ethos and goals of ourselves at Refuge Worldwide, and so when SOUNDIT Festival in Barcelona approached us to co-present a stage together with Canino FM on July 18th and 19th, it was a big yes from us. We have the great pleasure of co-presenting the ECO Stage, where artists ranging from Josey Rebelle, DJ Pete, perila & ulla, Moritz von Oswald & Tikiman, TRS and Pépe will perform. In the chats we have had with Canino since, and the interview below, we learned a lot more about the inspiring work the station is doing, even in just over a year so far. Check out the chat below and tune in on July 10 for a SOUNDIT and Canino takeover on Refuge. Please start by telling us a bit about Canino FM and how it all started? Canino FM kicked off a little over a year ago, born from a feeling that there was a lack of platforms truly representative of our community, its distinctive sounds and the talent that defines it. We wanted to amplify the voices of artists and collectives from non-commercial and counter-cultural scenes, and to open up room for creative exploration. Barcelona has this tight, vibrant underground community that thrives outside the prevalent commercial dynamics of the city. So, we thought, why not give those voices more space? We (CobraBubble, just claudia and LANAV) started streaming DJ sets from the cultural space Casa Montjuic every other Wednesday in January 2024. Last September we moved onto our current loving home in the counter-cultural, multi-functional space FOC. We built our permanent studio there, with a cozy wooden room where people can enjoy the streams on-site every Sunday. Beyond the inherently cultural dimension of the radio, we’ve always wanted to create a community meeting point: a place where individuals who share common values can hang out and connect. It's been amazing to watch a whole community blossom around it, with people faithfully showing up for every single stream. Also, we conceive this project as a bridge - a way to connect our local and national electronic music scene with the international one. Unfortunately, Spain is a bit isolated given its cultural and historical context, due to which its development isn’t on par with its EU neighbours. By bringing in both Spanish and international artists and encouraging them to collaborate, we're hoping to forge bonds that go way beyond national borders – those borders that have, unfortunately, really held back the growth of our music scene. Do you have a specific idea for your music policy? The identity of the radio is intimately linked to experimentation, so we give a lot of space to artists with proposals that stand out of the conventional. Being daring is always encouraged. We try to be as diverse as possible. Think, live hip-hop sessions, Brazilian funk, ambient, rock-metal, poetry, talk shows… but the people behind the radio are inclined towards bass-intensive genres so there’s a bit (a lot) of that! Organically, diversity in terms of identity (sonically, ethnically, gender) has always been a part of our line of programming. We work with collectives we hold close to our hearts and artists with very diverse backgrounds and we also give space for up-and-coming artists and interesting voices that deserve a spot. 

Also, in Canino we encourage artists to explore facets of their musical projects that wouldn’t fit in a club: here you’re free to do what you wish so there’s not so much clubby stuff. We also don’t hold a lot of space for more techno, deep, housey, minimal genres since we feel there’s already a strong offer for that kind of music in the city.  Refuge and Canino seem aligned in our approach of putting political issues to the forefront of what we do. How have you managed, especially in the increasingly repressive current climate, to navigate politically, financially and ethically? We’re lucky Barcelona is a city where political activism is embedded in society’s very core and historically there’s a strong feeling of resistance, therefore there’s a lot of space for protest and dissidence. The climate of rising repression around the West has had a lingering impact here, but we haven’t seen ourselves too impacted by personal attacks, institutional censorship or financial struggles due to our political positioning. We’re thankful to be in a scene where care, solidarity and dialogue are prioritised. We have chosen to use that luck to make as much space as possible for the voices that need to be heard and have never thought twice about voicing our opinions about injustice or shedding light on critical situations around the globe, be it the Palestinian genocide, the suffering in Congo or the crisis in Yemen. This has been done through fundraisers, talks, takeovers and collaborations with different artists and collectives. We’re also very happy to share space with a very politicised musical collective we admire as Jokkoo, and to be inserted in a very politically active initiative as FOC is, where ethics always come first. It comes natural to be actively political when our context is such. In a world shaped by inequality and ongoing violence, what responsibilities do cultural platforms have? How can they become spaces of resistance, care, and the nurturing of  long-term cultural transformation? Culture is a great vehicle for delivering and amplifying political messages in a way that's both accessible and easily understood. In an era where information is fragmented and dialogue is eroded, we believe one of the top responsibilities for a cultural platform is to cultivate a nurturing space for discussion. Strengthening the process of learning is vital in today’s climate.  Importantly, a cultural platform can also make space for dialogue and communication by generating a community around it where empathy and respect are a baseline. We can do so by giving space to the multiple voices that are part of our society, legitimising them and spreading their word. Specifically, as a radio operating kind of at the margins of market logic - no entry fees, free access to our cultural product - we are fortunate to be able to foster relationships based on an alternative model, one that moves beyond the competitive, profit-driven ethos of capitalism. Now, more than ever, unity is required to hold resistance against the powers that be. Each day we’re pushed into atomisation and individualisation, and the impact we can have on our immediate context through smaller, direct actions can be under-appreciated when looking at the bigger-scale problems that seem insurmountable. But things are changed little by littles, and the togetherness culture fosters is a great starting point for action. Being together - that itself is a great act of resistance. Can you explain exactly what you are trying to say with the slogan that’s hung behind the DJs on your video stream: “Love is radical or not at all. Freedom is total or not at all.” This poster was designed by one of our residents, Sunny Graves, and shared around Barcelona in the wake of the Palestinian genocide, already two years ago (the b-side of the poster is a Palestinian flag). For us, it conveys a message of ‘love and care at all costs’ that we want to live by with the radio. We can’t contemplate our freedom as such and stand-by while being witness to the oppression of others.  What do you think are the essential steps or commitments a community radio should take to genuinely support and promote diversity? Awareness comes always first: we have to take a good look at our platform and ask ourselves whether there’s diverse representation in our platform: is the discourse, the tone, the style homogeneous and repetitive, or does it invite discovery and exploration? We would say quotas are still needed in some cases, but in our case diversity came organically. We got there by giving space to people around us that hold an amazing talent and are working great lengths to make Barcelona’s scene a better place. We believe it’s important to cultivate an ‘anything foes’ atmosphere: being inviting, opening our doors to unheard of artists, not fearing experimentation Supporting diversity also means offering creative spaces for collective use so everyone can find an outlet for self-expression, be it workshops, talks, or shared studio spaces. On top of that, to be open to giving constructive feedback. Lastly, diversity should also be part of the behind the scenes. The volunteers and people around the radio should also feel there’s open doors to work there with no constraints other than the will to do so. Feel free to share as much or as little information as you want, but maybe you can talk a bit about the financial model of your station?  This is always a pickle. Originally, the co-founders invested a start-up sum of money to cover equipment and essentials. We then organised a few events that gave us a little push, like our opening event where most residents contributed by playing b2bs for free (big luv). We get a little bit here and there serving some cheeky beers during the streaming days, but are still figuring out how to make the radio a sustainable model in the long run. Crossing fingers for some juicy grants to come our way too.  What do you think success looks like for radio stations like ours?  In our opinion, to create a community around us that feels connected, valued and empowered to take creative risks without fear of criticism. Being able to create an inviting platform where artists can thrive, while they may have been overlooked in more conventional or commercial spaces. Beyond just providing a stage, success lies in fostering new ways of creating, thinking, and debating. Our objective is to be a catalyst for innovation, encouraging artists and our audience to explore unconventional ideas and challenge established norms. And to just have fun. Let’s never forget about that part! Could you tell us about one or two of your most special memories from running the radio so far? The key core memory since we opened the radio is probably the opening event of our studio in its current location. It was a hell of a ride. For us it was a turning point since we had to build the permanent studio before the event to be able to have an ‘ambient’ stage and it was crazy work. We were ambitious and maybe a little unrealistic but somehow we managed (shoutout to Anna for her production skills). The hard work paid off and it was a beautiful day. We shut the blinds in the warehouse so a Sunday afternoon gave the feeling of a Saturday night so people felt like blasting drum & bass at 6pm and the crowd loved it. Both the artists (the 24 residents that would be part of this first official season) and the audience were completely open to exploration. We felt for the first time how something strong, a tight community, was being born around the radio. It was a beautiful feeling to begin this new stage with. Lastly, we’re excited to connect and hang with you all at SOUNDIT! Any local tips for DJs we should check out? Barcelona’s local talent is rich and diverse, and definitely needs more attention! Rachael is definitely at the top of our list - insane vinyl-only trips that know no boundary. Also, importantly, some of our residents will be opening stages during the festival and they’re all amazing: Pépe for a mixing masterclass, AINES for liquid bass wizardry, TRS for a sinuous trip and oma totem for some deep, bassy sounds. Ylia and R-010 are also amazing acts you shouldn’t miss. Find the crews of both Canino and Refuge Worldwide at the ECO Stage of SOUNDIT Festival on July 18 and 19 - tickets and more information are here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide joins Gaswerk Music Days as media partner]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gaswerk-music-days-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gaswerk-music-days-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The festival takes place July 12–13 and 16–19 in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Gaswerk Music Days returns! We’re teaming up with Gaswerk Music Days 2025 this summer, as media partner for the third edition of the Berlin-based festival. From 12–19 July, the program unfolds across outdoor and indoor venues of the festival's home base - the Gaswerksiedlung studio complex in Rummelsburg. Gaswerk Music Days brings together experimental electronics, noise, avant-pop, improvisation and dance music under one roof, championing artists who blur genre lines and carve out new sonic live spaces. The 2025 lineup includes Vanishing Twin, HHY & The Kampala Unit, Shackleton, Andrea Belfi & Nazanin Noori, and Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force and Sonic Interventions among many others. Expect a week of deep listening, ecstatic rhythms and daring live performance.

More information on the Gaswerk Music Days 2025 program and tickets is available here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-19-june-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-19-june-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Fête de la Musique, United for Gaza, Afrolution Festival]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Fête de la Musique Each year, Fête de la Musique presents an evening of free live music in venues across Berlin. This year it takes place on 21 June. Refuge regulars Sonic Interventions, who spoke out against genocide in their Deutscher Jazz Preis 2025 win last week, will perform at Zenner among artists like the DJ Shaqdi, Heart Chor choir project, and multi-instrumentalist Romainazzaro. The Berlin-based ensemble brings together musicians from various disciplines to create genre-defying and improvisation-driven soundscapes. On the same day, the bar Geist im Glas will host a live music line-up with several artists, including the Berlin Jazz Workshop, Balkan grooves by Neobraska Mountain K-Orchestra #942, and a vinyl-only DJ set by George Ernest. You can find more information and the full Fête de la Musique program here. United for Gaza demo On 21 June, a mass demonstration in solidarity with Palestine will take place. This is a call to action for an immediate end to Germany’s support of genocide, apartheid, and occupation in Palestine, as well as the decriminalisation of pro-Palestinian organisations and individuals. The protest starts at Brandenburg Gate from 15:00 and is organised by activist groups such as PA Allies, Student Coalition Berlin, and Egyptian Diaspora Resists. Wear red, bring your banners; none of us is free until all of us are free. To take further action, you can also sign this petition to urge the German government to reverse the funding ban on NGOs operating in solidarity with Palestine.  As well, this is also a call to action against Israel’s continuous violation of international law; namely, Israel’s recent attacks on Iran via the launching of multiple missiles, with Iran striking back in response. German Chancellor Merz defends Israel in this attack, stating that it was 'dirty work Israel is doing for all of us' in Iran, completely disregarding Iranian lives, where the death toll has risen to more than 240, including 70 women and children, with this statement. Budapest pride soli party at FilmArche  On 21 June, Freie Ungarische Botschaft (free Hungarian embassy) is throwing a solidarity party for Budapest Pride, which has effectively been banned this year due to intense repression by the right-wing Hungarian government. Starting at 19:00 at filmArche, the event includes a screening of the film “Narrow Path to Happiness”, which is about queer life in Hungary, two dancefloors, snacks and the opportunity to get tattooed. Proceeds will go toward legal aid, support with fines (people partaking in any pride protest-related activities can be fined up to 500€). The funds will also help finance buses to Budapest for those wanting to join those resisting anti-LGBTQIA+ repression on 28 June. Migrantifa soli kieztag On 28 June, the Berlin-based activist group Migrantifa Berlin is hosting a neighbourhood solidarity event starting at 14:00 at Neukölln’s Rote Lilly. The aim is to raise funds to sustain anti-racist work and resistance and to support spaces of resistance like the leftist cafe and event space Rote Lilly. All day, there will be Küfa refreshing watermelon drinks, a creative program, and space to connect and learn about Migrantifa’s work. You can also join a round of bingo and listen to live music acts. Afrolution Festival From 19-22 June, Afrolution Festival will take place across various venues in Berlin. The festival is run by Each One Teach One (EOTO) eV, a Berlin-based and community-focused organisation that promotes educational and empowerment tools for people of African descent. Across the 4 days, the Afrolution Culture and Literature Festival will host various workshops, panel talks, parties, and events across the disciplines. The theme of this year will be “Transnational [Re]Imaginings of Resistance & Resilience”. The majority of the festival will be held at EOTO’s community space, as well as venues across Berlin, including Sinema Transtopia, Galerie, Ayoka Bar, and more. The program includes panel talks with various authors, filmmakers, and activists, as well as workshops in film, fashion, dance, illustration, the culinary arts, self-care, and meditation. For those with children, there are also family programs for childcare. The festival will round off with a closing party at Ayoka Bar. More info here. Sinema Transtopia open-air season The open-air cinema season is officially here. Throughout the summer, Sinema Transtopia is screening several films and inviting to events like performances and talks. On 21 June, they will show “The Watermelon Woman” by Cheryl Dunye, a groundbreaking portrayal of Black lesbian identity. On 28 June, in collaboration with HKW, journalist and writer Mohamed Amjahid will give a talk followed by screenings of the films “La Haine” and “Généalogie de la violence”. Check out the full open-air program here and support your local cinema, especially as Sinema Transtopia has also been affected by the severe cultural budget cuts made by the German state this year. Justice for Lorenz action day The Initiative Gerechtigkeit für Lorenz (Justice for Lorenz) was formed after the 21-year-old Black man Lorenz A. was shot and killed by police in Oldenburg in April. The initiative is calling for a Germany-wide day of action against racist police violence on 29 June. Follow them on Instagram to stay informed and check for events or protests in your area. Fundraiser for PCRF On 26 June, Refuge’s Niemetzstraße 1 Location is organising a fundraiser concert in support of the Palestinian Children Relief Fund (PCRF), an NGO providing humanitarian aid to children and youth in Palestine. The event “Metales Ligeros” merges Georgian chants with harp, violin and contemporary sound design. The immersive experience bends the tradition of classical instruments, creating emotionally raw soundscapes. The concert begins at 19:00. Find out more here. Soli dinner at K-Fetisch On 29 June, Oona-neighbour K-Fetisch is inviting to a vegan and gluten-free soli dinner raising funds for a trans person of colour and a refugee. The artist @tears.and.hearts will cook one of their favourite Iranian dishes called Khoresh Bademjan. Dinner will be served from 19:00 at Wildenbruchstraße 86. Midwifery contract petition On 2 April, the new midwifery assistance agreement was made. Starting November 2025, freelance midwives, who currently account for 25% of all births in Germany, are subject to losing up to 30% of their income, cutting their hourly wage by 20%. In addition, for the care of the second or third mother, the wage is additionally cut to 30% of the already reduced rate. This agreement not only puts the midwives at risk of financial instability, but the quality, safety, and livelihood of obstetric care for mothers and their families. The practice of midwifery dates back thousands of years, present in cultures all over the world. Midwives play a vital role in not just the reception of birth. In the modern day, midwives have an irreplaceable responsibility of guidance outside of institutional birthing practices for families, providing compassionate guidance in both pre- and postpartum to mothers. Sign the petition to preserve safe, individualised obstetric care and stop the new midwifery contract here.  Photos courtesy of Sonic Interventions, Sinema Transtopia, and K-Fetisch.

]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Win tickets for HKW's Sonic Pluriverse festival!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sonic-pluriverse-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sonic-pluriverse-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Moe will be giving away tickets via The Breakfast Show.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt's summer festival series is back!

Kicking off on June 27th with the legendary dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sonic Pluriverse festival will run until August 2 and will "explore sound system culture as a global phenomenon". The weekly event programming takes in live performances on the HKW terrace, as well as lectures, a film installation and DJ sets. Program highlights include Ivorian bass guitarist Manou Gallo, Mohini Dey, Ti Moris, The Congos, Perera Elsewhere, Sarah Farina's "rainbow bass" music, our very own Shiru and much more. In the words of the curators: "From reggae’s deep pulsations to dubstep’s thunderous drops, the programme weaves together experiences, dialogues, and sonic practices that trace international connections."

We will be giving away a pair of tickets via Moe's Breakfast Show, so tune in from 10AM on his dates and get ready to answer in the chat room.

More information on the Sonic Pluriverse programming and tickets is available here. Artwork by Studio Yukiko, header image by Sonia Hamad.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refugee Week 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refugee-week-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refugee-week-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 12 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Broadcasting across seven stations from 16–22 June.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Tune in this month as we celebrate Refugee Week with the theme “Community as a Superpower".

Refugee Week is a UK-born, international arts and culture festival that honours the creativity, resilience, and contributions of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. This year’s theme sets the tone for a week-long series of collective-driven radio shows hosted by independent stations around the world.  From Monday, June 16, to Sunday, June 22, alongside six other community stations we will each dedicate a daily two-hour slot from 13:00 to 15:00 CEST to special broadcasts. Tune in for reflections on migration and belonging: a mix of interviews, storytelling, and music. We kick off on Monday with our Refuge show, followed by Tuesday’s broadcast from Athens-based Stegi Radio. On Wednesday, Marseille’s Ola Radio takes over the airwaves, before Thursday’s slot features content from Manila Community Radio. Friday’s broadcast is brought to you by Worldwide FM, with 20ft Radio from Kyiv curating Saturday’s show. The programme rounds off on Sunday with programming from RBL. We start the week with a two-hour show hosted by Sarj, community organiser and voice behind aequa Radio, joined by Tehran-born, Berlin-based producer RealMo. The pair explore this year’s Refugee Week theme Community as a Superpower through a blend of music, storytelling and conversation. The show features voices from Women in Exile e.V., and RealMo shares reflections on his own journey through the German asylum system, alongside his work mentoring young people navigating similar experiences. Tuesday’s broadcast comes from Athens-based Stegi Radio. Sound artist and researcher Miia Laine shares a sonic essay on money and migration, tracing informal networks of care through remittances, women-led microfinancing circles, and bricks of cash wrapped in foil. The show closes with a mixtape curated by Lebanese composer Charif Megarbane, who selects tracks shaped by migration over the past decade—including new material from his forthcoming album Hawalat. On Wednesday, Marseille’s Ola Radio show will feature a conversation with SOS Méditerranée France about their ongoing rescue missions in the Mediterranean. Also featured is artist and filmmaker Saodat Ismailova, who speaks on reconnecting with the musical traditions of her native Uzbekistan after years living abroad. Thursday’s programme comes from Manila Community Radio and features Dear Earth, a UK-based musician of Filipino and Welsh heritage. Through a mix of music and reflection, he looks at how diasporic communities use sound to hold memory, identity and home in place. On Friday, Worldwide FM teams up with the Our Heartbeats collective—a crew of DJs with lived experience of seeking asylum. Their mix celebrates global resistance, drawing on music as a tool for joy, connection and freedom. The set pushes back against narratives of victimhood, foregrounding creativity and care. Saturday’s show, hosted by Kyiv’s 20ft Radio, is curated by artist Vitalii Nemchenko. It features two projects made during wartime in Ukraine. Blackout Tape is a compilation recorded entirely without electronic instruments during blackout conditions. The second half of the show includes a live set by electronic producer Volodymyr Gnatenko, recorded for o0series to support Kyiv Angels NGO. The week closes on Sunday with a session from RBL Barcelona. DJs Djane Karma and Debora Raw reflect on exile, belonging and resistance, using music to process and reclaim experiences of forced migration. The show is hosted by A•BUNDAH, a platform centring diasporic and migrant voices. Each day offers a new take on ground focus—from underground care networks to collective sound archives.  Artwork by 8bitfaz ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Assila Soul Sessions]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/assila-soul-session</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/assila-soul-session</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come down for a Sunday of ritual and music at Niemetzstraße.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Assila returns with Sunday Soul Sessions, a communal ritual rooted in sound, spirit, and sustenance, happening on Sunday, June 15th, from 14:00 to 17:00 at Niemetzstraße 1. This is a space to slow down, connect, and come together through music, food, and shared ritual. Wear your Sunday Best. Come ready to meet, eat, sing, and share. Expect live improvisation, food from Bibi بيبي, performances by Gutter Gucci & Moritz Ebert and voices lifted in real-time confessions by Caroline Clifford, Simone O´Donovan, Billy Mason Wood, Amy Jane & Steindor Jonson.  The high Priest leads the session, drawing on Berlin’s streets and basements to turn raw truth into something sacred. Tickets are available here. Artwork by Noah Osarenren.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-05-june-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-05-june-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Sex-worker reform laws, Move 78 album launch, 58th Naksa demo]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Sex worker-authored bill to reform Germany’s sex work law On 2 June, marking 15th anniversary of International Whores’ Day, a coalition of sex worker organisations introduced a bill to reform Germany’s sex work laws. Since 2017, sex work has been regulated under the so-called “Prostituiertenschutzgesetz” (“Prostitute Protection Act”), which has been heavily criticised by many sex workers for its focus on control and increased policing under the guise of protection. The law mandates compulsory registration, which has led to heightened stigmatisation of, especially of trans, BiPoC and migrant sex workers, according to a statement given by Cassidy Lowery of Sex Worker Action Group. Authored by sex workers themselves, the proposed reform bill would mark a historic step towards the decriminalisation of sex work in Germany. It aims to end injustices and harmful stigmas embedded in the current legal framework. Beyond full decriminalisation, the bill calls for labour protections and access to health and social services. You can find out more here. “No Peace on Stolen Land” Protest On Saturday, 7 June, Palestine Speaks, PA Allies, and other activist groups in solidarity with Palestine are calling for a protest in Berlin. The “No Peace on Stolen Land” march begins at 15:00 at Mehringplatz. 7 June marks the 58th anniversary of the Naksa (“setback”) – the 1967 mass displacement of Palestinians and occupation of Palestinian land by Israel. As the war in Gaza and the colonial expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank continue, join this protest for a free Palestine. Queer bar Silver Future needs support This year, the iconic queer bar Silver Future is celebrating 18 years of existence. Located in Neukölln, Silver Future has long been a vital gathering space for queer FLINTA* communities. For nearly two decades, the bar has hosted events celebrating queer culture and created safer spaces fostering connection and resistance. Like many cultural spaces and bars, Silver Future is also feeling the pressure of the financial crisis, and they need support. So come by, bring your friends, and show some love to your local queer bar. More info here. Save Cosmo Radio The radio station ‘Cosmo’ is facing discontinuation as part of cultural budget cuts. Cosmo is an independent, intercultural and multilingual radio project hosted by the ARD, a major association of German public roadcasters. Its programming is especially geared toward a younger audience and amplifies queer and migrant voices. This makes Cosmo a unique fixture within the German media landscape. Now, the station is at risk as ARD plans to cancel up to 17 radio programs. A final decision will be made on 24 and 25 June. You support Cosmo by signing a petition urging ARD decision-makers to continue funding this essential radio project.   Move 78 album launch party  On the evening of 5 June, join Berlin-based band Move 78 in their showcase of the new album, “Game Four”, which has been named album of the month in the May edition of The Berliner. Move 78, headed by producer and Refuge resident Aver (aka Joe), represents a new wave of what the band refers to as“dystopian jazz”. At the intersection of jazz and hip-pop, samples of the band’s live recordings, comprising of keys, bass, drums, and french horn, are reconfigured by Aver in production. Their soundscape is the product of automation and free-flow jazz, of electronic and live music. The launch party will take place at Privatclub from 19:30 and will be accompanied with DJ sets by Allynx. Grab your tickets here.  EJU5702 open call EJU5702, an ongoing photographic project by Irene Lauro, is looking for participants. Conceived as a living archive, it preserves the memories of Berlin’s migrants through personal belongings that hold emotional value. The call is open to anyone who has migrated to Berlin from around the world. Participants are invited to choose one meaningful object and write about the feelings associated with it, aiming to document individual journeys of transition from one culture to another, exploring how migration affects feelings of belonging or detachment. The collected material will form a printed book and grow into a community-run archive. The application deadline is 11 July. Apply here.  The Swamp Princess Kiki On 8 June, a Doechii Swamp Princess-themed Kiki Ballroom event will take place at ufaFabrik Studios Berlin. Hosted by Everston and German Mother Dream of the House of Louboutin, the event celebrates the rapper and artist Doechii, who has come forward as a voice of queer and BiPoC empowerment. Join us on 8 June from 17:00 for an evening of performance, fierce looks and queer culture. Ballroom was created by Black and Latinx queer and trans communities – especially led by trans femmes – in New York City. Be mindful of the legacy and how you take up space. You can get your tickets here. Motherland photo exhibition launch  On the weekend of 6-8 June, Colombian-Danish author, photographer, and multidisciplinary artist Michael José presents his first publication, “Motherland”. As a Colombian raised in Denmark by adoptive parents, José documents his first journey back to ‘Motherland’ in search of himself, his culture, and his mother. Through this photographic narrative, José shares an intimate lens, documenting the journey back by sharing the process of exploring his roots as seen through his eyes. To accompany the launch, silver gelatin prints, made by José over the past months, will be showcased. The exhibition will take place at Backhaus Berlin from 19:00 on 6 June, until 20:00 on 8 June; more info here.  Nomansland Last Lap  To kick off Karneval der Kulturen (KDK) Nomansland presents Last Lap, bringing the warm and bouncy grooves at Slap’d Berlin. Nomansland’s is a Berlin-based collective with events aimed to showcase the culturally diverse communities that make up Berlin,. The lineup includes DJ sets by Coco Callypso, Jams, Kallaloo, Nuh Delay, and Thanisha, presenting a rainbow of genres including techno, house, breaks, baile, afrobeats, and more. The event will take place on Sunday 8 June from 18:00 as a continuation of KDK’s daytime celebrations. More info here.  Oona Bar: Limbo Love takeover Come down to Oona bar on Thursday evening to listen to poet and sound artist Merma Suelo’s recollections of love in the “Limbo Love”. In the past winter, Merma Suelo sent letters and soundscapes by post to friends as that represent her own thoughts of love,  relationships, and romance. In this takeover, Merma Suelo will share these poems, letters, and sound episodes in conversation with sound artist Amuleto Manuela, before inviting composer, guitarist, and DJ Berenice Llorens to share her own love letters project. In the last hour, DJ m13ld3m0r4 will bring their own explorations of love’s conventions in sonic form—a thought-provooking end for a calm Thursday evening.  More info here.  Majur Concert  The Brasilian singer Majur has just released her new record ”GIRA MUNDO” and will perform live in Berlin on 11 June. A key voice in Brasil’s queer BiPoC music and arts scene, Majur is an important advocate for trans rights in her home country. Her sound blends traditional Afro-Brasilian Candomblé rhythms with smooth R&B and contemporary Afro-pop production. The concert will take place at Gretchen, starting at 20:30. Photos courtesy of Jaime Musso, Majur, Michael José, and Move 78.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Welto & the Sacred Bush: in conversation]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/welto-&amp;-the-sacred-bush-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/welto-&amp;-the-sacred-bush-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Participating artists discuss the inherent anti-coloniality of nature's blueprints.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Friday 6 June from 18:00, Refuge Worldwide partners with Spore Initiative—a Berlin-based cultural institution focusing on ecosocial justice, education, and exchange—for the opening night of the year-long exhibition 'Welto & the Sacred Bush: Learning from Caribbean Gardens'.  This group exhibition is presented by Permactivie, a Martinique-based ecological educational association that aims to share permaculture practices through the transmission of practical knowledge and the arts. Taking a hands-on approach to education, Permactivie works on the historically colonised plantations of Fonds Saint-Denis to cultivate reconnection with ancestral plant knowledge through Caribbean Gardens, also sometimes referred to as the word “Bush”.  On opening night, artists Mawongany (Marcel) — Béle musician and founder of Permactive — visual artist Annalee Davis, and multi-disciplinary artist Isambert Duriveau, will present a guided tour with insights into the showcased works and the philosophy behind Permactivie. To round off the evening, Refuge resident DJs Ka Dansé and Jefe Marrón will showcase their love for the sounds of the Caribbean. In conversation with artists Marcel, Annalee, and artistic director Antonia Alampi, we take a deep dive into the Sacred Bush: small, hidden plots that carried ecological knowledge from ancestral plant wisdom through times of slavery on the sugar and banana plantations of the Caribbean. Marcel shares his inspirations behind Permactivie, revealing how knowledge and practices from the Sacred Bush are essential not only for the survival of the planet but also for dismantling the colonialisation of knowledge that lies at the heart of creating sustainable futures.  What inspired Welto and the Sacred Bush? Marcel: In Martinique’s colonial history, what people say or see about us isn’t what’s actually happening. The colonial gaze puts you where they want, but is not interested in who you are. And it's part of a strategy we developed to show the coloniser something while doing our own thing. Using the master’s tools, not to become the master, but to find a space to be at peace, maybe even to be free. The word Welto, I know it because it was also the name of my father’s first music album, in a literal sense, means “you see, you don't see.” What you see is not what's going on. As an artist, I’ve played a lot for the Western audience. How do I ensure I’m not exoticised, not just an answer to their gaze? There are two sides: what you do, and what you stop yourself from doing. Even if they exoticise the sight of a Black man playing the traditional drum of Martinique, which I do — should I stop? That’s the other side of the white gaze. So the question is: What do we want to show? What can we show without showing everything? What do we give access to? That’s the Welto part. “Sacred Bush” speaks to the soil. For Black people who were taken from one land to another, made to work without connection, only exploitation — raped, killed — it doesn’t make sense. And years later, the same land gets poisoned again with the pesticide Chlordecone. It's a sensitive topic. The fight against it began in the 1700s and continues to this day. They no longer use it, but the damage remains. It stays in the soil for 700 years. I’ve tested my blood, and I have it too, even though I’m careful about what I eat. Martinique and Guadeloupe have the highest rates of prostate and breast cancer because of. It affects growth in children. Some girls get their periods at six. It affects our relationship to the land; we’re pushed away from it. With Permactivie, our work is to reconnect people to the land, in many ways, using various tools. We must deconstruct the notion that soil is solely for extraction. They used it for bananas, not for local consumption, but to ship to France. Why? Because of a rule that goes back to slavery, called colonial exclusivity. Everything consumed in the colony must come from the metropolis. France is our metropolis. 90% of what we consume comes from there. Our bananas are shipped to France, not because they need bananas. It's so containers going back aren't empty. It's an economic balance. But it stops us from feeding ourselves. So we need to change the values we place on the soil. Not just see it as poisoned or as a reminder of slavery, but as where we’re from and where we’ll return. How can we use the concept of Welto as a framework to reconnect with the land and ourselves? Marcel: We weren’t just objects placed somewhere; the plantation is not just a banana farm. Our land is sacred bush. In Creole we say “rasier”. In those gardens, you find three essential things: food crops, medicinal plants, and spiritual protection plants. Every garden has something protective, no matter the culture. It’s different from plantations as it’s not rows of the same crop. It’s bush. You look and think, “Nothing’s there.” But when you enter, everything is there; welto. Harvesting Job, flamboyang and lang vyé fanm seeds for the music workshop, Fonds Saint-Denis What are we still doing, even if we’re oppressed? Even if we deeply believe in Western religion, we still put something in the garden. That means something. The colonial project never fully succeeded. Nature follows blueprints. Mycelium stays underground for years. Then, when conditions are right, it rises to spread spores. That’s what we’ve done and still do. Like Welto: beneath the first layer, there’s a deep, ancient culture, a mycelium. That’s the forest. A few years ago, I started a spiritual path. In Voodoo, there’s the sacred forest. What I see in the bush is that. If you were a tiny human in it, it would feel like a forest.  Maybe our ancestors used that little space of freedom to recreate their worldview. Why do you focus on education? Can you say more about the Grenn Mawan project? Marcel: We work with kids to, like our ancestors, pass down a worldview. Even if we don’t have everything, we plant a seed that may someday germinate. Even if it’s not total liberation, the seed planted goes beyond the physical. It’s a space of freedom carved out in the minds of those kids, free from narratives of the coloniser. The dream is to provide them with the tools to create their own ancestral practices. It's not dogmatic: you should do this, not that. I won’t be there forever to say “no, that’s no good.” They're going to do it by themselves, and this is precisely what’s ancestral. If it survived the time of slavery, I don't know what it couldn't survive.  Colonialism might take things from the land, but not the ancestral wisdom that it holds. We also use art because it’s a way for the kids to imagine. I come from Bel Air or La Sauté. Whatever we do, it’s all connected. There is no word in Creole to say art. We don't say that. We can say art as a French word, but not as a Creole word. It's not that it doesn’t exist, it’s just that there is no word for it: by contrast, it’s everywhere. In the Western world, it's an independent category: this is art, this is spirit, this is garden. It's embedded in other practices. Just like Belé, the ancestral music and culture of Martinique is not just a dance, not just a drum, not just a way to see the world—it’s everywhere. It’s my blueprint; I'm Belé-centric. It's my way. I believe that Belé is the only thing in that form that we have kept almost unchanged for centuries. It was there during slavery and is still here. It's evolved, but it’s rooted. It connects us to the soil. The education that we do.  What do you hope to bring to the kids or the audience with this exhibition?  Marcel: How I envision it is technology. Forms are framed as a little thing, like a tiny culture, “just drumming”. This is technology. Making a drum is a technique. It's not just something in the air. It's not a raw practice. It's something real that requires time and people to find the good way, creating something many people can use. This garden, part of the core project in Permactivie, is technology, a tool for reconnection. We have compost coming from plants cut in the town to bring back to the garden soil with the kids. So the kids also see the whole thing. See that everything is connected. What they do has an effect. That’s a primary goal for the garden.  Christel teaches kids a song she composed about the Seeds, Fonds Saint-Denis Another is to keep people honest about our colonial past. The person who put Chlordecone in the store was us. It's tragic, but it's real, enabled by assimilation. Most people who used it had gardens. Some of them obtained some Chlordecone from the plantation to put in their gardens. How can you have something so complex, good, fertile, and use something so harmful, toxic, deadly? Because you don't trust in yourself or your culture enough. You also don't have a choice. You work in the plantation, they tell you to use it, so you do.  Colonisation is delivered through and bolstered by the domination of knowledge. What was considered valuable was what white people brought. If they do it, we should do it. We don’t have to, but they made us think there’s only one way. The plantation is one crop for kilometres. One language, one religion, one God. Just like they say, to be a good person, to be human, is to be right. For some, it works, but it’s not for everybody. What’s interesting is that in the colonial times, we didn't truly fight back. In 1974, large protests erupted in Martinique to raise salaries and stop the use of Chlordecone. They killed people. They raised the salary but continued to use Chlordecone. That got me thinking, what could we do so that doesn't happen again? Then, how does the bush serve as a form of resistance? Marcel: A fundamental seed to plant in kids is to trust themselves, both as individuals and as Martinicans, to trust their culture. I hope that in Prêcheur, a town where many parents work on plantations, maybe the kids will do it differently. I hope when they're told to use Chlordecone or whatever pesticide, they say no, or at least think about it. I love some Disney movies. How can I help my daughter have something else? I don't think we can compete. In Gaza, you can’t compete with bullets.   What makes you throw the rock is not the belief that you’ll win; it's saying, 'We don’t accept.' What can we give kids to help them not fight back, necessarily, because sometimes you can't win, but to stay mentally balanced with self-defined values and those of their ancestors? With love? Without that, there's nothing. Being born into a family that politicised me young, they gave me that privilege. It's the greatest gift. I can’t imagine not having that. Most people don’t. So, how can we give it to them? Through Welto and the Sacred Bush, I hope to provide access not only to the children but to everyone curious about unlearning and reconnecting.   After sifting compost the children observe an iule, Fonds Saint-Denis Could you elaborate on the focus on sharing and connecting? How does that follow the anti-colonial blueprint, as seen in Béle, technology, and the gardens?  Marcel: Connecting today is double-edged. On the one hand, practical communities, such as those that offer hands-on education and teach kids from start to finish, planting seeds in their homeland, are now gone. Today, you can be part of a community with someone in any country; it’s a higher level, a more distant kind of connection.   On the other hand, the distant seed can sprout branches that reach across the globe. The first time I met Annalee was two years ago here in Berlin. Annalee took more than 12 hours by plane to come here. I took more than 12 hours by plane to come here, and then we connected. The key to the colonial project was division; they didn’t want people to connect, as this would keep their structures intact. Now that the plane is for everybody, how do you use that privilege? We have things to share, not things to give, not things to prove. What justified the coloniser to colonise, to put people in slavery, was the idea that he wasn't human. I'm not trying to prove a point. We are human simply because we do things, and this is what we do. And, it's interesting to talk with people who do the same. In Berlin, it’s not something exotic; we are simply bringing this into conversation. If you want to know Belé, live in Martinique. In this exhibition, we share. Children harvest lang vyé pods with Christel, Fonds Saint-Denis How did the two of you connect?  Annalee: Antonia connected us. Neither of us quite understood what the bigger picture was. But then we realised there was a connection in terms of responding to the land and understanding the difference between the geometry of the plantation, which is the practical application of geometry in its ordering, and the plot or the small garden that Marcel has been speaking about. It is the opposite of that. It doesn’t conform to these geometric principles. It follows another way of intercropping that may be seen as chaotic, but it has its own register. I come from Barbados, which is both similar yet so different from Martinique. It was a British colony, but it’s a republic. Martinique remains a French colony. I was raised on a plantation. For all of us who are raised in a colonial project, it’s impossible for the colonial project not to be inside of us. My life’s work is about unlearning the plantation that sits inside of me. One way for me to do this is to form a more intimate relationship with the landscape outside the structure of the plantation. Beginning to have an awareness of plants that were used in the plot — the small plot given to enslaved people to grow food and their medicine. Growing my gardens became a way to form an intimacy with this landscape. We were influenced by Malcolm Ferdinand, a Martinican writer who wrote Decolonial Ecology. He said very tragically that the Caribbean is the only place in the world that doesn’t have a motherland. It lost its motherland. This sense of being orphaned, the sense of grief we feel for losing most of our biodiversity to replace it with monocrop farming, in our case, sugarcane, and many banana plantations in Martinique. Less than 2% of our island has forests left. How does the exhibition reflect the process of reconnecting with the land and ancestral practices? Annalee: Permactivie’s education is so important because the curriculum in Martinique is still a French curriculum. Our curriculum is a Caribbean curriculum. What Marcel is doing is grounding these young people in their soil, history, plants, and Afro–French Caribbean traditions that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. An artwork in this exhibition, A Recuperative Gesture, features plants native to Martinique. I spent two weeks in Martinique with Marcel in April. It’s kind of like a mandala, a herbarium, unlike the colonial herbaria brought from the Caribbean to Europe as models of scientific study, but an invitation to look and receive.  It’s a mode of worship—the idea that the living world is sacred and worthy of our worship.  It responds against the colonial and Christian tradition of dominion over the land, rather than a relationship with it. This is about becoming familiar with the things that grow in our part of the world, many of which were also transplanted. Through this, we recognise the value systems that we have so much to learn from. A great deal of our Afro-traditions were lost because these practices, collectively referred to as Obeah in the Anglophone Caribbean, were practised orally as a way to protect practitioners from being penalised or imprisoned. Up until the 1990s in Barbados, being involved in Obeah, like Voodoo, was illegal. For me, what's amazing about the Béle and the Lasotè is that they've been able to retain that tradition in the French Caribbean, which we've lost in many parts of the Anglophone Caribbean. The recuperative gesture for colonial spaces damaged by the colonial project is to listen to the land. How do we listen to it? Can you know a place through the way the breeze goes through the leaves of the tree?  The Caribbean is one of the most transformed geographic areas in the world due to the colonial project. It's difficult to cultivate this intimacy in a landscape that's been mediated by the colonial project for four centuries. These practices Marcel speaks about, growing these gardens and revering the living world—these are ways to reconnect. A Recuperative Gesture, Annalee Davis This exhibition will be on display for a year. What will the year-long structure look like? Antonia: Creating exhibitions here for various reasons is about understanding that the moment the exhibition opens marks a beginning, not an end. That means a certain degree of indeterminacy, as people start engaging with the space and its artworks, as well as the knowledge and narratives brought into it, new conversations can begin. The idea is always that the exhibitions are an evolving terrain. It's not just two artworks go out, three artworks come in, and it's all predetermined. It’s about keeping flexibility for new narratives and conversations. That means the presence here plays a role in that path, shifting focus from transactionality to sharing. What can we learn from Welto and the Sacred Bush here in Berlin? Antonia: It's not only about the past, which many are unaware of. It’s about the present—social, political, and cultural systems that still define practising writing and producing culture and history, and that don’t take into account many of these aspects. These sophisticated ecological systems aren’t just in the Caribbean. Thanks to these systems, the majority of the world's biodiversity has been protected. For example, 80% of France's biodiversity is in Martinique. 8% of the world population is responsible for caring for 80% of the world's biodiversity.  What we try to turn around is not about solidarity or charity with groups elsewhere, but recognising that this knowledge and these practices are essential for the survival of the planet and human species. That’s why we don’t put colonialism at the centre. It’s not just about reparations, though that’s fundamental, but about recognising the importance of preserving these practices for everyone. How do you bridge that knowledge? We’ve been collaborating with Permactivie for almost two years now. What we care about here is influencing public discourse, education, and environmental thinking, which is still largely focused on plastic bottles and electric cars. That doesn’t take into account the need to change lifestyle. It’s just replacing an extractive economy with another. There’s little understanding or care about what that produces elsewhere. The entanglement between geographies, importing from everywhere but keeping wealth within European borders, shows how illusory the idea of “survival” is. How does this story fit into the big picture of coloniality? Antonia: With the war in Palestine and the far right rising across Europe, it’s not just Palestine. It’s everywhere. When I read Césaire's Discourse on Colonialism, it was crystal clear. Colonialism is a beast you can’t feed. It eats everything. When it finishes eating the sauce, the global sauce, it comes back for you. That’s what Hitler did. That’s what’s going on now. People think things are expensive; welcome to our lives. Berlin is one of the places where people can understand this. You have both sides, where the meeting happened. The far right, Mitterrand—he was a leftist but allowed the use of Chloridcone in Martinique when he was Minister of Agriculture. Same with Algeria. He was killing people. Same person. European countries label themselves—left, right, centre — but it's the same extractive project. It's never changed. It’s capitalism. Always about domination, “the one, the best” — competition. Marcel: One thing I see changing with kids in school: in the garden, I told them, “You don’t have to run, you don’t have to be first. Don’t show off. Mostly, it damages things. There is no competition here. There is cooperation.” Being together. One person being the best doesn’t make sense; it’s about the group. Last year, we had to say that many times—this year, only in the beginning. Even Izanbe said, “They’re so quiet and not disturbing. They were listening, not trying to be first.” This is a way to relearn what truly matters. Children's thank you to Marcel, Fonds Saint-Denis Continue the conversation with Marcel, Annalee, and Antonia on Friday at Spore Initiative. More info here. Photos courtesy of Marvin Systermans.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bandcamp Radio summer residency]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bandcamp-radio-summer-residency-kicks-off-today</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bandcamp-radio-summer-residency-kicks-off-today</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to curate six-part broadcast series.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We’re excited to announce that Refuge Worldwide is joining Bandcamp Radio for a summer guest residency, running from Tuesday 03 June through August 12.

Airing every other Tuesday, the residency will alternate with Bandcamp’s regular Selects show and feature specially curated broadcasts from a lineup of Refuge hosts. This collaboration marks the beginning of a new series of radio residencies coming to Bandcamp throughout 2025—and we're thrilled to set things in motion. The series launches with a two hour show from host of The Breakfast Show, moe., followed by No Plastic on June 17. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes from Dimitra Zina, Shiru, Minor Science, and Saint September. Each episode will feature bespoke illustrations of the show hosts, courtesy of Amy Moss. Full Schedule: June 3 – moe. June 17 – No Plastic July 1 – Dimitra Zina July 15 – Shiru July 29 – Minor Science August 12 – Saint September Listen to the first episode here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide announced as media partner for Barcelona’s SOUNDIT Festival]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soundit-announce</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soundit-announce</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The promoter’s first festival takes place on 18 and 19 July.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[“5 stages, 2 days, 24 hours of music, and 69 artists.” On the 18th and 19th July, we are teaming up with SOUNDIT - a longtime Barcelona promoter - to be a media partner of its debut festival. Together with local radio Canino FM, we will partnering on the ECO stage, sharing stories from artists, exclusives mixes and recordings, on-site content and more. The festival takes place across five stages surrounded by nature at Parc Nou in El Prat de Llobregat. The line up includes livwutang, Fred P, Moritz von Oswald & Tikiman, DJ Marcelle, Stella Zekri, Chez Damier, Konduku, Sama Yax, Josey Rebelle and many more. Also, tune in to Refuge Worldwide on July 10th from 8PM to hear live radio shows from perila, Konduku, Richard Akingbehin and TRS as part of the SOUNDIT takeover. Find tickets and more info here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Party time this Friday in Neukölln]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-may-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-may-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 26 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our last Berlin club night of the season.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[After 13 months with their doors closed, local venue arkaoda came back with a bang this year. We've had a great time returning to the basement with you over the last couple of months, and there is still time for one last dance this Friday 30th May.  For the final event of this spring series, we host a hybrid set from DJ and MC DAKN, as well as Refuge residents ABIBA, Acidfinky, Blurry Vision duo Elie Bukassa & Selessa T and a closing set from Lavan. Good vibes are guaranteed in the bar room too, with Rami Abi Rafi, Dane Joe, Shiru and Dommie Soup on deck. We will pause the Berlin club night season for summer after this weekend, but look out for an announcement on our daytime event series, coming soon to a beach near you. Please note doors are 21:00 for this Friday, and we encourage you to arrive as early as possible to avoid queues. Artwork by Bianca Mocan.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[No Pride in Genocide: Queer Cinema for Palestine 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/queer-cinema-palestine</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/queer-cinema-palestine</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A global short film event in June.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[QuARC Berlin will host the third edition of QCP at Refuge Worldwide, which will feature a curated selection of short films and Q&A with filmmakers, focusing on the work of queer, Palestinian and allied artists, in historic Palestine, across the diaspora, and beyond. The program features a diverse mix of identities, lengths, styles and genres to highlight the key role of art in resistance and the struggle for liberation.  Film still taken from Don’t Take My Joy Away by Omar Gabriel. Event Details: Wednesday, 11 June  Doors: 18:30 End: 22:00 Refuge Worldwide, Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin Entry: 5–10 EUR suggested donation. The proceeds will be split between two Palestinian trans comrades and the filmmakers. Please contact quarc-berlin@riseup.net if you have any questions.  Refuge has a limited capacity of 40 pax.  Please see our access page for full accessibility info. If you have any access requests, please email nicky@refugeworldwide.com Casino for Social Medicine will host an additional Queer Cinema for Palestine screening on June 19th at 18:00
(Sonnenallee 100, 12045 Berlin)
 Film Programme: Abgad Hawaz, Robin Riad, 1min, Canada (2024) Audio: Arabic, English 
Subtitles: N/A  Robin Riad’s short hand-drawn analogue film ostensibly teaches the pronunciation of the Arabic Alphabet in 28 easy steps. In actuality, the hand-drawn letters were printed using a laser jet printer onto the optical soundtrack of 16mm film, and what you hear in the film is the projector reading the letters, and interpreting them into sound. Riad uses humour to play with and sit with her mother tongue, offering a ‘false’ lesson in pronunciation. A response to a digital form of anti-Arab hate that Riad witnessed online coming out of the genocide in Gaza, Abgad Hawaz is a way for her to hold close to her language, culture, and roots. (Written by Tara Hakim for TQFF) Robin Riad is an experimental filmmaker, film programmer, and visual artist. Robin works with analogue mediums, and enjoys exploring the materiality of film in her work. She has screened in countries such as Canada, the United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, India and more. When not making films, Robin spends her time teaching workshops, making potions in the darkroom, and volunteering at local arts organizations. Out of Gaza, Seza Tiyara Selen, Jannis Osterburg, 9min, Germany (2025) Audio: German, Arabic
Subtitles: English A young Palestinian woman wants to flee from Gaza with her friends, hoping to find freedom in the West. As a talented engineer she makes escape possible, but doubts arise if it is the right decision to leave. When they cross the wall, they encounter a world they did not expect. Seza Tiyara Selen (she/her) and Jannis Osterburg (they/them) are university students in Hildesheim, Germany, who specialise in stop-motion animation. Their collaboration since 2018 featured live action and animation alike. Currently working on a feature length stop motion animation film called “Jil Garodin’s Adventures”, the focus of their work is on revolution, social justice and socialist as well as anarchist ideas. The trans filmmakers’ projects feature themes of queerness, anticolonialism, anti-imperialism and disability rights. Blood Like Water, Dima Hamdan, 14min, Palestine (2023) Audio: Arabic
Subtitles: English Shadi embarks on a secret adventure, and accidentally drags his family into a trap where they only have two choices; either collaborate with the Israeli occupation, or be shamed and humiliated by their own people. Based on true stories. Dima Hamdan is an award-winning filmmaker based in Berlin. Her last short film, Blood Like Water (2024, Palestine), won the Best Short Narrative awards in the Brooklyn Film Festival and Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival in Florida. Currently on a festival tour, the film has been to nearly 40 festivals so far, including the Bafta-Qualifying Galway Film Festival and Melbourne Film Festival. a tangled web drowning in honey, Tara Hakim & Hannah Hull, 9min, Canada (2023) Audio: English
Subtitles: English a tangled web drowning in honey is an experiential and textural short film that invites viewers into the inner workings of a mind to ponder the ways in which we love and unlove ourselves. Tara Hakim is a multi-disciplinary process-based artist based in Tkaronto, Canada. Originally Palestinian, born and raised in Jordan with an Austrian grandmother, Tara creates public displays of vulnerability that invite the viewer to meditate on notions of self, diasporic existences, and spaces in between – both physically and mentally. Working across video, installation, performance, and, more recently, textiles and ceramics, she intertwines the complexities of cultural history and personal psychology with an experimental, playful, and tender approach.  Hannah Hull (they/them) (UK) is an artist and musician, also known as Burning Salt. The ancient practice of ‘burning salt’ is an act of expulsion, purification or protection. Hull uses song, poetry, drawing, animation and film to these ends. They studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths College. After a decade of specialism in socially-engaged art, Hull is currently focused on exploring somatic practices and trauma. They are also a boat dweller, TEDx speaker, intersectional feminist, queer person and recovering addict. Aliens in Beirut, Raghed Charabaty, 16min, Lebanon, Canada (2025) Audio: Arabic, English
Subtitles: English Aliens in Beirut blurs doc and fiction, exploring alienation and desire at home through scripted improv, wildlife cinematography and visual experimentation. Charabaty (who also stars in the film) reimagines events from their life leading up to the fateful 2020 Beirut Port Explosion. Returning to Beirut from Toronto, desperately in search of roots, Amir falls for a stranger by the sea. In the end, the explosion cares for nobody – leaving behind traces of unerasable desire. Raghed Charabaty is an experienced Lebanese-Canadian director (drama, comedy) based in Toronto and Beirut. Charabaty’s films have won at the Toronto International Film Festival: Canada’s Top Ten, and his repertoire of original works have screened at over 100 film festivals worldwide. Palcorecore, Dana Dawud, 8min, Internet footage from Palestine (2023) Audio: Arabic and English
Subtitles: English Dana Dawud’s Palcorecore (Palestine) is a hypnotic fusion of dance, archival footage, and internet-circulated videos that collapse past and present into a visceral portrait of Palestinian life. Opening with The Lovers Songs Band and excerpts from Jenin, Jenin (2003), the film assembles fleeting yet powerful images: flag-waving horseback riders, families at the beach, teenagers dancing in flames, and acts of resistance against occupation. Dawud’s deadpan narration—“I witness you witness me, we are martyrs together”—pulls the viewer into a shared act of witnessing. Through rhythmic disorder and movement, the film captures the resilience, rebellion, and everyday joys of Palestinian existence, focusing particularly on youth and women in their defiant assertion of life. The film was commissioned by Onty and OnMyComputer for the CoreCore symposium which took place in New York, November 2023. Dana Dawud is a Palestinian artist and writer exploring internet images and philosophies. I never promised you a Jasmine Garden, Teyama AlKamli, 20min, Canada (2023) Audio: Arabic, English
Subtitles: English Tara, a queer Palestinian woman in her late 20s, attempts to suppress her internal emotional turbulence during a phone call with her best friend Sarab, with whom she is in love. Teyama Alkamli is an award-winning filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada. Her visually tender and deeply human work deals predominantly with issues of identity, sexuality, displacement and migration. She is an alumna of DocNomads, the European Mobile Film School, Hot Docs Emerging Filmmaker Lab, TIFF Writers’ Studio, and the Canadian Film Centre’s Director Lab. In 2021 Teyama’s mid-length documentary, Hockey Mom, won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Documentary Program. Her films have screened worldwide at festivals such as TIFF, Berlinale, and Doc Lisboa. Don’t take my joy away, Omar Gabriel, 7min, Lebanon (2024) Audio: Arabic
Subtitles: English Set in Shatila, a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, two friends revel in the small joys of life until violence suddenly disrupts their world. Forced to flee, they embark on a dangerous journey of survival, confronting fear, chaos, and the stark realities around them. Along the way, they must choose between remaining in the shadows or seeking the light. Omar Gabriel is a Lebanese filmmaker whose work explores love, societal pressure, and the courage to break free. With a raw, poetic aesthetic, he amplifies marginalized voices and tells stories of resistance and defiance. In partnership with AL Berlin, Athar Film Festival, Berlin Against Pinkwashing, Internationalist Queer Pride Berlin, Palästina Spricht - Palestine Speaks. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Spore Initiative partner on exhibition opening]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/welto-and-the-sacred-bush</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/welto-and-the-sacred-bush</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Welto & the Sacred Bush opens on June 6th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Welto & the Sacred Bush is a group exhibition that engages with Caribbean gardening cultures as blueprints for ecological repair.

We are excited to partner with local cultural centre Spore Initiative on the launch of their exhibition Welto & the Sacred Bush: Learning from Caribbean Gardens . From 6pm on June 6th, we will host an evening programme based around shared learning, movement, and sound. The event includes a guided tour with participating artists, followed by two DJ sets inspired by Caribbean musical cultures and diasporic soundscapes. In collaboration with the Martinique-based association Permactivie, Welto and the Sacred Bush finds its roots in the cultural and botanical knowledge cultivated at the margins of plantation systems. The exhibition also brings together ancestral plant practices, communal land care, and artistic responses to environmental collapse. It foregrounds the role of children—not as passive inheritors of crisis, but as active participants in imagining relational, land-based futures. Developed in collaboration with artists and thinkers from the Caribbean and its diasporas, Welto and the Sacred Bush considers the garden and the cultural practices surrounding it as a living archive of resistance, care, and regeneration. DJs Ka Dansé and Jefe Marrón, from the Refuge Worldwide resident roster, will soundtrack the evening session with their individual love letters to Caribbean music.

Programme
18:00 – Doors open
19:00 – Welcome by Antonia Alampi, Artistic Director, Spore Initiative
19:30 – Guided tour with artists Mawongany, Annalee Davis, and Isambert Duriveau
20:30 – DJ set: Ka Dansé
22:00 – DJ set: Jefe Marrón Location: Hermannstraße 86, 12051 Berlin]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-19-may-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-19-may-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Germany tightens migration laws, Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, Romanian election results. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Israel launches expanded ground offensive into Gaza Over the weekend, Israel began its previously announced expanded ground offensive into Gaza. The assault follows several days of intense bombardment, with more than 100 people killed each day since Thursday. While earlier Israeli offensives were publicly justified as efforts to free remaining hostages, this latest operation has notably abandoned this rationale. Instead, Israeli officials have described it as a campaign for “victory over the enemies of Israel”. Since the ceasefire ended and the blockade on aid and food was reinstated on 2 March, the population of the Gaza Strip has faced unrelenting attacks, as well as severe shortages of food, water, and medicine, placing over half a million people at serious risk. Israel is deliberately denying the population access to essential resources needed for survival. On Sunday, it announced that “basic amounts of food” will be allowed into Gaza. As Israel continues its bombing campaign in Gaza, recent Nakba Day Demonstrations in Berlin expressing solidarity with Palestine were disrupted by heavily armed police, who violently assaulted protestors and made several arrests. Māori MPs suspended for performing haka in Parliament  The New Zealand (Aotearoa) Parliament is currently deliberating the suspension of three Māori MPs who performed a haka during a parliamentary session in November 2024. The protest was staged in opposition to the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, which sought to redefine the nation’s founding agreement. The Treaty, originally signed in 1840 between the British Crown and Māori leaders during colonisation, has long been central to Māori rights and recognition. The revised version of the bill has faced heavy criticism for its attempt to reverse rights granted to the Māori population. The bill was ultimately voted down in April, but the MPs who protested it are now facing a 21-day suspension from Parliament – the harshest disciplinary measure ever considered. The Māori party strongly condemned the proposed punishment, though the ruling conservative coalition is expected to approve it in a vote on Tuesday.   Guyana passes bill to hold companies directly accountable for oil spillages Guyana has passed an oil pollution bill that will hold companies directly liable for oil spillages they cause. With oil production rising sharply in recent years – expected to reach a minimum of 900,000 barrels per day – Guyana is set to become Latin America’s fifth-largest oil exporter. To enhance oversight of the growing gas output, particularly from offshore fields, the legislation mandates regular inspections and introduces penalties or suspension for non-compliance as well as financial responsibility for damages caused. With major global players involved in the local oil production like Exxon Mobil group, the bill is aimed at ensuring safer transactions and less damage through oil leaks. PKK announces dissolution Last week, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced its formal dissolution, following a call issued on 27 February by its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan. Founded in 1978 in response to the oppression of Kurds in Turkey, the PKK had engaged in armed resistance against the Turkish state since 1984. After Öcalan’s appeal, the PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire in March. During a congress held last week, the party officially announced that it will disband. This means all activities and armed resistance under the name of the PKK will cease. They stated: "The PKK struggle has broken the policy of denial and annihilation of our people and brought the Kurdish issue to a point of solving it through democratic politics.” The leaders emphasised that final disarmament and surrender of weapons will only occur once a permanent and mutual agreement with Ankara, ensuring Kurdish rights, is reached.  The move is intended to pave the way for a peaceful and democratic resolution to the Kurdish-Turkish conflict, based on political parties and democratic organisation. There has been some resistance from within the PKK to this decision. Uncertainty also remains regarding the future of former members as well as other Kurdish organisations in the region. Turkish oppositional figures, as well as the pro-Kurdish DEM party, have welcomed the move, the ruling party, however, has maintained a hardline stance, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stating that disarmament of the PKK alone is “not enough”.  Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day 18 May is Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, also known as Mullivaikkal Day, named after the village in which a massacre took place during the final days of the war in 2009. Every year for the past 16 years, Tamil people in their homeland and the diaspora commemorate the people massacred by the Sri Lankan military during the 26 years of civil war. On 18 May 2009, the war between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam came to an end with an estimated 70,000 lives lost. Until this day, 169,796 Tamils remain unaccounted for, and many of the Sri Lankan forces have not seen consequences for their actions and continue to discriminate against the Tamil population of the island. Germany tightens migration laws CSU Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has announced a focus on tighter border controls in a discussion on immigration policy. During their election campaign in February, the CSU/CDU coalition voiced a strong no-tolerance policy for unauthorized immigrants. In previous years, asylum seekers who made it to the German border and planned to apply for asylum both in Germany and in other countries after arrival were allowed to enter. The new policy will reverse this, turning away all asylum seekers without documents, with the exception of pregnant women and children. This is in stark contrast to former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s policies. Further plans include an additional 3000 officers assigned at the border, and the implementation of drones, thermal scanners, and helicopters. Romanian and Polish election results Nicușor Dan, Romania’s centrist Bucharest mayor, has won the presidential election. He defeated right-wing rival George Simion, whose campaign had detailed a future for Romania inspired by Donald Trump’s policies, including plans to end military aid to Ukraine. As Dan described, the election results would dictate a “pro-Western versus anti-Western Romania”. After months of political tension, Simion won the first round of elections on 04 May with 41%, backed by the support of diaspora voters across Western Europe and the UK. In the final round, Dan took the majority vote with 53.6%. Following this win, Dan pledged to fight corruption and maintain support for Ukraine.  In Poland, Rafał Trzaskowski – the current centrist mayor of Warsaw and candidate of the Prime Minister’s Civic Coalition – has narrowly won Poland’s first round of presidential elections on Sunday, with 31.3% vote. Closely following is Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian backed by the Law and Justice Party (PiS), who lost power 18 months prior, with 29.5% vote. Trzaskowski proposes a pro-EU and reformist government following the current president, Donald Tusk, while Nawrocki, reflecting PiS values, defends conservative politics, with strict immigration and civil rights policies. The runoff election will take place on 1 June. Ben and Jerry’s co-founder arrested  Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s, was arrested for protesting against the Gaza blockade at a US Senate hearing in Washington. Cohen and other protesters were handcuffed and escorted away, charged with “crowding and obstructing”.  In a video recording documenting the instance, a bystander asked Cohen why he was arrested, at which he responded “Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the US…They need to let food into Gaza, they’re starving kids.”  Cohen and co-founder Jerry Greenfield have been longtime activists and prominent voices against Israel’s violence in Gaza.  All photos under Creative Commons License.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-15-may</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-15-may</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Fundraisers, Deportation Updates, XJAZZ!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Fundraisers for Gaza  Gaza continues to be bombed, with no food or humanitarian aid allowed into the Strip since March. The Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip has now lasted over 19 months. In solidarity with Palestinians and to support those on the ground, Arkaoda, Tennis Bar and Kühlhaus are hosting fundraisers over the coming weeks. On Sunday, 18 May, Arkaoda will host a fundraiser as part of the POTENTE pop-up series. The event begins at 13:00 with a paella and tapas lunch and daytime hangout, followed by a DJ lineup playing until midnight. Also on 18 May, Make Freedom Ring is organising a benefit concert at Kühlhaus Berlin in support of Medico International, raising emergency funds for Gaza. Starting at 19:30, the show features performances by artists Raúl da Costa, Ibrahim Alshaikh, Bowrain, among others, and speeches by members of the Association of Palestinian and Jewish Academics.  On 22 May, the initiative Juden und Homosexuelle für Palästina will host a “Mathematical” market and show fundraising for Osama, a Black Gazan survivor. The event starts at 18:00 at Tennis Bar Berlin and features performances by Hermes, Marbelite, XANAXFURRY, and others. Stop deportation prison in Schönefeld Plans are underway to build a deportation prison near Berlin’s BER airport, designed to detain 156 people facing deportation. Before the construction can begin, the Schönefeld district must approve it. Until 20 May, you can email the representatives of the district – regardless of whether you live there or not – and call on them to stop the construction of the deportation prison. Abolish Deportation Prisons has put together a template that you can email to the representatives. Find it here. XJAZZ! Festival From 14 to 18 May, it is XJAZZ! season in Berlin. The renowned festival showcases some of the most interesting local and international talents in jazz and beyond. This year artists include Jembaa Groove, Yukimi, Moor Mother, among others. You can listen back to the shows with the organisers and artists, who joined Refuge Worldwide ahead of the festival. Tickets for the whole festival or day passes are available here.  Trans rights protests on IDAHOBIT 17 May marks International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. In Berlin, a protest will take place at 13:00 in front of the US Embassy, Pariser Platz 2. In the light of the recent transphobic ruling in the UK and Donald Trump’s political mobilisation against trans rights. The protest especially highlights the importance of protecting and fighting for trans lives. Donations will also be collected for Cleo, a Black trans woman currently incarcerated in Berlin. Another protest begins at 15:00 in front of the Hungarian Embassy, denouncing the Budapest Pride ban imposed by the Hungarian Parliament in March. From 18:00, OYA Bar is hosting a community gathering with performances, DJ Sets, food, and film screenings. This is a community event for queer, trans and BiPoC individuals – please be mindful of how you take up space. Nakba Day demo 15 May marks Nakba Day – the 77th anniversary of the mass displacement and ethnic cleansing of over 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland during the founding of the Israeli state between 1947 and 1949. This year, it is the second Nakba Day during Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. In Gaza and the West Bank, the occupation continues, but so does the resistance. Join us at the demonstration in Berlin on 15 May, beginning at 16:00 at U-Bahn Südstern. The German state continues to heavily police and exert violence against voices in solidarity with Palestine – take care of yourself and others. Fiestuki returns to Weserstraße On 17 May, the Fiestuki crew returns to Oona Bar for a takeover with fresh finds from contemporary electronic Latin American sounds. Fiestuki is a Latinx queer collective based between Mexico and Berlin organising parties by and for queer Latinx people. Drop by to hang out from 20:00.   e13 community space available for rent The aequa’s e13 community space in Wedding is seeking a new tenant. e13 is a queer-run project space for mutual support and solidarity was previously run by community member Sarj Lynch, who is also involved with Refuge Worldwide. If your collective needs a new space, you can find more information here and apply until 27 May. MADANii release concert Berlin-based artist MADANii releases her debut solo EP “BiiLINGUAL” on 16 May, performing a release show the same day at Kantine am Berghain. In her music and art, MADANii merges a spectrum of influences ranging from traditional Persian sounds to electronic pop, RnB, and reggaeton. “BiiLINGUAL” also marks MADANii’s first time singing Farsi, and a new chapter in her musical career. The concert will be opened by Seniah at 20:00. Get your tickets here. The Jamaican fundraiser On 16 May, a pop-up fundraiser at Crazy Bastard Kitchen (Westerstr. 168) takes place to raise funds to find the catering service The Jamaican a permanent restaurant. From 17:00, enjoy a dinner of fried chicken, waffles, jerk chicken, tofu, and more. Come spend your money on good food and help cover costs for a permanent home for The Jamaican restaurant. Court rules against the deportation of pro-Palestine activists In a major win, a Berlin court ruled against the deportation of the four pro-Palestinian activists, who faced deportation by the German authorities for their involvement in the occupation of Humboldt University. The court did not find that the requirements for a deportation were met. Freedom for Consuelo fundraiser Consuelo, a Black trans man from Spain, has been unlawfully detained by German authorities in Pankow since 3 April. After being stopped by the police without reason and just moving his car slightly, he was arrested. The police repeatedly accused him of using a fake ID and misgendered him. Consuelo is currently being held in the women’s unit of Pankow prison, where he is expected to remain for 3 months until trial. A fundraiser has been started to call attention to this injustice and to raise money for lawyer, trial costs, and bills. Donate here. Cura Guardianships is looking for volunteer guardians For 10 years, the Cura Guardianship Association has been providing support for  unaccompanied refugee minors. They now urgently look for more volunteer guardians in the Berlin region. Guardians will act as the legal representative for their ward providing not only legal and social support, but offer guidance as a safe space for minors to pave paths for a new life. Currently, Germany receives the largest asylum seeking applications from unaccompanied minors — with a guardian, these minors do not have to navigate their path alone. Here are the upcoming dates for the guardian training. More info here.  Gyrovision V fundraiser Goofy european politics podcast Corner Spatï and Irish Bloc team up once again this year for Gyrovision V.  Boycotting Eurovision for their stance beside Israel, Gyrovision serves as an alternative gathering where dancers can still listen to their favourite Eurovision tunes while fundraising. All proceeds will go to Heal Palestine – providing aid to people in Gaza, and The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's Fund – providing aid to children in critical condition and their guardians in Lebanon. On 18 May from 18:00-22:00, the two communities in solidarity with Palestine come together to curate an evening of “absurd music” and discussions. More info here.  Fanon - On Violence and Decolonisation Join a panel of decolonial historians and writers, including Emilia Roig on discussions on systems of colonisation, focusing on the life and works of  political philosopher Frantz Fanon – one of the most influential post-colonial writers of the 20th century whose works set the basis for decolonial movements worldwide. As colonisation continues to dictate both political and social life today and systems of violence persist, learn about the ways in which colonial practices continue to shape contemporary politics today, as well as how decolonial justice can be reached in the future. The discussion will take place on 16 May from 19-21:00. More info here.  Outrageous statements at Deutscher Filmpreis At this year’s Deutscher Filmpreis (the German Film Awards), German musician Wolf Bierman claimed: “Israelis will never forgive the Palestinians for turning their sons (soldiers) into murderers”. This statement reflects a twisted narrative, which time and time again is being reproduced by the German media and press, painting Israel as the victims of the war in Gaza while erasing Palestinian suffering. Such statements contradict the months of documentation by NGOs and journalists exposing the mass killing of Palestinians by the Israeli army. The lack of pushback against the statement on one of the largest film award stages, shows the ongoing and intentional misrepresentation of what is happening in Gaza. Actress Jasmin Shakeri called this out in an Instagram post.  ADIRA Party ADIRA party returns on the 16 May with a very special edition, inviting renowned Lebanese drag queen Bassem Feghali. ADIRA is an Arabic Queer party series by xanax_attax and Hassandra. The party is about music and performance aimed to create a safe space for Arabic queers, always with elements of surprise and no shortage of fun. The line-up includes DJ sets by Hanoosh, xanax_attax, and DumTak, with an exciting drag performance by Bassem Feghali with Hassandra and Ahmed Baba. Join ADIRA at Gretchen on 16 May; more info here.  Body Cartographies Workshop At the intersection of multiple minorities, the diasporic queers experience the body in a different way than most.  As such, it becomes necessary to explore how the queer migratory experience shapes our bodies and stories – as sites of discovery, of learning and unlearning, and of love. Through the practice of cartography – of mapping the body, one can better understand how the migratory process affects their identity. On 19 May from 18-19:30 at We Are Village, Yusa and Sabrina will be guiding an evening of exploration, teaching how one can use movement, art, and writing as tools for embodiment. More info here.  Cover Photo by XJAZZ! Photos by Gyrovision, ADIRA, and XJAZZ!

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            <title><![CDATA[Celebrating 10 Years of Mansions & Millions ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/10-years-of-mansions-and-millions</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/10-years-of-mansions-and-millions</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Label founder Anton Teichmann discusses the freedoms and dangers of being independent.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[An award-winning independent label rooted in community, Mansions & Millions, headed up by Anton Teichmann, has been sharing music from indie and pop artists for a decade. In a Berlin scene dominated by house and techno, ten years for an alternative-pop outfit is very much worth celebrating. 

Releasing and supporting artists like Andreya Casablanca, Discovery Zone and Better Person over the years, Anton also shares his “fascinatingly strange” music tastes on a monthly Refuge Worldwide radio show, inviting guests from the label to join him. DENA, World Brain, Luis Ake, J Vague, Nalan (aka Slimgirl Fat), Magic Island, Martha Rose, and John Moods, (who has a new double single out this month - listen to it here!) have all contributed episodes to the radio series. Before they mark ten years in the game with a mini-festival (at Lark/Fitzroy on 30 May), we caught up with Anton to chat about Mansions & Millions’ journey so far—how things started, visibility challenges, and how to operate as an independent indie label in a techno-dominated city. How would you describe Mansions & Millions as a label? I really like the idea of a label being more than just a place that puts out music, one that creates an environment for people to make and collaborate. I grew up with that. That’s why I did my first internship, and then I worked for another label in Berlin called Morr Music. Eventually, I decided I didn’t just want to work for others — I wanted to start my own. That’s when it got more real. Around that time, I met a group of people in Neukölln who made exciting music, but didn’t have much professional support. So I stepped in — those were our first releases. From that, a local scene started to grow, aligned with what I always liked about labels. That’s something we’ve tried to build. A big part of the label is the sense of community. All the artists know each other, hang out, collaborate, play shows, and go on tour together. The social aspect is really important to me. It’s a community. I know most of the artists personally, and I only release music by people I genuinely like. It’s not just about online finds—it comes from a very personal space.  Why indie? How has your experience been navigating the electronic-dominated music scene in Berlin, and how has that influenced your approach?  I like electronic music — I’m into it — but I felt Berlin didn’t need another electronic label. I wanted to highlight a side of Berlin that’s less visible, especially internationally. It’s not the city people associate with this kind of music. The scene started forming around artists like Sean Nicholas Savage and Molly Nilsson. They had a very specific lo-fi pop sound. It was pop, but very strange, and I found that fascinating. I’ve never been drawn to mainstream pop — I’m more interested in weird music. But I still liked the idea of working with pop sounds and exploring what pop music could mean over time. Genres and subcultures used to have strict boundaries — if you were into one thing, you couldn’t listen to another. But even ten years ago, that was breaking down. I think our label reflects that — there’s no single genre or sound, but a shared idea of what pop can be, beyond what you hear on the radio. Can you tell me why you prefer an international approach and why this is especially important for non-electronic talents in Berlin?  We only work with people who share our approach to music – it's about spreading the sounds. The music tends to work better in other places. If you only focus here, the artists wouldn’t really have a career. The music works especially well in bigger cities, so our artists play more in places like London, Paris, Warsaw, and Amsterdam. Ideally, we’d love to reach beyond that, but it’s financially tough to play on different continents. Whenever possible, we try to make it happen. Most of the artists I work with aren't from here, so they bring different influences that aren't typically heard on German radio. It’s about finding these unique and interesting sounds from lesser-known talents and helping them find their audience. Meagre Martin playing SXSW 2024 There’s a unique freedom in being an independent label, with that also comes many challenges. What do you love most/find most challenging about being independent? Mansions and Millions started as a total DIY operation. Even though I worked for other labels and they helped me set it up, I still had no idea how it worked because I had never done it all by myself.Now I have a friend helping, but the label is really just me. It’s a lot of work. I had no idea how to run a business. I could’ve done things differently if I had a business mindset. I had some small savings from other jobs, and that’s how I financed the label. Somehow, it worked out. When I started, Spotify wasn’t big, and people weren’t really buying vinyl or MP3s—they weren’t paying for music at all. Then Spotify came along, and at least there was some income from music consumption. It’s still not a lot, but it’s better than when I started. When I started, people were selling CDs, which were cheap to make, and that was probably the golden age for some. So, that's a positive: vinyl and streaming have brought some income. But it’s still really hard. The label isn’t as big as I’d like, and the acts aren’t as successful as I’d hoped. But I always do things the way I want to, and the artists I work with share that mindset. We do things the way we do because we want to, not because someone tells us that’s the way to succeed. That’s the specialty, I guess—the magic of being independent. I can sleep well knowing I’m doing what I love, though it’s still tough financially, both for me and the artists. There's not a lot of money in this. Always the old question: doing what you love, but also trying to make a living from it. What are your thoughts on the music industry today? The amount of work and time I put in, compared to the money we all make, is nowhere near where it should be. I wish the music industry and our economic system were more favourable to independent artists and structures, but they’re not. I’m not sure it’s going to change soon. I wish the effort everyone puts in, especially those involved with the label, were rewarded more. But that’s something that applies to a lot of places in the world. I’m complaining on a very high level, but it’s a valid point. It is hard for any new music without huge financial backing to get noticed. The competition is high, and there are all these statistics about how much music is released every week. You have to cut through the noise. Especially with music that isn’t immediately appealing or hooky. It is all about the algorithm now, and we don’t even know how it works. We’re just rolling the dice every time we release something. It’s easier if you have a lot of money to invest or if the music is more universally appealing. For niche music, it’s still really hard, despite what people say. There’s always been a challenge, and I knew that going into it. If I want to work the way I intend to, it won’t be easy. The odds are stacked against everyone working independently in the music industry. How can the community better support independent labels and artists? The financial limitations apply to the audience, too. Everyone’s struggling, so I don’t expect people to pay for everything, but I wish there was more understanding of who they’re supporting when they have the budget. I’d prefer if people spent more on local or independent artists than on a 300-euro ticket for someone like Taylor Swift. The amount of money people spend on the already-rich is a problem. I wish people would invest more into independent artists and structures, whether it’s buying merch, supporting on Bandcamp, or pre-buying tickets. Pre-sales are really important; they make planning easier since you never know how many people will show up. Word of mouth is also crucial. Just telling your friends about new music. That’s been really important in some of the success our artists have had. People recommend the music to friends, tell them about shows, or even give it as a gift. I think that’s key. You can’t put a price tag on that. I discovered some of the artists I work with because people I trust told me about them. You can’t measure that with statistics, but it’s really important. I think that’s one of the easiest ways to help an artist: don’t gatekeep your taste, just share it with others – it’s mutual aid. This way, you find out about all the good stuff hidden between the tens of thousands of tracks released every week. I think word of mouth, even though it’s hard to measure, is one of the best ways to gather a group of people who resonate with you. What are some future releases and collaboration things you're excited for? I’m putting out a new label compilation in a few weeks. I do these mixtapes every few years, and this will be the sixth one. It’s all about label artists covering other label artists. I’m really excited about that – the artists are covering each other’s songs. It’s all covers, where artists from the label cover other artists on the label.  Sean Nicholas Savage’s next album is also exciting. He’s a great friend of mine and a huge inspiration for our artists and the label. Having him on the label feels like a full-circle moment since he’s supported many of our artists and has been there from the beginning. It just makes perfect sense to release his music. I’m also releasing something this week—a collaboration between John Moods and one of the members of Meagre Martin (aka tuftyhead), another band I work with. They got into the studio together and recorded two singles—’Two Modern Rock Ballads á 3:48’. That’s the kind of thing I love when it happens. I get an email saying, “We recorded these two songs, do you want to put them out?” There’s also another collaboration album like this between two artists on the label There’s also new music coming out by Nalan and Martha Rose later this year, and I also have a new signing—an ambient pop artist from Warsaw that I really like. They’re going to play at the May 30th event. John Moods & Anton, 2020 Speaking of which, congratulations on celebrating 10 years! Can you spill the beans on the upcoming mini-festival anniversary party at Lark/Fitzroy? There will be ten live performances, mostly by bands and acts from the label, but not entirely. There will also be some friends and old collaborators, and features all kinds of genres—a great overview of this very particular part of the Berlin music scene. If you come, you’ll get a really good feel for what’s happening in that part of pop music in Berlin. That’s how I’ve curated the night—focusing on artists we’ve worked with for a long time, but also featuring newer artists and various genres. It’s taking place in two venues we’ve used a lot over the years, Fitzroy and Lark. Both rooms will be open, and people can move between them. I like to do this ping-pong thing, where one act plays at Lark, then the next one plays at Fitzroy, and so on, creating a mini-festival vibe. See you 30 May! Join M&M for their birthday party on 30 May, with World Brain, Meagre Martin, Andrea Casablanca, and Anton’s favourite live band in Berlin—The Zenmenn, plus much more. Tickets here. Photos courtesy of Anton Teichmann.

 
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            <title><![CDATA[Listen Back: May Day Fundraiser]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/may-1st-result</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/may-1st-result</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Rewind talks and sets from Omoloko, MUSCLECARS and SOULSEEK.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Earlier this month we managed to raise 1341€ at Oona Bar for 3ezwa.de and MOTHER, thanks to everyone that supported the event. You can also listen back to all talks and DJ sets from the day down below. Shout out to SOUNDBOKS for the soundsystem.]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-05-may-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-05-may-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Aid Ship Attacked, Black Therapists Fund, reclaiming Indigenous Ancestral Land.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Aid ship to Gaza Attacked Near Malta ‘Conscience’, a humanitarian aid ship bound for Gaza, was bombed off the coast of Malta on 1 May. The unarmed ship was carrying 12 aid personnel and four civilian passengers, along with supplies and donations. While on route to Malta to pick up activists including Greta Thunberg, the vessel was attacked by two drones, striking the engine and leaving the ship at risk of sinking. Although there were no casualties, this attack reflects the ongoing blockade of Gaza by the Israeli government. No humanitarian aid has been allowed to enter the Gaza strip for two months, with agencies reporting widespread malnutrition and starvation. The UN reports that a “worst-case scenario” is unfolding, “threatening mass starvation” across Gaza. A joint statement by several European Foreign Ministers reads, “Palestinian civilians - including one million children – face an acute risk of starvation, epidemic disease and death” due to the Israeli blockade.  An aid blockade is a violation of international law. Landback Wins - Reclaiming Indigenous Ancestral Land The Landback movement – a global effort to reclaim ancestral lands stolen through colonialism, made several wins in April: Sacred lands will be returned to a local-led organization in Dakota, 1500 acres will be returned to Band Potawatomi Nation in the Prairies, 680 acres will be returned to the Spirit Lake Nation, and Santa Monica plans to initiate a Landback and Reparations Taskforce. As well, Māori communities in New Zealand celebrated the restoration of 20 official names from English to Māori. Restoring indigenous sovereignty in this way ensures that decision making is in the hands of indigenous communities, protecting land from ongoing contamination and degradation from oil pipelines, hazardous waste sites, deforestation, etc. As such, landback goes further than land stewardship – it allows for Indigenous communities to restore relationships with the land itself, reconciling colonial practices to reclaim a core part of indigenous culture and identity.  Military Spending Hits All Time High Global military spending reached a new all-time high in 2024, with a total of $2.6 trillion allocated to defence and weaponry, according to a recent study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Germany moved up to fourth place in the overall list, with $88.5 billion spent in 2024, the largest amount within the European Union. Only China, Russia and the US spent more. German spending was enabled by the Bundestag’s coalition parties, who approved a suspension of the constitutional debt brake (“Schuldenbremse”) to fund additional military investments. Despite record-high military spending, the government simultaneously cut funds to many other sectors, including cultural, educational, and social budgets. In Berlin alone, the culture budget was cut by €130 million. The incoming government, to be led by a CDU-SPD coalition, is anticipated to further boost defense spending.  Nakba Day  On 15 May, Palestinians and allies around the world commemorate Nakba Day – the anniversary of the “Nakba” or “catastrophe”, marking the mass displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland during the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948.  In Berlin, a demonstration will be held to honour the memory of the Nakba and to protest ongoing injustices. Despite intensified policing and bans on previous Nakba demonstrations, activists continue to challenge the German government’s stance and military aid to Israel by mobilising in the streets and making their voices heard. The 77th anniversary of the Nakba stands in the context of Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, which has displaced over 1.2 million people since October 2023. The “Nakba77” demonstration will aim to remember those lost, resist ongoing repression, and demand justice and liberation for Palestinians. The protest, organised by Palestine Speaks, PA Allies and other activist groups, is scheduled to begin at 16:00 at Südstern in Berlin.  UK Supreme Court Ruling on Trans Rights In April, the British Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling that legally defines “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act of 2010 as referring exclusively to so-called “biological sex” – the sex assigned at birth. The decision means that trans women, regardless of their gender identity or whether they possess a Gender Recognition Certificate, are no longer recognised as women by UK law. In practice, the ruling constitutes a blanket ban on trans people from accessing spaces relating to their gender. Trans women, for example, will be barred from using women’s bathrooms, changing rooms, shelters, and sports teams. The judgment was passed unanimously by all five Supreme Court judges and has been widely celebrated by trans-exclusionary groups and public figures, including author J.K. Rowling, prompting renewed calls to boycott all Harry Potter-affiliated products. Human rights advocates, Queer activists and LGBTQIA+ organizations warn that the decision sets a dangerous precedent amounting to a significant rollback of trans rights in the UK, further endangering trans women, who are already the target of harassment, abuse, and hate. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in the UK to urge lawmakers to respect and protect the human rights of trans people. In Berlin, a protest for trans rights will be held on 17 May with details tba.  Far-Right Candidate Wins First Round of Romanian Elections In re-elections held this weekend in Romania, ultranationalist and far-right candidate George Simion has taken a strong lead. Simion, who is part of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), is known for his alignment with US President Donald Trump and his opposition to military aid for Ukraine. After scoring a win in the first round of elections, he will face the runner-up and Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan in a runoff vote, scheduled for 18 May. The original elections in Romania held in late 2024 were annulled over concerns of Russian interference in the ballot and on the campaign trail. Călin Georgescu, the Moscow-friendly candidate who emerged as the winner of the previous elections, was barred from running for office in the re-elections and is currently under investigation. Simion’s win in the Romanian elections would mark another gain for conservative nationalist movements in Europe.  Black Therapists Fund  The Black Therapists Fund has been launched by two Black psychologists, Patiani and Latoja, aiming to provide anti-racist and trauma- as well as discrimination-informed counseling for Black and racialized people. Psychotherapy and psychology have long histories rooted in racist stereotypes, continuing to be fields largely dominated by white practitioners, many of whom lack knowledge and training in anti-racist practices. As a result, BiPoC clients are often retraumatised or do not receive adequate support when seeking mental health care. In addition, BiPoC professionals remain underrepresented in the field, with systemic racism and high education costs acting as significant barriers. Patiani and Latoja of Black Therapists Fund want to change this and seek to provide informed, anti-racist, and professional mental health support to BiPoC. They are raising funds to pursue training in systemic therapy - a psychotherapeutic qualification that costs between 20,000 and 60,000€, and is often only accessible to those receiving financial backing from family. You can find out more about Black Therapists Fund and donate here. Photos from soso and Freedom Flotilla  


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            <title><![CDATA[JEW. DESPITE GERMANY]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jew-despite-germany</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jew-despite-germany</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 05 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A pre-launch event for Udi Raz's new book.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 13th May, join us for an evening of conversation, reading, and music rooted in Jewish resistance and solidarity with Palestine.  JEW. DESPITE GERMANY. is an illustrated autobiography written by Udi Raz with artwork by Ariel Victor. Powerfully blending accounts of true events, political analysis, and narrative fiction, this book is a personal and political journey, exploring the struggle between Judaism and Zionism through Udi's path from Palestine to Berlin. Exposing Germany’s complicity in silencing dissent and selectively protecting Jews, it critiques what it means to exist as a Jew, against all odds, despite Germany. "We speak from a place of privilege. We are not as directly affected by what Palestinians are going through. Not in Gaza, and not here in Germany. And yet, this is the first time since the Holocaust that the targeting of Jews is encouraged by German state institutions and mainstream society. This book brings Gaza to Berlin. Not to compare, but to connect. To reveal how systems of violence are linked. To trace how Zionism, racism, and nationalism work across borders. And how resistance does, too." Rooted in transformative justice, JEW. DESPITE GERMANY. challenges mainstream narratives and calls for resistance, truth-telling, and solidarity across borders. Through the artistic and personal dialogue between Udi’s text and Ariel’s illustrations, this book offers more than historical documentation, it is an invitation to readers to connect and join an ever-growing community of Trusting Sisters in these alienating times. The German state insists that the genocide in Palestine is carried out in the name of protecting Jewish life and silence anyone who dares to challenge this ingrained logic. What does this reveal about Germany today? This event brings together Jewish voices to reflect on that question. We're excited to share a glimpse of the book-in-progress with a live chapter reading and artwork to take home. Special offers will be available for new and existing supporters. 

Event Details Tuesday, 13 May | 18:30–22:00 Refuge Worldwide, Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin Entry: 10–15 EUR suggested donation. All proceeds go to the JEW. DESPITE GERMANY Kickstarter campaign Panel: What Palestine Taught Us About Germany, From Jewish Perspectives with Udi Raz, Hannah (Omri) Ben Yehuda, HP Loveshaft, Noy Katsman and Adam Broomberg moderated by Nicky Böhm Learn more and support the JEW. DESPITE GERMANY project here.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[XJAZZ! 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/xjazz-2025-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/xjazz-2025-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We catch up with the festival team to discuss this year's community-driven format.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This fourth edition of XJAZZ! Festival feels like a return to roots—centering local voices, smaller spaces, and the communities that shape Berlin’s sound. With funding cuts hitting the cultural sector and political pressure mounting, the festival is holding space where it’s needed most.  This edition includes performances by artists such as Alabaster DePlume, Joy Guidry, and Moor Mother with Lonnie Holley, alongside Berlin-based acts including Jembaa Groove and D.$AHIN—plus a Refuge Worldwide Takeover at ŒLGARTEN. Daily conversations at the Weserstraße Studio will feature Henry Weekes in dialogue with guests Sorvina, Aron & The Jeri Jeri Band, Ignabu, Ken Okuda, Àbáse, EX GENERATION: The Napoli Exchange, and many more. We talked with organizers Anastasiia Pokaz, Sebastian Hecht, and Alicia Gil de Oliveira about building a sustainable festival, keeping things accessible, and why staying close to the ground matters more than ever. This year’s programme has a strong community focus — what makes that exciting for you?

We are always hyped about the lineup, but this year there is a deeper focus on the Berlin scene. More local artists, more community energy, it just felt right. Over the past few years, we have been building that side of things through smaller events, collaborations, and projects like last year’s compilation. Now, we are giving that space to grow within the main festival. It’s about celebrating what is already here, around us! Is that part of an ambition to engage with a different audience?

We have been tuning into the local scene and listening to what people actually need. A lot of feedback pointed to Berlin artists as the heart of the festival, and our crowd is getting younger. So making things more affordable, more intimate, that was intentional. We wanted to make sure the festival stays open and accessible to everyone. Talking about accessibility, Jazz could be interpreted as a niche genre, how do you attract different demographics to your events?

That’s actually one of the main things we are trying to shift; the idea that jazz is only for a certain crowd. Jazz can be deep and complex, but it’s also full of feeling, super broad, and totally open. We want people to see jazz as something alive, something for everyone, not just for the heads or the old-school purists. XJAZZ! is always blending sounds–soul, hip-hop, electronic, experimental. Jazz is the root, but the branches go everywhere. Honestly, it’s also about how we talk to our audience. We’re not trying to be this elite, polished thing. We keep it real, we keep it close to what is happening in the city. That openness is what brings people in — across ages, backgrounds, and scenes.					 With the current wave of cultural funding cuts in Berlin, how are you managing to sustain the festival?

It's really tough. We've existed since 2014, and every year funding is uncertain— sometimes we get it, sometimes we don't, and we often don't know until right before the festival. The Berlin Senate's cultural funding is extremely bureaucratic and complicated, much worse than federal or EU funding. This year we’re facing a 20% cut, but compared to other cultural entities, we are lucky. Still, with a few weeks to go, we haven't received any money yet, even though we've been working since September. How do you see XJAZZ! contributing to a different model of what a festival can be?

Most festivals, especially for younger crowds, happen outside the city somewhere– in a field, or maybe one big building. But from the beginning, the idea here was to keep it in Kreuzberg, to work with Berlin venues and be part of the local culture. It’s definitely more complicated to organise, but it makes the whole thing way more connected to the city. And what’s really special too is the vibe, there’s no real distance between artists and the audience. You’ll see people who just played a set hanging out in the crowd like everyone else. Actually, we checked and almost 70% of the people who come are artists themselves. So it doesn’t even feel like a typical crowd,  it’s more like this gathering of creative characters.  How do you see the future of music festivals evolving in the face of cultural pushback?

It feels uncertain. Big commercial events are focusing on headliners, leaving smaller acts behind. For us, we rely on public funding to showcase emerging artists, but with funding cuts looming, it's unclear whether we can maintain that focus or if we'll have to shift toward a more commercial model. We're still waiting to see if we can secure enough support to keep doing things the way we have. Anastasiia: On a broader scale, with everything happening politically and globally, it can feel almost out of place to focus on a festival. But for me, coming from Ukraine, I believe the more the world seems to fall apart, the more we need spaces for people to connect, create, and have fun. It’s not just about entertainment: it’s about community, and especially now, we need to keep fostering diverse, open spaces. With growing visa restrictions in Germany, how do you manage international artist mobility? 

Visa restrictions have definitely gotten tougher, especially with the rise of far-right sentiment in Germany. This year, with our focus on Berlin-based artists, it hasn’t been a major issue. Last year, though, we did face some challenges, particularly with South African and Ukrainian artists dealing with travel restrictions. What’s the last record you've been listening to that moved you?

One record that really stood out recently was Napoli Exchange’s new release. They played it live during our Refuge show, and it completely blew me away, so funky and groovy, definitely a dance gig we’re looking forward to. Another standout is Brown Penny’s record, which has been on regular rotation. Both Napoli Exchange and Brown Penny are performing on Friday, so it's shaping up to be an incredible night! Talking about radio, how is your monthly show going?

Radio shows are a perfect fit for XJAZZ! It’s about creating an intimate space with our guests, connecting on a deeper level, not just through music. Recently, with guests from Berlin Focus Day, it wasn’t just about the music; the conversations were emotional and really brought us closer to the artists, which is exactly what we aim for. What’s the last live performance you saw that completely blew your mind?

Alicia: Ludwig Wandinger's performance in a church at Lausitzerplatz was incredible! The first act had a choral sound that fit so perfectly with the church setting—it felt almost otherworldly. The second act, with Henry Weekes and his collaborators, was just as impressive. The sound in that space was absolutely amazing. Anastasiia: One performance that really stands out was at the Sonic Interventions concert during the Skandaløs Festival. I was literally screaming and crying—it was that intense. At the end, one of the performers mentioned that it was all improvised, and I nearly had a heart attack! The level of improvisation was on another planet. That performance is something I'll never forget.					 XJAZZ! also launched a record label last year — how is that going? What’s the vision behind it?

The label, X-Jazz Music, was started by the same people who created the festival, but it’s become more of a separate entity over time. The vinyl release we did was a project of ours, and we wanted to capture the sound of the live performances from global artists we’ve worked with. After the quiet period of COVID, it felt important to preserve that unique vibe and energy. As for the future, yes, we want to continue with the compilation albums, but probably not every year. It would be too frequent, so we're thinking more long-term, maybe releasing one every couple of years. Is this your first time hosting performances at ŒLGARTEN? What excites you about that space? We are looking forward to the Refuge hangouts there!

ŒLGARTEN has the perfect vibe, intimate enough to connect with the crowd, yet full of energy. It’s close to a main street but feels hidden away, like a secret garden behind Marmorbar. The atmosphere is making it an ideal spot for a laid-back hang, and surprisingly great for a bit of daytime dancing.

What are the most unexpected funny memories you have from XJAZZ?

Last year’s XJAZZ! New Year’s party was a complete disaster, but looking back, it’s hilarious. It was a last-minute event with barely any ticket sales, and when we got there, the venue was empty. By 8:30 p.m., only seven people had shown up — most of them our friends. We ended up getting too much tequila to get through it. Another funny moment was when we had to DJ together on a super emotional day. We almost canceled, but decided to push through. When Anastasiia's USB stick didn’t work, we improvised with what we had, and it turned into a funny spontaneous set!  We’re teaming up with XJAZZ! for two days of outdoor hangouts at ŒLGARTEN on May 16 and 17, with residents Myriam, fioul, Ahmedshk, George Earnest, Chalie, and Ilkyaz coming through to spin some downtempo favourites. 
Cover Photo by Hugo Sebastiàn Alaimo. Body photos by Frankie Casillo.

Tickets are available here.  
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-30-april-15-may</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-30-april-15-may</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: May Day, Soli Concerts, Diasporic Arts]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Revolutionary 1 May Demonstration 1st May is International Workers Day, also known as Labour Day or May Day – a global day of action and resistance for worker’s rights and against capitalist exploitation. As the German state continues to cut budgets for social and public services while reaching record levels of military spendings including arms used in the genocide in Palestine, the day is as relevant as ever. The revolutionary 1st May demonstration in Berlin highlights the interconnectedness of global struggles for liberation and worker’s rights. Join the May Day protest in Berlin, starting at 18:00 from Südstern. A Palestine Bloc will be organised by activist groups like Migranitfa, Global South United, PA Allies and others. 1 May Fundraiser at Oona Bar  On May Day, Refuge hosts a fundraiser event at Oona with music, talks, and a Soli breakfast with coffee and baked goods. Curated by Meriem S and Adam Cooke, the day includes talk shows with Reclaim the Narratives, Sudan Uprising, and Tropical Diaspora Records. Throughout the day Oona Bar offers special deals on drinks. All proceeds from the soli breakfast will be donated to 3ezwa Palestine Legal fund and MOTHER Emergency Relief for Sudan, organised by DJ Soulseek and her collective MOTHER.loading. Take Back the Night Queer-Feminist Demonstration On the evening before May Day, the Take Back the Night demonstration takes place. This queer-feminist, leftist protest against patriarchal oppression of FLINTA* people globally is a way of collectively reclaiming the city streets at night. In 2025 alone, 30 femicides were reported in Germany, with cases of femicides, harassment, domestic violence and abuse rising globally. TBTN stands in solidarity with everyone fighting patriarchal oppression and highlights the intersections of the struggle for liberation: None of us are free until all of us are free. On 30 April at 20:00 a rally will be held at Mariannenplatz and the walking demo will start at 21:00. Come by to be loud and show your anger at this oppressive system. No cis men are welcome at this protest. SINEMAplural Fellowship for Underrepresented Voices in Film Sinema Transtopia has opened applications for a 9-month fellowship program for BiPoC interested in film and sociopolitical topics like migration, anti-racism, inclusion, and gender equality. The 15 chosen fellows will learn filmmaking through a critical lens and develop fully funded praxis projects. The fellowship SINEMAplural completely free and designed to amplify underrepresented voices in film and media. You can find out more here. Applications close on 31 May. Faravaz Concert: Criminal Charge: Singing  On 11 May, the Iranian singer Faravaz will release her solo debut record with a live show at SO36. The album is called “Azadi” (meaning freedom in Farsi), and speaks to the global struggle for liberation from patriarchal oppression. Faravaz was sentenced to one year in prison in Iran for singing as a woman, which is considered a crime in Iran. On 11 May she will sing and raise her voice against oppression with an ensemble of other artists. In a time where artists and the masses alike are being denied border entries because of political positions of their cultures of origin and/or political stance, join Faravaz in her tune of freedom. Tickets are available here. Charité Berlin Workers Demand Equal Pay The workers at Charité Berlin have been fighting for equal pay for many years. Charité Berlin, a renowned hospital, outsourced labour for years through a subsidiary company, CFM. Workers employed via CFM earn up to 20% less than their colleagues directly employed by Charite while doing the exact same job. This affects more than 3000 people working in logistics, kitchen, cleaning, transportation and security – essential workers without whom the hospital could not function. Previous strikes led Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner, to promise action. However, he has failed to deliver. The workers are now back on strike, demanding equal pay and worker’s rights. You can support their demands by signing the petition to end wage dumping at Charité Berlin or donating to the strike fund, which alleviates the financial burden of the strikers and helps them to maintain pressure on the Senate and employers. From Rafah to Jerusalem Demonstration A demonstration will take place at 16:00 on 3 May in solidarity with Rafah, the supposed “safe zone” despite month long bombings resulting in 1.4 million displaced Palestinians, and 1200 deaths. Demonstrate in solidarity with Rafah alongside organizers PA Allies, Alliance of International Feminists, Palestine Speaks, etc, and will start at the Wilmersdorfer Straße U-bahn Station. More info here.  Lorenz A. shot by police in Oldenburg On Sunday, 20 April, Lorenz A., a 21-year-old Black man, was shot by police in Oldenburg, Germany. The incident happened after Lorenz was denied entry to a nightclub and used pepper spray against the security guards. The police got involved and later claimed that Lorenz had threatened them with a knife. Those claims were disproven: no knife found, and Lorenz A. was shot four times from behind. The officer responsible was suspended, and the case is being investigated by the police department in Delmenhorst. However, the department in charge has its own history of racist police violence like the controversial death of 19-year-old Qosay Khalaf in 2021 in their custody. Civil rights groups are calling for an independent investigation of the case.  Lorenz’ killing and the false claims by the police have caused nationwide protests calling for justice for Lorenz and many others killed at the hands of German police in the past. The initiative Gerechtigkeit für Lorenz (Justice for Lorenz) demands accountability and consequences for the officers involved and aims to expose the racist structures of systems of policing. They are also raising funds to help alleviate the financial burden of the burial, lawyers, and court fees and to start a public campaign to educate about racist police brutality. Support their campaign and donate to the initiative.   Justice Collective Launches Emergency Fund Against Punishment in Fast-Track Courts  The Justice Collective and Court Watch Berlin – activist groups investigating discriminatory structures in the penal system, have launched an emergency fund to support people criminalized in so-called fast-track courts where trials often last only 15 minutes, typically without legal counsel. Fast-track courts are mostly used when dealing with “mass cases”, usually offences connected to people’s poverty like not being able to pay off fines for riding the bus without a ticket. If the fines and court fees then cannot be paid off, people can be imprisoned through Ersatzfreiheitsstrafe (substitute imprisonment). This mostly affects poor, racialised, and other marginalized people. The emergency fund is part of a legal defence structure. The Justice Collective are building to help people pay off court fines and avoid imprisonment. Donate to the Emergency Fund Against Punishment to support this work.    Petition Against Wolfram Weimar as State Minister of Culture A petition has been started against the conservative politician Wolfram Weimer becoming the new state minister for culture and media. Weimer is publisher and founder of the conservative magazine Cicero as well as former editor of Welt and Focus – two publications known for their conservative-right stance and economy-centered perspectives. In his texts, Weimer has repeatedly issued racist and homophobic remarks. The petition urges the CDU-SPD coalition and Friedrich Merz to not appoint him to the position. Sign the petition here. Soli Showcase and Concerts On Saturday, 3 May, a solidarity showcase for Palestine will take place at Adlerhalle, Rathausblock near Mehringdamm. Organized by singer Micayl and a group of artists, among them Sans Soucis, the evening will feature live music, DJ sets, and food stalls. It starts at 18:00. The entrance is donation-based, with all proceeds going to grassroots emergency funds for Palestine. Due to limited capacity, please register in advance.  3ezwa Takeover  On 10 May, 3ezwa returns to Oona for a takeover. The Berlin-based activist group supports people facing legal consequences for their solidity with Palestine and gathers funds to pay off legal fees and fines. Come by Oona Bar in the evening to enjoy to the specially curated programme and contribute to the legal fund. Big Plates to Small Hearts Join British Somali chef and writer Halimo Hussainon on 4 May for a late lunch from 15:00 and drinks from 19:00 at Ring Bar Berlin. This gathering is part of Halimo’s project What's for Casho, a platform aiming to share stories of how Somali culinary culture cultivates intimacy through a practice of care. Somali artworks will be exhibited to accompany the communal dinner. More info here.  JEW. DESPITE GERMANY. JEW. DESPITE GERMANY. is an illustrated autobiography written by Udi Raz with artworks by Ariel Victor. Powerfully blending accounts of true events, political analysis, and narrative fiction, this book is a personal and political journey, exploring the struggle between Judaism and Zionism through Udi's path from Palestine to Berlin. Exposing Germany’s complicity in silencing dissent and selectively protecting Jews, it critiques what it means to exist as a Jew, against all odds, despite Germany. Learn more and support the project here and join us for the book pre-launch on Tuesday 13th May at NM1.  Arabic Film Festival Closing Party Update – Artists Denied Visa Entry For those excited for the Arabic Film’s festival’s closing party at Gretchen on 30 April, the organizers announced that Egyptian rapper El Waili and Jordanian pop artist Zeid Khaled were denied entry to the Shengen zone. AL.Berlin has not cancelled – the party goes on with live acts by Beirut-based producer Etyen and Palestinian Singer Salwa Jaradat, blending electronic experimentation with Arabic live vocals. DJ sets by diasporic artists Medussar, DumTak, and the AL.Berlin crew will follow. For those with a ticket, two free drinks await at the door. Celebrate with AL.Berlin despite political realities of repression and silencing, which do not dictate community values. More info here. Arabic Diaspora Forbidden Landscapes Workshop  For those of the Arabic diaspora missing home, join Spore Initiative in reconnecting with Palestinian, Lebanese, Jordanian, and Syrian culture through workshops on wild plants of the region. The event will take place from 11:00-15:00 at Spore. As part of diaspora communities living away from homelands, cultural community based practices can help ground, reconnect, and rediscover identity across space and time through learning about Indigenous lands and using seeds as living archives to remember and resist. Following the workshop, a cooking session will be held using the plants from the session where participants can share their own stories, recipes, and rituals. More info here.  Berlin Asia Arts Club  At C-Space on 3 May BAAC hosts Bodies and Walls + Vaters Motherland from 16:00 onward, featuring multiple artists of the Asian diaspora working across a range of artistic disciplines. Bodies and Walls will kick off with a workshop with Vietnamese artist Daniel Parasaudi doing a live mural painting in the courtyard, followed by an artist talk with Daniel from 18:00. The afternoon will also feature Chinese artist Tao Haiyue in collaboration with Japanese artist Yansheng, presenting an interactive exhibition of Yangsheng’s explorations of Daoist inspired wellness tools, accompanied by Tao’s live music performance. The concept aims to connect the audience to their mind and body through movement and sound. Following, Vaters Motherland, featuring readings and live music will round off the evening from 19:30. More info here.   Header Photo by Jaime Musso from to be young in a world that's burning (film) Photos by Jaime Musso, Spore, and Sinema Transtopia

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            <title><![CDATA[Bring Your Own Dish: Neighbourhood Dinner]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/byo-dinner</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/byo-dinner</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come by on May 8th to share the table with us.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are hosting a communal dining event at our Niemetzstraße space next week.  From 6PM until 10PM on May 8th, we welcome you to come break bread with us and meet some other friendly folks from around the radio station. It will be a vegetarian potluck style dinner, with everyone attending needing to bring something to contribute. Ideally home-cooked with love, but whatever you can manage will be fine. Please bring your dish, something to serve it with, and a note of what it is plus any allergens. We will have a bar of soft drinks, beer or wine, and there will be a live saxophone performance from Henry Weekes alongside downtempo DJ sets.  At the bar, we will be collecting donations for Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe for anyone who wishes to support. Please RSVP here so we have an idea of numbers, make sure to come hungry!]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[May Day Fundraiser]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/may-day-fundraiser</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/may-day-fundraiser</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Studio talks and street music on Weserstraße.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[A fundraising event for May Day, supporting 3ezwa & MOTHER. On May 1st this year we are hosting a solidarity event, featuring both discussions from our studio and some music out on the street, curated by Meriem S and Adam Cooke. Expect DJs, outdoor music, engaging conversations, and a Soli breakfast with coffee and baked goods. For the Soli breakfast, there will be coffee  - provided and prepared by Laurel - and baked goods. All proceeds from the breakfast items will go directly to the fundraisers. Throughout the day, the bar will also be offering special deals on mimosas, cocktails, and spritzes—so come early, stay late, and support two great causes while enjoying a beautiful day. In the morning, there is a series of talks from the Refuge Worldwide studio with Reclaim the Narratives and Ahmed Eid, Tropical Diaspora Records and Sudan Uprising, before moving outside the studio for a dance. Music selections comes from NYC duo MUSCLECARS (Coloring Lessons), DJSOULSEEK (Mother Loading) and one more artist who will remain top secret (hint: CurraL). Proceeds from the Soli breakfast are to be donated to the 3ezwa Palestine Legal Fund, a Berlin-based fund dedicated to supporting people who are facing state and/or police oppression for expressing solidarity or engaging in activism for the rights of Palestinians, as well as MOTHER Emergency Relief for Sudan – organised by DJ Soulseek, a Sudanese artist raising funds with her collective for Sudan. These efforts are aimed to have a direct impact in supporting efforts on the ground there. Come by, support these great causes and listen to some great music. Indoor (Broadcast Booth): 11:00–12:00: Discussion with Reclaim The Narratives and Ahmed Eid 12:00–13:00: Chat and music with Tropical Diaspora Records 13:00–14:00: Discussion with Sudan Uprising Germany Outdoor (Street Party): 14:00–16:00: DJ Soulseek 16:00–18:00: MUSCLECARS 18:00–20:00: Secret Guest (CurraL) 3ezwa Palestine Legal Fund – A Berlin-based initiative supporting individuals facing repression due to their activism in solidarity with Palestine. MOTHER Sudan Emergency Relief – Led by DJ Soulseek and her collective, providing direct support to those affected by the crisis in Sudan. The event is free to attend, with no age restrictions. Broadcasting live on Refuge Worldwide, directly from Oona Bar on Weserstraße, you can tune in to the shows from home if you are out of town. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-17-april-01-may</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-17-april-01-may</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Solidarity Against Deportations, Film Festivals, İÇ İÇE]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Fight Back Against Political Deportations On 21 April, the German State will forcibly deport four pro-Palestinian activists without any criminal charges against them. Lawyers call this a case of politically motivated deportation, a sign of greater repression against activism around Palestine and anti-immigration sentiment, and an attack on fundamental democratic rights. You can support Kasia Wlaszczyk, Cooper Longbottom, Shane O'Brien, and Roberta Murray by signing the petition in protest of their deportation. At least 30,000 signatures are required to put pressure on the German state. On 18 April at 16:00, a demonstration will take place at Alexanderplatz in solidarity with the activists. Afterwards, you can drop by bUM to join the 3ezwa panel talk and bingo fundraiser centering around impending deportations to Greece. On 20 April, Tennis Bar is hosting another fundraiser to help the activists with their legal fees. From 21:00 to 04:00, DJs will take turns inviting you to dance and hang out. You can also support the fundraiser for #Berlin4 online by contributing here.  Berlin University Occupied  On Wednesday, 16 April, pro-Palestinian student activists occupied the Emil-Fischer-Campus of Humboldt Universität in Berlin in response to the German state’s persecution of student activists and Germany’s role in the war in Gaza. The group of protestors issued a list of demands, including an end to deportations and German weapon deliveries to Israel and a call for the cultural and academic boycott of Israel. The heads of the university refused to negotiate with the students and instead called the police, who started to forcefully remove the protestors from the campus and made several violent arrests.  Arabic Film Festival  From 23 to 30 April, the 16th edition of the Arabic Film Festival will take place. The week-long programme was curated to provide diverse perspectives through intimate narratives from the Arab world, including alternative history documentaries like “Movedove” (dir. Karim Kassem) and ethereal dramas like “The Village Next to Paradise” (dir. Mo Harawe). Together with Sinema Transtopia, AL Film is presenting the short film program “On Militarization” (screening 25 and 26 April). The selection of five films explores how militarisation and colonial influence - from Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt, to U.S. oil interests in Syria - alter landscapes and shape consciousness. In addition to the screenings, the Arabic Film Festival will also feature masterclasses, panel discussions, and music events, with many films followed by talks with the director. Screenings and events will be held at 8 locations across Berlin. View the programme here.  BIWoC* Rising Feminist Networking Event BIWoC* Rising invites feminist individuals, collectives, activists, etc., to their space in Kreuzberg on 23 April to network with like-minded people in a safer space – connecting to discuss alternative ways of funding, potential collaborations, and brainstorm ideas. BIWoC* Rising is an intersectional feminist community and Berlin’s first co-working space designated for trans, inter, and non-binary Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour identifying individuals. More info here.  Oona hangout with SoFa Collective Come by Oona this weekend for the very first session of SoFa Collective. From 20:00 on Saturday, 19 April until midnight, Mademoisel, DJ Warble, and Hotaru B2B Koscha will play music. The session also introduces the work of the Afghan Activist Collective, SudanUprising, and ROSA rolling safe space. All funds raised at the solidarity event will go toward supporting families on the move in Greece and initiatives resisting the systemic racism, fascism, and violence of Fortress Europe.  At Refuge's Niemetzstraße space on 17 April, join Unpublished, a media platform fighting against restrictions in the current day mainstream German media, for an evening of collective reflections on how we might envision alternative futures. More info here.  Stories from the Beauty Parlor Podcast Annamaria Olsson from Give Something Back to Berlin has launched “Stories from the Beauty Parlor”, a multi-disciplinary project and fundraising platform amplifying stories of women and LGBTQIA+ individuals worldwide. Motivated by the fact that only 2% of global funding goes towards women’s and LGBTQIA+ causes, “Stories from the Beauty Parlor” raises funds for initiatives by underserved communities. The project aims to transform socially dictated narratives of the beauty industry from individualist self-care to transformative community practice and create a global network of solidarity. Their mission is to leverage the $690 billion beauty industry to support feminist initiatives. You can find out more about it by listening to their new podcast here.  Xposed Queer Short Film Fund Xposed Queer Film Fest Berlin has just shared the call for submissions to their queer short film fund, supported by the cinema tech rental company 25p. If you are based in Berlin and working on a queer short film, you can apply for the prize worth 3,500€ and a mentoring program to realise your project. To be eligible for the fund, you must have directed at least one short film and live in Germany. The proposed projects cannot exceed 10 minutes in length. You can find more information about the call on the Xposed Queer Film Fest webpage. The deadline for submissions is 9 May. İÇ İÇE Festival 2025 is happening Good news for music lovers in Berlin: the festival for new Anatolian music, İÇ İÇE, will take place this year after all. Due to funding cuts, the organisers had to launch a crowdfunding campaign to secure the festival’s future. So far, they have raised 16,000€ and announced that the festival will take place on 14 June at Festsaal Kreuzberg. While that’s a reason for celebration, the festival team still needs to raise at least another 4.000€ to make it happen truly. You can donate to their fundraiser here and get your Early Bird tickets here – but be quick, as last year they sold out within hours. Unmarried Records Takeover Following the successful turnout at their record sale at Marmor in March, which fundraised for displaced people in Gaza, Sudan, and Congo, Unmarried Records is back with their first edition takeover at Marmor Bar. Unmarried Records was started by DJ and radio host Unmarried Woman, known for colourful curations from disco house to techno soul. The takeover will happen on Friday, 18 April, featuring DJ sets by Femdelic and Unmarried Woman, and a secret guest! Come early because entry is free before midnight. Fundraiser for M. and Her 2-Month-Old Baby Schlafplatz Orga is raising funds for M., a single mother, and her 2-month-old baby. M. came to Poland a few years ago, where she worked and got pregnant. After being fired by her employer because of her pregnancy and left without resources by her abusive husband, she recently arrived in Berlin, where she has been moving between temporary sleeping places with her newborn. Now, M. and her baby have found secure housing for the next few months at a monthly rent of 390€. Schlafplatz Orga has launched a fundraiser to help cover rent and essential bills until M. is able to return to work. Donate here. Cover Photo by Jaime Musso  Photos by Red Bath (2024) and TUKIE VANIDA

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            <title><![CDATA[Aleppo: Behind the Headlines ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/aleppo-behind-the-headlines</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/aleppo-behind-the-headlines</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Music, Memory and Resistance]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Arabic below: From 7PM on Monday, April 28, we welcome Aleppo: Behind the Headlines at Niemetzstraße 1. This evening of sound, story, and reflection brings together voices from Aleppo—across borders, borders crossed, and memories that refuse to fade. There will be a live performance by Hekaya Sharqiyya: Ahmad Ajouz, Majd Jmoul and Walaa Al Atrash, who will play Muwashahat & Tarab from Aleppo followed by a discussion where we will hear from three journalists and podcasters with deep ties to the city: Hiba Obaid, born in Aleppo as a Palestinian, left the city in 2012. Zuher Jazmati, born in Germany, spent every summer in Aleppo before the revolution—before the bombings. They’ll respond to a recorded interview with journalist Asia Haidar, who is also from Aleppo and recently visited the city and will share insights on the city’s current reality.  From there, Hiba and Zuher will reflect on memory, displacement, and what Aleppo means to them today—especially from within the diaspora in Berlin. There will be time to connect, reflect, and speak together after so bring your friends and your questions. Aleppo soap from a local family will be available. Time: Doors at 7PM. Performance starts 7:30PM. Panel 8:30PM. Entry: Sliding scale 10 - 15 EUR. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. All donations will go to Palestinian families in Al-Nayrab camp in Aleppo.

حلب… مو بس بالعناوين.
حكايات عن البيت، الذاكرة، وموسيقا العود، من حلبية عاشوا الغربة.

هبة عبيد، زهير جزماتي، وآسيا حيدر رح يجتمعوا ليحكوا، يتناقشوا، عن وكرمال حلب.
اللي بيجمعهم هو علاقتهم العميقة بهالمدينة العريقة، يلي عاشت حروب، ثورات، وقمع... بس كمان أفراح واحتفالات وثقافة مابتخلص لينحكا عنها بإيڤنت وحدة.

زهير من أصل حلبي، مواليد برلين.

هبة صحفية فلسطينية، مواليد حلب، وساكنة ببرلين من ٢٠١٥.

آسيا حيدر صحفية من حلب، عايشة بألمانيا، وزارت حلب مؤخراً بعد سقوط النظام.

واكيد مافيو يكون اسم حلب بدون موشحات وطرب من حلب
لهيك رح يكون في عرض حي لفرقة حكاية شرقية: أحمد عجوز، مجد جمّول، وولاء الأطرش. اللي رح يقدمولنا الموسيقى الحلبية على أصولا.


الدخول: الدفع حسب القدرة بين ١٠ لـ ١٥ يورو. وإذا مامعكون كمان بتفوتوا:) ملاحظة: كل التبرعات رح تروح لعائلات فلسطينية بمخيم النيرب بحلب.

امتى؟ الإثنين ٢٨ نيسان | الساعة ٧
Niemetzstraße 1 - برلين]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Unpublished host a talk, screening and exhibition at Niemetzstraße]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/unpublished</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/unpublished</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come down this Thursday, April 17.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From 6 until 10PM on April 17, we will welcome Unpublished to NM1. Unpublished is a new media project born from a collective within the Palestinian solidarity movement, created in response to the current mainstream media landscape in Germany. This landscape has played a key role in keeping society compliant with state policies while making it nearly impossible for critical voices to be heard. This is the third event by the Unpublished collective, featuring: A photo exhibition documenting street protests in solidarity with Palestine A screening of their original content A talk by Yasmeen Daher: "To Speak of Gaza: Philosophy, Resistance, and the Limits of Solidarity". Yasmeen is a writer, activist, and co-director/editorial director of Febrayer, a network for independent Arab media organizations based in Berlin. In a time marked by unspeakable violence and deafening silences, Yasmeen's talk invites us to reflect on what it means to act, to think, to speak, and to resist—for Gaza and through Gaza. Drawing on two years of engagement, witnessing, and writing, Dr. Yasmeen Daher—a Palestinian philosopher, writer, and political organizer—will explore the limits of language, the failures of moral solidarity, and the urgent need to reimagine resistance beyond the frameworks of liberal care. This is not only a philosophical reflection, but a political call: a call to summon our histories, confront our complicities, and draw new conclusions from our collective actions, narratives and resistances. For those who cannot afford to remain observers, this event opens a space of reckoning. What does Gaza demand of us? What kind of world do we dare to build in its name? And what, in truth, has changed in us? Time: Doors 6pm. Screening 7:30pm. Panel 8pm - 9pm. Entry price: Suggested donation of 10 EUR. All donations will be used to fund the legal battle of one of the founders of the collective against a German newspaper that unjustifiably fired him for his critical coverage of Palestine. Location: Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Back with B2B day!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/back-with-b2b-day</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/back-with-b2b-day</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Swing by this Friday at Oona Bar ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[One of favourite days of the year is back this Easter Friday, April 18th, as we celebrate the fourth edition of Refuge Worldwide’s annual B2B Day. What started as a quick fire way to introduce DJs to each other live on air has become a yearly tradition—bringing together station residents for a full day of first-time back-to-back sets. Previous editions have seen residents pairing up for their debut sets together, with the station broadcasting morning until night from Oona Bar.  This year’s edition goes out live on air from 10 AM to 1 AM, with new combos and spontaneous energy from start to finish. We’re kicking things off with The Breakfast Show hosts Nadia Wise & Femdelic, followed by Rita & Lyndon Lewis, Ben Olayinka & Saint September, a Strictly Naija music show hosted by Richard Akingbehin & Bridontknow and a Turkish Special hour with Özay Öztürk & Mehmet Aslan—before a great lineup of selectors takes over into the evening.  This is an open doors free event so get down to Oona Bar (Weserstraße 166, 12045 Berlin) to join the fun and sip some drinks for the Bank Holiday. Check out the full timetable below. 10:00-12:00 Nadia Wise B2B Femdelic 12:00-13:00 Rita & Lyndon Lewis 13:00-14:00 Ben Olayinka & Saint September 14:00-15:00 Richard Akingbehin & Bridontknow 15:00-16:00 Özay Öztürk & Mehmet Aslan 16:00-17:00 DJ Westfa & mokeyanju  17:00-18:00 Mandel & Natalie Robinson  18:00-19:00 Katia Fis & ophélie 19:00-20:00 gugol maps & Sofia Clonn 20:00-21:00 BLEACH & MORT-MOI  21:00-22:00 stillwarley & ABIBA 22:00-23:00 John Loveless & SAGAN 23:00-01:00 jivi2mebaby & ELLLL Artwork by Bianca Mocan.
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            <title><![CDATA[Femme Bass Mafia Mentoring Programme]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/femme-bass-mafia-mentoring-programme</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/femme-bass-mafia-mentoring-programme</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Apply for the mentorship held at Niemetzstraße.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[After four years of supporting FLINTA* bass artists in their DJ and music production journeys, Femme Bass Mafia is kicking off its new mentorship programme: Progress & Sustainability as a DJ, in collaboration with Refuge Worldwide and Musicboard Berlin. This mentoring programme runs for 6 weeks starting in May, designed to support more experienced DJs in building sustainable careers in today’s music scene. FBM are stoked to welcome an amazing lineup of mentors for this new iteration of the project: ZE:NA, Louisahhh, Yuoko Asanuma, Kikelomo, Mia Koden, and a Special Guest. Weekly sessions will be held at our location, Niemetzstraße 1, with a focus on growth, long-term development, and community.

You can apply here. 
Deadline for applications: April 15th 23:59 CET. Design by Neale Johnston. 
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-07-april-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-07-april-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Berlin Deportation Demos, Myanmar Earthquake, Sustainable Developments.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Gaza Ground Offensive | Killing of paramedics by the IDF Since the end of the ceasefire deal on 18 March, Israel has continued its relentless assault on the Gaza Strip. Harrowing images have emerged from the region, showing people burned in makeshift camps, hospitals reduced to rubble, and targeted attacks on journalists reporting from a media tent. Without signs of de-escalation, the Israeli army has also announced the expansion of its ground offensive, advancing into Gaza City. Furthermore, a video has surfaced showing the killing of paramedics and emergency responders by the Israeli forces. In early April, both the UN and the Palestinian Red Crescent accused the Israeli military of executing 15 medics and emergency responders with shots fired at close range. Their bodies were later found in a mass grave. The Israeli military denied the allegations, claiming the medics were not recognisable as such and had ties to Hamas. However, the video retrieved from the phone of paramedic Refat Radwan and witness testimonies contradict the account. The footage shows an ambulance approaching the military vehicle and being stopped by the army. Following the release of the video. Israel armed forces admitted that its earlier account was inaccurate. Since Israel renewed its ground offensive in Gaza, more than 1,200 people have been killed and 251 taken hostage. Donate here to support Palestinian families.  Germany Plans to Deport Four Pro-Palestinian Activists  Last week, the German government ordered the deportation of four pro-Palestinian activists involved in protests and the occupation of universities in Berlin. Known as the #Berlin4, they are being accused of supporting a terrorist organisation – allegations made without evidence. The activists have been instructed to leave the country by 21 April or face forcible deportation. Journalist Hanno Hauenstein described the move as “unprecedented” and warned that it raises serious concerns about civil liberties in Germany.  Many fear that this could mark the beginning of a broader campaign targeting and silencing critical voices in Germany. On Instagram, we have compiled a few action points for protesting against the deportation order.  On 12 April, a demonstration is taking place in Berlin against Germany’s attacks on migrants and asylum seekers. It starts at 14:00 from Leopoldplatz. Hungary withdraws from the ICC and hosts Netanyahu In early April, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced Hungary’s intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) during a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Budapest. The visit breaches an arrest warrant issued last fall, requiring all ICC member states to arrest Netanyahu, accused of committing war crimes in Gaza, upon entry.  During a four-day visit to the Hungarian capital, Netanyahu lauded the decision of his far-right counterpart Orbán, and called the ICC a “corrupt organisation”. To formalise the withdrawal, the Hungarian government has to pass a bill in parliament and notify the UN Secretary-General, a procedure that takes one year to come into effect. Until then, Hungary remains legally obliged to cooperate with the ongoing ICC cases and arrest Netanyahu.  While Hungary openly undermined the ICC arrest warrant, other member states like Germany and Poland have also shown reluctance to enforce the warrant, with Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz explicitly inviting Netanyahu to visit Germany.  Once the process is completed, Hungary will be the first EU member state to withdraw from the ICC.    South Sudan’s 2018 Peace Agreement Collapses South Sudan’s fragile peace agreement, brokered in 2018 to end years of civil war between groups loyal to President Salva Kiir and opposition forces aligned with Vice President Riek Machar, collapsed amid escalating tensions and violence. In late March, Machar was placed under house arrest on allegations of collaborating with the White Army, a Nuer ethnic militia, involved in recent clashes with the South Sudanese military. The arrest sparked further discontent and tension. During the civil war, Machar’s party collaborated with the militia, but denies any current links to the group. The international community expressed concerns over these developments, and the UN warned of a potential return of the conflict in South Sudan. Amid the rising tensions, the United States announced the revocation of all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders. The Department of State argued that the primary reason for the decision was South Sudan’s failure to “accept the return of its citizens”. The revocation is part of Trump's anti-immigration turn in US politics. Under previous administrations, South Sudanese individuals were granted “temporary protection status” (TPS) as the country was deemed unsafe. The forced return to a country on the edge of a renewed civil war could potentially endanger the affected. Earthquake in Myanmar  On 28 March, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck central Myanmar, the second-largest city, Mandalay, being its epicentre. The quake caused widespread destruction, resulting in a death toll surpassing 3,400 and a displacement of 13,000 people. Significant damage was caused to infrastructure across several regions, including the capital, Naypyidaw.  The United Nations has been mobilising international support to aid the affected as reports have emerged of the ruling military junta restricting aid deliveries, particularly to regions opposing its rule. The junta, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, overthrew the elected government of Myanmar and seized power in 2021. In 2024, an International Criminal Court Prosecutor requested an arrest warrant for the junta leader, accusing Hlaing of committing crimes against humanity against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. The Rohingya minority has faced ongoing violence and persecution, which has persisted despite the earthquake. On 2 April, the junta announced a temporary ceasefire, set to last until 22 April, to ensure aid distribution. You can support the affected here.  Turkey Guilty of War Crimes in Rojava The Permanent People’s Tribunal has found Turkey guilty of committing war crimes in Rojava, an autonomous region in northern Syria. Established in 1979, the citizen-led tribunal holds no executive power but serves as a symbolic court of conscience, whose judgments have historically influenced public discourse and policymaking. The Tribunal mainly addresses crimes against humanity that have been inadequately prosecuted – or even facilitated – by state actors.  In the case of Rojava v. Turkey, the assembly in Brussels concluded that Turkey committed crimes against humanity during its military occupation of the region. In an 80-page closing statement, the Tribunal accuses the Turkish military of using systematic torture, abductions, and ethnic cleansing of entire regions as weapons of war. Kyiv Hit by Russian Missiles On 6 April, Russia launched a missile attack on Kyiv, injuring 3 and killing 1 person. Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, was also attacked two days previously, with 19 people, including 9 children, killed.  While attacks on Ukraine intensify, Russia stalls negotiations for a ceasefire. Zelenskyy has called on the world to keep up international pressure for a ceasefire, as these attacks show that Russia will “continue to fight and kill” despite international diplomatic efforts. Donate here.  Le Pen convicted and barred from office French far-right leader and 3-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has been barred from running for the 2027 presidential elections and convicted of embezzlement. These charges include the misuse of an estimated 4.3 million euros of EU funds for back-home finances. In addition, Le Pen was charged with 4 years of jail time, two of which have been suspended, and two may be served in home detention, as well as a fine of 100,000 euros.  Far-right figures around the world argue that the convictions are acts of “left-wing judicial activism”.  These accusations include those from Elon Musk and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was himself barred from office for abusing power.  In Paris, thousands gathered in support of Le Pen. Succeeding her as leader of the far-right National Rally party is Jordan Bardella, who, according to experts, may lack the experience to win an election.  Self-Determination for Indigenous Populations Recent court rulings in Ecuador decided that 3 Indigenous groups part of the Waorani peoples “have the right to remain in isolation” after 20 years of contestations motivated by state initiatives of oil drilling on indigenous lands. In 2013, both the UN and the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights introduced guidelines as “precautionary principles” that nation-states must follow when making decisions that may have future impacts on a group’s ability to live on indigenous land. Since then, Indigenous groups all over the world have experienced victories in international law that allow the continuation of Indigenous culture and practices despite pressures from dominant society.  This includes granting the largest nature reserve in South America to the Naso Tribe’s land claims (Panama, 2021), and a historic “first of a kind” agreement in 2024 by the Canadian government acknowledging over 200 islands off the coast of British Columbia always belonged to the Haida nation, rather than being “given back” – a subtle yet essential difference.  20 million Trees to Be Planted in the UK As part of the National forest drive, the UK government has announced a new forest of 25,000 hectares. This new forest is the first step of the drive, which aims to achieve 16.5 % of woodland cover by 2025 with 2 additional forests. In addition to a greener climate, the minister for nature states that this would make a positive difference in water quality, flood resilience, and wildlife, and importantly, bring nature "closer to people". Though this initiative is promising for a sustainable future, experts note that long-term financial planning is essential. As many of these trees are planted by volunteers, look into your local organizations to help.  CC BY 4.0: All images are under the Creative Commons license, details here. No changes have been made to  original images.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Airtime: Há Nội Community Radio]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-ha-noi-community-radio</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-ha-noi-community-radio</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Maggie Tra from HCR on the importance of community radio in Vietnam. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Airtime is our feature series focusing on community radio projects from across the globe. This edition spotlights the work of Há Nội Community Radio (HCR), broadcasting from Vietnam.  Há Nội Community Radio was founded in 2020 by Maggie Tra and hosts shows by local artists as well as people living in the diaspora uplifting Vietnamese music, art and culture. The aim of HCR is to give the younger generation of Vietnamese people access to self-expression through radio and music.  With Maggie Tra, we spoke about the shifting perception of radio and how community radio stations like Há Nội Community Radio contribute to that. Tra also shares her thoughts on HCR's connection to the Vietnamese queer community and why there are limitations to broadcasting from a communist country like Vietnam.  Hi Maggie Tra! Can you tell me about the beginnings of Há Nội Community Radio? I have always dreamt of starting a radio station. I grew up in Australia, but my father was born in Vietnam, and my mum was born in Cambodia. When I went to live in Hanoi, I was accepted by the Vietnamese community and my ancestry. It was such an amazing experience for me. Growing up in Australia, I noticed how I had access to things many people in Vietnam don't and I became aware of that privilege. Há Nội Community Radio is a way for me to use my skill set to give something back. So in 2020, we started figuring out what is needed to build a community radio. Eventually, things took off, more people joined in, and we even got funding.  As opposed to Refuge Worldwide, HCR does not have a physical home base and is broadcasted online with the occasional live stream taking place in Hanoi. Was that something you consciously decided on or where there just no options?  At first, we were unsure whether we should get a studio or keep it online. I was warned that, because Vietnam is a communist country, it might not be a good idea to have a physical space. It was not like we were planning to have political shows. Rather, the idea of Há Nội Community Radio was to help the younger Vietnamese generation get into radio as a means of self-expression.  In a country like Vietnam, it is often not safe to express yourself freely or speak your mind because of constant surveillance. So, the digital realm seemed like the better place to nurture artistic expression. Being an online medium also allowed us to reach people beyond Hanoi in the Vietnamese diaspora. Because of that, we don’t have a physical location. But, we do monthly live streams from local bars or cafes in Hanoi. Like that, we reach a different audience than online. Many local Vietnamese people riding their bikes or walking by, stop to listen.  Who else is behind the structures of HCR and how do you curate your shows?  When we got the grant, I was able to hire a few team members for a year or two. Now, we are fully run by volunteers, which sometimes makes it difficult to stay consistent as we all have our full-time jobs. Engaging in volunteer-run cultural projects is a huge privilege that not many people have. In Vietnam, many are just focused on getting work to make a living. A lot of people from the Vietnamese diaspora also want to contribute to the station. I can relate to that a lot. The love and connection to our roots are some of the reasons why HCR exists.  With our shows, we focus either on Hanoi or Vietnam as a whole. So, all the concepts for resident shows should somehow relate to that, whether it’s because they play Vietnamese music, or talk about what’s going on in the area.  What makes a station like HCR important? I love seeing how community radio brings people together and how it builds confidence. Growing up in an Asian household, I have experienced how you are taught to suppress and not talk about feelings. A community project like HCR can give people space to break that pattern and build confidence.  What role does radio in general play in the local Vietnamese community?  When I started HCR, I realized few people knew what community radio was. Doing radio or creating a podcast is a relatively new concept in Vietnam. So, there was little awareness of this being something people could actually do. The only type of radio they were in touch with was the mainstream media, which is controlled by the state. That kind of radio always comes with a certain point of view and not much freedom to express different ideas. It is played in public and people are used to it, so it can also provide a sense of consistency, I think. Sometimes it is just there.  What is the biggest difference between mainstream and community radios like HCR in Vietnam? An online radio, you have to seek out intentionally if you want to listen to it. I guess the music can somewhat be the same. Mainstream stations are also playing Vietnamese pop artists or traditional songs. But the context of the radio is very different. In my opinion, mainstream radio is directed toward you and speaks to you through a set of structures and usually with an ulterior political motive. Community radio invites you in and fosters creative expression. You mentioned that you have to be careful with political content. How do you go about that? What are the limitations? In Vietnam, the government and politics are things you cannot just talk about. Being able to speak freely is a privilege many don’t have here. For that reason, Há Nội Community Radio is intentionally focused on creative expression. It is about giving people space to express themselves freely rather than being a space for political activism. Of course, the two are often connected. People find ways to still be political through artistic expression or by doing things in English and working internationally rather than locally.  On the HCR Instagram page and in your shows, there are a lot of queer people featured. In terms of representation, is that something you're actively aiming for? Or did that just come about because the people reached out to HCR?  Both. We are very intentional about featuring queer voices, but it also comes naturally from the environment by which HCR is surrounded. I'm an Asian woman who runs a radio station. So, I feel like being in a minority is my everyday life anyway. I'm surrounded mainly by POC people and the queer community. That is reflected in HCR and our residents and shows as well. Have you experienced backlash for highlighting queer voices?  Not really. I think Vietnam is actually quite open toward queer culture. It's just one of those countries where people don’t express their support openly, but I feel there is little negativity towards queer people or queer events on the local level. It's neutral. Looking into the future, what hopes do you have for community radio in Vietnam in general? I would like it to become a real possibility to join a creative community project like HCR and for younger Vietnamese people to actually have a future in jobs like this. Often, we are discouraged from engaging in projects that are not the serious jobs our parents were hoping for. Few people believe that you can make a living by DJing. Yes, it is difficult and that needs to change. But for that, the perspective on it needs to shift, too. Young people engaging in the arts and expressing themselves can only improve society.   What are your dreams for the station? Honestly, my dream is to not run it myself at some point. I want the local young generation of Vietnamese people to take HCR over and use the platform how they see fit. I have been trying to separate my identity from this project because I don’t want it to be about me. I just want to teach a new generation what I learned and provide space where they can experiment and feel safe and connected. Ultimately, HCR is theirs.  Tune in and find out more about Há Nội Community Radio here.
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-03-april-17-april</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-03-april-17-april</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Roma Day,  Fundraisers, New Music Releases]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Roma Day Parade The Roma Day Parade is taking place on 8 April. ROMADAY celebrates the resilience of the Sinti* and Roma* community, while also serving as a day of protest against racism and injustice. This event marks the conclusion of Romn*ja Power Month and is celebrated with a parade, as well as a four-day programme curated by Romatrial. The parade will start at 16:00 from the Memorial for the Sinti* and Roma* murdered under the National Social State–the period of Nazi rule, and will conclude at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz.  At Grüner Salon, a performance, exhibition, concert, and party will take place from 20:00. The four-day cultural programme includes panel talks, film screenings, a gala night, and a closing party on 11 April. The organizers are still looking for volunteers to support the parade and the programme - find more information here. Palestine Talks On 4 April, PA Allies is inviting you to a panel talk on Israel’s ongoing annexation of the West Bank and the resistance movement fighting back. The discussion is due to feature journalists, experts, and activists from the West Bank who will share strategies for international solidarity. The event takes place at bUM Berlin and starts at 18:00. Tickets are 5€, with all proceeds going toward supporting Palestinians in the West Bank. On 10 April, join North African-Egyptian Muslim anarchist and interdisciplinary activist scholar Mohamed Abdou in his discussion of possible end-time scenarios playing out in occupied Palestine. The talk follows a historical analysis of the effects of settler colonialism and how it is inherently tied with Palestinian liberating, discussing Turtle Island, Indigenous sovereignty, and Black self-determination. The talk will also cover the scope of dreaming beyond the nation-state and capitalism through the intersection between Islam and anarchism. The talk will take place on HU Campus Mitte from 18:15. More info here.  Soli Record Sale Come by bUm Berlin at Paul-Lincke-Ufer for a solidarity record sale on 13 April from 13:00 to 21:00. The event is hosted by several local partners including Refuge Worldwide and organised by Refuge Worldwide resident Adam J. Cooke. There will be food, drinks, and over 1000 records on sale. The proceeds will be donated to organizations supporting people on the ground in Palestine, Sudan, and Congo like Focus Congo, Amos Trust, and the Sudanese American Physicians Association. More info here. Donate here. Black Sex Worker Conference  Look out for the 7th edition of the BSWC–Villanous: The Time is Now from 16-18 April which will feature workshops, healing spaces, skillshares, etc. Through a community and education-focused approach, BSWC represents a global radical call to action in response to housing, food, and healthcare injustice, etc, with discussions centred around the faults and alternatives for our current systems of care. The conference will take place both in person in Berlin, as well as online with pre-conference events from 14 April. More info here.  Refuge Resident Round-Up Pop by Schillerkiez on 09 April for Significant Others’ event featuring an intimate live set by Polish producer-harpist Marysia Osu, and live painting by Simon Finlay. On 12 April, dance to some soulful house with DJ Moxie at Ohm, brought to you by Life Classics. Be sure to also check out jazz hip-pop band Move 78’s new album “Game Four”, out on Friday 05 April! Join the Sahra Party: Eid Edition for a night of electro SWANA sounds. The party takes place on 4 April at Badehaus Berlin, with doors opening at 23:59. The line-up is packed with local Berlin talent, including a live performance by Sharake and DJ sets by Rusnam, xanax_attax, and Soly. A secret act will also take the stage. You can get your tickets here. Oona Bar this Weekend Come hang out at Oona Bar to celebrate Einhundert’s Label launch on 04 April - expect some cross-genre grooves ranging from house to break to acid. Also, come hang out on 05 April for Mama Lior’s first ever EP release “In Your Head” – a soundscape of bass-heavy breaks and dub, ear candied with Mama Lior’s unique soundscapes. Weserstraße 166. Soundwaves Georgia at Spore Spore Initiative and United Tbilisi are hosting “Klangwellen Georgiens” – an evening of arts, culture, and resistance to support Georgia’s ongoing struggle for liberty. There will be talks, readings, workshops, performances, and live music celebrating Georgian culture. It also aims to raise awareness of the country’s current political situation, as the ruling party expands its ties to Russia and increases violent crackdowns on protestors fighting for freedom and democracy. Come by on Friday 4 April, from 16:00-21:00 to experience Georgian culture and food, and show solidarity with the resistance movement. Bingo & Bling In collaboration with Soundcloud, Lilipad brings a very special edition of Bingo. This evening will include lots of bling to win with prizes ranging anywhere from tattoos to Soundcloud DJ Workshops. The music lineup includes talents like Brazillian German DJ House of Grace and the Lilipad DJ crew. All funds raised in this event will go to funding for Lilipad, a Berlin and Morocco-based non-profit aiming to provide educational resources and spaces for children and young adults who are subject to social exclusion. This funding will help provide books for refugee children in Berlin in their native language, as well as contribute to building Lilipad’s libraries. Have fun for a good cause with Lilipad on 10 April evening. Grab your tickets and more info here.  Help Joanna Get Gender-Affirming Surgery Joanna, a Jordanian-Palestinian trans woman involved in activism around trans rights and liberation of the Global South, is raising funds for life-saving gender-affirming surgeries. Living in Germany as an asylum seeker, Joanna has dedicated her time and energy to community organizing in Berlin. However, to take care of herself as well, she needs 20.000€ to pay surgery costs, which German insurance companies do not cover. Gender-affirming surgeries would help Joanna alleviate dysphoria and discrimination in everyday life. You can donate here. Moabit Hilft e.V is Losing its Location The organization Moabit Hilft e.V. has been supporting refugees and asylum seekers for over ten years. This local initiative has been renting property from the city of Berlin and operates solely through donations and volunteer engagement. Now, they are set to lose their location in Moabit on 1 June 2025, which would mean the end of an essential initiative for people in Moabit. They have launched a petition calling on political actors to take responsibility and support the NGO. Sign it here.  Queeres Trauercafé Grief Self-Help Group The Queere Bereavement Cafe is a self-help group that meets a month, holding space for queer individuals whose sexual orientation lies beyond cisgender and heterosexual norms to explore their own grief experiences in a group setting, offering a place of community support, tool sharing, and empathy for those who have lost loved ones. Join the community for help when you need it on Sunday 13 April from 14:00-16:00 at Café Cralle. More info here.  Poetry Slam at OYA OYA bar and Resilient Voices, the queer working group of International Women* Space, are teaming up for an evening of poetry. The poetry slam takes place on 9 April at 19:00 at Kreuzberg’s OYA bar and is exclusively for FLINTA* people. It is an open mic event, so bring your own material if you’d like to perform. Arab Film Festival April Kickoff  Look forward to the 16th edition of Berlin’s Arab Film Festival from the 23-30th April for a selection of contemporary feature and short films, documentaries, panel discussions with filmmakers, masterclasses, etc. This exciting week will be opened with the feature film “To a Land of the Unknown”, premiering at the 77th Cannes Film Festiva, this unique genre of Palestinian film fusing raw social realism with thriller and surrealism follows the story of a Palestinian refugee in Athens as they navigate the existentialism in the limbo of escapism. Ticket info here. The weeklong program will feature a variety of fresh cinemas from the Arab World as well as community events. More info here.  The Art of Listening Workshop Join lev Berlin, a musician collective striving to provide electronic music education to the general public in their conversations on “experimental listening” – deep diving into the process of inner awareness that occurs during the act of listening itself to explore how electronic music operates as a language and new ways of listening to it. This event will take place from 17:00-19:00 at Pablo Neruda Library. The event is free; more info here.  Home Away from Home Open Call  Supersoft and Chaos Emblematic are looking for artists exploring migration, belonging, and spaces that feel like home for a multidisciplinary collaborative exhibition exploring these subjects that will take place at Pandora Gallery. Application deadline 1 June; more info here. Becoming Lesbian in 10 Steps Book Launch Join Louise Morel, French politician and author to discuss her recent book release, a personal narrative telling of her journey in exploring her sexuality at age 30. Through her own journey, Morel encourages women to explore their own deep emotional connections, explore desires, and navigate the journey toward authenticity. This discussion is in conversation with Dr. Emilia Roig, an award-winning, bestselling author and expert on intersectionality and systemic inequalities, and founder of the Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ). Join the pair in their discussion of love on the 17 April from 19:15 at Heimathafen Neukölln. More info here. Photos by Romatrial and Charlotte Helwig]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Soli Record Sale ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soli-record-sale</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soli-record-sale</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join the Soli Sale at bUm on April 13th, raising funds for Palestine, Sudan, and Congo.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Record shopping for a cause! Head down and dig through over 1,000 records. This initiative, led by Adam Cooke, was born from the desire to create a meaningful way to bring together the Berlin music scene, connecting record stores, radio stations, artists, labels, diggers, DJs, collectors, and fans. All funds raised from this event will be divided between three organizations on the ground, working tirelessly to support displaced people in Gaza (Amos Trust), Sudan (SAPA), and Congo (Focus Congo). "The positive response from record stores, labels, artists, and friends has shown that the scene is filled with great people who care," says Adam. "In a time when fear-mongering and intimidation make people feel like they can't or shouldn't help, it’s easy to feel helpless or divided. These feelings are isolating, and they can lead to the question, 'What’s the point?' The antidote to all of this is connection, and music has always been a powerful tool for creating that connection." Records have been donated by recordsale.de, MION, ELEVΛTE, Get Physical Music, Lefter Records, KIMCHI Records, Life Classics, 𝘾𝙒𝙋𝙏,  Tresor and us at Refuge Worldwide. Vinyl donations are still being collected, so if you’d like to contribute, reach out to Adam Cooke. Header photo by Kurt Heiter.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide, Zalando and Kappa launch football shirt]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/football-shirt-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/football-shirt-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A portion of the sales will be donated to BuntKicktGut.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On sale now, get yours here or at Oona Bar. In collaboration with our ongoing partners at Zalando, we have created a limited edition football shirt together iconic sportswear brand Kappa. The shirts - released as part of our radio station's 4th birthday celebrations - will be available directly from Refuge Worldwide, or via the Zalando website. 

A portion of the profits will be donated to BuntkicktGut, an organization that uses the power of street football to build bridges and foster inclusion through their cross-cultural network of leagues across Germany. Head here to order the shirt, with options for delivery or collection from Oona Bar from Wednesday 26 March, and keep an eye out for future collaborations between Refuge Worldwide and Zalando coming soon. Photos by Roberta Pittau.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Roland SP-404 Day at Niemetzstrasse ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/404-day</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/404-day</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join us on April 4th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[404 heads unite!

On April 4th, we welcome Roland to our Niemetzstrasse space for an afternoon celebrating the 20th anniversary of the SP-404. There will be a demonstration and information about new features, led by Roland product specialist PJ Bridger, as well as SP performances by local artists and giveaways at the event. The Roland SP-404 is a sampling workstation that has been integral to the development of electronic music and hip-hop production especially. The artists performing will be douniah, FloFilz, Saib and Aezron, a line up curated by George Snow's Onda Tapes label. The demonstration, and event generally, is intended to be for enthusiasts of all experience levels. The event starts at 4:30PM and will run until 10PM. RSVP for free here. Artwork by Bianca Mocan.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide returns to arkaoda!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-spring-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-spring-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Back to the basement for a three-part series.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We're hosting three neighbourhood dances in March, April and May. After 13 months with their club room closed, local venue arkaoda finally received the news we have all been waiting for - they can reopen and continue usual operations. We're happy to return to our events there, with the first one taking place on the celebratory opening weekend, Saturday 29th March. Following that, we will return on the public holiday weekend on April 19th (Easter Saturday), as well as in May (Friday 30th).  For the first night back, we invite ᕲᑢ ᕲᖇᘿᗩ, Delfonic, Concentio and NM DJ to takeover the basement, while Milly Borroughs, Eshkounjay, afrodisiac and Sofaya play upstairs in the bar. In April, Bridontknow & Nzambisa open up downstairs, followed by Telephones, host of The Breakfast Show Nadia Wise and Kallaloo. Upstairs, catch Setten's Yuko Asanuma, YOUN3S, hi.fí and Double Dancer. For the final event of this spring series, we host a hybrid set from DJ and MC DAKN, as well as Refuge residents ABIBA, Acidfinky, Blurry Vision duo Elie Bukassa & Selessa T and a closing set from Lavan. Good vibes are guaranteed in the bar room too, with Rami Abi Rafi, Dane Joe, Shiru and Dommie Soup on deck. Please note doors are 21:00 for each event, and we encourage you to arrive as early as possible to avoid queues. Artwork by Bianca Mocan.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-mar-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-mar-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: Massacre in Gaza, World Water Day, Hungary bans Pride.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Israel’s New NGO Restrictions | Ceasefire Broken | Massacre in Gaza Israel has announced new visa and registration rules for NGOs providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the occupied territories in Gaza and the West Bank. These policies would allow Israeli authorities to have extensive decision-making rights to either approve or reject non-profit registrations based on a wide range of political and security-related criteria, predicted to be in effect in the coming 6 months. Importantly, all currently operating NGOs need to reapply under the new policy. As NGOs currently provide critical medical aid, food distribution, and infrastructure support for occupied areas, this policy would greatly impact aid flow, as well as put aid workers at risk. Last Tuesday, Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and killed over 400 people in a single night. Since then, the assaults have been relentless, recently targeting the Al-Nasser hospital complex as well as displaced people living in tents. After the first phase of the ceasefire deal ended in early March, Israel pushed to prolong its conditions, delaying the planned second phase. Hamas rejected this proposal, insisting on moving to the second phase, which would include the release of the remaining hostages, an Israeli military withdrawal, and negotiations for a permanent solution. Instead, Israel halted all aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip on 2 March and now continues its onslaught of air strikes. On 24 March, two media workers, Mohammad Mansour and Hossam Shabat, were killed by targeted drone attacks.  Protests in Turkey After Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu’s Arrest  Large protests broke out in Istanbul after the city’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was arrested by the Turkish authorities. Charged with corruption and collaborating with leftist groups, he was sent to pretrial detention shortly after being nominated as the presidential candidate by his party, the CHP. Tens of thousands demonstrated over the weekend against the arrest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest rival. The protestors, many of them students, were met with police brutality, as officers pushed them back violently and used pepper spray. More than 1,100 people, including journalists, were arrested, and the Turkish government made attempts to ban political social media accounts. These protests are led by the student movement, which has been mobilising against the repressive government in Turkey. Ekrem İmamoğlu's supporters have dismissed the charges raised against him, calling his arrest a crackdown on oppositional forces by the ruling government. Ekrem İmamoğlu was set to run in the 2028 elections in Turkey and is considered the only candidate who could defeat the current president. While the government rejects the claim, the arrest appears to be politically motivated and aimed at disrupting Ekrem İmamoğlu’s political momentum. To express their solidarity with the mayor of Istanbul, people cast symbolic votes at ballots across the city.  Paris Votes on 500 Car-Free Streets Parisian mayor Hidalgo’s proposal to replace 500 streets with trees instead of cars passed last Sunday, advancing the city’s goals of going green and adapting to climate change. This follows Hidalgo’s initiatives for a greener city, including building 340+ miles of bike lanes and removing tens of thousands of parking spots – initiatives that helped decrease 40% of car traffic since 2014. The passing of these votes reflects the willingness of the people to support climate policies and continues as a ‘last legacy’ of Hidalgo, who has been in office since 2014 and will not be taking part in re-elections.    Petition for European Coast Guard Agency to Save Lives  In the last ten years, more than 30,000 people seeking safety have died in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the International Organization for Migration. The EU and other European nations have continuously withdrawn responsibility to protect the lives of migrants at sea and on land. Every year, the EU spends millions to get other countries to intercept boats carrying migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees and disembark them in countries where they risk serious human rights abuses. The main actor is the EU-funded European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, which has been criticised for human rights violations, including mistreatment and illegal deportation of migrants. The organisation Human Rights Watch has started a petition calling on the EU to protect the rights and lives of people on the move. They also urge Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens to immediately take accountability and make changes to the system. Sign the petition here to push for action.  World Water Day | Oil Spill in Ecuador Saturday, 22 March, marked World Water Day, advocating for sustainable freshwater management internationally. In light of this day, the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) reflects on the past year’s efforts to rehabilitate critical water infrastructure, strengthen flood protection, and promote sustainable water governance to ensure long-term food security and resilience. 16 million people in Yemen depend on agriculture, but irrigation systems have been severely damaged because of environmental degradation and war, driving both food insecurity and vulnerable communities into deeper poverty. The FAO initiated resilience programs such as providing local communities with knowledge and tools to manage water resources sustainably, also advancing gender inclusivity in the process by strengthening women’s roles in water governance. Since its commencement, the project has directly benefited over 21,000 people who experienced improved agricultural activity, highlighting both the success and essentiality of sustainable development and humanitarian aid.  Last Thursday, Ecuador battled a 200-barrel oil spill spreading to several rivers, affecting over half a million people, leaving thousands without drinking water, and contaminating air quality with evapotranspiration of the oil’s chemical compounds. As well, the province is an ecological sanctuary, a refuge to 250+ wildlife species; the government has declared a state of environmental emergency, as the spill will leave several rivers “dead” for an indefinite period, redirecting the natural development of its ecosystem. Yemen Hit by US Airstrikes The US has launched dozens of air strikes on Yemen following Donald Trump’s order for “decisive and powerful” action against the Houthi rebel group. On Thursday, airstrikes killed 79 people, and on Saturday, renewed fire was reported in western Yemen, the Marib province in the east, and the capital, Sana'a. The Iran-backed Houthis have consistently expressed their support for Palestine, attacking Israeli-linked ships in the Red and Arabian seas since the genocide began. When the ceasefire came into effect, they halted attacks. However, with the Israeli army continuing its assault on the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched ballistic missiles toward Israel, which were intercepted. The US order can be seen as a response to the Houthi air strikes. On Tuesday, 25 March, the Trump cabinet's discussion on further war plans in Yemen was leaked to the Atlantic editor, Jeffrey Goldberg. In the Signal chat, the government officials were undecided on the next steps, voicing concerns about economic impacts as well as a dislike of their European allies.  Petition Against the Pride Ban in Hungary  Hungary’s far-right government, led by the Fidesz party and headed by Viktor Orbán, has passed a law prohibiting the organisation and participation in the annual Budapest Pride. A statement issued by the parliament states that the aim is to ban any events that “promote homosexuality, gender-affirming care, and gender identity diverging from the gender assigned at birth”. This move is part of the crackdown on queer rights in Hungary in recent years, including the ban on queer representation in children’s and Young Adult books. Following the announcement of the law, thousands protested in the capital, Budapest. The Budapest Pride organisation has launched a petition that you can sign to express your support for LGBTQIA+ events in Hungary. Pakistani Authorities Arrest Baloch Activists  Pakistani authorities have detained 150 Baloch activists, including the chief of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Dr. Mahrang Baloch. The activists, charged with “terrorism”, were arrested at a protest camp they set up in the Balochistan province of the country. The BYC has long been campaigning and advocating against the unlawful detention of Baloch political activists in Pakistan in recent years. In solidarity with Mahrang and the arrested activists, protests took place in the Baluchistan province, blocking roads and calling for the release of the activists. Further arrests were made at those protests. Amnesty International has criticised the arbitrary arrests and detentions of advocates and members of the Baloch ethnic group, calling on the Pakistani authorities to immediately release all activists detained for “exercising their right to peaceful protest”. On Sunday, protests by BYC supporters were met with violence by the local authorities. CC BY 4.0: All images are under the Creative Commons license, details here. No changes have been made to  original images.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hekayetna Feriencamp]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hekayetna-feriencamp</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hekayetna-feriencamp</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ Registration now open: Spring camp for Arab children in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Calling young Berlin-based storytellers!

(Please scroll down for Arabic and German. Bitte nach unten scrollen für Arabisch und Deutsch. للعربية انتقل للأسفل) Hekayetna camp aims to provide Arab children living in Berlin the opportunity to explore their identity and cultural heritage while fostering a connection to the city, community, family and to each other. The camp is focused on storytelling through writing, art, theater, and photography. Through active and creative expression, children will reflect on their backgrounds, and celebrate their stories and take pride in their diversity and roots. Over four days, the children will also get to experience fun activities related to food, dance and folk tales and games. The last day will culminate in an informal community get together, where families are invited to attend and children can share their work during the past days, and reflect together on their experience. Camp Details: Languages: Arabic (primary), with German/English as needed  Ages: 7-14 years old Facilitators: Berlin based artists, storytellers, and educators with Arab background/experience Dates: Wednesday April 23rd - Saturday April 26th, 2025 Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Address: Refuge Worldwide*, Niemetzstrasse 1, 12055 Berlin  *please note there are two Refuge Worldwide locations and Google maps could show a different location* Registration: Maximum capacity is 20 children. Registration will be open until April 15, 2025, or when capacity has been reached.  To register please fill out the form HERE. Payment:  A minimum donation of EUR 50 per child is requested to enrol in the four day camp. The donation includes art materials and midday snacks.  All donations should be made either by bank wire to the following bank account details or by PayPal, by April 22nd 2025 to confirm the registration of the child.  Bank Transfer: Account holder: Yura gUG Account number: 0191 1332 80 IBAN (where applicable): DE02 1005 0000 0191 1332 80 BIC/SWIFT: BELADEBEXXX Bank name: Berliner Sparkasse Bank Address: Danziger Str. 119, 10405 Berlin. PayPal using the following link:  https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=J8YU65NG5DPF8   Please ensure that you write the following information in the transfer instructions/comments:  "Donation for children art project on behalf of (child full name)" Questions? For any questions related to the camp, please contact: nicky@refugeworldwide.com Programme Outline:  Day 1: "Who Am I?" – Self-Expression Through Writing & Art– with Leila Boukarim Introduction: Meeting each other and introducing the camp flow through ice-breaking games Activity: Creative Arts Workshop  Using magazines, drawings, paint, clay, children create visual identity maps, drawings, representing their cultural roots and experiences in Berlin. Discussion & Reflection: "What does home mean to me?" Day 2: "My Story, My Voice" – Theater & Oral Storytelling- with Martina Ardent Warm-up: Movement games from our culture Activity: Storytelling Through Theater – "Tales from Home & Here"  Children reenact personal or family stories using role-play and props (they can bring from home) Group Reflection: How do stories shape our identity? Day 3: "Berlin Through My Lens" – Photography & City Exploration-  with Yura Visuals Photography Walk: Children are introduced to basics of storytelling through photography and exploring Berlin through the eyes of Arab youngsters.  Activity: "My Berlin, My Story" – Capturing meaningful places to Arab children.  Children photograph places in Berlin that feel familiar or significant to them  . Discussion & Reflection: What do these places say about our identity in this city?  Day 4: "Our Voices, Our Exhibition" – Final Showcase Music & Dance: Children learn group dabkeh on songs they choose from their countries.  Activity: Creative Session and Group Installation  – "Hekayetna- Our Story” , children combine art, writings, theater, and photography for a mini-exhibition, where they share their artwork, perform short scenes, and present photographs with family and friends Closing Circle: Community reflection discussion & celebration  Hekayetna Feriencamp Das Hekayetna Feriencamp bietet arabischen Kindern, die in Berlin leben, die Möglichkeit, ihre Identität und ihr kulturelles Erbe zu erkunden, während sie eine Verbindung zur Stadt, zur Gemeinschaft, zur Familie und zueinander aufbauen. Das Camp konzentriert sich auf Storytelling durch Schreiben, Kunst, Theater und Fotografie. Durch aktive und kreative Ausdrucksformen reflektieren die Kinder ihre Herkunft, feiern ihre Geschichten und sind stolz auf ihre Vielfalt und Wurzeln. Über vier Tage hinweg erleben die Kinder zudem spannende Aktivitäten rund um Essen, Tanz, Märchen und Spiele. Der letzte Tag endet mit einem informellen Community-Treffen, zu dem die Familien eingeladen sind. Die Kinder können ihre während des Camps entstandenen Arbeiten präsentieren und gemeinsam über ihre Erfahrungen reflektieren. Camp-Details: Sprachen: Arabisch (Hauptsprache), mit Deutsch/Englisch nach Bedarf Alter: 7-14 Jahre Leitende Personen: In Berlin ansässige Künstler*innen, Geschichtenerzähler*innen und Pädagog*innen mit arabischem Hintergrund/Erfahrung Daten: Mittwoch, 23. April – Samstag, 26. April 2025 Zeit: 10:00 – 15:00 Uhr Ort: Refuge Worldwide, Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin *Bitte beachte, dass es zwei Standorte von Refuge Worldwide gibt. Der auf Google Maps angezeigte Standort kann ein anderer sein* Anmeldung: Die maximale Teilnehmerzahl beträgt 20 Kinder. Die Anmeldung ist bis zum 15. April 2025 möglich. Zur Anmeldung bitte das Formular HIER ausfüllen. Beitrag: Für die Teilnahme am viertägigen Camp wird eine Mindestspende von 50 EUR pro Kind erbeten. Diese Spende deckt die Kosten für Kunstmaterialien und Snacks ab. Alle Spenden müssen bis spätestens 22. April 2025 entweder per Banküberweisung auf folgendes Konto oder per PayPal erfolgen, um die Anmeldung des Kindes zu bestätigen. Banküberweisung: Kontoinhaber: Yura gUG Kontonummer: 0191 1332 80 IBAN: DE02 1005 0000 0191 1332 80 BIC/SWIFT: BELADEBEXXX Bankname: Berliner Sparkasse Bankadresse: Danziger Straße 119, 10405 Berlin PayPal: Über den folgenden Link: PayPal-Spende https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=J8YU65NG5DPF8    
Bitte geben Sie bei der Überweisung im Verwendungszweck Folgendes an: „Spende für Kinderkunstprojekt im Namen von (vollständiger Name des Kindes)“ Fragen? Bei Fragen wende dich bitte an: nicky@refugeworldwide.com Programmübersicht: Tag 1: „Wer bin ich?“ – Selbstausdruck durch Schreiben & Kunst (mit Leila Boukarim) Einführung: Kennenlernen und Einführung in den Camp-Ablauf durch spielerische Aktivitäten. Aktivität: Kreativer Kunstworkshop – Kinder erstellen mithilfe von Zeitschriften, Zeichnungen, Farben und Ton ihre eigenen visuellen Identitätskarten, die ihre kulturellen Wurzeln und Erfahrungen in Berlin darstellen. Reflexion & Gespräch: „Was bedeutet Heimat für mich?“ Tag 2: „Meine Geschichte, meine Stimme“ – Theater & mündliches Erzählen (mit Martina Ardent) Aufwärmen: Bewegungsspiele aus der eigenen Kultur. Aktivität: Storytelling durch Theater – „Geschichten von Zuhause & Hier“. Kinder spielen persönliche oder familiäre Geschichten nach, nutzen Requisiten oder bringen Gegenstände von Zuhause mit. Gruppenreflexion: Wie formen Geschichten unsere Identität? Tag 3: „Berlin durch meine Linse“ – Fotografie & Stadterkundung (mit Yura Visuals) Fotografie-Workshop: Einführung in die Grundlagen der Fotografie und Storytelling durch Bilder. Die Kinder entdecken Berlin aus der Perspektive arabischer Jugendlicher. Aktivität: „Mein Berlin, meine Geschichte“ – Fotografieren von Orten in Berlin, die für sie eine besondere Bedeutung haben. Diskussion & Reflexion: Welche Geschichten erzählen diese Orte über unsere Identität in dieser Stadt? Tag 4: „Unsere Stimmen, unsere Ausstellung“ – Abschlusspräsentation Musik & Tanz: Die Kinder lernen eine gemeinsame Dabkeh-Choreografie zu Liedern aus ihren Herkunftsländern. Kreativ-Session & Gruppenausstellung: „Hekayetna – Unsere Geschichte“. Die Kinder kombinieren Kunst, Texte, Theater und Fotografie zu einer kleinen Ausstellung, in der sie ihre Werke präsentieren, Theaterszenen aufführen und ihre Fotografien mit Familie und Freunden teilen. Abschlussrunde: Gemeinsame Reflexion mit den Familien und Feier des Erlebten. حكايتنا : مخيم عطلة الربيع للأطفال العرب في برلين  يهدف مخيم ”حكايتنا“ إلى إتاحة مساحة آمنة للأطفال العرب الذين يعيشون في برلين لاستكشاف هويتهم وتراثهم الثقافي وكيفية ارتباطهم سواء مع محيطهم (مدينة برلين) أو مجتمعهم وأسرهم العربية وحتى مع بعضهم البعض. يركز المخيم على رواية القصص من خلال الكتابة والفن والمسرح والتصوير الفوتوغرافي. من خلال هذا التعبير الفني والإبداعي، يبحث الأطفال بثقافتهم و يعززون تواصلهم بها ويفتخرون بتنوعهم وجذورهم.  على مدار أربعة أيام، سيختبر الأطفال أيضًا أنشطة ممتعة تتعلق بالطعام والدبكة والحكايات والألعاب الشعبية العربية. ويختتم اليوم الأخير بلقاء مجتمعي حيث يحضر الأهل والأصدقاء للحضور ويمكن للأطفال مشاركة أعمالهم ومنتجاتهم خلال الأيام الماضية، والتأمل معًا في تجربتهم.  التفاصيل: اللغة: اللغة العربية (بالأساس) مع الألمانية/الإنجليزية حسب الحاجة الأعمار: 7-14 سنة الميسّرون: فنانون ورواة قصص وعاملون مع الأطفال عرب مقيمون في برلين  التواريخ: 23-26 أبريل 2025  الوقت: 10:00 صباحًا - 3:00 مساءً  الموقع: عالم اللاجئين - نيميتزشتراسه 1، 12055 برلين (حيث انه يوجد موقعين لعالم اللاجئين يرجى التأكد من العنوان الصحيح المذكور هنا عند استخدام تطبيق خرائط غوغل) التسجيل:  السعة القصوى 20 طفلاً. التسجيل مفتوح حتى 15  أبريل 2025 .   للتسجيل يرجى تعبئة النموذج هنا.  الرسوم: يخصص ريع هذا المخيم لدعم مبادرات للأطفال في غزة. الحد الأدنى للتبرع 50 يورو لكل طفل (بما في ذلك المواد المستخدمة والوجبة الخفيفة اليومية). تعليمات التبرع موجودة هنا.  الرسوم: يرجى القيام بالتبرع بحد أدنى ٥٠ يورو لكل طفل للتسجيل في المخيم الذي يستمر أربعة أيام. يشمل التبرع مواد فنية ووجبات خفيفة.  يرجى القيام بالتبرع إما عن طريق التحويل البنكي إلى بيانات الحساب البنكي التالية أو عبر تطبيق باي بال، وذلك قبل ٢٢ أبريل ٢٠٢٥ لتأكيد تسجيل الطفل. التحويل البنكي Kontoinhaber(اسم الحساب) : Yura gUG Kontonummer : 0191 1332 80 IBAN: DE02 1005 0000 0191 1332 80 BIC/SWIFT: BELADEBEXXX Bankname (اسم البنك): Berliner Sparkasse Bankadresse (عنوان البنك): Danziger Straße 119, 10405 Berlin للتبرع عبر باي بال، يُرجى استخدام الرابط التالي: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=J8YU65NG5DPF8 يرجى التأكد من كتابة المعلومات التالية في تعليمات الدفع/ملاحظات التحويل: "تبرع لمشروع فني للأطفال نيابةً عن (اسم الطفل بالكامل)" لديك أسئلة؟ لأي استفسارات بخصوص المخيم، يُرجى التواصل عبر البريد الالكتروني: nicky@refugeworldwide.com  البرنامج:  اليوم الأول: ”من أنا؟ - التعبير عن الذات من خلال الكتابة والفن - مع ليلى بوكريم  التعارف وتقديم الورشة  النشاط: ورشة عمل - ”خريطة هويتي“  باستخدام المجلات والرسومات والكتابة والألوان والصلصال، يصنع الأطفال خرائط هوية بصرية تمثل جذورهم الثقافية وتجاربهم في برلين. المناقشة: ماذا يعني الوطن بالنسبة لي؟ اليوم الثاني: ”قصتي، صوتي“ - المسرح ورواية القصص الشفهية - مع مارتينا آردنت ألعاب حركية وشعبية من ثقافتنا النشاط: رواية القصص من خلال المسرح - ”حكايات من البيت وهنا“ تمثيل الأطفال لقصص شخصية أو عائلية باستخدام لعب الأدوار  (يمكنهم إحضار بعض الدعائم من المنزل) المناقشة: كيف تشكل القصص هويتنا؟ اليوم الثالث: ”برلين بعدستي“ - التصوير الفوتوغرافي واستكشاف المدينة - مع مؤسسة يرى للفنون البصرية جولة تصوير فوتوغرافي: يتعرف الأطفال على مبادئ رواية القصة من خلال التصوير، ويقومون باستكشاف برلين من خلال عدساتهم النشاط: ”برلين، قصتي“ - تصوير الأماكن ذات معنى : يقوم الأطفال بتصوير الأماكن المألوفة أو المهمة بالنسبة لهم في برلين. المناقشة والتفكير: ماذا تقول هذه الأماكن عن هويتنا في المدينة؟  اليوم الرابع: نشارك ونحتفل ب"حكايتنا" يتعلم الأطفال الدبكة الجماعية على أغانٍ يختارونها من بلدانهم و من ثم يقوموا بتحضير لورشة الختام النشاط: معرض جماعي ”حكايتنا“  يعرض الأطفال أعمالهم الفنية التي تجمع بين الفن والمسرح والتصوير الفوتوغرافي ومشاركة تجاربهم خلال حلقة ختامية مع الأهل والأصدقاء 


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            <title><![CDATA[Trans*missions Radio Open Call]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/trans-missions-radio-open-call</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/trans-missions-radio-open-call</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The application deadline is 28 March 2025.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Trans*missions is an artistic research project that dives into queer archives to unearth the stories of our trans*cestors. The Trans*missions team are looking to delve into Berlin’s rich queer narratives through archival research to create space for queer individuals to gain a deeper connection with themselves, their communities, and those who came before. The project will explore questions such as “What would it be like to talk to someone queer in 1903?” and “Will our gay text messages end up in a queer archive one day?” With these explorations, the project aims to delve into historical roots through creative writing tools, playful research methodologies, and sound production techniques to bring these stories to life in a final radio show and zine.  Who Can Apply? This is a special opportunity to participate in a process-based, educational, and experimental art environment, and is fully funded to be accessible for free to anyone aged between 18 and 27. Applicants should be interested in transqueer archive practice & sound of all backgrounds. The main criteria is that you are curious and willing to engage in a creative group process. Bilingualism (German & English) is a plus, as some archival materials are in German, but facilitation will be in both languages. Application Details Please send an email to trans_missions_radio@proton.me with the subject line “Trans*missions Application” and include the following: name and age, a brief introduction about yourself and your interests, why/what interests you most about participating. Any relevant creative experience you would like to share is also helpful (for example, do you have any experience with creative writing, poetry, sound recording, radio production, or zine making? As well, inform the project leaders if you have any access needs or accommodations that we should be aware of.  *The application deadline is 28 March 2025* Applications from trans*, queer, and neuroqt* individuals are encouraged. This program is in partnership with Spinnboden Archiv, Magnus Hirschfeld Gesellschaft, Das Feministische Archive FFBIZ, Refuge Worldwide, 90mil Radio, JugendKulturZentrum Pumpe, and Hopscotch Reading Room. In August this year, Refuge Worldwide will broadcast a two hour radio show of content created during the Trans*missions project.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Low End Therapy Artist Development Programme]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/low-end-therapy-artist-develoment-programme</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/low-end-therapy-artist-develoment-programme</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Applications are now open until March 30.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Low End Therapy is a new Berlin-based record label for all things bass.

If you are an artist and have already released music, sign up for the Low End Therapy – Artist Development Programme, a free initiative supported by Musicboard Berlin. The programme is designed for FLINTA* music producers, vocalists, and instrumentalists based in Berlin who are past the beginner stage and looking to advance their careers. Participants will gain access to collaborative sessions, artist talks, panel discussions, and professional studio time to help refine their craft. The programme will run from April to July 2025, with Tuesday evening sessions in April and May, followed by studio recording days on June 7–8, and concluding with a listening event in the summer. Applications are open until Sunday, March 30, and interested artists are encouraged to apply, even if uncertain about their experience level. Low End Therapy is a new label by Monibi, representing hybrid music rooted in sound system culture & UK bass with a leftfield flavour. This initiative supports underrepresented FLINTA* artists in the scene by providing knowledge, networking opportunities, and access to professional resources. Apply here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-20-march-03-april</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-20-march-03-april</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Week: No Borders Fundraiser,  Iftar, Community Agriculture]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[If you would like to submit an event or story in the future, please drop a message on our Berlin-Stories Discord channel.  Activists Occupy Oranienplatz  A protest encampment has been set up at Berlin’s Oranienplatz from 1 March to the end of the month. Self-organized and led by activists advocating for refugee rights and climate justice, the camp continues Oranienplatz’s long-standing legacy as a symbol of resistance. In response to current developments in migration politics and increased deportations by the German government, Oranienplatz has once again become a hub for mobilization against colonial and racist structures. Despite heavy police repression and attempts to prohibit the political occupation of the square, the activists remain steadfast. They have also issued several demands including the abolition of residency requirements, the closure of all refugee camps, and an immediate stop to deportations. You can stop by Oranienplatz to support their cause. The camp also hosts daily events including talks, workshops, and discussions, as well as a communal kitchen providing food and drinks. Low End Therapy Open Call Low End Therapy Records is a Berlin-based record label focused on all things bass with a leftfield flavour and is accepting applications for its upcoming artist development program. If you’re a Berlin-based FLINTA producer, vocalist, or instrumentalist in the bass music scene looking to expand your sound and community, check out their program here, including artist talks, meet-ups, recording studio time, and a listening party to showcase your work. The event will run from April to July. Apply here before 30 March.  Solidary for No Borders Fundraiser Help Raise Funds for the Humanitarian Crisis on the Poland/Belarus Border. Since 2021, Polish authorities have been unlawfully and violently pushing migrants and asylum seekers back to Belarus, where they face serious abuses. Learn more about the conflict and ways to navigate it through discussions with border activists, and more about Polish culture through food and the art sale. All proceeds of this event go to “Hola Hola”, a collective activist group part of Grupa Granica, A network of Polish human rights organizations assisting refugees and migrants at the Poland-Belarus border, supporting people on the move with water, nutritious food, medical & legal assistance, dry and warm clothes, footwear, and other necessities. The event will take place at MaHalle from 18:00 on 23 March. More info here. Donate here.  Share Iftar & Support Inter* Friends in Gaza Help raise funds for Billy - a Gazan inter person from 18:00 on Thursday 20 March at Soli Iftar and celebrate Nowrooz, hosted by our lovely neighbour K-Fetisch. Welcome Spring and the Persian and Kurdish New Year with a dinner served at 18:21 to honour Ramadan in the community. Donations are welcomed ranging from 8-12 €  (but no one will be turned away if there are lack of funds). K-Fetisch is wheelchair accessible. More info here. Exhibition “Activist Choreographies of Care” The Perforated International Artists Residency (PIAR) team is organizing an exhibition in Berlin. Based in Kumasi, Ghana, pIAR is a self-organized safer space for queer people in Ghana, whose lives are increasingly under threat. Titled, “Activist Choreographies of Care”, the exhibition opens on 28 March at 18:00 at nGbK and runs until 1 June. The multi-disciplinary showcase features archival and contemporary creative works, performances, installations, films, and poetry. All works are dedicated to dismantling colonial legacies and uncovering queer histories. Assila Beer Mental Health Workshops Join Assila Beer and Adira for some community support, and learn tools to process the current political happenings. There will be guided discussions with Omar Nicolas, a mental health professional specializing in supporting BIPOC/Queer individuals, that touch on navigating conflict and discrimination in light of recent political events, and with tools and strategies to help you tackle how to navigate racialized and gendered discrimination. Learn about the power of dance and somatic healing with Ahmad Baba, artist, and dance movement therapist. Come have a drink and chat at Ringbar from 19:00 on 26 March. Grab your tickets here; (Instagram DM if you would like to attend but cannot afford it). More info here. Protest in Solidarity with Congo The eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Goma and Bukavu, have been subjected to relentless violence by the M23 rebel forces and the Rwandan military. In recent weeks, over 7.000 people have been reported killed, while large tech companies continue to profit from the exploitation of cheap labour under inhumane conditions. On 22 March, a demonstration will take place in Berlin to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in the DRC. The walking protest will begin at 13:00 from S-Bahn Friedrichstraße and conclude at the EU Parliament.   Solawi and Community Agriculture Nettles and Poppies is a queer feminist community “cooking and planting in the ruins of capitalism.” Become part of the Solawi Community and receive weekly deliveries of lovely herbs and flowers from June to October to help combat new AFD policies of monoculture farming. With each weekly delivery, you will receive stories about their cultural importance and recipes-a great opportunity to reclaim your connection to nature. Donations will go to turning an old guesthouse in Brandenburg into their new ecological farm to refuge insects, birds, reptiles, and other small creatures, but also to people looking for a place to complot and organize from. Nettles and Poppies also donate to other community organizations in the field, if you know any fitting, feel free to reach out. Learn more about Nettles and Poppies and the ecofeminist movement here.   Fundraising Pop-Up for Palestine Pop by Backhaus on Wednesday 26 March for some poetry readings featuring Palestinian artists Refaat Al-Areer, Fady Joudah, Hiba Abu Nada, etc. There will also be selected clothing as well as an archive poetry sale to raise funds for Operation Olive Branch. The event is curated and hosted by Laura Øyen Didriksen and Stella Wein. Join them for drinks and vibes. More info here! Fundraising & Mycelium Workshop Learn about mycelium, sustainable building with fungi, and how to grow mushrooms at home. Walk away with an oyster mushroom grow kit and knowledge of the fungi world – the core connector of our ecosystem.  All proceeds will go toward fundraising for Studio_nagelneu, a community space in Neukölln for sustainable practices, knowledge sharing, and community engagement for the past two years, hosting workshops and exhibitions. Because of the recent cultural budget cuts, the Studio’s funding ended in February, and is reaching out to the community for future funding to keep the space running.  Donate here. The expenses are 1500€ per month and include rent, materials, and coordination. The event will take place at Studio_nagelneu from 15:00-16:30 on 22 March. Film rec here. Event info here. Donate here. Schlafplatz Orga is Looking for Hosts Schalfplatz Orga is looking for people to host refugees in need of housing in Berlin. In February they were only able to provide temporary accommodation to 4 out of 16 people. If you have an extra room or space to host someone, please reach out to them. Currently, they are urgently looking for accommodation for a queer man, who cannot stay at the group shelter. If you are interested, send them an email. Donations are also welcome.  Rap 4 Revolution The Barcelona-based event series Rap 4 Revolution is coming to Berlin on 21 March. Taking place at Xara Beach, the Berlin edition of the Hip-hop series will feature several underground rap artists from Barcelona alongside talent from the Berlin rap scene. Artists like Enana, Gündalein, and Yule will perform, and you can join an open mic or watch Graffiti artists and breakdancers in action. Rap 4 Revolution Berlin starts at 19:00, and tickets are 10€. CC BY 4.0: Header image under Creative Commons license, details here. No changes have been made to the original image. Photos by mw238, Nettles and Poppies, and Rap 4 Revolution.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[International Day Against Police Brutality]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/international-day-against-police-brutality</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/international-day-against-police-brutality</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In collaboration with Ides Of March and KOP Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us at Niemetzstrasse 1 on March 15th. This Saturday (11AM-5PM) we welcome Ides Of March, a grass-roots initiative organised by local citizens seeking to raise awareness around the topic of police brutality, in collaboration with KOP Berlin, a campaign for victims of racist police violence.  On March 15th, 1997, the first observation of the international day against police brutality took place in Montreal, Canada, initiated by the Collective Opposed of Police Brutality as a response to extremely violent and racist behaviours perpetrated by authorities. We take this opportunity to explore the topic of police brutality on a local and global level, as well as interlinked practices of racial profiling. With the backdrop of weekly, if not daily, reports of police violence against protestors in Berlin, the topic is more relevant than ever.

The event comprises an installation curated by Ides Of March with guest contributors including Aram Bartholl, which is open throughout the event, plus a panel talk from 2:30-3:30PM and free toolkits. The panel talk is titled Beyond The Shields: The Contemporary Function Of Police Brutality In Our Society and will take place in English. The speakers are Ignacio Rosaslanda (Unpublished), Gonca Sağlam (KOP Berlin), reporter Julian Daum and moderator Rahim Chattaika. Whilst entry to the event will be free, there will be custom bandanas on sale to raise money for KOP. Access information of the space is available here.  Artwork by Patrick Savile.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Jokes' On Us]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jokes-on-us-10</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jokes-on-us-10</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ A Curated Standup Comedy Open Mic.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Jokes' On Us is an English comedy open mic series where up and coming comics in Berlin can test their jokes on a live audience. Taking place at our Niemetzstraße spot this month, the mic will be hosted by Anshita Koul heading up a fresh line-up with new material. Please reserve your spot here as this is a small cozy venue with limited capacity. Anshita Koul is an Indian born, Berlin based and internationally touring independent comedian, writer and showrunner. She is the host and producer of two monthly shows in Berlin - Comedy Bazaar Berlin - An English Comedy Showcase and Word On The Street - A QTIBIPOC Comedy Showcase. They are also the co-founder of Clit Comedy Club and Festrogen Comedy Festival in Luxembourg. Anshita made her debut in the standup world on Indian reality TV show Queens of Comedy in 2017 and was also seen opening the Funny Women Stage Awards UK in 2022 as the only comedian from Europe to make it to the Finals. Anshita was the opening act for Emmy Award winner Vir Das's EU Comedy Tour in October 2024. Date: Wednesday 19th March 2025 Time: Doors 7pm. Show between 7:30pm and 9pm including a break. Location:  Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin This is a free entry, pay what you can show. Suggested donation: 10-20 Euros for employed folks, 5-10 Euros for students and freelancers, 0-5 Euros for unemployed folks and refugees.  Lineup: @jadsalfiti, @anam_nahinhai, @deraluce, @grannyyetta, @wine_der_steller, @carmenita01, @joannekampohpoh Photo Credit: Marisel Bongola at CLISHE TRASH festival at WUK Vienna]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-10-mar-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-10-mar-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Alawites massacred in Syria,  demonstrations, huge Iftar in Gaza.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Worldwide Demonstrations and Police Brutality in Berlin On 8 March, International Women’s Day or Day of Feminist Struggle, large demonstrations took place worldwide. Originally initiated by working-class women protesting against capitalist exploitation and gender inequality, actions on the date have since grown into a global movement.  In Berlin, thousands gathered at Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg to demonstrate in solidarity with Palestinian women and feminist struggles against imperialism and oppression for Feministischer Kampftag. Later in the evening, demonstrators were violently dispersed by police using pepper spray and excessive force. Several arrests were made, and videos showed officers brutally punching into the crowd. Mass Killings of Syrian Alawites  Following clashes between the current interim government Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and pro-Assad groups in Syria, reports have emerged of mass killings of Alawite civilians. More than 1,000 people have been killed in just two days in the western regions of Jableh, Baniyas and surrounding areas. Interim president Al-Sharaa, also known as Jolani, claims his forces were fighting back against “Assad loyalists” attacking the interim government authorities. However, testimonies from people on the ground tell a different story. Many Alawites suffered largely under the rule of Al-Assad, who is Alawite himself, and did not support his regime. They are now caught in the crossfire and the violent clashes have forced thousands of Syrians to flee across the border to Lebanon. This is a breach of the interim government’s pledge to “protect minorities”. The violence against Alawite civilians began last Thursday and is ongoing.     On 11 March at 18:00 there will be a protest in solidarity with the Alawites in Syria taking place in Berlin at Brandenburger Tor. First Abortion Centre Opens in Warsaw In the Polish capital, Warsaw, an NGO has opened an independent abortion centre. Abortion remains largely inaccessible in Poland, and medical practitioners who assist those seeking help can face up to three years in prison. In 2023, mass protests against the country’s strict abortion laws helped bring in Prime Minister Donald Tusk to power, who vowed to liberalise abortion regulations. However, more than a year later, the government has stalled on fulfilling the demands of abortion campaigners. Frustrated by the inaction, they have taken matters into their own hands by opening the “Abortion Dream Team” centre this week. The centre will provide consultations on pregnancy termination options and guidance on accessing abortion pills if needed. It remains to be seen how the government will respond to this autonomous initiative. Protests in Greece Ahead of No-Confidence Vote On Friday, thousands of people protested against Greece’s conservative centre-right government, New Democracy (ND). The demonstration marked the anniversary of a 2023 railway disaster, in which 57 people, mostly students, died. Following large protests across the country, the main opposition party, PASOK, raised a vote of no-confidence against the government led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. They accused the government of failing to take sufficient responsibility for the crash, covering up evidence, and neglecting to address the critical infrastructure gaps that led to the crash. The opposition claims the government has lost its popular mandate.  On Friday afternoon, the parliament will proceed with a no-confidence vote, potentially triggering early elections in Greece. More protests are scheduled for later this week. People Gather for Iftar in Gaza while Israel Cuts Humanitarian Aid On Friday, the first day of Ramadan, images from Gaza spread across the globe. Amidst the ruins of a completely destroyed city, in the debris of former homes, and after nearly a year and a half since Israel’s devastating war began, the people of Gaza came together to celebrate  Iftar, (the breaking of the fast during Ramadan). Videos showed a long table draped in a red tablecloth – images of true resilience in the face of injustice and violence. On 1 March, the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas expired. The second phase would require Israel to withdraw its forces from the Philadelphi Corridor by 1 March, a condition it has refused to comply with. Instead of proceeding as planned, Israel now wants to extend the status quo of the first phase by another 50 days. In early March, Prime Minister Netanyahu also imposed another aid blockade on the Gaza Strip, violating international humanitarian law. Ministers from the UK, France and Germany urged Netanyahu to abide by his obligation and allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Aid organisations on the ground in Gaza warn that their supplies of food and medical aid are running critically low. While Israel also cut off the electricity supply for the Gaza Strip on Sunday, negotiations about the second phase of the ceasefire deal are set to continue on Monday in Doha. Smoke Grenades Set Off in the Serbian Parliament In Serbia, after months of protests, tensions have escalated to the parliament. On 4 March, Serbian opposition lawmakers set off smoke grenades and used pepper spray during a parliamentary session intended to approve increased funding for universities – a key demand of the student protests. However, after the ruling coalition led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) put unrelated items on the agenda, opposition politicians left their seats and tossed smoke grenades. One lawmaker suffered a stroke amid the chaos. Opposition members have stated that their actions were in support of the rallying students and held signs reading “justice for those killed” – referring to a deadly roof collapse in November. The session was adjourned and is scheduled to resume on Wednesday. The opposition party is calling for the establishment of a transitional government to ensure free and fair elections, but President Aleksandar Vučić has rejected the demand. Another major protest is planned on 15 March in Belgrade.  Sudan Sues the UAE Sudan has filed a case against the United Arab Emirates at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of “complicity in genocide”. Figures in Khartoum allege that the UAE has provided arms and funding to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. In 2023, the RSF committed atrocities against the Masalit ethnic group in West Darfur, killing and displacing thousands. Representatives of the UAE have dismissed the allegations. Meanwhile, the RSF and allies have formalised visions to establish a parallel government and are calling for the creation of an autonomous state in the country’s southern region. The Kurdish PKK Announces Ceasefire On 27 February, Abdullah Öcalan, jailed founder and leader of the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), called for the group to disband. Following his appeal, the PKK announced a ceasefire with Turkey after more than 40 years of armed struggle for Kurdish autonomy and equal rights. Their efforts have been met with heavy warfare, continuous bombardment, and the imprisonment of political activists. Öcalan, who has been imprisoned by Turkey since 1999, described the ceasefire and PKK’s dissolution as the only path toward peace. His statement has sparked controversy but has also raised hopes for a shift in the ongoing conflict. Kurdistan Communities Union member, Mustafa Karasu, emphasised that this is not the end of the political fight for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey but a transformation of the movement. Despite the PKK’s announcement of a ceasefire, the Turkish forces have continued bombing Kurdish regions in the north of Iraq.  Far-Right Groups Hit the Streets in Romania Over the weekend, protests erupted in Romania following the electoral bureau’s decision to ban pro-Russian presidential candidate Călin Georgescu. Georgescu won last year’s elections, but the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the results in December, citing allegations of Russian interference in his favour. Georgescu is also under investigation for participation in a fascist organisation and corruption. His disqualification from the next elections, officially due to failure to adhere to ballot regulations, has sparked outrage among his supporters. On Sunday, far-right demonstrators took to the streets of Bucharest, overturning cars and setting fires. CC BY 4.0: Header image under creative commons license, details here. No changes have been made to the original image. Cover Photo by Geni Hoka  Abortion Photo by Brett Sayles]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-06-march-20-march</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-06-march-20-march</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: Feministische Kampftag, 90mil Art School, Fundraisers]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[If you would like to submit an event or story in the future, please drop a message in our Berlin-Stories Discord channel.  8 March: Der Feministische Kampftag As every year, on 8 March – the international day of feminist resistance – several demonstrations and events are taking place across Berlin. Under the title “Until Total Liberation” Palestine Speaks and the Alliance of Internationalist Feminists are organising a demonstration starting at 15:00 from Oranienplatz. The protest highlights the ongoing international fight against patriarchy and oppression. Opposing liberal white feminism, the demonstration calls for an intersectional and resistant feminism that fights against all forms of oppression, injustice, imperial power structures. This demo proceeds the previous  1 March demo, where Berlin authorities restricted the demonstration to a stationary rally – actively denying freedom of expression regardless of background and political standing. These restriction patterns have been long standing for pro-Palestine demos, and criminalization and repression of solidarity threatens self organization, which necessitates self-determination. Bring your banners and comrades, and join the revolutionary 8 March demonstration. A preceding union protest will also take place at 12:30 pm at the same location. On Refuge Worldwide this week we have a series of IWD specials, including ADIRA (pictured above) and Assila Beer, while on 8 March itself you can tune into a full FLINTA* day programme. The schedule features shows from TENNIN, Éclat Crew, afrodisiac ELLLL, Luce Clandestina and Jay Duncan. It continues in the evening with Concentio exploring the female gaze in house and electronic music, from the past to today, and Monibi inviting Aysun, Tempestfeather, Jet Mila and Miri Malek. Tune in! Hildashaus e.V. Fundraiser  In response to drastic social budget cuts across Germany, Hildashaus e.V., an NGO supporting FLINTA+ individuals over 40, is bringing together community support and creativity for a powerful night at Panke Culture. Expect performances, workshops, an art exhibition, DJ sets, delicious food, and a vibrant market featuring local initiatives—all created with care and love. Plus, special surprises from Einhorn! This event will take place on March 8th from 6:00 - 18:00 at Panke Culture.  But this night is about more than just fundraising—it’s about creating a safer, empowering space for FLINTA* individuals and allies to unwind after demonstrations, connect, and celebrate our collective strength. CDU, SPD agree on 500 billion for military infrastructure On Tuesday, the CDU and SPD, who are hoping to form the new German government, agreed on a financial plan. While the cultural, educational, and health sectors are struggling to survive after heavy governmental budget cuts, a total of €1 trillion has been reserved for military and infrastructure spending. The fund is to be divided in two parts, with one half allocated directly to revamping the German military (Bundeswehr). The other half is planned for investment in infrastructure developments, such as new highways. The likely next German chancellor, Friedrich Merz announced the financial agreement shortly after US President Donald Trump froze military aid for Ukraine. Merz also stated that he will discuss an additional €3 billion in aid for Ukraine. The final decision on the governmental spending still requires approval by a majority vote in the Bundestag. Nevertheless, the agreement marks a notable turn in German economic policy, breaching the “debt brake”, which traditionally limits government borrowing, to increase defence spending. 90mil Art School Kickoff

The *90mil Art School* has started its second year with courses and workshops open to everyone. You can take courses on ceramic instrument-building or Ableton, drop into a vocal activation or belly dance workshop or find something else to suit you from the multidisciplinary programme. Courses are accessible with a sliding scale and solidarity places and the DIY space near Jannowitzbrücke is wheelchair-accessible. Learn more here. Bread & Roses - Reading & Discussion Circle Bread and Roses is a reading and discussion group by Klasse Gegen Klasse. Starting this week, based on community interest in Trotsky and fascism, considering the recent election, the leftist Book Club Meeting every Tuesday at Sonnenallee 152 delves into texts about the historic struggle against fascism. Texts include Trotsky’s socialist essays as well as modern writings starting this week for March. This is a community-based reading group and conversation space meeting at 18:00, with discussion topics and material based on community voting. For more info DM @andrea.datri or @wladekflakin via Instagram. “Resistance Means Sisterhoods” Live Acts On 6 March, the Berlin bar Roter Löwe is hosting a Soli Event & Küfa to raise funds for a Palestinian family facing deportation. A line-up of artists, musicians and poets will perform their political pieces. Among them are the Berlin-based rapper Sorah, singer Mahita, Palestinian rapper Leila Ey, and DJ Josiane. Additionally, you can shop for unique clothes designed by the Berlin upcycling brand, Halal Boys. The event starts at 19:00, and the entry is donation-based, with a recommended contribution of 8-15€. The space is wheelchair accessible (with wheelchair accessible toilets as well).   Open Letter: Queer/Trans Youth Work Needs to Stay The Berliner Senate has announced the complete cancellation of funding for the youth program of Inter*Trans* Beratung Queer Leben as of 1 April. For years, the program has provided essential support to queer youth, as well as counselling for parents and teachers. Such initiatives are crucial in alleviating the psychological pressure queer youth experience while growing up in a heteronormative world. Several queer youth-focused organisations that are facing budget cuts, have started an open letter collecting signatures to send to the Berliner Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie. The open letter urges the Senate to continue funding the program. You can sign it here. Learn more here.   Purple Ride Bike Demo In the name of reclaiming the streets, the queer-feminist demonstration Purple Ride is calling on people to join their bike protest. The Purple Ride takes a stance against right-wing politics and the budget cuts, while advocating for feminist resistance and international solidarity, and a free Palestine. The ride will start on 8 March at noon from Mariannenplatz in Kreuzberg. Participants are encouraged to wear purple – hence the name. This event could be a good alternative if a walking demo is not an option for you. Crowdfunding for İÇ İÇE Recent financial cuts of an estimated €300 million in the cultural sector are taking their toll on everyone and hitting hard, especially for İÇ İÇE–a festival and community space for contemporary Anatolian music, exchange, solidarity, and hope. While cultural institutions all across Berlin are affected, it is especially difficult for queer and BiPoC events to receive funding. İÇ İÇE needs at least 20,000 euros to continue to run and hold space for the Anatolian community in Berlin, and at least 30,000 euros to continue to run their full program whilst upholding fair fees. Spread the word and donate here. Read more İÇ İÇE about here. Die Kunsthure @The Code Artist Die Kunsthure takes over The Code Berlin for a week-long exhibition of multimedia installations on themes of womanhood, sex work, and identity. This exhibition will kick off with the Women’s Day Gala on 8 March from 18:00-22:00, featuring Die Kunsthure, naked Violinist solo performance Shasta Ellenbogen–leader of Naked String Quartet and Founder of Classical Sundays, Contemporary Dance by Jenna Berlyn–co-founder of SLEX.ART, and DJ set by Sarah Wreath. This event is open to all and free, and the space is wheelchair accessible. More info here.   Photos by 90mil and SLEX.ART]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[IWD 2025 Radio Programme]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/iwd-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/iwd-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tune in to Refuge Worldwide for our Feministischer Kampftag specials.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In collaboration with Assila Beer, ADIRA Collective, Éclat Crew and more. This week, we’re celebrating feminist protest by spotlighting artists and collectives dedicated to intersectional FLINTA* voices. These groups are carving new paths in music and culture, while women, non-binary, and trans people occupy less than 5% of the music tech industry. On March 5th, join Ahmad Baba and DumTak from ADIRA for a special International Feminist Day edition, featuring guest Hiba Obaid. The collective will highlight Arab-pop divas who have faced domestic abuse, sexism, and the darker side of the music industry, while also spotlighting emerging female artists whose work deserves wider recognition. On the 7th, pass by Oona Bar or tune in for Assila's takeover, with live acts from the studio by Sheyma, Wooly Aziz, Hany Tea, Oihane Roach, Sheena Anderson, Hala, and Baby Ganoush, delving into the legacy of brewing queens and their mission to build community in Berlin. On March 8th, we have a full FLINTA* day programme, with shows from TENNIN, Éclat Crew, afrodisiac, ELLLL, Luce Clandestina and Jay Duncan. It continues in the evening with Concentio exploring the female gaze in house and electronic music, from the past to today, and Monibi inviting Aysun, Tempestfeather, Jet Mila and Miri Malek. On Sunday, March 9th, we will air a special repeat programme of past shows on this theme, from Femdelic & Silvia Bianchi, BB, BIWOC* Rising, Leona, Maryisonacid & Astan KA, Lupercia & Ranking Ann, Cate Hops & Shannon Soundquist, hi.fí, Mez and fioul & microba. Header photo taken from The Spiral Times: Girls Against The State.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-february-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-february-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Three years of Russian war on Ukraine, Maja T on trial, student-led protests in Serbia ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[CDU and AfD emerge as the strongest parties in German elections In German elections held last Sunday, the conservative CDU emerged as the strongest party, securing 29% of the vote. They were followed by the far-right AfD, which garnered 19,5%, dominating the polls in the eastern regions of the country. The former Ampel-coalition partner FDP failed to reach the parliamentary threshold of 5% and lost all its seats, while the leftist party Die Linke made gains, reaching 8,5% of the vote and earning 64 seats in parliament. Results indicate that the CDU’s candidate for chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is likely to assume leadership of the country. However, the CDU will need a coalition partner to achieve a parliamentary majority. Potential coalition options include forming an alliance with the SPD, or a three-party coalition with the SPD and Die Grüne (Green Party). Merz has already ruled out a collaboration with the far-right AfD, despite AfD leader Alice Weidel expressing willingness to negotiate a coalition. Migration was a key issue in this election campaign, with most parties advocating for stricter migration policies and increased deportations. The election results and the party platforms reflect a broader shift toward the right-wing political spectrum in Germany. Meanwhile, the opposition party Die Linke made significant gains returning to parliament. In regional elections, the party achieved a major victory in Berlin and will play a key role in local governance, particularly in districts like Neukölln, where Ferhat Koçak is set to take office. Three Years of Russian War on Ukraine 24 February marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While the Ukrainian community commemorates their lost ones and remains resilient, Russia launched its largest drone attack against Ukraine since the full-scale war began in 2022, attempting to declare “victory” on the symbolic anniversary.  In recent weeks, Donald Trump has entered into negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. His plan to reduce US international aid has raised concerns in Ukraine about decreased financial support for defence. Trump also demanded $500 billion in minerals as a repayment for previous U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has rejected this demand. In response to Trump accusing him of being a dictator and holding power undemocratically, Zelenskyy stated that elections would be held as soon as the war ended. He also conceded to stepping down as president if it would help achieve a peace agreement with Russia. Israel expands its offensive in the West Bank  While the ceasefire in Gaza holds, the Israeli military has been carrying out extended assaults across several locations in the West Bank, arresting, injuring, and killing at least 27 people since 19 January. The raids, ongoing for over a month, have caused significant destruction to Palestinian infrastructure. On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Katz referred to the raids in three refugee camps in the northern West Bank as an “evacuation” and ordered the Israeli military to maintain a presence to “prevent the return of residents”. Since the raids began on 19 January, at least 27 people were killed and over 40.000 residents of refugee camps like Jenin have been displaced due to Israel’s siege.  Meanwhile, Friedrich Merz, the chancellor candidate of Germany’s conservative party, the CDU, invited Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Germany. The invitation contradicts the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruling that calls for the arrest of the Israeli Prime minister on war crime allegations. As a member of the ICC, Germany is obligated to comply with the arrest warrant issued in November 2024 and detain Netanyahu upon his arrival in the country. On the same day, Israel halted the release of Palestinian prisoners, while Hamas freed six captives from Gaza. A total of 620 prisoners were supposed to be released as part of an exchange deal between Hamas and Israel. However, Netanyahu stated that Israel would wait “until the release of the next hostages has been assured”. In response, Hamas suspended negotiations in Gaza, demanding that Israel fulfill its part of the agreement. As the ceasefire deal remains at risk, Netanyahu warned that Israel is prepared to resume fighting in the Gaza Strip “at any moment”.   Trial against extradited leftist Maja T. has started The trial against extradited leftist activist Maja T. has begun in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. In June 2024, the non-binary anti-fascist activist was handed over by the German authorities to Hungary, where Maja T. has been awaiting trial on allegations of attacking and injuring several people in February 2023 during a gathering of Neo-Nazis in Budapest. The German court, Bundesverfassungsgericht, later ruled the extradition of Maja T., a German citizen, illegal citing the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, the ruling came too late, as Maja T. had already been transferred to Hungary, where the 24-year-old is reportedly being held under inhumane conditions, including isolation and humiliation.  On Friday, Maja T. appeared in court under heavy restraints, with hands and ankles bound. The activist faces a possible prison sentence of up to 24 years and was offered a plea deal of 14 years in exchange for a confession. Maja T. rejected the offer and criticised Hungary’s right-wing Fidesz government under Viktor Orbán, accusing it of discrimination against people based on gender and persecuting anti-fascist activists. Many leftist and anti-fascist groups in Germany expressed solidarity with the Maja T.. The outcome of the trial remains to be seen. RSF plans to establish a rival government in Sudan The paramilitary rebel group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan is moving to establish a rival government, claiming to promote “peace and unity”. The RSF has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during the ongoing war, which has lasted for over 20 months.  Over the weekend, allied political and armed groups signed a document declaring the formation of this new government. While the RSF pushes its political agenda, the opposing Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have advanced toward Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and pushed RSF fighters back from central Sudan. The RSF’s proposed governance would primarily focus on the southern regions and Darfur, potentially deepening divisions between the two regions of Sudan. The rebel group has long advocated for a move toward secularism, which this initiative may further. The army-aligned current government has stated that it will not recognize any attempt to establish a parallel political authority. The war between the RSF and the SAF has displaced more than 3 million Sudanese people to neighbouring countries and claimed over 20,000 lives. Ongoing student-led protests in Serbia  In Serbia, student protests have entered their fourth month. Following the collapse of a roof that killed 15 people in Novi Sad, protestors took to the streets to commemorate the lives lost by staging 15-minute roadblocks. In November, attendees of several such protests were assaulted, but these violent incidents were met with silence from the Serbian government. Students across the country occupied facilities at six major public universities, halting academic activity in these institutions. Similar student-led protests against the government have taken place over the past four months with tens of thousands rallying and occupying traffic junctions in Belgrade and other cities.  According to polls, 80% of the Serbian population supports the demands of the student protests, which include government accountability and transparency as well as education reforms. The protests have turned into a movement, which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević and challenged the political status quo in Serbia advocating for change and against corruption.  رمضان مبارك (Ramadan Mubarak)  The evening of this upcoming Friday, 28 February, marks the beginning of Ramadan, a sacred month of fasting, prayer, and reflection in Islam. We wish everyone observing Ramadan a رمضان مبارك (Ramadan Mubarak)!  CC BY 4.0: Header image under creative commons license, details here. No changes have been made to the original image. Ukraine photo by Алесь Усцінаў]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-20-february-06-march</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-20-february-06-march</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 20 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This week: German Elections, Funding Cuts, 5 years after Hanau]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[If you would like to submit an event or story in future, please drop a message in our Berlin-Stories Discord channel.  German Elections take place this weekend On Sunday, 23 February, elections will be held in Germany. If you haven’t voted via postal ballot yet and are eligible to vote in Germany, make sure to cast your vote in your respective district on Sunday. You can find more information here. The elections follow the rupture in government after the dissolution of the Ampel-coalition in November 2024. With the far-right AfD and the conservative CDU on the rise, it is essential to make use of your vote  in support of democracy, justice and human rights. 5 years after Hanau  19 February marked the 5th anniversary of the racist murders in Hanau, Germany. In 2020, Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Vili Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov were all murdered by a fascist – whom the police were previously aware of. There have been little consequences for the German police’s massive failure to prevent extremist violence. Each year, anti-fascist and anti-racist demonstrations and vigils are held to collectively mourn the dead and fight for justice. Police cracked down heavily on one such vigil in the Neukölln area on Wednesday night. More Budget Cuts On Wednesday night, Berlin's Senator for Culture Joe Chialo announced another round of drastic budget cuts. The news comes swiftly after November's initial round of heavy funding losses, recently reported by Caroline Whiteley on Refuge Worldwide. It is estimated that over 300 million Euros will further be slashed from Berlin's cultural sector, which is already in crisis mode. Kurdish Frauenkulturtage From 1 to 8 March, the annual Kurdische Frauenkulturtage are back. Hosted by the Kurdish feminist organisation Cenî e.V., a series of events will take place across various locations in Berlin. This year’s festival is themed “Xwebûn”, meaning resistance. Events include exhibitions, panel discussions, music and theatre performances, as well as workshops. Join in to learn about the theory and practice of the Kurdish feminist movement and their resistance to occupation and patriarchy. The full program is available on the Cenî e.V. website, with most of the events accessible free of charge. Democratic Republic of Congo Fundraiser Sale Focus Congo e.V., an NGO dedicated to change and community empowerment in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has launched a fundraiser throught a special t-shirt sale. You can buy the designs via their PayPal fundraiser page. All proceeds will support those affected by the ongoing crisis in the DRC. The shirts are available in sizes S, M, L, and XL with a recommended price of 35-45€, though higher contributions are always welcome. FU Event with Francesca Albanese cancelled The Free University of Berlin has cancelled an event featuring Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, over allegations of antisemitism. The panel discussion, „Conditions of Life Calculated to Destroy. Legal and Forensic Perspectives on the Ongoing Gaza Genocide“, was originally scheduled for 19 February. It was cancelled by the university due to pressure by the state government as well as the Israeli ambassador. Prior to this, another event with Albanese had already been cancelled at a university in Munich. The UN Rapporteur condemned these incidents of state interference in public discourse and freedom of speech. The repression continued, when Albanese set to speak at a panel titled “Reclaiming the Discourse: Palestine, Justice and the Power of Truth” at Kühlhaus Berlin. Following pressure from the authorities and graffiti calling Albanese an “antisemite”, the venue cancelled the event on short notice. It was subsequently moved to the leftist publication, Junge Welt, where it took place under excessive presence of the German police. Francesca Albanese expressed deep worry about the increase of policing and censorship in Germany, which pose a danger to democracy.   Open Letter for Long Covid Care The German state is failing to adequately support people suffering from Long Covid and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Millions of people worldwide are affected by these conditions and face a constant battle to be recongised or receive the care they need. The initiative Dunkelziffer Unversorgt is raising awareness of the #MillionsMissing due to Covid and the government’s inadequate support and protection. They have launched an open letter aimed at pressuring the German government to take Covid and Long Covid seriously and provide specialised outpatient clinics in Berlin.   Reading and Conversations “Parable of the Sower” Miss Read is organising an evening for Octavia Butler fans. On 22 February at 18:00, there will be a reading of “Parable of the Sower” and a subsequent conversation with Joud Al-Tamimi and Maryam Fazeli as well as a sound performance. Come by to discuss the transformative power of science fiction and to talk about collective transnational activism.  Drag Show at Tipsy Bear On Saturday 22 of February, Tipsy Bear is hosting the beyond drag event “Trans*formations in other Dimensions” featuring a drag show and several performances by local musicians like VIO, Chloecaine, and Kaleidolicious. It starts at 19:30 and tickets are 10€. Header photo by Julia Taubitz ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[XJAZZ! Festival 2025 Radio partnership]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/xjazz-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/xjazz-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We're hosting a daily show from 14-18 May.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[XJAZZ! FESTIVAL 2025 returns to Berlin. For a third year, we will welcome artists from the XJAZZ! line up to Weserstraße for chats and music with our host Henry Weekes. Tune in from 12-2PM each day, May 14-18, for the festival residency. More info on the exact program will be released in the week before the festival. This year XJAZZ! plans a more intimate and accessible format, celebrating the diversity of jazz with concerts from legends of the genre alongside a Berlin Focus day, spotlighting the wealth of local talent we have in the city. The festival line up so far includes Alabaster DePlume, Moor Mother, Lonnie Holley, musclecars, Yukimi (of Little Dragon) and many more. Also, watch out for a recording of a workshop/talk we hosted with South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini at XJAZZ last year, plus a ticket give away and more.

Tickets and more info is available from the XJAZZ! website - grab yours before they reach the next price bracket in April! Photos by Frankie Casillo and Eike Walkenhorst.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide partnering with Le Guess Who? and COSMOS for 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/lgw-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/lgw-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Building on the radio and onsite broadcasts from last year.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[For a second year, we are partnering with the brilliant Le Guess Who? festival and its global music community project, COSMOS. We will run a monthly radio broadcast to take in sounds from around the world, which kicked off yesterday with shows from Sharjah and Kenya. From now until the festival in November, tune in from 5-7PM on the second Monday of each month. As well as the radio shows, be sure to check out COSMOS' series of videos, spotlighting the work of their various partner embassies around the work, all of whom are doing incredible work in their communities. We will also be back broadcasting from the Foyer location of the Tivoli venue at LGW festival, with another 4 days of DJ and live sets, interviews and a few surprises. Listen back to the archive of shows from 2024's edition here. The festival takes place across venues in Utrecht from November 6th-9th - more info here. Photos by Tess Janssens.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Apply for our co-production mentorship project]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/co-production</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/co-production</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Participants will make a track with Alinka, KMRU, MSJY, Mehmet Aslan or Zoë Mc Pherson.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Calling all up-and-coming producers! Refuge Worldwide is launching its first ever EP, bringing together five emerging artists with five established producers from the community around our radio station. Successful applicants will be paired with one of our five mentors Alinka, KMRU, Mehmet Aslan, MSJY/Xades, or Zoë Mc Pherson and will co-produce a track in our music production studio at Niemetzstrasse. Each artist pairing will have around 3 studio sessions to develop their track, as well as remote tutoring, and the results will be released later this year via Beatport and Bandcamp. Realised in partnership with Beatport's Diversity + Parity Fund, this first project is designed to provide emerging producers with a valuable mentorship experience, hands-on production guidance, and industry exposure.  This EP also marks the launch of Refuge Worldwide’s in-house label, dedicated to showcasing the music created in our studio space. Applications are now open via this form and will remain open until 11AM on Monday March 3rd, when Refuge and the mentor will decide on the successful applicants together. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin’s cultural funding cuts: a brutal budget fix, and a big loss for the arts]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/caroline-whiteley-speaks-to-berlin-ist-kultur</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/caroline-whiteley-speaks-to-berlin-ist-kultur</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Caroline Whiteley speaks to Berlin ist Kultur about the cultural implications of drastic budget cuts.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Berlin’s cultural scene is not just a local treasure but a global attraction, drawing 80 per cent of its tourists and shaping its identity as a cultural capital. But in November 2024, the Berlin Senate announced a 12 per cent cut to the city’s cultural budget, a significant blow to a sector that accounts for just 2.5 per cent of total public spending. The cuts were part of a broader effort to address Berlin’s €3 billion budget shortfall, forcing reductions across multiple sectors. In response, Berlin Ist Kultur - a broad alliance of cultural stakeholders spanning major theatres, museums, clubs, and independent groups - mobilised large-scale demonstrations to underscore the importance of cultural funding. The campaign also gathered over 100,000 signatures in protest, a clear indication of the widespread public support for Berlin’s cultural landscape. The impact of the budget cuts has been felt across the board, but projects that support marginalised communities and champion diverse voices - many of which include artists speaking out in solidarity with Palestine - have suffered the most severe cuts. Berlin Mondiale, which provided cultural access for young people from marginalised communities, and IMPACT, a program promoting diversity in the arts, both lost their funding entirely. The queer, postcolonial cultural centre Oyoun in Neukölln, already under threat after refusing to cancel a panel talk by the pro-Palestinian Jewish organisation Jüdische Stimme, was forced to shut down and will vacate its location in Neukölln in 2025.  While the Berlin House of Representatives approved the austerity package in late December 2024, some cuts were partially reversed. Children’s and youth theaters saw limited funding reinstatements, and institutions like the Deutsches Theater received temporary relief. GRIPS Theater, a political stage for young audiences, initially faced a €300,000 funding loss, though some of it was later restored. Caroline Whiteley spoke with Berlin Ist Kultur spokesperson and GRIPS Theater artistic director Philipp Harpain about how independent theaters and diversity-focused programs continue to grapple with the long-term effects of these budget cuts. This interview took place on 11 December. The conversation was held in German, translated into English, and edited for clarity.  Caroline Whiteley: The planned cuts [of €300,000] to GRIPS were reduced. How are you feeling right now? Is it even possible to feel a sense of relief at this moment?  Philipp Harpain: [The budget] has been reallocated, but the overall cultural budget still faces a €130 million deficit. Some organizations, like GRIPS, managed to survive by receiving €300,000. But this wasn’t new money; it was redistributed from other areas. For instance, [the government] cut €12 million from the studio program for visual artists, a program that had existed for over 30 years. Cuts are still looming, particularly for children’s and youth theaters, small groups, and independent organisations. Berlin Mondiale, a program that was essentially about providing young people with limited access to culture and a space to engage and participate in it, has been completely stripped of its funding.  It’s challenging for cultural workers to maintain their programs at full capacity now; I can truly say that.  Caroline Whiteley: It’s shocking that culture, which is such a societal investment, is treated this way. Government support doesn’t just foster creativity, it gives people from all backgrounds a chance to express themselves and explore new perspectives. Philipp Harpain: Ideally, of course, no cuts should be made. In the grand scheme of things, €130 million is not a lot. For example, in the Wuhlheide Park, [the CDU and SPD] are planning a highway road construction right through the park, costing the city €351 million. The cultural sector accounts for only about two per cent of Berlin’s budget, which doesn’t make much of a dent in the budget overall, but for the cultural scene itself, it’s a catastrophe. Caroline Whiteley: It’s also generally quite well known that the current government in Berlin prioritizes budgeting for car-centric projects, such as the controversial A100 highway extension and the TVO road project. I also found it interesting that Joe Chialo suggested that cultural institutions could generate more private funding or operate more commercially, specifically mentioning Berghain as an example. This, of course, oversimplifies the broader challenges faced by cultural institutions that rely on public funding. You can’t compare one of Berlin’s most successful clubs to a small youth theatre in terms of how they should operate financially.  Philipp Harpain: Absolutely. Children are always the ones who suffer the most. During the pandemic, they were totally neglected. Now, we’ve managed to get things back on track; children enjoy engaging with the theater again, but there’s still a long way to go. Honestly, in this increasingly uncertain world, with so many questions that children and young people face, they need places for discussion, both through what they see on stage and in further conversations with us. I had an interesting interview with a reporter from Erfurt who said, ‘If we had theatres like the ones in Berlin, right-wing parties probably wouldn’t have gotten so far [in the polls].’ I found that absolutely fascinating. Caroline Whiteley: Because theatre, and storytelling, opens up different perspectives and lived experiences. That is very much in the spirit of democracy, right? Philipp Harpain: We have an artistic mission, primarily because we’re creating realistic children’s and youth theater that connects with society. Naturally, we see the problems in many areas—starting within families: experiences of violence, alcohol abuse in families. It even extends to issues like cyberbullying, as well as plays like #diewelle or Das Heimatkleid, which explicitly address right-wing populism. Similarly, we deal with topics like sexuality on stage so that children and young people can discuss them through the characters. These kinds of stories are incredibly important. Caroline Whiteley: You’ve been at GRIPS Theater since 2002, so you’ve experienced huge changes in the city’s cultural landscape. Between 2017 and 2023, Berlin’s cultural budget increased significantly, up to  €947 million in 2023. That is more than double all of England’s arts funding. Could you talk a bit about the positive effects that had or how you experienced those changes? Philipp Harpain: Well, we did receive increased funding, that’s true—partially for youth programs. The issue is that the funding increase also came because our costs increased across the board.  Any additional funding we’ve received over the years has largely gone toward improving salaries—not hiring more staff, but ensuring fairer pay for the existing team. Unfortunately, in recent years, even as this adjustment happened, we’ve faced enormous financial pressures. Electricity has become more expensive, rent has gone up, and the price of wood – essential for building sets – has more than doubled. Paper and other materials have also become significantly pricier. These challenges weren’t addressed by the Senate in prior years, and now, this year, they’ve cut a key budget line that was meant to balance salaries and wages. That funding was eliminated before we even had a chance to discuss it. We protested early on, but then the broader debate around budget cuts began. And now, in 2024, those pressures have only increased. Caroline Whiteley: Have you already had to implement specific measures to address this year’s budget cuts? I imagine you’ve had to rethink or restructure quite a bit. Philipp Harpain: We reduced our advertising budget and our production budget. Ultimately, we’ve leaned even further into what [Joe] Chialo always emphasizes: securing third-party funding from other institutions. That’s something we’ve been doing for years, and it’s essential to keep things running. Caroline Whiteley: So, we talked about how important culture is for society – offering children new perspectives and spaces for self-expression. I’m curious… Over the years, what kind of feedback have you received from participants or actors about how their involvement with GRIPS has impacted their lives, on a personal level?  Philipp Harpain: The most striking thing is how deeply our plays resonate. Kids remember them vividly, even months later. Adults, too, often recall visiting as children, which shows how meaningful these experiences are. Beyond that, many kids and teens involved in our theater programs – whether in children’s or youth clubs – say it’s shaped them. Even those who don’t pursue acting often credit the experience with improving their confidence, communication, and presence. We’ve also seen some incredible success stories. For instance, one former youth theatre member Ersan Mondtag recently designed the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. It’s amazing to think their first artistic experiences were here at GRIPS. Caroline Whiteley: How can citizens and culture enthusiasts support you and show politicians the value of culture? Writing to their representatives, perhaps? Philipp Harpain: We’ve had a petition with over 100,000 signatures supporting culture in Berlin, initiated by Berlin ist Kultur, a coalition of cultural institutions. Citizens can support by attending events, joining local theater associations, or donating to cultural initiatives. Caroline Whiteley: What would you say to artists or culture lovers feeling discouraged by these cuts? Giving up isn’t an option, but solidarity among cultural institutions can be a powerful motivator. Philipp Harpain: Exactly. The solidarity shown by Berlin’s cultural institutions through Berlin ist Kultur has been inspiring. It proves we’re stronger together, and that’s what keeps us motivated. The more people engage, the stronger our cultural community becomes. A Unkürzbar / Berlin ist Kultur protest is happening in Berlin, next Saturday, 22 Feb.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[We’re hosting a night and DJ workshop at Under Festival in Latvia]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/under-festival</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/under-festival</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The collaboration takes place on March 14th and 15th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are excited to head to Liepāja for a weekend in March. Our residents BB and Gramcry will play at the WIKTORIJA venue on Friday, March 14th, host a DJ workshop on the following evening and also create a city-based soundscape to be broadcast on Refuge Worldwide following the festival. The DJ workshop will take place at VERANDA from 22-00H on March 15th, and will be hosted by Gramrcy. Applications to take part are now open here. UNDER Festival is an international hub for electronic music fans that started in Latvia in 2017. In 2024 UNDER was launched also in Liepāja, another Latvian city known for its diverse cultural life and the city chosen to become the European Culture Capital in 2027.  Listen back to a selection of the UNDER Festival crew hosting radio shows with us back in January below, buy tickets here and find out more about the festival here.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 06 February]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-06-february-20-february</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-06-february-20-february</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[If you would like to submit an event or story in future, please drop a message in our Berlin-Stories Discord channel.  Feminist Shorts Night by BIWOC* Rising  BIWOC* Rising is hosting a feminist short film night curated by member Canan Turan. Taking place on Thursday, 6 February, at 19:30, the screening features powerful and personal stories told from feminist perspectives. All proceeds from the screening will go toward sustaining the future of BIWOC* Rising. Palestine Culture Day  On 7 February, PA Allies and Families 4 Palestine are organising “Palestine Culture Day” at BUM. Starting at 16:00, you can experience Palestinian culture through workshops, live performances, music and food. If you are feeling artsy, you can join the Tatreez workshop and learn the art of traditional Palestinian embroidery. Smoothin Groovin at Volksbühne Smoothin Groovin, TRU:L and Bogdan D., members of the Refuge family, invite you to a dance at Volksbühne Grüner Salon. Kicking off at 21:00, a lineup of DJs and vocalists will take turns on the decks, creating a space for dancing in community. Demo in solidarity with Rojava Ciwanên, the organisation of Kurdish Youth in Berlin, is calling for a protest in solidarity with Rojava on 8 February. The demonstration starts at 18:00 at Hermannplatz and is primarily aimed at Kurdish Youth. Show your support, but please be mindful of your position. One World Poetry Night Black History Month One World Poetry Night, the spoken word event hosted writer and poet Lahya Aukongo, is back. The next installment, themed Black History Month, takes place on 8 February at 19:00 at Familiengarten-Stadtteilzentrum des Kotti e.V. . Hanau Demo and Poster Pickup  19 February marks the fifth anniversary of the racist attacks in Hanau, in which Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Vili Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar und Kaloyan Velkov were murdered. On this day, Migrantifa is holding a vigil at 17:30, followed by an anti-racist and anti-fascist protest. The meeting point is Sonnencenter. You can support the mobilisation by distributing posters, which are available for pick up on selected dates at Café Kotti, Rote Lilly, Rote Ella, and Café Wostok. Performance “Light Trees” by Inky Lee The performance “Light Trees” examines mechanisms of violence through dance, movement, light and colour. Choreographed by Inky Lee and hosted by Korea Verband, it sheds light on the violent history of Japanese rule over Korea during WWII. The piece is presented in both English and German Sign Language (DGS) and takes place at Ufer Studios from 13-16 February at 19:00.  Petition: Stop Injustice against Black trans woman in prison Cleo, a Black trans woman, has been held without trial for over six months in a Brandenburg prison. She was recently transferred from a women’s facility to men’s facility, where she is experiencing increased violence and psychosocial pressure. Sign the petition to demand retransfer to a women’s facility and justice for Cleo. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Falastin Cinema Week Programme Announcement]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/falastin-cinema-week-programme-announcement</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/falastin-cinema-week-programme-announcement</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Discover the full programme and get your tickets!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Tickets and the full programme are now available for Falastin Cinema Week here!  Accessibility is a key priority at Refuge Worldwide and while our programming is usually free, Falastin Cinema Week is a collaboration with different community groups and is unfunded. Therefore we need to sell tickets to cover our production costs, any surplus funds will be donated. There will be an allocation of tickets for each event priced at 5 EUR, 10 EUR, and 15 EUR. Each ticketed event at Refuge has a limited capacity of 40 pax. If you’re not able to buy a ticket, please drop us a line. The opening night at Spore Initiative is free of charge and does not require a ticket. Monday, 17 February  In collaboration with Jüdische Stimme  Location: Spore Initiative, Hermannstraße 86, 12051 Berlin Time: 19:00 - 21:30  
Film Screening: “Foragers” - Jumana Manna (2022) 
Language: Arabic / Hebrew with English subtitles
Duration: 64 Minutes 
Talk: Rabea Eghbariah, Omar Tesdell, and Yara Dowani moderated by Mikhail Lylov
Language: English 
Tickets: Free entry "Foragers" by Jumana Manna Tuesday, 18 February  In collaboration with Palinale & Refuge Worldwide Location: Refuge Worldwide, Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin Time: 16:00 - 18:00 
Film Screening: Wafaa From Gaza 
Language: English with German subtitles
Duration: 14:42 mins Film Screening: Uncle, give me a cigarette 
Language: Arabic / Hebrew with English subtitles
Duration: 08:09 mins Film Screening: GAZAMP4 
Language: 18:29 mins
Duration: Arabic with English subtitles Film Screening: Underneath The Veil
Language: 20:21 mins
Duration: English with English subtitles Talk: In conversation with Jamen Abu-Khatir, Waafa Saied,  Lana Al Hajj, Elisa Ward moderated by Matt Lambert
Tickets: here "Untold Revolution: Food Sovereignty in Palestine" by Ameen Nayfeh In collaboration with AL.Berlin & Jewish Bund Time: 19:00 - 22:00 
Film Screening: ”Untold Revolution: Food Sovereignty in Palestine" - Ameen Nayfeh (2021)
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Duration: 26 mins
Film Screening: “​​Mapping Lessons” - Philip Rizk (2020)
Language: Ukrainian, English, German, Arabic, French with English subtitles
Duration: 61 mins
Talk:  Philip Rizk in conversation with Razan Rashidi
Tickets here "Mapping Lessons" by Philip Rizk 
Wednesday, 19 February In collaboration with Irish Bloc Berlin Location: Refuge Worldwide, Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin Time: 16:00 - 17:00
Film Screening: The Cities I Live In – Rabie Mustapha, 2022
Language: English
Duration: 11 mins Film Screening: The Party – Andrea Harkin, 2016
Language: English
Duration: 15 mins Film Screening: Scenes of the Occupation from Gaza – 1984
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Duration: 14 mins
 Film Screening: White Elephant – Shuruq Harb, 2018, 13 mins 
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Duration: 13 mins Film Screening: Journey of a Sofa – Alaa El Ali, 2014, (dedicated to BGB & Comrade Sofa)
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Duration: 9 mins Tickets here

Time: 18:00 - 22:00 
Film Screening: MiG – Thaer Al-Sahli, 2013
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Duration: 12 mins Film Screening: Blue – Abo Gabi, 2014
Language: Arabic with English subtitles 
Duration: 12 mins
 Film Screening: Fourth Floor After the Nakba – Samer Salameh, 2018
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Duration: 23 mins Film Screening: A cut from footage taken in Yarmouk in 2010 – Majda Qandil
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Duration: 3 mins Talk: Majda Qandil in conversation with Caoimhe from Irish Bloc Berlin
Language: English Film Screening: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (Ken Loach), 2006
Language: English
Duration: 2 hours 7 minutes 

SOLD OUT Thursday, 20 February In collaboration with Rawy Films Location: Refuge Worldwide, Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin Time: 14:00-16:00
Film screening: "A State of Passion" - Carol Mansour & Muna Khalidi (2024)
Language: English and Arabic with English subtitles
Duration: 90 mins Talk: Carol Mansur in conversation with Muna Khalidi 
Tickets here Time: 17:00-19:00
Talk: Censored But Never Silent. Palestinian Cinema; the fight against censorship and the path to solidarity with: Mahdi Baraghithi, Deena Arouk, Pascale Fakhry, Teresa A. Braggs, Mohamed Abugheth
Language: English
Tickets here Time: 19:45-21:45
Film screening: “From Ground Zero” (2024) 
Language: Arabic with English Subtitles
Duration: 115 mins
SOLD OUT "From Ground Zero" Friday, 21 February In collaboration with Space of Urgency & Diaspora Rising Location: Refuge Worldwide, Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin Time: 16:00 - 18:00 
Film screenings: "120km" - Wassim Kheir (2021) 20 min + 10 min Zoom Call  "Mariam" - Dana Durr (2020) 5 min + 10 min Zoom Call  "Roof Knocking" - Sina Salimi Khaligh (2017) 12 min + 15 min Q&A "Deferred Reclaim" - Abdallah Moa’tan 11 min + 15 min Q&A

Tickets here Time: 19:00 - 22:00 
Film screenings:  "ALQUDS القدس - Arab Jerusalem" by Vladimir Tamari (1967) 16 min., Eng.  "The Place that is Ours" by Zena Agha and Dorothy Allen-Pickard (2021) 12 min., Eng.  "Jerusalem, Flower of all Cities - القدس زهرة المدائن" by Ali Siam (1969) 8 min., without dialogue  "The Last Sky" by Nicholas Hanna (2024) 53 min., Eng/Arabic w/ Eng subtitles SOLD OUT Throughout the week, the exhibition at Niemetzstraße will feature the installation “masturbation is easy, finding the video is hard” by  Teresa A. Braggs and works by Amal Abu Hanna. There will also be a bazaar including a soli print sale curated by Acidfinky, a vegan cake sale organised by Nettles and Poppies, and merch from House of Base and SPACE OF URGENCY alongside an info stand by Seeding Resistance (Andek Akkoub, Fighting seeds and Plantsswap.berlin), and beer courtesy of Muschicraft Bier. ADA'S will be offering gnocchi on donation basis before the From Ground Zero screening on Thursday 20th February. Donations from the bazaar will go to Hope In Gaza, 3ezwa, The Sameer Project and Human Call.  ACCESS INFO Please see our access page for full accessibility info. If you have any access requests, please email nicky@refugeworldwide.com We encourage guests to do COVID-19 tests before coming and will also have some tests available at the door. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.  All tickets can be found here. 
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Win a custom-made La Marzocco x Refuge Worldwide espresso machine]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/win-la-marzocco-machine</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/win-la-marzocco-machine</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Support our work in 2025 with this fundraiser.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In a time of drastic cultural budget cuts across Berlin, we are relying on support more than ever. In order to help raise funds for our projects in 2025, we have teamed up with La Marzocco to giveaway a customised espresso machine as part of Refuge Worldwide's new membership scheme. For (a one off) 10€ tip we are now offering a year long access to two exclusive podcast series, 'Word Of Mouth' with Ilo, and 'Talkie-Walkie' with Johanka.  What's more, everyone who buys a membership can be entered into a prize draw to win a custom-made La Marzocco x Refuge Worldwide Linea Micra machine. Plus, from January 1st 2025 to January 1st 2026, show your membership receipt at Oona Bar on Weserstraße for 10% off all drinks (valid on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays). To enter the prize draw, please simply tick the box when you purchase the membership on our online store.  Details For this fundraising campaign, we will be giving away one La Marzocco Linea Micra espresso machine (with bespoke Refuge Worldwide design) at random to one person who joins the Tip Jar membership. Simply purchase a 10€ "Tip Jar" membership on our online store and be in with a chance to win the machine. Entry into the raffle is voluntary so you must check the box at the kasse in order to enter. We will be donating 10% of all sales to Lilipad e.V., a Berlin-based charity supporting libraries for children. Please note there are a limited number of memberships available, and the sales window will close at the end of February. Tip Jar membership 2025: Exclusive podcasts every month Discounts at Oona Bar Entry into the La Marzocco competition Support Refuge Worldwide’s projects Important terms and conditions for the La Marzocco prize draw: One person who has purchased a "Tip Jar" membership will be selected at random by a member of the La Marzocco team on 27th February 2025 Shipping costs will be covered by Refuge Worldwide Retail value is of the prize is 3790€ Prize is one (1) custom designed La Marzocco Linea Micra Home Espresso Machine Refuge Worldwide and La Marzocco will not be collecting or storing any personal data. The winner of the competition will be asked to supply an email address, shipping address and phone number. The prize will be shipped before the end of March 2025. Competition closes 26th February at 23:59. Thank you for your support, and good luck! ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Black History Month 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bhm-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bhm-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We are hosting an event in Berlin, eight 100% shows and a live recorded special!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Check out our programme for BHM 2025. On Wednesday February 26th, we will host an evening in collaboration with Clouds of Color, an internal diversity and inclusion team at SoundCloud. Taking place from 6PM-10PM at SoundCloud's Berlin HQ, we will present a visual and musical exhibition of vital albums from the history of Black Music. Our DJs will be playing music from all the albums on show and there will be food and snacks on the house. Through selling t-shirts produced by Irene Fernandez Arcas and D'Aro Mambu, the event will also be fundraising for Focus Congo, an organisation which "invests in young people and leaders in Congo, builds partnerships with local grassroots organizations and creates access to resources necessary for survival." RSVP here. Radio-wise, as part of our ongoing 100% series, which invites residents of the station to do deep dives into topics close to their hearts, we’re hosting a month of Black History Month 100% specials. Starting with an hour of African liberation songs on Feb 3rd, the rest of the month’s deep dives include episodes on US record producer Jimmy Douglass, 100% Frankie Beverly, an hour of 10s Southern Hip-Hop, the evolution of Afro House, female pioneers of African music, Angolan Semba and the Surinamese genre Kaseko. The shows will be hosted by mokeyanju, Zengxrl, Jackie Queens, Eiliyas, Maryisonacid & Astan KA, Kwame, MINQ and DJ Westfa. In addition to the 100% shows, we will broadcast a live recording of Lakuti and New York house music icon Yvonne Turner’s conversation at Bring Down The Walls, hosted at our Niemetzstrasse location last summer. Bring Down The Walls is an anti-racist and multi cultural platform with music at its core. It has been hosted by Lakuti and Tama Sumo since 2018. It aims to unearth and highlight stories and contribution to culture by marginalised communities.

See the full 100% show schedule below. 03 Feb: 12-13:00 mokeyanju - 100% African Liberation Songs 07 Feb: 14-15:00 Eiliyas - 100% Frankie Beverly 

10 Feb: 15-16:00 Zengxrl - 100% Angolan Semba

13 Feb: 16-17:00 DJ Westfa - 100% Surinamese Kaseko 19 Feb: 16-17:00 MINQ - 100% 10s Southern Hip-Hop 20 Feb: 12-14:00 Maryisonacid & Astan KA - 100% African Women Pioneers 24 Feb: 13-14:00 Jackie Queens - 100% Afro House History 24 Feb: 14-15:00 Kwame - 100% Jimmy Douglass ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-january-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-january-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our roundup of stories you may have missed.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Gazans return north while Israel steps up raids in the West Bank After the 42-day ceasefire between Hamas and Israel went into effect on 19 January, displaced people from across the Gaza Strip are now allowed to return to what is left of their homes in northern Gaza. As people return, the scale of the destruction of 15 months of war has become visible. Over 90 percent of Northern Gaza has been damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks.  Newly inaugurated US-president Donald Trump asked neighbouring countries Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip as part of a “relocation” campaign, which many fear would amount to ethnic cleansing.  As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israeli and Palestinian hostages were freed. However, while retreating in the Gaza Strip, Israel simultaneously increased its military presence in the West Bank and aimed another crackdown on the Jenin refugee camp.  Colombia gives in to Trump’s crackdown on migration while violence between rebel groups escalates During his first week in office, President Donald Trump’s crackdown on migration politics has left many families devastated due to rapid deportations.  The Colombian government, under President Petro, barred US military deportation flights from landing in Colombia accusing Trump of treating migrants like criminals. After Trump threatened to hit back with economic sanctions, Petrolifted the block to avert a trade war. Many people being forced to return to Colombia now fear getting caught up in the escalating violence between rebel groups including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident groups of the former Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia (FARC). As peace talks failed, ELN attacks in the northeastern Catatumbo region killed at least 80 people and forced thousands to flee. M23 rebels capture Goma in DRC The M23 rebel group claims to have captured the eastern Congolese city of Goma. The decades-long regional conflict between armed rebel groups, aiming to gain control of a mineral-rich region of the country, and the Congolese Army, led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.  Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, is inhabited by at least 2 million people and has been caught in the crossfire. Disregarding a ceasefire agreement with the Congolese Government signed in June 2024, M23 took hold of nearby towns of Minova, Katale and Masisi earlier this month. Their advance displaced more than 100,000 people in the first weeks of January. On Monday, the group announced their capture of Goma, sparking a mass panic among the residents. The government of DRC calls this a “declaration of war”. Lukashenko declared winner of elections in Belarus Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has this week been declared winner of national elections, a result rejected by Western governments on the grounds that the election was neither free nor fair.  The former Soviet republic has been under the rule of Lukashenko, an ally of Vladimir Putin, for the past 31 years. During his period of control, independent media outlets have been banned and opposition political figures jailed.  Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya continues to advocate for increased sanctions against Belarusian companies, any individuals supporting the ar in Ukraine, and toward the government itself. USA: Anishinaabe-Lakota political prisoner Leonard Peltier freed after 50 years in prison After almost 50 years in a U.S. prison, activist Leonard Peltier has returned home on a commuted sentence. The Anishinaabe-Lakota member was part of the American Indian Movement (AIM), which advocates for justice, and against discrimination and violence against indigenous people in the United States.  During protests in 1975, two FBI agents were shot. Leonard Peltier was charged with committing the crime but insisted on his innocence. International organisations like Amnesty called his trial and sentence unfair. Since his arrest 50 years ago, activists and human rights organisations have regularly called for his release. Now 80 years old, Leonard Peltier has been released from prison to serve the rest of his life-sentence under house arrest. International Holocaust Remembrance Day Today, 27 January, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the victims of the Holocaust and the genocide of 6 million Jews, along with Sinti * zze and Rom * nja, racialised, disabled, queer, and poor people, by Nazi Germany. The day is observed every year on the day of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp (27 January 1945) by soldiers of the Red Army. 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation. CC BY 4.0: Header image under creative commons license, details here. No changes have been made to the original image.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Mixed Feelings 2: Still With Mixed Feelings]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-mixed-feelings-radio-show-launch</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-mixed-feelings-radio-show-launch</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Continuing to challenge ableism and hearing supremacy in the arts.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are excited to expand on the next phase of the Mixed Feelings project with a new radio series, further exploring accessibility in the arts, embracing the diverse talents of disabled and d/Deaf artists in Berlin and beyond. Continuing to challenge ableism and hearing supremacy in the arts, this six-part radio series, hosted by Saverio Cantoni, Dana Cermane and SchwarzRund, features a mix of German and English spoken language, International Sign Language, and subtitles, ensuring accessibility for d/Deaf and disabled audiences. The new series kicked off with No Mixed Feelings: Palestine Solidarity is Disability Justice, an event held at 90 mil last August. The event was a chance for Mixed Feelings audiences to come together for an evening of performances, music, and dialogue.  With its commitment to inclusion and accessibility, Mixed Feelings continues to explore the experience and practices of disabled artists beyond sound and into a truly multi-sensory, multi-language project. Meeting at the intersections of art and music through the lens of artists who have experienced illness, disability, or racial discrimination, as well as members of the d/Deaf community, Saverio kicked off the new season with two episodes in October.  In January and February 2025, additional episodes will air as part of the multi-language series. Dana will host in German Sign Language (DGS) with English subtitles, Schwarzrund’s episodes will be in spoken German, and Saverio will host in English, with transcripts provided on our website. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Falastin Cinema Week]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/falastin-cinema-week</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/falastin-cinema-week</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A week of film screenings, talks, art and more.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Running parallel to the Berlinale this February, Refuge Worldwide will host Falastin Cinema Week: five days of film screenings, talks, and art exploring Palestinian histories and decolonial narratives. The events will take place at Refuge's Niemetzstraße community space in Berlin and at Spore Initiative.  Together with AL.Berlin, Jewish Bund, Diaspora Rising, Spore Initiative, Jüdische Stimme, Irish Bloc Berlin, Rawy Films, Palinale, SPACE OF URGENCY, Amal Abu Hanna, House Of Base, and more, Falastin Cinema Week is scheduled to run daily from Monday 17th February and Friday 21st February.  Although a tentative ceasefire is in place, February 2025 will mark the 77th year of the occupation. We call for an end to the apartheid regime, the right to return, sovereignty, and self-determination for all Indigenous Palestinian and Levantine people. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian liberation movement and with all interconnected decolonial struggles.  Tickets will go on sale for the events via Refuge Worldwide together with the full programme announcement at the beginning of February.  The artwork visual is a film still from O, Persecuted, courtesy of Basma al-Sharif. Commissioned by the Palestine Film Foundation to make a film in response to Kassem Hawal’s 1974 Our Small Houses, O, Persecuted uses the act of restoration to force the burden of history onto an unforeseen future. Graphics are by Bianca Mocan. ACCESS INFO Refuge Worldwide’s community space is located at Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin. All the rooms used for the event are step-free and located on the ground floor. There is a gender-neutral step-free toilet that's accessible for wheelchair users.  There will be a variety of seating options: chairs and beanbags. We encourage guests to do COVID-19 tests before coming and will also have some tests available at the door.  No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.  If you have any access requests, please email nicky@refugeworldwide.com GER Parallel zur Berlinale findet bei Refuge Worldwide die Falastin Cinema Week statt: fünf Tage mit Filmvorführungen, Gesprächen und Kunst, die palästinensische Geschichte und dekoloniale Narrative beleuchten. Die Veranstaltungen werden im Gemeinschaftsraum von Refuge in der Niemetzstraße in Berlin sowie bei der Spore Initiative durchgeführt. Gemeinsam mit AL.Berlin, Jewish Bund, Diaspora Rising, Spore Initiative, Jüdische Stimme, Irish Bloc Berlin, Rawy Films, SPACE OF URGENCY, Salma Elshami, Amal Abu Hanna, House Of Base und weiteren wird die Falastin Cinema Week täglich von Montag, den 17. Februar, bis Freitag, den 21. Februar 2025 stattfinden. Obwohl ein vorläufiger Waffenstillstand besteht, wird der Februar 2025 das 77. Jahr der Besatzung markieren. Wir fordern ein Ende des Apartheidregimes, das Recht auf Rückkehr, Souveränität und Selbstbestimmung für alle indigenen palästinensischen und levantinischen Völker. Wir stehen in Solidarität mit der palästinensischen Befreiungsbewegung und mit allen verbundenen dekolonialen Kämpfen. Tickets für die Veranstaltungen bei Refuge Worldwide sind ab Anfang Februar zusammen mit der vollständigen Programmankündigung erhältlich. Das Artwork der Veranstaltung zeigt ein Filmstill aus O, Persecuted, bereitgestellt von Basma al-Sharif. Dieser Film wurde im Auftrag der Palestine Film Foundation als Antwort auf Kassem Hawals Werk Our Small Houses (1974) geschaffen. O, Persecuted nutzt den Prozess der Restaurierung, um die Bürde der Geschichte auf eine unvorhergesehene Zukunft zu projizieren. BARRIEREFREIHEIT Der Gemeinschaftsraum von Refuge Worldwide befindet sich in der Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin. Alle für die Veranstaltung genutzten Räume befinden sich im Erdgeschoss und sind stufenfrei zugänglich. Es gibt eine stufenfreie, genderneutrale Toilette, die für Rollstuhlfahrer:innen geeignet ist. Für Sitzmöglichkeiten stehen Stühle und Sitzsäcke zur Verfügung. Wir bitten unsere Gäste, sich vor der Teilnahme auf COVID-19 zu testen. Vor Ort werden ebenfalls Tests bereitgestellt. Niemand wird aufgrund fehlender finanzieller Mittel abgewiesen. Bei individuellen Fragen bitte wende dich an: nicky@refugeworldwide.com]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Improvised Jams: An interview with Move78]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/move78-interview-4th-birthday</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/move78-interview-4th-birthday</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We chat to Berlin's finest five piece ahead of their performance at Refuge Worldwide's 4th Birthday.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Move78, the jazz-hip-hop collective known for their fusion of live instrumentation with machines, are united  by AVER, a prolific producer and lynchpin behind the band's sonic landscape. Merging jazz with the beat-driven precision of hip-hop, Move78 have a sound that's both human and algorithmic. We grabbed Joe Mills (aka AVER) for a quick chat ahead of the Refuge Worldwide 4th Birthday, which will see Move78 perform live in room one on February 1st. Tickets recommended! Joe! Which bands or artists would you say are currently your peers? Feel a bit odd saying “we’re on par with such and such a band or artist”, as I guess that is for others to decide, but as far as inspiration and folks I look to for innovation I’d say the likes of Makaya McCraven, Irreversible Entanglements, Sault & Cleo Sol, muva of Earth and Nala Sinephro. The cast of Move78 seems to fluctuate, why is that and who is involved? The core line-up of me, Doron Segal (keys), Nir Sabag (drums) and Hal Strewe (bass) has been the same from the start, with Meravi Goldman (French horn) becoming a permanent fixture during the pandemic.  Because of the sample-based nature of the recording process, we collaborate with a lot of friends from Berlin, whose parts generally populate my sampler for live shows once they’ve been woven into the recorded material, and if we get a chance to get them involved on stage - most likely when playing Berlin - we do so. Folks we work with frequently are Ayjay Nils, Douniah and Eric Owusu, with them appearing on a number of releases and making up a fundamental part of the band’s sound. The list of other musicians is too long to recite but one RW-related one is Geoff Kemback (host of the Loose Ends show) who plays strings on the first two albums. You made a lot of music as AVER before forming Move78, how does your creative drive differ between the projects and what kind of output were you making as a solo artist? The drive is the same, no matter what. I love making collages out of sounds, be it raps, jazz or field recordings, whatever. I independently released my first record Dayse & Aver with my mates from Manchester in 2011 and since then I’ve been an integral part of something like 13 full-length albums, 7 EPs or double-a-side singles and drum break record. The output was originally straight beats for raps and then this evolved over the years into more complex structures and once I moved to Berlin - no longer surrounded by rappers - I started to stretch out the instrumental beats, which I then started getting musicians to play on and that’s kinda where the band starts What role does improvisation play in your music, both in the studio and live performances?  Everything the band does is improvised. No musical notation is made for any of the tracks. We improvise for hours on end in the studio. I’ll then make finished songs out of these, maybe adding more layers of improv along the way. Trying to form more solid song structures from the jams. We then learn these structures and then replay them on stage but in such a way that hopefully they sound different to the recordings for both the audience and the band. Where do you draw inspiration from outside of music—films, books, or life experiences? I’d say I’m a pretty big art nerd, so I take inspiration from a range of figures from David Hockney to Leonora Carrington or Rammellzee to Joan Mitchell. For me, there are huge parallels between visual art and music and writing as well. I’m currently reading a book called Ninth Street Women, which is an exhaustive look at the Abstract Expressionist movement in New York in the 20th Century and in it it often cites the impact jazz had on the likes of Jackson Pollock or Elaine De Kooning. Inspiration is everywhere, you just gotta be open to it. You’ve done quite a few Refuge Worldwide radio shows in your time huh? Involved since day one. How has the show grown over the last four years, what do you enjoy about it? True true, we’re on around 80 shows in total at the minute. I mostly enjoy doing the research to make the shows and listening to tons of music in the process. It stimulates ideas and the show operates as a low-pressure testing site for loads of random ideas I have, like the voicenote collage I made for the end of Episode 4 has now become a part of the band’s next album. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned through your musical journey? The process is the purpose! What’s something about Move78 that your fans might be surprised to learn? The band was formed through Tinder :) Are there any dream collaborations you’d love to make happen in the future? muva of Earth, Nala Sinephro or Inflo. Tell me your favourite gig of 2024? International Anthem Recording Company hosted a two-day event at 90mil of improvised music, with artists from LA, New York, Chicago, London and Berlin all playing together for the first time. For me and Doron, the standout performance was by Jeremiah Chui on modular synths, Frank Rosaly on drums and Cassie Kinoshi on saxophone and FX. I hear Cassie has recently moved to Berlin, so would be keen to try collaborate with her soon as well. What are you most looking forward to in 2025? The completion of a 5-album body of work we have been making since 2019. I kinda see it as my pHd or masters (that no one asked me to do). We should have the fifth album “In The Age Of Data” completed by April, ready for release at the end of the year. I’ll obviously be dropping loads of sneak previews on Refuge Worldwide so be sure to tune it :)

Cheers boss! See you 1st February. Tickets for Refuge Worldwide's 4th Birthday are here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide host RA Unlocked: Promoters 2025]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-host-ra-unlocked-promoters-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-host-ra-unlocked-promoters-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The event will equip participants with a foundation of all aspects of running a club night.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Resident Advisor launch ‘Unlocked: Promoters’—an introduction to club promotion that will upskill a new generation of promoters in Berlin.  Unlocked is a free event (via application) at our Niemetzstraße venue in Neukölln, Berlin, on Wednesday, February 12th. The event will equip participants with a foundation of knowledge spanning all aspects of running a club night. Leading Berlin promoters and industry experts will share their knowledge and give insights to demystify the world of promoting. Attendees will hear directly from a range of leading experts working in the sector, including Juba (ọ́kụ́), Caitlin (Body Language), Maryisonacid (African Acid Is The Future), Nadja Bozic (Ekipa), Meg10 (Hoe_mies), Aziz Sarr (Freak De L'Afrique/MAAYA), Lilia van Beukering (RSO), Felton Cortijo (RSO), Killa Schuetze (RICE), and Aimé from SWEAT. 
The day will consist of a series of sessions covering key promotion subjects such as developing concepts and community, bookings and budgets, marketing and sales, as well as event operations and creating safer spaces. Attendees should leave the day with a rounded overview of the key aspects of promoting their own events, and Resident Advisor will be on hand to assist those looking to develop further and launch their own club nights.  Unlocked is a step towards tackling the lack of diversity in the music industry, with a focus on demystifying the industry and the roles within it.  Social class was found above all else to influence young people’s chances of earning money through music. Those from lower income backgrounds were significantly less likely to be earning money through music than those from higher income backgrounds. This disparity held even if they had both studied music at school, college or university. Youth Music Report, 2024 The event is open to anyone with a keen interest in producing events, and no prior experience is required. Priority will be given to applications from FLINTA, POC, LGBTQI+ communities, and people with visible and non-visible disabilities and/or from lower-income households. Lunch will be provided, and travel bursaries are available upon request.  Places are limited, so please apply here. The deadline for applications is the end of Sunday 26th January, and all applicants will be contacted on Wednesday 29th January. Those with specific access needs relating to the application process or the project itself can email Andy at al@ra.co. More info can also be found on our access page. 
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[We're hosting a week of CTM Festival radio shows]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ctm-2025</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ctm-2025</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tune in every day from 27 Jan until 1 Feb.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are partnering with CTM Festival for the 4th year.

Each day from 2-4PM during the main festival week (27 Jan-1 Feb), we will host artists from the festival line up to come and share some music and conversations. Tune in to hear from Marie Davidson, Gyrofield, Deize Tigrona, Abdullah Miniawy, Rempit Goddess & LnhD, Antconstantino, Dis Fig and more, all of whom will be hosted by Richard Akingbehin. The festival - which is now on its 26th edition - takes place over ten days and across multiple venues in the city, with a wide range of adventurous music acts, discussions and workshops. Among the acts billed are Elijah, Joginda, Bendik Giske, Kianí del Valle, LazerGazer, Nídia & Valentina Magaletti, Tati au Miel and a back-to-back between rRoxymore and Deena Abdelwahed. Tickets are available here. Header photo by Frankie Casillo
Footer photo by Camille Blake]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide 4th Birthday!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-4th-birthday</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-4th-birthday</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 07 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Line-up revealed for our mega birthday bash on 1st February.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[After 4 years, 10,000 radio shows, 5,000 artists and dozens of events, on Saturday 01 February we celebrate another milestone. Join us at our favourite secret Berlin venue (near Jannowitzbrüke) for a night of live music and Refuge Worldwide DJ sets as we get together for the first big party of 2025.  We have invited a bumper line-up of artists to celebrate this landmark together as the night drifts between rap, hip-hop, jazz, bass, house, post-punk, R&B and soul. Playing live in room one is Move78, led by station resident AVER, responsible for some of the most memorable moments of the last couple of years including that legendary intimate gig at Oona Bar. Maturing into one of Berlin's best bands, they operate at intersection of free-flowing improvised jazz, chopped and twisted through a UK hip-hop lens.  AKA KELZZ has risen fast since moving to Berlin, blending soulful melodies and introspective lyrics into their unique sound of neo-soul meets lo-fi urban pop. AKA KELZZ is performing for the first time at a Refuge Worldwide event having sold out Berghain Kantine toward the end of 2024. The mysterious DLX ADV joins for a Berlin debut, backed up by former Coldcut vocalist Aurelius Callist, while some of Refuge Worldwide's beloved residents will DJ across two rooms; DJ NORTHERN, Ipek Ipekcioglu, MORT-MOI, Nissa, Saint September, and Sarah Zeryab. Doors are 19:00 and we invite you to join us for a night of celebration. Thank you all for your support over the years. A limited number of 12€ early bird ticket are available here, while general release will be 15€. Please note that if you have not yet been to this venue, they also charge a small fee for a membership card on your first visit (5€). Refuge Worldwide
4th Birthday Saturday 01 February
Move78 (Live)
AKA KELZZ (Live)
DLX ADV (Live) DJ NORTHERN
Ipek Ipekcioglu
MORT-MOI
Nissa
Saint September
Sarah Zeryab 19:00 - 02:00 VENUE ACCESS INFO The venue is located on the ground floor and all rooms are step-free. There are gender-neutral toilets and a step-free toilet with railings, designed for wheelchair users. There is an outdoor area and multiple indoor rooms.  Please email hello@refugeworldwide.com if you need more information on the venue's location or directions on how to attend.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Fill in our 2024 community feedback form]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/community-feedback-from</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/community-feedback-from</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 21 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Help shape the future of Refuge Worldwide]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As the year comes to a close, your feedback is as ever, extremely important to us. Share your thoughts on what worked well, what could improve, and how we can make next year even better for you. If you have time, please take a moment to fill out our end of year feedback form - it really helps shape the future of our station. Thank you for listening, we look forward to 2025 together. Photos by Milena Paeske]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Tune into our special end of year broadcasts]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/end-of-year-shows-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/end-of-year-shows-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Soundtracks for the holiday season.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As 2024 winds to a close, we have enlisted nine Refuge Worldwide residents to take you calmly into the new year. Each December on the airwaves we have a series of special shows, curated across the station's roster to enable reflection, relaxation, celebration and remembrance.  This year providing the music is Ahmedshk, Meriem (Roots & Beats), DJ Chichi, Delfonic, Madame Shazzam, Do25inco, Femdelic, and a first time end of year session for No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin. Think of music for your holidays, a long train ride, hanging out with family or friends, or a solo walk through the city - we've got a range of jazz, soul, downtempo, electro, folk, indie, beats and disco to accompany all the winter moments. If you have time, please take a moment to fill out our end of year feedback form here - it really helps shape the future of our station. Some of our favourite moments from 2024 in photos: ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[3ezwa]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/3ezwa-interview-17-dec-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/3ezwa-interview-17-dec-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A new association offering financial support for those facing repression for their activism.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Since October 2023, the Berlin Legal Fund, a GoFundMe campaign created by Matta and Nomi, has raised nearly €100,000 to financially support individuals arrested during Palestine solidarity protests in Germany. On 22 October 2024, this initiative evolved into 3ezwa, a registered association focused on providing financial and legal aid to those facing repression for their activism. Based at the Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte in Berlin, 3ezwa aims to fill the gaps in Berlin’s legal support networks regarding solidarity with Palestine and provides accessible support for those most affected by the German state’s repression.  We spoke to Nomi and Matta, founding members of both the Berlin Legal Fund and 3ezwa, to learn more about the Verein, their work, and solidarity with Palestine in Germany. To begin, I would like to find out a bit more about the name 3ezwa. Could you tell me how you came up with it and what it stands for? Nomi: Finding the name was a really long process and there were a few other options on the table. We sat together with many comrades of ours, especially our Arabic-speaking friends because we did not want to use a German or English name. Matta: The first name we came up with was Faz3a (فزعة, pronounced faz'a), which is the call for communities to come together during the harvest in Palestinian villages back in the day. Nowadays Faz3a is also used if you need help from your homies, but just before announcing the Verein, the name got taken by another organisation.  We were then advised to call it 3ezwa (عزوة), which means the group of people who have your back in hard times, either family or friends, the people who are unconditionally there for you. It’s still related to Faz3a because 3ezwa refers to the people involved. This may be a bit further down the line, but are you planning to expand on the work that you did with the Berlin Legal Fund to support other causes as well? Nomi: 3ezwa is designed to address gaps in existing legal support structures. For example, Rote Hilfe, with who we also cooperate, one of the largest leftist legal support networks covers many cases in Germany, but there is a real gap in supporting the pro-Palestine movement. Similarly, the Kurdish movement also has several legal support structures, like AZADI. Our focus now is definitely on Palestine, but we also don’t know how repression in Germany will develop in the next few years. We want to help keep people on the streets because if you get hit with a 1000 euro fine once, you might be able to scrape it together, but if you have that waiting for you every month, you eventually stop going. In the beginning, we thought we might end up with a couple thousand euros, but it really escalated.  3ezwa also supports with migration issues for people affected due to their activism or general residency questions for people from Gaza. Because ultimately, this is what Germany’s master plan is. It’s not to imprison a bunch of European activists but to expand deportations in this European racist anti-migrant status quo. The BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Germany) has frozen all residency cases for Palestinians fleeing Gaza since January. Additionally, because a lot of people arrived in Europe via Greece, there are lots of deportations to Greece, and we all know what the situation is like there in the refugee camps. Did you face any particular challenges when trying to set up the e.V. given the political climate in Germany right now? Matta: Not really yet, but it can very well come. It was a conscious decision to start this Verein in Germany rather than from elsewhere. We stand with the Palestinian cause, in Germany. If they like it or not.  Nomi: We had a lot of support setting up the Verein. One of the board members has significant knowledge about Vereinsrecht (association law) and how repression works in Germany, which has been invaluable. They had a lot of knowledge and experience with organisations and specifically navigating bans and repressions, which was really helpful to run the process as smoothly as possible. We also had help when starting the Berlin Legal Fund from groups like Palästina Kampagne and a comrade from KOP.  Aside from the board, we also have founding members that either are part of these organisations or represent them, alongside a few others such as Palästina Spricht, Mera25, Die Linke Neukölln, the Communist Party, SDAJ, Die Internationale Liga für Menschenrechte, and Rote Hilfe Berlin. This was important for us to gain legitimacy and for the solidarity movement to gain a lot of ground. And so that if 3ezwa faces any repression, the other organisations can stand with us. The main way to support 3ezwa is to become a member. What are some other possible ways for people to support your work that aren't necessarily financial, for those who don't have the means to sign up for the monthly subscriptions? Matta: When signing up people can choose between an active membership and a supportive membership (Fördermitgliedschaft). Fördermitglieder support the Verein primarily financially, whereas active members have a say in the Verein and are expected to participate in or create new working groups that can vary from social media to facilitating counseling in their city. A couple of days ago we already had around 275 sign-ups, many wanting to be active members. This also means we need to carefully select applicants. But right now, financial support is critical. On our first counseling day for example we already gave out almost €3,000. If someone can’t afford a monthly membership fee, there are still many ways to help. With the Berlin Legal Fund, for example, we saw people organising fundraising events at clubs, markets, and other creative efforts, which made a huge difference. Looking back and taking into account what you know now, with this initiative turning into a long-term project and association, what advice would you have given yourself before setting up the fund? And what advice would you have for other groups trying to do similar things? Nomi: I’d say, move faster. It doesn’t usually occur to you to make something so official, but with the German state becoming more authoritarian and fascist by the week, we need to strengthen counter-institutions as quickly as possible. It’s also important to expand and collaborate more. Right now, there are so many groups and organisations doing great work, but it’s a little bit divided. We need to all come together to be able to fight what's coming.  Matta: I think we did pretty well overall, but time is always an issue. For us, things sometimes move slowly because we work in three languages and want to make sure we’re always getting input from the community. But making everything available in Arabic, for example, is so important. Everything is a collaborative effort, you can’t do this alone. If you want to start something, reach out to others—connect with existing organisations and ask questions. Getting their input is essential to building something meaningful.
 Have any particular moments of solidarity, joy, and collective support stood out to you, that have happened during the protests and also that have happened during the setting up of the Verein?  Nomi: The help that we got offered a lot of the time. And also simply the fact that everyone kept coming together, often really late in the evening, super tired, having to work in the day and yet to come together until late at night to figure things out. It's a collaborative effort and so there are many moments of joy, especially when you are trying to create positive change in a world so full of misery.  Matta: My favourite solidarity spot is the tea spot on Hermannplatz, everyone always comes together there and that brings me so much joy. There are people there that I have co-existed with for the past year, who I see more than my old friends.  Another moment that brought me much joy was seeing people reach out to us when we launched the Verein on Instagram that I knew from the streets, people who are repeatedly mistreated by the cops. It was great to see that this really works and that we are reaching the right people. You've been to so many protests over the past year. What are some of the best signs that you have seen?  Matta: One of the best signs I saw was on October 6th or 7th this year, after there had been so many headlines about snipers being deployed to the streets. Someone had a sign saying: Go on, shoot me then.  3ezwa runs walk-in sessions every Thursday at Greifswalder Str. 4, from 18:30-20:00. You can reach out to them via email, Signal (legal3ezwa.48), and on the streets at the protests.  Protest photos by Michael José, portraits of Nomi & Matta by Miriam Albertí.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 19 December]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-19-december-02-january</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-19-december-02-january</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our last update for Berlin 2024. If you would like to submit an event or story in future, please drop a message in our Berlin-Stories Discord channel. Thanks to all our readers and see you next year. Activists in solidarity with Rojava occupy Brandenburger Gate  On Tuesday, activists in solidarity with Kurdistan occupied Berlin’s Brandenburger Gate. They hung a banner from the Berlin landmark advocating for democracy in Syria and the defense of Rojava. Rojava, an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria, has been under attack by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army. Many have been displaced by the ongoing violence. Since the fall of Assad, people in Rojava also fear losing their autonomous governance under a new Syrian government. Activists in Berlin are using public interventions to raise awareness of the situation. On Wednesday, Young Struggle and Rise Up 4 Rojava activists also occupied the headquarters of the major German media outlet ZDF urging them to recognise the Kurdish region of Rojava.  Aid for Rojava Soli T-Shirt The rapper and artist Ebow is hosting a fundraiser sale of soli shirts. Together with Soli Küfa Kurdistan, the t-shirts designed by Ronak Jundi, are being sold online. All proceeds benefit the Kurdish organisations Heyva Sor a Kurdistanê, Initative Frieden und Hoffnung, Kurdistan Hilfe & Medico International. You can get yours via the FC Chaya online shop. Pop-Up Market and Fundraiser This weekend, on 21 and 22 December, the art and community space Let’s Unsettle is hosting a Pop-Up Market and fundraiser for Gaza and Lebanon at Galerie Grolman. From 12:00 to 20:00, you can browse and purchase prints, poems, ceramics, jewellery, clothes and more from local FLINTA* and BiPoC artists. Food and drinks will also be available. The funds will be donated to support people in Gaza and Lebanon. Film Screening: SARAH MALDOROR KONTEXT VOL. 4. Before going on winter break, Sinema Transtopia invites you to the event “SARAH MALDOROR KONTEXT VOL. 4”. The screening and Q&A will focus on Black German realities and perspectives and will feature Drenda Akele Jorde’s documentary “The Homes We Carry”. The film portrays a family navigating life between Germany, Mozambique, and South Africa. Additionally, consider supporting Sinema Transtopia (after they suffered 100% funding cuts due to severe budget changes to Berlin’s cultural institutions by signing their open letter.  Soli Reading: Hopscotch Reading Room and Khan Aljanoub A soli reading organised by Hopscotch Reading Room and Khan Aljanub will take place at Agit Berlin as part of the publication release of “Postcards from Staatsräson” in Solidarity with Palestine. Several authors will present their words on Saturday, 21 December, starting at 19:30. Contributors include Mohammad Abdallah, Fadi Abdelnour, Leila Boukraim and Tracy Fuad. The proceeds from the publication sales and the reading will be donated to the European Legal Support Center.   Lecture on the liberation of Palestine at Oyoun  After five years, Oyoun is leaving its location on Lucy-Lameck-Straße. Last weekend marked the final gathering at the venue. Last year, following events hosted in solidarity with Palestine, the Berliner Department of Culture cut their funding of Oyoun prematurely and launched a media campaign against the venue, accusing the organisers of antisemitism. Regardless, Oyoun’s co-director Louna Sbou, shared words of encouragement emphasizing the importance of decolonial and queer-feminist cultural work. The final event at Lucy-Lameck Oyoun invites you to a talk with Ramsis Kilani from Sozialismus von Unten on Friday, 20 December. The lecture will explore strategies for the liberation of Palestine. You can come by Oyoun for the last time or tune in online from 19:00. Thanks to Egul Tekin for the cover photo.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[NYE celebrations at Oona Bar]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nye-2024-radical-sounds-latin-america</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nye-2024-radical-sounds-latin-america</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Curated by Radical Sounds Latin America]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This silvester in Berlin we are handing over the Weserstraße reins to Radical Sounds Latin America. The RSLA crew have tapped up a huge cast of DJs to bring in 2025, with auto_timer, DJ LOUI FROM JUPITER4, Folly Ghost, Maque, Necios, Parzubanil, sin serif b2b and DJ Latinchat b2b Kali all down to play music as we finish the year off with a bang. Radical Sounds Latin America is an online platform and annual non-profit festival based in Berlin that showcases innovative talent from Latin America and its diasporas. Working in the fields of sound, performance, and theory since 2019, RSLA presents artist that go beyond the confines of the Eurocentric mainstream. We are really thrilled to welcome the team to Neukölln for NYE. Oona Bar's new menu is also out now and ready for you, featuring brand new bespoke cocktails and natural wines by the bottle or glass. We'll be doing takeaway drinks all day and evening too. See you on the straße. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Come by for the Oona Bar winter hangout]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-eoy-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-eoy-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[All day long on this Saturday, December 14.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As is now tradition, we’re hosting an all-day hangout at Oona Bar to celebrate the festive season.  From 2PM until 2AM on Saturday we will be serving special radio shows, michi’s vegan sausage rolls and mulled wine, alongside the usual offering of cocktails, wine, beer, softs and vibes at Oona. In addition, we’re going to have a book exchange this year, so bring down some titles that you have already read and pick up and few new ones for those cosy winter nights. In the radio booth, find music from station regulars like Josiane, Adam Cooke, Chola, Kemback, City Slang, Jefe Marrón, Calamidades Lola and mma Kgosi joined by a couple of our favourite guests, Less Feeling and Soyklō. As always, free entry. We'd love to see you there! ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-10-dec-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-10-dec-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our roundup of stories you may have missed.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Syrian opposition groups topple Assad regime On Sunday 8 December, a Syrian rebel coalition toppled autocratic leader Bashar al-Assad. After 13 years of civil war, six decades of violent rule by the al-Assad family regime came to an end. Backed by Iran, Russia and various groups, Assad’s war has killed around 300,000 civilians and displaced 13 million since 2011. Under his command, hundreds of thousands of political prisoners were held in prisons under horrific conditions, exposed to torture and starvation. With the fall of the regime, thousands of political prisoners were freed from regime jails, including people imprisoned in the notorious Sednaya prison. Emotional scenes show many reuniting with family members. Across Syria and internationally, people celebrated in the streets. Assad is now thought to have fled the country and has reportedly been granted asylum in Russia. On Tuesday morning the Guardian reported that Israel had carried out heavy overnight airstrikes in Damascus and other areas. While opposition groups joined forces to topple the Assad regime, the most dominant power is HTS, a formation branched out of al-Qaeda. The opposition, now in power, vows to establish democratic rule, but many religious and ethnic minorities in the area fear for their safety. In Rojava, the Kurdish-led region, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) militia attacked the city of Manbij. Kurdish parties called for a national dialogue in Syria and the protection of Kurdish autonomy.  Devastating Israeli drone attacks in the Gaza Strip continue  Israel continues to relentlessly strike the Gaza Strip. The north of the Strip remains under siege, with severe shortages of food and medicine, as well as a lack of power, threatening the lives of its inhabitants. In Rafah, at least ten people were killed in a drone strike while queuing for flour. While the violence shows no signs of abating, renewed pushes for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have been made. In the last days of the Biden administration, the democrats show greater willingness to end the war in Gaza before Donald Trump takes office in January. However, in late November, the administration also approved another 680$ million weapon sale to Israel. Deadly shelling in displacement camp amidst humanitarian crisis in Sudan The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has been named the worst humanitarian disaster in history. 13 million people are at risk of famine, and another 11 million people have been displaced by the fighting in Sudan since the escalation of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. The famine-stricken Zamzam displacement camp in the Darfur region recently came under deadly shelling by the RSF. Even though, the rebel militia has denied the accusation, reports from the ground suggest otherwise. Meanwhile, the nearby city of El Fasher remains under RSF siege and continues to face relentless bombardment and violence by the militia. Historic win for the Reparations Movement in Belgium A collective of Black women has successfully sued Belgium for crimes against humanity relating to its colonial rule of Congo. In a landmark decision, the Brussels Court of Appeal found the Belgian government guilty of crimes against humanity and ordered it to pay reparations. This victory was the result of a long legal battle of five women born in the Great Lakes region of the Congo during Belgian colonial rule: Marie-Josée Loshi, Noëlle Verbeken, Léa Tavares Mujinga, Simone Ngalula, and Monique Bintu Bingi. The women sued the Belgian government for abducting them as children as part of its colonial “Métis Resolution”. Under this policy, mixed-race children were forcibly removed from their families, cut off from their cultural roots, and abandoned when colonial rule ended. In 2019, Belgium issued an official apology and recognised the crimes but without further accountability. The 2024 court ruling is a major step in the movement for reparations. South Korean President faces calls to resign The South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol could face prosecution after attempting to impose martial law in South Korea last week. Marital law would allow the government to ban political activity and censor the media. Yoon declared martial law last Tuesday, citing the need to minimize “anti-state forces”. Lawmakers, news agencies, and the general public quickly pushed back against the move. The Democratic opposition called for Yoon to resign from his post as president. Although Yoon apologised for his botched attempt, he refused to step down as president. A call for impeachment against Yoon failed on Sunday. In response, the justice ministry has banned the president from international travel while deciding what actions to take next. Sex workers win maternity pay and pension rights in Belgium Sex workers in Belgium have won the right to sick days, maternity pay and pension. In 2022, Belgium decriminalised sex work but left sex workers without any protection or labour rights. In May of this year, lawmakers voted to grant sex workers equal employment rights and protections, legally aligning them with workers in other professions. This groundbreaking legislation aims to prevent the abuse and exploitation of sex workers. It has now come into effect, marking the first law of its kind worldwide. The Belgian Union of Sex Workers has called it a significant step toward ending the discrimination of sex workers. Header image from juno mac used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 05 - 19 December]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-05-19-december</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-05-19-december</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Massive budget cuts endanger Berlin's cultural landscape After the Berliner Senate announced its budget plan for the upcoming year, many cultural institutions across the city are at risk. Organisations and community spaces for and by marginalised people will be affected the most with 130€ million to be deducted from the cultural and diversity budget in 2025. The government has cancelled the IMPACT Diversity Funding, a vital support for Deaf and disabled artists, as well as The Foundation for Cultural Education and Advice. Also announced is the closure of the Diversity Arts Culture office. In Berlin, many small venues and cultural institutions depend, at least in part, on governmental subsidies. Now, they fight for their survival. Among those affected are Sinema Transtopia, Theater Thikwa, queer youth network Lambda, and Berliner Ensemble. Sinema Transtopia, an organisation who face losing 100% of their funding budget and are now at risk of bankruptcy, have started an open letter to rally support against the cuts.  More than 450 creative and cultural institutes have joined the #BerlinIstKultur campaign, with protests planned against the state’s CDU-mayor, Kai Wegner, and his conservative austerity politics.  These drastic cuts will mean the further exclusion of marginalised people from cultural spaces in Berlin. It is unacceptable. Soli Market at Görlitzer Park Kreuzberg Solidarität and Gangway are hosting a Soli Winter Market. Taking place at Görlitzer Park, 30 initiatives, neighbours and housing projects will participate with self-made goods, food and activities. The sales are donation-based with all proceeds going toward supporting Infinity Team Gaza, a community organisation providing urgent care on the ground. Come by on Saturday 14 December from 14-22:00 and Sunday 15 December from 12-17.00. Move 78 Concert Move 78 are performing live at Privatclub Berlin on 8 December. Headed up by Refuge Worldwide resident AVER, the band are well loved for their fusion of hip-hop, jazz and electronica. This concert will mark their only headlining show in Berlin this year and they have promised to showcase new material. The event starts at 19:00. Free My People Fundraiser FREE MY PEOPLE is a fundraising event organised by the Berliner creative agencies Ummunity, Sepia, and Solo Efectivo, in solidarity with Sudan, Congo, Palestine, Kurdistan, Tamil Eelam, the Rohingya, and others resisting oppression and violence worldwide. On 8 December, at By Fenna Lang, you can drop by from 12-21:00 for Henna art, T-shirts, photo exhibits, DJ sets and live acts. The lineup includes Khadija, yungfya and Xanax Attax. All proceeds will be donated to local organisations supporting the causes. Bizaar Closing Event “The Voice” - the final day of three-part Bizaar Event Series – is taking place on 7 December. The event centers the South Asian queer community and showcases several performers across disciplines. The lineup includes rapper Enana, performer and founder Rehmat Zafar, comedian Anshita Koul, and DJ Jivi1mebaby. Come by Subkontinent Berlin in Neukölln on Saturday from 13:30. Offline KüFa Offline Community Space is organising a KüFa on 5 December from 19-22:00. The monthly gathering and solidarity kitchen helps to sustain the project, which is oriented toward activism and technology in Neukölln. At the KüFa, several collectives using the space will present their current work, hoping to inspire an exchange of ideas. Protests in solidarity with Kurdistan and against police brutality Polizei Im Nacken, an initiative to ban the violent practice of knee-on-neck arrests by the police, are organising a demo. Join in the protest outside the Landesgericht building to support the cause on 5 December from 10:00.  Additionally, on 7 December at 17:00, a protest will take place at Oranienplatz in solidarity with the Kurdish people in Rojava, who are once again under attack by Turkey and opposition militia forces pushing them out of their homes during the ongoing uprising in Syria. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-26-nov-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-26-nov-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our roundup of stories you may have missed.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[ICC warrants arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Accused of “crimes against humanity and war crimes”, the ICC order could see all three actors arrested upon entry to countries worldwide. Netanyahu called the warrant “anti-Semitic” while Germany will “examine” the ICC order. Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal  On Tuesday night, a 60-day ceasefire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah came into effect. Thousands of Lebanese people, who fled their homes or were victims of forced evacuations have started returning. As part of the agreement, Israel will also withdraw its forces from the south of Lebanon. Ahead of the ceasefire, there has been a heavy exchange of missiles between the two parties, causing widespread destruction, including significant damage in Beirut. Over the weekend, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 36 people in Syria and continued their attacks on the Gaza Strip. The northern region of the strip remains under siege while shifting weather conditions have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis with floods impacting several refugee camps across Gaza.  Insufficient funding for countries impacted by the climate crisis On Sunday, COP29, the UN Climate Change Conference, concluded with agreements on global commitments to limit global warming and address the climate crisis. Key decisions include pledges of financial support to countries in the Global South, which bear the brunt of the climate crisis despite contributing the least to global emissions. The agreed funding of $300 billion yearly by 2035 falls short of the estimated $1.3 trillion needed annually to effectively mitigate the crisis’s impacts. This discrepancy has drawn criticism from climate activists.  During the summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, activists protested against the inadequacy of the financial pledges and urged for more significant support by the nations of the Global North who are responsible for the majority of emissions.  Hundreds of miners trapped in illegal gold mine in South Africa In Stilfontein, South Africa, hundreds of miners working illegally (potentially up to 4000, according to family members) are trapped in a disused mining shaft. In a crackdown on illegal mining, which is widespread in South Africa, the police have cut off access to water and food supplies leaving the people underground in dire conditions. Once surfaced, the miners face prosecution for working in an illegal location. Volunteers have been rescuing people one by one, but progress is very slow due to a lack of governmental support. Last week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for a safe rescue operation and an end to the standoff between police and miners. Belarusian government arrests anti-war protesters The Belarusian police have arrested more than 1,500 protesters demonstrating in solidarity with Ukraine. Under the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus has maintained a fierce pro-Russian stance, enforcing policies that criminalise anti-war protests and expressions of solidarity with Ukraine. The recent crackdown on anti-war activists saw more than 200 protesters sentenced to prison on charges of “extremism” and “conspiracy against the state” as the Viasna Human Rights Center reports.  National Day of Mourning There is little to celebrate on 28 November. The day, widely observed as Thanksgiving across the United States, has been renamed by indigenous activists and communities as “National Day of Mourning”. The reframing and refreshed historical and political contextualisation rejects the previously colonial narrative to Thanksgiving that glorifies the settlers’ arrival on Turtle Island. National Day of Mourning instead calls to remember the genocide, displacement, and systemic injustices committed on First Nations peoples. Images used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED. Gaza photo from Mohammed Ibrahim
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            <title><![CDATA[Freedom To Run ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/freedom-to-run</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/freedom-to-run</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A documentary film about life under occupation.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Tuesday, Nov 26 join us at our Niemetzstraße space for a film screening followed by a Q&A session with the directors of the film "Freedom to Run".  The film follows two groups of runners, one from Right to Movement in Palestine, and one from Scotland. The two groups of runners support each other as they run both the Palestine and Edinburgh Marathons and on this journey, the runners discover they are not so different, but they live very different lives. Palestinians in the West Bank cannot move more than 10 kilometres without being stopped by Israeli restrictions. Checkpoints, demands for permits, and the apartheid wall surrounding the occupied territories, are part of the struggle of daily life. Tickets and more info here. All proceeds of the screening will go to MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinians). Drinks will be available for donation by Palestine Cola and Assila Beer.  Doors 7:30pm
Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Berlin]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 21 November - 05 December]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-21-november-05-december</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-21-november-05-december</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 20 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. “Freedom To Run” Film Screening We are hosting a film screening of Freedom to Run. The documentary film follows runners from Palestine and Scotland as they support each other in running the Palestinian and Edinburgh Marathons. The screening begins at 19:30 and will be followed by a Zoom Q&A with the filmmakers. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Medical Aid for Palestinians. Sonic Interventions Album Release Show The Sonic Interventions grassroots jazz collective is releasing their debut vinyl, Do You Remember?. After numerous performances in Berlin over the past few years, the band has become a cornerstone of the local jazz scene. Fusing spiritual jazz, house, desert blues as well as Latin and hip-hop influence, the new record serves as a testament to the transformative power of art. On 23 November, the band will celebrate their album release with a show at 90mil, starting at 19:00. Demo: RESIST by any means necessary 25 November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence. Pa Allies and Alliance of International Feminists are calling for a protest to honour those who have fought and are fighting against oppression and for justice and liberation. Under the slogan “RESIST: by any means necessary”, they invite everyone to show solidarity with struggles from Palestine to Congo and Sudan. Join the demonstration on 25 November at 18:00 at Oranienplatz.   Astral VIP, ZF001, and SHUSH compilation releases Astral VIP, Zuflucht and SHUSH are releasing compilations. Astral VIP’s album features a selection of modern dance music-inspired tracks, available on CD as an homage to dance music mixtapes. The proceeds will be donated to 3EZWA Legal Fund, which provides financial support to those facing legal fees due to participation in protests in solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon. Zuflucht’s ZF001 – Gaza Solidarity Fundraiser Vol. 1 presents a wide range of electronic music, from ambient sounds to house, and is fundraising for Save the Children. Lastly, Shush Dance is releasing their debut compilation SHUSH Vol. 1. The six-track album includes contributions from artists working across a broad spectrum of genres. Decolonoize concert and poetry reading   Decolonoize Berlin, a space dedicated to alternative BIPoC culture and noise music, is presenting a live performance by the anti-imperialist centraka punk band Berîtan. The event takes place 27 November, starting 19:00 at Schokoladen. Before the concert, the collective will host a talk about their work and experiences within Berlin’s cultural landscape. The event also features a poetry reading by Anita Nguyen and Bodi. Unframe Festival   Unframe Festival will take place from 22-24 November at Oyoun. The socialist culture event presents lectures, live music, and film screenings focused on political education and sociological questions, blended with culture and arts. In addition, there will be food and a bazaar. Queer Analog Darkroom fundraiser and get-together  The Queer Analog Darkroom collective is hosting a get-together for queers and allies on 27 November, starting at 18:00. The event will take place at Torte Bar and feature a line-up of several DJs. Proceeds from the evening will go toward keeping the darkroom accessible and supporting the Hometax Sudan collective who are addressing urgent humanitarian needs on the ground in Sudan.    ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host stage and talks at Indian festival Magnetic Fields ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/magnetic-fields</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/magnetic-fields</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 19 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our curations take place on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We’re heading to Rajasthan! If you're heading to Magnetic Fields, catch Refuge co-founder Richard Akingbehin and Breakfast Show host moe. playing at the Jameson Connects Underground stage all night on Saturday Dec 7th. On the Sunday, the final day of Magnetic Fields’ 10th edition, we have the pleasure of hosting an afternoon program - in collaboration with Magnetic Fields in the Peacock Club. Titled In Tune, the day will start with an ambient and downtempo set from CCL, before record store owners Ani Phoebe and Nishant Mittal interview each other and play some choice cuts. Following that, Jane Fitz will warp time by playing some records at the wrong speed and discussing the different possibilities unlocked by changing the tempo of music. Last but not least, we will have a "best of 2024" roundtable talk between Lush Lata, moe. and more  The festival, which takes place at Alsisar Mahal from December 6th to 8th, also features sets from the likes of livwutang, Jay Carder, Lush Lata, Nikki Nair, Ani Phoebe and Nicola Cruz, as well as a specially commissioned collaboration with UK dubstep OG V.I.V.E.K and seven folk musicians. Buy tickets here. Header photo: Rishabh Chadha]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Listen Back: Le Guess Who?]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listen-back-le-guess-who</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listen-back-le-guess-who</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Over 30 hours of radio recorded live at the festival in Utrecht. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[After an inspiring weekend of music, conversation and political expression at the 18th edition of Le Guess Who?, we have uploaded a full weekend of radio shows for you to listen back to.  Refuge Worldwide hosted a pop-up radio station for four days inside Utrecht's impressive Tivoli building together with COSMOS. We were treated to a huge range of music and interviews from Chuck Strangers, Nyokabi Kariuki, Kahil El'Zabar, Retro Cassetta, Astrønne and tonnes more. Le Guess Who? is a heavily lauded annual gathering of eclectic music lovers and a celebration of sound, and 2024's roster did not disappoint. Special thanks to our radio hosts Emma Warren, JoJo, Shiru and Julian Brimmers, and of course everyone behind the scenes at Pandora Studio, COSMOS and Le Guess Who?.  All shows are now available to listen back here. Photos by Tess Janssen]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-11-nov-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-11-nov-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our roundup of stories you may have missed.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[German coalition government collapses On Wednesday evening of last week, the same day Donald Trump’s US election victory was announced, the German government coalition of the SPD, FDP and Grüne collapsed. Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired FDP finance minister Christian Lindner based on a lack of trust in Lindner’s politics. Without their FDP coalition partner, SPD and Grüne are now a minority government and SPD chancellor Scholz has called for a vote of confidence. If the chancellor loses the vote, President Steinmeier will dissolve the German parliament, and early elections will be held across Germany.  Amsterdam: Israeli football fans involved in clashes On 8 November, fans of the Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv marched through Amsterdam, taking down Palestinian flags and shouting racist slogans. Videos on social media circulated of the Israeli fans shouting anti-Arab hate speech and expressing support for the war on Gaza. This led to several violent clashes between the football fans and Palestine solidarity protesters over the weekend. Even though eyewitnesses and an Amsterdam Council member reported that the Israeli fans instigated the clashes by harassing pro-Palestine supporters, mainstream media outlets and Western governments disregarded this and condemned the riots as “antisemitic”. While the events in Amsterdam sparked a new wave of misinformation in Western media, Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon rages on. In numerous massacres over the last week, Israel killed civilians across the Gaza Strip, in southern Lebanon, and in the capital Beirut. Tehran: Woman takes off clothes in protest against dress code Last week a woman demonstrated against Iran’s strict dress code and hijab rule by stripping to her underwear at a university in Tehran. Her act of defiance has been widely shared across social media with renewed international attention on women’s rights in Iran.  Since the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini in 2022, a growing number of Iranian women have protested against the often violent enforcement of religious rules. Many protesters have been detained, sentenced to death, or tortured into signing confessions. Amnesty International reported that the young woman was violently arrested after protesting “against enforcement of compulsory veiling”. While Iran’s government made claims about the detainee’s mental health, organisations like Amnesty and Iran Human Rights fear the protestor may face violence and involuntary detention in psychiatric clinics. Turkish government removes trio of elected Kurdish officials Last Monday, (4 November) the Turkish Interior Ministry replaced mayors in three southeastern cities for alleged ties to Kurdish militants. The pro-Kurdish DEM party mayors of the towns Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti denied the allegations, but were nevertheless replaced with government-appointed administrators, Reuters reports. In previous crackdowns on Kurdish politicians and attempts at self-governance, many elected officials have been dismissed by the Turkish government sparking protests in the region. Turkey continues to bomb Kurdish regions in Turkey and Syria. Trans Day of Remembrance Wednesday, (20 November) is Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR). TDOR was initiated in 1999 to commemorate Rita Hester, a Black trans woman who was murdered in the USA. Violence against trans people persists to this day.  On 20 November, a vigil will be held in Berlin to remember victims and survivors of transphobic violence and structural discrimination. Coming together in remembrance is a way to create space for and release sadness and anger. The vigil will start at 19:00 from Bebelplatz, featuring music, speeches, and an open mic for anyone who wishes to share their experiences. Please bring candles, flowers, and banners to show solidarity. Māori protest against the Treaty Principles Bill On Monday, people in Aotearoa (New Zealand) began a nine-day march to the capital city of Wellington to demonstrate against a new interpretation of the Indigenous Treaty. Last week the country’s center-right government introduced a bill that would lead to a narrower interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between the British Crown and more than 500 Māori chiefs. The document and its interpretations remain a guide to legislation and policy in the country. In recent years, interpretations by courts and Māori tribunals have tended to expand indigenous rights. The new “Treaty Principles Bill” would leave the parliament to make decisions on political and constitutional questions, further limiting Indigenous rights. Māori activists have been protesting the proposed measures and started their longest-ever protest march on 10 November. Images used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[SoliObject: Art Fundraiser and 4th Anniversary]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soliobject-fundraiser</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/soliobject-fundraiser</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An event in aid of Seawatch e.V.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[SoliType is a fundraising project for people seeking refuge in the EU. Created in 2020 by three artists who felt the urgency to do something that could utilize their skills and help make a difference, the Berlin-based group now regularly supports NGO’s that protect human rights. "We found ourselves utterly shocked and helpless after the big fire in Camp Moria in autumn 2021 which followed the summer after Covid. In the midst of these social and political awakenings we really felt the limitations of our professional tools." While the first SoliType projects were quite improvised – now, in autumn 2024, there have been 16 fundraisers in total, with the fourth anniversary taking place on Thursday 14 November at Refuge Worldwide's Niemetzstraße space.  Coming into the physical realm for the first time after fully functioning digitally for 4 years, the team have curated a beautiful collection of art and design pieces by makers from all around the world which will go on auction to raise funds for Seawatch e.V. With over a dozen artists and DJs will contribute to the event, we invite you to join and pick-up a one of a kind art piece for this cause. Natural wine and soft drinks will be available upon donation. When: Thursday 14 November, 17:00-21:00 Where: Refuge Worldwide's space @ Niemetzstraße 1, 12055 Email: hello@refugeworldwide.com for further access information
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[A Tous Les Clandestins: What if migration were seen not as a problem but as a humanitarian need?]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/a-tous-les-clandestins</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/a-tous-les-clandestins</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 06 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A conversation with the artists, or documentarians, behind a new HKW exhibit.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[A story of preservation and invisible testimonies. At the heart of the current Forgive Us Our Trespasses exhibition at Berlin’s Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt, A Tous Les Clandestins by Patricia Gomez and María Jesús González stands as a powerful tribute to stories that might have otherwise disappeared. This ongoing project shines a light on the often-overlooked stories of migrants, particularly through their work in detention centers in Fuerteventura and Mauritania. Using their strappo technique, Patricia and María literally peel away layers of walls to uncover messages left behind by people trapped in the limbo of migration—signs of survival and solidarity. During an interview with Meriem Sdiri, the artists explained that their work is not about creating art for art's sake, but rather an act of documentation, a "rescue" of the memories and struggles of individuals who passed through these hidden, temporary spaces. "What we have done has been like a work of archaeology, of rescuing and documenting these places," Patricia notes. "We don't consider ourselves artists here, but documentarians of a problem that is all too often invisible."  Their interview was recorded at HKW in September, where their work will remain until December 8th. In the following discussion, we explore their artistic process, the difficulties they faced in accessing these places, and how their work highlights the urgent and ongoing realities of migration—issues that remain just as important today.

An audio version of this interview is available here. 
Meriem: Patricia Gomez and Maria Jesus Gonzalez, we're here for your project, A Tous Les Clandestins, that brings the hidden stories of migrants into the public eye in a way that provokes deep thoughts about migration, borders and societal norms. I would love to ask you some questions about your work that you're presenting here at HKW and I wanted to start by asking about the process and the artistic methodology. You have managed to access these camps in Fuerteventura and Mauritania, which are not easy places to access. First, how did you find them? What was the bureaucratic process behind them? And, of course, after that, I would love to talk about the technique, called Strappo, that you used to bring the wall here. Patricia Gomez:
Thank you very much, Meriem, and also to HKW for bringing our work to this magnificent exhibition.   We have always worked with walls and with the traces that these walls retain after the building has been uninhabited or has been deactivated. We have experience working in abandoned prisons where the walls preserved many messages and testimonies of inmates who had left their thoughts on the walls, thoughts that came out of their need to express what they were feeling. In order to be able to do this project, we had read and we had seen, especially in the press, the difficulties of migrants to get to Europe from Africa. In one of the newspapers we saw, we were very struck by a photograph of a clandestine place in the middle of the desert, where many migrants take shelter, or are housed - often by mafias - before being able to embark for Europe.. The walls of this place were completely full of these writings, of these messages that some people leave for others, so we thought of a project that would rescue these traces, since they are normally ephemeral places that can disappear, and we started to investigate based on many of these news articles.  We talked to many journalists and people from NGOs and associations that work with migrants, and who report on the places and also the immigration policies of governments, and we found out that there was a detention centre in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, that had been closed. It was built in 2006 with money from Spanish Cooperation aid (a spanish development initiative in foreign countries). And then also in Fuerteventura, which is one of the islands of the Canary Islands and a gateway for many migrants who want to come to Spain and Europe. Fuerteventura has a detention centre that is one of the largest in Europe. In 2013 when we wrote the project, we applied for a grant to be able to do it. We got the grant, and we started a long period of trying to find out if these places still existed, and also, trying to get permission to enter them. We made our first trip to Fuerteventura, and we wanted to talk to the Chief of Police. We spent several days trying to talk to him and he wouldn't see us, so we tried a more cultural route. We talked to the director of a museum in Las Palmas who also contacted him on our behalf but they didn't pay much attention to us there either. We were still in Las Palmas waiting, until the director of the Museum of Teruel - which is where the exhibition of this project was going to be held - spoke to the senior police chief and then he did let us in. By chance they knew each other, and so, thanks to this phone call, he let us visit the centre. If he didn't let us, we would've had to return the grant.  Maria Jesus Gonzalez: 
Our background is in engraving and printing. We learnt this technique at university, but we learnt it in a very experimental way, not with a classic academic approach. So we started working at first by tearing out the walls of historic neighbourhoods that were being demolished in Valencia, and then when we had the opportunity to enter a prison for the first time, we saw that the walls were full of writings and drawings. So we had to learn the Strappo (mural removal) restoration technique because what we wanted to conserve was not only the architecture, or the drawing this architecture would make on our canvas when we would tear out a wall or a room, but we wanted to conserve the writings and drawings. For that we needed to modify the technique that we, intuitively, based on transfer techniques and engraving, had invented in our own way or developed. In the case of detention centres, we didn't know for sure that the drawings and scribbles were still on the walls, because we only had references from press articles by journalists who had entered there and had written that the walls were full of graphic expression: drawings and writings. We found a report from an NGO in 2008 that had managed to enter this internment centre in Nouadhibou, and that's where we saw all these drawings for the first time, but we didn't get there until 2014. It was a miracle that they were still there. The only intervention that we have made on these pieces is to scrub the walls and reveal all those messages underneath. When we entered, the walls were painted white because the director of the centre was obsessed with the hygiene of the place. The migrants left messages on the walls to help each other. Spain has cooperation agreements with some countries, but others are refugees or need political asylum, so on the walls you could see that they wrote, for example, "if you are from Mali don't say you are from Mali, say you are from Congo,” because there was an existing agreement, you know. So this help that they left on the walls was a little bit what the director wanted to erase with the paint. The walls seemed like some sort of palimpsest of memory, and it was a bit like painting, but in reverse, you know? Removing. And so we scrubbed the walls and stopped at the stratum where we saw that there was information. That's how these two murals in particular come from the fact that we had to do some sort of archaeological excavation work. Meriem: I want to move to the next question that I naturally had when I came to see this, is that your work features messages taken from abandoned camps and we don't know the identities of the people who wrote them. These can raise potentially controversial questions about appropriation or even exploitation, since the migrants themselves are not considered the artist here. How do you respond to the idea that you are representing migrants' messages rather than creating your own art? Would you call this art or would you call it something else? Patricia:
Of course, we don't consider ourselves to be making a work of art, because we are not creating something that doesn't already exist. We don't really know what we could call it, but this is more a work of documentation, and also of rescue, because these walls or these messages, writings and testimonies would not be here and we wouldn't be able to see them because, apart from the fact that these places are very inaccessible, they are very invisible. They are hidden, the walls are painted over; or they are destroyed or degraded, so all this information disappears.  What we have done has been like a work of archaeology, of rescuing and documenting these places. We don't consider ourselves artists, and we don't consider the people who have left their drawings to be artists either. They are simply people who were suffering from detention and injustice, and they have expressed this on the walls. So we can't call it art, nor can we call what we do art, but we thought it was important that these memories be preserved and what we are doing is pointing out a problem that exists and that is very invisible to the rest of society. So now that the rest of society can see it and can reflect on it, what we have achieved with  all these writings has been to translate them so that they are even more visible, more accessible, and to know of these attempts at survival. Then you have the videos, also, for example in the video on the right is our Senegalese friend, Cheikh Ahmadou Tidiane who came with us on this trip to Mauritania and also translated the texts that he saw on the walls and it was at that moment that we recorded them, because we wanted to learn from his raw interpretation. There was a lot of writing in Arabic, a lot of writing in French, in English, in Wolof, in many other languages that we don't speak, so he also translated them, therefore it's easier to understand what these walls say.
 Meriem: So now that you have mentioned the man that we can see in the video, who helped you with the translation. Who is he? How did you meet him? Maria: 
Cheikh arrived in Spain seven years before we met him. He had made three attempts to get to Spain; he tried to take the patera (a boat in which they try to cross the Gibraltar Strait) three times, the third time he made it. He spent eleven days lost at sea until he was rescued. We met him seven years later and he started working with my family helping my father who was ill at the time. So in order to get a residency permit, it was essential to have a work contract, which was made for him. He also helped Patricia and I many times as an assistant in many projects, and we have taken him with us on countless others.  When he told us his story of arrival it was full of holes because he didn't want to remember it. It was us who insisted because we were interested in knowing about the route he had taken to get from Senegal to Spain.

He tried to remember for us. We wanted to apply for a grant and we asked him to come with us on the trip. He was the one who guided us, also, along all these paths that he had travelled before, but it was very difficult, because when we first conceived the project in Spain, he didn't remember much. When we first arrived at the internment camp in Nouadhibou, he went into one of the cells and he started to recall everything and he said, “I was in this cell”. Afterwards, in a very spontaneous way, he took his video camera and started to translate all the texts, which we had never agreed upon before, it was spontaneous, and that's when we started to record all this and that video was made. 

Meriem: I think this brings me naturally to my next question: how can you explain the causes of migration? What are the economic interests behind that? What are the reasons that push these people to leave their countries? And then on the other side, what are the political interests of the EU and some African countries? Especially North Africa.

Patricia: 
In the countries of origin of migrants who want to come to Spain from the West African coasts, well, above all, it's the lack of opportunity, the wars, which are increasing in number and growing in mass. Now, the route that we have documented, which was deactivated, was reactivated two or three years ago due to the continuous armed conflicts that beset almost all the countries in this area, also due to social unrest and climate change.  For example, in the coastal countries such as Senegal or Mauritania, many of them have international, governmental agreements to receive cooperation and development aid. But, this entails a counterpart, which is to act as Europe's border, but outside of Europe's borders.

In other words, in Africa, these detention centres are built, the borders are controlled and monitored so that people who want to leave cannot leave, and the exit is made very difficult, even with transit visas. It's so difficult that many have only an illegal option, which is to embark and risk their lives - although they can arrive at a place where they are detained and deported again. Many of these agreements with African countries take care of returning migrants that arrive but then sending them back to countries that are not even their own, because with some countries they do have return agreements and with others they do not. So it’s a policy that always favours Europe and never favours the countries of origin, so of course people are inclined to leave their home country.  Meriem: I want to talk about the concept of abandonment. How you found these camps abandoned kind of represents how our society treats immigrants or refugees. Do you think this symbolises how immigrants are being treated when they are not anymore needed for political or economic reasons? So, when they close a camp, it’s because they don't have any more economic reasons to keep it open, beyond the humanitarian reason why they should work with the immigrants. Maria:
When we got to the end of our investigation we realised that this had become a business deal, but it was a business deal for everyone: for the Canary Islands, for the company in charge of the cayucos (boats that migrants use), for the company that supplies the chemical toilets, the company that takes the food to the CIEs (detention camps). Even when we arrived at the CIE El Matorral there was still a police force, without migrants because it was closed, and a doctor and a nurse went there every day to attend to no one. There was still a cleaning service when this place was not occupied, so it was abandoned, but ultimately they didn't want to lose the financial side of these deals. For example, in Nouadhibou, they have agreements with the European Union and they had to reach a limit of people detained in the centre, because if they didn't, they wouldn't receive any money. We even read articles where they would detain people who were not migrants, just to reach these quotas and keep receiving that aid. They continued these detainments until the CIE became useless, because the route became impossible. The agreements on cooperation from Senegal meant that the migrants could not leave, and they went further and further down from Gambia, and their boats, in the end, because of the currents, ended up in Barbados. The route became very deadly, in fact it's the most deadly route of them all, so these centres fell into disuse.  Now, as of 2019 or 2022, they have been reoccupied and with the same numbers as when they were set up in 2008; almost 33,000 migrants are entering through this route right now and the CIEs have reopened. These places where we did our project are now active again. Meriem: Migrants, in many ways, are seen as trespassers, doing something that we're not supposed to be doing. Which then also brings us to the exhibition, and the focus of this whole exhibition, which is trespassing. How is your work here? How does it cover the theme of trespassing? Patricia:
I think this work makes us realise how much wisdom or knowledge there is behind survival, about wanting to risk your own life to find a better way of life, any way of life, because you can no longer live in the country where you're from -  you have to flee and that is irremediable. This is a problem uniquely faced by people who want, or need, to migrate, so the solution to this problem is also a learning process, and it is such a serious problem that only those who have faced it already have the knowledge of how to solve it.  That's why in many cases on the walls we've found telephone numbers, email addresses, advice and recommendations that they leave for each other, they leave it on the walls so that the next person who comes can find that advice that has worked for the previous person. For example, if they ask you what country you are from, don't tell them you are from Gambia or Cameroon, or they will send you back to Morocco. So yes, there are many strategies that they have learnt from having been on this journey that is just so hard.  Meriem: Does Spain help the situation or not?

Maria:
Spain doesn't help and this doesn't really change with governments. Now, we have a government from which we expected more commitment to migration policies but it's just been almost worse than the previous one. For example, on the border fences in July 2022 a lot of people died, because every time they make agreements there are issues. Let's say, Spain has an agreement with Morocco. So when they agree, Morocco puts a lot more pressure on holding back migrants from crossing but when this relationship between countries is rocky, they open borders to gain leverage. It's all depending on their interests and intentions. Help? I haven't seen any. In fact, there is a CIE now being built costing 3 million euros to house more migrants when maybe the help should be more at the root cause. I would love to see it, but ..no, it's getting more and more difficult, the borders are more and more controlled, Spain has more and more agreements with Mali which is at war, and also now there is a document called the passport in transit, even for refugees, and all this bureaucracy, it's  just getting more and more difficult.  Patricia:
There are no laws to really improve the situation. For sure there are a lot of good intentions alongside other European countries, like for example signing agreements that do not materialise into real help, but mainly migration is still seen as a problem. But what if it were seen not as a problem but as a humanitarian need? Then laws could be different.  There is a lot of aid for refugees once they have arrived in Spain but the issue is that they cannot reach Spain - because before reaching Spain they must pass through what we call a third party country which then acts like a prison. So it's almost impossible to get to Spain. Maria:
In Mauritania, we saw that the economy is dependent on fishing. What's happening is that European countries, once they have already depleted European waters, have gone to Africa to fish, so on these coasts in Mauritania and all surrounding areas, we saw Japanese and European companies. Lots of them.

We were struck by the fact that in the middle of the desert, there are these huge constructions which they are using for fish farming in African waters in exchange for  cooperation agreements. The traditional and artisanal fishing in Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania, is coming to an end because these huge farms and industrial barges are taking so many tons of fish that there is hardly anything left for locals to continue with the way of fishing they had before. So many of the cayucos boats in which the migrants arrive to other countries are from owners who, without the ability to fish, are being forced to sell to the mafias. In the port of Nouadhibou, it was like a horizon of canoes! They stretch out endlessly, almost infinitely. All of them, just lined up in the port.  Meriem: As a last question, to close this, I wanted to ask how working on this series, A Tous Le Clandestins, has changed your understanding of migration, borders and exclusion? And what is the message you're hoping to bring with this series? Patricia:
Above all, we wanted to point towards the problem, to an issue that we have created in Western society and in Europe, to raise awareness, to see the people who are behind all these journeys and all these deaths. We wanted to pay homage to the people who left all these testimonies on the walls, who passed through there and who were arrested, and we never got to know anymore about them. They are individuals who have been forgotten by the rest of society. Many years have passed since we did this project but we can see that nothing's changed, it's gotten even worse. Above all else, it's a tribute, that's why it's called A Tous Le Clandestins: dedicated to all the clandestines, to their memory. The title is one of the phrases very often repeated on the walls. They left that phrase written on the walls! And they were proud of being underground, of being clandestine. You can see that in their testimonies. They're proud. It’s a solidarity that exists in all these people who are united by this serious problem. It's something we should learn. Solidarity that the whole of Europe does not offer.  Maria:
Something we haven't talked about is the difference in themes of the messages, from one shore to the other. In Mauritania, for example, all the writings we found in the CIE were full of anger towards their own country, because there were texts saying stuff like, "the number one enemy of Africa are the Africans themselves". They felt betrayed because they were being detained by their own countrymen. But the writings changed once in Spain. They became smaller because everyone was confined to bunk beds. When we removed the bunks and started to wash the walls, we saw a perfect outline of the rectangle of space that each person occupied - and this space is really tiny - and the walls were full of  writings, notes and scribbles, messages written in pen, smaller and cramped, but full of joy. Joyful because they arrived, and they are alive. But seeing these really made us think: wow, of course you're happy you are here, but now you're in prison. Your journey ended in a prison. Despite that, the messages were happy and so hopeful. A lot of them would repeat, over and over: “in 60 days, I will be free. In 60 days I will be free.” After 60 days in detention, a choice is made: either you are extradited back to Africa, or the doors of the detention camp are opened, and the journey of your new life continues.
 ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 6-20 November]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-06-20-november</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-06-20-november</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 06 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Poetry Night One World Poetry Night is back on 9 November with their show titled “WE ARE HERE”. The event series is hosted by poet and writer Lahya Aukongo and gives local spoken word a platform. This time OWPN features performances by Nicky Chue, Grace Matu, Kübra Varol, and Louis. Please come tested and wear a mask inside if possible. Protest Camp and Vigil On 6 November a new Occupy against Occupation protest camp in front of Berlin's Parliament starts, just one day before the parliament votes on the IHRA resolution. Join in to speak out against the resolution and the repression of the Palestine solidarity movement in Germany, and to demand a ban on military exports to Israel. Palestine Speaks has also announced a vigil to be held at Oranienplatz on 9 November at 16:00. Follow their Instagram for more updates on protests. German Parliament votes on IHRA The German Bundestag's decision to pass a resolution in favour of the IHRA definition of antisemitism has drawn strong criticism from various cultural and human rights groups around the world. The contested IHRA text equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. If the German government's proposals become law it means voices, including Jewish voices, speaking out in solidarity with Palestinian rights or calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza could be further criminalised, placed under state surveillance, or have their citizenship revoked. There are rising concerns among non-profit and cultural organizations that taking a critical stance on Israeli policies could jeopardize their funding, while human rights organizations like Amnesty have expressed worry about the resolution endangering basic human rights. Benjamin Netanyahu's Israeli government is facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the last twelve months, with over 100,000 injured and many more displaced or living under the threat of daily bombardment and acute death. "Malnutrition and disease in the Gaza Strip creates a deadly cycle that threatens over 1.1 million children" - Unicef. Unhoused Solidarity Action and Soli Fleamarket With winter around the corner, Refuge Worldwide is collecting warm clothes for Berliner Stadtmission and supporting unhoused people in Berlin. Drop off your clothes (in good condition) at Oona Bar on 9 November between 14:00 and 20:00 and stay for music and drinks. On the following Sunday 17 November, Tennis Bar and Dane Joe are hosting a benefit flea market. From 12:00 you can shop for clothes, art, and local band merch. All proceeds from the sales will be donated to Clean Shelter providing shelter and sanitary solutions in Gaza. Soli Compilation Launch  “Soli Tunes” is a multi-genre solidarity compilation exclusive to Bandcamp. Over 40 artists from more than 14 countries joined in to release exclusive and re-edited collaborations. Among the featured musicians are Khadija, Nour Palestina, 6zm, and many others. Their work will be available on Bandcamp from November to December 2024. All Bandcamp proceeds will be donated to a Palestine-based community studio for composers and recording. H48 Soli events and court hearing H48 has announced a series of events ahead of their eviction hearing on 22 November. H48 is a housing project with more than 60 members and an important community and political space in Neukölln. For months, inhabitants of the building have been fighting against eviction. Come by to support H48 by attending their Soli-events like the Lubunya for H48 concert on 9 November, another Sip & Paint session on 11 November and a Queer Karaoke and Speed Dating event on 13 November. Film Festivals  Until 10 November you can catch short film screenings of the 40th edition of Berlin's interfilm Festival. The international short film festival is taking place in cinemas across the city and features a wide range of different perspectives. interfilm is followed by Afrikamera, which highlights current cinema from Africa with a special focus “BELIEVE”. The selection of more than 30 feature, shorts and documentary films by African filmmakers will be screened from 12 to 17 November. Concert XJAZZ! presents the Nø Førmat Label night with live music by pianist and composer Koki Nakano, soul and RnB artist Wayne Snow, and percussionist and vocalist Natascha Rogers. The joint concert takes place on 13 November from 19:00 at Emmauskriche in Kreuzberg. Header photo courtesy of Afrikamera.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Unhoused Solidarity Action]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/unhoused-solidarity-action</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/unhoused-solidarity-action</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Help us support Berlin’s shelters!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As winter sets in, we are collecting clothes at Oona Bar this Sunday between 2PM - 8PM for Berliner Stadtmission. Come by, drop off what you can, and stay for music and drinks. We are also excited to welcome Natalie from Eva’s Obdach, a women’s shelter in Neukölln, for an interview on the radio. Eva’s Obdach provides shelter, support, and assistance with permanent housing. They are currently seeking a new space as they face eviction from their Fuldastraße location.  If you can’t make it to our event you can drop off your clothes at a numerous locations in Berlin. For details on locations and items that are needed, please see here. Please note for the clothes: the warmer the better - clean and without damages - especially men’s shoes and underwear - rule of thumb is don’t bring anything you wouldn’t wear yourself.

If you can’t make it to our event you can drop off your clothes 24/7 at the containers in front of the main entrance of the Berliner Stadtmission, Lehrter Straße 68, Berlin-Moabit. Soundtracking the afternoon is Unmarried Woman, Aqui, and an hour of AAMIROO’s electronic soundscapes with Iranian influences. L’Oreille Offenbach founders 8000 Watt and Taylor bring their signature style to round out the day.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-28-oct-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-28-oct-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our roundup of stories you may have missed.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Israel to ban UNRWA as it continues attacks on Gaza and Lebanon On Monday, Israel approved legislation that could lead to the complete ban of UNRWA across Israeli-occupied territory. If passed, the UN-mandated humanitarian aid agency would be blocked from providing life-saving support to Palestinians. UN secretary-general Gutierrez warned of “devastating consequences” and urged Israel to act according to UN obligations. Meanwhile, the Israeli siege of Northern Gaza continues, cutting off people from food and medical supplies.  Iranian military targets attacked On Saturday, 25 October, Israel launched an attack on Iran. It is stated to be the response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel on 1 October. This attack was a reaction to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the killing of the Iranian commander alongside Hezbollah Secretary Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut earlier this year.  In Israel’s latest attack on 25 October, around 20 sites were hit over several hours, killing two soldiers according to a statement by the Iranian Army (IRNA). Attacks on Rojava kill 27 and cause power outages Turkey’s artillery strikes killed at least 27 people in Rojava, Northern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Various civilian infrastructure sites like medical centers, bakeries, and energy facilities have been targeted. This led to a power outage leaving 250.000 people in the region without water and electricity, reports the local Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (DAANES). This follows last Wednesday’s attack by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. in northern Ankara, which killed five people. Exposing The Far Right Far-right figure Tommy Robinson has been jailed in the UK. Robinson, (real name Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon), is known for his racist and anti-Islam rhetoric. In 2021 a Syrian refugee successfully sued him for libellous allegations, which the High Court thereafter banned Robinson from repeating. Robinson broke this ban by airing a film, "Silenced", which repeated the claims. UK campaign group Hope Not Hate complied an 86-page dossier of evidence against Robinson, credited as assisting in the arrest and conviction. Hope Not Hate have this month released an explosive documentary, “Undercover: Exposing the Far Right“, which is receiving positive reviews. Ongoing violence and famine in Sudan In one of the deadliest incidents since the 18-month war in Sudan began, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed at least 124 people. The region of Gezira, where this attack happened, has been submitted to ongoing violence by the RSF. In conflict with the Sudanese army, the RSF has killed countless civilians, seized control over large parts of Sudan, and caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.  Opposition figures say Georgia vote “stolen” Georgia voted this weekend. The results show the increasingly authoritarian ruling party Georgian Dream remains in power. Pro-EU opposition groups refused to accept the vote and called it stolen. Georgian Dream party chairman and billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili declared victory by 54% via the central election commission. These results differed from the exit polls conducted by some pollsters, prompting key opposition groups to question the validity of the vote and call for protests.  Header image from AP Images licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED. First image from Undercover: Exposing the Far Right (2024 Dir. Havana Marking) Second Image from EPA Images licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Reminiscing Our Land: A fundraiser by Root Radio & Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fundraiser-nov-02-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fundraiser-nov-02-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join us in Berlin on Saturday for music, art, and film screenings.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On November 2nd, Root Radio and Refuge Worldwide will once again collaborate on an event to raise funds for the ongoing assault on Lebanon and Gaza. The event, which takes place at a secret "multidisciplinary venue" in Berlin, also aims to provide a space for collective reflection and raising awareness. Over 1.2 million people have been displaced from their homes, and thousands killed, since Israel has escalated its attacks on Lebanon throughout the past month. Lebanon is now suffering from a nationwide humanitarian crisis, while the situation in neighbouring Palestine also continues to worsen each day. Starting from 3PM and running until 2AM, Reminiscing Our Land will feature a number of live performances and listening sessions, as well as an art market, food and a screening of On Thyme Hills (a documentary about resistant ecologies in London, Lebanon, and Palestine). Musical contributions come from Abadir, Nour Sokhon, Dakn, Peter Kirn, Q, Marylou, Lateef & VEX, Joumana, Sunfear & Lawrence Goodwin, Aalia & Azemad, and Root Radio founder Ahmadshk. The arts and merch sale will include pieces from Aliaa Kurdi, Hildashaus, Sina Opalka, Space Of Urgency, Suhail Nassar + Moayed Abu Ammouna and Diaspora Rising, as well as a vinyl sale organised by Refuge and its resident artists. Entry will be by donation - minimum 10€ is suggested - but nobody will be turned away for lack of funds. All proceeds from the event will be donated to a small number of trusted groups working on the ground in Lebanon and Palestine, including a trusted individual facilitating aid and ambulance visits, and organisations supporting migrant workers in Lebanon. For those unable to attend in person, there is also an online list of organisations coordinating relief efforts here. Artwork by Rawand Issa. ACCESS INFO The venue is located on the ground floor and all rooms are step-free. There are gender-neutral toilets and a step-free toilet with railings, designed for wheelchair users. There is an outdoor area and multiple indoor rooms. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 23-30 October]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-23-30-october</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-23-30-october</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Donations: Camp Tegel needs donations. The Berlin refugee camp has around 5000 people living under inhumane conditions and suffering from cruel treatment. To support them, you can drop off clothes in good condition, children’s toys and new unused underwear to Kurdisches Zentrum e.V. in Dresdener Straße 8 on 29 October from 16-20:00. Petition: The petition by Deutscher Bühnenverein Landesverband Berlin is gathering signatures to combat planned budget cuts to the state's cultural sector. Many cultural institutions and organisations as well as independent project-based initiatives and freelancers rely on governmental funding. These drastic cuts planned for 2025 and 2026 would affect many people. Album Release: On 25 October artist and composer Nour Sokhon launches the audiovisual performance and album “Beirut Birds” at Savvy Contemporary. The record is a sonic memory capsule exploring stories of migration and displacement in Lebanon. Proceeds from the digital sales go to Haven for Artists supporting displaced families on the ground in Lebanon.  Concert: Lagkam Label bring Cameroonian rapper General Valsero to Berlin. The artist is known for his raw and political lyrics and will perform on 25 October at Panke Club. The event is hosted by Leila Ey, who will warm up the stage with a rap performance.  Panel: Pa_Allies are hosting a discussion on German Media’s Role in Dehumanization During Genocide on 31 October. The event starts at 18:00 and takes place at bUm – Space for Solidarity and Community. Speakers include journalists Hebh Jamal, Karim Natour and Abir Kopty.  Exhibition and Runway Show: Queer Skin is a multidisciplinary exhibition and runway show celebrating the diversity of bodies. Hosted by Kottilesben and Pink Dot, the event displays photography and paintings as well as performance art and music. It takes place on 26 October from 16:00 at NÅPOLEON KOMPLEX.  Filmfestival: Ake Dikhea? The International Festival for Romani Film Ake Dikhea? still runs until 27 October. In its 8th edition, the Berliner festival curates screenings of Romani cinema and hosts panel talks and networking events. Check out the full programme here.  Event and Fundraiser: The multidisciplinary artist GodXXX Noirphiles is leaving Berlin and organises a goodbye event and fundraiser. GodXXX Noirphiles is an integral part of the QTBIPOC platform House of Living Colors and has contributed to developing community since 2016. The event takes place on 24 October at Kantine am Berghain and gathers a line-up of interdisciplinary local artists. Oona Bar: Saturday on Weserstraße sees Bubble World crew back in action, led by Christa Belle with Rami Abi Rafi going b2b alongside Chloe Lula a choice highlight. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Gallery: Sublimation Fest 2024 ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sublimation-listen-back-and-photo-gallery</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sublimation-listen-back-and-photo-gallery</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Listen back to live recordings from Uzbekistan.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We had a fantastic time hosting the Refuge Worldwide stage at Sublimation Fest 2024 back in September. The first festival of its kind to take place in Uzbekistan, Sublimation went down with three days of performances, talks and workshops in the capital city of Tashkent. Revitalising the abandoned Culture Palace of Aircraft Builders as a venue, the 5,000-capacity festival featured performances from The National Orchestra of Uzbekistan, Nazira and Samantha Togni. You can now listen back to sets from the Refuge Worldwide takeover with Milktea, No Plastic, Arnav and local selector Densk, and check out some photos from our trip below. Words come from festival co-founders Madina Ishmuradova and Sabina Inoyatova. Have you received a lot of feedback from the festival's audience? How do you think the event was received? Yes, we received a great deal of feedback, and we’ve been really touched by how positive it was. Many attendees expressed their excitement not just about the music but about the workshops and the overall inclusive atmosphere of the festival. The audience seemed to appreciate the opportunity to engage with both local and international talent, and the event was well received in terms of both its organization and its cultural impact. The energy was electric, and the enthusiasm people showed confirmed for us that Sublimation Fest made a lasting impression. What are your plans for future editions of Sublimation in Tashkent? Looking ahead, we plan to grow Sublimation Fest, both in terms of scale and impact. We want to offer more workshops and opportunities for young artists, with a broader range of creative and cultural exchanges. Expanding the festival to include even more diverse talents from across the region and beyond is also a priority. We hope to secure a larger venue and extend the festival’s duration, giving more people the chance to experience it. Most importantly, we remain committed to promoting inclusivity and empowering emerging artists, ensuring that the festival continues to serve as a vital platform for creativity and expression in Uzbekistan. With hindsight, which aspects of the festival are you most proud of? We are incredibly proud of how Sublimation Fest became a genuine platform for both local and international artists to connect and grow. The masterclasses and workshops, particularly those led by Samantha Togni and other key figures, were invaluable in nurturing young talent. It was also heartening to see how well the message of inclusivity resonated with everyone involved, especially through initiatives like our collaboration with Qizlar, which challenged stereotypes around female DJs. Beyond that, we are proud of the sense of community and collaboration that the festival fostered, creating a space for artistic exchange that hadn’t existed before in Uzbekistan at this level. Photo credits: Amir Melikov and Feruz Rustamov.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Remembrance day for 140th anniversary of the Congo Conference to take place at Niemetzstraße]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/congo-remembrance-day</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/congo-remembrance-day</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The event has been curated by Refuge resident Josiane and Ana Lucao.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Come down to Niemetzstraße 1 on November 16th. From 1-7PM on November 16th, we invite you to attend a special event curated by Josiane and Ana Lucao: A Day Of Hope And Joy, Celebration of Congolese Culture and attention to the critical issues in the Congo. RSVP here to join. The event marks 140 years since the "Congo Conference“, which was led by Otto von Bismarck on November 15, 1884, here in Berlin at Wilhelmstraße 92. The conference was a significant historical event that contributed to the geographical and cultural division of many African kingdoms and tribes. In particular, in the Congo, the subsequent colonization of the continent resulted in violence, exploitation, death, and robbery of people and different cultural heritages, and political turmoil. As the consequences of postcolonial structures continue to affect the daily life of Congolese people, this event seeks to create a space for unity, celebration, and positivity within the Congolese community and for those who are interested in the culture. There will be a panel discussion (in German) that will provide an historical overview and further perspectives on women's rights, the importance of pop culture and the mental health of Congolese people. The panelists will be Dr. Jean-Gottfried Mutombo Ndalamba, Rose Ilunga Mutombo, Rose Kapuya and Ladivine from Masolo Podcast . Ana Lucao will moderate the discussion. There will also be performances, installations and music by film director Raviva Ziama, musician Batilasound, multidisciplinary artist Excorcée, contempary artist Josephate Leon as well as DJs Malengo and Nzambisa. There will also be dance and creative beading workshops, and food by Ma Bijoux.

Entry will be donation-based, with all proceeds going towards Musique pour la Paix et la Santé, a new charity initiative set up by a trusted contact of the event organisers. The project provides food and medical services to women, children, injured, and elderly people in the refugee camp in Goma, RDC. RSVP here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Gallery: AL(Off) Festival at Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/al-festival-gallery-and-listen-back</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/al-festival-gallery-and-listen-back</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A collection of photos and radio shows from our recent collaboration.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Last week we welcomed the wonderful crew from AL.Berlin to host three evenings of talks, screenings and an exhibition with Diaspora Rising at our Niemetzstraße space. The events were held under the title AL(OFF), as an extra offering to the main AL.Festival which took place at Festsaal Kreuzberg. AL.Berlin is a cultural collective active 2019, supporting and connecting people through art, music and various productions to the Contemporary Moment of South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA). Take a look at photos of the exhibition, 'I Have Found My Answers', and listen back to the AL.Festival takeover down below. Special thanks to participating collectives Queer Cinema for Palestine 'Al Athar', AL.FILM, Jewish Bund and FACQ Berlin. Photos by Montecruz Foto.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-15-oct-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-15-oct-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Massacre at Al-Aqsa and siege in northern Gaza | Indigenous Day of Resistance | AfD politician accused of exploitative labour practices]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our roundup of stories you may have missed. Massacre at Al-Aqsa and siege in northern Gaza Images of Israeli strikes on Al-Aqsa hospital show burned tents and bodies of people seeking refuge at the hospital compound. In northern Gaza, Israeli forces have also returned to Jabalia refugee camp and imposed a siege. According to the UN and World Food Programme, no food or aid has entered the north of the Gaza strip since 1 October, putting the population again at risk of famine and disease. Until this day, Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 42,200 people according to local health authorities.  Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon In the Lebanese capital Beirut, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 22 people on 11 October. The relentless attacks on Lebanon have killed many and displaced thousands of civilians from their homes across the country. In the south of Lebanon Israel attacked UN headquarters injuring two peacekeepers. On Sunday, a Hezbollah drone attack evaded the air defense system and damaged an Israeli army base killing 6 people. USA and Germany make plans for weapon deliveries to Israel While Israel continues the assault on Gaza and Lebanon, its Western allies Germany and the USA promise to send more weapons to the Israeli military. Following a missile attack on a town in northern Israel by Hezbollah, the pentagon vows to provide improved anti-missile systems. Germany chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to pick up arms and weapons exports to Israel after a drop in deliveries earlier this year. German AfD politician accused of exploitative labour practices in Belarus  The AfD far-right party member Jörg Dornau was accused of using Belarusian political prisoners as a source for cheap labour. Dornau owns an onion and vegetable plantation in the west of Belarus. According to the news agency Reform.news, he made a deal with local authorities to employ prisoners, including many political prisoners in opposition to President Alexander Lukashenko’s governance, on his workforce. So far, there have been no consequences and Jörg Dornau’s agricultural business continues to operate in Belarus. Indigenous Day of Resistance  12 October was Indigenous Day of Resistance. The date marks the anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the Americas in 1492 and with it the beginning of colonial violence enacted against the indigenous populations. Across South and Central America – known as Abya Yala among indigenous populations – protestors demanded justice and an end to the violence and discrimination they still experience as a continuation of colonialism.  Report of violent EU border pushbacks in Croatia No Name Kitchen has accused Croatian police of violence along the nation’s border. No Name Kitchen is a grassroots organisation dedicated to aiding refugees and making their passage across the Balkans and the Mediterranean safer. They published “Burned Borders” an investigative report documenting illegal and violent tactics used by the Croatian police against people on the move. Evidence was gathered of people’s belongings being stolen and burned by authorities before being pushed back into Bosnia. Despite several testimonies from aid workers and journalists, Croatian authorities have denied the allegations. 115 people killed in a gang attack in Haiti On 3 October the Gran Grif gang attacked civilians in a town in Artibone, the central region of Haiti. 115 people were killed and 6200 people fled the area out of fear of further violence. Survivors blamed the government inaction as plans for the attack had been shared on social media beforehand. According to the U.N., the Gran Grif gang has around 100 members and has been responsible for murders and kidnappings for nearly a decade. This attack comes in the midst of the gang violence capturing the entire island of Haiti since earlier this year.  Photos by Matt Hrkac
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 10-17 October]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-10-17-october</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-10-17-october</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Protest: mera25 Germany is calling for a rally against the planned visit of US-president Joe Biden to Berlin on 10 and 11 October. They criticise the US support of the genocide in Gaza and how “Genocide Joe” continues to supply weapons to Israel. The protest takes place on Friday the 11 October from 18:00 at Alexanderplatz.  Support: The Berliner CBD shop Bubble CBD has been victim of police raids. On 2 October, police violently entered the store and the store owner's house and confiscated products because of a pro-Palestine sticker. The queer-owned business on Sonnenallee is calling for donations to pay bills and keep the business going. You can contribute via Paypal (info@bubblecbdshop.com).  T4T Festival: From 11-13 October, T4T festival is taking place for the first time. The festival is by and for trans*, inter* and non-binary people and hosts a line-up with many local TIN* artists. There will be life drawing sessions, drag performances, workshops and music. To check out the schedule and the full program, head to their Instagram page.  Film festivals: This weekend several film festivals are taking place. From 10-13 October the queer film festival Soura returns in its 5th year. The festival highlights queer talents from the SWANA region and is hosted by Sinema Transtopia. From 9-15 October, Berlin's Kurdish film festival presents a diverse selection of films by Kurdish filmmakers at Babylon Kino. This year, the festival focus lies on queer Kurdish stories. The Hive International Short Film Days are also back in their 4th edition. They will present a selection of films, panel talks, and DJ Sets at Flutgraben from 11-13 October.  Performances: More than 500 years after the colonization of Latin America, the Berliner vocal ensemble Canto Diásporico performs at Spore Initiative. The women’s ensemble creates space for reflection and uses their performances as a way to connect and resist together with the community. The event, titled “Voces, cuerpos, comunidad y resistencia”, takes place from 11-13 October.  Launch Party: Assila, the first Berliner Arab beer brand, celebrates its launch at Oona Bar this Sunday 13 October from 15-20:00. Sarah Zeryab, Monokultur, Juno and Mary Vizbiz will take care of the entertainment with DJ sets, visuals and live performance. Book Fair: Miss Read, the Berliner Art Book Fair & Festival for Independent Publishing takes place from 11-13 October at HKW. This year, the festival program highlights Afro-feminist and queer voices. Titled “Where Our Freedom Begins: Afro-Feminist Mo(ve)ments in Germany” the program curated by Anguezomo Nzé Mba Bikoro and Pascale Obolo aims to retrace the diverse genealogies of Black queer feminist experiences through panel talks, music, film screenings, and workshops.  Event: The Queer Skin exhibition and runway show takes place at Napoleon Komplex on October 26th, exploring "queer identities, bodies, notions of beauty and what lies beyond." Tickets available now. Fundraiser: The initiative Id3am Relief Fund for Lebanon is hosting a fundraiser at Oyoun on 9 October from 18-23:00. Refuge guest Meshwar Mixtapes will be on stage with a musical storytelling session as well as Syrian Oud player Ahmad Ajouz and rappers Sorah and Spoke. The money raised will go to families in Lebanon affected by the Israeli aggression. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[We have created our own hot sauce with our neighbours at Crazy Bastard]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hot-sauce</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hot-sauce</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA["Hot Mic: Refuge Worldwide’s Spicy Blend"]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Inspired by the flavours of Nigerian pepper mix, with a twist, Hot Mic contains habanero and scotch bonnet chilis, cumin, ginger, onion, lime and more. We will be launching the sauce at Oona on October 19 & 20, but you can already come down to Oona and buy a bottle from today. On the launch weekend, there will radio shows courtesy of Anele, Mandel, Dommie Soup, Sofayas Peace, Donna (Lekker Collective) and Crazy Bastard Kitchen's chef MC Cheesepie, who will all bring their spiciest tunes to the booth, while Saturday sees a takeover from the Random Jams crew - see below for the full line-up. Much love to our neighbours at Crazy Bastard for helping to bring our hot sauce dreams to life and for brewing a delicious blend. The sauce will be available from Oona for 7€ per bottle. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[How to support relief in Lebanon as it responds to mass crisis]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/support-for-lebanon</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/support-for-lebanon</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 05 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Important information. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Please consider donating, supporting or organising where you can.

With 1.2 million people displaced by Israeli attacks, Lebanon is facing an unprecedented crisis, adding still more misery to the growing catastrophe across neighbouring Palestine. Israel’s attacks on the country have claimed nearly 2000 lives since October - most in the last two weeks, including one of the bloodiest single days in modern warfare. Attacks have forcibly displaced some 1.2 million people as of October 4, according to Lebanese authorities, out of about 5.4 million population (UN, 2022). In some cases, this means repeat displacement, including foreign workers and Syrian refugees. UN officials on Friday told the press that most of their 900 collective shelters are out of capacity, driving people into the streets. Lebanon's music scene - alongside many other groups of volunteer aid workers - is now on the front lines of a humanitarian relief effort. Outside help is urgently needed, with even small donations translating directly to basic supplies. With bombs shaking Beirut nightly and repeated attacks across the country, music communities in Beirut have shifted entirely into emergency response mode. From Frequent Defect to Ballroom Blitz to Metro Al Madina, Fizz to Riwaq, Beirut Synthesizer Center to Tunefork Studios, every music space and collective in Beirut is in action. These spaces act as shelters, relief centres, and staging areas for storing basics as simple as pillows and water. The only real solution is to stop these attacks, but until that happens, civilians rely on these volunteer efforts for survival.  Locals in Beirut can drop off supplies directly: Metro al Madina, for instance, named items like deodorant, canned chickpeas, milk and diapers for babies, water, and first aid equipment on its wish list. These needs carry an added urgency in Lebanon, which on top of financial catastrophe and bankruptcy has a government not providing basic relief supplies. People’s lives are being held up by volunteers and aid. For those wishing to help outside Lebanon, donations to direct mutual aid will have the greatest impact. Tunefork Studios, which has had its name on many of the most significant Lebanese underground and experimental releases in recent years, is partnering with Beirut Synthesizer Center, a community space for learning electronic music and sharing equipment.  By October 1, ongoing fundraising had bought 686 mattresses, 585 pillows, and 401 blankets, atop water, medicine, and food, for displaced families in and around Beirut.  To support this effort, Tunefork Studios is accepting donations from abroad by PayPal, cryptocurrency, bank transfer, and Western Union transfer. You can email info@tuneforkstudios.com to donate directly, and see their latest report here.

Haven for Artists is a self-described “cultural feminist organization working at the intersection of art and activism.” Founded in 2011, it’s one of the platforms most often recommended by Lebanese artists, as it’s acted as a hub for community, activism, and art over the years, connecting to communities of Syrian refugees and earthquake survivors and Palestinian justice (and even topics from foraging to film). Like all the links here, they also are inclusive of other organisations - vital at a time when many marginalised groups struggle to access assistance in the country. Haven for Artists has a direct donation link with credit card support. Music artists are also working with community kitchen Nation Station. Established in an abandoned gas station after the port blast, for the past four years, Nation Station has provided a safe space, women’s center, medical clinic, cinema and music festival, and vegetable distribution and meals service. The community kitchen, team, and volunteers are entirely focused on relief now, and they accept direct donations to trusted volunteers. These are just a few examples, but as many on the ground urge, the most important is to focus on mutual aid, direct relief and giving (not NGOs), and trusted recipients. From the Periphery Media Collective has an extensive, updated list on how to help people in Lebanon. Solidarity across communities in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria remains as important now as ever. For Palestinian aid, organizations like our colleagues at Radio AlHara are supporting HEAL Palestine, which is working on food distribution in Gaza as children suffer from food insecurity. Falyakon is organizing an in-person fundraising event for Palestine at Panke here in Berlin on Saturday. Individual donations aren’t the only way to act. Beirut Synthesizer Center and Tunefork Studios encourage fundraising events. As a model, see for instance events at London’s Riwa featuring Dirar Kalash or Cyprus’ Breach Festival. Note also that US citizens living in Berlin should take action as the USA remains the primary funder, supplier, and enabler of this violence. Groups like ADC (Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee) even offer direct contact information demanding de-escalation.   Thanks to everyone who contributed to this list and to all our colleagues who tirelessly put in the effort on the ground to keep these operations running.  --- PETER KIRN is an independent journalist of Lebanese American descent who has collaborated in the past with Beirut Synthesizer Center, Riwaq Beirut, and Irtijal Festival. The fee usually paid for this article will be given to Tunefork Studios/Beirut Synthesizer Center, as well as an additional donation from Refuge Worldwide.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[AL.Berlin hosts three evenings of talks, screenings and an exhibition at Niemetzstraße]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/al-festival-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/al-festival-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[AL(OFF) FESTIVAL takes place between October 8th and 10th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We're welcoming AL.BERLIN to Niemetzstraße. As an extra offering to the main AL.Festival, which takes place at Festsaal Kreuzberg, we will host the crew for a "self-funded initiative born from the recent challenges faced by our community of anti-fascist, anti-colonialist and pro-Palestinian artists, filmmakers, and cultural workers." The three-day project continues the legacy and spirit of AL.Remise, their cultural centre that operated until April 2023.

On October 8th, Queer Cinema for Palestine 'Al Athar' hosts short films screenings and community gathering. Come down to watch 'There is a baba in our house' by Leil-Zahra Mortada, 'Trouble in Paradise' by Mona Benjamin, 'Homecoming Queenz' by Elias Wakeem and 'EITR' by Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller. The following night's theme is 'Manoeuvring between different worlds: On the fluidity of Diasporic identities'. There will be screenings and panel discussions, curated by AL.FILM, with Director Pascale Fakhry, Caitlin McLeod, Michelle Keserwany, Noel Keserwany, Fatima Kaci and Osama Hafiry. Lastly, on October 10th, we host the Jewish Bund x FACQ Berlin Anti-colonial film night, for "an evening of short films that explore seed, land, and food sovereignty." It will be followed by a panel discussion with a farmer, local activists, and a filmmaker. On all three days, there will be an exhibition by Diaspora Rising called 'I Have Found My Answers' and drinks by Assila Beer. Tickets will be available on the door only. Finally, on October 11th, the AL.BERLIN crew will be coming over to Oona Bar for a radio takeover from 7-11PM. 

More info on the week, including a fantastic program at Festsaal on October 12th, is available here. AL.BERLIN is a cultural collective active in Berlin since 2019, that aims to support and connect people through art, music and various knowledge productions, with the Contemporary Moment of South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA). ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[We have curated a panel, radio series and DJ sets for Fotografiska’s hip-hop exhibition]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fotografiska-hiphop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fotografiska-hiphop</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[After the panel, NASHI44 and Ebow will take the stage.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[German hip-hop history. Together with Refuge resident, and host of Fremd im Eigenen Land, Shayan Navab, we have been working with photography, art and culture museum Fotografiska on some elements of their current hip-hop exhibition.  Our curated panel will take place on October 5th at Fotografiska (Oranienburger Str. 54). Shayan will be interviewing Tachi MC, photographer Katja Kuhl and Ebow "about ways migrants were able to carve out their own space and identity in Germany, from the arrival of the Gastarbeiters in the 60s, all the way to today." We have also curated two DJ sets for the Fotografiska aperitivo hours, where AAMIROO played on September 26th and NaN will play on October 17th. Last but not least, we will host a radio residency with contributors to the exhibition coming by the studio for interviews and to share some music. Keep an eye out for Shayan hosting some special guests over the next two months. The exhibition is open now and runs until January 26th. It explores both US and German hip-hop through photography, workshops, performances, talks and DJ sets. Buy tickets for the panel here. Header image credit: Philipp Rothe, Advanced Chemistry (Linguist, Toni-L und Torch, v. l.), Videoshoot zu “Fremd im eigenen Land” an der Alten Brücke in Heidelberg, 1993]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 26 September-3 October]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-26-september-3-october</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-26-september-3-october</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Demonstration: At 2pm on October 6, a demo will start from Kottbusser Str/Kohlfurter Str. It unites protestors around the notion that the genocidal project being enacted by Israel on Palestine started decades before October 7. Event: On October 5, Oyoun host a soli event raising awareness and funds for the struggle of Afghan Women at the hands of the Taliban, as well as for working against the prospect of mass deportations from Germany to Afghanistan. There will be talks, short film screenings and food, organised by AfgActivistCollective and Antifascist Curries. Workshop: Check out our Tag Der Clubkultur program and sign up for free-to-attend photography and public speaking workshops with BLEACH and Frankie Casillo. Event: JAW Family return with Two Nites In Berlin, presenting the legendary singer-songwriter, poet and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello to perform in the city where she was born. Over November 6 and 7, Ndegeocello will share the stage with aja Monet, Samora Pinderhughes and opening act Jake & Abe. Read more here. Opening: A new cocktail bar with sounds and flavours from the African continent and diaspora has opened in Friedrichshain. Visit Slap’d at Revaler Strasse 17. Fundraiser: Help the Berlin Legal Fund reach their 100k goal. With this Gofundme we ask you to donate money to relieve the financial burdens of fines and legal fees of the oppressed and thereby support general freedom of speech in Europe. The fund is currently at 87% of its target. Event: Tonight at OHM, catch “heavy beats and fierce performances” at foggy, who have booked Cassius Select, Astan KA & Binghi, Lily Haz and more. Event: Another hot tip for tonight: the fourth edition of setten’s event series will feature a powerful live performance by Ka Baird (Drag City, RVNG), as well as sets from Lil Mofo, rûveyda & Oscar Atanga, k means and GATO. Event: On Sunday, September 29, head to aequa for a curation by our friends at MAKAYABUNDO SOCIAL CLUB. More info here. Contact us via Discord to send your event, demo, or workshop news for next week.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[La Marzocco to host free party at Refuge Worldwide's Niemetzstraße space]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/la-marzocco-party</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/la-marzocco-party</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 24 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come by for music and drinks with King Sleepy, Mia, Green Ink and No Plastic]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join La Marzocco and Refuge Worldwide as we celebrate Coffee Week Berlin on the German Day of Unity (3rd October). This free party goes down at our Niemetzstraße and you're invited for mimosas, cold beers, or a glass of wine. Want to skip the alcohol? No problem – try your hand at making your own coffee on one of our machines! Don't know how? La Marzocco will show you the ropes. Come by early for a breakfast mimosa and pastry, or stick around for Negronis and a boogie in the evening. Refuge Worldwide DJs will be spinning tunes all day, so whether you're in the mood to sway or dance your heart out, we've got the vibes covered. Grab your ticket here, rally your friends and bring the whole crew. We can't wait to see you there! Plus, there’s a chance to win a custom designed La Marzocco Linae Micra Machine...stay tuned for more details... Feiert mit uns den Tag der Deutschen Einheit, die Coffee Week Berlin und die Freundschaft zu Refuge Worldwide. Photos by Sebastian Luna ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide is coming to a city near you!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/autumn-winter-event-dates</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/autumn-winter-event-dates</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[From Berlin to Tashkent and back again.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are heading back out on the road to connect with some of our favourite venues and festivals this Autumn. On September 29th, residents milktea and Arnav join Refuge’s co-founders Richard Akingbehin and No Plastic in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), where we host a stage at Sublimation Festival, and also workshop around building independent radio stations. We’re Wuppertal bound the following weekend, October 5th, for a club night with ELLLL and ophélie, as well as free-to-attend workshop around the topic of room acoustics. Following that are club nights at Jasna1 (Warsaw, October 11th) and Pickle Factory (London, October 25th). Between 7th and 10th November, we are hosting a pop-up radio station at Le Guess Who? festival, inviting artists from the line up to come by for talks and music. Refuge show hosts Shiru and Jojo will be joining to host some interviews. There’s more radio action later in November, with an appearance at Linecheck Festival in Milan. Our team will be participating in the community radio summit on November 21st, 22nd and 23rd, together with Stegi, RBL, Noods and more. Our friends at arkoada Istanbul have invited us to host their space on Thursday, November 28th, before we head to Tbilisi on November 29th for a three hour radio takeover at Mutant and, later on that night, a party at Left Bank. 6th December sees us host a night as part of the 25th anniversary of Le Zoo in Geneva, before we join Edinburgh radio station EHFM for a night at Sneaky Pete’s. The following weekend we head to Radio80k for a dance at ZIRKA in Munich (14th December). Last but not least, the annual end-of-year party at our home base Oona Bar. Mulled wine, radio shows, good vibes and a few surprises. Artwork by Raoul Gottschling. 29 Sept - Sublimation (Tashkent)
05 Oct - Open Ground (Wuppertal)
11 Oct - Jasna1 (Warsaw)
25 Oct - Pickle Factory (London)
07-10 Nov - Le Guess Who? (Utrecht)
20-23 Nov - Linecheck Festival (Milan)
28 Nov - arkaoda (Istanbul)
29 Nov - Left Bank (Tbilisi)
29 Nov - Mutant Radio (Tbilisi)
06 Dec - Le Zoo (Geneva)
07 Dec - Sneaky Pete's with EHFM (Edinburgh)
13 Dec - ZIRKA with Radio 80k (Munich)
14 Dec - Oona Bar (Berlin)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 19-26 September]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-19-26-september</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-19-26-september</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Demonstration: This Friday, which is Global Earth Day, there will be a demo at the Apple store on Ku’damm protesting the new iPhone 16 and its connection to “the Congo Genocide, environmental destruction, exploitation of workers, as well as human rights abuses and neocolonialism fueled by the tech industry.” Event: On Saturday, Music Of The Struggle: South Africans In Exile In Berlin marks 30 years since the end of Apartheid in South Africa and 140 years since the Berlin Africa Conference. Students at HTW Berlin are developing the exhibition 1884/85 -1994: 110 Years of Anti-Colonial Resistance | The Struggle: South Africans in Exile in Berlin. To activate the exhibition, the lecture performance Music Of The Struggle with former Robben Island prisoner Luyanda Mpahlwa will take place at SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA. Event: Our friends and radio residents at BIWOC* Rising are turning 5 years old! On November 1st, they’re celebrating the milestone as well as the launch of two new booklets! BIPoC & allies can join them from 6PM at Dresdener Str. 11, for a talk, musical performances, delicious Gambian food, birthday cake, drinks, and DJ sets. Event info here. Event: On September 20 and 21, WHORIENTAL will “create a deliberate provocation and a safer space for the incredible talents of queer and trans BIPOC communities.” Taking place at Heimathafen Neukölln and Gretchen, the program - which was curated by Queerberg Collective - includes workshops, voguing, performances , a kiki ball, concerts, gazino, panels, drag shows and parties. Listen to WHORIENTAL’s radio show from last week here. Venue: We are sad to read that House Of Color will be closing at the end of this month, having hosted many events, screenings, dinners, workshops, podcasts and more. Please reach out to the crew if you may know of an alternative venue they could move to. Student Internship: We are looking for a student to join us for social media & content based role. More information is available here. Workshop: As part of our Tag Der Clubkultur program, we are hosting workshops with Frankie Casillo (event photography), BLEACH (public speaking) and an open decks session. Find more info here. Event: One of Berlin’s best parties is back this weekend - Body Language. Taking place at ELSE on Sunday, September 22, dance the day away to the sounds of ābnamā, Camilla Rae, Rose Courts, Manolo & Stella Zekri and more. Event: Our Society are hosting another of their Black On The Dancefloor talks events at Giri on September 24th. Sign up here for an evening with Nat Wendell, River Moon and Sarahadwoa. Oona: This weekend at our home base we have takeovers from Future East Festival, Hot Concept, Tape Dub and AT-XYA. Pop by for a glass of Refuge Worldwine! Photo by @mile_analog at the release of D'Aro Mambu's album, organised in collaboration with Irene Fernandez Arcas.]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Check out our Tag Der Clubkultur 2024 program]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tag-der-clubkultur-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tag-der-clubkultur-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The events run from October 3-10]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Workshops, DJ sets and radio discussions around the theme “the medium is the message”. Winning the annual Berliner club culture prize for a fourth time, this year our program centres around the means of communication that we use to express our messages and values - whether online, in public spaces or in personal interactions. Our program starts on October 2nd (2-3PM) with a radio conversation hosted by Madeleine Pollard, about the world of DIY zine publishing. Her guests will be Alejandra (Consuelo Press) and Colin (Gundled). The following day there will be a talk about the art of curation. Inviting Edna Martinez and founder of Fiestuki, DJ Putilla, Richard Akingbehin will ask about their daily work and why thoughtful curation is so vital in a scene that is finally taking the importance of representation more seriously. Tune in at 12-1PM.  From 1PM until 11PM, also on October 3, we will host 10-hour open decks session at Oona Bar, broadcast live on the radio. Apply for a slot here. On Monday, October 7th, we will dive into the topic of public speaking, hosting a 90-minute workshop with drag queen and founder of the POPPERS event series, BLEACH. It will take place at our Niemetzstrasse space from 630-8PM and is free to attend. Applications are now open here. Finally, we will host one of Berlin’s finest photographers Frankie Casillo to present some of his work from events like Atonal, Draaimolen and GALA, as well as other aspects of his work. He will talk about the different techniques involved in event photography, as well as developing the film and also some commentary on photography in general. This workshop is free-to-attend and will take place from 6-730PM on October 4th at Refuge Worldwide’s new space (Niemetzstraße 1). Apply here. Photo Credit: Frankie Casillo]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[We are returning to Wuppertal for another party and workshop at Open Ground]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-ground-october-5</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-ground-october-5</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[October 5th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Bass music and acoustic education in Wuppertal. On October 5th, we are hosting our second night at the unique new club Open Ground. We will host the Annex room this time, inviting ELLLL and ophélie to play. In the main room, DJ Pete, Mala and Nancy June will play. Before the event starts, we are hosting a 90-minute workshop (9:00 PM - 10:30 PM) led by Willsingh Wilson of wax-acoustics, the company responsible for the venue’s cutting-edge Sound Absorber Technology and “freefield simulation.” This session will combine in-depth explanations with audiophile demonstrations, offering participants the opportunity to experience firsthand how advanced acoustic technologies have been adapted specifically for Open Ground. This workshop is planned to be held in German, with possibility for English translations. The workshop is free-of-charge and applications are now open here. ]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 12-19 September]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-12-19-September</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-12-19-September</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: This Sunday in Berlin, we are hosting a closing party for Art Week in collaboration with clubKOKOMO. Taking place during Hallen 05, we invite Selassie & Anthony Wills for their debut show as Glowry Boyz (live), with DJ sets coming from Juba, Random Jams duo Ronja & Michi, and Refuge Worldwide co-founder No Plastic. Selassie is also producing a live painting concept “IMAGINE(NATIONS) throughout the afternoon.  Fundraiser: Ciarra Black, a fantastic artist and DJ who hosted the Signal Shift show on Refuge for a while, is fundraising for her fight against MS. Chloe Lula and Ireen Amnes have started the fundraiser on her behalf, to help Ciarra afford living expenses and excess medical costs while fighting the debilitating neurological disease Multiple Sclerosis. Exhibition: On September 22, photographer Michael Jose and Qasim Khan will host a one-day exhibition to celebrate “the tastes, colors, people, arts and culture of Oaxaca through photographs, food, music and mezcal.” There will be music from Laura Vargas and drinks provided by Madre Mezcal. 

Event: We are once again teaming up with our friends at Einhundert for a series of hangout events at HVW8 gallery in Mitte. This Saturday, from 4-9PM, there will be DJ sets from Aalia & Azamad, Alice Z Jones, Lavurn, Bungalovv and Evita Manji. If you can’t make it down, the shows will be broadcast the following week.  Event: On September 12, ọ́kụ́ meets Keep Hush at Fitzroy, with DJ sets from Juba, Assyouti & Bloomfeld, L-Vis 1990 and Senu. Lineup!! Open Call: CTM Festival’s yearly Radio Lab, invites artistic proposals around the various potentials of the word “affection”. This open call is for artists worldwide and “relevant to fields of experimental music, sound art, radio art, new radio drama, and performance.“ The festival takes place across multiple venues and runs from 24 January – 2 February 2025. Event: RISE’s Above & Beyond festival takes place this Saturday at newly-transformed afro culture hotspot, Maaya. Gather around the pool for DJ sets from Bun Xapa, Thandi Draai, Hyenah, Ukai Ndame & Walter Griot, Emo Rugene, Peeps and many more. Product: Billed as “the first AraBerliner beer”, Aßila - أصيلة uses only the best bio ingredients that are locally and ethically sourced in Ostkreuz, and is brewed with a fierce commitment to sustainability. It isn’t just a beer but a way to challenge stereotypes and lift up the Arab youth in Europe. Come by Oona for a bottle! Event: On September 18th, we welcome Lakuti and Tama Sumo to Niemetzstrasse 1 for an evening of music and talks with special guest Yvonne Turner. Free entry, full details here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Student Internship positions at Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/student-internship-2024-content</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/student-internship-2024-content</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Applications are now open for a social media & content based role.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are now taking applications for a three month student internship position. This role is based in Berlin, involving a combination of studio and remote work centred around content, communications and social media. We are looking for motivated, organised and adaptable people who share our values to join the team. Please note you must be currently enrolled at an educational institution for the duration of this position. We mainly communicate in English but knowledge of German is an added bonus / much appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you. About Us Refuge Worldwide is a radio station and community space in Berlin-Neukölln. We have a 24/7 output of music and conversation alongside weekly events, editorial content and creative community work throughout the year. We are committed to various social justice issues and enjoy sharing great music. See here for more details on our story so far.  The Internships Please note this opportunity is limited to students (full or part-time) who wish to earn credits toward their course qualifications or studies. Successful candidates will receive in-house mentoring, access to audio and design editing software plus a small monthly stipend. Candidates are expected to be able to commit to a minimum of 15 hours per week. Start dates and time frames are flexible, ideally you are available to start in 2024. Responsibilities include: Review daily show graphics and approve or edit ahead of sending to artists (with Figma templates) Create daily schedule assets for Instagram stories (with Figma templates) Record artist interviews and BTS footage at the studio Capture BTS photos on set at external video shoots or events Assist with weekly Instagram content creation Join weekly content meetings and help create new projects and editorial content Assist at external events hosted by Refuge Worldwide Application Process (please read carefully) Your application must be sent to hello@refugeworldwide.com and include: "Internship Application - Content" subject in the email title  Include a letter of motivation, your preferred start date, and time frame. Please give specific details about your study programme and educational institute. If applicable, we require proof of mandatory internship, such as a letter from your university. Complete CV/resume and date of birth. If you are not a resident of Berlin or Germany, please give details of how you plan to stay in the city during your internship, your valid student visa, and work authorization. Links to or examples of your portfolio or previous work are most welcome! Experience with any of the below is an advantage: · Adobe Suite (InDesign / Premiere / Audition / Photoshop / Illustrator / After Effects) · Ableton · Figma · Transcription software (e.g. Otter) · CMS (e.g. Contentful) · Field Recordings · Broadcast tools (e.g. Audio Hijack or BUTT) · Social media scheduling tools · Google Spreadsheets · Podcasting / podcast platforms Priority will be given to those with refugee backgrounds, BIPoC, people from the LGBTQIA community, disabled people, women and gender nonconforming people, or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face access difficulties. Please reach out to hello@refugeworldwide.com with any questions. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bring Down The Walls hosts Yvonne Turner at Refuge's Niemetzstrasse space]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bring-down-the-walls</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bring-down-the-walls</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come down on September 18th to hear some NYC house history.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Lakuti and Tama Sumo in conversation with Yvonne Turner. Ahead of Lakuti and Tama Sumo's Your Love event at Panorama Bar on September 20th, they will stop by our new space (Niemetzstrasse 1, 12055 Berlin) for an evening of talks and music. They are bringing a legend and pioneer of house music - New York's Yvonne Turner - to share her story and some selections. The event, which runs from 1830-2130 on September 18th, is free-of-charge and open to all, and the space is accessible for wheelchair users.  Bring Down The Walls is an anti-racist and multiracial cultural platofrm with music at its core. It has been hosted by Lakuti and Tama Sumo since 2018. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide curates Berlin Art Week party at Wilhelm Hallen]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/clubkokomo-september-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/clubkokomo-september-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 10 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Sunday at Hallen 05 - Kunstfestival.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Sunday in Berlin, we are hosting a closing party for Art Week in collaboration with clubKOKOMO. Taking place during Hallen 05, the largest exhibition to date at Wilhelm Hallen in Berlin-Reinickendorf, we have curated a line-up of music to bring the curtain down. Selassie & Anthony Wills will be performing a debut show as Glowry Boyz (live) with DJ sets coming from Juba, Random Jams duo Ronja & Michi, and Refuge Worldwide co-founder No Plastic. Selassie is also producing a live painting concept “IMAGINE(NATIONS) throughout the afternoon.  Doors are 3pm-10pm and while entry is free to join for a dance, if you would like to visit the other halls then tickets are required. Around the complex on Sunday you can also find a children's programme by Urban Arts Kids (Location: Hall C2), LIMITS by Silvana Chobanyan (Location: Hall C3) and a performance by Casey Spooner (Location: Hall F). While our area is free to attend, the other Hall areas admission info can be found here. Party Location
Atelier 04 (between Hall C and Hall D)
Kopenhagenerstr. 60-68
14037 Berlin]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide collaborates with Frankfurt crew GG Vybe on pop-up radio weekend]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gg-vybe-radio-pop-up</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gg-vybe-radio-pop-up</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 03 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[GG Vybe will be hosting the sessions from Mousonturm in September.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Broadcasts from Frankfurt.

On September 27 and 28th, as part of the Hayat Habibis* Festival, our friends at GG Vybe will program a radio space at the Mousonturm, hosting DJ sets and conversations to champion BiPoC and FLINTA* DJ, as well as diverse migrant perspectives. On the Friday, Ayesha Khan and Dîlan Karacadag air a live episode of their podcast “(un)deutsch”, in which they discuss their favorite places in Frankfurt and their importance in a post-migrant urban society. It will be followed by a talk about empowerment with Zara from Migrantische Psyche and Can from Die Paralellel Klasse. On Saturday, Niyousha Akbari will have a joint conversation with festival curator Onur Suzan Nobrega on the topic of criminalization of shisha bars. The entire program will take place as a hang-out session live on site in the Mousonturm and will then be broadcast on Refuge Worldwide on Sunday October 6. The event is free of charge and open to all. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 29 August-5 September]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-29-august-5-september</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-29-august-5-september</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: On September 1st, a fundraiser titled From the Nile River to the Olive Trees will “highlight connections between the Sudanese and Palestinian liberation struggles.” There will performances, panel talks, workshops, DJ sets and more, all happening between 12PM and 10PM at Paul-Lincke Ufer 21. Oona: This weekend we are launching our first in-house wine. Produced in collaboration with Vin De La Gamba and SIPS, Refuge Worldwine will be available from this Saturday and Sunday. Come by for a sip and shows by a wondeful crew of residents. Also at Oona, we are hosting a fundraiser for the Malaika foundation in Congo on Friday, and a Bo-le-rô takeover curated by Hany Tea and Amuleto Manuela on Saturday afternoon. Campaign: Shop online now for the Long Live The Intifada merchandise range, from which all proceeds are donated to Funds For Gaza via Let’s Talk Palestine. The funds will be used for emergency shelters, medical necessities and food, transportation costs and immediate cash aid.  Fundraiser: This Saturday, aequa are hosting a fundraiser to support their E13 space. From 12-8PM, there will be cakes, books tattoos and more.  Event: The first Berlin festival organised by Milan club and cultural centre, Tempio del Futuro Perduto, takes place at Alte Münze this weekend. Check out our interview with the Tempio founder here. Campaign: We are proud to announce that we raised €3230 at our recent No Mixed Feelings event at 90Mil. The money collected has been donated to Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children. Event: On Friday, September 6, a Sudan fundraiser event takes place from 6:30PM to 3:00AM at Lark. The event aims to raise awareness about the ongoing crisis in Sudan and to support families on the ground. It will feature a panel talk, live music, a dance performance, DJ sets, a photo exhibition, food, and a market. The majority of the proceeds will go to Hometax Sudan, an organization providing mutual aid. Another part will support the burial fund for a community member Sulti. May they rest in peace. Open Call: AL Festival have put out a call to join the community bazaar at the festival this October. The AL crew are looking for “local creators to showcase art, design, and unique collections, as well as to open the space for activist, social, and political groups.” The bazaar will take place at Festsaal Kreuzberg. Photo courtesy of Long Live The Intifada.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[We have created a (Refuge World)wine!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwine-launch-party</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwine-launch-party</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A limited-edition natural wine created with the makers of Frauenpower. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Come try our new and limited edition in-house natural wine at a launch party on 31 August and 01 September, going down at Oona Bar.  In collaboration with our friends at wine distribution company and creative studio, SIPS, we have created a Refuge wine together with acclaimed winemaker Alanna Lagamba (Vin de la Gamba). Called Refuge Worldwine - obviously - the bottle is bubbly pink petnat, made from Dornfelder, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Siegerrebe and Johanniter. It will be available at a special price next weekend at Oona Bar. We will also have it for drink-in and takeaway whilst stocks last.  Soundtracking Saturday will be Refuge Worldwide residents Shiru, Gugol & Laura Vargas, Olin and Richard Akingbehin, Fandango duo Tania & Dave, plus a special Sunday session from Dhanesh Jayaselan, Chloe Lula, Rami Abi Rafi, and plenty more TBA.  Open invite, come on down. Prost! Wine photos by X T A]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[D’Aro Mambu to host album launch and Congo fundraiser at Oona Bar]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/daro-mambu</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/daro-mambu</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come down or stream online next Friday, August 30th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Sounds of the City Boy and friends. On the same day his debut album City Boy is released, D’Aro Mambu will host a five hour takeover at Oona Bar to celebrate the release and raise funds for a project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Donations collected will be supporting the Malaika Foundation, which provides comprehensive education to over 400 girls in the eastern Congolese village of Kalebuka, from primary to secondary levels. The foundation’s work also focuses on fostering sustainable development in the village. In the DRC, millions of girls face significant barriers to education due to poverty, gender discrimination and inadequate infrastructure. Education is a transformative right, but many Congolese girls are denied this opportunity, perpetuating cycles of poverty. You can donate by buying “Joy And Pain” merch during the event (a range of T-shirts designed by Irene Fernández Arcas especially for this release), via online links (see here) or via donation boxes at Oona on the night. We will also be making a donation from the bar sales that night. Musical delights will come from Amuleto Manuela, Hero, Kimbwazo, and D’Aro Mambu in conversation with Irene Fernández Arcas, who play between 6-11PM. Artwork by Irene Fernández Arcas. Oona Bar - Weserstraße 166, 12045 Berlin]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 22-29 August]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-22-29-august</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-22-29-august</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: Spore Initiative are hosting an event entitled For Gaza on August 24th. The Hermannstrasse venue will welcome artists for live performances and DJ sets, put on a raffle, short films and a drag show. The event will be raising funds The Ghassa Abu Sittah Children's Fund. While entry is free, raffle tickets to win prizes donated by local businesses can be bought here. Fundraiser: On 30 August, D'Aro Mambu is celebrating the release of his album City Boy at Oona Bar and raising money for the Malaika Foundation, which provides comprehensive education to over 400 girls in the eastern Congolese village of Kalebuka. Event details here. Rest In Power: Activist, friend and comrade of Berlin's anti-colonial and anti-capitalist alliances, Sulti, has passed. Sulti's life was devoted to the struggles of different communities, fighting for anti-racism, abolitionism, and climate and migrant justice within several different movements. They were mourned by hundreds of friends on Tuesday at an event to celebrate their life. Donate here for their funeral arrangements. RIP. Fundraiser: As more and more people face police brutality on the streets, arrest and repression across the city, you can support various cases with a donation to the Berlin Legal Fund. Workshop: On Wednesday, August 28th, Schlafplatzorga are hosting a workshop for refugees in Berlin to get free advice on finding and applying for housing. It will take place in German and English, and there will be translations into French and Farsi available. More info here.  Event: The Berlin Atonal crew present a new three-day format this year, OPENLESS, featuring performances from Lee Gamble, Grand River and Abul Mogard, Kelman Duran, Lamin Fofana, Ehua, Nkisi and many more. Oona: This weekend come by Oona Bar for an ice cold slushie and music from the likes of Rob Manga, Noah Slee, Femdelic and No Plastic, as well as takeovers from Kudur, Latineo and 925 Collective. Event: This Sunday, Netzwerk Wedding host an event of music, poetry, workshops, bazaar and an exhibition at Panke Club. Titled Uprising for Liberation - United against genocide and imperialism, the event runs from 2-10:30PM and invites you to "shed light on the ongoing anticolonial and anti-imperialist resistances and struggles." News: Two Berlin venues, KVU and Renate, are due to close. The former has six months left on its contract, while Friedrichshain club Renate will operate until the end of 2025.  Event: MAAYA (FKA Haubentaucher), Berlin’s new cultural center celebrating African and Afro-Diasporic art and culture, will host Fam-A-Lay on August 29th. Fam-A-Lay is a "family-friendly daytime dance party for parents, guardians, and kids who love HipHop, RnB, Soul, and Afrobeat but miss going out and dancing." Photo courtesy of Camille Blake & Berlin Atonal.]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 8-15 August]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-8-aug-15-aug</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-8-aug-15-aug</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: On the 23rd and 24th of August, leftist group Rote Hilfe e.V will celebrate “100 years of cross-current solidarity and standing together against state repression and political persecution.” There will be multi-faceted events in Berlin, at Rio-Reiser-Platz and SO36, with live performances, DJ sets and info stands. Job opening: Spore Initiative are looking for an Operations Manager to start from January 2025. Applications are open until the end of October. Event: On August 15th, at 7PM, Lama El Khatib and Sarah Zeryab host the first session of Concerning Revolution, an initiative that invites folks to gather around films, sounds, writings, and other formats. The first session features a screening of R21 AKA Restoring Solidarity by Mohanad Yaqubi. The screening will be followed by an open discussion moderated by the organizers. Find more info here. Event: On August 10 from 7PM - late, we invite you to celebrate the start of Mixed Feelings 2: Still With Mixed Feelings at 90mil in Berlin. The event explores accessibility in the arts and follows on from our radio series last year. More info is available here.

Oona: This weekend at Oona we welcome the Kangkiling crew for a Friday evening takeover of Afro beats and rhythms. On Saturday evening, it’s Fiestuki and Madre Mezcal time, while on Sunday we have an analogue live session courtesy of Afraid of Messages and Omen. Job opening: Last call for our Accounts and Administrative Coordinator. Apply here! Event: The Terminal is an ongoing 6-day, interactive exhibition taking place at Atelier Gardens. The remaining dates are August 10, 17, 24 and 31, where you can check out diverse, visual and performance-based artworks from migrant artists. Photo courtesy of Spore Initiative & Licht Kunst Licht AG.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 1-8 August]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-1-8-aug</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-1-8-aug</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: On August 10 from 7PM - late, we invite you to celebrate the start of Mixed Feelings 2: Still With Mixed Feelings at 90mil in Berlin. Mixed Feelings 2, following on from our project Mixed Feelings in 2023, will continue to explore accessibility in the arts. The launch event will include talks, performances, screenings and DJ sets. Info on the programme, accessibility and more is available here. Fundraiser: The Berlin Legal Fund, founded by Mattanja Ewida (a guest on the radio today), has reached 80% of its 100,000€ funding goal. Especially following the extreme cases of police violence witnessed during Pride weekend, the fund remains a crucial resource for people “experiencing police repression in connection with Palestine solidarity in Berlin.” Job: Refuge Worldwide is looking for a new Accounts and Administrative Coordinator. If that sounds like you, or someone you know, read more here and get in touch. Event: Move 78 will be doing their first Berlin live show of the year at 90mil on Wednesday 7th August at the Cassette Heads Session. Set at 10pm, open jam session afterwards. We'll be playing new material. Open-call: Submissions are now open for short films to be featured at the Hive Film Days event in October. Taking place at Flutgraben from October 11-13, HIVE is a multidisciplinary event featuring a diverse array of film selections, audiovisual performances, an educational workshop, and Q&A sessions. Event: Space Of Urgency are hosting three events that “invite you to come together, mourn, express, exchange ideas, reflect, re-imagine and embody collective change.” The first, a fundraiser for Gaza, will take place on August 4th and will collect funds for The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund - more info here. The following events will include workshops, talks and performances around the topics of unlearning, reflecting, embodying and organising.  Volunteer: Decolonoize Berlin are looking for support with their Mini Fest at ACUD this month. Find out more here. Oona: This weekend at our homebase Oona, come by on Friday for shows from Bridon'tknow, Miss Baba, Ozan Maral and more, or on Saturday for an all-star Random Jams takeover. Event: Space Of Urgency are hosting a fundraiser for Gaza this Sunday, with workshops and DJ sets. The location will be announced on the morning of the event, see here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[No Mixed Feelings: Palestine Solidarity is Disability Justice]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-mixed-feelings-palestine-solidarity-is-disability-justice</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-mixed-feelings-palestine-solidarity-is-disability-justice</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An Evening of Performances, Conversation, and Party]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Deutsche Fassung hier. Scroll down for access info. On August 10 from 7PM - late, we invite you to celebrate the start of Mixed Feelings 2: Still With Mixed Feelings at 90mil in Berlin.  Mixed Feelings 2, following on from our project Mixed Feelings in 2023, will continue to explore accessibility in the arts. Hosted by Saverio Cantoni, Dana Cermane and SchwarzRund on Refuge Worldwide, the project is produced from the experience and practices of disabled artists worldwide. With six radio broadcasts in German and English spoken language with transcripts, and International Sign Language with subtitles, mixed feelings challenges hearing supremacy and ableism in radio and events.  A launch event at 90mil on August 10 will celebrate the new series and bring mixed feelings audiences together in person. mixed feelings believes disability justice means justice for all, and calls for solidarity with Palestinian disabled and d/Deaf communities. Entry fee: Free, donations are encouraged Where: 90mil, Near S Jannowitzbrücke. (90mil's address is private. Please email neunzigmil@gmail.com for the address, description of how to get there, and/or requests for accompaniment from the train station). 90mil is a temporary arts venue that focuses on providing access to art and culture to a wide community. Donations will be collected for Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children at the door. PROGRAMME 6.30PM (Lounge): Doors Open. There will be a donation-based vegetarian Mediterranean dinner available. Workshop: 7PM (Garden*): Imagine Imagine Imagine the Art Workers United.  A Reading/Conversation/Dissemination Session. Facilitated by Dalia Maini and Theresa Zwerschke with Arts of the Working Class in collaboration with Zaina Shreidi with Thawra collective (15 people max., please register for this conversation here). [ACCESS INFO: will have German and English spoken language content, material to read in English written language, and interpretation in German Sign Language; A spacious room +  comfortable sitting solutions + good illumination + Snacks] Performances: 8PM (Project Room): Crossing to the Realm of Manifestation by Mudar Al-Khufash with live sound by Moraya [ACCESS INFO: will be in spoken English with live English subtitles and a video; Content Warning: references a memorial to children murdered in the Holocaust] 8.30PM (Project Room): SIGNING/SINGING by Daniel Kotowski [ACCESS INFO: the performer uses dance and signs from different sign languages; Content Warning: includes shouting] 9PM (Project Room): A screening of the film "Massaker von Kafr Qasim 1956 - eine taube Person überlebt" and lecture by Meyad Sarsour-Ndaye [ACCESS INFO: Lecture in German Sign language with interpretation into German spoken language, film in Arabic spoken language with subtitles] 9:30PM (Project Room): A screening of the film "Vibrations from Gaza" (2023) by Rehab Nazzal [ACCESS INFO: EN subtitles, in Palestinian Sign Language: لغة الاشارات الفلسطينية, Lughat al-Ishārāt al-Filisṭīniyyah (LIF) 16mins] 10PM (Project Room): hidden towels by Steve Stymest [ACCESS INFO: the performer uses signs from sign language under a towel; Content Warning: references military terrorism] 10.30PM (Project Room): Revisiting Turbulence by Nour Sokhon 11:30PM (Project Room): A hybrid set by Moody Kablawi 00:30PM (Project Room): DJ set by YA Z AN 02:00AM (Project Room): DJ set by DJ SALEM  *weather permitting, events will be moved into the lounge in case of rain Event orga team: Frances Breden, Saverio Cantoni, Dana Cermane, Refuge Worldwide, and soft power. ACCESS INFO 90mil is located on the ground floor and all rooms are step-free. There are gender-neutral toilets and step-free toilet with railings, designed for wheelchair users.  90mil has an outdoor area and multiple indoor rooms.  There will be information at the door describing the building, programme, and accessibility offers.  There will be a quiet and dark room for relaxing and resting. Other areas will be loud with dancing. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.  There will be bartenders who use German Sign Language available for ordering. There will be members of the awareness team who use German Sign Language. We will have interpreters on hand for the conversation at 7pm who use German Sign Language and spoken German, as well as some spoken English.  We will have a spoken English to spoken German translator for the discussion. We will have interpreters on hand for open socialising time, staying from 7pm until midnight. One uses International Sign and spoken English. One uses German Sign Language and spoken German. One uses German Sign Language, spoken German, and some spoken English. There will be a English-German spoken translator for open socialising time until midnight. We have a variety of sitting options.  Many performances have visual and audio aspects, and there are subwoofers with strong vibrations to enjoy the music without hearing it. There will be balloons available for feeling vibrations. We encourage guests to do COVID-19 tests before coming and have some tests available at the door.  If you have any access requests, please email neunzigmil@gmail.com or call or message 0174-567-9476, for instance for accompaniment from the train; coming early for a tour of the space; and the written materials for the conversation at 7pm. We offer accompaniment from S Bahnhof Jannowitzbrücke next to the Elevator on street level at 7pm and 8pm. Please get in touch at 0174-567-9476 about this. You can email neunzigmil@gmail.com or call or message 0174-567-9476 any time for further information. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide heads to Uzbekistan for Sublimation]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sublimation</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sublimation</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The festival takes place in Tashkent this September]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We will be streaming live from Uzbekistan!

From 27 until 29 September, Sublimation Festival will be welcoming a range of DJs, live performers, speakers and workshop hosts in Tashkent. Founded by Madina and Sabina, Sublimation's "vision is to help the voices of their homeland to resonate globally, breaking stereotypes and highlighting the rich cultural heritage of Uzbekistan." We are hosting, and live streaming a stage, on September 29th with sets from Almaty-based Refuge resident milktea, locals Densk and Kebato, as well as Refuge's founders Richard Akingbehin & No Plastic. We will also be taking part in a talk and broadcasting workshop - more info on those soon. In parallel, we are beginning a radio residency with the Sublimation crew, starting on Monday, July 29.

Elsewhere on the festival lineup is Kauno Fonas curator Less Feeling, Bjarki, Nazira, Josef Tumari, Basic Chanel, The National Orchestra of Uzbekistan and many more. Photos by Rakhim Kalibaev.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 25 July-1 August]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-25-july-1-august</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-25-july-1-august</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: Oyoun hosts Wild Combination for a two-day fundraiser boogie for a selection of causes this weekend, Sat 27 and Sun 28 July. Profits will be donated to: The Berlin Legal Fund (providing legal support to those arrested in pro-palestine demonstrations), Doctors Without Borders (one of the most vetted non-profit organisations), as well as Oyoun (who have been subject to defunding by the Berlin senate). The pricing of the event is sliding, countering the rise in event prices around Berlin. See more info and line-up here. Big ups to moe. for the curation! Demonstration: Pride weekend is here. On Saturday 27 July @ 15:00, Internationalist Queer Pride invites us to gather for the Black Resistance Bloc. The march starts near Hermannplatz. Bloc map here. Event: Yuko Asanuma's recently-launched event series - and long-running agency - Setten is hosting a night at 90mil this Saturday 27 July. Refuge's own resident NaN will launch the night's music, sitting on a line-up including Commodo, Kutmah, Mama Matrix + Hans Arsen and MBODJ (who will also be on the Refuge airwaves this Friday at 17:00!). Join the telegram group for more event details.  Event: The open-air music festival DURCHLÜFTEN taking place in Humboldt Forum is a-go! Free DJ sets, performances and concerts on every weekend until 10 August. Check out the full and diverse program here. Event: “Nocturnes for a Society” is an overnight immersive performance by Myriam Van Imschoot & Lucas van Haesbroeck taking place this weekend - 26 + 27 July. This will be the first of the Radialsystem’s new series “Conjunctions”, where “being in relation” will be collectively explored. Tickets here.  Workshop: SAVVY Contemporary is hosting a workshop on "The Philosophies of Colour Indexing", exploring the historical development of categorising people based on appearance. It will take place this Friday 26 July 16:00-18:00 with Emmanuel Tanka Fonta.  Oona: Today MORT-MOI will be taking over our Refuge hangout slot, followed by Gavsborg on Saturday and Miercoles de Salsa next Wednesday. Join us for a drink, a hang & a listen.  Cover image courtesy of SAVVY Contemporary. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge collaborates with Le Guess Who? Festival & COSMOS on 2024 edition]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/le-guess-who</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/le-guess-who</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 22 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We're heading to Utrecht.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The festival takes place from 7-10 November. Le Guess Who? is an annual gathering of eclectic music lovers and a celebration of sound. We are happy to collaborate with the festival for the first time, hosting a pop-up radio station alongside COSMOS, a worldwide music community brought together by LGW. Stationed in the festival's main hub, TivoliVredenburg, we will be inviting artists from the lineup - and some special guests - for chats and to play some music. Tune in live via channel two on our website, or come join us at the festival! The last tickets are available here. Already confirmed for this year's line up are King Jammy, Aba Shanti-I, Arooj Aftab, Cõvco, Theo Parrish, HiTech and many more. As always, LGW also invites some co-curators to collaborate with on programming. This year, the curators are DARKSIDE, Crystalmess, Arooj Aftab, Bo Ningen, Mabe Fratti and Touching Bass. As well as our on-site collaboration, we will be broadcasting episodes from the festival's COSMOS initiative, beginning today, July 22nd, and running every first Monday of the month from then until November. COSMOS is a globe-spanning initiative that amplifies local scenes from around the world - the first episode platforms the Santuri East Africa music school from Nairobi. See the full festival program here. Photos by Tengbeh Kamara and Lisanne Lentink.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 18-25 July]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-18-25-july</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-18-25-july</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: This Sunday 21 July, Refuge collaborates with Roland for a free-to-attend evening of piano and vocal performances. There will be piano performances from Rabia Yo and Franka, as well as an emotional vocal expression by Rûveyda. RSVP here.  Exhibition: ORIGINS by artist Felipe Lira features over 20 wood-cut and lino prints to acknowledge and celebrate the role of reggaeton music the world over. The show officially opens this Saturday 20 July from 18:00, at B23 Space, where there will be performances unique to the night.  Event: Tendersesh are hosting a sober rave, with the mission of building a more inclusive nightlife in the city. The party will take place at Aktionshaus on 10 August and is strictly alcohol and drug-free. More info here.  Event: A film screening and panel discussion on 'Witnessing a Collapsing Healthcare System in Gaza' takes places on 18 July at 19-22:00. The event is free and will be hosted at Spore Initiative.  Event: On Saturday 20 July, we will host a listening session at our new space at Niemetzstraße 1 to hear the results of the poetry and rap workshops hosted by Lilipad e.V. created by the participating children and young people. More info here.  Festival: Framed Festival will be taking off this weekend (19-28.07) in Wasserturm (Prenzlauer Berg), Berlin’s oldest water tower. The festival will see concerts, performances, workshops and poetry, using a diversity of mediums to connect the audience and artists. Full program here. Oona: This Saturday on Weserstrasse we have radio shows from the likes of NM DJ, Riki Ross, Crisp Collective, Kidkanevil and Calamidades Lola, as well as a takeover from CURA Berlin. Cover image courtesy of ORIGINS.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Lilipad Community Fundraiser]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/lilipad-present-rap-and-poetry-workshops</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/lilipad-present-rap-and-poetry-workshops</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The art of rap, rhythm, and writing one's own songs.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Saturday 20th July from 4pm, Lilipad will host a family-friendly, wheelchair accessible fundraiser at Niemetzstraße 1 to showcase the rap songs, poetry and visual art created at the workshops at GU Britz in cooperation with The Poetry Project Berlin. At 6pm there will be performances from Sorah, RealMo and Taha.  English Lilipad e.V. hosted a series of workshops that combine poetry and rap. In the poetry workshops, participants immersed themselves in West Asian poetry, explored works by poets such as Rumi and Darwish, and expressed their personal stories, thoughts and feelings in their own poems. The rap workshops were all about the art of rap, rhythm, and writing one's own songs. These are not only recorded, but also professionally produced, and will be broadcasted on Refuge Worldwide. The project took place in the Haarlamerstraße shared accommodation centre in Neukölln Britz, one of the largest accommodation centres in Berlin, which currently houses over 700 residents, including more than 250 children. On 20th July, the final event will take place at Niemetzstraße 1, where the results of the workshops will be seen and heard. A brief insight into Lilipad as an organisation: They are a non-profit organisation that builds multilingual libraries in refugee shelters and offers a variety of programmes. The aim is to strengthen the integrity and resilience of children and young people by reading and participating in workshops in their mother tongue. Read our interview with them here. Save the date! On 20 July, we invite you to our joint community event at Refuge Worldwide's new space at Niemetzstraße 1. You can see and hear the results of the workshops, from rap tracks to works of art by the participating children and young people. Funded by Berliner Projektfonds Kulturelle Bildung. Deutsch Lilipad e.V. präsentierte eine Workshopreihe, die Poesie und Rap miteinander verbindet. In den Poesie Workshops tauchten die Teilnehmenden in die westasiatische Dichtkunst ein, erkundten Werke von Dichtern wie Rumi und Darwish und brachten ihre persönlichen Geschichten, Gedanken und Gefühle in eigenen Gedichten zum Ausdruck. In den Rap Workshops drehte sich alles um die Kunst des Raps, den Rhythmus und das Schreiben eigener Songs. Diese wurden nicht nur aufgenommen, sondern auch professionell produziert und bei Refuge Worldwide veröffentlicht. Das Projekt fand in der Gemeinschaftsunterkunft Haarlamerstraße in Neukölln Britz statt, einer der größten Unterkünfte Berlins, die derzeit über 700 Bewohner*innen beherbergt, darunter mehr als 250 Kinder. Am 20.07. findet die Abschluss Veranstaltung im neuen Refuge Worldwide Raum in der Niemetzstraße 1 statt, in der die Ergebnisse der Workshops gesehen und gehört werden. Ein kurzer Einblick in Lilipad als Organisation: Lilipad ist eine gemeinnützige Organisation, die multilinguale Bibliotheken in Geflüchtetenunterkünften aufbaut und eine Vielzahl von Programmen anbietet. Durch Lesen und Teilnahme an Workshops in ihrer Muttersprache soll die Integrität und Resilienz der Kinder und Jugendlichen gestärkt werden. Save the date! Am 20.07. laden wir herzlich zu unserem gemeinsamen Community Event im Refuge Worldwide Raum in der Niemetzstraße 1 ein. Zu sehen und hören gibt es die Ergebnisse aus den Workshops, von Rap Tracks bis zu Kunstwerken der Kinder und Jugendlichen. Gefördert von Berliner Projektfonds Kulturelle Bildung.

]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA["Communist ideas are often censored in creative works": an interview with filmmaker Joana Georgi]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/joana-georgi-filmmaker</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/joana-georgi-filmmaker</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Her debut, NIEMALS ALLEIN, IMMER ZUSAMMEN, is out now.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Joana Georgi is an emerging filmmaker and freelance journalist living in Berlin. Her debut feature film, a documentary titled NIEMALS ALLEIN, IMMER ZUSAMMEN (Never alone, always together), follows the daily lives of five Berlin activists – Quang, Patricia, Simin, Zaza, and Feline – over the course of the year. All four are engaged in different political movements, fighting against racism, the climate crisis, the housing crisis, and advocating for better care work in the Berlin hospital system.  What unites them all in their struggle is the belief that the current capitalist system needs to be abolished in order to create a better society. The film depicts their daily life and political activities – taking care of their community, creating political art, and making waves on social media, and navigating an increasingly polarised place in time.  NIEMALS ALLEIN, IMMER ZUSAMMEN breaks down stereotypes about social movements and leftist political organisations in Berlin, showcasing that radical change is not only possible but necessary. The film premiered on 13 June and is currently streaming in cinemas across Berlin and in Germany. Watch the trailer here. Caroline Whiteley spoke with Georgi about leftist filmmaking, the changing landscape of political activism in Germany, and the changes necessary for progressive movements to become more productive in achieving their goals.  How do you feel right now? The film has already been in theatres for about a month.  We never anticipated receiving such overwhelming praise and support, and it has been gratifying. This film has been a labour of love for three years, often under unpredictable circumstances, and there were many moments where we doubted if we could continue. Talking to people who watched the film has been beautiful. School kids and elderly viewers have all expressed their appreciation and newfound motivation for anti-capitalist struggles. Our goal for the film was to remind those who are already involved in political activism that they are not alone and to motivate those who are inactive to get involved into radical politics and stand up for themselves. This is the feedback we received from viewers. You were just in Hamburg yesterday showing the film to school classes again. How was that for you?  While creating our film, we were under the impression that most young people leaned towards left-wing or environmentally friendly beliefs. However, this has drastically changed since then. In fact, I have discussed this with the organisers of a school showing where our film was presented to three classes. They were just as surprised by the apparent shift to right-leaning views among young people. Before the pandemic, topics like queer gender identities and climate change were of great interest to young individuals. However, in recent times, there has been a notable shift in attitudes. Each year, public schools offer a special cinema program (SchulKinoWochen) that allows students to watch films at a discounted price. Currently, they are searching for movies with a progressive message to counteract conservative beliefs among the students. During yesterday’s screening, five boys left midway through the film. We overheard them discussing outside, expressing anger towards the film’s criticism of law enforcement and making ignorant statements about people who can’t afford train tickets ending up in jail. This only confirmed my worries about young people holding conservative viewpoints. But thankfully, the post-film discussion sparked meaningful conversations and raised important questions that need to be addressed. Three students who were initially quiet during the discussion later approached us to thank us for the film. I think our film motivates already-politicised students to get more involved and helps others understand structural issues, for example within the police, for the first time. This process may push individuals to think differently and become more engaged outside of school. Films have the power to inspire people to engage with important topics in a more sustainable way, rather than simply watching and moving on, like it often happens on social media. Young people, or at least some, are drawn to the AfD [Alternative für Deutschland political party] because it is good at networking on social media and using the internet effectively. A film can be a good educational countermeasure. The portrayal of radical left politics on a personal level, without a preachy tone or finger-wagging attitude, makes this film stand out. We wanted to focus on the individuals and tell their stories in order to connect with the audience more deeply. Our critiques of the capitalist system are not just presented forcefully. They emerge naturally from the protagonist’s own lived experiences. Many people have also told us that they were so happy to finally see a film with a leftist, critical point of view that doesn’t hold back and dares to name things openly, and even includes protagonists who explicitly call themselves communists, which is relatively rare in the German film landscape. Why do you think that is? The decline of leftist film structures is a result of neglect and lack of support for years. Although there are still many talented leftist filmmakers, they often struggle to secure funding and opportunities. The German film industry - like any other industry that focuses on profits over quality - tends to lean towards conservatism, which can encourage self-censorship among filmmakers. In order to avoid provoking audiences, terms like communism, revolution, and anti-capitalism may be avoided in favour of more neutral language such as “system criticism” or “alternative economic systems.” This can dilute the intended ideas and ultimately sacrifice honest political views for potential funding or approval. I think it’s really important that young people who call themselves communists can say so and provoke discourse. Due to Germany’s in parts traumatic history of living in a socialist dictatorship, which is not typically viewed positively, individuals may refrain from identifying as communists. However, we have to examine and assess the successes and failures of actual socialist states, to learn from them for the future. In a particular scene in the film, Simin acknowledges that she has gained valuable perspectives from those who criticise the authoritarianism of the GDR. However, she defines communism as originating from “communes”, which is based on the idea of communal management of shared property. This contradicts the values of capitalism, which are rooted in private ownership and wealth accumulation by a select few individuals. Rather than promoting a green capitalist system, we support collective management of property and shared ownership of the means of production. While creating new terminology may have its advantages in certain situations, using established terms from the communist tradition can lead to more meaningful discussions and deeper engagement with our beliefs. We are already seeing a watering down of radical positions from the leftist fraction in the current government.  Precisely. The Greens and the Left party (Die Linke) assumed government responsibilities and had to compromise on many leftist principles. They supported deportation and privatisation during the last decades, which go against their original beliefs. This kind of compromise undermines the seriousness of left-wing politics. In my opinion, it’s more truthful to create a film that directly addresses radical politics rather than pretending to not be anti-capitalist. Because the reality is that many social movements and individuals who desire a different economic system actually do have ties to communism and Marxism. It’s important to listen and give them representation on screen. Unfortunately, communist ideas are often censored in creative works. You were also censored in a very real way by the algorithm when you tried to promote the film, right? That’s correct! During our filming process in Berlin, we captured the protagonists near the Marx and Engels monument. One photo of them climbing onto the statue was chosen for the film’s poster, as it depicted young, leftist, radical individuals and what unites them all. We never considered the potential issues this may cause on Instagram. However, when we started our campaign four weeks before the release date, we posted the poster as an ad and immediately encountered problems – the ad was banned as Instagram had marked it as “political content”. As it turns out, Instagram banned us from using this particular image because they deemed it to be in violation of their guidelines against political content. This caught us off guard and we were unable to promote our film’s trailer for three weeks. To us, this is a clear infringement on our artistic freedom. It’s not even a campaign poster - it’s just a promotional visual for our film. After multiple attempts, our producer Irina Thiab was able to successfully appeal to the Facebook office in Germany and get our poster approved. These may seem like small issues, but they make you consider the consequences of including anything remotely political in your work. It’s almost as if there is an intentional effort to intimidate and censor activists into self-censorship. Leftist content is often suppressed on social media platforms, shadowbanned, etc. This becomes problematic when you consider that 80% of young people rely on social media for news. It’s no surprise then that there has been a rise in right-wing ideology among young people, because they are unable to access leftist content online. That’s my perspective, at least. You began documenting the protagonists shortly before the start of the Ukraine war. [Almost a year] after you had wrapped the film shoot, Israel began its assault on Gaza following the 7 October Hamas attack. I can’t help but wonder how the film would have been received if it had included footage of activist movements focused on Palestinian liberation. Would it have presented even more challenges for releasing the film in Germany, given the country’s stance on Israel and Palestine?  Definitely. If we had filmed just a year later, finding help within the film industry would have been a huge challenge. The theatres would not have been as eager to show it either. The situation has highlighted the level of self-censorship and fear present in journalists reporting on this topic with objectivity and fairness. The issue is incredibly charged. In one of the scenes, Simin talks about her visit to Palestine earlier that year [in 2022]. It is not a big scene but we decided to leave this scene in, as a small statement that we’re not afraid of touching on the subject. If we had depicted a protagonist in 2023 who actively supports the Palestinian movement and fights for a ceasefire, we would have faced challenges in getting our film into German cinemas. We know that the Palestinian liberation movement has caused rifts even among those on the left, leading to strained relationships and disagreements. However, it is crucial that we actively engage in discussions with one another in order to not become lethargic or drop out of politics. If we stay silent and disengage we will just harm our fights for freedom - no matter the topic. I hope this will improve in the future. At the same time, I understand filmmakers who might be tempted to engage in self-censorship. Going into this film, I had concerns that choosing to tell a story about communists in my debut might hinder my future opportunities as a filmmaker. These are genuine concerns that must be confronted, but it’s important to also uphold journalistic integrity, to stay true to oneself and not obscure truths out of fear for one’s own career. Interview by Caroline Whiteley. Joana Georgi portrait photo by Clara Marnette.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide & Roland to host evening of piano solos and performances]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/roland-event</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/roland-event</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[It takes place at Niemetzstrasse 1 on Sunday, July 21.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Come and join us next Sunday. As part of our new collaboration with world-renowned music technology company Roland, we are hosting a free-to-attend evening of piano and vocal performances. It will take place at our new premises, Niemetzstrasse 1, from 6-8:30PM on Sunday 21 July and it will be free to attend. The piano being used for the event will also form part of our music production studio at NM1. There will be piano performances from Rabia Yo and Franka, as well as an emotional vocal expression by Rûveyda. There will also be some complimentary drinks. RSVP here: here Artwork by Raoul Gottschling, header photo by Jamila Kae.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 11-18 July]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-11-18-july</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-11-18-july</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: This weekend, the final edition of MELT festival takes place at Ferropolis. Refuge will be hosting a lake-side radio stage while also streaming sets live for those who can't make it. See our full curation and, if you haven't already, grab a ticket to the last edition here. Demonstration: This Saturday, 13 July, a protest for the upkeep of solidarity and resistance for Palestine will take place in Schloßstrasse at 14:00 CET. Event: Next Thursday 18 July a fundraising event will take place in Kreuzberg to raise money for the people of Congo. The organisers are actively looking for people to contribute to the event, including those who can; participate in panel discussions, perform art & music, sell merchandise. Find out how you can help out here.  Exhibition: American photographer, Tyler Mitchell displays his work in CO Berlin with his exhibit, entitled "Wish This Was Real". The exhibition envisions a reality where Black people are not a minority.  Event: Hypersoft is hosting their debut label release party at OHM this Saturday, 13 July. The queer party crew gives proceeds to charity and the night platforms artists who featured on the release. See event page here.  Event: An exhibition centring around the importance of education and the struggle refugees face to receive it is showing at Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation. "Becoming Who You Are – Studying Despite Displacement", will be showing until 13 October this year and admission is free. Oona: There's always something going on at on our cosy home turf and this week is no different. The DJ Tears crew is coming to hang out with us on Saturday 13, and Milanese venue Tempio Del Futuro Perduto will be taking over our airwaves on 18 July.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 4-11 July]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-4-11-july</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-4-11-july</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Demonstration: Today, 4 July, at 17:00 a Migrantifa-organised protest taking place at Yorckstrasse will collectively respond to the social cuts in constituencies, the dismissal of Frieda e.V. and the criminalisation of pro-Palestinian activism. Read more here.   Event: The English Theatre Berlin showcases actor and writer Kumar Muniandy's play, Second Class Queer, this weekend. Muniandy uses his piece to raise questions of identity, queerness, internalized homophobia and racism through the Tamil-Malaysian queer perspective. Find more information for performances on 5, 6, 7 July here. Event: This Sunday, 7 July, another of the beloved Museum Sonntags takes place, during which entry to participating venues is free-of-charge. One highlight is the photography exhibition entitled Being, Seeing, Wandering by Akinbode Akinbiyi that opened last month for the first time in Germany. Winner of this year's Hannah Höch Prize, Akinbiyi displays 120 of his photographs. Event: The annual Sonic Pluriverse Festival kicks off today, 4 July, at HKW, running until 26 July. Shining a light on Terapia, a type of music from the Colombian Caribbean, the festival will include DJ sets, talks, workshops and more to share this 'comprehensive interdisciplinary concept that brings together different epistemologies that address physical and psychological aspects of healing.' Check out the full program here. Event: A Reading Group On The Revolution's Promise will host its final group discussion this Sunday, 7 July, in Fabriktheater, Moabit. The group use this play to start raising  questions akin to; 'what is the political impact of art, and what does it mean to preserve its freedom?'. Register here. Event: Lab*r An Invitation To Action ... A Basis For Hope opens at SAVVY Contemporary this Friday 5 July. The project poses the question: "If we see culture as a weapon of struggle against apartheid, imperialism, patriarchy and other dominant ideologies, how do we understand the role of the cultural worker?". Oona: This Saturday 6 July our cosy Oona bar will host hang outs with Somali Independence and Fiestuki x Madre Mezcal. Come by for a few drinks and share the music with us.  Header photo courtesy of Haus der Kulturen der Welt, body photo courteyy of Akinbode Akinbiyi.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Talkie Walkie: A Patreon Podcast]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/talkie-walkie-patreon-podcast</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/talkie-walkie-patreon-podcast</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A new and exclusive podcast comes to our patreon subscribers]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Talkie – Walkie is a new exclusive podcast developed by Johanka Kalaninová. Each episode will feature a conversation with a member of the Refuge community to find out a bit more about themselves, their work, and their approach to creativity.  Episode one is now live featuring Gaby D'Annunzio! Tune in to hear more about Gaby's move to Berlin over ten years ago, her work at Refuge and the Open Music Lab, and her next steps after moving back to London. Listen to the first episode here. Our Patreon members help keep the radio station going. Join for as little as 3EUR per month and get a host of benefits. Thanks for the support!]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oscar Atanga Selects]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oscar-atanga-selects</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oscar-atanga-selects</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tracks for this weekend's summer hangout at Oona Bar. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Sound artist, curator, and selector Oscar Atanga has delivered a selection of tunes to set the mood for Oona Bar summer hangout this weekend at Weserstraße. On Friday, he will share the decks with Richard Akingbehin for two hours of deep and dubby tracks.  "These selections include music that I’ve played in other mixes whether that be at gigs, on my Refuge show Frequency Shift (previously Sequences) or on my most recent Breakfast Shows. I’m in love with a lot of different styles of music but I’m especially drawn to very textural and emotional music. There’s plenty of that here and I think you can feel the emotion even when there are no lyrics…sometimes even more so as you have your imagination to draw from instead and the connection from your own personal experiences. I hope so anyway! This playlist feels deep and dubby, perfect for easing yourself into a summer’s day with some percussive peaks towards the end for an energy lift. I’ve included YouTube links for ease but all of the music is available on Bandcamp so listeners can support the artists directly." Suzi Analogue - Watch Me Jump (AXIS version) (Disciples) video Suzi Analogue is a really talented artist. She’s a composer, producer and music educator based in the United States. Recently she released a collection of music called ONEZ which includes some music of hers that you could have heard over the last couple of years plus some new material. It’s a really sonically diverse mixtape that showcases the range of her sound and honestly, I’ve been listening to it and playing it so much that I could choose any number of tracks from it. I very nearly went for CHANGGGED which I played minimum 100 times so far since it was released but I wanted a calmer, spacier start to this playlist. Watch Me Jump is a track I’ve gone back to many times, most recently in the early part of the most recent set I played with Alia (aka Alias Error) for our Modalities project. I think it also features in the first on air b2b I played with Richard Akingbehin. Trippy, full of synthy textures and layers of field recordings.  Black Decelerant - two (RVNG Intl.) video The Black Decelerant album was recently released on RVNG Intl. It’s a new collaborative project from Khari Lucas aka Contour and Omari Jazz. Briefly, I’d describe this music as feeling spiritual, expansive and elevating. Khari described it himself as “an exploration of being/nonbeing, a wondering in the concept of “rest” and how it’s defined…”. Sometimes it’s better to allow yourself to emotionally and physically connect with the music beyond any biographical detail or cerebral analysis. Ideally I’d recommend just allowing yourself to connect with this one emotionally and physically. Still very trippy to me but calmly so. Press play at the first sight or feeling of sunshine to start the day right.  Paul St Hilaire & René Löwe - Faith (Vox Mix) (Kynant Records) video Another one I’ve played a lot since release. This actually came out originally in 2003 or so but was recently re-released by Kynant Records. This reminds me of the importance of re-releases because for me, and I’m sure many other people, it was the first time hearing this and I’m very grateful for the introduction. I love dub music and dub influenced music (when it’s good to me!) and I’ve been on a particularly big Tikiman deep dive since the release of Tikiman Vol.1 on Kynant Records last year. The last time I played this was actually just last week on the beach at Plotzensee for Fandango and it was a really beautiful point in the set. This one is perfect for outdoors any time from sunrise until sunset. Full of warm, hazy tones and of course Tikiman’s unique voice floating over and between it all, “You’ve got to let your love show…got to let your light glow”. Alberto Malo & Infinite Livez - The Underdog, Four (TORO RECORDS) video This track is a recent discovery for me. I went to the second edition of Black Communion which is an event series of live performances put together by Eiliyas who has the Mixtape Menage show on Refuge. Each edition of Black Communion brings together musicians for two nights of performances. On the first night the musicians perform separately and then on the second night collaboratively. I was really blown away by the collaborative performance from Leila Bencharnia, Dudu Kouate and Infinite Livez. In particular I’d never seen or heard anybody playing like Leila and Dudu. Very special stuff! Better to experience than describe. Infinite Livez combined some of the most natural freestyling I’ve heard with really dubby, other worldly electronics. I continued digging after the show and I came across this track by Alberto Malo & Infinite Livez which showcases the lyrical and vocal aspect of Infinite Livez’ music. The track is around 12 minutes long and uses that time to take you through numerous interesting twists, turns and changes without losing it’s groove or flow. This is running through my headphones a lot as I cycle around the city.  Zadeh - Koobideh (Dub) (Psssh Records) video Ending the playlist with a percussive energiser. This is another recent release, this time from Zadeh on Psssh Records which is run by Dauwd from African Acid Is The Future. I’m imagining you listening to this when you’re well into your day. Maybe you need some energy to get the last few things done or even better you’re finally done with life and work tasks for the day and now you’re spending time with some close ones. I love a track like this where the sound design is deep but subtle and what really propels it are the drums and percussion. I think people will play it all year round and beyond but something about it gives me a particularly summery vibe. Sonically and energetically it just feels hot and sweaty to me in the best possible way. Enjoy!
 Tune in or join us on Weserstraße for Oscar's next show on Friday 28th!]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin stories | 27 June-4 July]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-27-june-4-july</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-27-june-4-july</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: A Soli Küfa (or Küche for Alle) is taking place close to Pannierstrasse Brücke this Friday at 6PM and raising money for a queer Palestinian person in need. There will be music, drinks and vegan food, and the event is hosted by QuARC Berlin and Berlin Against Pinkwashing. Follow the link for more details. Open Call: Radical Sounds Latin America are opening submissions for papers for their 2024 festival’s discourse program. The open call runs until July 8 and invites entries relating to the theme of “Sound Systems Architectures: Assemblages, Environments, and Happenings”. Oona: This weekend we have our annual Summer Hangout at Oona so expect a bumper weekend of special sets, some food on the house and a few other surprises. Campaign: Zalando, with whom we are currently running a DJ course and sharing a stage at MELT, have started an accelerator program for Black-owned fashion businesses. The project was worked on by Refuge Worldwide resident Nditscheni. Event: Tonight, 27 June, Irish Bloc Berlin and Gaza Passages are coming together for an evening of Irish and Palestinian poetry at the Curious Fox bookshop (Lausitzer Platz). All donations will go to Gaza aid related organisations. Open Call: The Fresh Patterns Collective running and movement community are opening applications for new members again. Read more about the FPC via our interview with founder Aaron, who hosts the Monthly Pattern radio show. Event: Next Saturday (July 6th), Throw Down takes place at 90Mil as a night curated by Lady And The Score and NaN, with a lineup full of Refuge residents. We love to see it! Join the Telegram channel for full info  Project: A new running club for Black women and femmes launched on 23 June and is inviting new members. “Bring your sisters, tell your aunties”. More info here. Event: On 29 and 30 June, dancer, curator and movement artist Thomias Radin is hosting another edition of Sensidance, featuring dance workshops, performances and DJ sets. It is part of the 48 Stunden Neukölln weekender. Music: Check out new music from our residents Alinka, Ghostpoet, ILYICH & Floyd Lavine. Event: Our friends from !K7 are hosting an evening at Coppi on July 4th, with sets from Imad, Airaboi, Nugget, MSJY and Hot Sauce Felix. Event: On July 10, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Berlin, Dr. Emilia Roig speaks to an audience about her book "The End of Marriage". There will be a book sale and book signing afterwards. Tickets are available here. Event: An afternoon of Lebanese music, food and drinks - called Beytkoun - will be hosted on July 6th at Weserstrasse 91, and will feature Refuge regular Rami Abi Rafi. Event: BRENN founder Flemish.Fetish is running an open-to-all, donation based DJ workshop with the support of CSD Berlin Pride. It will take place at THF Radio on 23 July. Event: Julia Iglesias aka Musikzeit has invited by the artist Marina De Caro to design a 24-hour sound space as a political action. Participants will be dancing in the exhibition space with the aim of creating a spell against the current challenges we face. This event will take place at the MAC VAL Museum in Paris, France, on July 7th starting at 1 PM, and will also be available to stream via Zoom here. (Meeting ID: 729 8253 2253 / Access code:: 6U8txg) Header photo courtesy of The Fresh Patterns Collective.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Student Internship positions at Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/student-internship-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/student-internship-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Applications are now open for 2024.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are now taking applications for internship positions throughout the latter half of 2024. This role is based in Berlin, involving a combination of studio and remote work. We are looking for motivated, organised and adaptable people who share our values to join the team.  We mainly communicate in English but knowledge of German is an added bonus / much appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you! About Us Refuge Worldwide is a radio station and community space in Berlin-Neukölln. We have a 24/7 output of music and conversation alongside weekly events, editorial content and creative community work throughout the year. We are committed to various social justice issues and enjoy sharing great music. See here for more details on our story so far.  The Internships Please note these opportunities are limited to students (full or part-time) who wish to earn credits toward their course qualifications or studies, or who receive funding from their educational institution.  Successful candidates will receive in-house mentoring, access to audio and design editing software, a small monthly stipend (if applicable), and are expected to be able to commit to a minimum of 15 hours per week. Start dates and time frames are flexible. Internship positions are suited to people looking to gain experience working in creative fields or the broadcasting industry, however we do expect a basic level of skills in the relevant areas. Day To Day Roles Successful candidates will gain experience across a range of fields: Design / Visual Communication - Assist in the creation of print and digital assets for artists, digital marketing (social media content), email campaigns, and other online advertising designs.  Broadcasting - Working from our studios, candidates will provide technical support to artists and show hosts, assist with producing radio shows while learning about hardware and software tools. Audio Editing - Record, edit and archive our daily radio schedule, as well as create and develop your own audio segments or features. Events - We hosts weekly and monthly parties, workshops, hangouts and meet-ups. Interns will assist with production, communication and delivering for our community and guests. Application Process (please read carefully) Your application must be sent to hello@refugeworldwide.com and include: "Internship Application" subject in the email title  Include a letter of motivation, your preferred start date, time frame. Please give specific details about your study programme and educational institute. If applicable, we require proof of mandatory internship, such as a letter from your university. Complete CV/resume and date of birth. If you are not a resident of Berlin or Germany, please give details how you plan to stay in the city during your internship. Links to or examples of your portfolio or previous work are most welcome! Experience with any of the below is an advantage: · Adobe Suite (InDesign / Premiere / Audition / Photoshop / Illustrator / After Effects) · Ableton · Figma · Transcription software (e.g. Otter) · CMS (e.g. Contentful) · Field Recordings · Broadcast tools (e.g. Audio Hijack or BUTT) · Social media scheduling tools · Google Spreadsheets · Podcasting / podcast platforms Please send examples of your work, portfolio, or any documentation along with your email. Priority will be given to those with refugee backgrounds, BIPoC, people from the LGBTQIA community, disabled people, women and gender nonconforming people, or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face access difficulties. Please reach out to hello@refugeworldwide.com with any questions. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host stage at the final ever MELT Festival]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/melt-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/melt-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ Join us lakeside for three days of music.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Better pack your swimming gear because Refuge Worldwide is heading to Ferropolis from July 11th to 14th, curating MELT festival's Radio Stage once more.  Performances by our station residents and special guests, morning yoga, and sound healing will be featured on the lakeside stage this year.  We kick off on Thursday with a warm-up session hosted by Zalando. Setting the vibe on the opening day is Miszo, DJ Westfa, Nalamazon, and Josiane, with Lisa Hill joining us as a special guest.  On Friday we start with an early afternoon yoga session before seasoned selector Amuleto Manuela and a trip-hop set by Byron Yeates, while Richard Akingbehin plays alongside Charles Moon as MELT heads into the weekend. Saturday morning we kick back with Laura Vargas playing some Latin sounds before the afternoon brings No Plastic & Aver, Kikelomo, and Sunny7am spinning a range of funk, RnB, hip-hop and soul. For this very last edition of MELT, we are thrilled to share a line-up with more than 120 artists in the industrial set-up of the Ferropolis. We've also added an ice cream stall, photo booth and chill out zone courtesy of Zalando for extra relaxation. See you down by the lake! For tickets and info, head here. #melt2024 #meltfestival #zalando #refugeworldwide #Refuge&Zalando #ZalandoMeltFestival  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona Bar summer hangout is back!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-bar-summer-hangout</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-bar-summer-hangout</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join us for two days of tunes, cakes, and Weserstraße vibes]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th June for live music all day by station residents and special guests, (along with delicious cakes prepared by Laura Seach).  On Friday, Nikola kicks us off with a special edition of the Breakfast Show featuring Delfonic followed by a Bierbaum Jukebox session from No Plastic and Myriam (Morning Drop). Refuge Worldwide's Shayan and Christa Belle soundtrack the afternoon from 14:00, with Audio Cassette Lab's Tape Dub taking over the studio until 21:00.  The evening shows are curated by Meriem S with a special Italo edition of Roots & Beets, Richard Akingbehin & Oscar Atanga, plus In Living Colour duo Ben Olayinka & Emo Rugene.  Saturday brings music from Sia K S, Joanna Legid, George Snow, Christophe Darbouze, Vio PRG, Ioket and special guest Joseysradios.  Come by to listen to some top selections, taste our delicious Mezcal Slushies and enjoy the vibes at our home base. As ever this is free to attend, with the music rolling 10:00-02:00 Friday and 13:00-02:00 CET Saturday. Tune in or join us on the street. Illustration by Cate Gowers Layout by Raoul Gottschling ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Listen back to GISIRA Festival ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listen-back-to-gisira-festival-shows</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listen-back-to-gisira-festival-shows</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide's trip to Sicily. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Earlier this month we took a trip to Ortigia in Sicily, broadcasting panel discussions and DJ sets as part of GISIRA Festival 2024. The weekend featured a heavy presence from local NGOs and humanitarian groups, including SOS Humanity's Head of Operations Till Rummenhol, Kerstine Launay from Sea-Watch and Michela Messina from CIAO in discussion with Nicky Böhm about migrant relief efforts in the Mediterranean.  
Refuge Worldwide's Özay Öztürk, along with Bluemarina, Mirko Fanciullo, and Lungomare Paradiso, joined us on La Barca in the Ortigia harbour for a celebration of Mediterranean music and culture. In addition to our radio broadcast, the festival included events at various locations around Ortigia, with a programme attempting to reflect on the region's complexity. Check out photos by Giacomo De Caro and listen back to some performances from GISIRA 2024 below. More information: SEA-WATCH, SOS HUMANITY, CIAO, GISIRA.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and MUBI collaborate on ReCut Soundtracks]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/recut-soundtracks</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/recut-soundtracks</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The series begins on Friday with a spin on Perfect Days’ soundtrack.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Radio meets cinema. In collaboration between MUBI, a global streaming platform dedicated to elevating great cinema, we invite residents of Refuge to create an alternate soundtrack to select films. Our host will also explore themes, narratives and musical cues in the movie, building on them in their own style. For the first episode, which will be broadcast at 12-2PM CET on Friday, June 21st, we invite Berlin-based, Japanese DJ and curator YUI to put her spin on the soundtrack of Wim Wenders’ film Perfect Days, taking us on a personal trip down a memory lane, with Tokyo landscapes and different generations intertwined. Perfect Days will also be available for streaming on MUBI from Friday. The film follows a contemplative middle-aged man who lives a life of modesty and serenity, spending his days balancing his job as a dutiful caretaker of Tokyo’s numerous public toilets with his passion for music, literature and photography. As part of this collaboration, you can get 30 days of great cinema for free exclusively on mubi.io/refuge.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Get To Know: Tempio Del Futuro Perduto, Italy’s first independent multidisciplinary cultural center]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tempio-del-futuro-perduto</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tempio-del-futuro-perduto</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The trailblazing Milan venue is hosting their first Berlin festival in August.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA["A proper example of how the arts, culture and togetherness can be a resource for the city, for everybody." Tempio Del Futuro Perduto may be best known in certain circles as a nightclub, but its reach, philosophy and impact is much, much more. Almost seven years into the venue’s history, it is being discussed in courtrooms and academic papers. Why? The founder Tommaso Dapri combined perfect timing - he started the venue right before Italy’s current, “fascist” government came into power - with his own socialist-leaning politics to create an inspiring hub for music, arts and social justice in Milan. Winning a landmark court case against the government in 2022, Dapri was allowed to continue running Tempio from its sprawling former train station in the centre of Milan. Now, Tempio houses the largest Wall Of Kindness (a community clothes sharing project that has gathered over 500,000 items) in Italy, as well as extensive refugee support programs, club nights for people with disabilities, among many other activities intended for the benefit of the local area. The Tempio Del Futuro Perduto (or Temple Of The Lost Future) crew are coming over to Berlin to host a three day festival at Alte Munze from August 30 until September 1st, as well as a radio takeover at Oona on July 18th. We spoke to Dapri about the venue’s beginning, its ethos and why they chose to make their Berlin festival just €5 entry. Can you please start by telling the origin story of Tempio. In Italy, politics have long been getting more repressive and far-right. Milan is one of the only cities that has been taking care of its communities and minorities with projects of inclusion and social justice. But, Milan has also really suffered from two decades of gentrification that killed almost all the social, cultural centres in the city. Another big issue is that the squats of the 70s and 80s were eradicated by the local government’s revolutionary approach in the early 2000s. The city needed a new way to approach politics, arts and togetherness.  I was involved with some big Antifa parades, playing on the trucks, but I was seeing that all the movements were dying. We decided that we would no longer work with clubs, festivals or institutions that cannot be safe for minorities, communities and politics. Here, 90% of the venues are run by people who are not sensitive to these issues. The bouncers, the mafia... There is a lot of racism and sexism. So we took a step outside the clubbing and rave scene to start a new project, taking the positive things we found from places like Berlin, France, UK, Ukraine. In the beginning, we squatted in this abandoned train factory to make Tempio. We are across the road from a monumental cemetery, in the centre of the city, so nobody is allowed to build new things here. No new business, no gentrification, everything gets abandoned in time. We asked for the space legally at the same time as squatting it. We sent three years of emails and letters to the city council. They did not reply to us so legally it meant they had nothing against us. We rebuilt the place and offered it to the city, to everybody. How did the legal issues progress from there?

The city council took me to court, but after 5 years of court sessions, we won. It was the first case in Italy of people like us winning a case like this. I was very lucky because my final court session took place one month before the new fascist government came into power. In the following months, we saw how much the city and the country needed this space, so we got a lot of attention and success with the events, workshops and humanitarian activities. Have any other institutions been able to follow in your footsteps In other parts of the world, if a judge rules in your favour, it sets a precedent and makes a law. But this isn’t the case in Italy. Laws are made by politicians here, not court cases. So there is still no law that people can use to become officially recognised. People around Italy can use our case as an example to judges, academics are even writing about it, but there is no actual law.  Can you tell me about some of those humanitarian activities you have going on? For two years, we host 60 Ukrainian families every Saturday. We teach them Italian and host games for the kids. We also do this for families from other parts of the world - China, Taiwan, Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan - but the Ukrainian families wanted separate sessions from other refugees, which is a very difficult topic for us. It’s funny because it’s during the weekend so the clubbers pass by. It’s a great example of community togetherness. We also run club sessions for people with mental illness and different disabilities. Nobody ever did this in Milan before. We host club nights for 200 people, and try to make as little difference from our regular club nights as possible. The goal is the normalisation of disability. We just have to take care of some aspects like the strobe lights, compulsive mixing and so on. These sessions are really lovely as people get freed of any judgement or prejudice. We have the biggest wall of kindness in Italy, and one of the biggest in Europe, in terms of how many tonnes of clothes we have there - at the moment it's around 500 tonnes. We started it during the pandemic and have kept it going. Every day we collect clothes and other items to share them with people who need them. Tell me about your idea for doing a festival in Berlin. Right now, we are living through a huge political crisis. I wake up every morning asking myself if I’m doing enough for the times. So, we want to bring our practices and policies outside of Italy, to the capital of clubbing, and see if the world thinks our ideas have value. The tickets are just 5€, how can you manage that? Tempio is not money focused. We are really investing all we have in projects that can make the world different. We think that clubbing and the techno community is having a big identity crisis. Tickets keep getting more expensive. From the beginning, we wanted to propose clubbing at the highest level but the lowest price. The mission of the electronic music community was to create a revolution and change the world. We can't change the world by excluding people who can't afford the ticket.  We are using money earned by the events in Milan to fund the festival in Berlin. We are not entrepreneurs, we have no investors or sponsors. The first day we got this building, I had 350€. I used it for cleaning products, and that’s all we started with. Now, universities are studying us because we are a proper example of how the arts, culture and togetherness can be a resource for the city, for everybody. Tickets for Tempio’s Berlin festival are available here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 13 June-20 June]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-13-june</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-13-june</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Campaign: Bridges Over Borders, a project which supports BIPoC, LGBTQIA+ and other marginalised individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine, are seeking support after a partner NGO has failed to maintain the payments needed to house their clients. Bridges Over Borders are now looking for emergency short or long-term housing for the individuals. Get in touch if you may know ways to help. More info here. Project: STRÜKTÜR is a new Berlin-based independent platform for situated and diasporic artistic production and imagination from Turkey. It has just launched an open call for its first program, the Artistic Research Residency, running from 1 October to 1 December 2024 in partnership with ABA Air Berlin Alexanderplatz. The selected artist will have the unique opportunity to spend two months in Berlin, where they can advance their research-based practice, expand their professional network, and reach new audiences. Campaign: Following the tragic death of Nurideen Abdullah Nasir at the hands of security at YAAM, a campaign is fighting for justice, seeking additional witnesses and more transparency in the case, and calling for the responsible members of security and management firm Kult e.V to face suitable accountability. The campaign also describes how Kult e.V have allowed YAAM to become a place “where black culture is exploited rather than appreciated.” Read the latest campaign statement here. Event: On Thursday, June 13th, Kreuzberg’s Malaysian & Singaporean restaurant Ma-Makan will be serving baked goods, curry puffs and nasi bungkus in support of families in Gaza, who will be receiving aid boxes from your donations. There will also be t-shirts on sale by Yenny Grant. More info here.  Event: SAVVY Contemporary invites Between Bridges for the launch of W'AHU this Friday 14th June. The freshly released title, which roughly translates to “have you seen?”, showcases some of Ghana's most diverse communities. The magazine aims to celebrate and amplify marginalised voices, including those of activists, artists, stylists, photographers and writers in Accra today. The event is free to attend. More info can be found here. Campaign: From Monday 17th June to Thursday 20th June, we will mark Refugee Week by airing shows with the theme of "Our Home" (2PM-4PM daily). On Monday, we will host a conversation between RBL and migrants of Kurdish, Afghan and Nigerian descent before Tuesday’s slot features a conversation between Stegi radio and Nikos Deji Odubitan from Generation 2.0, and Oska Paul. On Wednesday, Refuge Worldwide’s Nicky Böhm is in discussion with writer Hiba Obaid and Mohamed Badarne. Ola, a radio from Marseille, take care of Thursday’s broadcast with Ramina as their guest. Food: Berlin's famous 'Thaipark' was evicted earlier this year by the city's CDU-Green coalition, but last week reopened under a new alias, Thai Street Food Market, on Württembergische Straße. Open weekly Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 21:00. Event: On Friday 21st, we celebrate Berlin's annual Fête de la Musique at Niemetzstraße in collaboration with International Rescue Committee. This free-to-attend and family friendly event will involve six live performances between 4PM and 10PM. More info here. Oona: Throughout the next week our home-turf at Weserstr. 166 will host: Bridontknow and friends on Saturday, ICKPA Festival on Wednesday 19 June and next Thursday 20 June evening we will welcome in 20 Seconds magazine to celebrate the release of their 7th Issue. Check out our full events' schedule here. There will be a book launch of Refugee Week’s book 'Wanas' by Hiba Obaid and Mohamed Badarne at Oona Bar from 6PM on Thursday 20th June. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Check out our schedule for Refugee Week 2024]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refugee-week-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refugee-week-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 12 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The annual event runs from 17th until 23rd June.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us online, at Oona Bar and our Niemetzstraße location this month for Refugee Week events. From Monday 17th June to Thursday 20th June, we will have a dedicated time slot for shows created by radio stations around Europe with the theme of "Our Home" (2PM-4PM daily). On Monday, we are set to host a conversation between RBL and migrants of Kurdish, Afghan and Nigerian descent before Tuesday’s slot features a conversation between Stegi.Radio and Nikos Deji Odubitan from Generation 2.0, and Oska Paul.  On Wednesday, Refuge Worldwide’s Nicky Böhm is in discussion with writer Hiba Obaid and Mohamed Badarne. Ola, a radio from Marseille, take care of Thursday’s broadcast with Ramina as their guest and on Friday, International Rescue Committee airs interviews with IRC staff members Salma Hamed and Abeera Atif together with the artist TRISHES and Mohammed Lamrani from Bridges over Borders.  On Friday 21st, we also celebrate Berlin's annual Fête de la Musique at Niemetzstraße in collaboration with International Rescue Committee. This free-to-attend and family friendly event will involve six live performances between 4PM and 10PM, with drinks supplied by Fuerst Wiacek, ChariTea and Lemonaid+. 'Our Home' artwork by Tariq Alsaadi. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona Bar Summer Opening Hours]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-bar-sundays</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-bar-sundays</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We are now open on Sundays!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide is located at Oona Bar, in the Weserstraße neighbourhood of Neukölln.  Here you can listen live to the radio, enjoy a drink outside, taste our famous Mezcal Slushies, or just meet and connect with new people. This summer Oona Bar is open every Sunday for sips and sounds from the station. New Sunday hours see us rolling 2PM-10PM each week with drinks deals, label takeovers and music.  Birthday bookings and reservations are available across the week, please email laura@refugeworldwide.com, but of course swing by any time you like, we have extra seating outside at the moment. As we strive to remain independent, the best way for you to support this radio station will always be to visit Oona Bar and try our menu of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. Oona Bar has live music, DJ sets, exhibitions and events lined-up all summer. We are also available for private hire or table bookings, with a sound system plus DJ and music equipment. New weekly opening hours are: Tuesday 10:00-22:00
Wednesday 10:00-00:00
Thursday 10:00-00:00
Friday 10:00 - 03:00
Saturday 13:00 - 03:00
Sunday 14:00-22:00 We look forward to seeing you this summer :) ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 6 June-13 June]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-6-june</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-6-june</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Fundraiser: Our friends from aequa are fundraising to keep their vital space in Wedding open for another year. Located at Exerzierstrasse 13 and led by Refuge resident Sarj, aequa faciliates community gathering and organizing with an intersectional feminist perspective. Consider contributing to the fundraiser via this link and check Sarj’s radio shows here. Event: We are hosting an event together with Gaza Voices, dedicated to the stories and voices coming out of Gaza and Palestine at our Niemetzstrasse space on June 7th. The evening will feature a look at various projects including documenting the ongoing genocide in Gaza, uncovering the unwritten history of Palestine to recreate a collective memory and designing tools to help preserve and share these stories. Join between 7-9PM. Free entry. Campaign: A petition to suspend violent police officers is circulating and has so far gathered 10,000 signatures. Endorsed by Neukölln's Die Linke politician Ferat Koçak, the petition comes as a response to a video of a policeman punching a young person on Sonnenallee on May 28th, as well as the general rise of police violence at the city's recent demonstrations. Sign the petition here. Interview: Frauenkrise Berlin are hosting an online interview today at 6PM, with Congolese feminist and human rights activist Elsie Lotendo. They will discuss "the reality on the ground, about the discourses in Congo and about the role of Germany and the EU in this ongoing violence." Participation is free, more info here. Event: The Adira crew are celebrating Arab* drag on June 8th at Gretchen. Starting at midnight and running through the night, the collective welcomes a range of talents to “reflect on the links between drag artforms and the popular cultures of/from the Arabic speaking region.” The event will include DJ sets, workshops, panels and performances. Check out Adira’s recent Refuge show here. Event: Connected to our field recording workshop days with Landscape this weekend, there will be a Field Records night at Tresor on Thursday June 6th and a Landscape listening session at arkaoda on Sunday June 9th. Project: XJAZZ! have released their first compilation entitled Entangled Grounds. It houses many of Berlin's finest jazz musicians, such as Wayne Snow, Moses Yoofee, Ziggy Zeitgeist, Sonic Interventions, Douniah and A Song For You, as well as liner notes by Henry Weekes. Order the record here. Event: The good people at SHUSH are hosting a night at 60hz this Friday, June 7th, with Orlando Rosé, host Ken Okuda and UK artist Maxwell Owin. Catch Ken warming up on air at 3PM on Friday. More info here. Oona: Coming up at our home base, Weserstrasse 166, this week: on Thursday the Motherloading and A7A crews discuss and celebrate life in the Asian diaspora, on Friday we have an all-star perreo takeover, Saturday brings Fiestuki and Madre Mezcal together and Sunday we host the Hot Concept crew. Event: Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt are hosting a free concert this Friday, welcoming Meiway & the Zo Gang for a concert on the terrace, followed by a DJ set by Hanaby.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Beatrice M, SABB and Vanda Forte discuss identity, performance and Marseille’s music community]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/beatrice-m-sabb-and-vanda-forte-le-bon-air</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/beatrice-m-sabb-and-vanda-forte-le-bon-air</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We caught up with the artists at Le Bon Air festival. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[A few weeks ago, we met Beatrice M, SABB, and Vanda Forte at La Friche La Belle de Mai. Marseille's multi-faced community explores new ways to delve into music, fostering artistic exploration and providing a creative platform for emerging artists. Locals Vanda Forte and SABB blend strength and experimentation in their fusion of Middle Eastern and North African sounds with electronic music, while Beatrice M is pushing the boundaries of bass music creation and addressing the need for inclusion through their music projects.  Spanning live music to performance at, and set against industrial backdrops, Le Bon Air showcases an extensive array of artistic expressions and musical genres, ranging from UK Bass to Nu-Jazz. 
 Singer and multi-instrumentalist, Vanda Forte explores aesthetics blending strength and vandalism, infusing their production process and DJ sets with experimental approaches. Vanda Forte curates Vagina Rocks, a radio show and event series that promotes queer and feminist art. Along with Sinclair Ringenbach, they creates as part of the duo Caïn و Muchi, which crafts a mesmerizing fusion of Middle Eastern and North African sounds with electronic music. Their lyrics explore themes of identity, belonging, racism, and societal challenges, highlighting the perspective of living in a non-binary woman's body. You performed last night as a DJ, and tonight you're doing a live set for your project Caïn و Muchi at the Le Bon Air festival. How does it feel to switch from one to the other? Yesterday I was in drag to dissociate myself physically, which allowed me to step out of myself and adopt a character. Musically, I'm able to switch because the two styles are so different. I enjoy telling stories that span across several genres and experimenting. It's a performance that unfolds in the moment, so it's different every time.  You began your musical career in Morocco. Do you feel that this heritage strongly influences your artistic identity and the music you create today? I draw a lot of influence from the Arab world because it's what I know best. I've been particularly inspired by rap from the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region, which I became more familiar with after leaving my country. When I was in Morocco, I was more fascinated by bass music. Interestingly, upon leaving my culture, I found myself integrating it even more into my music. Your duo project Caïn و Muchi delves into themes of identity and belonging. How do these themes manifest in your music? It's a textual endeavor; through the lyrics I craft, I narrate stories—my own and those around me. I delve into my origins, my journey to the present. I articulate my transition as a non-binary individual, discussing topics like mental health, depression, bipolarity, and mood and attention disorders. My lyrics often explore the cyclical nature of my mind, and they can be interpreted in myriad ways. I used to hesitate sharing my innermost thoughts with strangers, but now I realize that my lyrics resonate with others, helping them find solace in their own experiences. It's crucial to me that people can relate to my words and feel less isolated. Although I sing in Arabic, translations of my lyrics are consistently made available online upon release. Performance is about conveying the emotions embedded in my voice—a way to reflect on the person I was when I wrote those lyrics. I witness the connection forming in people's eyes when this exchange occurs. Caïn و Muchi  How do you navigate between experimental music, rap, and club music? For Caïn و Muchi, as two creative minds, our collaboration always results in something new. Personally, I don't necessarily see distinct boundaries between these styles, which allows me to blend them seamlessly. Having been exposed to various genres, I see myself as a conduit for sharing the diverse influences I've encountered. You're one of the leading figures in the Marseille music scene. Could you elaborate on what fosters such a tight-knit community? There's a strong sense of mutual support among collectives in Marseille; we're highly cohesive and supportive of one another. However, when it comes to institutional structures, it's a bit more complicated. There's not enough funding allocated to the cultural sector, but despite this challenge, we contribute a lot to each other on smaller scales. This sense of solidarity is incredibly important to me. As an artist, how do you engage with social, decolonial, and political movements? In Caïn و Muchi, I delve beyond personal narrative to explore everyday realities, particularly in conflict zones worldwide, with a focus on the Arab world and the South West Asia and North Africa region. My identity is inherently politicized; discussing my transition, for instance, is inherently political. Through my lyrics, I articulate the daily struggles of Syrian and Palestinian individuals. What may be deemed 'political' is, in truth, the lived reality for many globally. Additionally, the Vagina Rocks project serves as a collective for queer and racialized individuals, actively contributing to decolonial movements. The initiative aims to empower others by offering workshops on stage presence and other skills, particularly to those who lack accessible learning opportunities. Paris-based multi-disciplinary artist Beatrice M explores a multiverse of musical selections with a focus on bass music. Producer and DJ, they are involved in a multitude of projects, collaborations, and live acts, they moved from illustration to filmed performances, driven by a passion for experimental sounds. Their label, BAIT, founded in 2023, aims to foster inclusion within the dubstep scene, presenting a blend of dubwise hybrids and visually stunning artworks.  You've just played at the Friche La Belle de Mai for Le Bon Air. How do you feel after this set?  I did a full vinyl set, which I haven't done much of, and it's the biggest stage I've ever played on. Even if you feel that bass isn't getting through yet, especially dubstep that's a bit minimal, the audience is paying more and more attention. I'm so happy and proud to have played there.  How do you feel about Marseille's electronic music scene? I've already organized some events for Meta which I like for its eclecticism and commitment to the underground scene. They host diverse acts and foster a great atmosphere. The same can be said for Le Bon Air's programming; they actively involve the local scene and have successfully cultivated a unique identity that mirrors the city's vibe. You performed your first live show at Nuits Sonores last week. How did you feel about it? It was an ideal setting for my debut live performance. I encountered a technical glitch; the sound cut out and Ableton crashed for a few minutes. However, the audience's support was overwhelming, which kept me calm and composed. I even took the opportunity to address the issue with the audience using a microphone. Initially, I thought the experience might deter me from future live performances, but it had the opposite effect. It fuelled my determination to improve and continue performing. You run your own label, BAIT, which addresses the lack of representation in the 140 BPM scene. Can you elaborate on what the 140 BPM scene entails? The 140 BPM scene revolves around dubstep culture, characterized by an appreciation for half-time sounds. It's a slower and minimalistic genre, which is what I aim to reflect in my label, while also drawing inspiration from the minimal techno scene. I strive to find a balance between the two.  How do you intend to diversify representation in the realm of bass music? I actively seek out individuals who aren't cis men and have some background in music production, offering them opportunities to release projects on my label. Even if their projects are still in the demo stage, we engage in discussions and exchange ideas to nurture their creative process. It's about dedicating my time to encourage gender minorities to participate. For instance, I recently collaborated with Formella, a Berlin-based artist, discussing and ultimately releasing her project on the label.

Do you feel pressured to release new projects and do gigs? For example, I wasn't initially inclined to play on vinyl here at Le Bon Air, especially after my first live performance last week. However, I felt a desire to push myself further and embrace new challenges because I seek stimulation. Nonetheless, I recognize the importance of finding balance, so for now, I'm focusing on various projects while also taking time to relax with some tiger balm! You create all the illustrations to announce your events, EPs, and albums, and you've also worked on other artistic projects like filmed performances. Has studying art influenced your musical and artistic practice? Although I didn't fully resonate with my art studies, they have ultimately enriched my musical career by providing a retrospective perspective. I examine how my work is structured and the symbolism it conveys, which inspires me to create new, authentic, and deeply personal projects. Which artists have inspired you? 

CCL, who is also non-binary, stands out for their appreciation of dubstep, vinyl, and the fusion of genres, along with their affinity for minimalism, which isn't always common. I admire their values and mindset. Additionally, there's EMA, who performs in Ireland and runs the Woozy label, and Kia in Australia with Animalia. Beatrice M SABB is a 25-year-old DJ who explores Afro-diasporic styles, trancey techno, bass music, break-beat and dark disco. A regular at free parties and Marseille's clubs, music is for her a long journey that connects bodies, souls and queer culture. She recently released her first EP 'RESET'  blending guitar, drums, and piano in an eclectic electronic universe.  What are your impressions of the local electronic music scene? The local electronic music scene is fascinating. There's a palpable sense of warmth, support and solidarity, fostering connections that enrich the musical culture. It's a scene characterized by hybridity and diversity, reflecting a vibrant mix of influences. How long have you been producing tracks? I've been involved in music since I was very young, playing guitar, piano, and drums. Over time, I transitioned to electronic music, incorporating samples and rhythms that I create myself. I've been producing for about 5 years now, but I'm quite meticulous in my work. I'm always striving to adjust and improve, which sometimes slows down the release of my projects. However, I'm learning to take the plunge, recognizing the confidence needed to express oneself through music. You're currently working on a live set for the coming months. Can you describe your process? My process typically starts from an intimate space where I reflect on my influences. There's always an echo of my heritage, but I don't feel compelled to discard everything I've been inspired by. Instead, I aim to blend diverse sounds, rhythms, and melodies. There's a significant amount of technical consideration involved as well. Do you feel pressure in your artistic journey? Maintaining discipline in my work is essential. I devote my energy to music alongside my 35-hour workweek as a nurse. Balancing both professions requires careful management of my time and energy, especially when taking on weekend gigs. It's a blend of human and social work, which I find rewarding. Both professions converge in a way, as they both involve giving my all for others. Ideally, I'd like to transition to intermittent work to dedicate more time to my music and take the next step in my career. In 2021, you participated in Move UR Gambettes aimed at promoting FLINTA* individuals and minorities in navigating the music industry. Could you share more about the workshops you attended? The program consisted of various workshops covering different topics, with speakers providing insights and guidance on professionalizing and promoting artists from gender minorities in the music scene. It was an enriching experience, fostering connections and support among participants. This collective effort pushed us to our limits, sharing our concerns and creating a sense of unity. It instilled in us a desire to progress further and a realization that we're not alone in our journey. Additionally, I participated in other programs over the following two years, including those organized by Sound Sisters. How do you view the role of artists in giving voice to marginalized communities? I believe artists have a responsibility to remain conscious of their work. It's essential to uphold solidarity and approach creativity in a committed and political manner. As artists, we tell stories—stories that we absorb and pass on through music. We can't ignore past and present events, but we can reinterpret historical narratives, making them relevant to our own experiences and the communities we represent. SABB]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Shifting Basslines]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/shifting-basslines</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/shifting-basslines</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The podcast series will premiere on June 4th]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Shifting Basslines is a new podcast series about sustainability and club culture. It is an ongoing multidirectional and collaborative project developed and created by researcher and curator Kerstin Meißner during her research fellowship at the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam. It aims to initiate change, aka shift basslines, through storytelling, dialogue, and other creative outlets.  The project centres on a podcast series, covering the topics of space and mobility; data and digitalisation; and bodies and emotions. Each episode is curated and narrated by Nono Gigsta, Sarj Lynch and Camille Sapara Barton respectively. In an additional episode (We Cannot Do It Alone), Kerstin is interviewed by feminist researcher Cara New Dagett and shares some thoughts on her motivation, the purpose, and ideas behind Shifting Basslines. Find out more and listen to the episodes here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Femdelic and Nadia Wise select their open air soundtracks]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-open-air-playlists-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-open-air-playlists-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Listen ahead of this Sunday's event in Plötzensee.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Sunday we're throwing a groovy afternoon at Strandbad Plötzensee from 3pm to midnight in Berlin. Get the details here.  We are happy to be joined by Femdelic and Nadia Wise who will spin on the sand alongside our station residents Christophe Darbouze, TRU:L, Ken Okuda, and Carly Zeng.  To kick off the weekend, Femdelic and Nadia Wise have sent us a special selection of Open Air and beach-themed tracks, check them out below. Heads up if you are planning on attending, the venue has rain cover and a back-up location inside the Lighthouse if we need it.  See you on the beach! Femdelic's Open Air Playlist Bayetë & probably Sean - Guapa  Bayetë & probably Sean - Guapa  "Captures the atmosphere of a beautiful community day on the beach." 9th creation - Much too much 9th creation - much too much "The lyrics of this song which comes along very easy express nonetheless the feelings that are still valid in 2024." Teddy pendergrass - Only you  Teddy pendergrass - only you  "Teddy pendergrass discofunk shouldn't be missing in any playlist." Spyder C - Unity Spyder C - Unity "I like claps :) and the movement of hip-hop as a culture this song is a throwback into the beginnings; breakdance electrofunk and the unity of people through music and expression in dance." Altın Gün - Goca Dünya Altin gün - Gocal dünya  "Hey world - I love the flowered and plaintive musical expression. There are many psychedelic folk music artists that I adore like Baris Manco or Derya Yildirim & Grup Şimşek. I chose this song because of sorrow that wants to be expressed." Nadia Wise's Beach Fantasy Playlist Nadia provides us with a special narrative concept track selection reminiscent of her narrative OST Show. "Beach Fantasy: a musical Odyssey, where a rainy day reverie turns into a passionate beach adventure, finally led out to sea by a mermaid siren who stops the rain." Nocera - Summertime, Summertime (1986) Nocera - Summertime, Summertime (1986) It's raining again, and it's so hot / I wish you'd come for me
And take me away, take me away ...

Take me, take me to the water 
Summertime, Summertime
Maybe, we can fall in love
Summertime, Summertime

I listen to the rain outside / Please come and take me for a ride
I really want you, to come and take me far away / I want to say ...
....

I'm dreaming, lying on the sand / You look down to me and take my hand
I can't believe it's true, but you called me out today / Until you say ...
... Butter Rum - Hit The Beach (1988) Butter Rum - Hit The Beach (1988) Hit the beach now!

Hit hit hit hit hit hit hit hit hit
Hit hit hit hit hit hit hit hit hit
The beach, the beach
Hit hit hit hit
The beach, the beach
Hit hit hit hit 
The beach 
Hit it! Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme (9mm remix) (1991)
(Remix of the original featured in the 1986 Miami Vice TV series) Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme (9mm remix) (1991) Touch me, feel me, love me, hurt me

Sensations of the inner mind
The pleasures far beyond
We dream about our space in time
Arise to conquer all
Arise to conquer all Aphrodisiac - Song of the Siren (1990) Aphrodisiac - Song of the Siren (1990)

Her eyes, so alluring 
Her touch, so captivating
And the way she called my name 
Was not unlike the song of the siren Miho Nakayama - Mermaid (1988) Miho Nakayama - Mermaid (1988) I don't mind, I don't mind 
きっと抱きしめてくれる I don't mind 
おとぎ話を信じる彼の true, true eyes (in your eyes) 
人の姿を借りて来たのよ big, big town 
夕陽のビーチ big kissesした 彼に会いたい もういちど

Don't you think your love's real 苦しいのよ 
Mermaid from the sea せつなくて 
ふたつに my heart はりさけそうなの

Stop the rain, stop the rain 夏の空よ 泣かないで stop the rain 
雨にぬれたら 
わたしはただの mermaid (sweet mermaid)  See you Sunday 2nd June, 15:00-00:00, Nordufer 26, 13351 Berlin. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Listen back to The Breakfast Show session from Jumbi]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jumbi-recap</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jumbi-recap</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Four hours of fun with Minor Figures.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[A special edition of The Breakfast Show.

On Friday, May 24th, we broadcasted live from Jumbi in Peckham, as a warm-up brunch for that weekend's GALA festival. In traditional Jumbi style, it was a one turntable sitution, with residents of Refuge choosing records from the in-house collection and a few of their own. We were joined by the dreamteam of Parissa, MLE, Adam Cooke, Meriem S, Ella Victoria, Stillwarley, Gaby D'Annunzio and George Snow. Alongside the radio, we enjoyed chana lentil doubles, coffee, mimosas, rum punch and flat white martinis. Big thanks to our Breakfast Show supporters Minor Figures for putting on the event with us. Check out some photos from Cecelia Morgan and Ella Yarnton below. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide host Gaza Voices for screening and discussion]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gaza-voices</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gaza-voices</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 30 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join us at Niemetzstrasse on Friday, June 7th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This community event is dedicated to the stories and voices coming out of Gaza and Palestine. It aims to explore the challenges that come with navigating and creating these diverse narratives amidst silencing and censorship. Together with invited guests, we will discuss the erasure of stories, memories, and truths, and explore our role in archiving these voices to preserve them fully. The evening will feature a look at various projects including documenting the ongoing genocide in Gaza, uncovering the unwritten history of Palestine to recreate a collective memory and designing tools to help preserve and share these stories. Between 7-9PM on Friday June 7th, our Niemetzstraße 1 (12055 Berlin) space will host a screening of interviews collected by the Gaza Voices Project, an online greeting from Omar Alrabi and a panel discussion between Nahed Awwad (documentary filmmaker), Youssef (Palestine Collections) and Mohamed Omar (Gaza Voices). The event is free-of-charge, open to all and wheelchair accesible. If you have further questions about the accessibility of the space, please contact nicky@refugeworldwide.com Nahed Awwad
Nahed Awwad is a Palestinian independent filmmaker and a film curator based in Berlin. She has been working in Film and Television since 1997. Awwad was professionally trained in Canada, Qatar, and Belgium. In 2004 she got her film diploma from the European Film College in Denmark and has since released nine films (experimental, short, feature length formats), among them “25 km”, “Going for Ride?”, “5 Minutes from Home”, “Gaza Calling” and lately “Palestine: banned in Berlin”; all were meticulously researched. The ethos of Awwad’s filmmaking is to provide intimate access to the characters featured in her films. Audiences feel they know and understand the protagonists. Gaza Voices
Gaza Voices attempts to create a platform for Gazans to share their experiences and thoughts since October 2023 and bring outsiders closer to the daily circumstances they face. The project collects testimonies of people from and in Gaza. Gaza Voices is in the process of turning the recorded interviews into an online archive of testimonies; further, some of the conversations are published as a podcast. Palestine Collections
The tool Palestine Collections aims to make it easy for people to document and organize what they encounter online. It allows them to reflect on these encounters for themselves and to share it with the public. It provides a space outside the "stream" where people can return to refine and save these collections merely by organizing them well in a Google sheet.
 ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Inside the Georgian protest movement defying the ‘Russian Law’]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tbilisi-protests</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tbilisi-protests</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 28 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A conversation with Marika Mikiashvili.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[“We have not given up. We are ready to fight.”

For weeks, Georgians have been protesting against the ‘foreign agents’ law introduced by the ruling party Georgian Dream. The party has been in power since winning the 2012 parliamentary election and has maintained its position through subsequent elections, including the most recent ones in 2020 and 2021.  Originally, the law has been introduced in March 2023, but due to widespread protests, it’s been withdrawn. After Irakli Kobakhidze became prime minister in March 2024, the bill was reintroduced. The ‘foreign agents’ law, also dubbed the ‘Russian law,’ requires media, nongovernmental organisations, and other non-profits, such as cultural institutions, to register as ‘pursuing the interests of a foreign power’ if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. Thousands of Georgians have been protesting against the law and its repercussions on them and their country. The implementation of the law could mean a halt in Georgia’s desired journey into the European Union, as well as brutal crackdowns and forced shutdowns of independent organisations and NGOs. Johanna Urbancik spoke to Marika Mikiashvili, an activist and member of the opposition, about the evolution of the protest movement now that the law has been passed and what it could mean for Georgia’s future. The protests started over a month ago. How were they organised in the beginning and now? I think it was the CSOs who made a joint statement.  Note: The Civil Society Organisation (CSO) is a non-governmental group that operates to address social, political, environmental, or cultural issues within a community. In the evening, people didn't care who was making announcements; they just knew that the Parliament was having a procedural session about the law. The information about the protests spread quickly. During the first three days, while Parliament dealt with procedural matters, over 100,000 people joined the rallies in a country of 3.7 million.  After three days, student groups and young people continued to gather, blocking roads daily. It was a spontaneous effort by various student groups who communicated through shared group chats. What is the average age group attending the protests? Would you say it’s more of a ‘youth movement’ or are Georgians from all age groups protesting against the law? I would say it's mostly students and people in their mid-20s. It's a generational clash to some degree, but not a huge one. We have significant support from all generations. When there are no grand rallies around the parliament meetings, it's just youth initiatives. On social media, it gets branded as a ‘youth protest’, but many of our grandpas and grandmas join us, especially at the big rallies.  The Georgian Dream's main propaganda isn't about it being just the youth, they also argue that the protests are satanic. Some Facebook pages affiliated with Georgian Dream manipulate videos to make it look like we are performing satanic rituals at the rallies. They also accuse us of being misled by NGOs and political parties. They claim we are destroying traditional values and Christianity. The rhetoric they use is almost identical to that of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. We spent Easter in front of the parliament, turning it into a protest. Despite being labelled as Satanists, we reclaimed the church and demonstrated secularism and civic unity, with people of all religions joining us. This self-organisation and resilience shattered their propaganda, showing our ability to unite and stand strong against their adversity. The law has been passed and just recently been vetoed by the Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, holds a majority large enough to override Zourabichvili’s veto. On 28th May, the Georgian parliament overruled Zourabichvili’s veto. Now, the legislation has to be signed by the president, who is likely to refuse. Therefore, after five days, the president of the parliament Shalva Papuashvili will sign the law and it will be enacted.  How is the situation at the moment?  We are still very much in the resistance mood. We have not given up. We are ready to fight. There's no pessimism. The only thing I’d say is that there is some confusion about how to proceed with the movement. Even though the protests didn’t result in the law being revoked, I still consider them a huge success. It’s hard to describe, but we – as a Georgian society – were in such bad shape before. Now, we’ve proven to ourselves that we’re a proud, confident nation.  There was a stereotype that Georgians needed centralised leadership to protest. If we don't achieve our objectives in a couple of days, we get tired and go home. But we showed persistence, decentralisation, and self-organisation. I feel it was some sort of mental and cultural watershed moment, which is far bigger and more important than an immediate result.  The government is still keen on adopting this law, which is why we need to regroup and determine how to proceed. The protests need to be channelled politically. People are waiting for some declaration from the opposition about unity or what coalitions there will be for the upcoming elections in October. The opposition needs to unite because otherwise, the Georgian Dream will benefit. It would be very nice to have a general strike, but someone would need to manage and negotiate this strike with the different sectors of the economy. The business and public sectors are traditionally the most vulnerable to the Georgian Dream. Many businesses stand in solidarity with the protesters, but they’re afraid of the repercussions of the Georgian Dream, such as being forced to shut down. Another thing we’re hoping for is sanctions against this regime to remove their sense of impunity. Not only against the powerful actors but also lower-level Georgian Dream members, whose lifestyle is similar to the average Georgian’s. Sanctions would be a shock for them, especially if they receive travel bans. I don't know whether it's a legitimate thing to ask for, but many Georgians equate sanctions with Western support. So, until they are sanctioned, we think the West isn’t standing with us. What does the ‘Russian law’ mean for the ordinary Georgian? In Georgian, the word ‘agent’ means ‘spy’, so when they call you a ‘foreign agent’, they imply you are working for foreign spy services and countries, accusing you of being a traitor. This terminology is significant because there is no independent money in Georgia besides that from oligarchs. So all CSOs, whether political, animal shelters or even cinemas depend heavily on Western funds. Labelling someone who receives Western money as a ‘foreign agent’ suggests that the West is an enemy. This law flips the perception of friends and enemies, implying that taking money from the West is bad because the West is bad. In Georgia, the West is not seen as an enemy but as a home, except for small ultra-Orthodox groups influenced by Russia. Bidzina Ivanishvili claimed that CSOs are tools of foreign powers to impose foreign rule in Georgia through a violent coup, pushing a Russian narrative. Note: Bidzina Ivanishvili is a Georgian oligarch worth at least $5 billion. With Georgia's GDP reaching approximately $24.78 billion for the entire country, Ivanishvili's wealth accounts for approximately one-fifth of the country's total economic output. He holds immense influence in Georgian politics as the chairman of the Georgian Dream party. Despite claiming to have withdrawn from frontline politics, he is considered the ‘power behind the throne’, orchestrating political manoeuvres from the shadows. Since all CSOs depend on Western money, they would need to register as foreign agents, and many would shut down rather than comply. This law affects all CSOs working on women's issues, disabilities, education, and more, leading to a loss of services that people rely on daily. Additionally, no foreign investor would want to enter Georgia under these conditions, causing further economic decline. Investments require guarantees of safety and protection by the judiciary, which is fully captured by the state, offering no security for investors not tied to the Georgian Dream party. Nepotistic guarantees are unreliable, and the government could change its stance and take away businesses overnight. If the law is adopted, does that mean loads of institutions will have to close down, or will the government take over?  They will have to close down. We don't yet know the speed of application of this law. With the current pace of everything they have now, it seems like they will be rushing to shut everyone down, especially before the elections. The crackdown has already happened. People are already demoralised, in jail, or exiled.  For me, it was a watershed moment when the opposition politician, Dimitri Chikovani, was badly beaten. I realised there was no red line for them. He suffered a concussion, a broken nose, cuts to the face and two black eyes. He was beaten by a group of hooded thugs and claims he was targeted by "Putin's puppets". They also secretly made amendments to the law. Now, it extends to individuals. Individuals will be required to provide information on CSOs and their employees, maybe even beneficiaries. It’s very vague. They can apply it arbitrarily to anything. The law now says that individuals who will be asked to provide information will be fined if they don’t comply. Ultimately, they will freeze our assets to the point that it will be impossible for us to live in Georgia. The information they require from individuals about themselves and other people around them includes personal information otherwise protected by the state, such as their sex lives. You will have to report on your sex life or your employees’ sex life. And if you don't report it to the state, you will be fined.  Will people continue to fight for Georgia, or will they be forced to leave? You’ve tweeted that a prominent activist, Nata Peradze and her family had to leave the country immediately as an investigation began against her for an alleged coup attempt.  I think it will depend on the mode of application and how the regime will proceed, i.e. how repressive they get and how quickly they want to shut down everyone. Of course, we will protest again. People are in the spirit to fight. Whether it's effective would depend on many things, but we cannot give up. What forms of resistance we will adopt is hard to tell.  We never had this feeling before that the government has absolutely no red lines and that they will shoot us all if needed. Of course, there were grievances against governments before, but there was never a sense that the government was Russian and served as an enemy occupier power. This is uncharted waters for Georgia. It's impossible to jail everyone or make them leave. It ultimately depends on whether security services go fully rogue and crack down violently on protesters as they did in Belarus.  In Georgia, there are indications and rumours that the police might crack because they're not unconditionally loyal to the regime and government.  Georgian Dream is now claiming to adopt a softer version of the law, possibly making amendments to it, although it's unclear how it could be improved. This move is seen as an attempt to deceive both the public and foreign partners into believing they are addressing concerns. It all depends on the elections in October if they won’t unleash full hell on us before. What does ‘full hell’ look like? I don’t know, but something like hundreds of arrests, interrogations, and terrorising tactics such as threatening family members, including pregnant women and elderly relatives. These actions defy Georgian cultural norms and aim to instil fear and insecurity among activists and their families. This government, perceived as Russia's last stronghold in Georgia, resorts to extreme measures to maintain power, knowing that losing Georgia would weaken Russia's influence in the entire South Caucasus region. Georgia is hostage to this regime. Currently, 20% of Georgia's internationally recognised territory is under Russian military occupation. Are people scared that Russia will repeat what they’re doing in Ukraine in Georgia? I think it’s more than 20% already. The possibility of another invasion doesn’t stop people from protesting. But when you discuss this topic, most people, especially older generations are scared.  Unfortunately, there is no tangible guarantee to give these people that it won't happen. Of course, Russia is busy in Ukraine right now. On the other hand, Georgia is a small country, and this government has weakened our military over the 12 years in power. For us, this fear is not paralysing, it won’t make people stay at home. Would you say the Ukrainian resistance played a role in Georgians mobilising to fight against their government and its Russian influence? The Ukrainian resistance played a mobilising role for Georgians. Before February 2022, Georgian society was kind of asleep, but after 2022, we woke up and mobilised around Ukraine. It's our war too.  Unfortunately, the Georgian Dream managed to put a crack in our society, even regarding support for Ukraine. They received tons of criticism for not being supportive enough and for being soft on Russia. Even when they adopted a parliamentary resolution supporting Ukraine, they did not mention Russia once. Amid these accusations, they claimed to have a pragmatic policy that keeps peace in the country. They warned that if the opposition came to power, there would be war. Their warmongering rhetoric made part of our society neutral and scared. This has been their main legitimacy for the last couple of years. Georgians support Ukraine, but they are not fully aligned on the degree of support.  Without the Ukrainian resistance, we wouldn't have a chance at freedom; we would have already been swallowed. Everyone realises that if not for Ukraine, Georgia wouldn't exist any more. Follow @Mikiashvili_M on X (formerly known as Twitter) to read her updates on the protests in Georgia. Interview by @johannaurbancik Photos courtesy of Ezz Gaber & Marika Mikiashvili]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 23 May-30 May]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-23-may</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-23-may</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Event: Hildashaus & Refuge Worldwide present FLOWfest, in celebration of Menstrual Awareness Day on May 28th. The event includes a panel discussion, open mic poetry and group composition, life drawing class, educational corner and donuts on the house. This family-friendly event is for everyone who menstruates and allies. Read about it here. Campaign: Following a legal battle and public demonstrations, the Tuntenhaus, one of Berlin’s oldest queer housing projects, has won the right to stay. A deal for a private buyer to takeover the building, which is located at Kastanienalle, has fallen through and the building has been declared public property by the building senator. Find more info here and check out an iconic speech at one of the demonstration days by Refuge resident BLEACH here. Event: On Thursday, May 30, and Friday, May 31, BLACK Communion takes over Morphine Raum on Köpenicker Strasse. BLACK Communion is the sharing of experiences from the transnational Afro-diaspora, breaking down genre boundaries and encouraging experimentation through collaboration. The events present performances from Infinite Lives, Dudu Kouate and Leila Bencharmia. Check out this radio show from Eiliyas discussing the project with Kouate. Event: We're counting down the days until our first Berlin dance since Jaunary, when we take over the Plötzensee Strandbad on June 2nd. RSVP via Resident Advisor. Fundraiser: If our open air isn’t your thing, check the Solispiral event at 90mil (also on June 2), which features live performances from Special Interest, Vanity Crystal and Mamíferos, as well as DJ sets, a film programme and food. The event is raising funds for Lajee, a self-organised grassroots centre in Aida Camp, near Bethlehem. Opening: The Hidden Sounds record store from London is opening a Weserstraße pop-up location for the summer months. Named ZAPA, the store will stock obscure, second-hand vinyl and cassettes. It’s based at O Tannenbaum. Go visit them! Event: The mighty Poetry Meets goes down this Friday at Festsaal Kreuzberg, with an incredible program of The Cavemen, readings from Poet & Prophetess and Musa Okwonga, a talking drum performance from Ayansike, a film screening and DJ sets. Poetry Meets Highlife promises to be a sensational debut presentation of The Cavemen’s first Headline show in Germany! Tickets here. Event: Sudan uprising and Salam Sudan Campaign invites you to the performance soli-art show by the Sudanese contemporary artist Hassan Musa. It takes place at Oranienplatz this Friday at 6PM. Image courtesy of Hassan Musa, Sudan Uprising]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide & Hildashaus celebrate Menstrual Awareness Day ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/flow-fest</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/flow-fest</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[FLOWfest takes place on May 28th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us for this free-to-attend, family-friendly event, welcoming everyone who menstruates and allies. In collaboration with Hildashaus, a non-profit organisation with the mission of implementing "holistic, gender-sensitive solutions for displaced FLINTA* individuals aged 45+", we present FLOWfest. Taking place at our new location, Niemetzstrasse 1, on May 28th, FLOWfest presents a range of educational and artistic activities from 6 until 10PM. The program features a talk with Flo Razoux and there will also be an open mic poetry & group composition facilitated by Sarah and Grace Soli Poetry Berlin, a newly organized fundraising event providing a space for FLINTA* poets to share their work in an inclusive open-mic setting.

Queer Life Drawing will lead an untutored life drawing class that celebrates and pays tribute to the existence of queer and trans* bodies in all their forms. Elsewhere, explore the educational corner leading to the FLOWlibrary, a kid's corner for artistic activities, and much more. There will also be some artwork displayed from Monika Kozub, also known as Berlin Boudoir. Monika is a Berlin based artist who explores the diverse spectrum of beauty in the world, placing emphasis on themes of nature and sexuality as means of empowerment. During the event, enjoy free delicious vegan donuts from Brammibal's and gifts from Einhorn Berlin. This is an opportunity to enjoy a great time together while contributing to an important cause: raising awareness about menstrual stigma and period poverty, and promoting period inclusivity. Graphics by Valentina Cecalupo (Herastudio).]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Look back at our mentorship program with Liebeskind Berlin]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/liebeskind-recap</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/liebeskind-recap</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The course took place in April with Nene H as mentor.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Check out some photos and reflections of a recent production course. From April 15 through 19, we hosted techno talent Nene H for a music production course at our Niemetzstrasse space. Three up-and-coming artists had hands-on sessions with Nene H, learning everything from production techniques to matters of artistic expression. By the end of the course, FATUMA, Kamunts and Al Asli had all finished a track which was premiered on a Refuge Worldwide radio show. “It was amazing," Nene H said about the course. "We picked artists with different sounds, representing different cultures and styles. They really connected during this week, and I did with them as well, both through music and deep talks. I’m a proud momma!” The course was hosted in collaboration with Liebeskind Berlin, a bag brand which aims to “reflect the spirit of the times,” while taking inspiration from the city we both call home. Yazen (AKA Al Asli), another of the participant of the course who recently moved to Germany and whose work is influenced by mobility in general, shared the following during the radio show: “This program came on time for me, due to my relocation, and it’s been really great. Studio time is a must for artists to experiment, learn and explore the audio field.” “It has been such a great experience," added FATUMA. "I have learned a lot about myself and my music. It was just a week, but I am full! When it comes to my music, that’s when I can actually express my feelings and thoughts.” Finally, Anna, who records as Kamunts, says "I was really happy to meet Nene, I have been playing her tracks before, and I found new friends here. I learned from this program, from the heartfelt conversations: how to think about samples in another way. In my track, there is a sample in Armenian which is important for me." Check out the show here and a few photos, by Julian Tell, taken in the studios. Many thanks to Liebeskind Berlin for supporting this course. Photo Credits: Julien Tell]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide open air takes place at Strandbad Plötzensee]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ploetzensee</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ploetzensee</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sunday, June 2.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Beach trip! Join us for a swim and a dance because we’re heading west to the Plötzensee beach bar for a daytime hangout. DJs for the day will be SHUSH co-founder Ken Okuda, one of our Breakfast Show DJs Nadia Wise, host of The Vibe Shift Christophe Darbouze and a back-to-back set from Femdelic and TRU:L.  The open air runs from 2PM-10PM, before we move inside the Cave for an after session with Carly Zeng on deck until midnight.  Tickets will only be available on the door, with a sliding scale of 9-15€. Funds are going toward helping to keep Refuge Worldwide on air. Bring your 🤿 ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[GISIRA: Mediterranean Alternatives]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gisira-festival</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gisira-festival</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide heads to Sicily this month.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide will be a media partner of GISIRA festival 2024, a four day event exploring the Mediterranean via music and culture. Taking place on Ortigia in Sicily from May 30 to June 2, the now annual festival sees a number of events across multiple locations which the organisers hope "encourages diversity, inclusivity, and critical thought on the complexity of the region." Several NGOs and humanitarian groups are taking part in conversations over the course of the weekend, including SOS Humanity and SeaWatch, both of whom are engaged in migrant relief in the Mediterranean.   Music is provided by international artists Gigi Masin, Donna Leake, My Analog
Journal, Refuge Worldwide's No Plastic and Özay Öztürk, as well as Turbolentaليلى and Delicatoni. Other festival highlights include author and academic Iain Chambers, and Roselena Ramistella, a photographer, Leica Ambassador and lecturer. Ramistella has previously received the Sony Award in the category of Natural World and Wild Life with her Deepland reportage, with Chambers regularly published in the field of postcolonial analyses. Find more information on the GISIRA Instagram page. SOS HUMANITY As a non-governmental search and rescue organisation, we strive for a world in which the human rights of all are respected. SOS Humanity stands for humanity at sea and on land. We are committed to ensuring that no person drowns while fleeing at sea and that everyone is treated with dignity. SEA-WATCH At the end of 2014, Sea-Watch grew out of an initiative of volunteers who could not stand on the sidelines witnessing people dying in the Mediterranean Sea any longer. They provide emergency relief capacities, demands and pushes for rescue operations by the European institutions and stands up publicly for legal escape routes. Header image from Giacomo De Caro.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 16 May-23 May]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-16-may</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-16-may</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Campaign: A new, mutual aid compilation entitled Moss on a Stone is raising funds for the evacuation of seven people who are currently sheltering in a refugee camp in Rafah. The money from the compilation, and the connected crowdfunder, will be used for their evacuation across the Egyptian border. Listen and support now to receive tracks by local and international artists such as Banu, JakoJako & Rima Baransi, Zvrra, Sepehr, mx.pinky and many more. Event: Patagonia Berlin bring WornWear to Berlin, taking place on May 24th and 25th at Bouldergarten in Neukölln. The event provides a free repair service for clothing, and aims to increase awareness around upcycling and fashion sustainability. There will be a DJ set from Refuge Worldwide resident Ben Olayinka (In Living Color). Demonstration: On Saturday, a Nakba Day demonstration will start at Oranienplatz at 2PM. Organised by Palestine Speaks, PA Allies, Jüdische Stimme and Student Coalition Berlin, the events marks 76 years of displacement and occupation. More info here.  Workshop: Rückenwind are hosting a bike repair workshop today (Thursday, May 16), from 4-7PM. You can learn to repair your bike yourself or, in more serious cases, let the professionals get to work and you support a social project in the meantime. More info here. Event: We are hosting our next Refuge Worldwide event in Berlin at the Plötzensee Strandbad on June 2, with DJ sets from Christophe Darbouze, Nadia Wise, Ken Okuda, TRU:L, Femdelic and Carly Zeng. Come for a swim and a dance - RSVP here via RA. Oona: This weekend in our cosy homebase Oona Bar, we have Saturday afternoon takeovers from the Sudanese DUNYA crew and Ukrainian collective Bass Resistance. Nomansland are taking the Saturday night hours for a carnival special, while Crisp collective have three hours on Friday night. Event: The annual Karneval Der Kulturen hits the streets this weekend, with food, music, dance and art from around the world. Keep an eye out for events from our residents TRU:L (Smoothin Groovin), Freak De L'Afrique and Jaxx TMS (Expressions). Fundraiser: Please keep arkaoda Berlin’s ongoing fundraiser in mind, as they seek to support their business and their staff during a long period in which the basement club is shut due to sound issues. If you ever attended one of Neighbourhood Dances, or any of the other great events at arkaoda, consider donating! Event: Save the date! On 20 July, we invite you to our joint community event at Refuge Worldwide's new space at Niemetzstraße 1. You can see and hear the results of Lilipad e. V's upcoming rap workshops, from rap tracks to works of art by the participating children and young people.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 9 May-16 May]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-9-may</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-9-may</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 09 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Demos: This Saturday, there will be a walking demonstation in solidarity with Palestinians, starting from Mariannenplatz at 4PM. There will also be a Trauerzug (or funeral procession) in mourning for lost Gazan lives starting at 2PM at Rauthaus Neukölln this Sunday. Campaign: A new, temporary self-study facility and library has opened at Marburger Str.3, aimed at creating space for research, exchange and reflection. SSR* will house curated publications from contributors such as Nico Adomako, Flora Yin-Wong and many more. The publications focus on design, art, cultural studies, photography, music and architecture.  Campaign: Queer Analog Darkroom, a self-organised photography skill-sharing community, are currently fundraising with the hope of reopen their physical location. Since the great loss of the Oyoun culture centre, QAD have been without a permanent hope. Keep an eye on their socials for ways you can support the crew - which includes Refuge resident Gabi De Luca. Event: XJAZZ! Festival is in full swing and is running until Sunday. Tune into our XJAZZ! residency every day from 2-4PM, hosted by Henry Weekes, and be sure to get down to one of the events. Oona Bar: This weekend at our home base, we welcome the Adira crew for a journey through Arabic-pop music, a takeover from Raiders on Saturday evening and much more. Check the full schedule via our website. Workshop: Our field recording workshop, Landscape, together with Field Records is still open to applications. See here for more info, ahead of the workshops taking place on June 8th and 9th. Event: A festival of international games and playful media, called A.MAZE, has kicked off in Berlin. Taking place at Panke and Silent Green, the gathering runs until Saturday and showcases a wide range of performances, talks, workshops and installations aimed at game creators, digital artists and technology enthusiasts.  Event: CCL’s club night Subglow returns to OHM this Saturday for another installment of genre-defying psychedelic madness. Hot tip if you’re looking to get loose this weekend. Event: This Sunday will be the opening of a new cultural space in Wedding, co-founded by Refuge Worldwide's Makayabundo. Baraza will house an art space, café and coworking facility, located at Gerichtstrasse 25. Sunday's opening event runs from 12-6PM.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Horizn Studios present 10-part mix series]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/horizn</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/horizn</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Each show is a live recording of a Refuge resident on tour.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Tour essentials. We are happy to partner with Horizn Studios - ones of Europe's leading travel brands - on a 10-part mix series, showcasing the sounds of some Refuge residents while on tour. Over the next three months, Refuge and Horizn will be bringing you bi-weekly live recordings from the likes of Alinka, Yen Sung, CCL, DHC, Zoë Mc Pherson, Roska, Laura BCR and AGY3NA. There will also be a guide to London's record stores with Nat Wendell and a written feature on how community radio stations are becoming travel destinations, both published by Suitcase Magazine. As part of the collaboration, we have a created a limited edition run of customised Refuge Worldwide H5 suitcases.

Tune into the first of the Horizn presents shows at 5PM on Friday, May 3rd. It will be a recording of Alinka live from K41 in Kyiv. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 2 May-9 May]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-2-may-9-may</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-or-2-may-9-may</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our latest updates for the week ahead. Campaign: Our friends at arkaoda are still fundraising to support themselves and staff members whilst their basement club is closed due to noise complaints. Please consider supporting what is one of Berlin's top venues. Campaign: KOP Berlin are fundraising for their legal support of victims of racist police violence, and our support is needed more than ever. Head to their site to donate and listen to their Refuge interview show as part of our May Day Manifesto. Event: The Mix Up, a B2B open decks DJ project by Jessica Jiamei, is hosting its next event at Zur Klappe on 9th May. This time it’s a FLINTA* edition, though anyone is welcome to come down to listen and dance. Apply to be part of the B2B now. Campaign: Another organisation well worth supporting, International Women's Space, is also on a fundraising drive, specifically for non-project based donations which give them freedom to use the money however its needed and more long term stability. They are hosting a FLINTA* poetry slam night this week, too. Workshop: We are hosting a two-day field recording and soundscape workshop together with Field Records and their Landscape project. Taking place on 8 and 9 June, it will feature guest mentors Margaux and Diane Barbé. Applications are open here.  Event: Fiestuki is back at Refuge and Oona Bar this Friday, May 3rd, bringing a lineup of Latin American talent to play from 8pm-2AM. Paurro, Kodemul, Juana Valeria, technocumbia2030 and Dengue Dengue Dengue will be gracing the booth, and there will be a Madre Mezcal happy hour in the evening. Event: XJAZZ! Festival kicks off next week! A whole week of the world’s finest jazz musicians coming to Berlin, spread across some of the cities finest venues. Check the full program at the XJAZZ website and tune into our Friday Breakfast Show to win tickets. News: It has been reported that more than 20,000 people marched through Berlin for labour day (May 1st), with many in support of Palestine. Demo: Befreiung und Widerstand are organising an antifascist demo next Thursday, May 9th. It will start at S&U Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse at 17:30. As well as the antifascist message, the organisers demand an end to weapons export from Germany, reform to asylum laws and more.  Campaign: 100% Tempelhofer Feld are working to preserve the beloved airfield, and also advocating for it becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can donate to their fund and read more about the campaign goals here. Event: Ella Victoria’s dinner series Gather continues next week, inviting Häran Kim to present a take on the food of her childhood in Korea. If you were at our Oona End Of Year party in December, you will know how delicious Häran’s cooking is. Tickets available now here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host field recording workshops with Landscape]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/landscape</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/landscape</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The program takes place on June 8th and 9th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Applications are open now. Landscape - a project by Dutch experimental label Field Records - aims to support the next creative generation in the process of developing their own voice and perspective, enabling new ways of experiencing and interacting with their lived environments. Refuge Worldwide hosts a two-day, Landscape workshop program that focuses on Dutch-German exchange, field recording techniques and storytelling for radio. Each Landscape workshop hosts approximately 15 participants and will be 6 hours in length (10AM-4PM). Participants are taught the history and basics of field recording, and will hear from an external speaker who integrates field recording in their work. Participants will also actively practice the act of field recording and learn about integrating recorded sounds within the realm of sonic storytelling through digital production processes. The guest speakers for the Berlin edition will be Margaux and Diane Barbé. Following Landscape workshops in Bogotá, Hanoi, Medellín, Seoul, The Hague and Tokyo across 2023 and 2024, the concept is now brought to Berlin by the Field Records crew of AHPR and Artefakt. As part of Field Records' 15th anniversary, the experimental electronic label has created a tour called Floating World which will touch down in Berlin in June. As well as the workshop program, there will be a Field Records night at Tresor on Thursday June 6th and a Landscape listening session at arkaoda on Sunday June 9th. The workshop is free of charge and applications are now open. here. This program is supported by the Cultural Participation Fund and the Netherlands Embassy in Berlin.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Adam Cooke hosts KOP Berlin & Irish Bloc for May Day]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/may-day-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/may-day-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come down to Oona from 2PM.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[A fundraising and solidarity event for May Day.

The May Day Manifesto 2024 is inspired by the core ideas and critical perspectives of the 1968 manifesto using its principles to critic the current socio-political landscape of Europe, with a particular focus on Germany. This takeover, a project brought to life and curated by Refuge residents Adam Cooke and Meriem, takes place from 2-8PM on May 1st at Oona Bar. It recognises the recurring themes of governmental inadequacy and the failure to address systemic and social inequalities, mirroring concerns from 1968. We also address the current rise of extreme right-wing ideologies and the complex dynamics of international politics, specifically Western support for Israel amidst the Palestinian Genocide. By applying the anti-imperialist stance of the original manifesto in 2024, we are advocating for similar transformative changes adapted to today's challenges with emphases on solidarity, equity, and justice in both local and global contexts. The May Day Manifesto 2024 serves as a call to action, urging a reengagement with the principles that once galvanised movements around the world.  The takeover will feature a conversation with KOP Berlin - Kampagne für Opfer rassistischer Polizeigewalt (campaign for victims of police violence). The aim of KOP is to counteract institutional racism on various levels and thus break through the racist norm. Specifically, the group deals with, among other things, the police practice of racial profiling, the documentation and investigation of racist police attacks and assaults, as well as accompanying victims and referring them to counseling centers. - Conversation to be led by Lucas Febraro and Gonca from KOP. We will also be welcoming the Irish Bloc Berlin who are working hard uniting the Irish diaspora and expressing unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine on German soil. They are here to discuss their work here in Berlin, why the Irish people are so connected to the Palestinian struggle and play a few tunes along the way. Music selections will also come from Meriem, Mahita and Adam Cooke, and we will be fundraising for the KOP Berlin legal fund throughout the day.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 25 April-2 May]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-25-april</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-25-april</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Upcoming and recent events in Berlin.

News: Two girls* centres in Berlin have been shut down, due to pro-Palestinian social media posts made on private accounts of its employees, as announced via the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office last Friday. Frieda-Frauenzentrum e.V., which operates both Alia and Phantalisa, wrote a letter detailing how the service contracts for both facilities were subject to “extraordinary termination with immediate effect”. A letter containing the district office’s reasons for the termination is available here. Event: The Setten event series - headed up by Refuge Worldwide host Yuko Asanuma - kicks off tonight at 90mil with performances from Extended Constellations (a group led by Astan KA), Falyakon, KAKUHAN and Rashad Becker. On Sunday, there’s a second event at Panke featuring DJ sets from Kahn + Need and Yeahlena, while Ramallah MC Dakn داكنْ and Popon play live. News: Refuge Worldwide and SAVVY Contemporary are collaborating on a a series of experimental sonic performances, grounded in improvisation as a method. It will feature three radio shows on Refuge, hosted by Shiru, and welcoming Sonic Interventions, Canto Diáspora and Sōydivision. Following that, each group will perform at the SAVVY space and have their work documented on SAVVYZΛΛR radio - more info here. Event: This Saturday at Oona, the fantastic Lekker Collective and label will be taking over the airwaves and bar from 1-6PM with a wide range of their crew coming down for shows: Tan Brown, Nando The Native, Rosa Landers, Mike Nasa, Bat Zoo and more.  Fundraiser: Arkaoda Berlin are hosting a fundraiser this Sunday. The venue has been experiencing difficulties lately, now forced into arranging a GoFundMe campaign and a series of soli parties. Head down to support them from 5PM-Midnight as the Codex Club crew take control of the bar area. Fundraiser: Looking ahead to next week, we will be hosting a May Day Manifesto event at Oona Bar. Curated by our resident Adam Cooke, the day time event welcomes KOP Berlin to discuss their work campaigning for victims of police violence, as well as inviting Irish Bloc Berlin who are working hard uniting the Irish diaspora. There will be music from Adam, as well as Meriem Sdiri and Mahita. Come down from 2-8PM. Demo: For those out on the streets following the May Day demo route, head to Südstern for 4:30PM to join Migrantifa in the anti-war bloc. Yoga: To ease your post May Day recovery, our friends at ROOTS Berlin are hosting a BIPOC yoga session in the park. Entitled Flex & Flourish, it will take place at Volkspark Humboldthain from 12-330PM on May 4th. The class will be led by expert instructors Karli Cumber and Kris Eshu. More info via the Roots socials.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[SAVVY Contemporary and Refuge Worldwide explore improvisation in new series]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/stepping-on-each-others-feet</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/stepping-on-each-others-feet</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Stepping On Each Other's Feet kicks off on May 2nd.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Performances and radio pieces on improvisation.

Stepping On Each Other's Feet is a series of experimental sonic performances, grounded in improvisation as a method. It will bring together sound artists, musicians, DJs, and music producers based in Berlin to propose various formats of musical exchange, in order to emphasize the (pre)formal, quotidian, and social dimensions of creation as shared within sonic communities. The performances will take place at the SAVVY Contemporary in Wedding. Each performance and its making process will be documented and aired on the radio platform of SAVVYZΛΛR, as well as being preceded by an interview hosted on Refuge Worldwide by Shiru. On May 2nd, Shiru will interview Sonic Interventions between 12-2PM. The second show will feature Sōydivision on 23 May, from 1-3PM. The final instalment is on 30 May, with Canto Diáspora, airing at 12-2PM. The project was developed by the SAVVY team of Manuela Garcia Aldana, Kelly Krugman, Ola Zielińska, Hubert Gromny, Ola Zielińska, Lema Sikod and Anna Jäger. It is supported by Musikfonds and will be free to attend. More information is available here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[We’re hosting The Breakfast Show live in London with Minor Figures]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/the-breakfast-show-london</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/the-breakfast-show-london</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[RSVP to join us for DJs, coffee and brunch on the house.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We will be broadcasting from Jumbi, Peckham, on 24 May. A live transmission of Refuge Worldwide's Breakfast Show will be hosted in collaboration with our friends Minor Figures at Jumbi in South-East London.  Coffees and flat white espresso martinis will be on the menu, as well as a Caribbean inspired brunch. RSVP below with your details for a couple of free drinks and a bite on the house.  Sign up form The event will be rolling from 10AM until 2PM UK time on the Friday morning, acting as a warm-up for the big weekend at Peckham’s GALA Festival.  In tradition Jumbi style, it will be a 1 turntable and microphone session, with a b(r)unch of our London-based hosts and a couple of special guests joining us on music selections. When The Breakfast Show ends at 2PM, we’ll be heading down the road to GALA to enjoy a  dance before our stage takeover the following day. GALA tickets are still available here.  All are welcome to come down (free entry) but don't forget to sign-up via the link to claim your free food and drink tokens. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host daily XJAZZ! festival radio shows for second year running]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/xjazz-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/xjazz-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The festival week is 6-12 May.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Get ready for a week of jazz. From 6 until 12 May, over one hundred acts will perform across multiple Berlin venues for the XJAZZ! Festival. If you have been checking out their monthly residency with us, you already know the curation will be on point! Continuing our collaboration for a second year, we will host a daily radio show during the festival week (2-4pm). Guests on the radio shows will include Lonnie Holley, Douniah, Allysha Joy, Dhanya, Oshu Records, and more to be announced. The shows will be hosted by Henry Weekes. In addition, we are collaborating on a workshop entitled "Improvisation, Life and Being in the World", hosted by South African artist and musicologist Nduduzo Makhathini. The workshop will take place from 3-4pm on May 12th at Sonnenraum (part of the XJAZZ! festival site), and is for ticket holders of the festival. Makhathini's workshop explores (and heals) the relationship between being and improvisation in jazz. Through some investigation of Zulu cultural systems, Makhathini explicates how cosmology is a central part of being an improviser. You can get 10% discount on the Sunday, May 12th, day passes using the code REFUGE10. Elsewhere on the XJAZZ! programme, there are performances from Joe Armon Jones, Shabaka, Florence Adooni, Manou Gallo, Stella & The Longos and Portico Quartet. Check the official site for full details. Header photo by Akim Karpach Footer photo by Akim Karpach]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #159]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-april-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-april-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Charges against rescue workers dropped | Violence in the West Bank | Berlin youth centres forced to close]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Iuventa crew acquitted After a 7-year legal battle, the crew of the Iuventa rescue ship has been acquitted by an Italian court. The decision represents a major victory for activists in a high-profile case seen by many as emblematic of the EU’s broad criminalisation of solidarity with migrants. The Iuventa, operated by German NGO Jugend Rettet, helped save around 14,000 people at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean before 2017 when it was seized by Italian authorities and its crew put on trial for aiding and abetting illegal migration.  As is common in such cases, the decision to throw the charges out for lack of evidence followed a long and strenuous legal battle. Read our interview with activist on trial Seán Binder to learn more about why these cases go on for so long and what you can do to support the accused. Israeli violence on the rise in the West Bank Last week Israeli military forces raided the Nur Shams refugee camp east of Tulkarem in the West Bank. The 3-day raid killed at least 14 Palestinians and caused what has been described as the worst destruction of infrastructure seen in the West Bank since the Second Intifada of the early 2000s. In a new report by Human Rights Watch, Israel’s government has also been found responsible for a rise in deadly settler violence across the territory that has displaced hundreds and uprooted 7 entire communities – all with the backing of the Israeli state. The escalation is fuelling fears that the West Bank could be the next target for the Israeli military once the assault on Gaza draws to a close. Mass grave discovered in Khan Younis The bodies of around 200 Palestinians have been uncovered in a mass grave at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, Gaza. Reports indicate that many of the bodies were of those killed by Israeli forces in a raid last month or while the hospital was under siege, during which it was impossible for those trapped in the hospital to bury their dead. Israeli strikes across Gaza continue, including in the southern city of Rafah, where much of Gaza’s displaced population is sheltering. Tensions between Iran and Israel are also on the rise, with unconfirmed reports of Israeli drones shot down over the Iranian city of Isfahan on 19 April. The death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 34,000 people. Haiti establishes a temporary government Haiti has announced the members of the new Presidential Transitional Council that will take power following the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry last month. The establishment of a transitional government is intended to reintroduce security and stability in the island nation wracked by violence and on the brink of famine.  Parallel to these developments, civil society groups have urged France to repay the money that was originally paid by Haiti to the colonial power as a “ransom” for independence. The ransom was imposed on Haiti in 1806 after revolts of enslaved people led the country to independence, forcing the new nation to pay billions of dollars to its former coloniser, and plunging Haiti into economic debt that continues to damage the country’s economy. Forced closure of Berlin youth centres Over the weekend, Berlin authorities announced the immediate closure of queer-feminist youth centres Alia and Phantalisa. In a letter, the Senate cited private social media activity and the attendance of members at pro-Palestine demos as grounds for this decision. The closure of the youth centres without notice deprives dozens of marginalized girls and queer youth of important spaces and presents a worrying escalation in policing of political, left, and queer-feminist organisations. Follow Frieda-Frauen*zentrum e.V to stay up to date. Syrians under attack in Lebanon Syrian refugees living in Lebanon are facing rising hostilities. Last week news came to light of the racially motivated killing of Syrian refugee Ali Walid Abdelbaki, as well as several cases of assault and vandalism of Syrian property. Lebanese media organisations have been accused by activists of fuelling the rise in violence through their history of scapegoating refugees for the country’s ongoing economic and political crises. 90% of the 1.5 million Syrian refugees in the country rely on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs, according to the UN. Fashion retailers are profiting from illegal deforestation in Brazil H&M and Zara have been linked to illegal deforestation and land grabs in Brazil. A new report by Earthsight draws on analysis of satellite images, shipment records, and court documents to trace the cotton supply chain for global fast fashion companies. Cotton providers SLC and Hiorita Group, who claim to be harvesting sustainably, are accused of involvement in illegal deforestation in Brazil’s Cerrado region and the use of poisonous pesticides. Earthsight and local communities call on the Brazilian government to stop illegal deforestation and hold global companies like H&M and Zara accountable for enabling and funding these practices.  Header image licensed under CCO 1.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 18-25 April]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-18-25-april</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-18-25-april</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. Palestine fundraiser: Head to Spore Initiative on Thursday 18 April for Let It Be A Tale, a fundraising event for humanitarian relief in Gaza. The evening will include a market, music, poetry, art, a film screening and a panel discussion with Palestinian poet Ghayath Almadoun and Jüdische Stimme’s Udi Raz, moderated by Nicky Böhm. Lecture & performance: On 18 April, Afropolitan Berlin is hosting an evening of artists and speakers giving artistic input and a lecture titled “A Brief History of AfroFuturism Now”. Guests include DJ Adyam Tesfamariam, dancer and multidisciplinary artist Natisa Exocé Kasongo, and performer and experimental rapper Astan Ka. The event starts at 19:00 at Forum Brasil. Earthquake commemoration event: More than one year has passed since the earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey, Kurdistan and Syria, killing more than 40.000 people. On 19 April, Stadtteilkomitee Wedding is hosting a commemoration event with a panel talk and food starting at 19:00 at Rote Ella. Protest & occupation: On Saturday 20 April there will be a demonstration to demand that German weapons manufacturers stop arming Israel. The demo starts at Potsdamer Platz at 14:00. Despite police raids and arrests, the pro-Palestine protest camp Besetzung gegen Besatzung is still in place until the end of the week. Visitors are welcome – follow organisers on IG or Telegram to keep up to date with their programme of events. Demo: This Saturday 20 April, we march in solidarity with queer Africans. Uganda recently upheld the "anti-homosexuality" bill signed in 2023, while Ghana, Kenya and Namibia have introduced similar bills criminalizing queerness under their guise of protecting “family values”. Head to Zimmerstraße 79/80 to demand queer African liberation now. Listen back to Angel Maxine and Mo discussing the colonial dimensions of homophobia in Africa below. Hang out: Nomansland co-founder Kallaloo brings his Refuge Worldwide residency Hang Jack to Orangerie in Neukölln this Saturday 20 April. Music will be provided by Kallaloo, Janna N and mate in nine. Queer Spring market: On 21 April, Qweer Market is back with its spring edition. The event features 80+ stands by LGBTQIA+ artists, plus performances, food and an exhibition. Taking place at Manifesto Market, the event closes with a special performance at Tipsy Bear.  Symposium on Armenia: On 21 April Ararat Berlin is teaming up with Café Arakil for a symposium titled “The Ongoing Armenian Resistance: Artsakh, Rojava and the Diaspora”. The hybrid-panel features the introduction of the new film Lusine about revolutionary Armenians in Rojava, plus a Q&A with the filmmakers.  Grant writing workshop: Next Tuesday we are village / queer matters are hosting a free art grant writing workshop led by funding specialist Ece Pazarbasi. The workshop will be held in English and priority for places will be given to queer and migrant artists – register via events@wearevillage.org. Film Festival: Berlin’s Arab Film Festival AL.Film Fest will hold its 15th edition from 24-30 April. The festival curation includes a selection of shorts, features, talks and interdisciplinary events highlighting the beauty and diversity of Arab cinema. The opening film “Bye Bye Tiberias” is screening on Wednesday 24 April at Kino Arsenal. Check out the full program here.   Event series: Next Thursday 25 April the Berlin-based artist agency setten launches a new event series. setten #1 takes place at 90mil from 19:00-01:00 and features live sets from Rashad Becker, KAKUHAN and Extended Constellations – an ensemble featuring Astan Ka, Nancy Naser Al Deen, El Congo Allen and Ayham Allouch. Falyakon will be DJing to open and close the event. Join the 90mil Telegram group for more details. Header image: Astan Ka.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide host RA & Doors Open: Unlocked 2024]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ra-doors-open-unlocked</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ra-doors-open-unlocked</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The music industry careers event day takes place on 16 May.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[A day of Q&A's and networking with industry professionals.

After 3 UK editions, Resident Advisor has partnered with Refuge Worldwide to take Unlocked (FKA Access All Areas) to Berlin for the first time! Taking place on Thursday 16 May from 11:00 - 19:00 in Berlin Neukölln, Unlocked will feature talks from: Yuko Asanuma (Booking Agent at setten), Tania Just (DJ, Promoter for Fandango and Booking Agent at Ekipa), Sianza Zink (Programming at Radio 80000), Sofia Jönsson (Label Manager at !K7) Nikola Marinković (Refuge Worldwide breakfast radio host), Nicky Böhm (Senior Project Manager at Refuge Worldwide), Kazim Rashid (Chief Creative & Brand Officer at RA), Chloe Lula (Senior Producer at RA), Tony Nwachukwu (Producer, Educator and Founder of CDR), Amy Van-Baaren (Chief Impact & Culture Officer at RA), Mike Zinkiewich (Head of People & Culture at RA), and Iona Thomas (Doors Open & Community Partnerships Manager at RA). The deadline to apply is by the end of Friday 26 April and we will inform all applicants of our decisions on the following Friday 3 May. You can apply in writing via the form below, or you can record yourself via audio or video and include links under each question. If you have any specific access needs relating to the application process or the project itself, please contact iona@doorsopen.co and leona@refugeworldwide.com. Apply here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide & Gravity Network host photography and awareness workshops]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gravity-workshops</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gravity-workshops</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The two sessions take place at RSO on April 25.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Applications are now open for our workshops with Gravity Network. The two workshops will take place at the same time in separate spaces of RSO (Revier Südost), from 6-8PM on April 25. They are part of our collaboration with Gravity Network, a European cooperation project aiming to develop electronic music culture by creating a foundation for an expanding network of electronic music venues. Entitled "Focus Shift: Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Photography" the photo session will be hosted Andrew White, who will share his vast amount of experience shooting for some of the biggest events, brands and publications around. Apply here. At the same time, Killa Schütze, a German-Peruvian cultural bridge builder based in Berlin and Frankfurt, will host a session focused on self-care in awareness work. She will touch on her work with clubs such as Robert Johnson, Tresor Berlin and Tresor.West. Apply here. Priority will be given to applications from FLINTA, POC, LGTBQI+ communities and from people with visible and nonvisible disabilities and/or from lower-income households. Please get in touch with nicky@refugeworldwide.com if you have any special access needs. We will do our best to accommodate.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #158]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-15-april-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-15-april-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Palästina Kongress repressed | New report on abortion law in Germany | Climate crisis in Colombia]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Berlin police shut down Palästina Kongress Pro-Palestine activists faced heavy-handed police repression across Berlin this weekend. The Palaestina Kongress, a three-day event featuring speakers from around the world, was shut down by police just hours after it began on Friday, in a transparent attempt by German authorities to silence criticism of its role in supporting Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. Several activists were arrested at the venue and one speaker, Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah, was detained at Berlin’s BER airport and denied entry to the country. Then on Sunday, activists were assaulted and violently arrested by police at the legal and peaceful occupation ‘Besetzung gegen Besatzung’, outside the Bundestag in Berlin Mitte. For more info on the Palästina Kongress, read Liv Toerkell’s interview with organisers of the event, or on Tuesday tune in to a panel featuring Yanis Varoufakis and others discussing what happened at the congress. Keep up to date with what's going on at the Bundestag protest camp, which should stay in place for the rest of the week, by following on IG or joining the Telegram group. Israel continues military assault Israel has expanded its military bombardment of the entire Gaza strip, just days after Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel in response to the Israeli bombing of Iran’s consulate in Damascus 2 weeks ago. Iran’s attack has drawn widespread condemnation and been described as “unjustifiable” by world leaders, many of whom continue to unconditionally support Israel’s war on Gaza, which has now killed more than 33,000 people. Steps towards a new government in Haiti Haiti has announced the formation of a new Presidential Transitional Council in an attempt to reestablish order in the country currently experiencing a humanitarian crisis triggered by intense gang violence. The new council will be charged with choosing a new prime minister and cabinet, filling the power vacuum in Haitian politics that was opened last month by the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. 95,000 people have fled the Haitian capital and nearly 1 million are on the brink of famine as a result of the latest wave of violence. In a recent article, Al Jazeera reported that gang violence in Haiti is fueled by a steady flow of illegal weapons from the U.S. Rosy Auguste Ducena, a lawyer and programme director at Haiti’s National Human Rights Defense Network, has said: “today, if the United States in particular wants to help Haiti, they can help control what leaves their country.” Colombia faces water crisis Bogotá, Colombia, is currently experiencing extreme drought. Authorities have started rationing water, cut off several neighbourhoods from the water grid, and have advised citizens to curb their water use – including asking couples to start showering together. Driven by climate change and the El Niño weather pattern, major droughts are effecting cities across South America. Mexico City has also started rationing water and Guatemala have declared a nationwide emergency to deal with wildfires. German lawmakers advised to legalise abortion A newly leaked report by a government-appointed commission in Germany has suggested that lawmakers should legalise abortions in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is currently illegal in Germany except in certain circumstances. Although persecutions are rarely made and abortions are widely available, activists fear that if the law isn’t amended the situation is liable to change rapidly – particularly if the AfD, who advocate for a tightening of abortion restrictions and are rising in the polls, gain more power in the next election. Abu Ghraib torture case goes to trial This month marks 20 years since evidence emerged that the U.S. Army and CIA were using horrific torture methods on detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Starting on 15 April, 3 Iraqi torture victims will now finally have their case heard by a federal court in Virginia. The lawsuit is being brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights against the Virgina-based military contractor CACI, who supplied the interrogators who worked at the prison. Since the Iraq war, the U.S. has continued to rely heavily on private military contractors like CACI, which makes millions every year from the U.S. government.  Header image by Montecruz Foto licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Palästina Kongress: Never Again for All!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/interview-palaestina-kongress</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/interview-palaestina-kongress</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A conversation about repression and solidarity with the Palestine Congress organisers.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[More than half a year into the ongoing military assault and starvation of Gaza at the hands of the Israeli army, Germany continues to export weapons to and express unwavering solidarity with Israel.  While Germany faces an ICJ lawsuit for facilitating genocide, activists and organisers confront the German government locally. The Palästina Kongress in Berlin accuses the German government of supporting a government that already killed over 40,000 Palestinians and has left 1.9 million people on the brink of starvation. Taking place from 12-14 April, the Kongress hosts acclaimed international speakers, panel talks, and workshops under the slogan: “Never Again for All”.  The Palästina Kongress has been met with heavy repression and denunciatory misinformation in the German media. We spoke to the organising team to learn more about the goals of the Palästina Kongress, how they are dealing with the repression, and how this affects political activism in Germany. You can stream the Palästina Kongress live here. In one of the most recent measures of repression, Berliner Sparkasse froze the bank account of the Jewish organisation Jewish Voice, or Jüdische Stimme, which is part of the activist groups involved in the planning of the Palästina Kongress. The account held the donations and funds from ticket sales for the conference. What is the status regarding this unjust freezing of money? The Jewish Voice account was frozen on 26 March. The bank requested to see the names and addresses of all members, which is a highly unusual request and not legally backed. Especially in Germany, it is very problematic to police a Jewish organisation and ask them to list all members. The current status is that the account will most likely be shut down, probably in June or July. That means that until then, the owners cannot access any of their funds. This also affects the funding that Jewish Voice has for their organisation beyond the Kongress. For the time being, we switched to the Mera25 account in Belgium because those accounts can't be cancelled as quickly.  Can you still proceed as planned with the Congress? Yes. Luckily, we were able to cover almost the entire cost through donations. Within a couple of weeks, we raised 15,000€ on GoFundMe for Jewish Voice and then we got almost the same amount within one week after the account was frozen. The freezing of the bank account also made international news. This showed how repressive the German government is at the moment. That brought us a lot of attention, and I'd say even say, helped our cause by bringing exposure that we could have never paid for.  In Germany, there has been a lot of misinformation about the Palästina Kongress labelling the event as an "antisemitic hate gathering". How are you dealing with this distorted image in the German media? To anyone who has been active for Palestine in Germany, and anyone keeping up with the news about Palestinian solidarity in Germany, this is not a surprise. We knew that this was going to happen, especially from the conservative and reactionary newspapers like Bild Zeitung and Tagesspiegel. There was no question that they would frame us instantly as antisemitic. We, of course, reject their vicious remarks. Nothing about this event is antisemitic, none of the speakers are antisemitic. In almost any other country in the world, our speakers would be able to speak freely.  What harms us the most about this media campaign is that politicians from the Berliner Senate and the parliament have jumped on it as well. Youth organisations of the big political parties in Germany wrote a letter calling for the boycott of the Congress. Today, the list of all the signatories was revealed and it's a long list of politicians from SPD, FDP, and Linke. Some politicians called on the state to use any means at its disposal to make sure the Congress can't happen. The media campaign would be nothing without the backing of the politicians–but politicians could also have never done this without the media's backing. How has that affected the Kongress so far? ​It creates difficulties every step of the way. Instead of being able to organise and advertise it freely, we have to deal with the media and political reaction to anything we publish. Being labelled as an "antisemitic hate gathering" does not make it easy to find spaces. Especially when the speaker of the CDU in Berlin called on venues in Berlin to reject our conference. That was definitely a hurdle. Two people who were speaking about the conference also had their homes raided - police say that this had nothing to do with the Kongress but, of course, it instilled fear in the organisers and the speakers. It also made it harder for international speakers because the government could be looking into possible travel bans. Our fundraiser was also banned. This was probably the most direct attack and repression that happened. The police showed up at the venue and pressured the owner to not host our fundraiser - direct government interference in a self-organised event without justification. What does this repression mean for political activism in Germany more broadly?  The treatment and repression of the Palästina Kongress should be worrying for anyone in Germany, even if the Palestinian cause is not one that's important to you. This is a conference organised by citizens practising their freedom of speech. The fact that the government puts so many resources into repressing an event that should fall under freedom of speech is really, really worrying. The German government uses Palestinian solidarity to infringe on all our rights. It's not like what is happening to Palästina Kongress is a one-time thing. It will keep happening. Right now, it's the Palestinian cause that is under attack, but these are precedents the government is setting. The fact that they have intimidated a café owner to stop a fundraising event is a direct physical interference, this should worry anyone, no matter your view on Palestine. It won’t get better once there is a ceasefire or because the situation in Gaza calms down. Regardless of all these struggles, you still managed to gather an impressive line-up of German and international voices. What are you looking forward to and what worries you?   We're looking forward to seeing everyone. After organising for so long, it's nice to see things coming together. We're excited to create space for this important discourse and voices. One of them is the Palestinian doctor, Ghassan Abu Sitteh. He has been in Gaza during the genocide and bombardment of Al-Shifa hospital, so he has experienced the physical effects of the Zionist government. Now he's coming to Germany, where the government is one of the strongest backers of Israel both materially and ideologically. Being outside of Palestine, we don't have first-hand experience, so his insights will be very valuable. Apart from that, the opening event is important too, Yanis Varoufakis and Richard Boyd Barrett are European politicians who have also been pro-Palestine. On the other hand, this open letter signed by high-ranking politicians is worrying. I think it's fairly likely that there will be a counter-protest and even physical threats. Misrepresentation and threats by media and politicians will continue. I really can't say exactly what will happen, but we are definitely worried. Worried about the speakers, worried about the physical well-being of attendees because the government has shown us that that's not something they value and that they will use even unjustified means to repress. Despite the crackdown in the German political sphere, you sold out tickets within a very short time and quickly reached donation goals.  Yes, apart from the political establishment, the fact that this conference was so well received shows that the German public does really care about this issue and is not okay with the handling of genocide and one-sided support of Israel by the German government. Activist groups across Germany are organising protests in front of government buildings, there will be live streams of the conference. We've had many words of encouragement and support from all over Germany. I think what the political establishment does and what people want is not the same thing right now in Germany. And every day the gap is widening. I am not optimistic about the political establishment, but I am optimistic that this will get people thinking. The conference will create discourse and material for people to start questioning what they can do to hold their own government accountable to international law and the Genocide Convention. On every evening of the Congress, there is time planned for networking. How important is that right now? Networking is extremely important and one of the main goals of the whole conference. The Palestinian solidarity movement is happening in every country and city, but oftentimes decentralized and not without coordination. So, it is essential to come together to align in our over-arching goals. By creating a network, we can also help each other. This solidarity is important if any individual group faces repression. Together the movement is stronger, and it makes any group more secure, safe and capable when you have a network that you can reach out to. What are the main goals of the Congress?  The goals of the conference are in line with Nicaragua's case at the ICJ. Apart from the US, which supplies about 70% of the weapons to Israel, Germany is the second biggest supplier. We have to put pressure on the government to adhere to the Genocide Convention. For that, we need to accuse Germany of being complicit and hold them accountable. This is also where the networking part comes in. Germany has made it clear that they don't care about what the local Palestinian solidarity movement says. They've repressed and criminalised us, so international attention on what is happening in Germany is key. That is why we are also holding the conference in Berlin. Pressuring the government to stop materially supporting the genocide will make a tangible difference on the ground. We want to end the genocide by any means necessary. Do you think a conference like the Palästina Kongress can have a lasting change on the political level in Germany around the discourse of Palestine? I hope so but I am not optimistic. Very early on in the genocide, no major political parties showed solidarity with Palestinians. They all stated unconditional solidarity with Israel. Considering Germany's historic position, I guess it makes sense. But the entire political establishment in Germany has never acknowledged the plight of the Palestinians or the violence against them happening historically and currently. They continue to use repression and censorship, even against critical Jewish voices, claiming that it’s in the name of fighting anti-Semitism. It is a twisted narrative. The hope we have for this conference is that people will tune in and listen to what the speakers have to say. We've invited internationally renowned speakers so that it's impossible for the German government to dismiss them as fringe leftist extremists. We hope, but the German government has shown no signs of positive development. Looking at the future of pro-Palestinian activism in Germany, where do you see things going? One very important moment is the upcoming European Parliament election. Mera25, the German group of the diem25 movement, will be running. They are the only major political party that is pro-Palestinian. If they get elected, that would be a big win.  In general, over the last six months, dozens and dozens of political and activist groups have formed. They have not been demoralised by the government's repression through criminalisation, physical violence, house searches, cultural censorship, and banning or firing people. The movement survived, and in many ways became stronger. I think this trend will continue on both sides. If the German government sticks to its unconditional support of Israel and the genocide, the resistance will increase and that means authorities will also increase the repression. We have already seen this happening. In Berlin, the police laws were changed, and people can be detained longer. The police have more rights to repress your rights. And despite the continuous racist rhetoric by the government, new migrant groups and leftist groups are popping up to counteract this movement. The Palästina Kongress takes place from 12-14 April in Berlin.  Images by Hossam el-Hamalawy and Montecruz Foto licensed under CC BY 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Vanyfox: 'You need to lose yourself in everything you do.']]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/vanyfox-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/vanyfox-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Enchufada-affiliated DJ and producer on batida, community and living 'the fast life'.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Vanyfox is a leading representative of the Afrodiasporic genre of batida. The 24-year-old DJ and producer started making music at 12, crafting a distinctive sound by incorporating his Angolan heritage into his compositions. In 2019 he got his breakthrough when he caught the ear of Branko, the label head of Enchufada and former member of Buraka Som Sistema. A few weeks ago, Vanyfox closed the Enchufada showcase at the third edition of Sónar Lisboa. Before his set, we sat down to talk about his life between multiple cities, his first time playing at Sonár and his latest EP, Sonho Azul. Sonho Azul Hi Vanyfox, it's great to meet you. You’re considered a representative of the Lisbon music scene, but do I understand correctly that you split your time between Lisbon, Paris and Reims? I think I live everywhere a little bit. Sometimes I’m in Lisbon, Paris, Montreal, London, Berlin… there are certain places that I go to more often which then become my home. But this is my life now, I live everywhere. I'm kind of a worldwide person. Do you find that quite exhausting? To be honest, yes, it is exhausting. For example, I just got back from Amsterdam, I got off the plane and came straight here for a job. In French we call it “la vie rapide”–the fast life. But I love it: do the show, get on a plane, go to another show, or an interview, or fashion week... and then leave and go to another city–I just keep going and going and going. But Amsterdam was great, I love the city. Every time I go there it’s always a lot of fun, there are lots of parties. But I don’t really like clubs, even though they're part of what I do for a living.   You don’t like clubs? How do you feel about a festival stage? I prefer it, festivals are more of a family & friends thing, and they're mostly outside so it's always a vibe. When it comes to clubs, they’re almost too energetic, which I don't like. Especially when it’s really dark inside. But I do it to connect people, like someone who you haven’t seen in 10 years and you meet again at the club. That’s what I love about the job, even though I don't like clubs.  This is your first time playing at Sónar, which is a huge name when it comes to festivals. Are you excited to be playing? I'm really excited. A friend of mine played at Sónar a little while back and that was the first time I realised that Sónar is such a huge thing. There are so many different people here, such a mix of ages. People way older than me are here enjoying and discovering new music. I'm excited to see that tomorrow, and I'm really excited to be closing the stage. It is a challenge and I love it.   Kitana You’ve got quite an impressive catalogue of music already. Will we be hearing many of your own productions? Yes for sure, I do it to represent the style that I grew up with, batida. But I play a lot of my friend’s music as well. My friends have always encouraged me to continue doing what I do, and so we're all part of the journey. I play a lot of unreleased songs as well, I like to show what I’ve been producing over the last six months.  You're playing as part of the Enchufada takeover. Alongside Príncipe Discos, Enchufada is one of the best-known Lisbon labels. Do you think that a lot of what people hear about the Lisbon scene is linked to those labels? Those labels are a symbol from Lisbon now. Enchufada, Príncipe, they’ve become a symbol for the city and for the country. It’s always important to have labels that represent the styles we grew up with, and labels that help build up local artists. With Príncipe Discos, we have the ghetto side of the sound, so the kind of music that I make as well. And Enchufada represents more of the Afrohouse side, which l I love too. Lisbon didn't have much of this before, and although it is generally open-minded, it needs way more Black music. And that's the job of an artist and labels, to build the community. It’s going very well, and I'm happy about that.  Is it quite a close-knit community? How does the Lisbon community compare to cities like Paris for example, where you also spend a lot of your time? I think if we talk about the community in Lisbon, things are still relatively new. There is a new collective in Lisbon called Dengo, which is great. I'm glad that Lisbon has these collectives now, particularly as they represent all genres of music, especially Black music. Lisbon didn’t have that before and a lot of people outside didn't know what was going on in Lisbon. In Paris, the scene and community is more established.  I'm also part of a collective from Montreal, which is called Moonshine. We often come to Lisbon, and people weren’t really used to seeing a collective from another country coming to the city, but then it was new and exciting and everybody was really into it. And now Lisbon has started to have more collectives such as Dengo, which is really beautiful. So the message is kind of: you can do whatever you want, but having a collective is always more exciting. I want to talk about your upbringing and how you were shaped musically. Is your family very involved with music as well? Yes, particularly my parents. My dad introduced me to reggae when I was really young. He used to have dreads and listen to reggae all the time, but he also has a Congolese side and would play lots of music from the Congo. Both of my parents used to listen to music every day, and through them, I learned about artists from the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, and other places. I also have three older brothers, who really influenced me. My family is very familiar with music, and now especially with my music as well. My mum is always curious and will ask “How was the show, did you produce something new, do you have something new coming up?”. And she has all the shirts, all of the merch that I have. She sounds like your biggest fan! She and my dad both are, but he’s quiet, my dad. He's the type of person that is always present and knows what's going on but he's not only there for me when I’m at the top. When things go south he's really there for me.  129 Amoroso Your last EP Sonho Azul (blue dream) was released in October 2023. How do you feel it fits into your evolution as a producer? I started producing when I was twelve, and was very influenced by new songs, new sounds, and my mom’s singing. On the other hand, my brothers would always play rap, kuduro, and other underground genres. That sound was really interesting to me, it was so heavy and I loved it. So I started to learn producing. Since then I’ve learned a lot, and with this EP I've learned that I can be more than just a regular musician. I've really discovered that I'm a person who speaks through music, not through words. If I need to express a heavy idea I make music, I make a whole album.  Sonho Azul is a reflection of the lifestyle that I'm starting to have right now. You need to lose yourself in everything you do and Sonho Azul is like a blue pill. I don't want to take the red pill, the blue pill is always about starting new, but with the skills that you learned before. So I have these skills but I also wanted to start from zero.  This EP is really personal. I think a lot of people don't understand, but this is how I really express myself. I'm always trying to be a better person, which is why I'm working on the next one. For me, making music is an escape. You're already working on the next one? I'm always on the next one and always on the move. I can't be still, I need to search for something meaningful. You need to explore through art. Sonho Azul is about all of that, about things that remind me of something else, and my dreams, and the colour blue. I dream in blue a lot. Do you write your dreams down? No, but I tell my mom and she remembers all of them. One time, I told her about a dream that I had about our old house, but nobody was there. She told me that I needed to go there to see what was happening, and we went there together. I dream a lot and there is always the colour blue. It is my favourite colour and has an aura of calm. But blue is a dangerous colour as well, people don't know that. It is the colour of the ocean and the ocean is dangerous.  Two years ago, I lost a friend of mine, and that was a reminder that I need to check myself. I can't just be a person who keeps everything inside, I need to talk to someone about my dreams, and if something triggers me, it means there is something there. Losing my friend was really hard, they gave me so much inspiration and let me just be myself. You need to be true to yourself and others, and that's why I have just three friends. They’re producers as well, and we grew up together, even though we didn't meet each other in person until 2017. We went to the Príncipe Discos anniversary and it was magical. I can be myself around them, and they can be themselves around me. I don't like when people hide their real selves, I'm always real but I think nowadays people love to be fake. It seems so easy nowadays to be fake. Most of what I see on social media I assume to be fake.  It makes me mad because I have to use social media for work, I have no choice. I don't think that anything I've seen on social media is real. People use it as a tool, even a dating app. I think social media has ruined a whole generation! Lifestyle Dos Enjoados Before we go, I have one final question. Because you're Vanyfox and there's obviously quite an amazing roster of other foxes (Marfox, Danifox, Lycox etc.). Who is your favourite fox?  Ouff, that is difficult. I feel like you want beef. You absolutely don't have to answer this. I think I can give you a good answer: So all the -fox's and -cox's are part of the same family. Every one of us probably has a favourite, but we are one community, and we love each other. We don't really put people in a singular position and everybody gives love to everybody. They're all favourites, even the youngest ones that are just coming up now. It’s the sound that matters the most and so you need to bring the sound. Lisbon has been bringing the best sound for years. We’re not always heard, but we like to be loud. And so we’re loud as fuck.  I think this is a very diplomatic answer, and if you ask the same question to another 'fox', I think they will say the same thing. I might be wrong, but try it. Photos by Pedro Francisco at Sónar Lisboa 2024.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 11-17 April]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-11-17-april</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-11-17-april</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. Concert & fundraiser: On 11 April, Lark is hosting the first edition of Dunya: SUDAN, an event series uplifting Sudanese voices and raising funds for the Sudan Solidarity Collective and Darfur Women Action. The event starting from 19:00 will celebrate Sudanese culture and resistance through speeches by activists, film screenings, poetry and music. Palästina Kongress: From 12-14 April, the Palästina Kongress takes place in Berlin. The conference unites national and international pro-Palestinian speakers and activists to engage in panels, workshops, and networking. The goal is to hold the German government accountable for its continued support of Israel through weapon exports. The conference is sold out, but you can livestream the talks on their website. Protest camp: Besetzung gegen Besatzung is a protest camp currently set up outside the Bundestag, demonstrating for an end to Germany’s complicity and military support of the ongoing genocide in Palestine. All are invited to join the camp – head  to their Instagram or join on Telegram to keep up to date. Party: This Friday 12 April SWAK is back at OHM. Expect everything from gqom to techno courtesy of Oldyungmayn, ALISSAZADDI, Bloomfeld and Mx. Pinky. Panel: On 13 April, Spore Initiative is hosting a panel on the effects of the climate crisis on Kurdish communities followed by a dance performance by the group Koma Feraşin. Titled “Along the Rivers of Kurdistan”, the conversation opens the exhibition “Wasserspiegel – Water Bodies”, which contexualises water as a carrier of cultural memory, resistance and sociocultural importance. The opening starts at 18:30. Market: On 13 and 14 April there is a market with all proceeds going to the fundraiser ‘Unity for Gaza: Mutual Aid & Resilient Livelihoods’. Expect books, clothes, jewellery, prints and more at Vierte Welt at Adalbertrstr. 96, Krezuberg. Demo: On Saturday 13 April there is a demonstration against transphobia, following the horrific attack on a trans woman that took place in Weissensee, north Berlin, in November last year. The demo starts at 15:00 from Antonplatz. Party: Daytimers host their first-ever Berlin show on 13 April at Fitzroy. The UK-based South Asian collective will be represented by Abibi, Arnav, yungfya and more. Demo: Sudan Uprising and the Salam Sudan Campain are inviting Berliners to participate in a vigil and demo on the International Day of Solidarity with the Sudanese people. The protest takes place on 15 April starting at 17:00 from Oranienplatz. Commemoration: The organiser, activist, and founder of KOP Berlin Biplab Basu passed away on 14 March of this year. To honour his life and achievements in working towards social change and justice for the community, KOP and ReachOut are organsing a commemoration on Biplab Basu’s birthday. Join at Nachbarschaftshaus Urbanstraße on 15 April from 17:00. Party: Body Language is back this Saturday 13 April for a special one-off fundraiser for GLADT, an organization of black and PoC lesbians, gays, bisexuals, Trans*, Inter* and queers in Berlin. The party starts at 23:00 at Zenner. Call for support: Berlin migrant housing network Schlafplatzorga are in need of free rooms – if you’re out of town or have a spare room for even just a few days, reach out at sleepingplaceorga@systemli.org. Header image by Hossam el-Hamalawy licensed under CC BY 2.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host party and workshop at Open Ground]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-ground</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-ground</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our event at the Wuppertal club takes place on May 11th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Up next: Open Ground. For our next party, we're coming to an exciting new venue in Wuppertal, Open Ground, which has been earning the reputation of having one of the best sounding rooms around. 

UK funky don Roska, eclectic Londoner Nancy June, Cologne-based dub selector Parissa and Refuge co-founder Richard Akingbehin will play, promising a night of bass-driven sounds for your head and body. The party will run Saturday from 11PM to 7AM. Before the party starts (9-1030PM), we will host a workshop, introducing sound enthusiasts to the philosophy and technical specifics of a Funktion-One soundsytem. This 90-minute session will be a unique opportunity to learn about the world-renowned systems, directly from a Funktion-One representative. This workshop is planned to be held in German, with possibility for English translations. Participants will be welcome to stay for the party afterwards to hear the system in action! As always with Refuge Worldwide workshop programs, priority will be given to applicants with refugee backgrounds, BIPoC, people from the LGBTQIA community, disabled people, women and gender nonconforming people, or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face difficulties accessing music education.  Apply here for the workshop. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #157]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-apr-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-apr-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[30th anniversary of Rwanda genocide | Germany at the ICJ | 1 year of war in Sudan]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. 30th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide during which up to 800,000 people, 75% of the Tutsi minority, were massacred by the Hutu majority. Commemorations were held internationally with Rwandan President Paul Kagame speaking at the memorial in Kigali on 7 April as part of Kwibuka 30. Often misrepresented as a “tribal war” by Western media, the genocide has to be understood in the context of German and Belgian colonial rule. In 1926, Belgian colonisers introduced identity cards institutionalising the distinction between Hutu and Tutsi, who were favoured by the colonisers based on racist ideas of their ethnic superiority over the Hutu majority.  While the situation in Rwanda has improved significantly in the last 30 years, violence continues in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo where the M23 – a Rwanda-backed rebel group – is accused of committing war crimes in their battle for control over the eastern DRC. Listen to witnesses speak about the genocide and learn more about it in this DW Documentary. Germany on trial at the International Court of Justice On Monday and Tuesday this week Germany faced accusations of ‘complicity in genocide’ in Gaza at the International Court of Justice. On Monday the court heard from the ambassador of Nicaragua, the country that brought the case to the ICJ, who argued that Germany has continued to supply vital military aid to Israel, and seems unable “to differentiate between self-defence and genocide.”  Germany has been accused of facilitating genocide and breaching the UN Genocide Convention, which was established in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust. The final verdict on Germany’s guilt could take months to reach, but Nicaragua has asked the ICJ to demand that Germany immediately cease sending weapons to Israel.  1 year of war in Sudan 15 April marks one year since the start of Sudan’s civil war, a conflict between Sudan’s armed forces and the RSF paramilitary that has triggered a humanitarian crisis affecting 25 million people, displaced over 8 million, and has been marked by intense violence and ethnic cleansing, particularly in the capital Khartoum and the western region of Darfur.  Often ignored by Western media and overshadowed by international attention on conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, Sudan was already home to one of the world’s ‘most neglected humanitarian crises’ before the war began. For more info on how to help, Nas al Sudan have compiled a list of Sudanese-led initiatives to donate to and support. Turkey elections In Turkey’s local elections, the opposition party CHP beat President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling AKP party in 36 out of 81 municipalities. This increases their influence on the local level even after Erdoğan’s reelection in 2023. In Van province, the Kurdish democratic DEM party’s candidate Abdullah Zeydan was elected mayor, but authorities overturned the result in another attempt to repress and control the Kurdish population. After clashes between authorities and protestors, Zeydan was reinstated in office on Friday. Russia bombs Kharkiv Ukrainian President Zelenskyy told the US Congress that Ukraine may be on the verge of losing the war unless it receives additional military support, as Russian attacks on the country’s second-largest city Kharkiv intensify. Ukrainian soldiers have reported “almost daily” illegal gas attacks in the country’s eastern region of Donetsk–echoing similar accusations made against Russia during its assault on Mariupol during the early stages of the full-scale invasion. New Caledonia independence demonstrations against France Across the island of New Caledonia protests were held against planned reforms to the electoral system by the French Senate and Emmanuel Macron. These changes would allow anyone residing in New Caledonia for ten years to participate in the electoral roll. This would affect mostly non-indigenous inhabitants and increase the external influence of France on the island’s political sphere. Kanak indigenous and pro-independence voices have grown in the past years and push back against the reform and continuation of French colonial influence in New Caledonia. Gambia considers repeal of FGM ban ​​The Gambian parliament discusses the reversal of the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) instated in 2015. Even though the ban officially outlawed FGM, Amnesty International reports that only two cases have been prosecuted so far. A repeal of the ban on FGM would set back women’s rights in the Gambia and violate the principle of “equal dignity of the person” as guaranteed in the Gambian Constitution. The Nala Feminist Collective has started a petition to urge the Gambian Government to uphold the ban. You can sign it here. International Romani day 8 April is International Romani Day, a celebration of Romani and Sinti cultures, languages and histories. Read a new interview feature by Liv Toerkell with Svetlana Kostić of RomaniPhen, a group of Berlin-based activists who are countering marginalisation and erasure by building an anti-racist, feminist archive of Romani knowledge. Header image of Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[RomaniPhen are building a feminist Romnja* archive]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/romaniphen-interview-with-svetlana-kostic</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/romaniphen-interview-with-svetlana-kostic</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Svetlana Kostić on practices of archiving and knowledge-production as resistance.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[8 April is International Romani Day. It concludes Romnja* Power Month and is a celebration Romani and Sinti cultures, languages and histories.  In Germany and internationally, Romnja* and Sinitzze* continue to face widespread violence, discrimination, erasure, and misrepresentation. The self-organised cultural and educational Romani feminist group RomaniPhen e.V. is working on taking back the narrative by curating an anti-racist and feminist knowledge archive.  RomaniPhen formed at the end of 2018 with the goal of appreciating and disseminating Romani knowledge and empowering Romani people. We spoke to Svetlana Kostić from RomaniPhen about the importance of archiving and the future of Romani feminism.  Svetlana, you have been a part of RomaniPhen since 2019. What changes have you witnessed since?  When I started, I was involved in the study of experiences of racism by Sinti and Roma. Since the publication of the report, we at RomaniPhen have been able to integrate this study into our work and focus our projects accordingly. We have grown as an organisation as well as a team and have other projects that cover different focus areas. What are the struggles and joys of working in a self-organized group?  For me personally, it is a great pleasure to work predominantly independently and creatively. As a feminist organisation, we are mainly women*. Many are also mothers, and their needs and requirements are tended to accordingly, for example, by covering childcare if necessary. Our struggle is with the bureaucratic requirements of the sponsors, as well as the worry about how things will continue when projects end. Taking Back the Narrative   A core part of the work at RomaniPhen is the knowledge archive, which can be accessed online via your website but also visited in person at the office. What does it include and how do you go about the work of archiving? We collect and disseminate material and productions created by Romani people with a special interest in those produced by Romnja (Romani women). Our archive includes, among others, periodicals, books, flyers, posters, and communiqués created by organisations and individuals, materials with a critical anti-racist and feminist perspective that question the power structures that throughout history have oppressed our and other communities, but also those that collect elements of a cultural nature such as language or art.   What are the gaps you notice in other mainstream or academic archives?  Very often conventional archives barely have any material documenting our realities and the scarce material that is available is usually created from Gadje (non-Romani) narratives that tend to orientalise, exotise, or culturise our cosmovisions. Narratives produced by Romani people have always existed and are becoming more and more accessible. However, we often see that the materials that are cited in academic and non-academic spaces are materials produced about us but not by us. How do you work to counter that and reconnect Romani histories and present?  We intend to create spaces for the dissemination of our narratives, community spaces that move away from the conventionalities of the usual archives and that are accessible to those who do not occupy the spaces of power from where "knowledge" about the Romani people is normally produced. That is why our work is not only about archiving but also about creating, disseminating, and advancing Romani feminist anti-racist narratives. These narratives have always been present in our lives and we try to reconnect with them through shared experiences, oral history, and situated research. How does archiving influence the past, present, and future?  We believe that archives can be a great tool to question history and document those voices that have been displaced to the margins, while allowing us to be aware of the realities of communities, their struggles, and demands today, while also serving as a collective empowerment tool for our communities, where future generations can look to for reference.  Disrupting Institutionalised Knowledge Production Svetlana, you are involved in a project called Romnja* Power (Main-)Streaming. As part of that, you organised the Uni Romnja lecture series at the Humboldt University of Berlin. What does Romnja* Power (Main-) Streaming mean to you?  As part of the Romnja* Power (Main-)Streaming project, the Romnja* Power month is organised from 8 March, the feminist day of struggle, to 8 April, International Rom*nja Day. During this month we organise many different events, some in cooperation with other Romani organisations, such as readings, panel discussions, film premieres, network meetings, and much more.  To me, the Romnja* Power Mainstreaming project means a powerful, heterogeneous presentation of Romani knowledge and work, and self-empowerment by getting our narrative uncensored into the so-called "mainstream". How can this work to disrupt the power structures of institutions like universities? Unfortunately, we are still a long way from institutional change in the areas of education and representation. There are still more than enough homogeneous, stereotypical as well as racist images, knowledge, and history about us. Nevertheless, we have more and more requests from organisations interested in our events, materials, and narratives. What has been your experience of navigating an institution like Humboldt?    It was a very powerful, historically unique, and empowering experience. However, the way into Humboldt University was not an easy one. We were lucky that our colleague and sister Dr. Jane Weiß has been teaching at HU for a long time. The resources were also a great challenge. We wanted to make the lecture as inclusive as possible, i.e. a live stream, interpreting, as well as for the deaf. We have now archived the lectures on our YouTube channel: Romnja Power. However, we lack the resources to subtitle the lectures in different languages to make them even more accessible.  With the UniRomnja lecture series, you decidedly took up space within academia – a white, Gadje, and male-dominated space that was built on and reproduces inequality and discrimination. But as you said, the focus is not only on academic approaches to archives. RomaniPhen also provides multimedia material, kids’ books, podcasts, workshops, walking tours, and events. How important is this kind of archiving – taking place outside of what is considered to be an “archive” by academia?  Although RomaniPhen is present or has been present in conventional academic spaces, we cannot ignore that the academy is a space of power to which most of us do not have access. Therefore, it must be strongly questioned.  We want to build collective spaces of creation and dissemination that go beyond academic models. For this, it is essential to focus on the expressions that our communities use. For us, does not make sense to focus on conventional materials when our communities are not present, nor do they use these formats when creating or disseminating knowledge. It is essential to collect materials that are accessible, attractive, and inclusive for our people. RomaniPhen Lecture Challenging Memory Culture Currently, the state of Berlin is planning on building a new S-Bahn line, crossing the ground of the long-fought-for memorial of Pořajmos. This shows once again the lack of significance that the German political landscape attributes to the historic erasure and genocide of Romnja* and Sintizze* as well as the ongoing fight against discrimination that they face. Can you share some thoughts on the importance of the memorial? The construction of the memorial was the result of a long political work of the Sinti and Romani civil rights movement, which at that time encountered great resistance from the German state. The same state that resisted the construction did not recognize Sinti and Romani as victims of racial persecution by the Nazis until 1982, which again finally changed thanks to the hard work of the civil rights movement. At that time the German state already showed its selective historical memory. A merely symbolic and selective memory culture that does not question historical implications in present realities and only pretends to combat them, is a remembrance of spectacle and not of political transformation.  We at RomaniPhen see the memorial as a space to commemorate, honour, and remember our ancestors who perished at the hands of the German Nazi state. It is a space to expose the historical construction of anti-Romani racism that led to the genocide, and a space to question those power structures that continue to oppress our people today. Therefore, the memorial should be considered as a place of political and spiritual importance of immeasurable character for us, whose protection should be guaranteed, therefore, the attack on the memorial, in its different forms is a great offense and attack against the Romani and Sinti communities.   How is RomaniPhen involved in the fight against plans to uproot the memorial?  From the moment the plans for the possible dismantling of the memorial were made known, back in 2020, RomaniPhen, together with other Romani organizations started a mobilisation and political pressure campaign asking for an alternative route for the S-Bahn line that would avoid the attack on the memorial. We even organised a demonstration and protest in front of the Deutsche Bahn offices. As of today, it seems that the construction plans are still going ahead. Sinti and Romani Futures  A lot of RomaniPhen’s work focuses on engaging and empowering the next generation of Romnja* and Sintizze* growing up in Germany. You are about to publish the second children’s book, Jokesi Club, representing Sinti and Romani culture and characters, and organise musical projects for children to learn about and celebrate their culture. Why is working with children so important? Youth work has played a very important role in RomaniPhen's work since the creation of our organisation. One of our first projects was Romani Chaji, a group of Romani girls that aims to create a safer space where they can empower themselves, find room for creativity, and receive support in their goals. Currently, we also have a project on political education through the historical Romani legacy through music. These spaces and projects are necessary because they serve to counteract the daily racism and discrimination that our youth receive in society as a whole and in the educational system, in particular. We try to create spaces where they can share experiences, access knowledge and information that is not present in conventional educational spaces, or simply have a good time together. This also contributes to increasing self-esteem and building a sense of community.  How are the struggles and goals of RomaniPhen connected to other liberatory struggles (within Germany and beyond)?   We understand that our struggles are connected in many ways with those of other communities and movements. The situation of our communities is not alien to the realities of other peoples. For example, the historical construction of anti-Roma racism has gone hand in hand with the construction of anti-Black racism, anti-Muslim racism, anti-Semitism, and colonialism. The experience of Romani women can be shared by many other racialised and impoverished women. That is why it is essential for RomaniPhen to work together with other communities and organisations to build a world where we all belong. Listen back to the conversation BIWOC* Rising had with RomaniPhen as part of the (H)our Realities series: Stay up to date with RomaniPhen via their Newsletter, Website, and Instagram.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 4-10 April]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-04-10-apr</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-04-10-apr</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. Talk and concerts: Concluding Romnja* Power Month, RomaniPhen are hosting a talk about the lived realities of Romnja* in Berlin on 4 April at Aquarium from 18:00. The event is followed on 6 April by a closing party with DJ sets, dancing, and live music at Südblock from 19:00.  Film screening and discussion: On 4 April Café Cralle in Wedding is hosting a documentary film screening of “Stories from Masafer Yatta” about realities of people living in southern Westbank. The screening will be followed by a discussion about the role of art and film in anti-colonial struggles. Club night: SFX, the A/V-focused label and event series run by Zoë Mc Pherson and Alessandra Leone, is hosting its first Berlin event on 4 April. Head to Panke from 20:30 to catch sets from Zoë, Jessica Ekomane, Marylou and more. Demo: On Friday 5 April there is a demonstration outside the police station at Kottbusser Tor, in opposition to the recent wave of night-time police raids and arrests of activists across the city. The demo starts at 18:00 will be strictly silent, and the dresscode is pyjamas. Zine launch: The Berliner QT_BiPoC writing group Queer*ing Creative Writing is launching their first Zine. The launch event takes place on Saturday 6 April at OYA Bar, with a reading and celebration starting from 19:00.    Armenian jam night: On 6 April Café Arakil is hosting an Armenian Jam Night. From 19-24:00 you are invited to come by with your instruments to jam, sing, and dance together all in Armenian. Demo: On Sunday 7 April Hände Weg von Wedding is organising a rally in solidarity with Palestine. Join the demo from 15:00 at Leopoldplatz. Fundraiser: Palästina Kongress in Berlin will take place from 12-14 April. Following the freezing of the Jüdische Stimme bank account by Berliner Sparkasse last week, state repression continues – organisers were planning to host a fundraising event on 5 April, which has now been cancelled because of alleged “security concerns”. To support Palästina Kongress, you can donate on their website and follow them on Instagram to stay up to date with new events and developments.    Demo: On 9 April join a protest against right-wing migration politics, deportations, and the reinforcements of CEAS (Common European Aylsum System), which are to be finalised on 10 April. The protest will start at 18:00 from Oranienplatz.  Campaign: Deutsche Wohnen &  Co Enteignen are currently campaigning for a new legally binding referendum, two and a half years since nearly 60% Berliners voted for socialisation to take back control of the housing market – a result that has been ignored by authorities ever since. R2C, the organisations English-speaking and migrant-focused working group, is hosting a welcome session on Monday 8 April for those looking to get involved in the campaign. Check out this page for more events this week related to Berlin’s housing crisis. Header image by Valeriya Kobzar licensed under CC 1.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 28 March-3 April]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-28-mar-03-april</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-28-mar-03-april</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. Oona: We're open all Easter weekend at Oona, Weserstr. 166. Come down on Friday for our annual B2B Day or tune in to our 14-hour long B2B2B2B2B....! Full lineup here. News: On 26 March the cultural centre Oyoun won the court case against the German newspaper Tagesspiegel. Accusations of anti-semitism, which led to the important arts and culture space losing its state funding in the Autumn of last year, were ruled out as unfounded. Oyoun has been subjected to defamation by the German newspaper, and the court also ruled on the reports as untrue and damaging. Read Oyoun's statement here. News: Berliner Sparkasse, a local bank, has frozen the account of Jüdische Stimme, a Jewish activist organisation working in solidarity with Palestinian organisations in Berlin. The bank demanded data including a full list of members and their addresses – a highly unusual demand, which leaves members worried about persecution. Blocking accounts without sufficient reason is illegal and can be seen as the latest development in a broad crackdown on critical Jewish voices in Germany speaking out against the genocide in Gaza. Sit-in: on 29 March Global South United is holding a mass sit-in from 16:00 at Hauptbahnhof to mark Land Day and to call for an end to occupation and colonisation in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Haiti, Western Sahara, Wallmapu and beyond.  Demo: 30 March is the Land Day. On this day in 1976 Palestinians protested the illegal expropriation and settlement of their land. Every year, protests take place in Palestine on the anniversary of that day. Join the Pa Allies organised protest starting at 14:00 from S-Bahn Gesundbrunnen. Short films, talk and live music: On 30 March Archive of Belonging presents and evening of short films, live music and a panel talk exploring sound as an access point to agency. The Sonic Agency event takes place at Sinema Transtopia and features three short films starting at 19:00. This is followed by a talk with the director Sarnt Utamachote and a live music session by Oyèmi Noize.   Demo: On 30 March there is a demo in solidarity with Kurdish people around the world, following the news of the attacks by Turkish nationalists on a Syrian-Kurdish family in Belgium last week. The march starts at 19:30 from Zickenplatz. Music workshop and Iftar: On 30 March Out of Time Embassy is inviting for an evening of music and food. The Iftar and Gnawa Circle starts at 18:00 with a shared meal and continues with an introduction into Gnawa culture and playing techniques. The event is inspired by the traditional Lila sessions and is open to up to 20 participants. Register ahead of time via ootembassy@gmail.com   Live music: On Sunday 31 March catch Refuge Worldwide resident Kissen live at Neukölln’s Tennis Bar. You can listen to Kissen's latest EP released on Mansions and Millions last month here. Micro Festival: 31 March is Trans* Day of Visibility. Backhouse Projects is hosting Maladjusted Misfits a micro festival that will showcase the work of TIN* artists, activists, and educators. There will be an exhibition, performance, workshops, and a communal dinner. Join on the opening on 29 Marcg at 18:00. Events take place over the weekend from 29 March to 1 April at Backhaus Projects, Weserstrasse 168. Open Call: In May 2024 Oyoun is hosting the poetry project Who Am I, Who I Am. The organisers have issued an open call for LGBTQ+ Palestinian writers to film themselves performing a piece of their own writing that will be featured in short poetry film. Find out more here and send your submissions by 15 April. Header image: Oyoun.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[B2B Day returns with a new format]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/b2b-day-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/b2b-day-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[One of our favourite days of the year.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[B2B day is back, bigger and better!

For the third year running, we are marking this holiday Friday (Easter Friday) with our annual B2B day. In 2022 and 2023, we gathered residents of the station to play their first sets together, all day long.

This year, we're trying a new format, where each artist plays 30 minutes B2B with the artist before them, 30 minutes alone, and 30 minutes with the artist after them. So rather than 14 separate B2B sets, we have one flowing, 14-hour long B2B2B2B2B....! This Friday kicks off with our Breakfast Show host Nikola, before staff members No Plastic and Neckbone join in, and then the esteemed range of guests begin to arrive. Check the full timetable below and come join us from lunchtime. 10:00-10:30 Nikola 10:30-11:00 Nikola b2b Neckbone 11:00-11:30 Neckbone 11:30-12:00 Neckbone b2b No Plastic 12:00-12:30 No Plastic 12:30-13:00 No Plastic b2b Dane Joe 13:00-13:30 Dane Joe 13:30-14:00 Dane Joe b2b DJ Chichi 14:00-14:30 DJ Chichi 14:30-15:00 DJ Chichi b2b Nadia Wise 15:00-15:30 Nadia Wise 15:30-16:00 Nadia Wise b2b Stella Zekri 16:00-16:30 Stella Zekri 16:30-17:00 Stella Zekri b2b Mandel 17:00-17:30 Mandel 17:30-18:00 Mandel b2b Olin 18:00-18:30 Olin 18:30-19:00 Olin b2b Monty Luke 19:00-19:30 Monty Luke 19:30-20:00 Monty Luke b2b Robert Owens 20:00-20:30 Robert Owens 20:30-21:00 Robert Owens b2b Jaxx TMS 21:00-21:30 Jaxx TMS 21:30-22:00 Jaxx TMS b2b Mr. Redley 22:00-22:30 Mr. Redley 22:30-23:00 Mr. Redley b2b Alias Error 23:00-23:30 Alias Error 23:30-00:00 Alias Error b2b Camila Rae 00:00-00:30 Camilla Rae 00:30-01:00 Camilla Rae b2b Souci 01:00-01:30 Souci ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #156]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-25-mar-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-25-mar-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[UN ceasefire resolution | EU-Egypt migration deal | Hands off Student Rights]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. UN Security Council passes temporary Gaza ceasefire resolution The UN Security Council has approved a resolution on Gaza demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan. 14 of the 15 member countries voted in favour of the resolution, with the US the only country to abstain. Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have called on Israel to “immediately respond” to the resolution “by facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, ending its starvation of Gaza’s population, and halting unlawful attacks”. The number of people killed in Israel’s war on Gaza stands at 32,333. EU and Egypt reach new migration deal The European Union has announced a new 8 billion-euro aid package and “strategic partnership” with Egypt, with the aim of reducing migration from the country. The deal mirrors existing border control agreements with North African countries like Tunisia, and has been widely criticised by rights groups amid widespread reports of illegal deportations and violence against migrants by Egypt’s authoritarian regime. As Human Rights Watch say – “the blueprint is the same as the flawed EU deals with Tunisia… stop migrants, ignore abuses.” Food insecurity on the rise in Haiti Port closures and gang roadblocks in Haiti are worsening the humanitarian situation, as new reports show that around 5 million people face food insecurity in the country. Violence in Haiti has continued to rise since armed groups forced Prime Minister Ariel Henry to stand down last month. Talk of UN or US involvement in the crisis continues despite opposition from many Haitians due to the destabilising effect of past foreign interventions in the country. Protest in Berlin against forced exmatriculations Hands Off Student Rights is organising a protest in Berlin against a new law which would allow forced exmatriculations as a regulatory measure at Berliner universities. The law was proposed by the Berliner Senate in February and could be used to repress political student organising. Join the protest tomorrow, 26 March from 12-14:00 at Rotes Rathaus.  Senegal holds elections Elections took place peacefully in Senegal on 24 March. Deadly clashes between state forces and protesters broke out in February when President Macky Sall attempted to postpone the elections until later this year. Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who had been disqualified and jailed based on claims of defamation but has since been freed, endorses current opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye. So far, no one has claimed victory in the election, but Faye is in the lead and is celebrated by voters across the country. Rohingya refugees rescued in Indonesia On 21 March, an Indonesian search and rescue ship was able to rescue 75 Rohingya Muslim refugees. The capsized boat reportedly transported 151 people meaning that more than 70 people are still missing at sea. This is not an isolated case – in 2023 alone, an estimated 569 Rohingya died or went missing while trying to flee Myanmar and overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.  The Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar has been subjected to mass displacement and violence at the hands of the local security forces for decades forcing about 1 million people to flee across the border to Bangladesh, with numbers peaking at 740,000 in 2017. European powers meet for Nuclear Energy Summit At the Nuclear Energy Summit on 21 March, Europe was divided once again over the question of nuclear energy. Pro-nuclear powers like France are pushing for a nuclear revival as a means of gaining independence from Russian gas, while anti-nuclear states like Germany and Austria see nuclear power plants as a threat to safety and fear long-term pollution through nuclear waste. Header image courtesy of Montecruz Photo. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide reveals summer festival schedule]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/festivals-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/festivals-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[From Lisbon to Tashkent, with some dreamy stops on the way.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We're excited to get back on the road this spring and summer.

Between March and September, we're visiting some of our favourite festivals to host stages, workshops, pop-up radio stations, panels and more. Below is a run-down of where you will find us, as we head to the UK, Portugal, Uzbekistan, Croatia, Spain, Belgium, Lithuania and, of course, Germany. Sónar, Lisbon - 22-24 March Kicking off the run of Spring and Summer festivals, we return to Sónar Lisboa for another year as a media partner. Expect interviews, exclusive recordings and behind the scenes shots from the festival delivered to our channels. Listen, Brussels - 26-31 March Later in March, we visit Listen Festival in Brussels for the first time, hosting a club sound and lighting tech workshop at FUSE on 28 March, and a field recording workshop (led by Coline Cornélis) on 29 March. We will also moderate an on-stage interview with journalist Shawn Reynaldo. XJAZZ!, Berlin - 6-12 May Following on from the success of last year’s collaboration, we once again welcome Berlin’s XJAZZ! Festival crew for an extension of their monthly residency, with a daily show from 14:00-16:00 during the festival. Keep your eyes peeled for ticket competitions and some extra, behind-the-scenes content from the festival.

GALA, London - 24-26 May Our annual trip to London! Big love to the GALA family for having us back each year. This time, we’re levelling up and taking over the 1908 stage, with sets from Nat Wendell, Yu Su, Palms Trax, Heléna Star and MLE. Audra, Kaunas - 5-9 June We are developing a special bond with Kaunas, Lithuania, and the people of AUDRA Festival / Lizdas club. This year, our third time visiting, we will host two stages at AUDRA, plus a community radio workshop. Sónar, Barcelona - 13-15 June For the second trip of our Sónar collaboration, we’re heading to Barcelona for the 31st edition of the festival. It will take place both day and night at multiple venue across the city, with an in-depth arts and discourse program alongside the musical curation.

MELT, Gräfenhainichen - 11-13 July Two years on from our first trip to MELT, we're heading back for another live-broadcasted session by the lake. As with 2022, we will kick off the days with some soothing, meditative sounds for the weary heads, before inviting some residents of the radio - and special guests - to spin. Tickets are available here. Dekmantel Selectors, Tisno - 22-26 August On Saturday August 24, we have the pleasure of taking over the Magnolia stage at Dekmantel Selectors in Tisno, Croatia, with sets from Rachel Grace Almeida, mokeyanju and a dubwise B2B between Om Unit and Richard Akingbehin.  Sublimation, Tashkent - 26-28 September Uzbekistan, here we come! Heading to the Sublimation Festival for a stage takeover, a panel talk and a workshop. More information to be revealed soon! Photos by Esther Hoedemakers (Dekmantel Selectors) and Justine Trickett (GALA).]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Alias Error’s morning coffee playlist]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/alias-errors-coffee-playlist</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/alias-errors-coffee-playlist</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Refuge Worldwide resident shares tracks ahead of her next Breakfast show, in collaboration with Minor Figures.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Singer-songwriter Alias Error has delivered a slow-moving morning playlist with a blend of retro rhythms, ideal for a smooth start to your day.  Real name Alia Seror, Alias Error hosts the monthly Deep Pop show and is a regular member of Refuge Worldwide's Breakfast Show rotation. This playlist is deep and dreamy, most likely to be enjoyed with Alia's trademark hafer cappuccino. Laurie Anderson - Same time tomorrow Video "This is a Breakfast Show favourite of mine. Still convinced it's as good as it gets insofar as wake up/morning music goes." Lettera 4 - Heith

Video

"Transportive soundscapes from the album X, Wheel, which came out on Pan in 2022. Deep and dreamy, otherworldly magic for us slow-moving morning movers."  June11 - White Bird - Jan Van den Brooke Video "For those of us who need a gentle but definitive push to get out of bed. From the album 1100 Dreams by Jan Van den Brooke, released on Stroom in 2017."  The Beginning of the End - Headache Video

"A fun way to start your morning is to chuck on this album. One of the many gems to come out of last year. Side project of Vegyn, with lyrics by Francis Hornsby Clark and performed by an AI. This particular track is a goodie for starting your day weird and wonderfully." Perfume Tree - Dreaming Video

"Okay, now you’re awake. Recently did a deep dive into the entire catalogue of one of my favourite 90’s bands, Perfume Tree. Was more familiar with their later stuff. Discovered that their first album, Dust from 1992, also slaps. Will likely throw on a song from it on my next Breakfast show." :) Tune in for Alia's next Breakfast Show on March 25th, in collaboration with Minor Figures.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 21-27 March]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-21-27</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-21-27</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. Reading & panel: On 21 March Nebojša Marković Vonplon will do a performative reading of texts from the story collection “Erinnern an eine Zukunft” to be published later this year. The event is part of Romnja* Power Month organised by RomaniPhen. The stories about collective memory and resistance will be accompanied by cellist Merle Weißbach. Head to Theater an der Parkaue at 18:00. Demo: As well as the New Year celebration of many communities across East and Central Asia, Newroz is also a day of resistance against injustice and persecution for Kurdish people. Join a demo on 21 March at from 19:30, Gesundbrunnen. Petition: In February of this year, the Berlin Senate has proposed the reintroduction of exmatriculations at universities as a regulatory measure to discourage undesirable behaviour of students. This would increase the repressive environment at universities and endanger political and dissident student voices, especially affecting marginalised students and those dependent on student status for residency permits. Hands off Student Rights have started a petition to stop political exarticulations. You can read more about it and sign it here. Newroz celebration and fundraiser: On 22 March, Spore Initiative is hosting a Newroz event with music and dance performances. Palestinian and Kurdish food will be served, and the revenue will be donated to support the evacuation and living costs of families in Gaza. The event starts at 16:30. Demo: On 23 March there is a protest in solidarity with the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country dealing with the mass displacement of 7 million people, humanitarian crisis, and a system of modern slavery in the country’s cobalt and copper mines affecting tens of thousands of adults and children. The demo starts at 13:00 from Wilhelmstrasse 77. Panel and performances: Head to Emergent Spaces on 23 March for a panel on transnational solidarity between pro-Palestinian student movements, and performances from Sarah Zeryab (above), Mudar Al-Khufash and more. DM here for the location. Discussion, market & performances: Celebrate Newroz at Haus der Statistik  on 23 March with panels, speeches, a market and live performances of music, dance and traditional practices. Entrance fees and market proceeds will be donated to support a variety of projects in Afghanistan including three illegal underground schools for girls and women. Iftar: On 24 March Queer Iftar Berlin is organising a collective Iftar for LGBTQIA+ Muslims observing Ramadan and fasting. The event is donation-based, and registration is open until the day of the event. Concert and poetry reading: On 26 March Decolonoize Berlin is hosting an evening of indie rock, Latin American folk and poetry. Chilean group Las Brumas will perform alongside poetry readings by Māori poet and performer Hinemoana Baker and interdisciplinary storyteller Nketch. The event starts at 20:00 at Schokoladen Berlin. BiPoC artists are invited to come at 18:00 for an hour of networking and snacks.   Call for translators: The organisers of Palästina Kongress, an event due to be held in Berlin this April, are looking for translators to and from German, English or Arabic. Get in touch with them via email IG to find out more. Music and dance: GLADT and Les Migras are holding a Newroz event on 26 March for queers and allies. Join for music, dance and snacks from 18:30 at Lützowstr. 28. Header image: Defend Rojava demo in Kreuzberg, 2019 by Montecruz Foto.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Flip The Script: Queer Cinema for Palestine]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/flip-the-script-palestine-queer-cinema-for-palestine</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/flip-the-script-palestine-queer-cinema-for-palestine</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 20 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A transcribed conversation with Jumana Manna, Basma al-Sharif, Shadi Habib Allah, and Basyma Saad.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Flip The Script Palestine is a series of conversations that celebrate the rich multiplicity of Palestinian cultural identities and explore the stories of anti-occupation activists. They are an invitation to learn, unlearn and explore different forms of intersectional solidarity and resistance. As part of the Queer Cinema for Palestine / No Pride in Genocide film programme, ATHAR hosted the Articulating Power event last December at filmArche Berlin. Moderated by artist and writer Basyma Saad, this recording is from the panel discussion with Basma al-Sharif, Shadi Habib Allah and Jumana Manna that followed the screenings of their films: Home Movies Gaza — Basma al-Sharif
An introduction to the Gaza Strip as a microcosm for the failure of civilisation. Dag'aa — Shadi Habib Allah
A journey across the heavily militarised Sinai Peninsula. Blessed Blessed Oblivion — Jumana Manna
A portrait of masculine performativity in East Jerusalem. Queer Cinema for Palestine was a global event across 9 cities in solidarity with Palestinians and part of the decolonial movement for justice. Over the past 5 years, nearly 60 filmmakers have withdrawn from the Israeli government-sponsored TLVFest LGBTQ film festival in response to the boycott call from Palestinian queers. 200+ filmmakers, film artists, and scholars have signed the Queer Cinema for Palestine pledge not to participate in TLVFest in a sign of growing rejection of Israeli pinkwashing and recognition of the intimate connections between liberation struggles of all oppressed peoples and communities. Read an excerpt of the show below – a full transcript of this show is available here. BASYMA SAAD: I found it interesting how the three films came together tonight. All three of them are very much invested in a portrayal of a kind of stretched, empty and almost dead time, a lot of investment in the banality of everyday and minor uneventful interactions between particular groups. And maybe that's different in the case of your film Basma, but in general, the films are very different from the current moment that we're living in now, this moment of rupture and unfolding tragedy. But there is a kind of way in which even that banality has a limit, the political will always come through, or the structures of the occupation and the siege will filter in at specific moments.  For example the graffiti on the wall at the end of the film (Home Movies Gaza), I kind of felt like it was very deliberate to keep that till the end, like to restrain... In Dag’aa, there are very minor conversations where something more explicit about the context comes through. I wonder if you'd like to talk more about how the films formally, and on an aesthetic level, condense or expand this time – the everyday as it is lived between moments of upheaval or rupture? BASMA AL-SHARIF: I mean, actually, for those first two weeks, it was very banal. It was just like a normal homecoming and rediscovering visiting family and going around Gaza, like because I hadn't been there before since Israel had dismantled its settlements. And so I was like, I really want to go where the settlements used to be, because that's an area I couldn't have gone to before, so it was very banal. I think even as an artist, I thought I don't know what I'm going to do, you know, it's just it's so calm, there's nothing political about it.  I think there is something about Palestine, that it falls under the world's attention in these moments, and not just since the siege on Gaza or the wars, but throughout its history, there have just been these peaks when suddenly the world cares and we feel like we're under a microscope, and then everyone sort of forgets. It's these moments in between that are actually very difficult because the occupation persists and intensifies and becomes increasingly more violent. Maybe that's why I also was really noticing this in our films that it's not the hot topics that one wants to see, it's this kind of in-between, and it's about how significant that is, or how much it fills in maybe the gap of our own understanding. For me, I can't go anywhere, but Gaza, because these IDs and these classifications of where you're from in Palestine are how they restrict movements. So I can't go to Jerusalem or the occupied territories, and definitely not inside of Israel. That's technically illegal, even though I have had family in the West Bank since 2000.  I think in my film, the aesthetic choices, all the manipulations – because essentially, every scene is manipulated, it's either running backwards or has something added to it, and the sound is non-diegetic, it's not from the scene itself – was meant to draw attention to this kind of insidious, like invisible terror that is in that in that territory.  I'll just point to one scene, in which there is a television screen that has this scramble that comes from drone interference. You don't hear drones unless they dropped to a certain level and they were technically illegal. I think in the last war, Israel had agreed to no longer have drone surveillance over Gaza. And for four years, they were basically surveying and you couldn't hear it but TVs would get scrambled if drones were in the area and I didn't know this and I kept noticing that, like we would watch this show, and then they would scramble, and then they just be like, fuck, turn the TV off. Once we were watching a film that I really wanted to finish...  It's those tiny things that I really appreciate because it's, I don't know, it's like this insistence on continuing to live a really normal banal life of watching a television series whilst knowing that this thing is happening. And we understood the drone surveillance is done so that then they decide where to bomb during these wars.  Emel Mathlouthi - Ya Taleen al-Jabal | Ey Dağlara Çıkanlar BASYMA SAAD: So there's the ominous quality in all the films patched to all of the everyday. SHADI HABIB ALLAH: I don't know how to respond to that, because actually for me... it was exactly when Sisi took over, the coup. So I  had to film during that time. So it was really tense, it was really very charged. But the people that I met along the way, made it sound like this is the normal thing that they do every day. And you would meet people who like to travel with people who are religious, and you have to pray with them, like five prayers a day. And then you're smuggled with other people who take opium five times a day. And the groups change, and the person like when somebody connects you to someone, you can meet them and both of you have this doubt, because they think you are maybe working for the Egyptian secret services and you think they maybe think that and maybe they're going to kill you along the way. So you both look at each other with suspicious eyes, the first interaction when somebody connects you, and just like stare at each other for like five minutes.  And you drive and no one says anything, because I don't understand the dialect properly and they don't understand my dialect. It took a while to learn a bit of that. But then as you're in the desert, things start to calm down. One of the things I was thinking about before I shot the film was the book How To Disappear In America, by Seth Price, a counterculture handbook about how you go about disappearing in the 60s. And I was thinking like, how do you do this in the desert? But actually, you hide in plain sight because the landscape is so big, so vast, that it almost swallows you.  JUMANA MANNA: I had many thoughts. Thanks for talking before me because it helped me think! I'm interested in the banal in so many ways. Like if we start from Jerusalem, I don't know how many of you have been there, but it's kind of a boring place. You know, there's a very strange quality, I think, to Jerusalem and maybe other parts of Palestine. Also because of the occupation, the occupation kills life, it makes things more dull, and Jerusalem in particular, where the tension is felt in a heightened way, because it's a mixed city. It's a religious city. And so you have on the one hand, these fantastic ancient sites and magic of Jerusalem that you have in moments when you look at the view or you enter a place that's 1000s of years old and you see this really bizarre enmity.  There is something fascinating about Jerusalem at the same time incredibly dull and mundane, because people are just getting on with their lives in far less than ideal circumstances. And I think that's also what you're talking about Basma like, that's a quality that we grew up with, you know, this kind of dullness.  Life under occupation means managing the every day, you have to figure out what checkpoints are closed, and there's a lot of waiting time. It's not a fancy life. There's a lot of time spent in the everyday. I have an interest in everyday because these mega narratives or important historical things are constantly overshadowing the everyday which in and of itself is the continuity and is the ‘sumud’... the defiance of the attempt of constant erasure that gets affirmed through just the very basic things of everyday life. So I like this part in the film where the carwash guy goes into great detail about how they washed the cars, the art of car washing. أغنية انا ابن الصمود ،، فرقة بيت أطفال الصمود - أبناء الشهداء 1982م Read the full transcript here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #155]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-18-mar-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-18-mar-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Biplab Basu RIP | Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital raided | 62 years of Cuban embargo]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Israel strikes Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital Israel has launched an assault on Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City killing dozens. Over 80 Palestinians have been arrested, including Al Jazeera journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his crew. 30,000 people, mostly displaced civilians, patients and medical staff, are currently trapped inside the hospital, with Israeli forces targetting those who attempt to flee.  As Israel threatens a ground invasion of Rafah, where the majority of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people are now sheltering, new reports show that 50% of the population of Gaza currently faces catastrophic hunger, as Israel continues to restrict aid deliveries, using hunger as “a weapon of war”. Biplab Basu Biplab Basu, lifelong activist and founding member of KOP (campaign for the victims of racist police violence), has sadly died aged 72. Born in Calcutta, India, Biplab lived in Berlin since 1979, becoming a key figure in antiracist activism and migration policy in the city through his work at KOP and ReachOut, a counselling centre for victims of right-wing, racist and anti-semitic violence.  We met Biplab in 2022 to discuss racial profiling and the history of gentrification in Kreuzberg on the eve of the opening of Kottbusser Tor’s new police station – you can read that here. Our thoughts are with his family and those closest to him. 13 years of Syrian Revolution 13 years ago in March of 2011, the people of Syria took to the streets for mass demonstrations calling for democratic change and an end to the al-Assad dictatorship. This marked the beginning of the Syrian Revolution, which continues to be violently suppressed by the Russia and Iran-backed Assad regime, killing over 300.000 people and displacing another 12 million within and beyond Syria. Last weekend, Syrians and allies commemorated the sacrifices of the ongoing struggle for freedom.  Al Jazeera - thirteen years later, has the world forgotten Syria? March in Berlin for Democratic Republic of Congo In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, violence between the rebel group M23 and the Congolese armed forces has led to the mass displacement of 7 million people and a humanitarian crisis. In the city of Goma, healthcare facilities are overwhelmed by the number of wounded civilians. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of adults and children are forced to work under conditions described as “modern slavery” in the country’s cobalt and copper mines. The mining is driven by the Western market's demand for these minerals to keep tech industries afloat. Join a march in Berlin to protest these crimes against humanity on Saturday 23 March at 13:00 from Wilhelmstrasse 77. Cuban embargo anniversary 14 March marked the 62nd anniversary of the US embargo on Cuba. In six decades, the blockade and sanctions have devastated the island economically and cost Cuba over 130 billion dollars. The embargo has led to enormous shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, affecting life in Cuba until today. On Sunday, Cubans in Santiago protested the recurring blackouts and the worsening food crisis. In November 2023, the UN General Assembly called on the US to lift the embargo for the 31st time, but the resolution was vetoed by the US and Israel.  Ocean Viking migrant deaths 60 people died last week when a rubber boat carrying migrants across the Mediterranean became lost at sea. Rescue ship Ocean Viking, operated by humanitarian group SOS Méditerranée, was able to save 25 survivors. A new UN report shows that 2023 was the deadliest year for migrants since records began in 2013, and though the number of people crossing is far lower than it was a decade ago, the Mediterranean crossing continues to be the world’s most dangerous route, due in part to the intensifying criminalisation of rescue work. Newroz/Nowruz celebrated this week Newroz or Nowruz, the Persian and Kurdish New Year, is celebrated this week. More than a celebration, Newroz is also a day of resistance against the ongoing violence against the Kurdish people. Join us at the march in Berlin this Thursday at 19:30 to highlight the struggle for a free Kurdistan. On 22 March Spore Initiative hosts another Newroz event with live music and a fundraiser for Palestine and Kurdistan.  Tegel Refugee Camp fire Last week a fire broke out in a refugee camp on the site of Berlin’s former Tegel airport, destroying a 1000 square meter tent hall and leaving at least 300 refugees without a place to live. On Wednesday, Migrantifa is holding a discussion led by Kurdish activists who will report on the inhumane conditions that face the 4000+ people currently living in the Tegel camp. The discussion will be held at Rote Lilly in Neukölln and translated from Turkish to German.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[How Does Our Feminism Remake Our World: Palestine, Liberation, and Imagination]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/palestine-speaks-8m-transcript</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/palestine-speaks-8m-transcript</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A transcribed interview with Palestine Speaks]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Activists from Palestine Speaks Yasmeen Daher, Nora Ragab, Fidaa Zaanin, and Pary Qalqili got together on 8 March to talk about feminism – and whether or not it can call itself feminism if it does not oppose the genocide and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli Occupation Force. Palestine Speaks has been organising protests and interventions since long before the beginning of the Israeli assault on Gaza after the 7 October Hamas attacks. In this conversation, Yasmeen, Nora, Fidaa, and Pary break down the current state of affairs and share their thoughts on feminism in Germany from a Palestinian feminist perspective.  Even in the darkest of times, as Gaza faces a genocidal onslaught persisting into its fifth relentless month, it is imperative upon us to talk about the future. In this conversation, we will discuss how our feminism reshapes our world, our lived experiences, informs our political practices, and offers us resources to confront the hurdles strewn along our path. Join us this International Women's Day as we set to talk about our sisterhood, challenge the tenets of imperialist feminism, summon the courage to imagine amidst the harrowing of pains, our aspirations for liberation and justice in Palestine and beyond. Read an excerpt from the 8 March show with Palestine Speaks. The full show transcript is available here.   Yasmeen Daher: I want to talk about the feminism we believe in, versus the kind of feminism that we have been facing especially from white neo-liberal feminists. In recent months, the white-saviour liberal feminist enterprise, which claims to care about women's lives and freedoms, has been silent about the mass killing of Palestinians. Until now, we have not heard strong positions from those self-proclaimed feminist policymakers. The same is true for German official speakers of feminism and feminist policy, like Annalena Baerbock. Two weeks ago, a UN expert report was released on human rights violations against women and girls in Gaza [summarised here on Relief Web]. It stated: "We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces." In another quote from the same report [summarised on Relief Web]: “the experts expressed serious concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists, and humanitarian workers in Gaza and the West Bank since seventh October. Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied ministration pads, food, and medicine and severely beaten. On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold without food without food."  If you allow me one more quote from a UN report again: "Gaza is fundamentally a protection crisis for women. Out of 1.9 million people displaced, close to 1 million are women and girls seeking refuge in precarious sheltering conditions, yet nowhere and no one is safe in Gaza. We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped, while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence. The experts said they also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online."  This silence in the face of this tremendous pain and very obvious genocide shows a form of demonising and dehumanising of Palestinians. We are talking about Palestinian women specifically, and the racism of the white neo-liberal feminism. Fidaa would you like to comment on how this discourse plays out in your research or activism? Fidaa Zaanin: You mentioned the silence of these prominent proclaimed feminist figures or feminist policymakers about what's happening in Gaza, that genocide. To me, it is not shocking. Actually, I wish they were silent. That's the thing. They are silent on the abuses that our people are exposed to, but on the other hand, they are using feminist values and the rights of marginalised groups, women, and children to justify the abuses that the Israeli army is committing in Gaza. On one hand, they ignore what's happening to women in Gaza, but on the other hand, they are abusing women's rights to justify the missiles raining down on our people in Gaza.  I did not expect Hillary Clinton to say that what's happening in Gaza is not acceptable after her policies on Iraq and Afghanistan. Her feminism is imperialist state feminism. She has no problem using feminist values or appropriating feminist terms to justify war. She's a warmonger. This also applies to the proclaimed feminist figures in Germany. Feminist is not a title you add before your name. It's what you do, and what you apply in practice. They can say they are feminists, but it is imperialist feminism, colonialist feminism. Who vetoed the ceasefire five times or four times in the UN Security Council? It was a Black US-American woman advancing the interests of the empire.  Maysa Daw: “Asli Barri” (feat. Yusor Hamed, Lina Makoul) But I want to go back to the UN report that you mentioned. I find the words they chose very troubling: allegedly, reportedly. No, those incidents did actually happen. Women were shot while holding a white flag. Women were sexually assaulted inside Israeli prisons by soldiers. We have to dismantle the language they use by looking at those reports. In the same way that the bodies of our women were violated, the bodies of our men were violated. We saw them blindfolded on the streets. That's a violation of the body autonomy of our people. But they disregard such violations or tolerate them. In their eyes, we are subhuman, other. But we are here to say that this is not our ceiling, having a few women here and there. It's not about representation. We don't do identity politics. I identify with people who fight my fight. We struggle together. Pary Qalqili: If we go back to the question of what feminism actually means, feminism means first of all equality for everyone. It also means a disruption of the system that is imposing power or violence onto all of us. I think that, especially in these incredibly violent genocidal times, everyone should ask themselves what kind of values they're standing for. Apparently not even the bodies of women in Gaza or the bodies of children have any value to the dominant forces. They are still sending weapons to Israel and morally and politically supporting the State of Israel in committing the genocide. They are dehumanising and taking away the value of the lives and bodies of the Palestinians. How does this happen?  Children's bodies, women's bodies, and also men’s bodies of Palestinians are so dehumanised, and have been for decades, that now it is easy to commit genocide. There is no outrage on the political levels or juridical level. There has been no intervention until now to stop the genocide. We have all been studying how the dehumanisation of Palestinians took place through language, visual representation, and demonisation. What we are seeing now is the result of decades of dehumanisation. We have been speaking out against the dehumanisation of Palestinians for so long. It's clear that we can take no feminist scholar or activist seriously who's not publicly also speaking out against the genocide. What that means is that the person didn't understand what feminism is about. It's about life, life for everyone with equal rights and disruption in front of injustice. Nora Ragab: For me, it's also a practice of liberation from patriarchy and oppression. Liberal feminism reproduces structures of violence, not only in their speech but also in their actions. Can this be liberating? No. For me, liberation has to also mean dismantling the power structures. I think often when we see the narrative or discourse on Palestine, we see an orientalist gendered discourse around terrorism, misogyny, and the European portrayed as this liberal feminist who promotes equal participation. This is a reinforcement of the oppression as a system. What becomes clear is also that we can think of Palestine as a single issue, but also need to think about it more broadly in a feminist anticolonial context. Eddy Mack: The Sound of War Yasmeen Daher: I want to take the context we live in, Germany or specifically Berlin. Germany has its own flavour of anti-Palestinian racism. Specifically in the Palestinian case, we see a very harsh crackdown and persecution, and this manifests both in the street and in the institutions, especially since October. Nora, you were born and raised here so such an experience is not foreign to you. How do you understand these politics against the Palestinians?  Nora Ragab: It is a big question. When we talk about the Palestinian community in Germany, it's believed to be one of the biggest or the biggest communities within Europe. There are estimates that there are up to 250,000 Palestinians living in Germany. But the problem already starts here because Palestine as a category doesn't exist in German official statistics. So, we can't tell you a concrete number of how many Palestinians are living in Germany. They are either categorized as stateless, as undefined, sometimes linked to the countries of transit such as Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and of course, some hold Israeli citizenship and are therefore categorized as Israelis, or others as Europeans or Germans. There is no such thing as Palestine because Palestine is not recognised as a state in Germany. This administered erasure of Palestine in Germany or Palestinians in Germany neglects their collective existence here.  When we look at the history of the Palestinian community in Germany, it's quite long and diverse. People migrated as students, as workers, and as refugees in the 80s already. I think the official figure would say that there are around 6300 Palestinians living in Germany. Already when it comes to data and statistics, we see the politics of erasure. There is a big discrepancy.  MC Abdul: Shouting at a Wall I always felt I had an inner self and an outer self, or external self when I think about how I grew up here. My inner self had the Palestinian maps hanging in our living room and heard the stories about the Nakba. We talked about our family in Gaza and were always rooted there. We visited them. Then there was this outer self, which was shaped by the dominant narrative. This outer self only existed in relation to the question of Israel. When I was asked where I am from, I would say Palestine and most of the time, people would ask me immediately if I accepted Israel's right to exist. My existence can't be seen separately from Israel in Germany. I think this is one of the struggles. It is also important to emphasise that the repression didn't start on 7 October. The repression has been going on for a long time.  When we think about the importance of the diaspora in the political liberation of Palestine, in Germany in the ‘70s, we had a lot of Palestinian structures related to the PLO, women's organisations, student organisations, and workers’ organisations. So, there was a life in the diaspora, which was a political life. But after the terrorist attack in Munich, members of the Olympic Games were killed, and Palestinian existence was criminalised. There has been mass deportation, unlawful mass deportation in response and immigration restrictions. So, we are either not seen at all, our existence negated, or we are hyper-visible and criminalised in the context of Germany. It has been like this historically and it influenced how many of the older generations, Sarah El Bulbeisi writes about this, were traumatised. The trauma of the older generation of our parents influenced us in a way.  Historically, there have been attempts to erase us. One aspect is that Palestine reminds Germany of their guilt and their violence and that it didn't end. It did not end with the fact that Jewish people now have a so-called safe space place in the world, a nation-state. It continues with the question of Palestine. This is an uncomfortable reminder for the Germans that their violence didn't end. For us, the Nakba continues. I think this is why many do not want to deal with the Palestinian question. Of course, it also connects to broader systems of racism. We saw how rapidly after 7 October people called for mass deportation. Olaf Scholz called for mass deportations. We saw an increase in anti-Muslim racism. We need to link these different forms of racism and understand that it's a broad aspect.  These bans on Palestinian solidarity are not new, we saw the Nakba commemoration banned in recent years and the police justified it by saying that: “the Palestinian diaspora as well as Muslim communities, presumably from Lebanese, Turkish, and as well as Syrian diaspora, and especially the youth and young adults, as considerably tense and emotionalized. This is why then the Nakba commemoration events could be a potential threat to public safety.” Here again, we see a gendered and racist discourse now of the people being portrayed as angry, most of the time, Muslim men and potential terrorists, existing only in relation to the tolerant and peaceful white German.  Song: Bigsam  لو  مرة بس  Continue reading.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 14-20 March]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-14-20-mar</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-14-20-mar</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 14 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. News: On 12 March a fire broke out in a refugee camp in Berlin Tegel. Previously, the inhabitants had been complaining about the horrible state of facilities and lack of space to safely home 4.200 people. Activist organisations like Pro Asyl and Leave No One Behind called on the Berliner Senate to take immediate action to improve the living situation of migrants and grant access to safe housing. Grassroots organisations like Schlafplatzorga have been taking matters into their own hands organising sleeping places for migrants in Berlin. Film Festival: This weekend, the fourth edition of the international feminist film festival Vierte Welle Film Fest takes place at Kino Lichtblick. The festival opens on 15 March with a networking event. On the following two days, a selection of international queer feminist films will be screened. Opening at Projektraum Bardo 15 March from 18:00, with screenings 16 March from 16:00 and 17 March from 18:00 at Kino Lichtblick in Prenzlauer Berg. Screening: Sinema Transtopia is screening Augure (Omen) on 15 March. The fictional film follows a young Congolese man returning to his village near Kinshasa. It is the debut film by Baloji, who uses magical realism to explore prejudices associated with witchcraft. The screenings starts at 20:00 at Sinema Transtopia. Commemoration: 16 March marks the third anniversary of the racist and sexist murders in Atlanta, USA. This 16 March we commemorate the victims of anti-Asian racism internationally and in Germany. The memorial event is organised by In Memory In Resistance and takes place on Saturday from 14:00 at the Statue of Peace in Berlin-Moabit. We Remember! We Resist! Screening and discussion: Head to Oyoun on 16 March for a screening of the film Aisheen: still alive In Gaza, followed by a discussion with activist Ramsy Kilani. Fundraiser launch: Korientation, the network for Asian-German perspectives in Berlin is launching a fundraising campaign to sustain their work with affordable workplaces and shared spaces for Asian and BiPoC communities. On 16 March from 16-18:00 Korientation is hosting a launch event at Haus der Statistik to share more information. Demonstration: 18 March is the international day of solidarity with political prisoners. Young Struggle and Zora Berlin are organising a demonstration at Kottbusser Tor to show solidarity and raise awareness of the imprisoned activists in Germany but also internationally. The demo starts at 17:00. Fundraiser: donate now to the organisers of Palästina Kongress, an event due to be held in Berlin 12-14 April. The congress will feature keynote speakers, panels, workshops and space for pro-Palestinian activists and organisers to come together to decide on practical steps for action. Find out more and donate here. Release: check out a brand new compilation by Hot Concept, featuring Refuge regulars Gramrcy, John Loveless, Olin, Jack Savidge and O.N.A, plus many more. Open call: The Terminal is an event series that will run from May until October 2024. They are calling for applications from “artists from migrant, refuge, marginalized, and discriminated backgrounds who face hardships and difficulties in travelling from their current geographical locations to places with artistic production capacities and audience, and would like to showcase their artwork (visual art, video, audio, performance, etc.)” Read more and apply here. Info event: On 20 March counselling centre SMART BERLIN is hosting an event with Sex Worker Action Group to discuss the demand for decriminalisation from the perspective of sex workers. Header image: Syrian activists at 1 May demonstration in Berlin, 2019 (CCO 1.0 DEED.)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Airtime: The Radio Community]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-the-radio-community</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-the-radio-community</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[TRC founder Chris Marol discusses the unique role of radio in South Sudan.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Airtime is our feature series focusing on community radio projects from across the globe. This edition spotlights the work of The Radio Community (TRC) from the world’s youngest country, South Sudan.  TRC is a media network supporting 5 FM radio stations with an estimated combined audience of 2 million people. Their mission is to platform voices from all regions of South Sudan, a country that was founded as recently as 2011 and endured a long and arduous civil war from 2013 to 2020. As South Sudan's first-ever elections approach, we sat down with Chris Marol, TRC's CEO and a former humanitarian journalist. He explained the critical importance of the medium of radio for keeping the population informed in the absence of reliable infrastructure, information and electricity. Hi Chris! Radio seems to play a vital role in South Sudan. Tell us about your network, The Radio Community, and how it contributes to the world of radio? The Radio Community is a media organization that runs a network of community-based radio stations in South Sudan. We were founded in 2015 but the stations have existed for quite a while. Some were formed immediately after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005. [The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005, marked a crucial milestone in Sudan's history, particularly for the region that would later become South Sudan. Brokered to end decades of civil war between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), the CPA laid the groundwork for South Sudan's eventual independence in 2011.] At the moment, we have five radio stations that are operational across South Sudan in different areas, and these stations operate in 5 out of 10 states, but there is overlap in terms of our reach on the airwaves.  There is Akol Yam 91 FM, which is located in Aweil in Northern Bahr El Ghazal. Akol Yam means “new day” in the local language of that area. We also run Mayardit 90.7 FM in Turalei, Mingkaman 100 FM and Singaita 88.3 FM located in the Eastern Equatoria State. We recently re-opened Leer FM, which was destroyed during the war in 2014. Finally, we have Sobat 88.0 FM, which is currently off-air because of ongoing conflict.  You mentioned the local language, what is the language you broadcast in? In South Sudan there are so many ethnic communities and tribes, and different tribes have different languages. So we have multiple local languages. In each area where we broadcast, there are one or two main languages that 90% of the people within that region understand and speak.  We make sure that almost all of the content we produce is produced in the given local language so that the majority of people can listen and participate. Dinka is one of the main languages that we use. We have shows in Nuer, in Toposa which is common in Eastern Equatoria, and in Didinga. Then we do some news shows in English and Arabic.  You said that some stations under TRC were formed just after the CPA – that means some of the radio stations are older than South Sudan itself? Yes! For example, Akol Yam was originally set up in 2006. Mayardit was set up in 2009 so that's before South Sudanese Independence. Leer FM was set up in 2007, before independence, but the other stations were set up in the aftermath of 2013 (the year the South Sudanese Civil War broke out) as humanitarian radio stations.  Can you explain what you mean by humanitarian radio – what is its purpose? Humanitarian radio provides humanitarian information for internally displaced people. To give you an example, when war broke out in 2013, many people fled across the Nile and settled in a small town on the riverbank called Mingkaman. For these people, there was a real knowledge gap – they did not have access to any information about what was going on in other parts of the country.  I was in Mingkaman working as a reporter and I realised there was a need to fill this gap by setting up a radio station. There was funding available to set up a humanitarian radio and we had to set it up really quickly.  It was initially just a station in a box, with a transmitter and a small antenna that could broadcast within a 15km radius. We had to build out the infrastructure and after a while equipment was delivered, it was installed, and the station grew.  I hired local journalists, many of whom were themselves fleeing from the conflict. We trained them and a few years later in 2016 it became part of our radio network, so it was no longer just a humanitarian radio. Now that station is Mingkaman 100 FM. Wow, that is a very different purpose of radio than I am used to, and I guess it leads to my next question, what makes radio so important in South Sudan? Basically, in South Sudan the infrastructure is very limited. Most areas are landlocked and do not have access to roads. The telecommunications infrastructure is also very restricted. The internet penetration is very low in some areas because they are so remote.  Even if you have a smartphone, it can be a challenge to get electricity to charge the phone. If you solve that issue, the limited network and the high cost of data make it difficult to browse the internet. In most areas, there is no functioning public grid and you need to have electricity to use a TV. Currently, those who can afford it rely on satellite services, which are primarily accessible to government officials or individuals with significant resources. An average South Sudanese, especially those dependent on farming or crop rearing, is cut off from all communications. On top of all this, the literacy rate is very low. So really the only means for accessing information is radio. Because if you have a radio set you can get some dry cell batteries to put in it, and you can receive information. You can use radio because it's easy to transmit and it goes to areas that are hardly reached by people or even roads. Often the only thing you can afford and rely on is radio. So that's a big difference.  In some cases, these stations are the only outlet for people who need help. When people have issues – maybe they don't have sanitation, or they don’t have a functioning water point – they will come to the radio and share their problems. The station can get into contact with the relevant agencies and government bodies and see what their response to the concern is. And then when governments decide on a policy, we report on it.  Do these political interventions from the stations make an impact? Definitely, one time a commissioner decided that he needed to tax goods that were already in shops, which of course had been taxed already when they were imported. This was mentioned to our station and we ran the story, talked to people, and figured out that this extra tax was illegal. The commissioner was removed from his position about two weeks after our report. If it wasn't for those reports people would have had to pay those taxes.  Another time in Northern Bahr el Ghazal the local government implemented a new household tax. One of the biggest challenges facing people in South Sudan is food – the majority of people are relying on humanitarian aid. So imagine that you are asked to pay household tax. Where are you going to get the money for that? Are you going to sell the food you are receiving to pay taxes to the government? Once again the station covered this issue and was able to involve all levels of government to the point that the parliament intervened and the tax was suspended.  We are able to discuss these issues with the community, inform the authorities, and engage them in thinking about these models and policies, raising the question of who these policies are actually benefiting. This year, South Sudan is due to hold elections. What role are the stations playing in that process? Right now everyone is talking about these elections, but the majority of people don't know how elections work or how to cast their votes because it is the first election since the foundation of South Sudan – the last time we had an election we were still part of Sudan. The stations have an important role to play, by giving people the information they need to understand this process. Our current government is a transitional government, a coalition of different parties that came together as part of the peace deal that was reached in 2018. They are planning to have elections by December. There also needs to be a census to find out what the population of South Sudan is, so that we can determine how many MPs we are going to have in the parliament.  A major issue is funding – does the government have the resources to facilitate an election? Some places in South Sudan don't have roads and some are not accessible during rainy seasons, how are people going to be able to reach ballot boxes? How are people going to be registered? How many voting stations are we going to have? What kind of mechanism will be used to determine the constituencies in these regions? How are they going to be drawn up? We have a program on our network in the capital of Juba called Voice of Peace, it basically looks at current affairs and takes one question, such as the ones I mentioned, and asks for people’s opinions in 5 different locations. Then we ask a government official the same question and see what they say.  People believe that even if the elections do happen they might not go the way they are supposed to – free, fair, and credible. That's why these shows are really important.  What is TRC’s mission and how far into achieving your goals are you? What are some of the challenges you’re facing? TRC’s vision is to see South Sudan as a country where people can make informed decisions. Our mission for these stations is to make them sustainable so that they can continue to inform, educate, and entertain.  Our goal at the moment is to mobilise and make sure we have enough resources. We are connected to solar power but it simply isn't efficient enough. We also have to rely on diesel generators and the cost of fuel sometimes piles up. But we are doing what we need to do and will get there.  But there are other challenges we face – some authorities are not happy with us when we broadcast what they are up to. This can raise security issues. They put pressure on journalists to not follow certain issues up, or they just refuse to speak to us. But we have seen how important our work is and we do it for the people, they are the ones who support us and believe in our importance. If you go talk to them you will see.  There are state-run radio stations in South Sudan too, but a lot are not operating, while others only run government activities and propaganda. So there is very little information that people can trust. In a 2021 survey, Akol Yam was voted as one of the most trustworthy radio stations in the region. So they topped a lot of big radio stations and national stations that broadcast from Juba. It’s because we actually try to reach the people with problems, those who are socially and economically marginalized. We inform them and allow them to call us so we can platform their voice. I think at the moment TRC is in the middle of its mission. Our goal is to make sure that the stations continue to exist because the community in these areas truly sees the value in them.  People rely on the input and information from the radios, without which they might find themselves in darkness.  Tune in and find out more about The Radio Community here. Listen to Shayan's residency on Refuge Worldwide and follow him here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #154]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-11-mar-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-11-mar-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Gaza blockade | Tibetans protest | Prints for Palestine]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Netanyahu threatens invasion of Rafah 25 Palestinians have now died from malnutrition as Israeli forces continue to continue to block aid deliveries and deliberately starve the population of Gaza. Netanyahu has announced his intention to press ahead with a ground invasion of Rafah, where the majority of Gazans are currently sheltering, despite the weak objections of US President Biden. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces attacked worshippers with batons as Palestinians attempted to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers marking the start of Ramadan. 25 Palestinians were arrested in overnight raids across the West Bank, bringing the total number of Palestinian detainees since 7 October to 7530.  Sudan could become world's largest hunger crisis The UN has demanded a ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, as the World Food Programme warns that the country could soon be home to the “world’s largest hunger crisis.”  Local mutual aid groups are currently providing vital support to millions, but efforts are hampered by a communications blackout imposed by the RSF paramilitary, which has been at war with the Sudanese Armed Forces since April last year. 25 million people – half of the country’s population – need relief as the country’s ongoing conflict enters its 12th month.  Tibet protests - the anniversary of uprising On the 65th Anniversary of the uprising against the Chinese annexation of Tibet, hundreds of protestors marched in New Delhi demanding that China end its occupation of the region. India recognises Tibet as a part of China but is home to many exiles including the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet.  The Tibetan parliament in exile accuses China of denying fundamental human rights to Tibetans and attempting to erase Tibetan cultural identity. These protests followed the arrest of over 1000 Tibetans in February 2024 during a non-violent protest against a dam project that would displace residents of two Tibetan villages. Big tech wins in child labour trial A US court has ruled in favour of tech giants Apple, Google, Tesla, Microsoft and Dell over their complicity in child labour in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite overwhelming evidence of big tech’s reliance on child labour – reports suggest that at least 25,000 children are currently employed by cobalt mining operations in DRC, where two-thirds of the world's cobalt is mined – judges ruled that the companies had only a ‘buyer-seller relationship’ with suppliers, and did not have the power to stop the use of child labour. Lawyers said that the ruling provides the companies with "a strong incentive to avoid any transparency with their suppliers, even as they promise the public they have 'zero tolerance' policies against child labour." Senegal election rescheduled Senegal has announced it will hold presidential elections on 24 March, triggering the start of a shortened period of campaigning for the eligible candidates. The new date was set after current president Macky Sall postponed the elections planned for 25 February – a decision overturned by the country’s Constitutional Council. The postponement sparked several violent protests across the country in which at least three people were killed. Women protest against Taliban in Afghanistan On 8 March, feminists across the globe marched to fight patriarchal violence that continues to manifest itself in femicides, sexual violence, and discrimination. In Afghanistan 2.5 years into the Taliban rule banning women from pursuing education and independence, Afghan women from the Purple Saturdays Movement gathered on 8 March demanding the restrictions on their freedom to be lifted. Small protests were staged in several locations despite the heavy crackdown and arrest of women voicing opposition to the Taliban rule. Haiti extends state of emergency In Haiti, gang leaders have called on Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign and blocked him from reentering the country. Henry is returning from Kenya, where he intended to garner international support to regain control over Haiti. The recent increase in gang violence has seen 15,000 people newly displaced and forced health facilities to close down, worsening the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Haiti has extended its state of emergency until 3 April and Caribbean leaders have met in Jamaica to discuss the situation.  Prints for Palestine PRINTS FOR PALESTINE is an online print sale raising funds for the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Curated by Joshua Missah, the sale features the work of 66 artists. Each print costs €33. Head to Gaze Contemporary to see the full series. Carving new paths Héloïse Leclercq speaks to Ifeoluwa, Flore, ophélie & Vanille about the state of the electronic music industry for women, trans and non-binary artists. Head to our website to read about their experi, inspirations and the initiatives striving to make a difference. Read here. Header image: Freedom Concert for Tibet (c) Christophe Losberger, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Carving new paths: Ifeoluwa, Flore, ophélie & Vanille ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ifeoluwa-flore-ophelie-and-vanille</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ifeoluwa-flore-ophelie-and-vanille</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We hear from 4 female/non-binary artists working in electronic music.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Building a music industry that breaks free from patriarchal systems is a lengthy process. FLINTA* people — a term used in German contexts to refer to women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, transgender, and agender people; the asterisk represents all non-binary gender identities — continue to be underrepresented across scenes and genres. In 2023, only 6.5% of music production is attributed to FLINTA*, starkly contrasting with the overwhelming 93.5% contribution from CIS-men, according to the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. This disparity is particularly evident in electronic music, where they comprise only 4% of the top 100 songs, as revealed by the PRS Foundation.  There's also a serious gender-based disparity in earnings, as Black women music creators earn 25% less than white music producers according to Black Lives in Music. Systemic inequalities and disparities are especially intense for BIPoC, individuals with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA+ community in the music industry – 67% of musicians come from privileged backgrounds according to some studies. Initiatives offering educational space and counselling for FLINTA* play a pivotal role in fostering inclusivity. Berlin-based collectives like Femme Bass Mafia, Female:pressure, BLVSH and  Future Female Sounds exemplify this commitment to providing safer educational environments. Collectives that offer platforms and events focused on supporting FLINTA*, queer, BIPoC, and marginalized artists are equally essential. Lecken Berlin, Slime, Room 4 Resistance, weeeirdos are some of the many Berlin collectives actively engaged in antidiscrimination and antiviolence efforts, contributing to a more inclusive and equitable music industry landscape. FLINTA* play a significant role in shaping contemporary electronic music by constantly reinventing and experimenting. This article features interviews with artists Ifeoluwa, Flore, ophélie, and Vanille, providing insights into their relationship with music production. Ifeoluwa Ifeoluwa, also known as Yewande Adeniran, is a writer and pioneering multidisciplinary artist leading INTERVENTION, a production and DJ workshop championing inclusivity in dance culture. They draw heavy inspiration from drum-heavy sonics, UK club music, and abstract techno, reflected in their curation of the Intervention compilation and leadership of ipaadi records.  How does your multi-disciplinary artistic background as a writer, mentor and academic influence your approach to music production and DJing? I try and weave all my practices into one as they all inform each other. My writing ranges from music reviews for dance music publications to more serious political musings on the state of the world. One can’t exist without the other. Any artistic output for me personally is a reaction to the world around us. That includes my fondness of looking back to the music of my early teens - guitar music - the last time everything felt alright. And that was pre the global recession too. Then music went darker, faster and weirder as a consequence.  What inspired you to create INTERVENTION?  Trying to find out who I am and what on earth I’m doing in life. I love dance music and I also love human history. Once you dig into the history of dance music and look around dancefloors, in publications, even on the radio, you start to notice a theme of exclusion, if not gatekeeping. Some strides have been made in regard to gender, race and sexuality but it’s more often than not surface-level. And it can be one step forward and two steps back, due to backlash from those with societal power, even interpersonally.  How does it contribute to provide an inclusive environment for FLINTA* and marginalized communities to celebrate dance music? INTERVENTION aims to take dance music back to its roots, back to what inspired a counter-culture movement of sorts, to make sure that we resist the whitewashing, pinkwashing, small crumbs of faux gender inclusion and commodification of dance music across the board. We especially encourage people to start their own platforms and collectives and run their own club nights, this helps to foster a healthier DIY environment where we’re not fighting for scraps and instead building communities. I hope INTERVENTION has inspired people over the years to show up as their full authentic selves. Having supported and shared stages with a diverse range of artists, how has this exposure impacted your artistic journey as a FLINTA* artist within the music scene?  It’s been both a positive and negative experience. The industry is pretty brutal. But I’ve also made lifelong friends along the way that I love very dearly. Hypervisibility doesn’t always, especially for those who are far from the margins in terms of how they present themselves, translate into support or into being able to create art or music or anything creative. A lot of the time it’s a long tough, trying road with moments of joy and connection. I’ve been very lucky to share the stage with inspiring artists like I.JORDAN, Loraine James and Anz, to name just a few and those experiences remind me that we’re all in this together and that’s what keeps me going. They’re all producers with a wide variety of sounds and inspirations, so seeing them thrive gives me hope.  Flore 

As an artist, producer, curator, DJ, and teacher, Flore's versatile projects include live performances, workshops, and extensive electronic music production. Influenced by breaks, drum and bass, and Jamaican sound systems, Flore has developed a strong interest in new forms of sound. She founded POLAAR ten years ago, pioneering hybrid bass genres drawing from grime, footwork, and breakbeats, inspired by sound system culture. In 2020, she released her second album 'Rituals', reflecting two decades of artistic evolution. Could you briefly retrace your musical career and tell us what motivated you to get into music production? I discovered electronic music in the mid-90s (my big brother worked in a record store at the time), and totally fell in love with it owing to Goldie’s album Timeless. I bought my first computer (Atari 1040STE) in 1997 to compose electronic music. I got into DJing a bit later. I first wanted to compose electronic music because I wanted to be autonomous, to feel like a conductor of my own digital orchestra, this is what really got me. At the time there was no community at all and no internet so I released my first EP in 2004. It took me some time to feel comfortable with the music I was doing.

As the first French woman and the eighth in the world to obtain Ableton Trainer certification, what is your view on the evolution of women's representation in music production? Now we are a few more female ACT in the world (probably 20). But yeah, there is still a long way before we see real equality between female and male in this tech side of the music industry. In music production I can definitely see some improvements, but it depends on which scene we’re talking about. I don’t feel like there are more big female headliners in the mainstream techno scene for example, they are the same unbeatable heroes like Helena Hauff or Peggy gou. But if you pay attention to what’s going on in the more "niche" ones there are definitely more and more women. And you can see that in the lineups.

As head of POLAAR since 2012, what are your priorities when it comes to supporting and promoting FLINTA* artists in the music industry? I wish I could do more, to be honest. I don’t receive many demos produced by FLINTA* so at the moment we have more male producers signed on POLAAR than women, for original releases I mean. When I ask for remixes I try to have a different approach and do 50/50, if not more. Besides running POLAAR I do a monthly video called Sisterhood Collection, where I present a FLINTA* artist I love, explaining why, which tracks got my attention etc... This idea came to my mind as a way to fight against this common idea that there are not enough female producers, when there are in fact, a lot. It also came to my mind because I feel that as a professional DJ, who has time to search for new music and new artists it is my responsibility to share these gems with people who can’t afford to spend time to do so. The more people hear about female producers the more they’ll be shocked not to see them booked, that’s my feeling.

Have you seen many FLINTA* attending your workshops, both in France and internationally, and do you think their presence could motivate more women to enter a field where they are currently underrepresented? Absolutely! As a female teacher, I have more FLINTA* attending my courses or workshops than my male colleagues, even when these courses are open for everyone. I think in the tech field it is very important to have women as references, even for men! The idea is to make people realize women can be everywhere and that we all win when it is the case. After releasing your second album Rituals and having experimented with production in various musical genres, particularly bass music, do you think that some genres or sub-genres are more open to FLINTA* representation than others? That’s a tough question… for a long time I thought techno and house scenes were more open to FLINTA*, but I think things are slowly changing in the drum’n bass/dubstep scene which used to be a very misogynistic scene. Now we have some very strong figures, like Sherelle or Mandidextrous, and it is really refreshing. In the more "experimental" bass music scene, there are a lot of females. I think it is also because it is a scene which is less euro/US-centric.  Vanille  With influences ranging from acid house to hard dance, trance and psy-trance, Vanille's electrifying performances are a rollercoaster of emotions, blending pounding beats with moments of euphoria. Beyond her music, Vanille is also a trailblazer, using her platform to champion inclusivity and diversity within the industry through her project Headbutt,  dedicated to spotlighting the black and queer community in electronic music. Vanille released her debut track ‘Goat Skin’ in November last year. What drove you to initiate Headbutt? Headbutt originated from a realization that today's techno scene was so dark and dominated by people who do not look like us. So, with Marie, we decided to create our own space.

Blending various genres like acid house, hard-dance, trance, psy-trance in your sets, how do these diverse influences coalesce to shape your distinctive sound? I appreciate specific elements of every genre; I love a trance-pumping bass, a hard-style triple kick, and a psy-trancy surprising drop. In 'Goat Skin,' I blended acid bass with classic 909 rhythms to make it sound old school. Not a big fan of lead melodies, so I decided to let the djembe talk - putting black culture to the front! I like my music to be a big blend of emotions and a lot of energy with a touch of nostalgia, quite reflective of my personality. You recorded your own vocals and personal djembe samples for 'Goat Skin'. Do you have a particular process for creating music? Usually, I go into the studio with ideas, record a whole bunch of samples, and rebuild them later in the software. But most of the time, it's the mistakes that sound the best! Who inspired your musical style? My parents inspired my musical style the most. My dad is a big Disco, House, and Electronic music lover, and my mom always played Caribbean Zouk and West African music while I was growing up. ophélie ophélie is a Berlin-based DJ and music producer who is celebrated for their mesmerizing soundscapes and multifaceted passions. They are known for their love of bass, drums, and canine companionship, and their musical style leans towards textural and often melancholic realms. Renowned for crafting unconventional rhythms, ophélie extends their creativity into community engagement with a monthly Therapy Dog show as a resident DJ on both Refuge Worldwide and Kwia. How did you get into music and for how long have you been producing? I was always curious about music production and started using Ableton for the first time more than 10 years ago. During that period, I was struggling to understand anything I was doing and had to rely on tutorials or friends for the smallest things. I started it again more seriously around 2019, and then had a little more time to dedicate to it at the beginning of the pandemic. I was still struggling to know what I was doing though (and still am now). Joining Open Music Lab in 2020 allowed me to go to some workshops and music production courses, and helped me gain a bit more confidence, and find a community of other producers who, like me, did not all have a strong background in music theory, or may have not studied sound design academically. How has releasing your first track on an experimental club label impacted your approach to music production in the industry? I released my first track last summer on a compilation by the Italian experimental club label Early Reflex. I like this label and played some of their tracks in most of my sets, so I was really happy to have my first track on there with lots of artists that I love.  I released my first EP ‘Pipa Pipa’ on Berlin label hundert. I also love this label and their fun and exciting approach to bass music, and I'm so thankful that I was given the chance to have a solo release on it. I feel like I am still learning a lot and I hope that I’ll be able to keep on growing as a producer, and really find my own sound.

What do you particularly like about being a DJ and producer? What do you find challenging? As someone who suffers from social anxiety, I enjoy being able to express myself and what I feel without having to talk. I am an overthinker and DJing allows me to focus on something I love for a moment and stop worrying and having tons of thoughts at once. The downside to this is that I find it challenging to be exposed on social media, socialise, and I often find myself overstimulated and needing to recharge.  In music production, I enjoy being able to create something quietly and in my own time, without knowing what the result will be, but as a slow learner, I sometimes get frustrated by how slow progress is made, or by not being able to achieve exactly the sounds that I have in mind. Staying long hours on the computer is also not ideal for mental health.  What role do you believe visibility and representation play for FLINTA* in the music production industry, and how does this influence your creative journey? I think it’s so important. While representation is getting better in DJing, there is still a long way to go, and even more so in terms of music production. Not having many role models growing up has prevented many of us from even considering seriously going into music production. Most of the sound design roles and tech roles are still way too often taken by males, and I feel like many FLINTA* people are only just starting to allow themselves to go into more tech-oriented roles, and to accept that they can also be good at technical and nerdy stuff, if they are given the time and opportunity to learn and grow. Seeing more FLINTA* producers emerge and grow is a big source of motivation and inspiration for me.

Are there any FLINTA* artists that you draw inspiration from — if so who and what genre of music? Yes so many. I was really inspired by Mira Calix, who managed to carve herself a space in a very male-dominated genre of music. This is a genre of music that I love, but have always felt intimidated by, due to the immense majority of men in it, and feeling like I miss too many technical skills, for a genre deemed “complex”. I also love FLINTA* artists who are doing electronic live sets, like Zoé Mc Pherson or Loraine James, as this is something I hope to achieve as well in the future. I am also really inspired by some friends and upcoming producers and artists that have a great unique sound, like Small Crab, Beatrice M, Abibi, laenz, Blume, upsammy, Laura BCR, Gi, CCL, re:ni, or Mia Koden, among many others! ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 7-13 March]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-07-15-mar</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-07-15-mar</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 07 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. Visual Presentation: Sudan Uprising is holding an event exploring political graffiti as a tool of civil resistance in the context of Sudan's 2018 rebellion, 2021 coup and the ongoing conflict. Walls Resist! Sudan: Writing on Collapsing Walls takes place at 19:00 on 7 March at FHXB Museum. Demonstration: ​​On 8 March Alliance of Internationalist Feminists is organising a FLINTA* only demo against imperialist feminism and colonial oppression across the globe. The International Women’s Day or Feministischer Kampftag protest highlights the intersectionality of feminist struggles from Congo to Palestine. The march starts at 2pm Unter den Linden 21. Party: Berlin’s queer and feminist OYA Bar is organising an 8 March afterparty with DJs playing music from 23:00 until the early morning hours. The event is donation-based and takes place at OYA Bar, Mariannenstrasse 6. Open Call: Berliner Ringtheater are looking for new projects and concepts in theater, dance and performance to be realised in 2025. In particular they are looking for BIPoC or FLINTA artists, as well as artists with disabilities, refugee, or migration history. Apply before 31 March here. Concert and Fundraiser: The 8M Intifada Bazaar takes place on Saturday 9 March. The lineup of performers and artists centers queer, decolonial, intersectional, and anti-imperialist voices including Refuge guests Enana and Angel Maxine (above). The event starts at 16:00. DM Diaspora Rising for the location. Film Screening and Discussion: Zora Berlin, Sudan Uprising, and Café Karanfil are screening the documentary 15YIL on 9 March. The film portrays the realities of revolutionaries who became political prisoners in Turkey and is followed by a discussion about repressions and solidarity. The event takes place at Café Karanfil (Weisestrasse 3) at 19:00. Concert for Gaza: On 10 March Kühlhaus Berlin is hosting a concert series to raise funds for the Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund, supporting children in Gaza. The evening of classical music by various composers starts at 19:00 and is organised by Make Freedom Ring. Location: Kühlhaus Berlin, Luckenwalderstr. 3. Fundraiser: Refuge Worldwide resident Sarah Farina is raising funds for Tish Bailey. The Chicago artist lent her voice to the iconic track 'Freak Like Me' by DJ Deeon, but she was never credited or paid royalties. Read more and donate here. Open Letter: Berlin's government has mandated schools in Neukölln to distribute pamphlets called "The Myth of Israel #1948" which claims that the 1948 Nakba (when 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homeland) was purely “defensive”, and that all occupation of Palestinian territory was carried out legally. Read and sign an open letter from parents and educators demanding a reversal of the decision. Header image: Sarah Farina.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #153]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-04-mar-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-04-mar-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 04 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Israel ignores ICJ | Ghana passes anti-LGBTQ+ bill | Iran's 'sham' election]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Israeli forces kill hundreds awaiting aid convoy More than 100 Palestinians were killed and a further 750 wounded last week when Israeli forces fired at a crowd of Palestinians gathering around an aid convoy (pictured). 26 February marked one month since the ICJ demanded that Israel to do everything in its power to ‘prevent genocide’ in Gaza – and the deadline for Israel to submit its report to the court. Human Rights Watch accused Israel of completely ignoring the ICJ by continuing to kill Palestinians, blocking aid and giving officials free reign to incite war crimes.  Also at the ICJ, Nicaragua has accused Germany of facilitating genocide and called on the court to demand that Germany stop exporting arms to Israel.  New York Times faces scandal over 7 October reporting The New York Times has come under fire for a heavily criticised report which claimed that Hamas systematically weaponised sexual violence on 7 October. Co-written by Anat Schwartz, a filmmaker and former member of the Israeli airforce with a history of anti-Palestinian hate speech, the piece has been refuted for relying on unsubstantiated claims and sources. NYT podcast ‘The Daily’ attempted to turn the article into an episode, but it didn’t manage to get through a fact check, the Intercept reports. Ghana anti-LGBTQI+ bill passes Ghana’s parliament has put one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ+ bills into effect. Once signed by President Nana Akufo-Addo, the bill will make identifying as LGBTQ+ and supporting LGBTQ+ rights punishable by up to 5 years in prison. The Christian majority of the country claims homosexuality is a “foreign concept” when in fact it was homophobia that was first brought to the region by colonial laws. Queer people are subject to widespread discrimination and violence in Ghana, and this bill with further endanger their lives and livelihoods. Record low turnout in Iran's election Voter turnout hit a historic low of around 40% in Iran’s parliamentary and religious assembly elections on Friday. Millions chose to boycott the election, the first since the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and subsequent nationwide uprising, in protest of the regime. The country’s former reformist president, Mohammad Khatami, was among those who chose not to vote, while imprisoned activist Narges Mohammadi called the election a ‘sham’. In the capital Tehran as little as 25% of eligible voters took part. Biden considers extreme measures to stop border crossings The Biden White House is considering using an executive order to prevent people from claiming asylum after crossing the border from Mexico into the US. An attempt by Biden to prove his ‘tough on migration’ credentials as the US prepares for elections, the move would mirror Donald Trump’s controversial anti-migration legislation that was deemed illegal by courts back in 2018. Haiti declares state of emergency after mass jailbreak Violent gang revolts led to two major prison breaks and gunfire at Haiti’s international airport last week, fear rises among the civilian population facing a humanitarian crisis. As security fears rise among a civilian population facing a growing humanitarian crisis, Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry has declared a state of emergency and implemented a night-time curfew to regain control. Henry has also been to Kenya to garner international support for the domestic crisis, reaching an agreement last month that will see Kenyan police deployed to Haiti. Although international involvement is meant to support Haiti, many fear that as in the past, UN interventions could further destabilise the country. Wildfires Central America Wildfires are wreaking havoc across the Americas, destroying countless hectares of land, damaging wildlife and vegetation, and endangering inhabitants. In early February, at least 131 people died and another 300 were reported missing in Chile’s Valparaíso region due to fires. Made more frequent by the advancing climate crisis, these fires affect indigenous, Afro-indigenous, and economically marginalised communities disproportionately.  Ramadan starts this week This upcoming Sunday 10 March marks the first day of Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection in Islam. As anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism is on the rise again, we call on everyone to support their Muslim friends and community who are observing Ramadan until 9 April.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 29 February-6 March]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-29-feb-06-mar</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-29-feb-06-mar</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. Palestine Demo: This Saturday join the mass demonstration Global South Resists for Palestine and against colonialism, racism and white supremacy. The march starts from Neptunbrunnen, Alexanderplatz, at 14:00. Listen back to organisers Global South United discuss Hanau and the fight against racism in Germany below. Argentina soli-event: It has been two months since the neo-fascist Javier Milei became the president of Argentina. Since then, costs of living and healthcare have dramatically increased. Perrxs Del Futuro Berlin are inviting to a Soli Event to raise funds for the most people affected by this economic crisis. On 2 March from 19:00-23:00 head to NewYorck im Bethanien for DJs, a film screening, art, food and more. Event series: As part of Kurdische Frauen Tage organised by Cenî Kurdisches Frauenbüro für Frieden e.V. several events are taking place every day from 2-8 March. The week includes panel talks about art and resistance, live music, and a collective exhibition. Check out the full program here. Gig for Gaza: Head to Lark on 3 March for an evening of live music and performance to raise funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians, a charity that supports Palestinians living under occupation and as refugees. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from €15 to €25. Bake sale: On 3 March, Spore Initiative hosts a Bake Sale Fundraiser to raise money for medical aid for Palestinians of Gaza and financial relief for the families of the nine people killed in the racist terror attack in Hanau 2020. If you are a professional baker sign up and donate your cakes for the event. If you just love eating them, head to Spore Initiative (Hermannstrasse 86) on Sunday from 14-17:00. All proceeds go to Initiative 19. February and Medical Aid for Palestinians. Cultural space fundraiser: Mukayabundo and rûveyda are fundraising to open a new cultural space in Berlin – BARAZA – a meeting place for arts and culture with a focus on marginalised perspectives. Read more and donate here. Poetry night: Café Cralle Kollektiv hosts a BiPoC poetry night on 3 March inviting Black, indigenous, and writers and poetry lovers of Colour to bring, share, and talk about their texts. Register ahead of time via DM to their Instagram page. Soli-event for Ibrahima Barry: On 5 March, FACQ Berlin is hosting an abolitionist bar night to discuss and organise toward a world without police. This month, they team up with Ihr Seid Keine Sicherheit and Migrantifa to raise funds for the initiative Justice for Ibrahima. The solidarity group is collecting donations to commemorate Ibrahima Barry, who was killed by racist police violence on 6 January 2024 in Mühlheim, to support his family, and to push for a full investigation into the circumstances of his death. You can also donate directly here.

Fundraiser: Community support is needed to stop the deportation of a Mother and her six-year-old child to Congo. They have been living in Germany for eleven years and in a few weeks, they are supposed to be deported to a country currently ravaged by a Western-imperialism funded genocide. To take legal measures against Germany’s unjust migration politics, they need to cover the fees for a lawyer. Donate here. Open call for food collectives: Oyoun are looking for collectives to host their cafe/restaurant. The open call is for pop-ups, short term or long term takeovers. Oyoun’s cafe has been closed since their funding was cut by the Berlin Senate last year. Reach out via space@oyoun.de to share your ideas for the space. Goodbye Autobahn: Solidarity with our friends at Autobahn, a non-profit volunteer-run DIY collective based in Neukölln that has sadly dissolved. We wish the whole team good luck and look forward to seeing what comes next. In their words: "The influence of the divide-and-rule logic and reactionary racist German state politics on grassroots cultures in Berlin has never been clearer. Autonomous spaces that value solidarity over silence and are ready to listen with care and humility to the most affected by the worst crimes of this world, from femicide to genocide, are the ones that must be supported to thrive." Read the full statement here. Header image: Makayabundo.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Our program for 8 March]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/feministischer-kampftag-lineup</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/feministischer-kampftag-lineup</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tune in all day this Feministischer Kampftag for music, conversation and special guests]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[To celebrate the collective power of feminist alliances in resistance against imperialist, capitalist, white supremacist, and heteronormative patriarchy, we're hosting a special program of music and discussion this 8 March (International Women's Day/Feministischer Kampftag). Early birds can tune into representatives of Deep House Tehran hosting an ambient set from 07:00-09:00. Deep House Tehran is a platform from Iran founded in 2014 to support local and international artists in the electronic music scene. From 09:00-10:00 catch a conversation with BIWOC* Rising. The BiPoC FLINTA* collective has been a regular on Refuge Worldwide sharing their thoughts on moving toward intersectional justice, empowerment, and dismantling structures of discrimination. From 10:00-12:00, Oroko Radio co-founder Kikelomo will take over the Breakfast Show, warming up the booth for another important political conversation. At noon we are joined by activists from Palestine Speaks. Their show “How Does Our Feminism Remake Our World: Palestine, Liberation, and Imagination” discusses how feminism informs political practices. Tune in to hear about their aspirations for liberation and justice in Palestine and beyond. Refuge regular Emotional Labor Queen invites you to (anonymously) share all your deepest secrets and hard-to-ask questions. “hella matters of the heart” answers to your thoughts, conundrums and questions. Send them to emotional.labor.queen@gmail.com ahead of the show at 13:00. São Paulo and Berlin-based DJ and curator Moretz will take us on a tour of electronic sounds. As Dykes on Decks Moretz showcases the diversity and plurality of what it means to be a Dyke while sharing some tunes.  From 15:00-19:00 AFOM International (A Friend of Mine), a record label and multidisciplinary platform run by Zozo will take over with Alicia Carrera, Roza Terenzi, and Electric Evelyn. MORT-MOI digs through the archives of synth, pop, and disco music. At 20:00 Kenza and Becki host a Honey Tapes session playing FLINTA*-produced house, garage and more.  Nalamazon, known for curating a mix of Brazilian sounds from pop to bossa nova and baile funk, hosts a takeover from 21:00 with Ecrin Hazer, Müge, Sofia Clonn and Sesheta. Tune in online or join us at Oona Bar (Weserstr. 166). If you are in Berlin, you can also join the protest against imperialist feminism organised by the Alliance of Internationalist Feminists starting at 14:00 from Unter den Linden 21. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #152]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-26-feb-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-26-feb-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[East Jerusalem demolitions | SocialCard demo | Maduro cracks down]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Demolitions in East Jerusalem Humanitarian aid has not reached people in northern Gaza since 23 January. As famine looms across the enclave, Israeli authorities have accelerated the demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem – 87 homes have been demolished since 7 October, with 97 demolished in the first 9 months of 2023. Monday is the final day of the current ICJ hearing on Israel’s occupation of Palestine, in which over 50 countries have made the case that the occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza is illegal. SocialCard demonstration in Berlin 28 February A new “SocialCard” for asylum seekers could soon be implemented across Germany, robbing refugees of essential freedoms and increasing the struggle of those already living in precarity. The Visa card prohibits cash withdrawals, as well as online and international payments, and heavily regulates how and where people can spend their money. Xwendekarên Berlin (Kurdische Studierende Berlin) is organising a demo in Berlin on 28 February to protest against Germany’s racist migration policy. Join from 18:00 at U-Bahn Mehringdamm. Italy and Albania reach new migration deal Italy has reached a new controversial migration deal with Albania. Last Thursday, the heads of state agreed to proceed with the construction of Italian-run “migrant processing centres” near the coast of Albania. Under this deal, up to 36000 asylum seekers from Italy will be relocated to the EU candidate country to wait for their cases to be processed. The deal has been heavily criticized by human rights groups like the International Rescue Committee and Amnesty International describing it as illegal and calling out the dehumanizing language of “processing centres”. If implemented, the deal could be used to circumvent EU laws and dent applicants the right to asylum. Pro-Israel pamphlets distributed in Neukölln schools Berlin authorities have mandated schools in Neukölln, known for its large Palestinian community, to distribute pamphlets called “The Myth of Israel #1948”, Middle East Eye reports. The pamphlet claims that the 1948 Nakba (when 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homeland) was purely “defensive”, and that all occupation of Palestinian territory was carried out legally – including the creation of settlements that have been internationally recognised as illegal. Escalating violence in Amhara An Ethiopian drone has killed at least 15 civilians in Ethiopia’s Amhara region. The airstrike comes amid ongoing fighting between the local Fano rebel group and state forces. Fighting broke out in the region last April after the country made attempts to integrate local groups into the national military. The country declared a state of emergency in August, limiting access to information and freedom of movement. Previously, the Tigray war (2020-22) between the local paramilitary and the state forces killed up to an estimated 600,000 people and left the region facing devastating famine. Civilians continue to shoulder the burden of violent clashes between state forces and armed groups. Crackdown ahead of Venezuelan elections The Maduro government has arrested the lawyer and human rights defender Rocío San Miguel and expelled the UN Human Rights office from the capital of Caracas. In the run up to elections later this year, Maduro is tightening his grip on civil society. Opposition leader María Corina Machado was also disqualified from running against him, and three of her aides arrested under charges of treason last month. Since the country’s economic collapse accelerated in 2014, the Venezeulan government has continuously silenced critics and committed crimes against humanity, torture and kidnappings.  Iuventa search and rescue crew on trial The crew of the Iuventa, a rescue vessel that was seized by Italian authorities, are currently on trial for “facilitating irregular entry” of refugees and migrants to Italy. The team of volunteers helped to rescue 14,000 people in distress in the Mediterranean before being criminalised in 2017. The final stage of the trial’s preliminary hearing will begin this week. Donate now to help fund their legal defense. Header image: Israeli settlements in the West Bank, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Playlist: 2 Years of Ukrainian Resistance]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/playlist-2-years-of-ukrainian-resistance</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/playlist-2-years-of-ukrainian-resistance</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 24 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Listen back to a selection of shows exploring culture and conflict.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 24 February the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the following war will go into its third year. This week also marks the tenth year of Russian occupation and annexation of Crimea. The war crimes and human rights violations by the Russian military have claimed around 30,000 civilian lives. To uplift and highlight voices from Ukraine, we have compiled some shows from the last two years that celebrate Ukrainian art and resistance. If you’re based in Berlin and want to show solidarity, join Vitsche Berlin today, Saturday 24 February, from 13-15:00 at Brandenburger Tor, and tune in from 15-16:00 to listen to P Kirn & Dmytro Fedorenko’s Ukraine Resistance Radio.  Music and art have always been an important part of celebrating Ukrainian identity and resisting Russian occupation. Kyiv festival Art—Weapon! is dedicated to Ukrainian art created during the full-scale war. It took place in Berlin in February of last year. You can listen back to the conversation with Mariana Berezovska and Pledov and Kate Tarabukina from the Art—Weapon! crew.  At CTM Festival 2023, Mariana  sat down with artists Diana Azzuz, Nazanin Noori and Anna Kravets to discuss the role of art and the expectations of artists in times of conflict through the cases of Ukraine, Iran and Syria. If you prefer reading, check out the first edition of our Airtime series. The Kyiv-based Gasoline Radio celebrates Ukrainian heritage and platforms up-and-coming artists. Read about it in an interview with founder Oleksii Makarenko.  In On The Ground, Johanna Urbancik and Virna Setta interview people who experienced the full-scale war firsthand. Listen back to the first conversation Johanna and Virna had with Tyhran, a 23-year-old Ukrainian artist who has been forced to flee from the Russian army twice. You can browse the archive of On The Ground shows right here to listen to some of the other interviewees. For a showcase of music from Ukraine, XJAZZ! stands with Ukraine presents fresh jazz, funk and and contemporary classical sounds from Ukraine. Alternatively check out the shows curated by Olha Bekenshtein. The Ukrainian curator hosted three shows packed with downtempo, experimental and electronic releases.  Kyiv-based collective Cutiecore embrace a feminist approach to electronic and experimental music. Their guests include Ukrainian artist/cultural activist human margareeta.  Oramics’ show Your Periphery is My Center questions the Western Europe-centric perspective of the music industry and amplifies artists from the East European electronic music scene. Check out the episode with Olena Pojonchenkova aka buddhist bubblegum. Browse through the archive of Vechornytsi shows. The Berlin-birthed collective supports Ukraine through different means, like community gatherings, fundraising, and awareness/education. On Refuge Worldwide they meet different artists from Ukraine and explore the diverse sounds of the country. Last but not least, check out the DJ sets from the Our Society Ukraine Fundraiser held at Oona Bar in February 2022, or sets from other great Ukrainian artists on Refuge such as Etapp Kyle, loves_kills, Alinka, Olenka, Noirnor, Jewishmason, POTROX, ILYICH or members of the ICKPA Festival crew.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide returns to London's GALA festival]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-gala-24</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-gala-24</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 23 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[May 25th - save the date!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We're hosting a stage at GALA this summer.

After three years hosting the Park Corner tent, in 2024 we're moving across Peckham Rye Park to host the new 1908 stage. We will curate the Saturday, May 25th, this year, with sets from Palms Trax, Yu Su, Nat Wendell, Heléna Star & Richard Akingbehin and MLE & No Plastic. Much love to the GALA family for having us back! Elsewhere across the weekend, there will be sets and performances from DJ EZ, Ogazón, NIKS, Trim & Pinch, Josey Rebelle, Loraine James, Sally C, Shy One, Tai Lokun, Alex Rita and many more. Check out the full lineup and buy tickets here.  New: Join us at Jumbi in Peckham for a live brunch session, in collaboration with Minor Figures on Friday. All welcome from 10:00 local time, as we broadcast live from the venue with special guests and residents. Get down early for a few drinks and bites on the house - details here. Photos by Frankie Casillo and Justine Trickett. Artwork by Raoul Gottschling.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 22-28 February]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. 22-28 February Screening: On 23 February, Cinelogue and United Screens for Palestine present a screening of Slingshot Hip-Hop. The documentary by Jackie Reem Salloum follows young Palestinian artists from the West Bank and Gaza using hip-hop to navigate life under occupation. After the screening, film maker and journalist Dima Hamdan and artist Abu Hajar will hold a discussion. 18:00-21:00 at Spore Initiative, Hermannstrasse 86. Workshop: Sound Stories Silent Site is a workshop and "performative laboratory for improvised music and storytelling" hosted by Anton Kats (aka ILYICH) next Thursday, 29 February. RSVP before tomorrow (23 February) to attend. Demo: On Saturday 24 February, Pallies and BDS Berlin call for a demonstration for an end of the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The protest starts at 14:00 at Wilmersdorfer-Kantstrasse. Be many!  Call for support: Schlafplatzorga is looking for a room for a refugee mother with three children in Berlin. The room is needed over weekends from Fridays  to Mondays to provide the family some time away from the challenging life at the camp. Reach out to Schlafplatzorga if you have a room to offer or if you know someone who might be able to help. Email: sleepingplaceorga@systemli.org Screening and talk: Savvy Contemporary is hosting a screening and panel talk with the Network of Alternative Arab Screens on 24 February. Starting at 15:00, the event will take place in English and is part of the series hosted by the cultural institution called “Let’s sit down together and talk about a little culture”.  Party: Adira celebrate their first anniversary. The queer Arabic pop party takes place on 24 February at Gretchen and highlights the intersections of Queer resilience and Palestinian resistance. Amplifying the voices that are too often silenced, the party celebrates strength, courage and joy in the face of adversity. Performers and artists include BolBola, Queer Falafel, and DJ DumTak. 23:00 at Club Gretchen Obentrautstrasse 19-21. Event: Akimbo is a monthly presentation of experimental, political and thoughtful artworks. The next event will take place on 25 February at IDA Knowwhere with performances, poetry and video essays by thinker and artist okcandice, poet Aya El-Temissany, and performer Küb. The event will take place at IDA Knowwhere, Donaustrasse 79 at 19:00. Panel Discussion: EOTO hosts a panel on trans* lives and anti-gender sentiments in the Black community on 27 February at 18:00. The Hybrid Event is co-costed by Black Trans+ Fund and features three speakers with unique perspectives on the intersections of gender identity and race and the experiences of Black trans* individuals. With Purity K. Tumukwasibwe, Shibolo Awali Sean, and Delovie Kwagala.  News: a new trade union for Berlin club workers has formed, the Berliner Clubarbeitenden Gewerkschaft, to support and protect workers from predatory management practices. Find out more here.  Header image: okcandice.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide heads to Listen Festival]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-x-listen-festival-24</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-x-listen-festival-24</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We are hosting two workshops and a talk.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From Tuesday, March 26th, until Sunday 31st, Listen Festival takes place across multiple venues in the Belgian capital, Brussels.  We are happy to partner with the festival for the first time. On the 28th, we will host a double workshop at legendary venue FUSE. There will be an introduction to both sound and lighting technician work, hosted by the club’s resident tech team. Applications to the workshops are open now here. On March 29th, we will host a field recording workshop together with mentor Coline Cornélis. The workshop will begin with an introduction to field recording, before participants head out on a walk through the city to capture sounds. No prior experience needed - apply here. Additionally, there will be a talk between Refuge Worldwide’s Richard Akingbehin and journalist Shawn Reynaldo, taking place at 6PM on Thursday 28th. The Listen Festival lineup includes Bibi Seck, Crystallmess, Cheb Runner, Sara Dziri, Fafi Abdel Nour, Sarkawt Hamad, dBridge, Nick León and Gideön. Check out the program here.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #151]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-19-feb-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-19-feb-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Two years of war in Ukraine | Trade unions for Palestine | Dedan Kimathi day]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Trade unions in solidarity with Palestine Last week the Indian trade union WTWFI, representing thousands of workers at 11 major ports, declared it would refuse to load or unload arms shipments bound for Israel. The declaration is the latest development in a wave of trade union solidarity with Palestine, following similar protests by workers in Italy, Belgium and Spain.  In Gaza, Israeli forces are currently preparing a ground invasion of Rafah on the Egyptian border, once home to 300,000 people, where over 1 million Palestinians are currently sheltering with nowhere to go. Two years since Russia's full-scale invasion Saturday 24 February marks the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Characterised by widespread human rights violations and war crimes by the Russian military, the invasion has claimed at least 30,000 civilian lives. This week also marks ten years since the Russian annexation of Crimea, a precursor to the full-scale invasion. Follow Vitsche Berlin to find out about events and demonstrations in Berlin in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Displacement in the DRC Violence is on the rise in the Democratic Republic of Congo, posing a serious threat to the country’s already underfunded aid system. Last week, there were major protests against the UN and at the embassies of France, Britain and other political allies of Rwanda, who are accused of funding one of the country’s largest and most deadly armed groups, the M23 Movement. Nearly 6 million people have been internally displaced across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika. Dedan Kimathi Day 18 February marked the anniversary of the execution of Kenyan resistance fighter and anti-colonial revolutionary Dedan Kimathi Waciuri under British colonial rule. Kimathi was a key figure in the Kenyan resistance during the 1950s, sparking the rebellion that finally led to independence in 1963. To this day, Britain refuses to disclose the site of Kimathi’s burial. Honouring his legacy, Kimathi Day is celebrated by Kenyans and freedom fighters worldwide.  Hanau anniversary Today marks the fourth anniversary of the right-wing terrorist attack that killed nine people in the German city of Hanau in 2020. We remember Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Vili Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov. Migrantifa, Global South United and more have mobilised to honour the victims and demonstrate against racist violence. Join the demo in Berlin from 17:30 at S-Sonnenallee. For more on Hanau, listen back to Fatma and Leila from Migrantifa and Global South United discussing mourning, resistance and the importance of showing up on the streets. Russian opposition figurehead Navalny dies  Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in prison where he was serving a 30-year sentence for charges of extremism related to his criticism of Putin and anti-government mobilisation.  The official cause of his sudden death has not yet been confirmed, but opposition figures blame the Russian government. The Kremlin’s most prominent critic, Navalny was often celebrated by Western media as a liberal figure fighting against an undemocratic rule, disregarding his own deeply racist views and his involvement in the ethno-nationalist annual “Russian March” rally. Julian Assange's final extradition hearing Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will find out this week if he can appeal against his extradition to the US, where he could face a possible 175 years in prison. After a decade-long legal battle, the UK government approved his extradition in 2022 for charges related to publishing thousands of classified documents, including evidence of US war crimes in Iraq. His extradition and conviction would set a disastrous precedent for press freedom worldwide. Controversial refugee debit cards introduced in Hamburg Hamburg has become the first German state to introduce the SocialCard for asylum seekers. The prepaid debit card cannot be used to withdraw cash and prohibits online and abroad usage, a measure intended to prevent migrants from transferring welfare benefits to families in their countries of origin and to make Germany a “less attractive destination”.  The SocialCard plays into anti-migrant stereotypes, framing migrants as extorting money from the German state, and preventing asylum seekers from making payments not deemed essential by the state – this could include online payments to lawyers rendering them legally defenseless. Another mechanism to control and patronise refugees in Germany, the SocialCard in Hamburg is a pilot project for the nationwide establishment of the measure.  Header image: Dedan Kimathi.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Video: Refuge Worldwide 3rd Birthday]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/3rd-birthday-video</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/3rd-birthday-video</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 18 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Watch a recap of our anniversary weekend.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Celebrating three years from Neukölln to the world!  We just unearthed this handycam footage from the Refuge Worldwide 3rd Birthday, which went down late last month at Oona Bar and arkaoda. Thanks to you all for being here, the rollercoaster hurtles on. Video Track ID: Stella - Pourquoi (Why) Cosmic Romance
Edited by Graeme Bateman
Shot by team Refuge Worldwide ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 15-21 February]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-15-21-february</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-15-21-february</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. 15-21 February Documentary Screenings: Berlin Migrant Strikers organise screenings and discussions of three films that tell stories of Palestinian resistance in the 60s and 70s. The screenings take place on 15, 22, and 29 February at Rigaer94 starting at 18:00 and will be followed by a KüFa starting at 20:00.  Demo: There are two demonstrations for a free Palestine this week. 16:00 on Friday for Let Rafah Live at the Auswärtiges Amt, and 15:00 on Saturday at Hermannplatz. Concert: Bilad al Shaam is an evening of live music, performances, and DJ sets by artists from the Levant region including performers like Enana, Sabine Salamé, and Anthony Kmeid. 16 February 22:00 at Panke Culture. Event: Whimsical Mystical Musical is an immersive storytelling event with live sound design and interactive voice activation hosten by Day Eve, Marbelite, Savanna Ni'Cheal Morgan and Lady and the Score. The event will begin at 20:00 on Friday 16 Feb. The venue is TBA, close to S Treptower Park. Decolonial Walking Tour: Gladt e.V. is hosting a decolonial walking tour for QT*BiPoC in Schöneberg focusing on (queer) Black life in Germany after National Socialism. The starting point is Königskolonnaden, Potsdamer Straße on 17 February at 14:00. The tour will be held in German with the option for English translation. Commemoration and demo: On Monday 19 February we remember Gökhan Gültekin, Ferhat Unvar, Mercedes Kierpacz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Sedat Gürbüz, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Hamza Kurtović, Kaloyan Velkov, Vili Viorel Păun who were murdered in a right-wing terrorist attack in Hanau four years ago. The commemoration starts at 17:30 at Sonnenallee and is followed by a walking protest. Follow Migrantifa for more. Listening Session: modalities is a new ambient and downtempo-focused event series at Kwia, brought to you by our residents Alias Error and O.N.A. Those two will be going B2B all night from 22:00 on Saturday, with an opening set from lady and the score.  Release: Check out the new release by óphelie, host of Therapy Dog on Refuge Worldwide, which comes out on 16 February via Hamburg label hundert. Listen to the first track Electric Blue Gecko on Bandcamp. Exhibition Opening: FHBX Museum is opening an exhibition dedicated to poet and activist Audre Lorde. “The Berlin Years” narrates the time that Lorde spent living and working in Berlin. Vernissage: 19 February at 18:00 at  FHXB Museum. Album Launch: ILYICH will launch their new album afterlife at Oona (Weserstr. 166) on 21 February. Check out their Refuge Worldwide residency here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[4 Jahre Hanau: the Consequence is Resistance]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/4-jahre-hanau-the-consequence-is-resistance</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/4-jahre-hanau-the-consequence-is-resistance</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A transcribed interview with Migrantifa and Global South United.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Next Monday marks the fourth anniversary of the Hanau shootings, a right-wing terrorist attack that changed Germany's political landscape. Hanau illustrated the dangerous rise of the far right and the ongoing failure of the German police to protect the vulnerable against extremist violence. It became the impetus for a new wave of anti-racist and anti-fascist organisations – including groups like Migrantifa. The slogan of this year's Hanau demonstration in Berlin is "The Consequence of Resistance", and it will start from 17:30 at S-Bahn Sonnenallee. The event will begin with a commemoration of the 9 people murdered in Hanau: Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Vili Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov.  Read an excerpt from Tuesday's show (full transcript available here) featuring members of the organisations Migrantifa and Global South United, to find out more about what happened in Hanau, its impacts, and their methods for mourning and resistance. Apsilon – Köfte Lama (host): Hi all, thanks for tuning in. This is Lama live from the Refuge Worldwide studio and joined by Fatma from Migrantifa.  Fatma (Migrantifa): Hello, thank you for having me. Lama: Thank you for being here. Our chat today is going to focus on the upcoming four-year mark of the attacks in Hanau. We will discuss what happened, talk about organising as a collective strategy, and dig deep into what resistance means today in the face of so many connected struggles. Next week, on 19 February, Migrantifa, alongside other groups, including Global South United, Palästina Spricht, Jewish Bund, and Kreuzberg United, are organising a commemoration of the Hanau attack and a demonstration. Let's start by going back to what happened in Hanau in 2020. Fatma: On 19 February in Hanau, a right-wing fascist terrorist murdered nine people in a shisha bar [and other locations]. It was not a surprise. It was really, just a question of when it would happen. He murdered them, and afterwards, he killed himself and his mother. So there wasn't any way to prosecute him or anything.  When he murdered the people in the bar, there were many things that… I don't want to say went wrong, because they could have been prevented, and wasn't a coincidence that they went wrong. For example, the emergency exit of the bar was locked. It was locked a few weeks prior by the police to ensure that if the police raided the place, people couldn't escape. They had this idea that the migrant people in the shisha bar were dealing drugs and doing illegal stuff there, so they would have to raid it and they wanted to make sure that people would not be able to escape in any way.  That's in the end what killed people, because afterwards, when people were looking into what happened in Hanau, they realised that if the emergency exit had been open, they could have escaped and nine people wouldn't have died.  It was a big shock for all of us when Hanau happened, but it wasn't like: 'Oh, how could this happen? We never thought this was this would happen.’ To us, it was a question of when it would happen. When it happened, many of us went into this mode of confusion, terror, and fear. And until today, there have been no consequences for what happened in Hanau. The attacker killed himself and the police are saying: ‘Well, we did the best we could.’ The killer had already sent letters with right-wing conspiracy theories to parts of the German government. He was known as very right-wing in his circles and at his workplace. He said that the AfD is too moderate that's why he was not voting for them. So he was known. The police could have known, but they decided to look away. Lama: I know that it was a very significant moment of mourning, but also a very significant moment for organizing. It became a central historic instance, around which Migrantifa was formed and organised.  Fatma: Yes, Migrantifa was formed directly after Hanau because of this shock, which made us ask: What can we do when you realise that the state is not protecting you, the police, the politicians, the law, are not protecting you? You have to protect yourself and your friends, your comrades, and your family. We have to protect each other because the state isn't doing it. I remember after Hanau, I saw a picture of Nancy Faeser, who was one of Germany’s ministers for inner affairs. She went to Hanau and in the picture, it was her and the father of one of the people who were murdered. She was crying and the father was consoling her. It made me so angry because those were alligator tears, she was crying as if she isn't part of the system that murdered these people, as if it was this Einzelfall [isolated case] - a term always used to describe right-wing terrorist attacks, meaning that it's just one crazy person who attacked and murdered people. But that is not the case. It is structural. In the system, they are pushing the narrative that we are the problem.  Nancy Faeser, for example, who cried back then, and had to be consoled by the father of one of the victims, is now dedicatedly pushing this narrative of there being too many migrants so we have to deport more and more. This is the idea that we are the problem. If the migrants and the refugees go away, everybody will have enough money and safe housing, and everything will be fine. This is a system that profits from this narrative, and at the same time, has built up this narrative. Capitalism wasn't built for the working class. It wasn't built for us. It was built for those politicians who are saying that we are the problem, while they and the bosses and so on, are putting profits into their pockets day by day. I think many of us didn't have this analysis of knowing what the bigger problem is. But through this shock, we came together and shared our knowledge or feelings and realised together, collectively, who is the enemy, who we need to fight, and that we need to do it together. Because as I said, they will not protect us. They are actively fighting us. The system is actively fighting and murdering us. So we had to organise because otherwise, it felt like we couldn't do anything. Lama: What you're planning for 19 February, a big part of it, alongside the demonstration, is the commemoration - a kind of mourning together. Maybe we can talk a little bit about how mourning is this collective and political emotion, and how that could also be central or important to organising. Fatma: I feel like there are many different ways one can mourn. It can be a sense of sadness, it can be anger, it also can be a celebration like dancing and singing together. For example, what we did last year at the commemoration and demonstration for Hanau, we read the names of all the people who have been murdered by right-wing attacks. We thought, maybe this will get boring for people, maybe people will not understand. But after like 10 minutes, the entire Herrmanplatz was silent. No one was speaking, everyone was emotionally touched and collectively we had this moment of mourning, and understanding that these things happened. The list is so long that we stood there for at least 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, just reading these names. So mourning is also a form of collectively feeling and collectively realising and understanding what pain we are going through and what causes that pain. Lama: Thank you for answering that. I also want to bring in Leila from Global South United, who just joined us. Global South United are organising this commemoration in this demonstration together with Migrantifa and the other groups that I mentioned earlier. I know that the work of Global South United comes to this history and this event from another perspective. Leila, can you share a little bit about how Global South United are involved in this and why this is also an important instance for them to be sharing with others? Leila (Global South United): Thank you so much for your question. Global South United was started after we faced huge repression from the state when we demonstrated for Palestine. For us, it was very important to take part in this demonstration. We believe that the fight against state repression should be united. We experience every day that the state is trying to divide this fight and split the front. That's why we wanted to be part of this fight against repression and for solidarity. Most of us are refugees and immigrants, who are facing racism daily. Hanau is, so to say, the last form of this racism, that we are being killed and streets without being able to rely on any group or state to protect us. Lama: The slogan for the demo this year is 'the consequence is resistance'. So I would open up here to both Fatma and Leila, to say a little bit about what resistance means to them, but also to the groups that they organise with.  Fatma: Resistance is, at this point, a widely used term. People believe that anything they do could be a form of resistance. Especially in the context of the Ukraine war more than in this situation, because that was what white people cared more about, I've heard many people say: don't forget to rest and to take care of your health and get some wellness treatment. This is such a whitewashed and capitalist way to resist. It's this idea of 'Oh, when I get my rest, I will be able to resist the system'. The question is: at what point will you then actually resist this system? And why is your way to resist just to put your own pleasure at the forefront of your so-called resistance?  This is a sad but real analysis that people have of resistance. The idea is that they need to feel the best they can for themselves and that this is resistance already. The idea of capitalism is that you have to work and do everything, so by resting you are already resisting the system. But this is exactly the shape of resistance that capitalism has in mind for us. It's an alienation, the idea of being alone as resistance. This idea is that collectively, we just get exhausted because we have been exhausted in this system so much. When you look at resistance in a political way, you have to realise that it is sometimes not relaxed. It is a long-term fight, it is exhausting.  There's a lot you have to do in political work, for example. It is so much more than just resting and meeting your friends. Yes, it can be singing and laughing, and so on, but it's also a fight and a struggle. I remember one comerade said very fittingly, that when resistance is only for yourself and in your head, it's something like privilege porn. We have to be mindful to keep the resistance collective, keep the fight collective, and make sure that we take care of each other, but also take care of the fight against the system, because this system is not resting. This system is constantly organising against us. So the only thing we can do to properly resist that is organising together against the system. Leila: I can only build on what Fatma said. At Global South United, we see resistance as a daily practice. Since we suffer and face this repression collectively, we believe also that the resistance should be done collectively. It's also very important to speak about rest as as a part of resistance, but what kind of rest and how we do it is very important. Resistance can have many shapes. It can be armed resistance, collective rest, crying together, going to the streets together, or challenging the state and repression. We try to find a balance between this daily repression and daily resistance that we have to do as individuals but also as a group and as a collective.  Continue reading. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Crossing the Mediterranean: migration narratives in Algerian raï music]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nour-regaya-cheb-mimo-algerian-rai</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nour-regaya-cheb-mimo-algerian-rai</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 13 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An interview with Cheb Mimo.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 28 January 2001, Algerian raï singer Cheb Memi took the stage at the Super Bowl, performing his hit song "Desert Rose" alongside British artist Sting. At that time raï, a style of music that originated in Algeria, was enjoying its most successful decade to date, with artists like Cheb Khaled reaching global audiences with his songs "Aicha" and "Didi." However, just months after Cheb Memi's voice echoed through the Super Bowl arena, Al-Qaeda attacked the World Trade Center. In the post-9/11 era, marked by a growing animosity towards all things Arab, raï struggled to reattain its former international success. The term "raï" translates to "opinion," reflecting its role as a musical statement and rebellion against political, social, and religious constraints, as noted by music ethnographer Nasser Al-Taee. The genre has strong ties to the port city of Oran, where raï singers, called "Cheb" or "Cheba," meaning young man or woman, sang about lust, love, sex, and alcoholism in the cabarets along the corniche.  Despite its immense popularity, raï faced strict governmental censorship; musicians operated underground in the early 80s due to disapproval from the Algerian National Liberation Front. A more liberal regime emerged in the mid-80s, paving the way for the inaugural raï festival in Oran in 1985. The festival was then swiftly banned after the victory of the Islamic Salvation Front in municipal elections in 1990. The dissolution of the Islamist party in 1992 did little to alleviate the challenges faced by raï artists as Algeria descended into a period marked by Islamic extremism, known as "The Black Decade." Tragically, the era claimed the lives of prominent raï figures like Cheb Hasni and raï producer Rachid Baba Ahmed, who were brutally assassinated by Islamic militants. Many raï talents faced with persecution sought refuge in France, transforming cities like Marseille, Lyon, and Paris into new epicentres of the genre. Despite its historical struggles, raï remains popular in the Arab and North African region and is currently experiencing an international revival dubbed the "Raï-naissance." Arte's 2023 documentary series “Raï Is Not Dead” exemplifies and explores this revival.  I spoke with Cheb Mimo, an Algerian-Tunisian DJ based in London, who hosts the monthly radio show "Shakshouka" on NTS Radio, dedicated to North African music. Our conversation delved into the role of raï in narrating stories of immigration and exile, reflecting on its place in contemporary North African culture and diaspora. Cheb Khaled – Didi Nour Regaya: How did you start your career in music, and when did you become interested in North African music? Cheb Mimo: I started collecting records through my family's collection. So I just went to my uncles and aunts and got a few records from them. That's how it started. Then, living abroad, I was always curious about music but was mainly a spectator, going to gigs and trying to buy more records. I was digging a lot of Brazilian stuff. Japanese as well. And then, I moved to Mexico, where the record market is super rich. When I was 22/23, I listened to some tracks that reminded me of the good things in raï and North African music. People like Retro Cassetta and Habibi Funk, with their reissues, inspired me to start digging in North Africa. I also began researching the story of the tracks, the history of raï music, and the alternative music scene in Tunis in the 70s and 80s, reggae in Libya. Honestly, it was more of a search for identity through music. And it was mainly during COVID, when I had lots of time to myself, that I wanted to learn about my Algerian side through music. When I had enough material, I began doing radio shows. And from radio shows, I got some gigs in London, and there was an exciting reception to the music, and many people were reaching out. It wasn't just about playing music for people to enjoy themselves, but to inspire them to get to know the region musically. How was raï seen in your family growing up? It’s interesting because my Algerian side of the family perceived raï badly. My mom is probably starting to like it because I'm now sharing it, but it was never something we listened to openly in our family. We used to listen a lot to “Malouf” [a genre of art music in the Andalusian classical music tradition of Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia] and I remember my grandma singing “Medahat” style, like Cheikha Rimitti. My Algerian side of the family is quite traditional. So they kind of neglected raï and thought it was for renegades. For me, when listening to raï from a Tunisian perspective, I think, “oh, it's super fun, but it doesn't belong to us.” It's not something that comes from our cultural cloth. Whereas for Algerians, I can imagine it's thought of as coming from an “ugly” side of Algerian society. There's a fear of what people would think if they heard you listening to it. My grandma, when she was young, and my mum as well, were hiding to listen to raï. But then growing up in a super traditional place where the Islamists were prominent, it was pretty dangerous to listen to, because [the regime] was killing artists. Do you have any memory of listening to raï, maybe as a child or maybe as a teenager in Tunis?  We all knew the radio hits. Like Cheb Khaled. In cases like “Didi,” some raï artists were getting as big as some French artists. So they were always on the radio. As a child, I saw Cheb Khaled live at the Festival de Hammamet, Tunisia. Cheb Mami was also internationally famous thanks to his feature with Sting. I didn’t know Cheb Mami sang at the Super Bowl in 2001. That made me realise that raï was 'capital-F famous' at some point. But then, for so many reasons, it seems to have dwindled. Bandcamp published an article last year saying we are amid a raï-naissance. It was the first article on raï on the platform, which is crazy.  Even on Refuge Worldwide, there was only one raï dedicated radio show before this interview. I know you have a monthly show on NTS called Shakshouka, where you showcase North African music and play a lot of raï on there. But how do you notice the raï-naissance? Does it depend on the audience you’re playing to? In Tunis, people come forward to enjoy themselves when you play in a bar or a club. They rarely come for the music. DJs in Tunis change their style completely to accommodate the crowd. But at the parties I organised, people were so complimentary that the music I played was different from that of the regular DJs–it was refreshing to dance to our music.  In London, it's all about cultural exchange. So, people come because they're curious about this music in this part of the world. And when I play in listening bars, every track I play I would have two or three people coming to ask me: “What's this track? What's the story behind that?” You would exchange words with the audience, and I liked the curiosity of people in London towards something they'd never heard. And they would come back as well, which is nice.  In London, New York and I think Berlin increasingly, people's ears are so curious. These are people who generally listen to music from all around the world. And whenever they hear music from Ethiopia, Cabo Verde, or Nigeria, they enjoy it as an experience. But it's a bit like a bubble. It feels limited because I'm playing in a quiet, vibey listening bar, drinking natural wine etc., and people in the pub next door might not know where Algeria is! 113 - Tonton Du Bled As a child, my dad would always sing “Tonton du Bled” by 113 whenever we were on a road trip. Habibi Funk played it in a gig in Tunis two years ago, and those iconic opening lines sent a roar through the audience. I asked my dad later about it, and he told me about his time as a student in France and how the North African students would go to raï clubs whenever they missed home. And “Tonton du Bled” was essentially a song about driving from Paris to Marseille to take the ferry, the car loaded with gifts for relatives in Algeria.  My dad could relate to that “return” trip while living in France. So it got me thinking about these raï songs about travelling, migration, and the idea of movement from one continent to another, the Mediterranean Sea as this border between two worlds and identities. I don't know if you've ever thought about this aspect of the genre.  I mean musically, raï has always involved different movements and influences. Because as you know, it originated in the port city of Oran, where many commercial transactions occurred. Many people from Spain, Italy, France, and the Sahara lived there simultaneously. And you can see that in how the genre has evolved and the instruments involved. It has so many different influences, such as Arab-Andalusian music. In the 80s, they modernised it with European synthesisers. For example, Jean-Michel Jarre significantly impacted raï, even though he doesn't know it!  So there are lots of influences that come from all around the Mediterranean. And so when you talk about movement, it's usually south to north, but initially, it was influenced by the northern part of the Mediterranean Sea. Much of raï music is about either being in France and being nostalgic about going to Algeria, or frustrated to be in Algeria and unable to get a visa to get to France. I’m from a Tunisian family, and many of my dad’s relatives live in France. We call them pejoratively “zmigri” (immigrants). Immigration comes with a veil of silence or mystery. raï gives us a rare narrative of immigration because I don't see it anywhere else in our culture; I think it's also a trauma response to want to let go and not talk about it. But these songs become anthems. Raï is a cultural artefact that helps us understand the North African post-colonialist society. I mean, raï started very early in the 20th century in the 1920s. And even back then, it was already dealing with immigration. But at that time, it was internal immigration because it came from rural areas and peaked in the 50s and 60s. And it was all about rural folk stories. And then, post-independence, it developed internally; immigration stopped being a central topic until, I would say, the 90s.  In 1990, the Algerian authorities banned the genre, which helped raï to develop because French producers came to Algeria to get some artists to go to France to perform. And I think that's when raï started to use modern instruments like bass guitar, which made it sound like pop music in Europe. It began to be exported and played in Bobigny, the first festival dedicated to the genre. And Morocco also had a raï festival because it was banned in Algeria then. At that time, you started having songs about nostalgia and homesickness. In the early 2000s, when “Partir Loin” by 113 featuring Taliani came out, it was played on the radio non-stop, and it still is. I think it struck a chord, with this imagery in the lyrics of the boat that will get you out of your misery, literally the ferry or the clandestine boats that cross the Mediterranean—it’s about the dream of a better life.  It is one of the most accurate songs for this topic. The line “kharejni men la misere” – "take me out of the misery" – you have to put it in context as well. Algerian society changed a lot after the black decade, and I think that’s the misery he was referring to because the song came out in the early 2000s, and freedoms were restricted; they still are now to a certain extent. If you go to a bar today in Algiers, it would be 95% men.  113 - Partir Loin I always thought that despite the obvious reasons for wanting to leave Algeria for economic reasons and repressed freedom, the song also works in the reversed scenario, when you feel miserable in Europe, and you are inexplicably homesick for the place you willingly left. It goes both ways.  Yes, it works that way, even if the artist himself didn’t think of it that way. I want to go back to “Tonton du Bled,” sung by the same artist. The music video is equally iconic, the journey of an Algerian family from the suburbs of Paris to Marseille and then to Algeria by ferry. The family takes so much stuff back home that the car is weighed down. I completely recognise this from when my cousins would come back to the bled (the home country). There was a fantastic exhibition at the Mucem in Marseille, dedicated to these cars, the Renault 112. Thinking about it, this song must’ve been the summer anthem of millions of families across the Maghreb.  Even the ones that took flights! That's the thing! Even if you can afford the flights, you take the ferry because it facilitates that double life. You can take all your belongings and your car to Tunisia or Algeria, spend three months there, and then return to France with the same belongings. Yeah, you come full and go back full, but not with the same things. You go there with gifts and return with food, spices, and olive oil. Follow Nour Regaya and check out Cheb Mimo's NTS residency Shakshouka.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #150]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-12-feb-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-12-feb-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Israel bombards Rafah | Berlin election re-run | Senegal election postponed]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Israel plans ground assault on Rafah Israeli forces killed at least 60 in overnight air strikes in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, as Israel threatens a major ground offensive. Rafah, currently home to the majority of the 1.7 million displaced Gazans, is one of the areas previously deemed a safe zone by the Israeli military. Last week Netanyahu ordered that plans be made for the evacuation of the city, a move Human Rights Watch has called ‘catastrophic’, ‘unlawful’ and ‘a war crime’.  Berlin's repeat election Half a million Berliners voted on Sunday in a partial re-run of the 2021 federal election, after the original result was declared invalid due to several mishaps by officials. Turnout was exceptionally low this time, and results were in line with nationwide trends, with slight gains for the CDU and far-right AfD, and small losses for the three parties that make up Germany’s governing coalition. Sudan telecommunications blackout continues Last week, the three main internet providers in Sudan went offline imposing a telecommunications blackout on the country. The paramilitary RSF took over the internet service providers in Khartoum but denied responsibility for the blackout. Cutting telecommunication and the internet deprives civilians of essential networks, as many rely on banking to make payments for basic needs like food. 10 months into the conflict in Sudan, over 8 million people have been displaced and up to 18 million are at risk of severe hunger, while the humanitarian response remains seriously underfunded. Senegal postpones elections Protesters took to the streets in Senegal, a country with a long history of democratic stability, after President Macky Sall postponed the presidential elections scheduled for 25 February. One student was killed in violent protests in Saint-Louis and the police arrested at least 150 people. President Sall claims eligibility and transparency issues with some candidates as the reason for the delay. The elections are due to be held in December, leaving Sall in power until then.  Pakistan elections Results are inconclusive so far from the general election in Pakistan. Independent candidates backed by jailed ex-PM Imran Khan won the most seats. But, amid strong opposition from the country’s military, and nationwide protests over vote-rigging allegations, there are still questions about who will run the country. The run-up to Thursday’s election was marred by internet blackouts and intense political violence, often targetting electoral candidates. Many fear that the ongoing protests could trigger intervention from Pakistan’s powerful military. Haiti protests Violent protests erupted across Haiti demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry and an end to gang violence. Police fired live ammunition and tear gas at protestors, killing 5 people. Henry has been the de facto ruler of the country since the assassination of President Jovnel Moïse in 2021. Presidential elections were supposed to be held last week but Henry claims they had to be rescheduled until the country’s security situation improves. Over 200,000 people have been displaced by ongoing gang violence in Haiti. Reprezent Radio crowdfunder London’s Reprezent Radio has launched a crowdfunding campaign to save the station, which is at risk of closure due to a shortage of funding. The youth-led community radio station has provided training and a platform to new radio hosts and artists for over 20 years and is currently in the process of registering as a charity in the UK. Find out more and donate here. Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 8-14 February]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-8-14-february</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-8-14-february</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 08 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more.  8-14 February Concert: Berlin-based jazz and soul singer douniah (above) will perform her first headline show tonight at 20:00 at Volksbuehne. Pick up tickets here. Demo: Join a Freedom for Palestine demo this Saturday at Hermannplatz from 14:00. Palestine Speaks, No Border Assembly and more are urging a boycott of Siemens, a company that profits from Israeli border security and weapons production.  Volunteer: Help Migrantifa put up posters for the protest on 19 February commemorating Hanau, the racist attack and murder of 9 people in 2020. You can pick them up all week at several locations in Kreuzberg, Neukölln, and Wedding.   Exhibition: We Who Move the World Forward is an exhibition about intersectional perspectives on mental health and mobility in Germany’s migration histories. The multi-disciplinary exhibition takes place at ACUD. You can see it until 10 March. Release: RW resident Kissen (above) just dropped her amazing new 5-track EP 'Homesick' via Mansions and Millions. Check it out on now Bandcamp. Screening: Sinema Transtopia celebrates Lunar New Year with the screening of Shujun Wei’s neo-noir thriller 河边的错误 (Only the River Flows). The film screened on Saturday is followed by a special Chinese New Year Karaoke Celebration. Volunteer: Arts of the Working Class is looking for volunteers to help with pick-up spot maintenance, communications, management & admin. Head to their IG to find out more. Exhibition: Kite of Four Colors is a photo exhibition and series of live events celebrating different aspects of Palestinian culture. It runs from 12 to 18 February (5-9 pm) at Bardo Projektraum.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide at Macadam]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-at-macadam</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-at-macadam</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We're bringing three of our regular collaborators to Nantes.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Next month we're in Nantes for a club night featuring three artists with close ties to the station. Versatile Bristol-based selector Danielle played her first set on Refuge Worldwide back in September 2021. As well as a DJ, she's also blessed us with her merch designs over the years, and you can see her artwork proudly displayed on the wall of the back room at Oona.  Chicago-raised house specialist Alinka has been a regular on Refuge Worldwide since 2022. She hosts the Twirl! residency and runs the record label and party series of the same name along with Shaun J. Wright since 2013. Leona, a core member of the Refuge Worldwide team and a longtime resident, will be on warm-up duties. Lock it in: 00:00-07:00, Friday 15 March at Macadam, Nantes. Tickets via RA. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #149]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-05-feb-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-05-feb-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Berlinale controversy | Airstrikes on Rafah | Northern Ireland's new first minister]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Israeli forces target Rafah Israeli airstrikes have hit Rafah in Gaza, an area that was previously designated as a "safe-zone" for fleeing Palestinian civilians. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, whose statements were frequently used as examples of genocidal rhetoric during last month's ICJ hearings, declared that ground forces will now target the area, saying “we will continue until the end, there is no other way.” Over 27,000 Palestinians have now been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since October.  The UNRWA, a key pipeline for aid into Gaza, has announced it may have to suspend its operations at the end of this month after the US, UK, Germany and several other countries withdrew their funding of the body. Spain announced on Monday an additional 3.5 million euros to help support the organisation. AfD politicians invited to Berlinale The Berlinale Film Festival has come under intense criticism after two members of the far-right AfD party were invited to the opening ceremony on 15 February. An open letter signed by over 200 international film professionals criticising the festival was circulated on Friday. Berlinale issued a statement claiming that the festival “stands for basic democratic values and against right-wing extremism” and “joins the protests” against the far right, but has failed to withdraw the invitations. Northern Ireland has a republican first minister Michelle O’Neill of the Sinn Fein party has been appointed as Northern Ireland’s (NI) First Minister, marking the first time in history that an Irish republican has held the top position in the country’s government.  Retained as a UK territory following the struggle for Irish independence in 1921, NI is governed under a power-sharing agreement between unionists who want to be part of the UK, and nationalists who want to reunite with Ireland. Sinn Fein celebrated the news, saying that after a century of British rule, reunification with Ireland may now be “within touching distance.” Tamil population protests on Sri Lankan Independence Day Sunday 4 February marked the 76th anniversary of Sri Lankan independence from the British Empire. On the same day, the island’s Tamil population protest the Sri Lankan state-sponsored colonisation of Tamil homelands and genocide against the Tamil people.  Among the Tamil population, the day is known as Black Day. Protesting state oppression, military occupation, and lack of basic human rights, Tamil people raised black flags across the Northeastern region of the island. This year’s protests were met with the Sri Lankan state authorities firing tear gas and water cannons at the attendees. Free Humanitarians celebrate legal success After a six-year legal battle, 16 humanitarians have been declared innocent by the Greek Mytilini Court in Lesvos. The defendants worked with sea rescue organisations to save asylum seekers in the Mediterranean before their criminalisation by Greek authorities, who accused them of laundering, espionage, illegally using radio frequencies and more in 2018. The decision sets crucial foundations for the upcoming felony trial that activists, including Sara Mardini and Seán Binder, are yet to face. Donate to Free Humanitarians to help fund their legal defence. Kurdish captives executed in Iran Iran’s regime has executed four Kurdish men. Mohsen Mazloum, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, and Mohammad Faramerzi were put to death on 29 January, despite widespread public outcry and attempts by relatives and human rights organisations to challenge their death sentences. Iran’s Kurdish population has long been systematically oppressed and persecuted alongside other activists and oppositional voices by the Islamic Republic.  According to Hengaw, the regime executed 829 people in 2023 alone. Mass protests against femicide in Kenya Thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Kenya last week to protest the rise in femicides. In January alone 21 femicides were reported, with the actual figure expected to be higher. But politicians and state authorities continue to disregard the urgency of the matter.  Campaigners of Usikimye, an organisation working towards ending sexual and gender-based violence, demand those in power to finally recognize and take action against femicides. The anti-femicide demonstrations were the largest mobilisation against sexual and gender-based violence in Kenyan history. Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Stories | 1-7 February]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-1-7-february</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-stories-1-7-february</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[News and events from our community in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests, parties, panels and more. 1-7 February Zine: Lecken rave-maker and clinical psychologist Wanda Gaimes is publishing her new zine ‘Junkie Drives: A Lacanian Psychoanalysis of Drug Consumption’. The zine explores “what non-normativizing psychoanalysis can teach us about the enjoyment of drugs and the human struggle with pleasure.” Follow Wanda and tune in to Skankstasy, her Refuge Worldwide residency, to find out more. Worskshop: On Thursday EOTO is hosting a Ballroom Commentating workshop and open Ballroom-Session with German mother Mandhla Laveaux. The workshop starts at 18:00 and is a safer space for queer, trans*, and gender-questioning Black people between the ages of 18-27. The workshop will take place at Karl-Kunger-Straße 29/30, 12435 Berlin. Event: On Friday Thawra is running an event in solidarity with artists currently on strike against state-funded institutions, featuring screenings, food, DJ sets and live music, plus a panel discussion with Nicky Böhm (below), Bryony and Rakans. All proceeds will go to direct aid in Gaza. DM Thawra for the location. Panel: Systems of Change is an un-conference held by Trust Talks. From 15:00-18:00 on Saturday they are hosting conversations about para-institutions as drivers for systems change through culture and technology, in the context of the German repression and censorship of Palestinian voices. The event will take place at Kluckstraße 25, 10785 Berlin. Protest: Join us in the streets on Saturday to demand a ceasefire and an end to the occupation of Palestine. The protest starts at Potsdamer Platz at 2 pm. Follow pa_allies for more info.  Party: On Sunday evening Hot Concept are taking over Zur Klappe in Kreuzberg, with sets from John Loveless, Lupini and Gramrcy. Film Festival: Sinema Transtopia is currently underway. On 6 February, one year after an earthquake caused devastation across Turkey, Syria, and Kurdistan, Sinema Transtopia is hosting a screening of İmre Azem’s documentary “Hatay: 1-11 Eylül” (below) followed by a discussion about the disaster’s aftermath. Head to their website to see the full listings.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #148]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-29-jan-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-29-jan-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 29 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[UNRWA defunded | Berlin IHRA clause removed | Argentina strikes]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. UNRWA defunding means "collective punishment" of Palestinians At least 10 Western countries, including Germany and the US, have suspended funding to the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) after Israeli allegations that UNRWA staff members helped Hamas stage attacks on 7 October. The UNRWA, a vital pipeline for aid to the 2 million people under bombardment in Gaza, may be forced to suspend operations in a month due to the drop in funding. The agency’s head called the move an act of “collective punishment” against Palestinians.  In defiance of the ruling by the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israeli forces have continued their relentless assault and blocked aid deliveries to Gaza. The ICJ failed to explicitly call for a ceasefire in its ruling on Friday. However, it did call for Israel to do everything in its power to prevent genocide, and for the resumption of humanitarian aid. 26,000 people have now been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since October. Berlin's 'IHRA clause' U-turn Berlin’s Senate has backtracked on the new anti-discrimination clause, under pressure from cultural institutions and international artists striking in solidarity with the Strike Germany campaign. The clause forced funding recipients to sign a pledge against antisemitism according to the IHRA definition, which critics say equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Senator Joe Chialo said that the decision was made due to the “critical voices that saw the clause as a restriction of artistic freedom.” Read our full statement on the strike here. Sudan's crackdown on civil society 10 months into the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF paramilitary, the Sudanese government has intensified its crackdown on grassroots activists and civil society groups. Many of these pro-democracy groups were established during the 2018 December Revolution and are dedicated to independent grassroots activism. The civil society committees have played a vital role in providing aid to local communities across the country since the start of the war. The ban on these activities amid mass displacement and a catastrophic humanitarian situation further endangers Sudanese civilians.  Venezuela and Guyana move towards de-escalation Officials from Venezuela and Guyana met last week to discuss the territorial dispute over Guyana’s Essequibo region. In December, Venezuela held a referendum laying claim to the region, and tensions were rising after the deployment of a British warship to Guyana and Venezuelan ‘defensive exercises’. At the meeting, both parties agreed on moving forward in diplomatic exchange.  Despite this, indigenous communities in Essequibo continue to express worry over Venezuela’s plans to annex and extract oil in the region. Their decade-long efforts to get their ancestral land legally recognized by the state of Guyana could be in vain under changed governance and the exploitation of natural resources. Argentinian workers strike Thousands joined a general strike in Argentina in opposition to a swathe of right-wing economic reforms announced by new president Javier Milei. In a series of new decrees described by Milei as a form of ‘economic shock therapy’, Argentinian workers face mass privatisations, spending cuts, an end to rent regulation, weaker worker protection laws, the expansion of presidential powers and new restrictions on the right to protest. Organised by Argentina’s largest union the CGT, the historic mobilisation marks the earliest in a new presidential term that a general strike has ever been called in Argentinian history, the call to strike issued less than seven weeks into Milei’s leadership. Support queer art space in Ghana In 2023, Ghana passed an anti-LGBTQIA+ bill with an absolute majority. Under the guise of “promoting Ghanaian family values”, the bill will criminalize queer lives and sympathies towards queer people. As part of the bill, renting property to LGBTQIA+ inclusive organizations and queer people will be prosecuted. The perfocraZe International Artist Residency (pIAR) is fighting back against pending eviction. Founded in 2017, it is one of the only openly LGBTQIA+ inclusive spaces in Ghana and a sanctuary for queer artists and activism. To ensure that pIAR can persist, they are calling on international allies to support their resistance by raising awareness and donating. AfD narrowly lose Thuringen election The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party were defeated in a regional run-off election in the German state of Thuringia by the conservative CDU, despite holding a comfortable lead of 12% just two weeks ago. The vote was AfD’s first electoral test since reports emerged that politicians from the party had met with neo-Nazis and other extremists to discuss plans for mass deportations of so-called “unassimilated” migrants and German citizens, sparking massive protests across the country against the rise of the far-right. AfD is still polling in second place nationwide, with around 20% of the vote. Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED.
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            <title><![CDATA[Statement on the German Cultural Boycott]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/german-cultural-boycott</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/german-cultural-boycott</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 24 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Solidarity with artists, cultural workers and collectives.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[With reference to the ongoing genocide being perpetrated against the people of Gaza and Occupied Palestine, we stand in solidarity with artists, cultural workers and collectives who are currently striking against German state-funded institutions. Refuge Worldwide is a cultural organisation and broadcaster committed to using our resources and connections to be a critic of German domestic and foreign policy. Most recently, we have opposed the Senate Department’s “anti”-discrimination clause, Germany’s response to the ICJ genocide case against Israel, and the censorship and repression we are witnessing daily on the streets and within the educational, sports, arts and cultural spheres.  We are over 100 days into the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Half a million people are at risk of starvation, 25,000 have died, with 1.9 million people – 85 percent of Gaza’s population, displaced (Human Rights Watch). This violence is propped up by the governments of the USA, UK, and Germany. On Monday, January 22nd, the Berlin Senate revoked their anti-discrimination clause due to "the legal and critical voices that saw the introduced clause as a restriction on artistic freedom." We applaud the grassroots mobilisation from groups like Strike Germany, Global South United, Notinourname UdK and Palästina Spricht, and echo their calls to continue applying that same pressure in regards to other demands. We call on state-funded institutions in Germany to refuse censorship, oppose state efforts to silence pro-Palestinian voices and call for a ceasefire. Our full solidarity with Palestinian liberation continues. We will platform those who have lost space elsewhere, we will support and direct resources to our community, especially to those who are being disproportionately affected by censorship or by ongoing strike action. While Refuge Worldwide does not receive any ongoing state funding, we do work with German partners to offer opportunities and jobs. We will do all we can to ensure these partners uphold the same standards that we set for ourselves. Each project we take is judged on a case by case basis to determine the suitability of the partners involved. As a Berlin-based international platform, it is our responsibility to act in the way we expect from other institutions within this country. On this note, we announce that our event with CTM at Berghain is cancelled and residency at Panorama Bar is postponed until further notice. We will, however, honour the invitations offered to artists playing at CTM to perform on our radio station. We stand in support of all those who have chosen to strike, and we welcome the tactic as an option for cultural workers. Stop the genocide. End the occupation. Ceasefire now.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #147]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-jan-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-jan-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Last University in Gaza destroyed | Anti-AfD protests in Germany | Annie Nightingale]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Gaza death toll over 25,000 Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to press ahead with the military assault on Gaza until there is a “decisive victory of Hamas”, and reiterated the desire for Israeli control over “all territory west of the Jordan River.”  Last week Israel’s relentless assault targeted hospitals, ambulances and schools in Khan Younis city, south Gaza. IDF forces also destroyed Al Israa, Gaza’s only remaining University, in what appears to be a controlled demolition. While we await the decision of the ICJ in South Africa's genocide case against Israel, which should arrive on Friday, the death toll from Israel’s military assault has reached the grim milestone of 25,000 people.  Protests across Germany against the far-right This weekend saw mass protests across Germany against the rise of the far right, including a gathering of 100,000 people outside the Bundestag in Berlin. The protests were sparked by reports that came out two weeks ago showing that politicians the AfD, the party currently polling second in Germany, met with neo-Nazis and extremists in November to discuss mass deportations of asylum seekers and German citizens with a history of migration. Disturbingly, despite the Berlin march being in opposition to fascism and the deportation of migrants, there are reports that activists wearing keffiyeh and holding Palestinian flags were attacked and spat on by fellow protesters. Olaf Scholz was among the attendees at the march in Potsdam this weekend, attracting further criticism of his own plans to speed up the deportation process. There are calls to ban the AfD from German parliament for violating the German constitution – find out more and sign the petition here. Annie Nightingale RIP British DJ and radio host Annie Nightingale has sadly passed away aged 83. Lobbying to overturn a ban on female presenters, Nightingale became the first woman to host a show on BBC Radio 1 in 1970 and is now the station’s longest-serving DJ. From the 1980s, Nightingale’s relentless passion for new music made her an influential figure in the UK’s dance music culture, and an early champion of countless emerging scenes from acid house to breaks, grime and dubstep. State cracks down on journalists  in Kyrgyzstan 11 journalists from 4 news outlets have been detained in Kyrgyzstan in what Reports Without Borders says amounts to a “purge of local investigative journalism”. The country’s interior ministry has accused the journalists, who were investigating corruption among the country’s elites, of “war propaganda” and “calls to mass disorder”. Rights groups in the country have warned of increased pressure and censorship of media outlets. Last year ranked Kyrgyzstan 122 out of 180 countries for press freedom, marking a drop of 50 spots from 2022. Taiwan's Presidential election On Saturday, Taiwanese ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te won Taiwan’s presidential election with 40% of the vote. The result could have major consequences for Taiwanese relations with the government of neighbouring China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and has reportedly referred to the election as a choice “between peace and war”. The result marks the first time since Taiwan’s first open election in 1996 that a single party has led the country for 3 consecutive terms.  New anti-terror law comes into effect in the Philippines  On 15 January a new anti-terror law came into effect in the Philippines, which will give law enforcers the ability to subject suspected terrorists to arrest, detention, surveillance and freeze orders without warrants. The debate around the highly controversial bill dates back to 2020, when it was first signed into law by then-president Rodrigo Duterte. Amnesty has warned that the law will pose “a threat to human rights defenders, activists as well as members of marginalised groups.” Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED.
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Patagonia host film screening and bouldering workshop]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/patagonia-what-the-hands-do</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/patagonia-what-the-hands-do</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Save the date: February 17.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[One for the climbing enthusiasts!

We head to local, Neukölln gym Bouldergarten on Saturday, February 17th, for a day centered around bouldering and making the sport more accessible.  First, there will be a free-to-attend, beginners bouldering workshop with two mentors teaching the basics over a 90-minute session (16:00–17:30). Applications are now open via the form below. Participants will also have food and drink courtesy of Patagonia.  Following the session, we move to the gym’s upstairs room for a Germany premiere of Patagonia’s new film, What The Hands Do, which tells the story of two Mexican activists who use climbing to empower their community (18:15–19:00). Mariana Mendoza Castillo and Miguel Casar ask the questions: "how can we use climbing to shape the world we want to see?". What The Hands Do is directed by Bing Liu - watch the trailer here. This part of the day is open-to-all and free entry. To end the evening, Refuge Worldwide DJs will take to the decks and soundtrack the final hours of the gym session (19:00-21:00). Apply below Workshop application form]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #146]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-15-jan-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-15-jan-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Namibia criticises Germany | US/UK Yemen strikes | Solidarity Cinema]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Namibia calls out Germany for defending Israel at ICJ Namibia has criticised Germany’s decision to intervene in support of Israel in the genocide case brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). A statement by the Namibian Presidency called out Germany’s “inability to draw lessons from its horrific history”, referring to Germany’s colonial genocide in Namibia against the Indigenous Herero and Nama people, often referred to as the first genocide of the 20th Century, which began 100 years ago.  Attacks on Yemen The US and the UK have launched military strikes in Yemen killing five people in response to Houthi rebels, who have formed the de facto government over much of Yemen, hijacking commercial ships in the Red Sea heading to Israel. US President Biden and UK PM Rishi Sunak have both faced harsh criticism for launching the attacks to protect Western trade interests without consulting Congress or Parliament. Houthi leaders have said they will continue to target ships as long as Israel’s war on Gaza continues. A new phase in Sudan's war There are fears that the war in Sudan could be getting worse, triggering even more atrocities and mass displacement, as the RSF paramilitary opens a new front against government forces in the east of the country. Food insecurity is an increasingly urgent issue in the country, as fighting continues to disrupt the harvest season. In nine months the conflict has resulted in 12,000 deaths and the displacement of 8 million people from their homes. State of emergency due to gang violence in Ecuador In Ecuador, a wave of gang violence came to a head when masked gunmen took over a TV news studio live on air, forcing the host and other staff members to the floor. President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency and the start of an “internal armed conflict”. Almost 1000 people have been arrested in the last week. Once one of Latin America’s safest countries, recent years have seen a serious rise in gang violence in Ecuador. AfD mass meeting with neo-nazi groups High-ranking politicians from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party took part in a secret meeting in November with members of extremist and neo-Nazi groups to discuss a so-called “masterplan” for immigration, a new investigation has found. On the agenda at the meeting was the disturbing idea of “forced migration” for asylum seekers and German citizens with a history of migration. The AfD currently sits in second in nationwide polls and first in all five eastern German states. Solidarity Cinema Archive Stuck at home with a January cold and looking for something good to watch? Solidarity Cinema is a huge online archive of films with a focus on struggle, solidarity, liberation and marginalised perspectives.  Click here to get access. Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide celebrates 3 years on air]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-3rd-birthday</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-3rd-birthday</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 14 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join us at Oona and arkaoda this month.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Three years... ... since we sent out our first radio transmission, so let's take this chance to celebrate with friends new and old! On Thursday 25th and Friday 26th January, we will celebrate at Oona Bar with special radio shows, a Mezcal happy hour (6-8PM each day) and tasting (430-6PM Friday) in collaboration with Madre Mezcal.  Come down or tune in to shows from Livwutang, DJ Spit & Haaizey, Sally C, Amuleto Manuela, Shiru, Hanaby, Mandel and more. We will also kick off our new bi-weekly deep dive radio show, 100%, with an Art Pop special from Kiki. The celebrations continue on Saturday 27th with shows from Mehmet Aslan, MAF & The Neighbourhood Character, MASQ, Hala and others, plus happy hour at the same time. At 10PM Saturday, we head down to Arkaoda for the traditional birthday club night. In the club room downstairs, catch DJ sets from Jus’Ed, Olin, Moe and What A Playground duo Josiane & Lena Brecht. In the bar room, Laura Vargas, Versailles & Duality, klu & jan k and Kudur founders DJ Ay Ay Ay & DJ Zagili play. Plus - as became tradition last year - there may be a piñata. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #145]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-jan-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-jan-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Berlin Senate IHRA clause | South Africa launches ICJ case | Free Humanitarians back on trial]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. New antisemitism clause for Berlin state funding programs The Berlin Senate has announced that recipients of public funding will now have to sign a pledge against anti-semitism. More specifically, the new ruling announced by CDU Senator Joe Chialo invokes the controversial and ambiguous IHRA definition of antisemitism. This definition was adopted by the German government in 2017, and critics say it has often been politically instrumentalised to crack down on support for Palestine by implying that any criticism of the Israeli state is antisemitic.  Following the defunding and closure of Oyoun in Neukölln for what Chialo called ‘hidden antisemitism’, the ruling represents a worrying new development in the German state’s cultural repression of Palestinian solidarity. South Africa launches genocide case against Israel The UN’s International Court of Justice will hold hearings this week on a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide. In a new 84-page report compiling the views of international experts, the case is made that Israel is trying ‘to bring about the physical destruction’ of the Palestinian population in Gaza, pointing to the deliberate targeting of civilians, genocidal rhetoric from Israeli politicians, and the blocking of access to necessities. Since October 7, over 23,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including nearly 10,000 children. Free Humanitarians return to trial On Tuesday, 16 humanitarian workers will stand trial on the Greek island of Lesvos after being arrested for search and rescue work in 2018 – criminalised for saving the lives of people crossing the Mediterranean. The Free Humanitarians campaign is trying to raise €100,000 euros to support the defendants through their long legal process. To learn more about the campaign, click here to read an interview with activist Seán Binder, or follow Free Humanitarians for more updates. Donate here.  Bangladesh election boycotted by opposition Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina is set to win a fourth straight term in office after the opposition boycotted Sunday’s general elections. Huge protests have marked the run-up to elections in Bangladesh, as well as widespread police violence and the arrest of tens of thousands of opposition activists after Hasina declared the main opposition party to be a terrorist organisation. Voter turnout in the election was as low as 28% according to some sources. Historian finds slave trade went on for years after 1867 New research by Historian Hannah Durkin shows that the slave trade may have continued for years after Spain announced it was officially abolished in 1867. Durkin’s new book includes evidence of ships arriving in Cuba and Benin carrying hundreds of people as late as 1873, fresh evidence that supports similar claims made earlier by Cuban historians, and apparently ignored in the English-speaking world until now. Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED.
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            <title><![CDATA[Tour Diary: Watch a behind the scenes video of our recent EU adventure]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/eu-tour-diary</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/eu-tour-diary</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 28 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Footage from 15 cities across three months]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From September until December 2023, we headed out across Europe hosting club nights and DJ workshops at some of the continent's best venues.  Big thanks to all the clubs, artists, partners, workshop participants and dancers, as well as to Raoul Gottschling for his visual design. Lastly, thanks to all at Carhartt WIP for their support. Refuge Worldwide & Carhartt WIP Euro Tour 2023 - Video Diary

Editing by Graeme “Gramrcy” Bateman
Photos by Mariana Matamoros & Pedro Leoto
Music - Gramrcy - Going On Eleven (Peach Discs)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[End of year community feedback form]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/feedback-form-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/feedback-form-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tell us what you really think!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Feedback form]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Christmas in Mourning]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/christmas-in-mourning</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/christmas-in-mourning</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 23 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Streaming live on Refuge Worldwide at 19:00 CET, 24 December]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide will broadcast Christmas in Mourning, a radio piece coordinated by Radio Alhara and being streamed simultaneously by 18 community stations worldwide. This Christmas in Palestine, our people are facing a new cycle of unspeakable violence and savagery. Words are missing to convey our outrage, our sadness, and our feeling of helplessness. On the 24th of December at 8pm (Palestine time, 7pm Berlin) and through the waves of radio alHara and many other radios, the Wonder Cabinet in Bethlehem will broadcast an original production of sonic mourning with electronic musicians Sary Moussa (Beirut), Abed Kobeissy (Beirut), and the Greek Orthodox tenor of the Church of the Nativity, Laurence Sammour (Bethlehem). This remote collaboration is a mourning sound piece using religious recitals in an electronic composition. It is an attempt at producing a physical materialization of remote solidarity. Radio Alhara is a Palestinian online radio station broadcasting from Bethlehem since its launch in March 2020. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona Bar celebrates New Year's Eve with DJ Tears]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dj-tears-nye</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dj-tears-nye</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ We are open ‘til 3am this Silvester ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Oona Bar is open on December 31st, saying goodbye to 2023 in style. The DJ Tears crew are taking over Weserstraße with a slick line-up, open ‘til 3am. In the booth will be ALISSAZADDI, Delfiné, Denzxl, mx.pinky and Nodelay, while SWAK's Bare Wines - who founded DJ Tears together with Nico Adomako - will be pouring wines. The latest batch of DJ Tears wines were harvested in 2016, macerated for one day then aged in an oak barrel for a year. Finally they had a six year mellow-down in the bottle. In the words of the DJ Tears crew, "it's a little bit emo but absolutely cute and complex beyond that first sip, leaving you wanting more, tear after tear." It will be our last event of the year, before we take a break and reopen on Tuesday, January 9th. Earlier on the 31st, there will be sets from Lavan and Kemback at Oona Bar.  Tune in live on air or come down to Weserstraße 166, free entry as always. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #144]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-18-dec-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-18-dec-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Masha Gessen | Tempelhof competition | Essequibo talks]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Masha Gessen award ceremony delayed for anti-Gaza comments A ceremony to award Jewish activist and writer Masha Gessen with the Hannah Arendt Prize was postponed last week due to Gessen’s recent essay ‘In the Shadow of the Holocaust’, which was critical of Israel's actions in Gaza. The event was delayed after the Bremen Senate and Heinrich Böll Foundation withdrew their support, and eventually took place as a private ceremony for a small group of guests.  Since October, Palestinians and anti-zionist Jewsish artists and intellectuals have faced censorship and deplatforming in Germany for opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Join a march from 14:00 on 23 December at Mehringplatz, Berlin to demand an end to the violence and occupation. Competition launched for Tempelhof development The Berlin Senate decided last Tuesday to launch an international competition for ideas for the development of Tempelhofer Feld. Since coming to power earlier this year, Berlin’s SPD/CDU coalition government have reignited talks about building on Tempelhof, despite a decisive referendum in 2014 in which nearly 750,000 people voted to block any development of the former airstrip.  Illegal gold mines destroyed in Brazil and Colombia Nearly 20 illegal gold mines were blown up by Colombian and Brazilian authorities in a three-day operation earlier this month. The destruction of the mines was part of an ongoing campaign by both governments against the ecologically destructive trade, which has been linked to severe mercury pollution in the Amazon. Illegal gold mining in Colombia reportedly generates $2.5 billion a year  Ugandan activists challenge anti-homosexuality act A group of Ugandan activists, journalists, religious leaders and lawyers have united to challenge the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act in the constitutional court. The legislation, which came into force in May, is one of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the world and includes the dealth penalty for so-called “serial offenders” and criminalises the “promotion of homosexuality”. Since the law passed, activists have documented a sharp rise in violent discrimination against queer people in the country.  Asylum seeker dies on Bibby Stockholm barge A 27-year-old man living on the Bibby Stockholm barge, which houses asylum seekers off the coast of England, has reportedly committed suicide. The barge has been the subject of intense controversy since it was opened by the British Home Office in April 2023. 65 UK charities and three members of parliament have now signed an open letter demanding its immediate closure, as widespread reports of cramped, inhumane and prison-like conditions onboard continue to surface.  Fighting spreads in Sudan Thousands have fled Wad Madani, Sudan’s second-largest city, after the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) paramilitary launched an attack on state forces in the city, opening a new front as the civil war enters its ninth month. Wad Madani had previously been a vital sanctuary for refugees who fled the capital Khartoum since the start of the war. Up to 12,000 civilians have been killed since the war began, and over 5 million displaced. Guyana & Venezuela hold talks over Essequibo The leaders of Venezuela and Guyana reached an agreement to not use force to settle the territorial dispute over the Essequibo region. Earlier this month, Venezuelans voted in a referendum to claim sovereignty over the oil-rich region, which makes up two-thirds of Guyana’s territory, intensifying fears of a Venezuelan invasion. A joint commission will now be set up to investigate the issue, with findings due in three months. Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED.
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            <title><![CDATA[Oyoun presents Threads of Resilience]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oyoun-threads-of-resilience</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oyoun-threads-of-resilience</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This weekend at Lucy-Lameck-Str. 32.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Neukölln cultural centre Oyoun are holding a three-day festival celebrating resistance and solidarity through workshops, panel discussions, exhibitions, film screenings, live music and more. Last month, the Berlin Senate announced that the vital Neukölln space near Hermannplatz will have its funding withdrawn following Oyoun’s refusal to cancel an event organised by Jewish pro-Palestine group Juedische Stimme. CDU Senator Joe Chialo explained that the decision was made due to suspected antisemitism, in this case what he called “hidden antisemitism.” Organisers have managed to raise over €80,000 to fund the legal challenge of the ruling, but the future of the space remains unclear, and Oyoun's team say they are expecting to move out at the end of the year. Threads of Resilience will showcase a range of voices and perspectives against oppression and censorship. The programme of events, all donation-based, includes workshops and discussions with Emilia Roig, Candice Breitz, Naomi Klein (online), Ghayath Almadhoun and representatives from activist groups such as Juedische Stimme, Palestine Speaks and AATMA Berlin. The performance and live music programme features Jumoke 'mokeyanju' Adeyanju, AŸA and a closing party hosted by AL.Berlin.  Don't miss the chance to visit Oyoun for what could be the last time, and stand with them against the ongoing censorship of artists and cultural workers who say no to genocide and occupation in Palestine.  All events will be donation-based. Check out the full programme here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona Bar's End Of Year party takes place this Saturday]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/eoy-party-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/eoy-party-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 13 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Glühwein, a record sale and, of course, lots of radio. Supported by ChariTea!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[2023 has been a wild ride. With over 3000 radio shows, dozens of workshops, 25 parties and many other gatherings - we draw the year to a close with the annual Refuge and Oona Bar End Of Year party. Special thanks to the team at ChariTea for the support in helping us put this event together. Running from 2PM until 2AM this Saturday, the day will feature a 4-hour takeover from AL Berlin, as well as radio shows from Nikola, Laura Vargas, Ken Okuda, Nalamazon, Leona & Raha, No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin, Nomansland and an open-doors B2B session to finish things off. There will also be a 2nd hand record sale in the afternoon, with collections from HKW’s music director Edna Martinez, long-time Berghain resident Nick Höppner and our very own No Plastic. Free food is on offer all evening: vegan Korean food by Häran, plus warm apple cinnamon Glühwein and festive vibes.  This event is kindly supported by ChariTea & Lemonaid+ with a limited edition cocktail available at the bar. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide partners with CTM Festival for a third year]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-ctm-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-ctm-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A week of adventurous music in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The 25th anniversary of CTM festival takes place from 26 January through 04 February. Continuing our collaboration with CTM Festival for a third edition, this year we will once again host a daily CTM radio show, a workshop and a party.

The radio shows will be broadcast daily from 29 January until 3 Feb from 14:00 until 16:00. Guests will include Gash Collective, Malengo, El Kontessa, Sabiwa, Nikki Nair and more to be announced. The shows will be hosted by Richard Akingbehin. 
On Monday, 29 January, we will host a workshop from Refuge Worldwide resident and Manila Community Radio co-founder Versailles, together with another of the station's co-founders Sean Bautista (AKA Duality). Running from 5-7PM, the workshop aims to decode the debate on cultural appreciation v.s. appropriation. It will be presented in the context of MCR's research into Budots, a grassroots genre of dance and electronic music from the Bisaya region that incorporates Bajau traditions with eurotrance and tropical city noises. Applications are now open here. Special thanks to the Goethe-Institut for supporting Versailles and Sean Bautista with travel funding. 

Last but not least, we will co-curate and host Panorama Bar on Thursday, 01 February, as part of the CTM night, with sets from Ojoo, HiTech, Sarj, Malengo and Jana.

Elsewhere on the CTM programme, there are performances from Monolake, Wanton Witch, Skrillex b2b Jyoty, E-Saggila, ELLLL and Spekki Webu. Check the full schedule here and listen back to our CTM residency from January 2023 here. 
Header photo CTM 2023 Closing Concert: Amnesia Scanner & Freeka Tet
Photo: Frankie Casillo / CTM 2023

Talk photo

Talk and listening session with Joseph Kamaru (KMRU)
Photo: Frankie Casillo / CTM 2023]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Seán Binder: the hypocrisy of EU border policy]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sean-binder-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sean-binder-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 07 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An interview with the activist and search and rescue worker facing up to 25 years in prison.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In 2018 Seán Binder was arrested and detained on the Greek island of Lesvos while working for the search and rescue organisation ERCI. In the three years before its criminalisation, ERCI claims to have helped up to 55,000 asylum seekers at risk of drowning while crossing the Mediterranean. The list of accusations levelled at Seán and his 23 co-defendants – including activists Sara Mardini and Nassos Karakitsos – includes espionage, facilitating illegal migration, belonging to a criminal organisation, money laundering, and using an encrypted messaging service (the instant messaging service WhatsApp). The legal process, now in its sixth year, has involved two separate trials. The first involves misdemeanour charges that have already been dismissed and appealed several times. Those charges against Seán and Sara were dropped earlier this year, but Nassos and 15 others will return to court on 9 January 2024.  There’s still no word on when Seán’s second trial, concerning felony charges that could carry sentences of up to 25 years, will begin. The Free Humanitarians campaign is trying to raise €100,000 that lawyers estimate will be needed to support the defendants through both trials. Since ERCI was shut down thousands have died every year while attempting to cross the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, in the name of preventing smuggling, the EU has invested tens of billions of euros into securing its borders and allowed hundreds more humanitarian workers to be arrested and criminalised for saving lives. We talked to Seán to discuss his case and the confusing, contradictory and deadly EU border policies behind it. Hi Seán, it’s great to meet you. You’re now nearly six years into an exhausting legal battle – two ongoing trials, surprising accusations, and multiple appeals. To what extent do you think that the endless delay of this process has been part of the prosecution’s strategy? Do you feel they are deliberately keeping you in legal limbo? Well, if I put myself in the shoes of any righteous prosecutor, and I consider what the priority is, it would be to try and stop illegal activity. I and the other defendants on this trial are ostensibly smugglers, money launderers, forgers, fraudsters, members of a criminal organisation, spies, and listeners of illegal radio frequencies. We are heinous criminals! If the prosecution truly believed all that, would they not want us behind bars as quickly as possible? If there were evidence against us, would we not be in prison already? We're desperate to get to trial, we've been waiting for nearly six years. To my mind this says one of two things: either the prosecution is righteous but incompetent – wouldn’t discount it – or, the prosecutors know that we didn’t do anything wrong. And I think that the second is the more accurate answer, based on the evidence they’ve presented. It’s not difficult, for example, to understand that having WhatsApp doesn’t make you a spy. The next best outcome for the prosecution is to create a state of uncertainty, and this has severe consequences – it’s incredibly expensive for us and it has disincentivised other search and rescue workers, humanitarians and volunteers from carrying out similar work. And that’s the point I think: it creates a chilling effect. If tomorrow we have a trial and the court affirms that doing search and rescue is not smuggling, that using WhatsApp is not spying, and that fundraising for washing machines in a camp is not money laundering, then it will say to everyone that we can continue this work and the legal reality will be re-established.  Because international law is pretty clear. There is a legal duty to do search and rescue. There is a legal responsibility to make sure that people have a right to life and a right to seek asylum. All that is dismissed and made uncertain by this trial. Do you remember the moment you decided that you wanted to go to Lesvos to volunteer? Sure, I think people often assume the answer is going to be that it was the image of Alan Kurdi, facedown on a shoreline, that jolted me into doing this. Horrendous as that picture is, that isn’t the case, and I say that for a noble reason and a less noble reason.  The noble reason is that I was already outraged about what was happening at our border without the picture, and I think the reliance on pictures to motivate can mean that we miss a lot of outrageous things that aren't captured. During my studies, I specialised in EU defensive security policy, and it showed me that our border policy is more or less designed to stop smuggling, and by extension, to abandon people who are drowning. So I already knew these things before seeing that image.  The less noble reason is simply that I thought it would be interesting. I love the ocean, I had trained to do rescue diving in the ocean, I am very comfortable on boats, and I enjoy that kind of work. At one point I also intended, ironically, to work with Frontex [the EU Border Agency] or an organisation of that kind. I enjoyed on a theoretical level questions like: how do we deal with a border, and how can we do it equitably?  Of course, what I soon discovered is that Europe is not controlling its borders equitably or in keeping with the EU’s human rights obligations. And so that motivation to work with Frontex evaporated, as I'm sure has their openness to hiring me. I think that’s probably true – Frontex doesn’t seem to be an organisation that is open to debating those questions you’ve raised. It was interesting that after the Pylos disaster in Greece in June, when around 600 are thought to have died, Frontex’s human rights officer suggested that the EU could stop providing services to Greece, as a semi-threat that the Greek Coastguard should be doing their job properly. But that’s as far as it goes, and that isn’t nearly far enough in the context of the many well-documented cases of crimes: so-called pushbacks.  When you look into organisations like Frontex you come across these strange contradictions. It’s been established by journalists that Frontex has been involved in illegal pushbacks – pushing boats full of people just outside of EU territory, in many cases leaving people to drown. But Frontex has also criticised nations like Greece for doing the same thing. How do you untangle what’s going on? I completely agree, I think that contradiction and hypocrisy are some of the most obvious themes when you unpack the European border policy. If you look at EU policy on its global standards, or against the human rights standards set by the EU itself, it's contradictory and hypocritical. Even if you judge EU border policy against its own objective – to stop smuggling – it’s contradictory and just impractical. For example, the EU has poured money into Libya to provide the so-called Libyan Coast Guard with ships, training and resources to stop smuggling. Journalists suggest that the EU Court of Auditors has no idea where this money is really going. I recently spoke to the legal professor and lawyer Omer Shatz who, with Juan Branco, wrote a complaint to the International Criminal Court, and has documented that the Libyan Coast Guard is regularly committing crimes against humanity. Then there are other reports that the Libyan Coast Guard, which was created to stop smuggling, is actually committing smuggling itself. All this suggests that the EU is directly financing or promoting the industry it’s trying to stop. [For more on the Libyan Coastguard, listen back to this episode of aequa Radio with Solidarity with Refugees in Libya.] Even if all that isn’t true, there is undoubtedly an indirect causal relationship between EU policy and smuggling. Think of three facts. First, wars exist, so people will try to seek asylum. Second, to be in the EU Territory, you need to have the correct documentation – a visa or a passport. Third, to be an asylum seeker, you must cross into the would-be host country's territory to seek asylum. Since at least 2015, the EU has been securing its borders against people under the guise of trying to stop smuggling, which means we have border fences, attack dogs, and all kinds of things that make it impossible for anyone to make a non-smuggled journey. There's one possible route left for asylum seekers, and that is to undertake a dangerous, smuggled journey.  The EU is causing smuggling and it is trying to push blame on search and rescue workers and humanitarians in a bid to obscure that reality. What's your overall assessment of how things have changed on the EU border since your first involvement? Would you say things are getting better, or worse? To my mind, things are worse now. In practice, there are fewer search and rescuers working, which has led to a commensurate rise in deadliness. UNHCR statistics show that in 2015 and 2016, the peak arrival times, the rate of deadliness was quite low compared to now. Fewer people are crossing, so we should be doing a far better job of rescuing them. That’s not happening because we're refusing to do so. People are drowning in EU territory, in one of the wealthiest continents in the world.  On a structural level, I think the direction of travel is poor politically. Policies that we're voting into office are indicative of a growing anti-immigration worldview that is entrenching itself here in Europe and further afield. And that is frightening. I think these two things culminate in a disaster like Pylos. There’s been significant media interest in your trial from the start. There's now a documentary and a feature film focused on your co-defendant Sara Mardini. What do you feel has been the impact of that media attention? I think if the prosecution made one mistake, it was to arrest Sara, who was at the time already famous and has since become a superstar. That brought with it all the attention that a case like this should get but often doesn't. And it has meant that there is awareness around our case now, which is now viewed as the case of its kind.  That is beneficial for me – I think we could still be in prison if it weren't for Sara because the international attention wouldn't be the same. It's also been really useful in drawing attention to these kinds of cases.  The flipside is that it has made our case seem exceptional, in a way that it isn't. There are dozens of cases like this happening, but the attention on others is nowhere near the attention we receive. That is partly because the prosecution has changed its strategy, but also because they don't have a Sara in their story.  What Greek authorities have started to do, is to not formalise a lot of these prosecutions. I have friends on the islands who are currently being investigated but are never formally charged. This means that there's nothing that the media can hook onto – like a trial date. It just goes unnoticed, but the damage is that all the would-be volunteers are scared away anyway. I worked for the research platform Resoma after my initial release, and we published a report that suggested at least 171 individuals had been criminalised in relation to just one EU directive since 2015. And that says nothing about intimidation, threats and other chilling effects. I feel that our case indirectly obscures that larger context. When the media reports on these kinds of cases the spotlight is so often on the Mediterranean states – Italy, Greece, Malta etc. – who are villainised for crimes committed on the EU border. Do you feel that this narrative can distract from the responsibility of other EU nations? Absolutely. Disappointingly this kind of villainising argument often comes from left-leaning media, and from people who stand in solidarity with me or others who have been criminalised. It’s an argument that suggests that the people of Lesvos, or Greek people in general, are simply racist. That is a gross oversimplification and it's problematic not just because it's wrong, but because it obscures the important work that we'll have to do to make sure that these kinds of things don’t happen. If we simply blame people in Greece and don't look at how we are contributing to these problems, or how the broader context is creating these policies, then we can’t address them. Lesvians aren't inherently racist, there will be a portion of them who hold racist views, as there are in any society. I think what we’re seeing is a growing sense of abandonment, frustration, fear, and uncertainty because the government in Athens basically applied a lockdown policy on islands like Lesvos and saddled those islands with the problem of asylum. Meanwhile, Greece has itself been saddled with an inequitable distribution of asylum seekers by the EU. So I don't blame any individual nation for that kind of policy. This is a wider structural issue.  I guess for people of northern Europe, blaming Greece absolves them of responsibility. Exactly. What happens at EU borders also happens in the name of German citizens who live in Ireland, like me. It's a collective European issue. Those policies are being enacted to protect you and me or to protect our so-called ‘European values’ from outsiders who apparently threaten us. That's dangerous and unfounded and should be challenged. You’ve recently converted to working in law. I imagine that the trial and the knowledge that you gained must have had a big influence on that decision. Yes, for masochistic reasons, apparently I haven't had enough of the criminal law yet! I will be devoting my professional life to it if I’m deemed fit and proper. One way in which the trial has impacted my personal life is that the uncertainty about whether or not I'm guilty has also made it difficult for would-be employers to take a chance on me. I have to go through a hearing process before I can undertake the bar exams. My pivot to the law grew out of two things. Firstly, watching my lawyers defend me filled me with an inordinate amount of pride, I found it so impressive. Secondly, my five years of doing advocacy work have been characterised by failure. More often than not, I have failed to do any successful advocacy. In fact, I think I've only failed. We haven't had any effective policy change that would recenter human rights in the way that it should.  I wouldn't blame yourself entirely for that. I wouldn't either, of course! But if I can improve then I should, and the folks that I have seen be most successful in this space are lawyers. There is something about a lawyer's ability to advocate purely from a rhetorical point of view, that is impressive. Hopefully, I can mirror some of the things that I've seen in my time with professionals.  Looking at the big picture, what in your mind is the ideal situation towards which we should be striving – what changes in Europe’s approach to migration would you like to see? I have a lot of conversations with folks who say to me that the things I want are naive. They say that it’s utopian of me to suggest we can live in a world where all borders are completely open.  Well, I push back against that on several levels. Firstly, completely dismantling borders is not something I’ve advocated for. I think there’s a strong argument for that worldview, but I’ve always advocated for something far less controversial. I’ve only demanded that the EU simply lives up to the standards it has set for itself already. I’m asking the EU to perform search and rescue, which would be in keeping with the many maritime conventions the EU has signed into the world. The right to seek asylum is something that the EU has a responsibility to uphold today, as is the right to life, and the duty not to criminalize people who are doing search and rescue work.  This is not a controversial worldview, it’s just asking the EU to do what it already claims to. I think it's naive to suggest that we can afford to live in a world in which we don't respect the law, which is the direction in which we're currently moving. We're entering a world where governments are reneging on their legal responsibilities because we are impulsively driven by fear. How do we get there? There are three levels that I try to work on. The most obvious for me is to strategically litigate for the application of human rights laws and criminal laws. The more structural approach is, of course, advocating on a political level, and speaking with politicians to try and raise this issue on an international or national agenda.  What I think is the most fundamental thing, and this is where everyone can get involved, is to work to change worldviews, and to convince people that this kind of change is even something we want. Without convincing people, we don't have the democratic mandate to fight for these things.  I think it means challenging folks who tell me, for example, that all Lesvians are racist. Polarizing rhetoric like that will entrench someone's worldview. What we have to do is listen in good faith to people, try to understand them, address the underlying fear, and work to convince them that the world we want to live in has human rights at its centre, even if it makes us uncomfortable. Because we all stand to benefit from that.  Donate now to the Free Humanitarians campaign to support Seán, Sara, Nassos their 21 co-defendants in their legal battle. For more from Seán, listen back to an on-air interview with Edna Bonhomme and Abby Young-Powell below. All images courtesy of Seán Binder and Free Humanitarians.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #143]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-04-dec-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-04-dec-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Berlin evictions on the rise | COP28 | Venezuela's referendum]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. The number of evictions in Berlin is rising Forced evictions are on the rise in Berlin according to new government statistics, increasing by 15% from 1,668 in 2021 to 1,931 in 2022, a faster rise than in any other German city. The majority of evictions were related to failure to pay rent – in seven year Berlin rents have increased by 44% while the average wage has gone up only 30%. After two years of government inaction following the last referendum, DW & Co Enteignen are campaigning for a second referendum that would legally trigger expropriation of Berlin’s most powerful housing companies. Donate now to support the campaign. Israel using AI to select targets in Palestine More than 700 Palestinians were killed in Gaza in 24 hours after the expiration of the seven-day ‘humanitarian pause’ on Friday, one of the highest daily death tolls since the beginning of Israel’s ongoing bombardment. The use of AI systems to rapidly generate hundreds of bombing targets has contributed significantly to the deadliness of Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, according to a new report by +972 Magazine and Local Call. 'Loss and Damage' fund launched at COP28 The new ‘Loss and Damage’ fund announced by world leaders at the climate change conference COP28 doesn’t nearly go far enough. Only $420 million has been pledged so far to the fund, which should give financial support to lower-income countries worst affected by climate crisis related disasters, far less than the $100 billion many believe is required, and dwarfed by the $7 trillion given in subsidies every year to the fossil fuel industry. The world’s largest economy, and one of the greatest contributors to climate change, the U.S. has pledged only $17.5 million to the new fund. Finland closes border to Russia Finland has closed its entire border with Russia, claiming that Russia is facilitating illegal crossings by asylum-seekers in retaliation for Finland joining NATO. Russia has been accused of launching a ‘hybrid attack’ on the border, after 900 asylum seekers crossed in November.  Dozens of migrants died on the Belarus-Poland border in 2021, amid accusations that Belarus was weaponising migration against the EU. There are concerns that the same could take place along the Russian-Finnish border, where temperatures can drop to as low as -25C. RSF atrocities in Sudan A new report by Human Rights Watch shows that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary commited has killed thousands in a series of mass atrocities against the Massalit community and other minority groups in the city of El Geneina, West Darfur. UN officials warn of a “grimly high” risk of genocide, as brutal Sudan’s civil war, now in its eighth month, shows no sign of slowing. Myanmar's junta is losing control Myanmar’s ruling military junta is continuing to lose ground to an ongoing offensive by rebel groups across the country. Myanmar’s military seized control of the country in February 2021 from previous leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In recent months, new alliances of armed organisations have emerged and coordinated attacks nationwide, pushing the junta back on all fronts. Nearly 335,000 civilians have been displaced during the current fighting, bringing the total to more than 2 million displaced nationwide. Venezuela votes to annex part of Guyana In a referendum called by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, 95% of voters backed claims of sovereignty over a large portion of neighbouring country Guyana, raising fears of a potential military annexation of the region. The Essequibo region, which makes up two-thirds of Guyana, is rich in minerals and would give Venezuela access to an oil-rich area of the Atlantic. For a century, Venezuelans have argued that the territory was stolen from them when borders were drawn at the end of the colonial period.  Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide partners with Sónar on Lisbon and Barcelona festivals]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-x-sonar-2024</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-x-sonar-2024</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 30 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The events take place in March and June respectively.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We're returning to Sónar!

After visiting the first edition of Sónar Lisboa in 2022, where we conducted interviews and broadcast some DJ sets and panels, we're heading back for more this year. The partnership will start next month, kicking off a range of interviews, radio shows, ticket giveaways and more. 

The Lisbon edition of Sónar takes place March 22nd through 24th at Parque Eduardo VII. So far confirmed on the line up are Laura BCR, Chima Isaaro, Grove, Eliza Rose, CC:DISCO!, Bonobo, Sevdaliza, a live set from Wata Igarashi and many more. Aside from the musical offerings, there is also a yet-to-be-announced Sónar +D program which houses panel talks, installations and workshops. In Barcelona, where the festival runs from 13 until 15 June, the lineup features performances from a typically diverse range of artists, including Floating Points, Stacey Hotwaxx Hale & DJ Paulette, Blackhaine, Kerri Chandler, Skin On Skin, Moktar, Jessie Ware, Coco Em, Peter Kirn and Loraine James. 

Keep an eye on the Sónar Lisboa website for further program updates, and the Sónar website here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to round out the year at Panorama Bar]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/panorama-bar-dec-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/panorama-bar-dec-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The curtain comes down on our winter party series, Friday 08 December.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We bring our EU Tour to a close with a home date in Berlin.  The line-up is a big one to mark the last Refuge Worldwide party of 2023 with a bang, featuring old friends and new. NYC's JADALAREIGN and Anu make their Panorama Bar debuts, while we are delighted to welcome DHC for their first outing with us. Hunee's bringing a bag of unpredictable gems and obscure gold, plus Refuge Worldwide crew member Gramrcy handles closing duties. This one runs 22:00 - 10:00.

There will be a DJ workshop at Oona Bar during the afternoon with JADALAREIGN, supported by Carhartt WIP. Pre-party and pizza also going down as usual at Oona from 18:00, music and drinks at Weserstraße 166. Panorama Bar - Friday 08 December anu DHC Gramrcy HUNEE JADALAREIGN Refuge Worldwide will return to Panorama Bar on Friday 01 March, with our 3rd Birthday celebrations announced for the weekend of 26 & 27 January 2024 at Oona Bar and Arkaoda. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #142]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-nov-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-nov-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Black Friday global strikes | Gaza truce | Dutch election results]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Amazon Black Friday strikes Amazon workers across the world have joined together to launch the largest global strike against the company in history. Thousands of workers in over 30 countries including Germany, the US, the UK, Italy, France and Spain took part in a Black Friday strike last week as part of the international campaign ‘Make Amazon Pay’, demanding better working conditions, livable wages and calling out the companies tax avoidance and failure to meet its environmental pledges. Temporary ceasefire in Gaza The four-day ‘humanitarian pause’ in Gaza due to end on Tuesday has been extended an extra two days. Visiting IDF forces in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the fight ‘until the end’ once the truce expires.  40 Israeli hostages and 117 Palestinian women and children in Israeli prisons have been released over the last three days. Despite the truce, Israeli forces have continued operations in the occupied West Bank, killing 8 and arresting 60 Palestinians over the weekend, many of whom were former prisoners. Somalia Flooding 800,000 people have been forced from their homes and 100 people have died in Somalia due to flooding driven by climate crisis and worsened by the El Nińo climate pattern. Countries in the Horn of Africa such as Somalia and Kenya have faced the worst effects of climate change in recent years, including five successive seasons of drought going back to 2020. Now, hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland have been lost due to flooding, another threat to food security across the region. Far-right win in Dutch elections Far-right populist Geert Wilders is likely to become the next prime minister of the Netherlands after an election victory last Wednesday. Wilders Party for Freedom (VVD) has gained support on a platform of extreme Islamophobic and xenophobic rhetoric, vowing to curb immigration as well as to roll back many of the climate policies put in place by the previous government. Wilders still needs to form a coalition to have enough seats to govern, a process that is expected to take months. EU seeks new border security agreements with Egypt and Tunisia The European Commission is pushing to establish new ‘anti-smuggling partnerships’ with Egypt and Tunisia, ignoring longstanding reports of human rights violations against migrants and refugees in both countries. The new agreements would bolster existing financial and material support that the EU provides to the North African countries in the name of curbing migration. Humanitarian organisations have argued that this support enables human rights abuses in both countries. In Tunisia, violent abuses against refugees have been well documented, since President Kais Said announced a crackdown on sub-Saharan African migrants in a series of speeches at the beginning of this year. Thousands arrested in Bangladesh Over 10,000 activists have been arrested and at least 16 protesters killed in Bangladesh ahead of the country’s general elections in January. According to Human Rights Watch, authorities have been targeting opposition politicians in a bid to 'eliminate competition', while claiming that free and fair elections will be held. The violent authoritarian crackdown has come in response to widespread anti-government protests, as well as protests to demand higher wages for Bangladesh’s 4 million garment workers. Escalation in the DRC Violence in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has displaced over 450,000 people in the last six weeks. Clashes between pro-government militias and the M23 armed group, which is backed by Rwanda, have intensified in recent months, leading to a sharp increase in human rights violations according to the UN. The resource-rich DRC’s humanitarian crisis is made worse by a chronically underfunded humanitarian response, and is known as one of the world’s ‘most neglected crises.’  Header image licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Stacey Hotwaxx Hale hosts DJing masterclass at Oona]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/masterclass-with-stacey-hotwaxx-hale-vinyl-vs-digital</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/masterclass-with-stacey-hotwaxx-hale-vinyl-vs-digital</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Apply now!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Sign up now to take part in a DJing workshop with Detroit house music legend Stacey Hotwaxx Hale. In this vinyl vs. digital DJing workshop, learn mixing techniques tailored for the club environment, exploring the history of vinyl DJing and the limitless possibilities of DJing on CDJs. This workshop is for both aspiring DJs eager to refine their skills and music enthusiasts keen to learn more about the evolution of DJ culture. Master the art of integrating both mediums for an energized dance floor.  Please apply here.  Language: spoken English   Date: Friday, 8 December  Event Timing: 14:00-16:00 Event Address: The space is situated at Weserstr. 166, 12045 Berlin, identifiable by its green exterior and bar-like appearance. If you require assistance, you can contact Gaby by emailing gaby@refugeworldwide.com or by phone: 0049 (0) 15751801489 Access: The space is not wheelchair accessible. A gender-neutral toilet is available on-site. There are no stroboscopic or animated lights and in the evenings, the lighting is low. Several seating options are available including benches with cushions and low and high stools. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #141]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-20-nov-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-20-nov-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Pro-Palestine artists silenced | UK-Rwanda plan ruling | Election in Argentina]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Genocide in Gaza UN officials have joined the chorus of voices accusing Israel of “genocidal incitement” in Gaza, after Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich called for the “voluntary emigration” of over 2 million Palestinians from the region. So far, Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has killed at least 13,000 people, including 5,500 children. Germany however continues to clamp down on expressions of solidarity with Palestine – last week Germany's parliament debated a draft law that could make criticism of Israel a barrier to German citizenship.  Artists and event spaces silenced for supporting Palestine Mykki Blanco has come under fire from the German press for supporting Palestine. On 10 November Taz published an article accusing the artist, who has Jewish roots, of “Israel-hate” and antisemitism after Blanco told the crowd at a recent Berlin concert “we must pray for Gaza”.  Last week, Berlin-based photographer Raphael Malik had an exhibition focusing on Muslim life in Berlin cancelled, with the organisers seeking to avoid "conflict” and citing the exhibition's “one-sided presentation”. Meanwhile, Neukölln cultural centre Oyoun may have all state funding cut after refusing to cancel a Jewish Voice event in solidarity with Palestine earlier this month. Read and sign the open letter here. UK's Rwanda plan ruled illegal The UK government’s controversial Rwanda asylum plan has been ruled illegal (again). The plan, which would involve sending asylum seekers to Rwanda to have their applications processed, has been blocked by the UK’s Supreme Court, on the grounds that it could put asylum seekers at risk. The ruling represents a key victory for activists in the UK and could have repercussions for lawmakers in countries like Italy and Germany where similar plans are being discussed. Brazil's multiple heatwaves Brazil is experiencing record-breaking heatwaves with temperatures in excess of 40 degrees in multiple cities. Driven by climate change and the El Niño weather pattern, the heatwaves have highlighted social inequality in the country, with those living in poorer urban areas worst affected by frequent power cuts, water shortages and extreme heat due to lack of green space. Brazil has had eight heatwaves already this year, with summer in the southern hemisphere still one month away. Russian anti-war activist sentenced Russian activist and artist Sasha Skochilenko has been sentenced to seven years in prison for replacing five price tags in a supermarket with written messages opposing the war in Ukraine. Skochilenko will join hundreds of other Russian activists in prison for opposing the war, many of whom have been charged under a law prohibiting “false information” about the Russian military which was quickly brought in following the full-scale invasion in February 2022.  In her final statement to the court on Thursday, Skochilenko asked: “How fragile must the prosecutor’s belief in our state and society be, if he thinks that our statehood and public safety can be brought down by five small pieces of paper?” Far-right libertarian wins election in Argentina Ultraconservative, far-right libertarian Javier Milei has been elected the next President of Argentina. The ex-TV celebrity, climate-change denier and self-described “anarcho-capitalist”, who counts Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump among his fans, has vowed to slash public spending and ditch the Argentine peso in favour of the US dollar, winning the support of millions of disillusioned young voters seeking solutions to the country’s economic decline and rampant inflation.  Richest 1% account for more carbon emissions than poorest 66% The richest 1% is responsible for more carbon emissions than the poorest 66%, according to a new report by Oxfam, Stockholm Climate Institute and the Guardian. The report, ‘The Great Carbon Divide’, is the most comprehensive study of climate inequality yet produced, showing that while the richest segment of the world’s population is most to blame for climate change, the world’s poorest populations suffer its worst effects – 91% of deaths related to extreme weather happen in so-called ‘developing’ countries.  The solution? Oxfam demands higher taxes on billionaires and fossil fuel companies to fund a transition to renewable energy and support those worst affected. Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[DLX ADV launches debut LP at Oona]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dlx-adv-album-launch</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dlx-adv-album-launch</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 17 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Friday 24 November, 20:00-22:00, Weserstr. 166]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us next week to celebrate the launch of Calling All Earth, the debut LP by DLX ADV. Resident on Refuge Worldwide since April 2021, DLX ADV is "a project where the remnants of art, music and communications collide. Rather than relentless marketing, the focus is on new ideas and building feasible alternatives for releases and distribution outside of the current commercial monopolies."  Featuring collaborations with Coldcut vocalist Aurelius Calliste, Roots Manuva collaborator Wayne Paul and US hip-hop artist Mike Ladd, Calling All Earth will be released as a no-vinyl 12" multi-format print set. It combines music, artwork and a zine featuring the work of writer and broadcaster David Bramwell and the novelist and music journalist Will Ashon. Listen live or head down to Oona from 20:00-22:00 next Friday to pick up your copy. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Airtime: Manila Community Radio]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-manila-community-radio</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-manila-community-radio</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 16 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Team MCR talk anti-algorithmic broadcasting and grassroots genres.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In 2020 Manila Community Radio (MCR) was founded to bring together under one banner a multitude of underground artistic collectives operating in the Filipino capital. Run by a team of volunteers with a proudly ‘anti-algorithmic’ ethos, MCR have now broadcast over a thousand shows, maintaining a close focus on underrepresented artists and genres. MCR has no official founder or CEO, they define themselves instead as a broad horizontal collective, where each voice carries equal weight. Ahead of their three-hour takeover on Monday, we caught up with Sai Versailles, Sean Bautista, Anton Justo, Paolo Abad and Jeric Lim from the team, to discuss the station’s origins and future. What was it that first brought you to radio? Sean: The thing that drew me to radio was always its explorative nature – whether it's artists sharing music, a talk show, or interactions in the chatroom – radio is always a way for listeners to discover something that they haven't necessarily encountered before.  One really key thing for us is the idea of ‘anti-algorithm’. What we often see with commercial radio and the overground establishments in Manila, is programming that can feel repetitive and devoid of humanity. Because they’re tied to systems of capital, platforms often treat their listeners as a means to achieve an agenda. In starting MCR we really wanted to separate ourselves from that whole system and give artists and their communities the autonomy to make decisions and the power to bring people together through music that's devoid of any commercial agenda. Sai: I was introduced to radio primarily as a broadcaster. I started DJing in April 2020, which was just a month after the pandemic really started. Because venues were closed and we were all at home, MCR specifically for me became the outlet that venues couldn't be at the time. Radio really primed my mindset in a way that would have been so different if I started out by playing IRL gigs. It gave me a very vigorous mindset, where I'm always trying to keep my crates fresh. I think radio encourages that.  What were the forerunners of MCR, and how did the group come together? Sean: MCR is comprised of multiple collectives and many of us represent different creative communities. Jeric and Paolo used to run this station called Ikigai radio. Then there’s Buwan Buwan collective, who were also part of the original founding group, a label and experimental club night that started in Manila. They had a release series for local Manila talents called New Moon, that really informed what we did at MCR. The collective that I represent is Transit Records, and we used to do live radio broadcasts from our different apartments – all of those prototypes influenced what we wanted to co-create with MCR. The party collective UNKNWN also helped co-found the concept. Paolo: There’s also this now-defunct nightclub, Today x Future, a small dive bar which was sort of a queer sanctuary. It was one of those places that didn’t care for formats or selection, or even experience level when it came to selectors. That sort of attitude in programming was something we wanted to implement. Sean: During COVID we were all trying to transpose all these different programs, club nights or gigs, into the internet.  I think after a couple of months of doing these kinds of things, there was a realisation that these online events had a tendency to divide our communities further because everyone was moving in a different direction. We decided to band together and create a platform so that instead of driving our communities apart, we could create something inclusive, and as decentralised as possible – a home for the different stakeholders in the space of music, creativity and beyond in Manila. You told me when setting up this interview that instead of designating any specific person to act as a spokesperson, you prefer to organise everything at MCR horizontally. Tell me about the ideas behind that approach – how does it work? Paolo: When setting up our horizontal structure, we thought of operating like a cooperative – so that's one way of looking at it – instead of a corporation with a hierarchy. Sean: In simple terms, at MCR no one opinion is valued more than the other. We all come from different backgrounds, are of different ages, or have been in the scene for different amounts of time. But as much as possible, we try to hear each other out before arriving at a decision. It can get difficult at times, and it can mean we are not as agile as more traditional structures and that it’s difficult to make quick decisions. But I think it allows us to avoid biases within our group, and to keep open-minded when it comes to programming and thinking about projects. Sai: If that means that we’re having a constant back and forth until we’ve reached a mutual decision, then that’s how it’s going to happen! We won't just dismiss someone’s idea. What are the objectives that you keep in mind with your radio programming? Paolo: One of the pillars of the station is inclusivity, and I think without it, there’s no rhyme or reason to running this station. We’re adamant about giving visibility to marginalised artists – specifically gender minorities who typically don’t have a platform apart from a few queer sanctuaries, and are discriminated against by bouncers. Sean: I guess what MCR tries to do is to break from the gatekeeping that might exist in many of the local venues and platforms that you have in Manila. From a programming perspective, we try to look at people without a big following first and invite them to self-publish on the site. It's because we're a not-for-profit platform that we're able to do all that. We run on a volunteer basis and are able to stay true to our ideals about building community and keep programming open. If we had an ulterior motive of trying to turn a profit out of the station, I could see how that might challenge the horizontal structure, and change who we platform and how we program. But since we're all doing this out of the sheer love of community and music, in its truest sense, we're able to juggle both creative and political ideas through MCR. You put a lot of focus on uplifting and platforming micro-scenes and genres specific to Manila and the Philippines, can you tell me about that side of your work? Sai: So we recently produced a project highlighting Budots and its different mutations as a grassroots genre, how the sound is being influenced and becoming influential outside of the southern Philippines where it originated. We’ve made an effort to try and connect with different provinces in the country and enable them to share a stage with artists in Manila who are influenced by their sound. It’s a way of offering an alternative form of programming in Manila and shining a spotlight on artists who don’t get as much exposure.  Budots is a grassroots genre that isn't getting as much visibility here because it's not taken seriously as a form of music, and the producers behind it aren't getting compensated as a result. We invited a pioneer of the genre from Davao, DJ Love, to perform for Boiler Room in Manila, and to curate a 53-track compilation featuring producers from across the Philippines. The project is I guess part of an ongoing goal that we are working towards continuously – bringing visibility to people like him and introducing audiences to what’s already happening here on a grassroots level. It speaks to an even wider discussion about where electronic music is headed I think. Listen to DJ Love presents BUDOTS WORLD: Bawal Umiwas sa Sayawan! Does the decentralised approach you adopt within your team also stretch to curation? I noticed on your website you post a lot of calls for new hosts and radio concepts that are submitted directly to the site – is that how it mainly works? Sean: Yes! One of the things that we're trying to challenge is this notion that DJing is like this super mystical or difficult thing. We really encourage music lovers to have a show with us and put their influences and curation at the forefront. So it's almost not about being the sharpest person in the mix, or the person with the most hardware. Again, we want to break from the algorithm and hear things that we haven't heard before.  You currently broadcast without a physical space in Manila, is that a decision you made or is it out of necessity? Sai: I think we definitely want a physical space. Obviously, it started out of necessity when the pandemic happened when people were at home and there wasn't a physical space to go to. Broadcasters would send pre-recorded mixes, or you would have like a setup at home where you would plug in your audio interface. That's essentially how most of us still work, which is sort of interesting because it means that anywhere can be your studio. Jeric: Currently, what we also do is partner up with OTO, a bar and coffee shop. The owner allows us to have satellite radio shows there, and I think it’s super helpful for us. Not having a physical location is not a huge problem for us right now because we have friends who are also part of the community. I would love to hear some tips for some artists coming out of the Phillipines that you think our listeners in Berlin should check out. Anton: One artist I would recommend is Jett Ilagan (aka Escuri), for his work in graphic notation and the AudioTour album. Sean: Teya Logos is someone who is really leading the charge for a new generation of experimental club artists. I also really like the work of this artist based in Palawan, Like Animals. He takes his influence from IDM, low end and bass music but incorporates uniquely Filipino textures, percussive elements and instruments like the Kulintang. TeeGee and Hideki Ito are also artists who are reworking a lot of music to incorporate the Filipino musical language in a way that I feel could really resonate. How do you see Manila Community Radio evolving in the future – what are your priorities moving forward? Paolo: As of late, one priority is to gradually move away from our Manila-centric programming and move toward other metropolitan centres, even smaller rural places.  Sean: Yes, we’d really love to engage with more communities outside of Metro Manila. We want to create alternatives to more commercial experiences by questioning Western or Eurocentric ideals of how radio and music are meant to be consumed. Stream Manila Community Radio here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #140]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-13-nov-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-13-nov-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 13 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Meta accused of complicity in Tigray | Workers for Palestine | Germany's refugee benefits cut]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Did Facebook fuel violence in Tigray? Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has been accused of contributing, “through its content-shaping algorithms and data-hungry business model” to violence against Ethiopia’s Tigrayan community. According to a new report by Amnesty, Meta failed to react to the spread of content on Facebook and other platforms inciting hatred and violence during the armed conflict in Tigray from 2020 to 2022, ignoring multiple warnings from human rights groups.  The new report follows similar charges levelled against the company last year related to the spread of hateful content during Myanmar’s Rohingya genocide. Workers mobilise for Palestine While European governments continue to show unwavering support for Israel, activists and workers across the continent demand an end to Israeli violence. In Belgium, a coalition of ground crew unions released a joint statement calling on members to stop handling weapons exports to Israel. Last Saturday in London, 800,000 people took to the streets for the largest pro-Palestine demo in British history. Berlin: join a demonstration organised by No Border Assembly and more this Thursday from 18:00 at Oranienplatz against the ongoing genocide and occupation in Palestine. Gaza's health system collapse Gaza’s two largest hospitals – al-Shifa and al-Quds – have both closed amid fuel shortages and ongoing Israeli bombardment. At Al-Shifa, Israeli snipers have reportedly been firing at anyone near the hospital, trapping up to 3000 patients and medical staff inside.  The death toll in Gaza is over 11,100 people, including at least 4500 children, and is expected to rise rapidly with the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system. Since October 7, Israeli forces have been deliberately targetting innocent Palestinian in hospitals, schools and refugee camps.  The war in Sudan Last week, the RSF paramilitary in Sudan carried out one of the worst massacres of the conflict in Sudan so far, killing over 1300 people in a camp for displaced people in West Darfur. The majority of the victims were members of the Masalit ethnic group. The RSF, who have been accused of war crimes and genocide, are now close to taking over the entire Darfur region.  Mujeebelrahman Yagoub, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees in West Darfur, has said that the current violence is worse than what happened in Darfur in 2003 when Arab militias, many of which have now been absorbed in the RSF, carried out a genocide against non-Arab ethnic groups across the region. Kenya debates deployment to Haiti On Thursday Kenya’s High Court will make a ruling on the deployment of Kenyan police to Haiti to combat gang violence. The UN plan, which has been enthusiastically endorsed by the US government, faces strong opposition inside Kenya, and was previously blocked by the court. Opposition politician Senator Moses Kajwang said:  "This Haiti mission is a misadventure. We are sending our boys and girls to be killed. They'll come back in caskets." Haiti’s spike in gang violence resulted in 1000 murders and 701 kidnappings btween July and September, and has displaced over 200,000 people. Germany cuts benefits for refugees German chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced plans to tighten asylum laws. The new rules will double the amount of time new arrivals in Germany have to wait to receive full benefits to 36 months, speed up decisions and make it easier for the government to deport those who are denied refugee status. The announcement plays into conservative and far-right rhetoric amid a rapid rise in support for the AfD, who have the support of 1 in 5 Germans according to the latest polls. Nobel Prize winner on hunger strike in Iranian jail Last week Narges Mohammadi, one of Iran’s most famous human rights activists, went on hunger strike for three days when prison authorities refused to take her to a hospital without a headscarf. Earlier this year Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism in favour of human rights and against the oppression of women in Iran. She is currently serving a sentence at Tehran’s Evin prison, notorious for widespread reports of human rights violations against political prisoners. She ended her hunger strike on Thursday after being eventually admitted to hospital without a headscarf. Taiwan receives returned indigenous artefacts stolen by colonial Britain The University of Edinburgh in the UK has returned the skulls of four indigenous warriors killed nearly 150 years ago to the Taiwanese indigenous community. Originally taken as war trophies by Japanese soldiers invading Taiwan in 1874, the skulls have been at the University of Edinburgh since 1907. As the first international repatriation of ancestral remains for Taiwan’s indigenous community, it has been hailed as a “milestone of transitional justice.” Header image licensed under CC BY 2.0 DEED.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #139]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-06-nov-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-06-nov-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Ground forces in Gaza | Solidarity with Oyoun | Bangladesh protests]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Israeli ground forces in Gaza Over 10,000 people, including at least 4,100 children, have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s bombardment began less than one month ago. Airstrikes have continued to target Gaza’s most densely populated areas, while ground forces have reportedly surrounded Gaza City. Organisers estimate that 40,000 took to the streets of Berlin on Saturday to call for a ceasefire. Join the protest ‘Decolonize Human Rights’ this Saturday at Oranienplatz from 14:00 to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza. Solidarity with Oyoun Neukölln cultural centre Oyoun is facing accusations of antisemitism and threats to have funding withdrawn after refusing to cancel an event organised by the Jewish activist group Juedische Stimme in solidarity with Palestine. In a statement on Instagram, Oyoun stated their refusal to “bow to the pressure exerted by the Senate” and reaffirmed their dedication to “artistic freedom and freedom of speech.”  We stand with Oyoun for resisting censorship and staying true to their values. 6 million displaced in Sudan The number of people forced to flee their homes in Sudan is on the rise, after the RSF paramilitary forces, who have been accused of ethnic cleansing in the Darfur region, took control of the city of Nyala, the country’s second-largest city. 5.7 million people are estimated to have been displaced in the six months since the beginning of the war in Sudan.  One year since Tigray ceasefire Last week marked one year since the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the Ethiopian government and authorities in Tigray. Despite the ceasefire, violence has continued across the region, where the Tigrayan people face a campaign of ethnic cleansing and forced expulsion. Violence has recently intensified in the neighbouring Amhara region, where a six-month state of emergency has been imposed, including mass detentions and telecommunications blackouts. Bangladesh protests Up to 8,000 opposition activists have been arrested in the last week in a crackdown on dissent in Bangladesh following a series of large protests last week.  Two people were killed by police last Tuesday in a major anti-government rally, while garment factory workers also took to the streets to demand higher wages, raiding several factories and causing production delays for major brands like Gap, H&M, Zara and Levi’s. Wages for Bangladesh’s 4 million garment workers start at only 75 dollars per month. Austria partners with UK on Rwanda-style plan Austria is now working with the UK government to develop a Rwanda-style plan to deport asylum seekers to a third country, becoming the first EU country to officially collaborate with the UK on migration policy. The UK’s inhumane plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda have been repeatedly stalled after facing several legal challenges from the European Court of Human Rights as well as the UK’s own Supreme Court. Header image licensed under CC BY 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide partners with Axel Arigato on Berlin DJ workshops]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/axel-arigato-dj-academy</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/axel-arigato-dj-academy</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Taking place from 13-17 November.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Aspiring DJs take note!  On the 13, 14 and 15 November, we are partnering with Swedish clothing brand Axel Arigato to support a series of DJ workshops, THE ACADEMY BERLIN, from their store in Mitte. From 7 until 10PM each evening, budding performers will be treated first to a session on organising your music, honing your selection and preparing yourself for gigs (hosted by Dangermami), before enjoying a hands-on session at the decks with Melis. While workshops take place in evenings after the store is closed, there will be an open session on the Friday (17 November), when participants will have a chance to play a 30 minute set to those in the store in a party setting.  Participants will also be invited to book further open sessions at the Refuge Worldwide Weserstraße studio, and will receive a custom, limited-edition Axel Arigato x Refuge Worldwide USB stick.  As with all our educational programs, priority will be given to those with refugee backgrounds, BIPoC, people from the LGBTQIA community, disabled people, women and gender nonconforming people, or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face difficulties accessing music education. Head here to apply: Monday application Tuesday application Wednesday application Axel Arigato’s Berlin Mitte store (Neue Schönhauser Str. 1, 10178 Berlin)* opened earlier this year and has already hosted in-store sessions from Refuge family MLE, Khadija and Jaxx TMS.  *Wheelchair accessible. *Gender-neutral toilet. *The disabled parking is on Alexanderstr. 2, 10178 Berlin, it’s 10 minutes along the pedestrian path.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #138]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-30-oct-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-30-oct-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Worldwide protests for Palestine | Ceasefire talks in Sudan | Malaria vaccine breakthrough]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Protests worldwide for Palestine Hundreds of thousands joined protests this weekend to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, including over 11,000 in Berlin and up to 500,000 in London. Over 30,000 people have gone missing, been killed or wounded in the besieged enclave since 7 October. Western governments continue to insist on Israel’s right to defend itself, as ground forces push into northern Gaza and the West Bank.  This Saturday, take a stand against the ongoing genocide and occupation at the demo ‘Free Palestine Will Not Be Cancelled’ at Berlin’s Alexanderplatz from 14:00. War in Sudan Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have renewed peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, four months after they were halted due to ceasefire violations. Now in its seventh month, the war in Sudan has claimed 9000 lives and displaced 5.6 million people in the region. Sudan’s medical system is on the brink of collapse amid rising hunger and outbreaks of cholera and dengue fever.  Crisis in Congo Over 200,000 people have been displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the beginning of October. A six-month period of relative calm was brought to an end this month by renewed clashes between the M23 armed group and pro-government militias in the east of the country. The ongoing humanitarian crisis stemming from conflict in the DRC is one of the world’s most neglected crises, with more than 4 million people displaced in 2022 alone. Dagestan A crowd of people stormed the airport in Mackhachkala in the southern Russian Republic of Dagestan yesterday evening targeting Israeli passengers on a plane arriving from Tel Aviv. Russian news reports people in the crowd chanting antisemitic slogans and carrying banners saying “We’re against Jewish refugees.” The incident was the latest in a series of anti-semitic attacks in the region in the wake of the violence in Gaza. Syria Escalation With much of the international media’s attention diverted, the war in Syria is at its “worst point in four years” according to Paulo Pinheiro, head of the UN-established Commission of Inquiry. Last week, there were a series of US airstrikes on Iran-backed militia targets, and earlier this month, up to 70,000 people were displaced in the rebel-held northwest by a wave of attacks by Syrian-Russian alliance forces, who have been accused of committing crimes against humanity.  New Malaria Vaccine In a huge step forward in the fight against malaria, a new malaria vaccine developed to protect children is showing a 13% reduction in malaria-related deaths and a 22% reduction in severe cases of the illness. After a successful pilot rollout in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, 17 African countries are now due to adopt the vaccine next year, a move that will save tens of thousands of lives.  Header image licensed under CC BY 2.0 DEED.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide joins a 24hr global strike for Palestine.]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/general-strike-for-palestine</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/general-strike-for-palestine</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[End the occupation.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In response to the occupation and violence inflicted upon Palestine and Palestinian people, Refuge Worldwide & Oona Bar will be offline between midnight on Thursday 19 October and midnight on Friday 20 October.  Unimaginable horrors are being inflicted on those under siege in Gaza, the West Bank suffers under occupation, and Palestinians around the world are persecuted for resisting. Basic human rights in our home of Berlin are under threat, we are witnessing police brutality on the streets of Neukölln. People must be able to speak out and grieve, and the right to demonstrate must be protected. We mourn all innocent lives lost since the beginning of the occupation, across generations and across borders. Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, racism of any kind has no place in our world. Human rights must be protected. We call for an immediate ceasefire and urgent humanitarian aid for Gaza. Businesses, workers and students – we ask you to join the global strike on Friday 20 October. Stop the genocide. End the occupation. Resources: European Legal Support Center – legal support for those arrested or assaulted at demonstrations in Berlin and beyond. Medical Aid for Palestinians – donate to fund urgent relief efforts in Gaza. Support Palestinian Solidarity in Europe – donate to support ELSC and Palästina Kampagna (formerly Nakba75). Jewish Currents – rolling explainer on the current situation in Palestine. Learning Palestine – 12 hour radio programme by Radio Alhara.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Mixed Feelings centres accessibility with a multi-language radio experience]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mixed-feelings</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mixed-feelings</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The radio and workshop series Mixed Feelings kicks off on October 30th.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Mixed Feelings is expanding the radio experience. Refuge Worldwide is proud to begin a new series of radio shows embracing the diverse talents and stories of artists from the disabled community. Our Mixed Feelings project will experiment with multiple ways of broadcasting, with radio episodes accompanied by sign language and others in spoken language, both featuring English subtitles.  The beginning of a longer project trajectory aiming to evolve and adapt as it grows, Mixed Feelings was developed in collaboration with two members of the d/Deaf community, activist Dana Cermane and artist Saverio Cantoni, who has been part of the Refuge Worldwide community since joining our 2022 Creative Studios project. “I have been asking myself how radio could be different if it allowed access beyond hearing supremacy,” says Cantoni. “In the time of online radios, many practical tools could grant accessible experiences across disabled communities. Mixed Feelings is an ongoing process to celebrate accessibility as sexy and cool, experimenting with tools that expand the radio experience from a listening-only space to visual and multi-language.” The series features radio shows touching on the multiple intersections of art and music making from the perspective of artists with lived experiences of sickness and/or disability, members of d/Deaf community, and racial discrimination. The shows will take place each Monday from October 30th, starting at 5pm. Guests across the episodes include Max Taguet, Molly Joyce, JJJJJerome Ellis, Leroy F. Moore and Rita Mazza. The episodes hosted by Dana and Rita Mazza are in German Sign Language (DGS) with subtitles in English, while the episodes hosted by Saverio will be in English with transcripts available on our website.  Each episode will also be followed by a workshop that is connected to the radio show topic. Workshops will take place both at Wolf Kino Studio and online.  Applications are now open here: Anti-ableism and Accessibility Awareness with Agnieszka Habraschka (Mon 30th Oct) 

Accessible Clubbing with Yewande Adeniran (Mon 6th Nov) 

Perspective: Exploring Disability Viewpoints Through Artistry and Accessibility with Molly Joyce (Mon 13th Nov)  Alongside the development of this project, we have also undertaken steps to make our website and content more accessible. We are carrying out a series of usability tests with participants that use a wide range of assistive technologies. These tests will help to inform on the steps we can take to improve the accessibility of our site, starting with adding alt text to editorial features and transcribing a minimum of one talk show per month.  We pledge to continue developing our offering to make it more accessible for all. If you have any questions or would like to contribute to this process, please reach out to gaby@refugeworldwide.com. We welcome feedback on this project and how to make all our work more accessible. Mixed Feelings was supported by Urbane Praxis with funding and by Sickness Affinity Group (SAG) with their Zoom Pro account for the online workshops. At the end of the project, we will publish a report on our learnings and will include a financial report.  Access information for Oona bar, the home of Refuge Worldwide, are available here. Das Projekt ist Teil der Initiative DRAUSSENSTADT, gefördert vom Berliner Projektfonds Urbane Praxis sowie von der Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaflichen Zusammenhalt.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA["Park FM": Read a radio play by Shayan Navab]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/park-fm</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/park-fm</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Commissioned for an installation in Düsseldorf's Lantz'scher sculpture park.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Park FM is an imaginary radio station, led by fictional characters in a park. The radio play was commissioned for an installation in Düsseldorf's Lantz'scher sculpture park in the summer of 2023. Written by Shayan Navab, on behalf of Refuge Worldwide, this play was our contribution to a park-themed installation conceived by Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock. The piece was installed in audio and text format at the Lantz'scher Sculpture Park over the summer period, alongside many other audio-visual works. Read the full radio play script below. Park FM We’re around 100 years into the existence of radio. For the longest time, the medium lived polished and regulated within the walls of corporate or public organisations. Or, it went the other way, rebelling from the top of tower blocks or on pirate ships. In recent years, the idea of radio as an accessible, community-driven venture has grown. Want to know the name of a song you just heard on Refuge Worldwide? Come to our space, open the studio door and ask the host – simple. With this comes the idea of space, both online and offline - who does it belong to? how is it governed? what is it for? It’s with these questions in mind that we took on the task of creating a radio play for On Damp Earths We Wander. The following transcript and sound piece, gives access to our imaginary radio station led by the characters of a park, each with their own relationship to space and belonging. [fuzzy scanning sounds switching on a radio trying to find the right frequency–] Happy Radio Host: Good Morning beings of the Park – This is Global Park radio on the airwaves from Central to Hangang Park. In today’s contest the first caller to recognise this park classic wins a ticket to today’s performance of The Crows accompanied by the Oak Tree’s own psychedelic choreography of “Dancing in the Wind”. Are you ready? Stop your flapping, tune your cochleas, what folk group brought out this timeless banger?  [Sounds of Woodpeckers singing and pecking] [sound of switching between frequencies – chill ambient music playing] Soft Voice: Welcome to Squirrel Radio bringing you the softest tunes to sleep through all of hibernation  [sound of switching between frequencies] Stern Radio Host Voice: Yes exactly exactly. You could not be more right on that one. With the Winter season coming to an end, we are witnessing a rise in public space relaxation. So those of you who made the precarious winter investments in hashish and marijuana, it is time for you to get ready to peddle your assets. Particularly in the Berlin area, Meadow Chill Journal, has projected an increase in the rates of American and British tourists, meaning an exponential capacity to merge oregano and marijuana equity to achieve maximal revenue yielding.  [sound of switching between frequencies – religious orchestral and organ-based music playing] Resonating voice with echo: And this is where we all come from. It is there where we shall all return to. Here within the perimeters of our universe, that which we touch and feel, is nothing but a transience. An ephemeral trial. For one day, when our skin turns yellow and we are laid to sleep by white angels drifting from the sky. We shall return to that place, where the grass is greener. A place where we may grow beyond the whirling blades. Where magnolias and orchids nestle between our roots, and bees sweeter than honey, will ornate our view for eternity. But you must be patient. You must abstain the temptation to break through the stone that has covered our skies. You must remember that the weeds are your enemies. You must look presentable, upright and virtuous. And when the almighty lays fires on us, stomps on top of us in herds, chasing behind balls or leaves us to live with shards of glass, look through the fragments to see the other side. For if you, my fellow blades of grass, remain soft and kept, then you too shall one day reach that place where we are greener. [sound of switching between frequencies – sounds of a jeering crowd] Commentator in an excited voice: You cannot make this up. The score is 20 to 21. It is unknown exactly how many minutes are left till Jamal’s mother will pick him up again, but judging by the setting sun and the thick smoke billowing from the grill it can’t be very long! And Jamal gives a long ball to Hakan, beautiful touch by him just about saving it from hitting the sunbathing man. Great dribbling from him, gliding past Nasrin who is too busy trying to locate the jingle coming from the ice cream truck. Hakan crosses it in, to Shreya standing in a perfect position, she smashes the ball on the voolleyy aaaaaaand GOOAAAAALLLLL!!!! Shreyyyaaaaaaaaa has equalised the score!! It is 21 ALL!! Unbelievable! Oh! What is this! Goalkeeper Joshua is complaining. Apparently the ball went over one of the shoes! It hit the post it didn’t go in! Furious discussions happening right now, this is truly a sight to behold. We are all holding our breath here. Leyla is convinced it would have hit the post and in… and they settle on a deciding penalty. Truly incredible scenes. Ah another fight has broken out! Jamal is arguing with his mum, he is pleading just for one more penalty? Will they equalise? Will the food go cold? This is what football is all about. [sound of switching between frequencies – thumping techno inside a club] Tantalising Voice: Cold. Wet. Slimey. Damp. Sexy. This weekend, all weekend. We’ve got a special line-up ready to give you the deep vibrations all night long. Every room is a dark room cause we party where the sun don’t shine. At the Worm’s Den you can let all your inhibitions loose. Bugs, stones, yams, moles, daikons, everyone is welcome. Leave judgment at the hole and come for a weekend full of --  [sound of switching between frequencies] Angry voice: Quite honestly, I simply don’t understand it. Do they not have kitchens? Do they not have living rooms? Or at least their own gardens? A park should be a place where I can go to relax, maybe go for a run, enjoy a bit of nature. That’s why if you vote me as Park Ranger 2023 I will make sure these things don’t happen anymore. These groups, they come together from the morning till the sun sets, they come with everyone they can think of. With their families, their friends, from babies to grandparents. What do they do? They just sit around all day, grilling food, listening to music, basically ruining the grass, making a ruckus and taking up space. The other day one of them tried to offer me some of their food. Do I look like I need your food? It smells weird. Do I look like I want to be part of this? I was furious. Sometimes they don’t even have a reason. It’s not one of their many holidays or even a birthday. Sometimes they do it “because the sun is shining” or “because it’s a nice day”. Its honestly quite baffling.  The worst thing is it was literally the same during Covid. Look, I’m not saying I’m a saint. I met some friends every once in a while, but at least I had the decency to be discreet. These families just met up with no regard for anyone but themselves. I was listening to a radio report about a city called Göttingen. There because of all their parties the number of infected people rose… uhm… now I don’t know the exact number, but I know they rose a lot! I think it’s time to clean up the parks, to protect our space and to make sure it is treated how it should be. Honestly, if this continues- [sound of switching between frequencies] Serious voice: We are sorry to interrupt the Park Ranger Election round of discussions, but there is a miraculous piece of news to announce. Around the South-East corner of the Lantz'scher Park, a gigantic mound of what looks like chocolate cake has been discovered. Though the exact flavour and origin of the slice is yet to be identified, first scientist estimates believe it could feed up to 12 colonies in the vicinity. The queens of South-West Lantz'scher Park are reportedly all heading to the pole beneath the bin, as we speak, to discuss how the treasures will be split up. For any ant traveling through this area, account for an extra 2-3hrs of traffic times as the armies have begun the construction of the convoy to dismantle this mountain of carbohydrates. We can only hope that the Queens come to a peaceful conclusion; we all remember the infamous Battle of Champagne and Cheese, after the influencers meet-up in 2021.  For our next report, our special missions’ journalists has travelled to the shade between the bushes, to talk to the patches of grass who have made the questionable decision to grow wild between branches and weeds: Journalist: Hello, I am reporting from deep inside the shrubs to bring you the most exclusive opinions from the margins of society. I am here with Durva, tell us Durva, what brought you here? Are you not scared to be amongst the weeds, so far away from the rest of the lawn?  Durva: Hi, first of all thank you to everyone out there for listening to our voice. First of all, no I am not scared. Our leaders here have heard the truth. We are not meant to live as lawns, we aren’t meant to get chopped up on the weekends, we aren’t meant to be soft and kept. Our leaders have spoken to the birds above. They have told us of places, not so far away, outside the fences of this park. There we grow high and strong. There we live with flowers, deers and badgers. There we come to life in all shades of green as the pollen blows between our skin.  Yes, there is a place where the grass is greener but that place is now, its just not here. There is not just our home but it is where we are home to others. We have the power to grow in meadows, in jungles, on top of the mountains and even deep below the ocean. We prayed those, for whom we combed our hair, those who cut our blades with theirs and stood us side-by-side like tombstones. And you tell me that weeds are the enemy? What is nature to them is a prison to us. It’s funny to me. They spend all this time building cities, towers and buildings. But they make sure to keep us. These patches of grass because they need their nature.  As if nature can exist between walls. As if it has an entrance and exits. As if it could have an it could be shut when dark. As if it is dangerous for a woman to walk through nature at night. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself, but sometimes I feel sorry for them. To cut lawns in shapes, to fill holes with lifeless water and call it beauty. Don’t get me wrong. I see the beauty in us, in the coarse strength of our roots and the shimmer of leaves giggling in the wind. I see it in the crow’s curiosity and the finesse of a squirrel, whispering the secrets of trees, skipping from one arm to another. I see it in the ripples left by the mallard flashing amber and green. I can and will gaze at this beauty, as I am here, and I will never leave. But do they gaze? Or do they just do? Why do they come in here to be outside?   Concept & curation: Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock Illustration & co-curation: Bilge Emir Management & co-curation: Lia Milanesio Production: Ola Zielińska & Rafał Łazar Financed by KUNSTKOMMISSION Düsseldorf.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #137]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-16-oct-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-16-oct-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Palestinian voices silenced | Australians vote no to Indigenous Voice | Polish elections]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Palestinian demo  shut down at Potsdamer Platz Berlin police continue to brutally crack down on all displays of solidarity with Gaza. On Friday a demo called ‘Jewish Berliners against violence in the Middle East’ was banned due to risks of ‘anti-semitic exclamations’. On Sunday over 1000 people gathered in Potsdamer Platz for a demonstration that was banned shortly before it started. Hundreds were arrested as police used pepper spray and batons to disperse the crowd. Over 2800 people have been killed in Gaza in just over a week. UN experts warn of ‘mass ethnic cleansing’. Award ceremony for Palestinian author cancelled Organisers of the Frankfurt Book Fair have called off an awards ceremony for the Palestinian novelist Adania Shibli, whose novel ‘Minor Detail’ is centred on the true story of the murder of a Palestinian woman by Israeli soldiers in 1949. Over 600 writers and publishers have signed an open letter demanding the fair should “be creating spaces for Palestinian writers to share their thoughts, feelings, reflections on literature through these terrible, cruel times, not shutting them down.” Afghanistan earthquakes Afghanistan’s Herat region has been struck by another 6.3 magnitude earthquake, the fourth in just over a week. Since 7 October over 2000 people have died and several villages completely destroyed. There are fears that cold weather could mean disaster for those displaced by the destruction and currently living in tents. Afghanistan’s government has struggled to deal with the growing humanitarian crisis, made worse by the withdrawal of foreign aid since the Taliban came to power in 2021. Australians vote against 'Indigenous Voice' The referendum to amend Australia’s constitution and establish an indigenous committee in parliament has failed. The campaign for the so-called ‘Indigenous Voice’ in parliament, started in 2017 by a group of 250 Indigenous leaders, argued that the new committee would give Australia’s indigenous population, classed as the oldest living culture on earth, a greater say in the nation’s political system. Firmly opposed by conservative politicians in Australia, the referendum was rejected after 60% voted ‘No.’ Aérea Negrot Berlin-based Venezuelan DJ, singer, dancer and artist Aérea Negrot has sadly died. An iconic figure in the city’s club scene, she released multiple EPs and one album through Berlin label BPitch Control, who wrote in tribute: “Her light, music and beautiful uplifting voice, her one-of-a-kind artistic approach and performance have touched every soul they have ever encountered. A classically-trained ballet dancer, singer, songwriter and an uncompromising DJ, there never was a stage she did not make her own.” Climate researcher fired for slow travel Climate researcher Gianluca Grimalda has been fired by the Kiel Institute for World Economy, after refusing to fly back to Germany at short notice from the Solomon Islands where he was conducting research. Grimalda refuses to fly due to the carbon emissions, telling the Guardian: “air travel is really the fastest way to burn fossil fuels, so the fastest way to walk ourselves towards catastrophe.” Grimalda will instead make the journey back to Germany via cargo ships, ferries, trains and coaches over 2 months. Opposition wins Polish election according to exit poll Exit polls suggest that Poland’s pivotal election will result in the right-wing populist Law and Justice party failing to secure a third term. A coalition led by liberal, pro-EU candidate Donald Tusk is expected to form a new parliamentary majority. Election officials report that the turnout was likely the highest since the fall of communism in 1989. Law and Justice’s eight years in power have been characterised by democratic backsliding and crackdowns on migration, media freedom and reproductive rights. Turkey/Syria airstrikes Up to 70,000 people in rebel-held northwest Syria have been displaced by a wave of attacks led by the Syrian government and allied forces. Airstrikes in recent weeks on hospitals, refugee camps, mosques and other civilian infrastructure have killed at least 50 people. Over half of the region’s four million residents have already been displaced once, and the majority rely on humanitarian aid to survive. The recent wave of violence has been called “the most significant escalation of hostilities since 2019” by the UN. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[“We’re all rising together!”: Get To Know Walter Griot & Ukai]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/rise-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/rise-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 13 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Two members of Berlin’s premier Afrohouse crew in conversation.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Celebrating RISE's contribution to Berlin club culture. On 5 October, Walter Griot and Ukai of RISE came by the Refuge Worldwide studio, together with Hyenah and other members of the collective, to celebrate winning Club Commission’s Tag Der Clubkultur prize. The party series, label and collective - or "movement", as they call it - has been the driving force behind the growth of Afrohouse in Berlin, throwing eight years of parties at Watergate, hosting a Love Parade truck, shooting a documentary and much more. During a radio show with Richard Akingbehin, from which this interview has been transcribed, Walter and Ukai trade stories about the collective’s history, mission and the challenges they've faced. As part of their Tag Der Clubkultur offering, they also made a generous donation our partner organisation Turning Tables. So, the occasion is that you are one of the recipients of the Tag Der Clubkultur prize for your contributions to the club scene. Respect and congratulations! Walter: Thank you. It’s nice that our work and the whole culture around Afrohouse has been recognised.  I think it would be nice to first just set the scene of what people could expect if they came into one of your RISE parties at a peak time. Walter: I think one of the main words I would say is diversity. Of course, in terms of music, I mean, it's house music but there’s definitely African chants, African drums and so on. It’s not this stiff electronic sound - more like a world tour. The focus is on Africa, but also South American and Arabic sounds.  It’s also very diverse in terms of the crowd. We always want to make sure that we have a big POC community coming in and that it’s really a place where everybody's welcome.  Ukai: You can also expect a lot of energy. You will definitely see no one sitting. You can’t take that kind of diversity for granted in Berlin! Can you also tell us a little bit about your personal roles within the collective? Walter: Every team member has their strengths. Hyenah is taking care of the label work. I’m more on the live events, Jane as well. Ghedi is setting up the East African market. Ukai is doing a lot of work in Angola. We’re all rising together!  What was the reason for starting RISE in the beginning? Even though I know you both weren’t part of it from the very beginning. Walter: Right, I wasn't there from the beginning, but it all started at Watergate club, because Watergate was really the first major club that was open to this new sound. The crew got together. At first, it was Hyenah, Dede, Floyd Lavine, then this whole movement started.  So you would say there is more hunger for this sound in Berlin now? Ukai: Definitely. There's a big difference. Now people have accepted it.  Walter: Before everything African was in this “world music” category, but yeah it’s now accepted to be part of the club scene. And also, of course, it has something to do with the rise of big artists like Black Coffee, and also other big artists like Keinemuzik playing the Afro sound. So it really becomes more mainstream on a global level. In Berlin, there is still a lot of work to do, especially from the side of the big institutions and the bookers. I think there's still some prejudice towards Afrohouse, with bookers thinking it's not for their crowd. It’s just house music!  Ukai: Exactly. The crowd has accepted it, but the bookers are afraid of the word afro. It’s a challenge that we still have to fight against. Walter: Yeah, it's crazy. Like every time when I'm going out Panorama Bar, I see DJs playing half of their set just Afrohouse sound, but they're not known for that. People still go crazy. But to really book an artist who's known for that sound… that hasn't happened in the big institutions. This is what we're hoping for. I think what you just said then is super important, that bookers not only need to book a party from that sound, but also integrate it into their other events. So there's this kind of mixing between the people and the sounds. This is how we develop. Ukai: We just hope that this sound can be a normal sound. Not like, “Oh, you're playing afrohouse, how exotic. Is it only for this evening?” No, it should be a normal sound. That’s what we aiming for. I remember when we have spoken in the past, you've also mentioned that one reason that Afrohouse is not as present in Berlin as elsewhere is because of the lack of social media in the clubs. I hadn't thought about that before.  Walter: Everybody who came to our parties, especially at Watergate, experienced a crazy party: two dance floors packed, everybody going crazy. But the outside world can’t see it because in Berlin you have this no picture or video policy in the house and techno clubs. It’s of course sometimes nice, you know, for the moment, but then you see other big Afrohouse events, you know, like Kunye from Shimza, and the videos always blow up. It’s much easier for them to present what party is really about. It’s a disadvantage but we are also doing parties in other places and will take those opportunities when we’re outside the Berlin restriction bubble! Right, you've also done a festival recently, Above & Beyond. How was that for you? Walter: Yeah, it was dope. The idea was to show artists from different parts of the world. We had artists from Morocco, from Namibia and also a lot from from the local scene. We also had other genres - amapiano crews, techno crew. It worked really well together and showed that these different scenes can dance together and there doesn’t need to be in any separation. Some new people joined the Afrohouse community and that is mission accomplished. At Refuge Worldwide, we often think about and get asked about the idea of community and what that looks like around music, around events, and in our case around a radio station. I'm wondering what are your thoughts on that? How do you know when this kind of idea of community is working around RISE?  Ukai: I think we see it by how people come together and how they react. Going back to the festival, I was personally like “okay, just wow”, because a lot of people came and a lot of people really love the sound. Sometimes you work, and you’re sure if it’s really going through, especially because of the reasons we just talked about with the videos, social media and so on. But on the days when people are dancing to the music, even singing some songs with us, then we can really see that it’s real. Walter: You can also also really see the community sticking together across different countries - Greece, South Africa, Angola, Georgia, wherever - we book each other. Everybody knows it's a hard fight to, to bring Afrohouse into each market, so we all respect each other's work. Each success of each person is like a success for us as well, and that's how the whole spirit of community comes together. Well said! As a last question, I would love for you both to share one of your favourite memories from your time with RISE. Walter: One very special moment was when we finally managed to book Black Coffee. It was unfortunate timing, in my view, because I played at the same time as him. So I started with a totally empty floor, but after a while, I managed to get a crowd, so for my personal journey that was a really nice moment. Ukai: For me it was when we did our own truck at the Love Parade. You see maybe half a million people dancing to the sound and it really makes us proud. Different people from the black community were playing on the truck, and considering where the Love Parade came from, it was really nice to see our people playing our music. That's when I finally thought “Afrohouse is here to stay. It's time to accept.” Listen back to the rest of this month's RISE takeover here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Minor Figures x The Breakfast Show]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/minor-figures-breakfast-show</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/minor-figures-breakfast-show</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Set your alarms as our flagship show gets a makeover. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Good news for early birds and slow risers alike, Minor Figures are teaming up with Refuge Worldwide for a month of morning music. The Breakfast Show will feature a new mascot from 24 October to 24 November, as Nadia Wise, Stella Zekri, Nordberg, Andreya Casablanca, Nikola and mokeyanju host our flagship show, supported by Minor Figures. Minor Figures are an independent B Corp., producing 100% plant-based, carbon neutral barista oat milk, coffee, chai and other stuff. You can have a taste over at Oona Bar from 10am each day and listen live to The Breakfast Show.  Check out recordings from our Minor Figures x CeeCee Cafe takeover party, featuring two hours of house and disco from VG+ and a bass heavy hip-hop warm-up session courtesy of Kissen. ...next time you're waiting for your coffee to brew, check out one of these MF games. The Breakfast Show photos are by Milena Zara. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #136]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-09-oct-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-09-oct-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[War in Gaza | Elections in Germany | Kurdish Film Festival]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Gaza Israel has declared the beginning of a new war against Hamas, cutting the supply of food, water and electricity to the Gaza strip. Nearly 200,000 people have been displaced by Israeli airstrikes launched in retaliation to Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Saturday morning, in which at least 600 people were killed. Often called “the world’s largest open-air prison”, Gaza is home to 2 million Palestinians who have been trapped under blockade since 2007. Donate to MAP to support emergency medical aid on the ground in Gaza, and if you’re in Berlin, join a march organised by Nakba75 this Wednesday from 16:00 at Richardplatz. Bavaria & Hessen election results – anti AfD march in Munchen Sunday’s state elections in Bavaria and Hesse saw major gains for the CDU/CSU and the AfD, while all three of the current coalition parties – SPD, Greens and FDP – performed worse than five years ago.  The far-right AfD is currently polling second nationwide and achieved its best-ever result in a western German state (Hesse). On Wednesday, up to 35,000 people took to the streets of the Bavarian capital Munich to oppose the rise of far-right extremism. Afghanistan earthquake More than 2400 people have been killed in a series of earthquakes that struck western Afghanistan on Saturday. A spokesperson for the government has appealed to international organisations for urgent support, including trained search and rescue teams to help locate survivors. Afghanistan is struggling with multiple humanitarian crises, made worse by the widespread withdrawal of foreign foreign since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Biden pledges to build more wall along US/Mexico border US President Joe Biden has announced plans to build new sections of wall along the US-Mexico border, waiving multiple federal laws and breaking election campaign promises that there would “not be another foot” built under his administration. The US has also announced it will resume deportation flights to crisis-hit Venezuela, the latest in a series of policies that bear worrying resemblance to those of Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump. Kurdish Film Festival The 13th edition of Berlin’s Kurdish Film Festival is taking place now until Thursday at FSK, Moviemento, Babylon and more cinemas across the city. Head to the website to check the full programme of over 50 films, including shorts, features and documentaries, many of which you can also watch online.  Iranian activist wins Nobel peace prize Jailed Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work as a freedom fighter against the oppression of women by Iran’s regime. At 51 years old, Mohammadi is currently serving a 10-year sentence in the infamous Evin prison in Iran, where many political prisoners have reported being subject to horrific conditions and torture. Mohammadi’s family have called the win a "historic and profound moment for Iran's fight for freedom". Night train routes on the increase in Europe Night trains have been making an impressive comeback across Europe in the last years, with the rollout of new routes in Germany, Austria, Italy, France and beyond. Now, a new Berlin-Paris night train is scheduled to begin running by the end of 2023.  According to the Austrian national railway company OBB, a two-hour flight from Paris to Vienna results in 419.6kg of carbon emissions, compared with 41.5kg when traveling on the night train. Homosexuality legalised in Mauritius Mauritius has become the latest country to officially decriminalise homosexuality. The country's highest court has ruled that a ban on homosexual sex was ‘unconstitutional and discriminatory’, pointing out that the ban dates back to the British colonial era and does not reflect the country’s present-day values. Poland elections Voters in Poland will head to the polls next Sunday. In a bitterly fought campaign, the far-right populist Law and Justice Party, known for cracking down on migration, media freedom and reproductive rights, is looking to win a third consecutive election. Centrist opponent Donald Tusk has positioned himself against corruption and nationalism, amid fears that with another term Law and Justice could complete their rollback of democracy in Poland. Header image: Protesters at the Internationalist Queer Pride March, Berlin 2023. By Montecruz Photo.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to air Pitchfork Music Festival shows]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pitchfork-berlin-festival-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pitchfork-berlin-festival-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 08 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The touring festival returns to Berlin this November 01-05.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Berlin, with Refuge Worldwide locked in as an official media partner.  Concerts and performances for the festival are scheduled across the city at venues including Zenner, silent green Kulturquartier, Festsaal Kreuzberg and Astra Kulturhaus. Refuge Worldwide will broadcast a range of radio shows in the lead up to the festival, as well as host a Pitchfork workshop at Oona Bar. On Saturday 28 October, Pitchfork photographer Maria Louceiro leads a photography workshop from 12:00-15:00 on Weserstraße, with participants set to learn industry tips and camera tricks. Applications are here. Throughout the week of the festival, tune into Refuge Worldwide for music and shows from Sweeping Promises, Porridge Radio, FADERDAZE, Weval, and a special Pitchfork Festival episode from Calum. As for the festival's schedule itself; Dudu Tassa teams up with award-winning composer and guitarist Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead, The Smile), while rapper, poet, performance artist and activist Mykki Blanco will present his vision of queer rap music. Porridge Radio bring a blend of art-rock and post-punk to Festaal Kreuzberg, while Youth Lagoon are joined by Sweeping Promises and NTS resident Nabihah Iqbal. Tune into The Breakfast Show on 27 October to win festival tickets.  For the latest news - follow and visit the official site or via Instagram. Tickets for each event can be found here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host stage at Boiler Room Festival Berlin]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/boiler-room-berlin-festival</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/boiler-room-berlin-festival</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 03 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Taking place at a Spandau warehouse on November 18.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are hosting a stage at Boiler Room’s upcoming Berlin festival. Starting at 11PM on November 18 and running through until 11AM the following morning, our curation features Detroit legends Mark Flash (of Underground Resistance) and live duo Octave One, as well as guest DJs Call Super and Bashkka, and Refuge residents Nat Wendell, Natalie Robinson, Jaxx TMS and No Plastic. The night will be hosted by our beloved breakfast show presenter Nikola. Over the other two days of the festival, there will be performances from the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Obongjayar, George Riley, Perera Elsewhere, Azu Tiwaline, Kelman Duran, rRoxymore, AUCO & Neana and many more. Tickets are available here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #135]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-02-oct-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-02-oct-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 02 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[DW & Co Enteignen | Free Humanitarians | Expanded Listening]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Could there be a second expropriation referendum in Berlin? Two years have passed since Berliners voted in favour of expropriating apartments from the city’s mega landlords, but we’re still waiting for the government to layout a feasible pathway to implementing the results. Campaigners from Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen are calling for a potential second referendum, and this time a new draft law would be put to vote. They’re looking to raise €80,000 to pay the cost of drafting the new law – donate now. Artsakh update The number of Armenians who have fled the Republic of Artsakh in recent weeks is now estimated to be over 100,000, up to 85% of the region’s Armenian population. Two weeks ago Azerbaijan launched a rapid military offensive in the region, whose population has been suffering under a blockade since December 2022. Several legal experts have said that the exodus, driven by fears of possible violent persecution and ethnic cleansing by Azeri forces, could amount to a war crime.  Humanitarians sent back to Greek court There’s been another twist in the trial of Sara Mardini, Seán Binder and others who were arrested back in 2018 for search and rescue activities on Lesvos. Nassos Karakitsos and 15 other defendants have been called back to court to face trial for misdemeanours, after the charges were initially dropped. A date has still not been set for the felony trial. Lawyers say that both trials together will cost up to €100,000. Donate now to support those unfairly criminalised for saving lives at sea. Tunisia gets German gear for human rights violations According to the Interior Ministry, Germany is providing boats, engines and training to the Tunisian coastguard, an organisation with a well-documented recent history of human rights violations. Tunisia has been cracking down on people from sub-Saharan Africa in recent months, forcibly deporting hundreds from cities to the desert and leaving migrants to drown in the Mediterranean, all while receiving support, equipment and funding from Germany and the EU. Another climate activist is sentenced to prison in Vietnam Leading Vietnamese climate activist Hoang Thi Minh Hong has been sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion. Vietnam’s authoritarian government have stepped up their assault on activism in the country, and Hong is the fifth environmental campaigner to be jailed on similar charges in two years. Human rights campaigner Ben Swanton called the sentence “a total fraud” and “yet another example of the law being weaponised to persecute climate activists who are fighting to save the planet.” Expanded Listening takeover this Saturday Expanded Listening is a long-term research project that, in this edition, explores the intersection of alternative radio stations and the performing arts.   Join us at the Refuge Worldwide studio or tune in live on 7 October for ‘Lab On Air’. The lab will demonstrate how radio, as a tool for political communication, broadcasting alternative voices, and as a place of audio assembly, can offer a space to present and archive cultures.  Dancers, choreographers, musicians & storytellers who practice Afro-diasporic dance in Berlin or consider themselves as part of the city’s Black dance culture are invited to share their personal backgrounds, practices and perspectives. If you want to get involved, contact Oscar, Sarah and Sarah at sonicmovementlabs@gmail.com. No prior radio experience is required and participation will be remunerated. Corsica party Our European tour continues this weekend with a workshop and a party at London’s Corsica Studios. We’re teaming up with Rhythm Section for this one – London people come down for sets from Tikiman & Richard Akingbehin, Bradley Zero, Stella Zekri, LAANI, MLE and Mali-I with MCs Natty Wylah & C. ROOTS.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Expanded Listening takeover at Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/expanded-listening-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/expanded-listening-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 02 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ Open call for dancers, choreographers, musicians & storytellers who practice Afro-diasporic dance.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Expanded Listening is a long-term research project that, in this edition, explores the intersection of alternative radio stations and the performing arts.   Stemming from the Listening Bodies project and led by sound artist Oscar Ngu Atanga (aka O.N.A), dramaturge Sarah Israel, and artist Sarah Zeryab, the project spans three events taking place at Cashmere Radio in Wedding (6 and 8 October) and Refuge Worldwide (7 October).  Each of the three events, or 'Artistic Labs’, will deal in different ways with 'practices of listening', questioning the extent to which 'listening' – understood as a consciously exercised activity and an artistic practice – can be helpful in making present voices, themes and sounds that have hitherto been underrepresented in society.  Join us at the Refuge Worldwide studio or tune in live on 7 October for ‘Lab On Air’. The lab will demonstrate how radio, as a tool for political communication, broadcasting alternative voices, and as a place of audio assembly, can offer a space to present and archive cultures.  ‘Lab On Air’ brings together a collage of different cultures, ranging from sound system, ballroom, Gwo ka and more. The Lab focuses on members and developments primarily within the Afro-Diasporic art communities in Berlin.  Open Call: The event on 7 October will also include a 1-hour open-mic session. Dancers, choreographers, musicians & storytellers who practice Afro-diasporic dance in Berlin or consider themselves as part of the city’s Black dance culture are invited to share their personal backgrounds, practices and perspectives. If you want to get involved, contact Oscar, Sarah and Sarah at sonicmovementlabs@gmail.com. No prior radio experience is required and participation will be remunerated.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Airtime: Gasoline Radio]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-gasoline-radio</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/airtime-gasoline-radio</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[To launch our new community-radio interview series we speak to Kyiv-based Gasoline Radio.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In 2022 Gasoline Radio came to life driven by a desire to create a community-focused radio station offering up-and-coming local talents a platform. The Kyiv-based station's vision is clear: to nurture a sanctuary where emerging artists can chart their artistic journeys and showcase their talents globally.  Rooted in Ukrainian identity and heritage, the project aims to combat deep-seated inferiority complexes and cultivate a proud cultural identity. By spotlighting undiscovered talents and embarking on expeditions to document traditional music, Gasoline Radio enriches Ukraine's vibrant music scene, transcending borders and bridging generations.  To launch our new interview series Airtime, focusing on community radio projects from across the globe, Johanna Urbancik talks to Oleksii Makarenko, one of Gasoline Radio's founders. When and why did you start Gasoline Radio? Back in the summer of 2021 when I finished working at Katacult Magazine after two exhausting years of lockdown, I was approached by Valentyn Bobylev, owner of the Kultura Zvuku DJ/production school and Kharkiv-based club, who had the idea of starting a new media project.  Given my experience with music media and desire to provide more space for young musicians, I suggested changing the format and focusing on building a community radio. We managed to shoot a documentary at the Iskra Festival to determine the direction of the radio, and announced the launch of Gasoline on 22 February 2022.  Two days later our lives and plans changed irrevocably. After three months of volunteering, and with a strong sense of the need for a new space for local artists, we returned to work on the radio and held our first broadcast on 18 May 2022.  Despite the rapid development of the local scene that we have seen in the last few years and the launch of new platforms, there was not much space for newcomers in Ukraine. There was no launching pad for people to prove themselves. At the very beginning of the radio's history, we focused on building a safe space where artists could express themselves and receive our support in shaping their own creative path.  In addition to creating a healthy environment for the development of new musical phenomena, we wanted to place the creativity of our artists in a global context, which would be perceived not through the prism of sacrifice, but through its richness and perspective.  One of the problems we faced at the beginning was the inferiority complex of Ukrainians. At parties, there was a tendency to pay most attention to foreign artists, and a belief that local artists could only truly realise their potential by playing in a foreign club. So we wanted to draw attention to what was happening inside the country and highlight those artists that remained in the shadow, showing how incredible and diverse our music community is. It was also important for us to form a common image of Ukrainian culture, building a solid foundation based on our heritage, which is clearly reflected in our activities over the past few months.  Why do you think Ukrainian artists suffered from an inferiority complex?  It's not just about the artists, but about Ukrainians in general. Throughout the time of occupation by neighbouring Russia, our culture was constantly under pressure, and the Soviet Union played a cruel joke on it. Having realised that all the restrictions and suppressions only fanned the fire of the national movement and strengthened the spirit of Ukrainian dissidents, the Soviets allowed traditional culture to exist in such a disfigured and plastic form that all the following generations turned their backs on this weak image, exalting and favouring the culture of other countries.  This influence was also felt by my generation, when various manifestations of Ukrainian culture were not given enough attention and by default were in second place. It is only now that we have begun to fully realise the value and importance of our cultural heritage and its future, paying proper attention to it and studying those phenomena that could have faded into oblivion because of prejudice. That is why it was important for us to build a basis for the formation of a cultural image of which we could be proud and through which Ukrainians could self-identify.  Who is behind Gasoline Radio?  Most of the time, we were working without resources and with no possibility of involving specialists in our work. We invited radio residents to lead most of our projects. At the moment, our team is our communication manager Sasha Ushenko, copywriter Taras Bryl, and content manager Anastasia Slutskaya.  How did your background in music media influence you to start a radio station? Especially in the era of podcasts and video formats, what kind of benefits did you see in radio? Firstly, radio gives the audience a fairly direct interaction with music, whereas any written text about music will be from a subjective point of view. That is, when interacting with a show, you immediately understand whether you like the music or not. In my experience, most media outlets are focused on clickable titles and popular artists. In building a radio community, I was primarily aiming to create space for new names to break out. It's also worth saying that radio is just a starting point for the formation of a community. We are constantly finding different formats for ourselves, functioning as a label, as a promo group and making movies. We can call the project more of a media platform. What makes Gasoline Radio unique and how does it contribute to the Ukrainian music scene and community? What do you see as the primary focus of your work? The main uniqueness of Gasoline Radio lies in the fact that we are looking in several directions at once in addition to working with modern trends. We are trying to find, study and preserve the lost artefacts of our cultural heritage while building a solid foundation for the future of the Ukrainian scene.  We managed to discover and show the world dozens of new names, launch a label exclusively for local artists, launch many joint projects with both local and Western platforms, organise an expedition and shoot a documentary, СПАДОК: ГУЦУЛЬЩИНА, about the traditional music of the Carpathians, as well as make a massive sample pack with Ukrainian instruments and release a compilation based on it, which combines traditional sounds with modern music of our residents and friends. And this is just the beginning, as there are many more projects planned, in which we are going to involve our residents in order to fully showcase their creativity.  Can you tell me a little bit about the expedition and the documentary? I had the idea to make a documentary about traditional music even before the radio started, but didn't have the resources or the right time to do it. In December last year, we decided to get involved with foundations and participated in a contest, from which we received funding to make a documentary.  At the beginning of spring, our team filled backpacks with sound recording equipment and set off on a two-week expedition to the Carpathian region. The goal was to explore the local musical flavour, whose roots are firmly intertwined in the fates of the region and its people. While travelling, we met with instrument makers, musicians, museum workers, and ordinary people who cherish the culture and refuse to let the traditions of their native land fade away. By capturing the souls they revealed through singing and playing, as well as during simple conversations, we witnessed the conditions and aspects of everyday life in which traditional music is preserved, and, just as importantly, the challenges faced by local culture and the institutions that protect it. Our experience has resulted in a documentary project – an audio-visual story about the richness of our culture in the context of one region. With it, we primarily want to draw interest in studying the origins of our music and the traditions with which it is closely intertwined and to realise the extent of the priceless heritage that is scattered throughout Ukraine. The compilation С​п​а​д​о​к was released after our first expedition. By recording the life and folklore of the Hutsul region, we have gathered a rich collection of audio artefacts that crystallised the echoes of the musical tradition of past generations, as well as field recordings that shape the worldview of the environment. Presented in a sample pack format (which is now available for free use), these recordings became the bricks for building a bridge between generations and found new life thanks to the current generation of Ukrainian musicians and producers. We want to continue this project and explore all regions of Ukraine as part of it. We really see great social value in it. What is the principle behind your curation? When starting the radio, we were targeting musical diversity, but realised that most of the musicians around here are club music oriented. So the main challenge for me was digging broad-minded selectors and working with young musicians to bring out the full extent of their musical interests that extend beyond the clubs. Since there were almost no professionals among the residents, I spent most of my time with the artists helping them form the concept of the show and discovering the ideas they put into it.  I was also focused on building friendships with both local and Western platforms that are close to our hearts. Therefore, the main principles I would name are: openness to friendship and cooperation, absence of prejudices and readiness to help, support and sharing my own experience. Have you personally changed your approach to music after having discovered so many new names and sounds? I guess I've been pretty lucky, as most of my life I've been fascinated by and studied quite different forms of music, from traditional and academic to experimental and avant-garde phenomena. My grandmother gifted me 300 vinyl records in my childhood, which had a huge impact on my perception of music.  So I can't say that my approach has changed in any way, but rather that I felt more strongly that I am in the right place and doing the right things.  How has the war changed your approach to music and running the station? ​​Being an independent radio station during martial law is quite an adventure. It's worth mentioning the power outages, the radio's operation using generators, broadcasting during the shelling of the city, and the lack of resources as the country is going through a difficult time for funding cultural projects. The main thing we've learned over the last year is to make big things out of nothing.  As for the music, goals, and format, they haven't changed since the start of the full-scale invasion, and the sense of the rightness of our mission has only increased.  What would be your ideal broadcasting schedule on Gasoline? What kind of artists and sounds would you love to have on the station? I think we have set the right vector and the rest is just a matter of time and resources. There have been a lot of really unique shows during the year.  For me personally, it's important to continue to discover the richness of the music world together with the radio residents, as there is still a lot to hear and talk about. That's why my dream is to air shows filled with a variety of forms that would not be driven by trends or prejudices.  The station is currently on a kind of hiatus. Why is that and what does the future hold for Gasoline Radio? As is often the case with cultural projects, we have run out of resources to support the team financially. Therefore, we are now preparing to launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise resources for our own physical space, the profit from which will help us finance the radio.  In the near future, we want to focus our efforts on developing the label and the possibility of creating a sub-label that would focus entirely on reissuing folklore and archival music from Ukraine. Of course, we will also be looking for opportunities to continue our series of expeditions and documentaries, which aim to explore the current state of traditional music and build a bridge between the music of the past and present. Stream Gasoline Radio or follow on Instagram, YouTube and Bandcamp. Listen to Gasoline Radio's Refuge Worldwide takeover here. Images: (Header) Gasoline Radio team: Oleksii Makarenko, Valeria Obodzinska, Sasha Ushenko, Anastasia Slutska, Bogdan Zaiets. Oleksii Makarenko. Oleksii Mikhaelenko, host of Bro, do you even jazz? on Gasoline Radio. Bogdan Zaiets, sound engineer. Vasyl Vipreychuk, a performer of traditional songs, and Vasyl Zitynyuk, violinist, in Staishche village. Oleksii talks to cymbalist Vasyl Tymchuk from the village of Verkhovyna in Prykarpattia. Sashko, student of multi-instrumentalist Petro Hrymalyuk in Richka village. Richka village. All photos courtesy of Gasoline Radio. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Playlist: DJ Amir's arkaoda warmup]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dj-amir-arkaoda-playlist</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dj-amir-arkaoda-playlist</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Hip-hop historian DJ Amir shares some dancefloor heat.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Saturday our EU-tour brings us back home to Berlin where we're throwing a party at our favourite neighbourhood venue, arkaoda. Get the details here. We're excited to be joined for this party by DJ Amir, who will spin downstairs alongside Two Thou & The Neighbourhood Character, miszo and Deniz Arslan. Amir is one half of DJ duo Kon and Amir, curator of 180-Proof Records, and a renowned music historian and educator with a deep knowledge of music spanning hip-hop, house and jazz.  To set the tone for the weekend, Amir has sent us five of his favourite dancefloor tracks, check them out below. Stefan Ringer - Bounce #3 I love this track because even though it’s kinda a combination of house/techno, it has that soulful groove.  Fela Kuti - Roforo Fight I always try to squeeze this track in my sets because it’s such a dance floor killer. I love the way it builds and builds.  Joe Bataan - Fuego (Whiskey Barons Remix) I grew up around Puerto Ricans and this song brings back so many memories. And this edit turns an already great song into another dance floor killer.  Sparkle - Disco Madness  Now, this is the epitome of deep, proper disco!  The baseline is fire!  And if you’re a disco head, you get it. Rueben Wilson - Get Your Own This is such a jazz dance tune. Think of the legendary Dingwalls club in London in the early 90s.  Things kick off in Berlin this Saturday at 22:00, Patreon members can DM us for discount list. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #134]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-26-sep-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-26-sep-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Artsakh conflict | Brazil Indigenous Rights | Tree-planting in Berlin]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Armenians flee Artsakh after Azeri offensive Thousands have fled from the breakaway Armenian region of Artsakh after a 24-hour military operation carried out by Azerbaijan last week that resulted in Armenian surrender. Residents of Artsakh have endured an Azeri blockade since late 2022, leading to severe shortages in food, medicine and other essentials. 25,000 people were forced from their homes during the offensive, and the future remains unclear for Armenians living in the region, who have faced decades of violence and oppression. Brazil moves to protect Indigenous land rights Brazil’s Supreme Court has ruled in favour of protecting Indigenous rights to ancestral lands. Following years of evictions, repression and legal battles against agribusiness lobbyists, the decision gives state endorsement to the land rights of the Xokleng people of Santa Catarina state and has been hailed as a pivotal victory that could reshape the state’s approach to land rights for the 1.6 million Indigenous people living in Brazil. Crackdown on dissent in flood-hit Derna, Libya In Derna, Libya, authorities have cracked down on dissent following protests over government mismanagement of the deadly flash floods that devastated the city earlier this month. New restrictions on journalists and aid workers have been imposed, and telecommunications suspended. Evidence is growing that the scale of the disaster could have been vastly reduced with proper warning and evacuations. The official death toll stands at 4000, with 9000 still missing and over 40,000 displaced. Berlin Senate to plant 500,000 trees in Autumn Berlin’s government has announced plans to plant 500,000 trees this Autumn in a bid to make the city’s forests more resistant to the impacts of the climate crisis. Since the launch of the mixed forest programme in 2012 four million trees have been planted, yet the condition and health of Berlin’s forests, which cover nearly 20% of the city, declined last year according to the annual Forest Condition Report.  Iran tightens Hijab laws Iran’s regime has approved a new law to tighten the country’s hijab laws. Under the new ‘hijab and chastity’ bill, women could face up to 10 years in prison for dress code violations. The law will also target those who speak out against the restrictions in public or online. 16 September was the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed by police after being arrested for wearing her headscarf incorrectly, triggering a six-month anti-government uprising across the country. Moroccan Earthquake Relief event Up to 2.8 million people have been affected and 3000 killed by the earthquake that struck Morocco on 8 September, the deadliest the country has seen since 1960. Those in Berlin can head to a fundraising event at Oyoun this Thursday, featuring spoken word performances, live music and DJ sets. Funds raised will be donated to Amal Women’s Training Center, who have started a relief fund to support those living in the most affected areas. Protests in Ghana Young people in Ghana took the the streets for three days of demonstration last week to protest against government corruption, unemployment and the rising cost of living in the country. 50 protesters, including some journalists, were arrested on the first day of demonstrations. Activists and politicians from the country’s main opposition party have condemned the use of excessive force by police in response to peaceful and lawful protests. EU Tour - DJ workshops Our European tour continues this week with a stop at our favourite local venue Arkaoda, before trips to London, Brussels, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and other cities to throw parties and run workshops next month. See the full list of upcoming dates and apply to take part in DJ workshops in all the cities we’re visiting. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Natalie Robinson, Mehmet Aslan, Glaesha Wednesday: Vio PRG, Steve Bicknell, OCCA Thursday: Kemback, Sarah Zeryab, Curses & Mufti Friday: Cassy, Crisp, Jeyrototo Saturday: Gasoline Radio Takeover]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide Community Hangout]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tinys-community-hangout</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tinys-community-hangout</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Sunday at Tiny's Pizza Garten.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are hosting a Refuge Worldwide community hangout this Sunday in Berlin.  Taking ourselves out of the club/festival environment and away from Weserstraße is important headspace every once in a while. This family-friendly event will be a chance for people to network, link-up and chill out together. Refuge Worldwide community members and radio residents get 20% off of all pizzas for the afternoon, while music will come from George Snow and Sarah Zeryab. The hangout runs from 14:00 - 17:00, while folks are invited to stay at Tiny's to catch a performance from soul singer Ria at 18:00.  Address: Oel Garten / ÆVE, Schleusenufer 1 ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide & Carhartt WIP drop limited edition tour t-shirt]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/carharttwip-tour-t-shirt</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/carharttwip-tour-t-shirt</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Available at Oona Bar this Friday.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As part of the Refuge Worldwide Euro Tour 2023, we've teamed up with Carhartt WIP on a limited edition piece of apparel.  This one time only run of tees was designed by Raoul Gottschling and modelled by Refuge Worldwide crew member, Xtian. The shirts will be available from this Friday (September 15) at Oona Bar, Weserstr 166, 12045 Berlin (collection only).  Throughout the tour, we'll be hosting a series of sessions at Carhartt WIP stores, with the first taking place in Cologne (October 19). Information on further in-stores and locations stocking the tee will be released soon. The parties and workshops start on 16 September, kicking off at Control Club in Bucharest, and end with a Berlin date on December 8th. Along the way, the tour will stop in Istanbul, Tbilisi, Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Ghent, Paris, Copenhagen, Cologne, Warsaw, Lisbon and Turin.  There will be sets from artists including rRoxymore, Ece Özel, Sansibar, Hunee, Anu, Bradley Zero, Tikiman, JADALAREIGN, Mala Herba, Andrea, Fernanda Arrau, Willow, Josey Rebelle and Yen Sung, as well as station residents such as DJ Amir, Sally C, Stella Zekri, Nikola, Calamidades Lola, AGY3NA and mokeyanju, and co-founders No Plastic and Richard Akingbehin. As with all Refuge Worldwide programs, priority access to the workshops will be given to people of colour, people from the LGBTQI+ community and those otherwise marginalised from such opportunities. The application page is here. Model: Xtian Photos: Andrew White Tee design: Raoul Gottschling ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide's Neighbourhood Dance returns to Arkaoda]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-sept-30</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-sept-30</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 08 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our European Tour stops at home in Berlin this month.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We're back at our favourite basement, Arkaoda, with an all-star line-up and guaranteed vibes from 10pm until 6am.  Downstairs there will be a back-to-back from Two Thou & The Neighbourhood Character, plus sets from DJ Amir (acclaimed as half of the duo Kon & Amir), miszo and Deniz Arslan. Upstairs MAKAYABUNDO, mokeyanju and Calamidades Lola's eclectic selections will soundtrack the night. The event is part of our European tour, meaning there will be a Carhartt WIP-supported DJ workshop in the venue before the party. The workshop runs from 8-10pm, and is a vinyl-only session hosted by The Neighbourhood Character. Applications are open now here.  General entry will be 10€ and we will also be collecting donations on the door for the gender affirming surgery of a dear member of our community. Photo credit: Luke Hawkins Artwork credit: Raoul Gottschling]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin Art Week kicks off on Wednesday 13 September]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-art-week</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berlin-art-week</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 06 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[DJs from Refuge Worldwide are joining the 5 day program.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Berlin Art Week is returning next week. Taking place across the city at spaces including Daadgalerie, Schinkel Pavillon, Galerie Max Hetzler, HKW, Fotografiska, Berlin Atonal, Gropius Bau, Kindl, Esther Schipper, The Liminal Beach, C/O Berlin and Trauma Bar, Berlin Art Week  Refuge Worldwide will be taking care of the DJ curation at the BAW Garten hub, located at the prestigious Neue Nationalgalerie, with No Plastic, Richard Akingbehin, Gabi & Jopo, DJ Fire Abend and Alias Error spinning over the week. Entry is free and there will be talks, performances and workshops alongside the music. For more information on the week's program, head to the official site. Photo: David von Becker]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #133]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-04-sep-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-04-sep-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 05 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[50 years since Pinochet coup | Syria protests | Trees for Sakamoto]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Chilean state begins search for "disappeared" people Chile’s government has announced a new National Search Plan to investigate the disappearance of thousands of people during the 17-year dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. Families of the nearly 1500 people who were “disappeared” by Pinochet can finally receive state support to find their relatives – the remains of only 307 people have been identified so far. On 11 September, Chile will commemorate 50 years since the United States-backed coup against President Salvador Allende that brought Pinochet to power.  Syria protesters demand regime change Protests in Syria have entered a second week. Driven by spiralling food and fuel prices and the ongoing economic crisis, demonstrations began in the city of Sweida, home to a large Druze community. News has circulated online of protesters calling for the removal of President Bashar al-Assad, bringing back memories of the 2011 uprising that became the Syrian civil war. German police and US military trained Saudi border force German police and the US military trained the Saudi border forces accused of murdering hundreds of refugees at the border with Yemen, according to a new Guardian report. Human Rights Watch revealed last month a pattern of deliberate mass killings on the border that could amount to “crimes against humanity” perpetrated by Saudi Arabia. Germany’s interior ministry has responded, claiming that the training programme was “discontinued after reports of possible massive human rights violations.”  Spain elects first transgender senator Spain has its first openly trans senator, Carla Antonelli. The former actress and veteran activist was a leading advocate for Spain’s trans self-ID reform, which passed in February this year, making it easier for trans people in Spain to legally change their pronouns. As Spain’s right-wing People’s Party and Vox party threaten to roll back the legislation, Antonelli has vowed to “defend our rights tooth and nail.” Trees for Sakamoto launches fundraiser You can now donate to TREES FOR SAKAMOTO, a fundraising campaign launched in memory of Ryuichi Sakamoto to support tree-planting initiatives. The visionary composer, known for his environmental activism, passed away in March this year. Organisers have selected five regions across the globe for the first round of fundraising, including parts of Brazil, China, Japan, Tanzania and Indonesia. Pawnshop police raids Tapei club Pawnshop, which hosts a residency on Refuge Worldwide, has announced it is filing an official complaint against law enforcement after local police raided the club without a warrant on 27 August. Taking place during LGBTQ+ party Hakone Hotspring, the latest raid was the twelfth unannounced search of the premises since May.  Police have apparently been targeting Pawnshop as part of a new push to keep young people away from drugs and crime, despite the club’s ongoing cooperation with police and zero-tolerance drug policy. Homophobia now punishable with prison in Brazil Brazil’s Supreme Court has ruled that homophobic slurs can now be punishable with prison. The near-unanimous ruling means that anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech is now on the same legal level as racist hate speech in Brazil, a country considered one of the most dangerous in the world for transgender people. Rights group ABGLT has called the ruling “a historic achievement for our community.” Refuge Worldwide and Minor Figures at Ceecee Cafe We’re teaming up with Minor Figures to curate an afternoon of music at Cee Cee Cafe for Coffee Week Berlin this Friday, 8 September. Catch sets from Kissen and VG+, plus drinks courtesy of Minor Figures, Cee Cee and Akkurat, and food from The Sanctuary. EU tour & workshops We’re back on the road this Autumn for a 16-date European tour. Inviting 59 artists, in collaboration with Carhartt WIP, you can catch us at parties and workshops from Lisbon to Istanbul. See the schedule and apply for workshops. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Elise & softworld, Nadia Wise Wednesday: Tina & KeyClef, Thaïs Thursday: Nick Höppner, REIF, gabi & jopo Friday: CEYDAKISS, TMFD, Dane Joe Saturday: Sied, Patterns Of Perception Header image: A crowd march in Santiago, Chile to support the election of Salvador Allende, 1964. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Road to Nowhere magazine launch and zine workshop]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/road-to-nowhere-magazine-launch-zine-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/road-to-nowhere-magazine-launch-zine-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 04 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday 23 September at Oona.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The Road to Nowhere (TRTN) is a magazine of creative and cultural writing, art and photography about second-generation immigrants, diasporas and migration narratives. On 23 September The Road to Nowhere launches its new edition, Volume Three, at Oona. Featuring the work of 27 contributors sharing stories of journeys to their homelands, Volume Three explores "the legacy of a homeland throughout its diaspora." From 13:00-15:00, there will be a community zine-making workshop. Participants will be invited to each create a page of a zine exploring diaspora, migration and community with craft material over the course of an hour/two hours at Oona. TRTN will then upload the pages together as a digital zine for download and sharing, and everyone in the zine will be credited.  Afterwards, join us for a pop-up exhibition, readings from contributors, snacks, cocktails, and music from Abiba, Dynoman, Jinisjuicy and Moneyama. You can also buy limited edition prints of images from the new issue. 10% of sales will be donated to Choose Love, a UK-based charity supporting refugees across the globe, and Refuge Worldwide's non-profit partner Turning Tables, who empower young people in Berlin through music. Sign up for the zine-making workshop here.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #132]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-29-aug-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-29-aug-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Ecuador Oil Drilling Referendum | Greece Wildfires | Tempelhofer Feld Development]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Ecuador votes top stop oil drilling in national park Ecuadorians have voted overwhelmingly to stop oil drilling in the Yasuní national park in the Amazon rainforest. Yasuní is considered one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, and is home to the “uncontacted” Tagaeri and Taromenane indigenous communities.  A historic victory in the fight against the political dominance of the global fossil fuel industry, the result means up to 726 million barrels of oil will be kept underground. Greece: Vigilantes attack refugees after blaming them for wildfires Refugees and migrants have become scapegoats in Greece as the country battles an unprecedented number of deadly wildfires. One ultra-nationalist MP took to Facebook last week to claim that recent arrivals to Greece were to blame for starting fires, triggering a spike in racist vigilante violence against migrants in the Evros region close to the Turkish border, which has seen some of the worst destruction due to fires.  Urban planning competition for Berlin's Tempelhofer Feld The debate around building on Tempelhofer Feld goes on. Berlin’s CDU/SPD coalition has initiated a new urban planning competition, calling for new ideas regarding the development of some parts of the former airstrip. In 2014 a legally-binding referendum ruled out any building on Tempelhof – questions remain around the legality of any new development unless that decision is overturned. Sea Eye 4 and 2 other rescue vessels detained in Italian ports Italian authorities have detained two German sea rescue vessels operated by Sea Eye and Sea-Watch in the Mediterranean for violating a new Italian law prohibiting multiple consecutive rescues. Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government has been cracking down on sea rescue organisations this year, passing a decree in February to limit their activities. Sea-Eye report saving 114 lives last week.  Saudi death sentence over tweets Retired teacher Mohammed al-Ghamdi has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for a series of tweets criticizing the Saudi government and calling for the release of political prisoners. The ruling, made in response to tweets sent from an anonymous account with only 9 followers, is the first death sentence by a Saudi court in a case of online activism. It follows a trend of increasingly extreme measures used in the last year by the Saudi government to silence its critics. EU Tour & DJ workshops We’re back on the road this Autumn for a 16-date European tour. Inviting 58 artists, in collaboration with Carhartt WIP, you can catch us at parties and workshops from Lisbon to Istanbul. Click here to find out more and apply for workshops. FBM Workshop We’re teaming up with Femme Bass Mafia to host the workshop ‘Know Your Tech!’ hosted by DJ, producer and sound engineer Monibi. The workshop aims to teach participants everything they need to know about setting up DJ equipment and troubleshooting, tracing the signal flow of DJ setup from sound source to destination. Apply here. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Éclat Crew, Jank Inc., Marta Mer Wednesday: Nomansland, Privacy, Kilopatrah Jones Thursday: Vio PRG, SWISHA, Cosmic Circuit Friday: ABIBA, Madame Shazzzam, Rix In The Mix Saturday: Lily Haz, Red Bananna, krstn Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Femme Bass Mafia present DJ-tech workshop]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fbm-dj-workshop-monibi</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fbm-dj-workshop-monibi</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Workshop hosted by Monibi at Gretchen, Saturday 9 September.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA['Know Your DJ Tech!' is a workshop that aims to teach participants everything they need to know about setting up DJ equipment and troubleshooting, tracing the signal flow of DJ setup from sound source to destination. Aimed at those with previous experience DJing, this workshop will answer questions such as: how do I connect a CDJ, turntable, or microphone to a DJ mixer? Which cable do I use for what? Why can't I hear anything? What is signal flow? What is stereo vs. mono? What is digital vs analogue? Why are there so many digital file formats?  Femme Bass Mafia mentor, DJ and producer Monibi will be your host. Alongside her artistic output and regular touring, Monibi has been working as a sound engineer for live music venues, festivals and clubs since 2016, making her ideally placed to guide participants through the technical side of DJing. To host the workshop, we're teaming up with Femme Bass Mafia, a Berlin-based mentorship program dedicated to women, transgender and non-binary people for the learning and practising of DJing in a safer space. Priority will be given to FLINTA applicants with limited access to the music industry & music technology education. 'Know Your DJ Tech!' will take place on Saturday 9 September from 12:00-15:00 at Gretchen, Obentrautstr. 19-21. Read more info and apply here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #131]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-aug-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-aug-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 22 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Wildfires | Flash Floods in Germany | Lieferando Strikes]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Indigenous populations worst affected by wildfires Wildfires driven by climate crisis continue to engulf vast regions of Canada and claim lives – 114 so far – on the Hawaiian island of Maui. In the US and Canada, indigenous populations are disproportionately affected by wildfires and widespread destruction drives fears of cultural erasure. Calls are growing for greater involvement of these communities in prevention – despite thousands of years of experience, indigenous methods play little part in the approach of western states to managing wildfires. Increase in deportations from Germany Deportations are on the rise in Germany – new statistics from Germany’s Interior Ministry show a 27% increase in the first six months of 2023 compared to the same period last year. This month, SPD Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced a series of ominous new proposals to speed up deportations further, including giving more power to the police to carry out deportations.  Berliners can join the campaign to stop a new deportation centre being opened at Flughafen BER – keep up to date via IG and sign the petition here. 4.5 million displaced by war in Sudan Over 1 million people have now fled Sudan and 3.5 million have been internally displaced since war broke out in April. The crisis gripping the country continues to spiral out of control, particularly in the western region of Darfur, where the RSF paramilitary has been accused of deliberately hiding evidence of war crimes against the Masalit people and other non-Arab communities. Saudi Arabia accused of massacres on border with Yemen Saudi Arabia has been accused of deliberately killing hundreds of people on the border with Yemen, a pattern of violence uncovered in a new report by Human Rights Watch. The Saudi/Yemeni border has become a major transit point for refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa, a region that has been devastated by drought and famine in the last three years. Saudi authorities have repeatedly denied responsibility for the attacks, which HRW say could amount to ‘crimes against humanity’. Italian government cracks down on same-sex parents Italy’s government has been cracking down on the listing of same-sex parents on birth certificates, leaving many couples in legal limbo and children effectively “orphaned by decree” – in the words of opposition politician Alessandro Zan. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has repeatedly stated her view that children can only be raised by heterosexual parents, is leading an assault on same-sex couples in Italy, which is already among the worst countries in Western Europe for LGBTQ+ rights. Lieferando workers strike in Berlin Lieferando couriers demonstrated in front of the company’s Kreuzberg headquarters last week to protest low pay, wage fluctuations and a lack of basic working rights such as nighttime bonuses and vacations. Delivery service employees in precarious employment in Germany have been taking action in recent months – Wolt drivers launched the “ReWolt” campaign earlier this year when three employees took the company to court for withholding wages. Turkish coastguard rescues 125 after Greek pushback Turkey’s coastguard rescued over 125 people stranded in a rubber dinghy in the Aegean Sea after an illegal Greek pushback, Turkish authorities reported last week. Greece has pushed back tens of thousands of refugees and migrants in the last decade, often with the complicity or help of the EU border agency Frontex. Greek authorities continue to evade a full investigation into the responsibility of the Greek Coastguard for the Pylos shipwreck in June, in which over 500 people lost their lives. Flooding across Germany Germany’s summer of unpredictable and extreme weather continues. Last week, severe thunderstorms and flash flooding in Nuremberg led to power cuts across the city and forced drivers to abandon their cars when an underpass filled with water. At Frankfurt airport, 110 flights were cancelled when the entire premises was flooded.  This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: proxy_404 & NMSS, O.N.A & DJ SWISHA Wednesday: Monibi, Steve Bicknell, PDA Thursday: Golden Medusa, Kemback & Radio DP, Bridon'tknow Friday: Bonzai Bonner, Elif & Cemre, Marco Ohboy Saturday: Ophélie, Christophe Darbouze, George Snow Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide & Carhartt WIP announce Europe tour]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/eu-tour-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/eu-tour-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 22 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[16 events take place from 16 September - 08 December]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We're hitting the road!

Building on the success of last year’s European tour, the Berlin-based radio station Refuge Worldwide returns to the road this autumn, this time in collaboration with Carhartt WIP.  The parties and workshops start on 16 September, kicking off at Control Club in Bucharest, and end with a Berlin date on December 8th. Along the way, the tour will stop in Istanbul, Tbilisi, Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Ghent, Paris, Copenhagen, Cologne, Warsaw, Lisbon and Turin.  There will be sets from artists including rRoxymore, Ece Özel, Sansibar, Hunee, Anu, Bradley Zero, Tikiman, JADALAREIGN, Mala Herba, Andrea, Fernanda Arrau, Willow, Josey Rebelle and Yen Sung, as well as station residents such as DJ Amir, Sally C, Stella Zekri, Nikola, Calamidades Lola, AGY3NA and mokeyanju, and co-founders No Plastic and Richard Akingbehin. As well as the artists, there will be collaborations with partner collectives of Refuge Worldwide: Rhythm Section, Pleasure Control, Oramics, Kiosk Radio, European Lab, Root Radio, La Notte and HORS-SOL. As with 2022’s tour, each event will be preceded by a DJ workshop taking place in the venue. One of the night’s artists will host a two-hour, free-to-attend session, helping participants through some of the lessons bedroom DJs learn as they progress to playing club gigs. Applications are now open. As with all Refuge Worldwide programs, priority will be given to people of colour, people from the LGBTQI+ community and those otherwise marginalised from such opportunities. Apply for the workshops here. In addition to the tour, a limited edition Carhartt WIP and Refuge Worldwide clothing piece will be released in September. Founded in 1994, Carhartt WIP is the subculture and media-focused offshoot of the beloved workwear brand, Carhartt. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #130]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-14-aug-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-14-aug-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Panama's Coastal Communities | Germany's Green Transition | Savvy Contemporary]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Coastal communities at risk in Panama On the island of Gardi Sugdub just off Panama, rising sea levels and floods are threatening the homes, livelihoods and human rights of thousands of Guna Indigenous people. A project to relocate the island’s population has repeatedly been delayed. Human Rights Watch is urging the Panamanian government to seize the chance to "create a blueprint" for coastal communities threatened by the climate crisis worldwide. Read the full HRW report here. Germans want a green economy A clear majority of people in Germany support a transition to a greener economy, according to the president of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). 91% of respondents to a recent UBA survey said they were generally or very in favour of making Germany’s economy greener, although data also showed a gap between opinions on climate action and individual actions.  Ecuador presidential candidate assassinated Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot and killed last week at a public rally. The country’s second-largest criminal gang Los Lobos shared a video claiming responsibility for the murder and threatening another candidate. With less than two weeks before the election a state of emergency has been declared and several candidates have suspended their campaigns. Villavicencio was previously an investigative journalist working to uncover corruption in Ecuador and had been campaigning against organised crime. UK Barge evacuated due to Legionella The UK government has evacuated a new barge brought in to house asylum seekers less than a week after residents were moved in after potentially lethal Legionella bacteria was found in the water supply. The Home Office is under pressure once again for its “startling incompetence” – local council officials say they had flagged test results showing the potential health risks four days before the evacuation, but people continued to be transferred there. Leader of illegal deforestation gang arrested Brazillian police have arrested a man responsible for the deforestation of a vast area in the Amazon rainforest. Bruno Heller has been accused of running illegal logging operations in order to raise cattle, as well as the illegal appropriation of 21,000 hectares of public land in indigenous reserves and environmentally protected areas. Brazilian president Lula announced a crackdown on illegal deforestation earlier this year, as part of his plan to end deforestation by the year 2030. Bodies found on the Tunisian-Libyan border Libyan border authorities reported last week that at least 27 people had been found dead at the Tunisian-Libyan border. Since early July, Tunisia has reportedly expelled over 1000 Black Africans from cities and abandoned them in the desert close to the Libyan or Algerian borders to face temperatures in excess of 40 degrees. Despite a large number of eyewitness reports, Tunisian authorities continue to deny the accusations. Fourth officer sentenced for George Floyd murder The last police officer to be tried in relation to the murder of George Floyd has been sentenced to over 4 years in prison. Tou Thao, who was holding back bystanders trying to help George Floyd when the murder took place, was found guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. He is the fourth and final officer to be sentenced in relation to the murder, which took place in 2020 and triggered a worldwide protest movement against racism and police violence. Shayan Navab for Savvy Contemporary As part of the Savvy Contemporary's collaboration with Dusseldorf's Lantz'scher sculpture park, Refuge resident Shayan Navab created a mini-radio play about the life, dynamics and politics of a fictional park. Listen to Park FM here or find it as part of an ongoing exhibition in the sculpture park. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Raf, King Sleepy, Müge Wednesday: Jesse G & Dérive, Bloomfeld & MISTIICA Thursday: Gregory Wawa, Maryisonacid, Thabo & Charles Moon Friday: Room 4 Resistance, Lawrence Lee & Cora Saturday: SWAK, Kissen, OKRA Collective Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Photo Gallery: Expressions In The Garden]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/expressions-photo-gallery</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/expressions-photo-gallery</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Performances from Kultursommerfestival captured on camera.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Earlier this month Refuge Worldwide joined artists including Kelvyn Colt, LARY, Moses Yoofee Trio and Noah Slee at Berlin's Gardens of the World for Kultursommerfestival 2023. An initiative of Berlin's Senate For Culture, Kultursommerfestival aims to bring together the city's diverse cultural landscape within a series of free to attend, outdoor events. Expressions In The Garden saw a live music and performance event curated by Dhanesh Jayaselan, with A Song For You (conducted by Noah Slee) and The Expressions Orchestra (conducted by Zacharias Falkenberg), alongside dance performances from the Movement Seven collective (choreography by Stephanie Ilova).  Take a look back at the evening in our photo gallery, captured by Jamila K. Grote, Yanina Isla, and Coda Photos. Songs by each artist were completely reinterpreted and performed for the first time on a large stage in a form never heard before. Noah Slee (above) went through his solo catalogue, before leading the A Song For You choir. Ghostpoet (above) treated ticket holders to an early evening DJ set on the Refuge Worldwide stage. Over at the arena, the Expressions crew appeared surrounded by beautiful garden scenery. 'A Song For You' have quickly become one of Berlin's most beloved collectives. Noah Slee (above) took centre stage in the early evening, after dance ensemble, Movement Seven (below). Acclaimed pianist and producer Moses Yoofee was joined by Noah Fürbringerand and Roman Klob, (Moses Yoofee Trio, pictured below). As the sun went down in east Berlin, performers began to crank up the tempo. Singer-songwriter LARY (below) delivered a set packed full of leftfield pop music. Rapper Kelvyn Colt was on point to close the event down. Gärten der Welt's amphitheatre midsummer location. Follow Expressions for future updates.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA["Lively, organic, joyful": Get to know Maryisonacid]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/maryisonacid-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/maryisonacid-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[African Acid Is The Future's boss chats ahead of Panorama Bar this weekend.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[If you have listened to any of Maryisonacid’s Comme À La Radio shows for us, the descriptor “lively, organic, joyful” will be a familiar reference. The French-born DJ, born Maryama Luccioni, has an endlessly eclectic style, blending records across disparate eras and continents. Her party African Acid Is The Future takes the same approach and has become one of Berlin’s best-loved events over its ten years so far. Ahead of Maryama’s set at our Panorama Bar party this Friday, we took a minute to see what’s on her mind. So, firstly, the most important question. How are you today? I'm good. I could be better considering we are having a strange summer, but yeah pretty good. What have been the highlights of your summer so far? I would say the choir A Song For You at our party last time. It's been a long time that I've been wanting to do that. So, we might as well start by talking about that night at African Acid Is The Future. It looked amazing. I just heard about A Song For You a few months ago. It was a big click because I think seven years ago I expressed the feeling that I wanted to bring a choir to the party but I didn't know where to look. People advised me about some choirs but it just didn't feel like it was the kind that I wanted to perform at the party. Then came A Song For You - a BIPOC choir with a diverse range of performers and artists. Click! I contacted Noah and he already knew about African Acid. In a really nice exchange of emails, he said they were up for it and told me there would be maybe around 10 or 12 singers. He asked me, “can we do whatever we want?”  “Of course,” I said. “I’m not gonna tell you what to do.” Ultimately they were maybe 16 or 20 performers. They played peak time, around 3AM. Dhanesh was DJing and they had a percussionist. I was completely stunned by them. Wow. I felt like this is very, very on point for us, you know? So lively, organic and joyful. And I mean, how it's flowing between them, the sense of community that they have, how they knew exactly what they would do. It felt like a peak for African Acid, for sure, it felt like “OK, now what’s next?” But don’t worry about that! Were there some parties that inspired you to start AAITF?  Not really, but if there had to be one it would be David Mancuso’s Loft party. Just from hearing the stories about it actually, and because we've been compared to it by people from that generation - which I take as a huge compliment. More than being inspired by any other party, African Acid is an invitation to my own living room, the way I host people and how we share a space with our own circle of friends. So do you think of yourself more as a DJ, or a promoter, or a radio host, or? I feel like I am someone who curates music and those different roles are just vessels of curation. The radio is probably my favourite setting to DJ actually because I like the lack of ego. It’s so liberating. That’s a nice way of thinking about radio, especially compared to video streams.  I've never done one. Never will? Never say never but it’s not really my thing. I think it's taken over a lot of space in terms of how you can be part of the scene today. I'm sure in some ways not doing live streams has put me on the side of some things, but at the end of the day I will reach the people that I want to. As well as the radio shows for Refuge Worldwide, we've been happy to have you as a workshop host a couple of times. I know from what you’ve told me, you really enjoyed that as well. Had you done any teaching before? Never. I was really nervous because I thought you need more credentials to teach something. I mean, how do you actually translate your own experience to people who really want to know in-depth and in detail? But, I love to meet people and talk about something I love, so it was a great experience. When I started to DJ, there was nothing like this. Agreed. When I arrived in Berlin, in 2014, the scene felt like a fortress. Anyway, is there anything outside of music that is really exciting for you at the moment? That's an interesting question. Actually, I feel like I've never done just music. Like when we do African Acid events, I see all the universe of art and creations come together and interweave - music, art, video, performance, fashion. I’m working on a clothing line actually. It's been two years in the works already, beginning during my stay in Ivory Coast, working with local artisans. I'll be hopefully ready to present that collection next year, with around 100 pieces. I do not want to have it seen as something for the fashion world. They were made by artisans and I feel they need to breathe into a different space than just fashion. So that's an exciting thing. And I know you also get very excited by Japan and your travels there. What is it that you love so much about going and playing there? I'm really excited about the culture there in general, but in terms of playing there, I think it's the first time I was in a space where I felt like people were so focused on what you're doing in a very gentle and respectful way. It took away a lot of anxiety, the feeling of I really need to deliver big. It humbles you, it pushes you to really go deep inside who you want to be as a performing DJ. One of the reasons we are having this interview is that you're playing at our party at Panorama Bar next week, which we're very excited about. Do you have some ideas in mind for what you want to present in that space?  I'm not really that kind of DJ. My intention is much more last minute. I tend to just collect more for big gigs but I never know if I will end up playing that new stuff. In general I'm trying to bring some warmth to the club, a little less of the generic, four-to-the-floor western house music you hear everywhere. Nowadays I am hearing more people in Berlin exploring different things and that makes me even more comfortable doing it in my own way. Lastly, since I first heard about African Acid Is The Future a few years ago, I was always very curious about the name. What’s the explanation? I really want people to feel free about what they hear in this name. I was already called Maryisonacid, the “African” and” future” parts come from a long and beautiful conversation about LSD and Afrofuturism in a toilet… It’s a mouthful, but it always worked and I think it attracted a lot of people. It’s a statement as well because I didn't want to be over political, but there was a message there and I felt like it was nice to push it in the front. Portraits by Iga Drobisz African Acid Is The Future photo by Camille Bokhobza Interview by Richard Akingbehin]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #129]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-07-aug-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-07-aug-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Decriminalise Sea Rescue | Stop Tesla Factory Expansion | Majazz Project]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Sea rescue operations do not promote migration A new German study has found that there is no evidence that sea rescue operations promote migration. Analysing data from 2011-2020, researchers at the University of Potsdam found that the presence of sea rescue organisations was not a ‘pull factor’ for people looking to cross the Mediterranean. The ‘pull factor’ theory has long been used by EU border authorities to justify the criminalisation of those working to save lives on Europe’s borders. Tesla’s Berlin factory could put public water at risk Tesla’s new plans to expand its so-called Gigafactory in Grünheide, just outside Berlin, will have serious impacts on the local environment. The regional water association has raised concerns that the development, which would span one million square meteres of land and that was previously forest, could stop the formation of new groundwater and reduce the drinking water supply. Environmentalists have repeatedly warned of the devastating impacts on biodiversity since construction began in 2019. SPD’s Nancy Faeser moves to make deportations easier Nancy Faeser, Germany’s SPD Interior Minister, is pushing to make the processes of deportation and detention easier. New proposals would allow longer detention times, as well as the deportation of people suspected of involvement in organised crime, even if they have not been convicted. The plans have been heavily criticised – one Green MP accused the government of encouraging “isolation and spreading fear… for those who are in need of protection.” Majazz Project Fundraiser Donate now to support Majazz Project, a record label dedicated to archiving and releasing forgotten Palestinian and Arab music. Palestinian culture is under constant threat of destruction and erasure – help Majazz Project to keep a piece of vital musical heritage alive. Meta, YouTube and Google promoting harmful products in Kenya Big tech firms have been accused of profiting from the promotion of fake health products to women in Kenya. According to new research, firms including Meta, YouTube and Google have been amplifying content for unproven and potentially dangerous remedies for infertility and cancer, and other products marketed to women. Social media platforms have been under scrutiny in Kenya recently – Meta faces three more lawsuits in the country due to failures in content moderation. Volunteer for foodKIND in Athens Greek NGO foodKIND are looking for volunteers to help them distribute food to refugees and displaced people in crisis in Athens. Head to their website to find out more about volunteering, and for those unable to help in person, donate! Get to know Maryisonacid Ahead of our party at Panorama Bar this weekend, we caught up with African Acid is the Future founder Maryisonacid who shared her takes on party promoting, curation and broadcasting. Catch Maryisonacid at our party this Friday alongside Eliza Rose, Dreamcastmoe, All Night Passion and Tornado Wallace. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Mareena & Irakli, DJ Luv You Wednesday: Still On Hold, Berenice Llorens Thursday:Alias Error, SAGAN, Astral VIP Friday: PBar Warm-Up w/ Eliza Rose, dreamcastmoe Saturday: Burkey, Makayabundo Social Club]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide hosts poetry workshop & open mic event at Oona]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/creative-space-2-0</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/creative-space-2-0</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sunday 13 August at Oona (Weserstr. 166).]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In collaboration with Creative Space 2.0 (WIB e.V.), we're hosting an event where young individuals can explore their creativity through a writing workshop and participate in an open mic event.  Join us on Sunday 13 August, at Oona (Weserstr. 166, 12045). Creative Space 2.0 (WIB e.V.) is a non-profit that creates opportunities for young Muslim people to meet and connect through spoken word and poetry slams. The organisation also offers creative writing workshops and opportunities to perform on stage as well as a space for them to talk about topics such as racism and other experiences of discrimination. Poetry workshop & open mic event running order:  14:00-17:00: Writing workshop hosted by Amra - sign up here. Embark on a poetic journey during this writing workshop led by the talented poet and writer, Amra. In these three hours, participants will learn valuable approaches and techniques from an established poet, enhancing their poetic abilities and confidence in spoken word performances. Unlock your creative potential and ignite your passion for self-expression in this free workshop. You don’t need any writing experience to join.  17:00-18:00: Community gathering with food and drinks We invite all participants and the community to come together for food, drinks, and music. Selected radio shows from the Refuge archive will soundtrack the evening.  18:00-19:00: Open mic It's time to take the stage and make your voice heard. The Open Mic session is a platform for you to showcase your talent and share your thoughts, feelings, and stories. Whether it's spoken word, poetry, or any form of self-expression, this is your chance to captivate the audience and inspire others with your words. 19:00-21:00: Hang out and enjoy a musical journey from the Refuge Worldwide archive.  The project creative space 2.0 by WIB e.V. is funded by the Senate Department for Labour, Social Affairs, Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination as part of the Participation and Integration Programme. [Deutsch]  Refuge Worldwide lädt in Zusammenarbeit mit  creative space 2.0 - WIB Lounge zu einer Veranstaltung ein, bei der junge Menschen ihre Kreativität in einem Schreibworkshop erkunden und an einem Open Mic Event teilnehmen können. Kommt am Sonntag, den 13. August, in die Oona Bar in der Weserstr. 166, 12045 (das Gebäude ist grün, und präsentiert sich als Bar). 14:00-17:00 Uhr: Schreibworkshop unter der Leitung von Amra - hier anmelden. Begebt euch auf eine poetische Reise während dieses Schreibworkshops, der von der talentierten Dichterin und Schriftstellerin Amra geleitet wird. In diesen drei Stunden lernen die Teilnehmenden von einer etablierten Dichterin wertvolle Ansätze und Techniken kennen, die ihre poetischen Fähigkeiten und ihr Selbstvertrauen bei der Spoken Word Performance verbessern. Entfesselt euer kreatives Potenzial und entfacht eure Leidenschaft für den Selbstausdruck in diesem kostenlosen Workshop. Für die Teilnahme sind keine Erfahrungen im Schreiben erforderlich. 17:00-18:00: Community-Gathering mit Essen und Getränken

Wir laden alle Teilnehmenden und die Community ein, zu einer gemütlichen Stunde mit Essen, Getränken und Musik zusammenzukommen. Ausgewählte Radiosendungen aus dem Refuge-Archiv werden den Abend untermalen. 18:00-19:00 Uhr: Open Mic Es ist Zeit, die Bühne zu betreten und sich Gehör zu verschaffen. Die Open Mic Session ist eine Plattform für euch, um euer Talent zu zeigen und euren Gedanken, Gefühlen und Geschichten Ausdruck zu verleihen. Ob Spoken Word, Poesie oder eine andere Form des Selbstausdrucks - dies ist eure Chance, das Publikum zu fesseln und andere mit euren Worten zu inspirieren. 19:00-21:00 Uhr: Entspannt euch und genießt eine musikalische Reise aus dem Archiv von Refuge Worldwide. Das Projekt creative space 2.0 von WIB eV wird von der Senatsverwaltung für Arbeit, Soziales, Gleichstellung, Integration, Vielfalt und Antidiskriminierung im Rahmen des Partizipations- und Integrationsprogramm gefördert. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Say hello to our new Breakfast Show hosts!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/new-breakfast-show-hosts</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/new-breakfast-show-hosts</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 02 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide's flagship morning slot switches up.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As regular listeners of The Breakfast Show may have already noticed, there have been some additions to our morning rota.  Over recent months we have been delighted to welcome new hosts alongside Nikola, Mokeyanju and a few special guests.  As of August, Nikola will take care of three mornings per week instead of two - Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - while Tuesdays will be shared between mokeyanju, Stella Zekri,  Nordberg, Nadia Wise and Andreya Casablanca. As ever, you can tune in to The Breakfast Show for the latest Refuge Worldwide news, chat and soundtrack to your morning routine.  Massive thanks to Nikola and mokeyanju who have been doing an amazing job, building the show and holding it down every week since we launched last October.  No other changes! Make sure to tune in live every Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 until 12:00 CET, and we'll see you in the chatroom. Photos by Milena Zara.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Apply for a new radio mentorship programme with Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/radio-mentorship-programme-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/radio-mentorship-programme-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Gabriel Gifford, Nicky Böhm, Two Thou, Monty Luke and ELLLL will teach multiple aspects of radio production.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From 4 September until 20 November we are running a new mentorship programme, offering participants a hands-on experience in radio broadcasting. This new programme, presented in collaboration with the Supporting Act Foundation and hosted by five Refuge Worldwide residents, is designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between broadcasting experts from our radio community and aspiring radio hosts, with close one-on-one mentoring sessions giving participants ongoing support with their creative ideas. Each mentor will work closely with two mentees to develop new radio shows, covering all aspects of radio production and broadcasting from concept development, interview and research techniques to storytelling, DJing, audio production and marketing.  Sessions last 1.5 hours and the time slots available are from 10:00-19:00. Sessions will take place weekly at Refuge Worldwide (Weserstr. 166, Berlin) on Mondays from 4 Sep to 20 Nov 2023, ending with a showcase day celebrating the work of the 10 participants. Find out more about each of our mentors below. If you’re looking to apply, we encourage you to consider which mentor will be best suited to helping you get what you want out of the programme. Apply here. Gabriel Gifford Gabriel Gifford is a Berlin-based artist, producer, and mix engineer. Citing contemporary producers such as Nicolas Jaar, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Frank Dukes, Gabriel’s production ventures in experimental pop, psychedelic soul and darker electronic music. As well as co-founding Berlin-based collective, Reverse Engineering, Gabriel has hosted residencies on Noods Radio, Radio Alhara, and Refuge Worldwide, with eclectic shows ranging from 70s psych-folk to contemporary rap and bass music.  Gabriel’s mentorship is best suited to those looking to do more daytime-friendly shows. His background in production means he’s able to teach the technical side – including producing radio shows remotely, sound design and creating jingles. Nicky Böhm Nicky Böhm is a music industry project manager, curator and mentor based in Berlin (Atonal, Tresor, Refuge Worldwide, Beatport, BPitch Control, !K7). She serves on the board of Aslice's charitable foundation and was included in shesaid.so's 2021 alternative power 100 list.  Nicky has hosted a range of interview and discussion format shows on Refuge Worldwide, including Flip The Script and Flip The Script Palestine. As a radio host, she specialises in spoken word radio formats including interviews, audio documentaries, talk shows and shows focused on news and current affairs. Two Thou Two Thou is a music producer, designer and radio host, active cross-genre and cross-scenes for over a decade. He’s in love with the futuristic invention of jazz and he’s a firm believer that the acts of dancing and music-making have mind healing powers. Two Thou has art-directed multiple projects in both experimental and dance music, and released music himself on labels such as Lakuti’s Uzuri, Monchan’s Dailysession, the Italian Slow Motion and his own Gifted Culture Records. Two Thou’s interest on-air is in hybrid shows, where music is prominent but talk is equally important. He can also help with production skills and teach participants how to produce radio shows remotely. Monty Luke Producer, DJ and founder of the label Black Catalogue, Monty Luke is a versatile DJ with a passion for all facets of dance music. His journey in club culture has taken him from his hometown of Los Angeles to San Fran, Detroit and Berlin where he is now cased. He has recorded music and created remixes for labels such as Hypercolour, Rekids, Planet-E, Classic, KMS, Cadenza, Blood of Thrones, 2MR and of course my own Black Catalogue imprint, among others. To date, Black Catalogue has 30 releases and counting.  Monty Luke specialises in all aspects of music-focused radio shows, as well as promotion and the production of music trailers, or stingers. ELLLL Ellen King is an Irish multidisciplinary composer, producer and DJ based in Berlin, Germany. Writing and performing music under her own name and ‘ELLLL’ moniker, Ellen has carved out a distinctive voice in both contemporary and club-music contexts, with compositions etched by abstract experimentalism, fragmented rhythms and bass-heavy club sounds. She has also worked extensively as a multidisciplinary artist with commissions and collaborations in the realms of visual arts, film, installation, dance and performance art. As a founding member of Gash Collective, an Ireland-wide platform that supports underrepresented people in music production and DJing, Ellen has advocated for diversity and visibility within the music scene through workshops and masterclasses and facilitated female, queer and non-binary participation in the DJ circuit.  ELLLL is interested in approaching radio as an outlet for musical exploration and experimentation, as well as curating shows around a theme by using music, field recordings and other mediums to create compelling narratives. She is also interested in the use of radio as a platform to uplift others by spotlighting underappreciated artists, label, guests and scenes.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #128]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-01-aug-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-01-aug-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 31 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Berlin Social Housing Crisis | Niger's Coup | Sinéad O'Connor]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Berlin's dwindling social housing The amount of social housing is rapidly declining in Berlin according to new statistics. The number of subsidised housing units in Berlin fell by 4519 in 2022.    In an attempt to combat the city's worsening housing crisis, the Senate had previously announced its intention to build 5,000 new subsidised units per year. In reality, only 2000 were approved in 2022, and the social housing stock continues to fall as rental caps, which are set on new apartments for a set number of years, expire. The revelation has drawn widespread criticism – according to Die Linke housing policy spokesperson Niklas Schenker, “private investors have practically boycotted the construction of new social housing.” Niger coup Niger’s military have declared a coup against President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been overthrown and replaced by the leader of his own presidential guard, General Abdourahamane Tiani. The coup follows other recent regime changes in neighbouring Burikina Faso and Mali, and has been condemned by the African Union and West African ECOWAS bloc, who have threatened military intervention if Bazoum is not reinstated. Turkey gives unregistered Syrians two months to leave Istanbul The Turkish government has announced that unregistered Syrians living in Istanbul have only two months to leave the city and return to provinces in which they were originally registered. The latest ruling comes amid a sharp increase in xenophobia and racism towards Syrians in Turkey and follows a spike in deportations since the reelection of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in May.  Ghana abolishes death penalty Ghana’s parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty. 176 prisoners currently awaiting execution will now have their sentences changed to life imprisonment. Ghana becomes the 29th nation in Africa and 124th worldwide to abolish capital punishment. But worldwide, the number of executions is on the rise, reaching its highest figure in five years in 2022. RIP Sinéad O’Connor Sinead O’Connor, Irish singer and activist, has died aged 56. Releasing 10 studio albums, O’Connor was a prolific artist, with a discography ranging from iconic classics like her cover of ‘Nothing Compares To You’, to experimental albums exploring folk and classical music. She was also known for her tireless political activism, including her anti-racism, her support for refugees and people living with HIV, and her protests against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Upcoming Events On 4 August find us at Gärten der Welt for Expressions: In The Garden, an open-air music and performance art showcase, featuring artists Kelvyn Colt, LARY, Lyra Pramuk, Moses Yoofee Trio and Noah Slee. The event is directed by Refuge resident Dhanesh Jayaselan, and will feature a daytime DJ programme curated by us, featuring Ghostpoet & Marylou b2b No Plastic. Our Panorama Bar residency continues on Friday 11 August. We’ve invited All Night Passion, dreamcastmoe, Eliza Rose, Maryisonacid & Tornado Wallace to join us for an extended opening time of 22:00-10:00. Come early stay late. Oona This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Ani Innocent, neelie., cut.ya Wednesday: Killa, Tina & KeyClef, Ezgi Thursday: Nick Höppner, Camilla Rae, Bece Friday: Jokkoo, Dos Cinco, Deniz Arslan Saturday: Fiestuki Mexa Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Listen to a selection of specials for Pride month on Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pride-playlist-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pride-playlist-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 28 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Queer perspectives from the archive.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As everyone basks in their post-CSD glow, we’ve rounded up a selection of radio shows offering a variety of different queer perspectives, including some amazing pride specials from the past month.  Starting with the most recent: last week, Christa Belle hosted Terre Thaemlitz (aka DJ Sprinkles) for a deep-dive into their fascination with Gary Numan, plus a wide-ranging discussion of LGBTQIA+ legislative rights, gender politics, heteronormative domination and more. Sky Deep’s pride month special edition of Station Restoration from earlier this month took up the challenge of a possible Stonewall Riot soundtrack, spanning everything from blues to neo-soul and juke. For eye-opening discussions and shifts of perspective, look no further than Nicky Böhm’s recent episode of Flip The Script Palestine with queer Palestinian community organiser Deem. Alternatively, listen back to an old episode of Flip The Script recorded after the Desire Lines conference at HKW, exploring what it means to be queer in the Caribbean with Simone Harris & Andil Gosine. Sarah Farina and krstn of Transmission were in conversation with some of the minds behind Berlin queer collective Lecken and sexual wellness platform CHEEX, for a conversation on queer pleasure, desire and movement on and off the dancefloor. For shows focused on queer nightlife, we recommend Poppers on the Radio, a dance music and drag focused show celebrating queer clubbing and homoeroticism. Or tune in to the Kudur residency, a monthly showcase for a Berlin-based queer melting pot, whose residents came together through a mutual love of Turkish pop music.  Check out the archive of shows by Pawnshop, a Taiwanese club that is "all about experiencing demarginalization and absolute liberation for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as all creativity, artistry, otherness, rebellion, pleasure, and euphoria." CHERIII, resident of London party HOMODROP, dropped by last year with a mix showcasing releases by queer artists and labels from around the globe. Finally, our beloved breakfast show host Nikola has invited a range of exciting guests to his show over the years, including queer Nigerian activist Matthew Blaise, Uganda-based artist and Nyege Nyege affiliate Authentically Plastic, and New York queer nightlife icons The Carry Nation.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #127]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-jul-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-jul-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 24 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Big Oil Profits | Spain Election | BVG Court Case]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Climate Crisis The first week of July may have been the hottest in history, as climate change continues to drive up temperatures across the globe. Southern Europe experienced another week of heatwaves and other forms of extreme weather. On the Greek island of Rhodes, almost 20,000 people were evacuated – Greece’s biggest-ever evacuation – due to wildfires. In Italy, temperatures continue to hover around 45 degrees in Sicily, while the northern town of Seregno saw flash flooding and severe hailstorms that injured more than 100 people. Meanwhile, Shell, ExxonMobil and BP and more of the world's largest oil companies have been quietly scaling back their climate commitments and de-investing in renewable energy, despite publicly acknowledging the need to phase out fossil fuels in order to prevent climate collapse. Last year oil companies registered record-breaking profits, and continue, in the words of climate scientist Naomi Oreskes, to do “everything they can to block climate action and keep us dependent on their products.” Spain Elections Spain’s snap election on Sunday resulted in a defeat for the far-right anti-immigrant and anti-feminist Vox party, who were widely predicted to win enough votes to form a coalition with the centre-right PP party. The ruling PSOE party performed better than expected, but the results leave Spanish politics in a deadlock for now, with no party winning enough to secure an absolute majority. BVG fined for racism In a historical ruling, Berlin’s public transport company BVG has been ordered to pay damages for racist discrimination against a passenger. Jeremy Osborne, an African-American opera singer, was verbally and physically attacked in 2020 after asking for a ticket inspector’s ID card. It’s the first time BVG has been sanctioned for racism, but not the first time the spotlight has been on BVG ticket inspectors for violent conduct and discrimination on Berlin transport.  UK's Illegal Migration Bill On a “dark day” for British politics, the UK parliament have passed a controversial new Illegal Migration Bill that will make it impossible for most people to claim asylum in the UK if they arrived by “irregular” routes. The bill has been condemned by activists, NGOs and even the United Nations. It means that thousands more people fleeing war, persecution and climate breakdown will face deportation, lengthy detention and exploitation from criminal gangs and traffickers.  CDU could work with AfD in local government CDU party leader Friedrich Merz faced criticism last week after saying that he would be willing to cooperate with far-right populists AfD in local politics, a move that would violate previous pledges and break a major taboo in German politics. The AfD is currently enjoying record-high polling numbers and won its first-ever mayoral post earlier this month. Merz has since backtracked after widespread backlash, including from within his own party. EU/Tunisia partnership The EU has signed a new €1 billion deal with Tunisia to curb migration across the Mediterranean, despite the country’s poor recent human rights record. Earlier this year Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed made a racist speech that triggered a wave of violence and discrimination against Black Africans across the country. This month, Tunisian security forces pushed hundreds of migrants into the desert towards the Libyan and Algeria borders. This deal makes the EU complicit in these ongoing abuses. Nebraska teen jail time for abortion A teenager in Nebraska has been sentenced to three months of jail time after using pills to end her pregnancy. The case has intensified fears that women could be criminalised after being forced to seek abortions illegally due to ever-tightening restrictions across the United States. Meta has also been criticised for its role in the conviction after police were given access to private Facebook messages that the girl, who was 17 years old at the time, sent to her mother.  Oona This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Jaxx TMS, Akirahawks, Twirl! Wednesday: Vio PRG, Maveen, The Honey Tapes Thursday: Zoë Mc Pherson, Llupe Friday: ELLLL, Dangermami, Nalamazon Saturday: Rafiki, Lacaty]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[“Celebrate yourself”: Get to know Aaron of the Fresh Patterns Collective ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/aaron-fpc-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/aaron-fpc-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 24 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A community centred around movement. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Aaron McCammon of the FPC shares some personal and collective values.  Founder of the Fresh Patterns Collective, NIKE coach and host of the Monthly Pattern on Refuge Worldwide, Aaron is spreading good energy and championing self-expression one run at a time. He moved from the UK to Berlin and has since been forming a community of his own, bound by a shared love for running, yoga, or fitness - activities that Aaron would bundle under the umbrella of movement.

As Aaron’s is the only residency on Refuge Worldwide dedicated to discussions of fitness and the surrounding topics - as well as always playing some great music - we decided to have a quick chat to hear more about himself and his inspiring community. Aaron! What’s up? To begin, can you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m Aaron, I’m from London. I’m a full-time coach - a NIKE running coach and fitness instructor - as well as the founder of a community called the Fresh Patterns Collective. We are a community of people who enjoy movement of different sorts, could be from running, to yoga, to strength, to creative sessions. I also enjoy being part of the sports community and industry here in Berlin. And I’m a radio host here, of course! Why do you define the Fresh Patterns as a collective of people who enjoy movement, as opposed to sports? Because some people could be apprehensive to take part in sport. Movement is just about moving your body and you don't pigeonhole yourself into one thing. Running isn’t all we do and we want people to be able to express themselves in different ways. It’s all about enjoying yourself and doing the best that you can do. We’re not Olympic athletes - even if you come “last place” in a race, you know that you’re being celebrated for taking part. How do you balance your work as a coach with NIKE with leading the FPC. Doing those two things side-by-side is a great balance for me professionally. It’s a nice opportunity to be able to influence so many people in fitness and help them move. The tougher balance for me is between coaching others and myself. With coaching, you need to give so much energy out and it’s important to not tire yourself out.  Were you always a natural leader? To a certain extent. I’ve always had the ability to bring people together, and in the past five years, I’ve come to realise how much of a skill this is - especially when it’s about bringing people from different walks of life together.  I think everyone can agree that sport is generally good for our physical and mental health, but is there a point where it can go too far?  For sure, when you have the intensity at 100% from Monday to Sunday, it’s draining on your mind as well as your body. It can affect your sleep, your appetite, and your happiness. You need breaks in between. If you’re running a lot, break it up with a swim, or yoga, a day in the park or just sitting around eating pizza, you know. Unless I’m training for a big race, I make sure to give myself time to relax and not think about sports at all.  I’m curious about a couple of your proudest, and also hardest, moments as an athlete.  One of the recent moments I’m most proud of was when 16 of us completed the 45km Zugspitze mountain running trail. I had done this race around five years ago and I wasn’t prepared so it ruined me - it took me 13 hours, and it was painful. To come back to this race again and be prepared, to go through it feeling good and with confidence was a great moment.  The hardest moment was my first-ever marathon here in Berlin. I completely underestimated how hard the race would be, having never hit the wall beforehand in training. Everything was going great until the halfway point and from there it was all downhill. It was a struggle to the end and is up there with one of the toughest and hardest moments of being an athlete. What do you listen to when you’re doing these runs? It depends on the race. If I want to go for a long run, I need to keep it chilled so I listen to a podcast. Maybe a science or comedy podcast that keeps me relaxed. If I want to go super hard, I’ll listen to some house or drum & bass, and I’ll try to match the beats with my pace.  When we do interviews as Refuge Worldwide, we often get asked what community means to us. I’d love to know what your answer to that question is. Community is about people who are there for each other. To give to each other, to share skills, emotions and help. It’s about empowering others and having a sense of belonging in a place where you can feel comfortable enough to be yourself.  How can people get involved with the Fresh Patterns Collective? Hit me up with a message. We’re going to be opening up our long runs this month, and in September we will be opening applications for people to join the community. I’ve got to ask about the fashion side of things. The FPC Collective are always looking so fresh! Yeah we are! I know we’re in Berlin but we’re all about bright colours, we don’t just wanna wear black. We turn up to races in the pink singlets, the bright shoes, and it’s about letting people express themselves. Sometimes here in Berlin, people don’t want to express themselves in that way because it’s not cool, so I want to create a space where you can do that. Lastly, what advice to give to people who want to get into running? If you start running, don't worry about the speed. Just start and then celebrate yourself for that bit of movement. And celebrate yourself rather than trying to find other people to celebrate you - it means so much more when it comes from yourself. Photos courtesy of Will Jivcoff and The Fresh Patterns Collective.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Resident Advisor present summer workshop series]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ra-x-refuge-summer-2023-workshops</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ra-x-refuge-summer-2023-workshops</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[For aspiring promoters, label owners and artists.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This July and August we are continuing our partnership with Resident Advisor to host a range of free music industry workshops at Oona (Weserstr. 166, 12045 Berlin). Spanning a range of roles and perspectives, these workshops will provide invaluable insights and practical advice to help you navigate the world of music. Read all the details of our workshops and hosts below, and sign up now to attend. Monday, 24 July, 15:30-17:00: Booking & Promoting with Body Language Join us for a session with Camilla Rae and Caitlin Russell from Body Language, renowned booking and promoting experts. They will guide you through the art of event conceptualisation, building captivating lineups, approaching venues, and creating safe(r) spaces. Unlock the secrets to organising successful events and gain valuable insights from industry professionals. Monday, 31 July, 15:30-17:00: Climate Policy & Climate Justice in the Music Industry Led by Sheena Anderson from Black Earth Kollektiv, this session will inspire you to consider sustainable practices for events and music spaces. Together, we'll discuss climate policy, strategies for taking action against the climate crisis and raising awareness through transformative events. Kerstin Meißner from Transmission will also be joining to share some insight into her research on sustainability and club culture. Monday, 14 August, 15:30-17:00: Label & Music Promotion with Kynant Records Unlock the secrets of launching a successful label and promoting music with Richard Akingbehin from Kynant Records. Discover the crucial steps involved in starting your own label, gain insights into effective promotional strategies, and explore how to connect with your target audience.  Monday, 28 August, 15:30-17:00: Artwork & Design for Music Releases Join renowned designer Sophie Douala in an immersive workshop focusing on creating captivating artwork and designs for music releases. Whether you're interested in digital releases or vinyl, Sophie will share valuable tips and techniques to help you craft visually stunning designs that complement your music and enhance its impact. Accessibility: Unfortunately, the space is not accessible for wheelchairs: there is a step at the entrance of the building, a narrow corridor and a toilet not accessible for wheelchairs. If you have any access needs, please reach out to Gaby, either via email: gaby@refugeworldwide.com or via phone: +4915751801489. Priority will be given to those with refugee backgrounds, BIPoC, people from the LGBTQIA community, disabled people, women, trans and non-binary people, or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face difficulties accessing music education in Berlin. Sign up here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #126]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-17-jul-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-17-jul-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Forensis' Pylos investigation | War in Sudan | European Heatwaves]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Forensis investigates Pylos shipwreck The Greek Coast Guard may have been to blame for the Pylos boat tragedy that killed 600 people last month.  According to an investigation by Berlin-based research agency Forensis, which reconstructs the events leading up to the shipwreck with 3D modelling and survivors testimonies, the Coast Guard could bear ‘crucial responsibility’ for the disaster, and Greek authorities may have made attempts to distort the narrative and obstruct investigation. Head to the Forensis website to find out more. War crimes in Sudan Over 3 million people have been displaced by war in Sudan since the current conflict between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary broke out in April. In the western Darfur region, which has seen some of the heaviest fighting, the RSF has been accused of committing war crimes and leading a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Massalit population and other non-Arab minorities, amid concerns that the Darfur genocide which began 20 years ago is being reignited. Berlin’s Mohrenstrasse to be renamed After years of campaigning by anticolonial activists, Berlin’s Mohrenstrasse will be renamed. Last week Berlin’s Administrative Court rejected a lawsuit that aimed to preserve the street’s racist, colonial-era name. The street will be renamed after 18th Century philosopher Anton Wilhelm Amo, who was the first African to receive a doctorate from a German university.  Iran’s ‘morality police’ resume patrols Iran’s ‘morality police’ are back on the streets, 10 months after the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini sparked months of nationwide protests. Last week, Iranian authorities announced a new crackdown on violations of the country’s mandatory hijab law. ‘Morality police’ patrols had been largely scaled-back in response to the protests, in which over 500 protesters killed and nearly 20,000 detained by Iran’s regime. Southern European heatwave A record-breaking heatwave in southern Europe is set to continue this week, with temperatures of up to 48 degrees possible in Sardinia. Health warnings and weather alerts have been issued across Spain, Italy and the Balkans, and the Greek government have suspended work between 12:00 and 17:00 in some regions. Last year, over 61,000 people died in Europe due to extreme heat. CSD Berlin This Saturday is CSD – aka Berlin Pride! Starting at 17:00 at Hermannplatz, join the Internationalist Queer Pride for Liberation March, led by a coalition of radical, anti-colonial, anti-racist, and anti-capitalist groups including Migrantifa, QUARC Berlin, and more. @iqpberlin Panorama Bar Our Panorama Bar residency continues on Friday 11 August. We’ve invited All Night Passion, dreamcastmoe, Eliza Rose, Maryisonacid & Tornado Wallace to join us for an extended opening time of 22:00-10:00. Come early stay late. Oona This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: On Board Music, King Sleepy, fellice records Wednesday: MINQ, CCL, Animalia x Tech World Thursday: Calamidades Lola, Nikola & Alessio Sanna Friday: Takseer, Dgeral, JOVENDELAPERLA & BERENICE  Saturday: Mo - 223 album launch Header image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ImRealMo launches debut album "223" at Oona Bar]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mos-debut-album</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mos-debut-album</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 13 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ Iranian rapper hosts launch party on 22 July]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA["223, the first asylum room, and it all started from there..." Join us at Oona Bar for DJ sets and a live performance from ImRealMo in celebration of forthcoming new album '223'. Born and raised in Tehran, ImRealMo's artistic journey began with a passion for poetry, rap and hip-hop. His words carried weight, resonating with his generation's struggles and aspirations. The political nature of his music, however, forced him to leave Iran. Driven by his desire to pursue his musical dream and be a voice for change, ImRealMo made the difficult decision to leave behind his family and friends and seek refuge in Berlin.  While ImRealMo was staying in a refugee centre close to the Polish border, he was put in touch with the Open Music Lab. Connected through a shared love of music, it was obvious to Open Music Lab that ImRealMo was not just a talent but also a source of inspiration for those around him; somebody who’d showed courage and resilience, and maintained a positive attitude throughout. Over the years, a strong bond was formed, and, in collaboration with the Open Music Lab team, ImRealMo honed his musical skills and artistic vision. Through dedication, he found his artistic signature, which blends storytelling, raw emotion, and rhythms to create a unique sonic identity. The result is "223," ImRealMo's debut album. "223" is a testament to ImRealMo's journey and the spirit that propels him forward. Each track on the album represents a chapter of his life; exploring separation, freedom, and resilience. Through his lyrics, ImRealMo invites listeners to take a walk in his shoes, and experience the power of music as a unifying force.  Date: Sat, 22nd July 20:00-22:00 at Refuge Worldwide  20:00 Ophelie DJ Set 20:30 ImRealMo (Live) 21:00 Readings & Presentation 21:30 O.N.A. DJ Set 

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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide return to Panorama Bar with Eliza Rose, Dreamcastmoe and Maryisonacid]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/panorama-bar-august-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/panorama-bar-august-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 11 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Long-time residents All Night Passion and Tornado Wallace join the summer dance.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our Panorama Bar residency continues on Friday 11 August with a bumper summer line-up. We are delighted to welcome Eliza Rose, champion East London DJ and vocalist who’s brought together her love of UK soundsystem music and soulful lyricism so well. A self-styled selector and resolute collector of vinyl, Eliza hit a whole new level in 2023 - reaching UK No.1 spot and going Platinum. Make sure to check out 2024's follow up single, Better Love, produced by Mura Masa.  DC-Based vocalist and producer Dreamcastmoe pulls up to Panorama Bar for the first time,  an artist who has found his place traversing across R&B, funk, soul, jazz and hip-hop. Expect bumping house and bass from the heart on this one. Scotland-based devil duo All Night Passion make the trip over from Aberdeen to warm things up, while our African Acid Is The Future boss and Comme à la radio host Maryisonacid makes her first Panorama Bar appearance. Mary fuses together diasporic African sounds with an electronic groove, with her career and influences spanning from the conservatory of Paris Barbès to the punk scene of Berlin.  Forerunner of the new wave of Melbourne dance producers, Berlin's adopted son and host of Basic Spirit on Refuge Worldwide, Tornado Wallace is an overdue addition to the line-up. This one runs 10pm until 10am, make it count! Patreon please members reach out for Q skip (spaces are limited). Friday 11 August All Night Passion dreamcastmoe  Eliza Rose  Maryisonacid  Tornado Wallace 10pm-10am // Panorama Bar // No Advance Tickets ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #125]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-10-jul-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-10-jul-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Paris Protests | Jenin Invasion | CSD Berlin 2023]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Paris Adama Traoré protests Over 2,000 people defied a protest ban and took to the streets of Paris on Saturday to commemorate Adama Traoré, a Black man killed in police custody in 2016. The rally was blocked by authorities after recent unrest across France triggered by the police murder of Nahel Merzouk on 27 June.  Traoré’s sister Assa spoke out against the ban, saying “they authorize marches by neo-Nazis but they don't allow us to march. France cannot give us moral lessons. Its police is racist and violent.” Footage has surfaced of Adama's brother, Yssoufou Traoré, being violently arrested and hospitalised during the rally. Israeli assault on Jenin Last week, Israeli forces launched a brutal invasion of the Palestinian city of Jenin, using air strikes and ground troops to destroy Palestinian homes and expel residents from the Jenin refugee camp.  The operation killed 12 people, forced thousands to leave their homes and has left the camp in ruins and without clean water or electricity. It was the biggest military incursion into the West Bank in decades and has been called a war crime by UN experts. Amazon deforestation drops under Lula Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest dropped 34% in the first six months of Brazillian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s leadership, a reversal of the destructive trend that characterised the reign of his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. Earlier this year, Lula unveiled his plan to end deforestation in the Amazon by the year 2030, declaring: “Brazil has resumed its leading role in tackling climate change.” Record-breaking global temperatures Global temperature records were broken three times in four days last week. Last Monday was the first day since records began when the average temperature on earth exceeded 17 degrees, surpassed by temperatures of 17.18 on Tuesday and 17.23 on Thursday. More records are expected to be broken soon, as hot weather worldwide is being driven by climate change and the El Niño weather pattern. Germany needs 1,5 million immigrants every year  In order to deal with growing shortages in its workforce, Germany needs 1.5 million new immigrants to come to the country every year. That’s according to economist Monika Schnitzer, who argues that it is vital for Germany to adopt a more welcoming approach, drop German-language requirements and speed up visa and residency processes. Despite Europe’s growing reliance on migration, the EU announced last month a new plan to enact harsher migration and asylum restrictions across the continent. On The Ground Artsakh In the latest On The Ground feature, Johanna Urbancik sits down with Russian-Armenian climate and anti-war activists Arshak Makichyan to discus the blockade of Artsakh, activism in Russia and Putin’s colonial narratives. Read the full interview on our website. JAW Family Autumn shows Refuge Worldwide residents JAW Family have shared their programme for Autumn, featuring appearances from Marcellus Pittman, Tigran Hamasyan, Meshell Ndegeocello, Butcher Brown and more in venues across Berlin.  CSD 2023 Internationalist Queer Pride Berlin have announced the details for their annual march on Christopher Street Day Berlin, 22 July. They’re currently looking for stewards to help oversee and keep people safe during the march. Head to their IG for more details on how to get involved. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: early bird & Librolegno, DJ Aficionado & Trujillo Wednesday: Mansions and Millions, DJ Northern Thursday: Alias Error, Inner City Foliage, ophélie & maya vika Friday: Jams, Arnav, Serkush, VG+ Saturday: DJ Fire Abend, Lekker Collective, Patterns of Perception Header image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[JAW Family announce lineups for Berlin autumn program]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jaw-family-announcement</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jaw-family-announcement</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The bookings include Marcellus Pittman, Tigran Hamasyan, Meshell Ndegeocello and Butcher Brown.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Check out the upcoming events from Refuge resident crew JAW Family. Starting on August 19th at Tresor's Globus room, the JAW Family autumn programming begins with live sets from Los Angeles' Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation, a community-based choir, as well as I AM (the duo of Isaiah Collier & Michael Shekwoaga Odé). There will also be DJ sets from Detroit house luminary Marcellus Pittman, esteemed digger Tone B. Nimble and Berlin disco heads Sanctuary. On Saturday 5th September, JAW move to Festsaal Kreuzberg for a concert with the legendary Meshell Ndegeocello, a Berlin-born, US-based singer-songwriter, rapper and bass player known as on of the most influential artists of the neo-soul genre. The program continues with Tigran Hamasyan Trio on October 20 at Heimathafen Neukölln. The trio, which consists of piano, drums and bass, is the project of Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan. Finally, on November 8, a double bill featuring Virginia-based band Butcher Brown & B. Cool-Aid (the duo of rapper Pink Siifu and producer Ahwlee) will play at Treptower park venue ZENNER. The run of shows is a great example of JAW's exceptional curation, at the intersection of improvised music, soul, hip-hop and electronics. Refuge Worldwide is proud to be a partner of JAW Family, and will be hosting radio shows around each show, as well as giving away tickets via the Discord channel. Stay tuned!

For tickets and more info, head here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Protest and Unity | On the Ground: Artsakh]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/protest-and-unity-on-the-ground-artsakh</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/protest-and-unity-on-the-ground-artsakh</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An interview with anti-war and climate activist Arshak Makichyan.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are now almost into the seventh month of the Artsakh blockade. Around 120,000 people are being held hostage in their own homeland. On 12th December, so-called eco-protesters from Azerbaijan started blocking the Lachin Corridor, a 13-mile, 36-foot-wide mountain roadway that connects the Republic of Artsakh to Armenia and the outside world. Those self-proclaimed climate activists, who have been linked to the Azeri government, blocked the road for 138 days until the Azerbaijani regime installed a border checkpoint. Yerevan has since claimed that the checkpoint violates the International Court of Justice's call for Azerbaijan to "take all measures available" to ensure the smooth flow of traffic without obstruction. The Artsakh Human Rights Defender has published a report on the human rights violations during the blockade, showing that the movement of people along the Lachin Corridor has decreased by nearly 198 times, and essential cargo imports have been reduced by about 13 times. The suspension of planned operations has left around 1,400 citizens unable to undergo necessary surgeries. The suspension of the gas supply from Armenia to Artsakh for 117 days and the complete electricity cut for 154 days have led to rolling blackouts and mutliple accidents. These violations have severely affected the country's economy, causing losses of approximately 346 million USD. Vulnerable groups, including children, people with disabilities, the elderly, women and girls, and displaced individuals, have all experienced serious breaches of their human rights. For this instalment of the On The Ground column, I interviewed Arshak Makichyan, a Russian-Armenian climate activist. He was born in Armenia but moved to Moscow with his family at a young age. He was a prominent figure in the Fridays For Future movement in Russia, where he not only protested for climate action but also against Russia's aggressive actions towards its neighbouring countries, such as Ukraine. Arshak left Russia and joined Ukrainian anti-war protests in Berlin with the intention of returning to Moscow to protest against the illegal invasion there. However, the Russian government opened a court case against him, resulting in the revocation of his only citizenship and the deportation of his family. He has now been banned from entering Russia for the next 50 years. We caught up to discuss his activism, his achievements so far, and the Artsakh blockade. If you want to read an interview with a resident of Artsakh, Siranush, you can do so here:
Dreaming of Peace | On the Ground: Artsakh Can you introduce yourself, tell me about your journey and how you ended up in Germany? I am a climate activist from Russia, where I co-founded Fridays for Future Russia. I have been involved in numerous campaigns focused on climate and the environment, as well as human rights activism – in Russia everything is interconnected. Since the full-scale invasion, I have been speaking out against it. While engaging in anti-war activism with my partner, we decided to leave Russia for Germany, as we would have faced imprisonment if we remained. While we were here, we joined many protests and advocated for an embargo on Russian gas and fossil fuels. In May, I posted on Facebook that I intended to return to Russia, and a week later, I learned about a case where the government aimed to strip me of my only citizenship. It was a strange situation. When you're a political activist in Russia, you know something like this can happen. To be honest, I just thought they were trying to scare me. The trial was a long process, with the decision having been made in October of last year. They didn't even inform us of their ruling, which is illegal. I only found out a week later. The final decision was made on the 4th of February this year when they stripped me of my citizenship and detained my father and brother, who were still in Russia. Then I received the paperwork stating that I am banned from entering Russia for 50 years. You have been very vocal against the war in Ukraine. Were you only protesting in Europe, or also in Moscow before the war started? We started protesting against the war on the first day of the conflict. Before the invasion on 7 January, which is Christmas in Russia, I posted anti-war content on my social media about the deployment of Russian troops to Kazakhstan, which I was strongly opposed to. I wrote that a "New War" had stolen our New Year.  Due to this and the coverage of it in the news, I had been anticipating an illegal invasion of Kazakhstan. My partner and I decided to get married before the war, and by accident, our wedding was on the 24th of February 2022. Marriage would provide us with extra rights to visit each other in prison. At our wedding, I was wearing an anti-war shirt and my partner was wearing a blue dress and yellow flowers. The photo went viral on social media. We went to join a protest afterwards. In Russia, you cannot start a revolution with peaceful protests. They arrested around 1,800 protesters during the first days and carried out searches of social media accounts and flats.  We held large protests from the beginning of the war. However, a month later, we attended a protest in the middle of March, and to our dismay, we found no crowd. The city was full of police trucks and people were being detained. It felt pointless to stay. Before the war, we had different instruments to pressure the government. We had various human rights organisations and independent NGOs.  However, there is nothing left in Russia now. We realised that we had to change our strategy. There are grassroots partisan movements in Russia, but if you are a public figure voicing your opposition to the invasion though, you will be arrested and silenced. I noticed on your Instagram profile that you've been protesting here in Berlin with Ukrainians against Russia’s invasion and also against the Artsakh Blockade. Yes, I am Armenian. I was born in Armenia, and my family left because of the first blockade in the nineties. Armenian history is quite tragic. My ancestors had to flee from Western Armenia, which was occupied by the Ottoman Empire. Now, these lands belong to Turkey, and they fled more to lands that were not occupied by Ottomans by then and ended up in Alaverdi. My family had to leave Armenia because they wanted their children to have food. My family was deported from Russia in February, because of my activism. Why do you think there’s so little attention on the Blockade in Artsakh? I really don’t know. I was organising a protest with other Armenian activists and usually, there’s a big crowd at these kinds of demonstrations. The crowds aren’t big at the Armenian protests, though. I think European people are too busy to support us. There is an energy crisis, a climate crisis, and a war in Ukraine. There are a lot of things going on right now, and it feels like the world is collapsing. Of course, you always care more when it's your own country collapsing – it's your life. Additionally, the situation in Artsakh is very complicated because there is a lot of history behind this conflict. That’s why it doesn’t seem as important to world leaders because they want to find easy solutions for impossible conflicts. If Azerbaijan were a democracy and recognized the Armenian Genocide, it would be much easier to find a solution to this conflict. But there are no human rights in Azerbaijan. In this situation, what do you expect from Armenian people? They know their history. Many European people don't know our history, about the pogroms against Armenians in Baku, little villages or territories given to Azerbaijan by Stalin. I don’t want history to repeat itself and many countries are supporting Azerbaijan because they’re offering a replacement for Russian gas, but they are buying the same Russian gas – it’s just flowing through Azerbaijan. Note: There’s no definite confirmation so far that Azerbaijan is selling Russian gas to Europe. There are reports that Russia’s Gazprom has recently signed a new contract with SOCAR in Azerbaijan for the delivery of one billion cubic metres of gas between November 2022 and March 2023. The Russian gas is intended for the domestic market in Azerbaijan, which needs more gas now due to increased exports to the EU. Therefore, Russia is still profiting from Azerbaijan’s gas exports. To your earlier point, there’s also very little knowledge or coverage of the invasion in 2020.  Azerbaijan is occupying internationally recognized territories of Armenia. They were bombing villages where my relatives live. I think hardly anyone cares because Armenia is a small country. There are not that many Armenian people, and we cannot do anything to stop it. Russia has its own interests in Armenia because they think that this is their territory, they even have a military base in Armenia. But they don't care about people in Artsakh. On paper, Armenia is officially allied with Russia, though. In 2020, 1,960 so-called Russian Peacekeepers were dispatched to the region as part of the ceasefire agreement to monitor compliance by Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Russian troops are supposed to do a lot of things. The Russian government doesn’t seem to like the Armenian government because it’s a democracy [rank 82 in 2022, reported by the Democracy Index published by Economist Intelligence Unit]. The current government came to power after the Velvet Revolution, and so the situation is complicated. Armenia is still economically and militarily dependent on Russia, which makes it challenging for the government. While they are far from perfect, they were democratically elected and are not criminals, unlike the government of Azerbaijan. Note: In Azerbaijan, the Aliyev family has maintained an authoritarian patronage state with them occupying the top of the pyramid. While presenting a façade of democratic institutions, including elections and referendums, the regime has been able to cling to power. Following the 2016 referendum, the president has acquired unparalleled constitutional authority. It appears that Putin has an affinity with Aliyev because they share similar qualities. They are both dictators with a Soviet mentality, and their thinking is imperialistic. Putin claims that he is fighting Nazis in Ukraine while using an anti-colonialism narrative, yet they are actually the colonialists. Azerbaijan asserts that they have the right to Armenian land due to Azeri and Turkish colonialism, while Russia believes they have the right to all territories because of their historical claims. Unfortunately, many individuals in the West, including politicians, are being influenced by Russian propaganda. The first time I saw you was when you posted about protesting in front of a government building here in Berlin by yourself. What kind of reactions do you receive during those protests? It was when Aliyev came to Berlin to meet Scholz. I was having trouble with the police during my protest, and they were quite rude to me. I told them that I was by myself and I didn’t need permission to do anything. They were arguing that the journalist, who also happened to be there and taking photos of me, was also taking part in the protest. I’ve got a lot of experience dealing with the police, but it wasn’t a nice experience. Mostly, I was talking to the police at that protest. Some people were asking me questions about Artsakh, but they weren’t joining the protest. What I find quite interesting is that you’re an actual environmental activist and the Lanchin Corridor in Artsakh is being blocked by so-called eco-protesters. Though, it has been proven they have very little to do with the environment but more so with the Azeri government. How does that make you feel that your cause is being so misused?  Many dictators attempt to leverage popular causes in the West to justify their actions. Aliyev uses environmental activism while Putin employs anti-colonialism and anti-Nazism rhetoric in his speeches.  I think we need more protests, more unity, and we need to internationally organise a movement because we need more people involved. The old strategies, like putting pressure on politicians, aren’t working anymore. We need more people on the streets. Do you think that would actually change something? As an activist, I strongly believe in it. Can you tell me what your life looks like now? I am currently contemplating what to do with my legal status as I want to feel safe and secure. Additionally, I am actively searching for work. In the past, I have engaged in a lot of activism, and I am proud of what we achieved in Russia. Specifically, we were able to create a climate movement and accomplish a lot of great things. What kind of progress did you make with Fridays For Future in Russia? Through our efforts, more people in Russia have become aware of the climate crisis and the connection between political and environmental issues. While there is still much to be done, there is some hope for the future. To keep up with Arshak’s story and activism, you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Images courtesy of Arshak Makichyan.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Tania & Dave's Summer Playlist]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/summer-playlist-tania-and-dave</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/summer-playlist-tania-and-dave</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 04 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Púca Records duo share some summer tracks ahead of arkaoda this weekend.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide return to arkaoda this Saturday for the next instalment of our Neighbourhood Dance series. Joining the party are Tania Just & Dave, two of the masterminds behind Berlin's beloved Fandango series and Púca Sounds record label, (alongside Mark Gill).  To get into the mood, we asked the duo for some of their favourite summer selections.  Tania C.V. Jørgensen - Bellevue C.V. Jørgensen is a musical icon in Denmark, especially known for smart lyrics. Bellevue from 1977 is a beautiful track about the good and simple summer Sundays listening to music and smoking joints under the sun.    Dede - Party (Extended Mix)  Dede, Mexican-born Swedish singer from the 90s with a lovely Rn'B groove to get the summer party started Cut 'N' Move - Sunshine One of my fave to come out of Denmark is 90s house/hip hop group Cut 'N' Move. They were early pioneers of Danish dance music and love most of their stuff. It's smooth, silly, and gets you moving, Sunshine included.  Shakatak - Brazilian Love Affair Currently playing this one a lot - a George Duke cover also from the 90s. Upbeat summer vibe that brings me straight to Ipanema.   Dave Gratts feat. Nathan Haines & Mr Beale – Sun Circles (for Leo & Ziggy) My first pick is from good friend Tristan aka Gratts with a new song he wrote for his two young sons, Leo and Ziggy. It’s a feel-good Balearic house number that has been going down a treat in my sets so far this summer! Lovely remix from Alex Kassian on the flip side too. Stella – Sentimentale Still in my record bag since its release last summer.. Stella & The Longos delivered ‘Détends-toi’ with 6 tracks packed with zouk, boogie, and sunshine. Co-produced by Ed Longo, this timeless EP will always feature in my summer playlist. Favorite track is  ‘Sentimentale’. Precious Bloom – Teka Teki Asmara Precious Bloom is a music group formed in 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia by Aradea Barandana and Adinda Dwimadasari. In this track you hear the beautiful vocals of Adinda recreating the glory days of 80’s Indonesian city pop mixed with Latin jazz elements supplied by Aradea, a well known digger and dance music producer.  Jogada – Masambakatu (Telephones Sambalearic Street Jam) Telephones takes us from the beach to the streets and back again with this remix of ‘Masambakatu’. Soft synths combined with drivey percussion & dreamy vocals from Letícia de Sá. Just released a month ago on our label Púca Sounds, ready to be part of your summer playlist! 
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #124]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-03-jul-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-03-jul-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 03 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Odai Masri | France Riots | Berlin Austerity]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Odai Masri We are devastated bsy the sudden passing of our dear friend and frequent collaborator Odai Masri. As founder of Exist Festival, label manager, DJ and activist, Odai was an inspiration and friend to all who knew him, a tireless champion of Palestinian culture, and an unswerving believer in music and art as tools for resistance, expression and liberation. Our thoughts are with those closest to him. Rest in peace Odai. Listen back to Odai's residency to learn more about his life, art and activism, or revisit our interview with Odai from 2022 here. France riots following police shooting Nahel Marzouk, a 17-year-old French boy of North-African descent, was killed by police on Tuesday during a traffic stop in the Nanterre suburb of Paris. The fatal shooting triggered five nights of clashes between police and protesters across the country, a stark reflection of widening inequality in France and a disturbing pattern of racist police violence. Since 2020 there have been 21 police traffic-stop shootings in France. The majority of the victims were of Black or Arab origin.  Austerity in Neukölln Berlin’s new conservative administration has announced a new budget for 2024/25, taking the first step toward a brutal new policy of austerity. In Neukölln, one of the city’s poorest districts, there will be huge cuts to addiction and homeless support, funding for schools and waste disposal. The new budget could represent a severe blow to the city’s social infrastructure that will hit Berlin’s most vulnerable residents hardest. Estonia legalises same-sex marriage Estonia’s parliament has passed a bill legalising same-sex marriage, becoming the first ex-Soviet country to do so. The new law, which comes into effect in 2024, also means that same-sex couples in Estonia can now adopt children. Same-sex relationships have been legally recognised in Estonia since 2016, but marriage has only been possible between people of the opposite sex.  UK Rwanda Plan blocked in court The UK Court of Appeal has ruled that the government’s controversial and inhumane Rwanda scheme is illegal. The ruling represents yet another blow to the Conservative government’s policy of sending people seeking asylum in the UK to Rwanda to have their cases processed. The scheme which was previously blocked by the European Court of Human Rights and called illegal by the UN.  Greek Coastguard responsible for Pylos Tragedy? Multiple survivors of the Pylos boat tragedy have testified to investigators that their fishing boat capsized after the Greek coastguard attached a rope to it and attempted to tow it. Greek officials have denied responsibility and claimed that no attempt was made to tow the boat. Of the up to 800 people on board, only 104 survived, in one of the deadliest disasters in the Mediterranean in years. Shell oil spill in Niger Delta Nigerian authorities and environmental rights groups are investigating an oil spill on Shell’s Trans Niger pipeline last month that apparently lasted a week before it was contained, posing a severe threat to livelihoods in fishing and farming communities. Shell has been repeatedly taken to court for its record in the heavily-polluted Niger Delta region. Crossing Borders at Anomalie Art Point Catch a screening of Gegen den Strom, following the story of criminalised refugee activist Sara Mardini, followed by an exclusive Q&A with Sara on 15 July at Anomalie Art Point in Berlin. The event Crossing Borders: Artistic Narratives of Migration will include two screenings, a one-off group exhibition, food by Syrian Restaurant Malakeh and an after-party. Read more. Neighbourhood dance at Arkaoda The next Refuge Worldwide neighbourhood dance is happening this Saturday, 8 July! We head back to our favourite local club, arkaoda, with a massive line-up of DJs from the radio roster including Stillwarley, Sied & MDSM, Akimat, and Dance____98, Nadia Wise & Lupe, Fandango residents Tania & Dave, Katerinha & Njeri, and Nikola. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: DJ Heartbreak, Raf, Richard Akingbehin & Cousin Wednesday: Sarah Zeryab, Tina & KeyClef, Bridontknow_ Thursday: DHC, Nick Höppner, moe., Shiru & Jan K Friday: ABIBA, Stillwarley, Sia K S & Kaloussianxa Saturday: Tangela, Luca Durán, NaN Header image by Kolja Tinkova (@koljaaaaa__)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Crossing Borders: Artistic Narratives of Migration at Anomalie Art Point]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/crossing-borders</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/crossing-borders</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 02 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The event will include a screening of Gegen den Strom and Q&A with Sara Mardini.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Crossing Borders: Artistic Narratives of Migration is an event showcasing the resilience, solidarity and creative talent of migrants in Berlin. The event will include two documentary screenings: Der Tunnelgräber about Hasso Herschel, who helped East Germans escape to the West and Gegen den Strom (dir. Charly Wai Feldman) following the story of criminalised refugee activist Sara Mardini. Both will be followed by Q&A sessions with the protagonists. A one-off group exhibition will showcase the work of multidisciplinary artists who have crossed borders, including Sarah Zeryab, Zeina Idris, Ramez Melhem, Tariq Alsaadi, Hala Ghatasheh, Salma ElShami, Michael Mjabareen, Rasha Al Jundi, Júlia Albuquerque and Lilipad. It will also be accompanied by live music performances from Exocé Existe, RealMo and Wizzy from Queens Against Borders. There will also be food, provided by beloved Syrian restaurant Malakeh, and an afterparty featuring a diverse lineup of artists curated by Sara (aka Dancing Doll), which will also kick off her birthday celebrations. Lilipad will also be collecting children’s book donations for their multilingual libraries (Turkish, Farsi, Arabic, Ukrainian, German, English). Crossing Borders: Artistic Narratives of Migration at Anomalie Art Point, 15 July, 16:00-late. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #123]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-jun-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-jun-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Greece Elections | Melilla Tragedy | Yusra Mardini]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Spain and Morocco guilty of Melilla tragedy 'cover-up' A year after the Melilla Tragedy, Spanish and Moroccan authorities continue to deny responsibility, obstruct any investigation and criminalise survivors. Last week, Amnesty International accused both governments of attempting a ‘cover up’ of the tragedy, in which at least 37 people were killed at the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla, amid widespread reports of unjustified force from border security on both sides. 76 people remain missing after the tragedy, with authorities so far unwilling to assist in the search for truth and justice. Victory for the Right in Greek Elections On Sunday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ New Democracy Party won a huge victory in Greece’s parliamentary elections, which could have disastrous consequences for those seeking refuge in Europe. Since coming to power in 2019, the centre-right New Democracy Party has faced intense criticism from human rights groups for allowing illegal pushbacks of migrant boats, cracking down on NGO’s and criminalising human rights defenders in an attempt to deter people from crossing the Mediterranean. Yusra Mardini launches foundation Yusra Mardini, Syrian Olympic swimmer and humanitarian, has launched a new foundation to fight for refugee rights and to campaign for equal access to sporting and education opportunities. Keep up to date with the work of the Yusra Mardini Foundation here. Sudan War An estimated 2.5 million people have been displaced in Sudan since war broke out between rival military factions in April. Fighting continues to escalate across the country, particularly in the capital Khartoum and in the Darfur region. Human rights groups have raised concerns over the growing threat of ethnic cleansing in western Darfur, particularly against the Masalit Community in the city of El Geneina, which has been almost entirely cut off from communications networks and aid supplies. Goethe Im Exil From 30 June - 2 July the Goethe Institute in Exile will host a festival of Afghan culture in Berlin. Taking place at ACUD in Berlin Mitte, the event will include a range of talks, workshops, music and art. Join us this Thursday as we host the festival’s warm-up event at Oona, and tune in for a range of broadcasts taking place over the next week. Transformation Haus und Feld Tarn Rodgers Johns speaks to Transformation Haus und Feld (THF) about their campaign to transform Berlin’s former Tempelhof Airport into a space for grassroots climate action. Berlin’s climate groups are set to play an important role in opposition to potential policy changes from the city’s new CDU-SPD governing coalition. Read the full feature here. AUDRA Festival takeover Tune in on Thursday to the AUDRA Festival pre-party with Aiste Regina, Richard Akingbehin, Gramrcy and Roe Deers. AUDRA is a four-day music and contemporary art festival taking place from 29 June - 2 July across the city of Kaunas, Lithuania. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Nico Adomako & Omagoqa, Margaux, Deniz Arslan Wednesday: MINQ, Vio PRG, Steve Bicknell, Privacy Thursday: AUDRA Festival Pre-Party Friday: Zoë Mc Pherson, George Snow, Rita Saturday: Femme Bass Mafia Header image licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.0]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Goethe-Institut In Exile hosts Berlin festival of Afghan art]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/goethe-im-exil-festival</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/goethe-im-exil-festival</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[30 June - 2 July at ACUD in Berlin Mitte.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide will host the festival's warm-up evening on June 29. Taking place at ACUD in Berlin Mitte, the Goethe-Institut in Exile's Afghanistan festival will present a range of talks, music and art over three days. On Friday, 30 June, there will be a concert by Afghan singer Elaha Soroor, accompanied by DJ sets from Farhot, DJ Masta Sai, and Taman Noor. On Saturday, the programme will centre around an assessment of Kabul's cultural scene, featuring actress and director Malalai Zikria, artist Kabir Mokamel, a puppet theater performance of "Hans im Glück", a presentation of cultural and literary magazine "What's Afghan Punk Rock, Anyways?!", a zine workshop and a selection of films. (Elaha Soroor by Alex Kozobolis) Sunday's offering includes a children's programme consisting of workshops and Afghan games, as well as a matinee reading and panel discussion. Later in the day,  German-Afghan director Zamarin Wahdad will present her short film "Bambirak." The closing will be a performance by the rap group AK13 and the breakdancers of the Superiors Crew, whose lyrics reflect the traumatic experiences of war and displacement. For the full programme, head here. To participate in the workshops and children's programme please sign up via email to im-exil@goethe.de. Alongside the on-site curation, a series of radio broadcasts will be available via Refuge Worldwide, including an interview with Taman Noor live from Oona at the festival warm-up on 29 June. There will also be recordings of musical performances and remotely conducted interview. The Goethe-Institut in Exile is a platform for "artists in exile who have been profoundly impacted by political conflicts and the disintegration of essential local infrastructures." It is the result of the closure of various Goethe-Instituts, in countries including Belarus, Sudan and Afghanistan. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Reclaiming Tempelhof for Climate Action]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/reclaiming-tempelhof-for-climate-action</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/reclaiming-tempelhof-for-climate-action</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Inside THF: the community-led campaign aiming to transform Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In recent years Berlin has experienced record-high temperatures, severe storms and heavy rainfalls as a result of climate change. Max Mauracher and Cléo Mieulet are members of Transformation Haus und Feld (THF), a coalition of climate activists in Berlin urging governments and citizens to take a practical approach to climate adaptation in the city. The long-term goal of THF is to turn part of the 300,000m² former Tempelhof Airport into a Halle für Alle (Hall for All) where Berliners from all walks of life can collaboratively devise solutions for a socially and environmentally sustainable city. Earlier this year, THF led a series of ‘future workshops’ around Berlin to gather ideas about what the Halle für Alle could look like. Ideas included a repair café where materials can be upcycled and repaired and people can learn practical skills, a kitchen and community garden, meeting spaces, art studios, and offices for civil society groups. THF believe that without citizens' initiatives, climate adaptation will be something that only the privileged can afford. An iconic, publicly owned building in the centre of the city, THF see Tempelhof Airport as the perfect location for the project. However, the path so far hasn’t been smooth. The space is managed on behalf of the state by a private company, Tempelhof Projekt GmbH, which has come under fire in recent years for negotiating “backroom deals” with private parties. In 2022, as part of a broader coalition of artists, urban planners and civil society groups, THF ran a successful campaign to end a private agreement to host an Art Gallery in the airport hangars, after the gallery was widely criticised and boycotted by the Berlin arts community for the intransparent and elitist use of the space.  In a massive win for the project, the Transformationsbündnis (Transformation Alliance) was then given the go-ahead by the Senate Department for Culture to prototype the Halle für Alle. But with a new CDU-SPD coalition in Berlin, the future of grassroots initiatives that rely on the cooperation of the state remains uncertain, while the need for bottom-up solutions to the climate crisis is as urgent as ever.  The latest IPCC report was unequivocal in its conviction that we need to see “far-reaching and rapid changes across all sectors and systems” in order to avert the worst effects of global warming. The big question is how? We spoke to Max and Cléo about the goals of Transformation Haus und Feld, the Transformation Alliance, the importance of grassroots climate initiatives, and the role of arts and culture in promoting socio-ecological transformation. How do you describe the vision and mission of THF, and how it relates to the other organisations and initiatives you are involved in - including the Transformationsbündnis? Max: We are trying, with the alliance, to turn the former airport Tempelhof into a transformation centre where everyone, not just one specific group but all citizens of Berlin, can share knowledge and skills, and get prepared for the transformation that needs to take place if we are to address climate change in a fair and just way. When we talk about transformation we are talking about socio-ecological transformation: getting energy in a different way, doing agriculture in a different way, living together in different and more socially inclusive ways. We think this building is a good place for this because it’s such a strong presence in the city, and at the moment it’s mostly unused. Cleo: It’s really about finding a path, a way through. Resilience and adaptation to climate catastrophe and the social challenges it represents will be a big theme in the years to come. If food systems are disrupted, we need to learn how to grow food here in the city and nurture urban biodiversity, as well as skills like repairing, upcycling, and implementing circular economies. Most importantly, this needs to happen in a fair and just way, so that it’s not just the bourgeois and the privileged who are able to adapt. The other story we want to tell is that we can transform fossil fuel infrastructure into something useful for everyone, and this airport is one example. We also have malls that are nearly empty, and these spaces could be repurposed for skills sharing and learning, and bringing more justice and friendliness into our city. We have so many social challenges, we need more non-commercial public spaces where we can meet each other and get to know our neighbours.  Can you paint a picture of the alliance? Which organisations are involved, and how did you end up forming an alliance? Cleo: The alliance includes different civil society organisations from the fields of arts, culture and urban planning, as well as activist and refugee organisations. We realised we shared a common vision of having more non-commercial, public-interest spaces for art, culture and learning in the city. The goal is to have as many voices represented as possible; a place where everyone can come and learn to take an old bike apart and build a new one, or run a Küche für Alle (kitchen for all). A place where knowledge is shared and abilities learned so that people can take what they learn back into their Kiez and impart this knowledge there.  The climate crisis is a huge problem, so we need a very broad alliance to tackle it. How do you plan to achieve this? Cleo: To achieve this we want to cooperate with the city government, to form a common-public partnership, rather than the private-public partnerships we so often see. The goal is to establish a reliable structure for all the civil society groups and people in the arts and culture sector who do not currently have access to reliable funding for the benefits they provide to our city and the role they have in creating behaviour and cultural change from the bottom-up. What comes to mind is one of the headline messages from the IPCC reports, that we already have all the solutions we need to act on climate change and reduce emissions, what we lack is the political will, part of that of course also includes the political will to finance grassroots climate solutions. So what’s the call to action here? Max: One call to action is definitely cooperation. With the new black-red coalition in Berlin we are expecting that this will create a strain for many actors, so I would say it’s coming together to share resources, capacities and skills. Really get active. Cleo: And self-organisation as more than just a tool, as a culture. We can come together to find out what kind of power we want; more local power, more decentralised power, and more shared power between politicians and civil society. Civil society has a lot of skills and a lot of expertise, we don’t want to let that go to waste. How do you plan to bring different groups on board with this vision? Max: The best thing would be to be able to show people the benefits so that they can experience what a consumption-free public space for all could look and feel like. Cleo: The exploitation of people and exploitation of nature have the same root, and profit the same people. However, at the moment the discourse about socio-ecological transformation is often happening between a relatively small, quite intellectual section of society.  One goal of the alliance is to find ways to go into different neighbourhoods and propose solutions in collaboration with associations that are already embedded there. For example, we applied for funding to go into the Rollberg Kiez to install solar panels, which would help people to reduce their electricity bills, so that people can experience the real benefits of these solutions. With the rising cost of living, food and particularly vegetables have become so expensive, so another way is to start community gardens, so that people can grow herbs and tomatoes and see how they can get these things for free. If we can help address real problems with these solutions, we’ll gain new strength as a movement. Why is it important to have everyone on board? Cleo: Every building, every Kiez, is going to have to adapt to climate change. It’s going to be a lot of work, and the administration doesn’t have the resources or the vision to realise it. There’s already a problem with a lack of skilled workers. We can’t wait for it to be done for us, it’s going to be us, the citizens, that create change from the bottom up. Staying passive is not a solution. Max: Transformation isn’t going to happen in a top-down way. Not at all. It’s a do-it-yourself job. Also, I think policy often responds to cultural pressure, rather than the other way around, which brings us back to the role of arts and culture in all this. You pointed out that when it comes to transformation people need to be able to feel it, people need to be able to imagine it. Arts are one way to do that. Can you speak more about that? Max: For us arts and culture are such great tools to make topics like climate justice and sustainability easier to talk about. People can relate to it, they have an opinion about it, and it connects on an emotional level and makes us feel things. Cleo: Arts and culture have this ability to cut to the truth. Scientists and researchers have all the facts and figures, but they don’t always have the skills to tell that story in a direct and emotional way. Culture can help you, it activates you, it invites you to be creative in imagining your own future. So a big part of this is unlocking that creative potential that we all have. Max: Yes and to come back to the question of political will, the problem is not a lack of goals or targets, but of vision. If you only value profit, then you’re missing so much socio-cultural and non-monetary value that exists in civil society to help achieve the goals and targets that are being set, often at the EU level, to address climate change. So to wrap up, what would it look like in 10 years' time if you succeeded?  Cleo: In the UK there is a beautiful network called the Climate Emergency Center network. They want to create a European network of climate emergency centres, transformation centres, for people to learn the skills to rewild, grow food, repair, share knowledge and non-hierarchical ways of organising. If we had that, all over Europe, in every big city, spreading the knowledge into the social fabric, it would be fantastic.  Max: And of course, we would like to see Berlin become a climate-neutral city, with the Airport Tempelhof as our transformation centre. We'd like to see the space fully renovated, open and running. Find out more about THF and the Transformationsbündnis. Since the disappointing results of the Berlin 2030 Klimaneutral referendum (which received significantly more votes than the CDU), THF has also been part of Plan B, a new grassroots initiative focused on implementing climate neutrality in Berlin from the neighbourhood level up. Find out more about the project here. Images courtesy of Transformation Haus und Feld.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Check out a selection of themed radio shows for World Refugee Day]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/world-refugee-day-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/world-refugee-day-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Discussions from the archive.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Tuesday 20 June is World Refugee Day. To mark the occasion we’ve put together a list of Refuge Worldwide shows that spotlight the individuals, movements, organisations and cultural collectives that work to protect the rights of refugees and those who are criminalised for crossing borders. Starting local in Berlin, check out this interview by Nicky Böhm with Lucy Nganga of International Women* Space, an anti-racist, feminist political group of migrant and refugee women who have been one of the vital pillars of Berlin’s refugee rights movement for over a decade. More recently, Sarj of aequa Radio was joined in the studio by Azeb and Charlie from the Berlin-based Solidarity with Refugees in Libya network, a coalition of local refugee rights groups who work to elevate the voices of those trapped in Libya’s brutal detention system. Learn more about the refugee experience with this personal account from Sara, a girl from Syria who has had to flee war twice, featured on this episode of Johanna Urbancik’s On The Ground series. Or, listen to Nour on Flip The Script Palestine, discussing her experience as a documentarian interviewing some the last surviving Palestinian witnesses of the 1948 Nakba. For shows that cross the border between politics and art, tune in to this freeform conversation on Solidarity between members of Palestinian collective Exist Festival, who work to forge cultural dialogue across the Palestinian refugee diaspora. Check out BB’s two-part Sounds of Sumud show, illustrating life in the West Bank by using Palestinian songs and voices from refugee communities, and this episode of Flip The Script with Mo and Phileas, two artists with first-hand experience with Germany's asylum system.  Exploring similar themes with an eye on the war in Ukraine, listen to this conversation from earlier this month between Ukrainian writer and editor Mariana Berezovski, Rachel Almeida & Richard Akingbehin, discussing the potential of electronic music as a political battleground.  For an insight into some of the organisations working on the ground with refugees across Europe, listen to these shows with Projekt009, an organisation providing direct aid in refugee camps and crisis zones; the activists behind Radio Calais on the UK’s southern border; and Mobile Refugee Support working in camps in northern France. Finally, we’ve been honoured to broadcast interviews and speeches by some world-renowned humanitarians. Revisit legendary activist, philosopher and writer Angela Davis’ speech in Berlin, recorded last year at the 10th anniversary of the O-Platz occupation. And, listen back to this interview from 2021 with Sara Mardini, who was then facing trial for her search and rescue activities on the island of Lesvos, and continues to work as a tireless advocate for refugee rights.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Refuge Worldwide neighbourhood dance returns]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-08-07-23</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-08-07-23</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We head to arkaoda on 08 July for another basement session.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The next Refuge Worldwide neighbourhood dance is here! We head back to our favourite local club, arkaoda, with a massive line-up of DJs from the radio roster.  Upstairs, Stillwarley returns from London to open things up at 22:00 with a couple of sweet ones, before B2B sessions involving Sied & MDSM and the Still On Hold pairing Akimat & Dance____98. The question is, what are they waiting for? In the basement it's Breakfast Show host Nadia Wise alongside partner in crime Llupe to start, while Tania & Dave (Fandango's dream duo) takeover. Expect peak time selections from Nikola before Katerinha & Njeri (Club Collage) close things down. It's gonna be a workout. 10€ entry, 22:00 start, DJs across two floors. Saturday 08 July Upstairs 22-00 Stillwarley 00-02 Sied & MDSM 02-04 Akimat & Dance____98

Downstairs 22-00 Nadia Wise & Llupe 00-02 Tania & Dave 02-04 Nikola 04-06 Katerinha & Njeri]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #122]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-19-june-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-19-june-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Greece Boat Tragedy | 75 Years Windrush | Special Olympics]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Greece boat tragedy Last Wednesday a crowded boat carrying people across the Mediterranean from Libya capsized off the Greek coast, killing hundreds. Of the up to 750 people on board, only 104 were rescued, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the Mediterranean in years. Shockingly, despite being alerted to the situation by activists up to 15 hours before it sank, Greek authorities did not launch a rescue operation. The tragedy underlines the horrific cost of an EU border policy that prioritises deterrence over human lives. 75 years since Windrush Thursday is the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush ship in England, an event that marks the start of the mass migration of African-Caribbean people to the UK. The ‘Windrush Generation’ were vital to the UK’s post-war workforce, and had a transformative impact on British society and culture. Yet, in recent years, during the ‘Windrush Scandal’, many were detained, stripped of legal rights and wrongly deported by the British Home Office.  Special Olympics The Special Olympics World Games 2023 opened in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on Saturday and will be taking place at venues across Berlin until the end of the week. We were honoured to be appointed Music Director of this years games, the world’s largest inclusive sporting event featuring 8191 athletes from 184 countries. Head to their website to find out more about the event and buy tickets. CDU in Berlin reverse green policies In a blow to Berlin’s transition to climate neutrality, Senator Manja Schreiner of the CDU-led administration has suspended all plans for new cycle lanes in the city, in order to save car parking spaces. Earlier this year, Schreiner also announced that Berlin will lose one of its car-free streets – Friedrichstraße in Mitte – from 1 July. The pedestrianised street was originally intended to serve as a pilot project for mobility transition in the city. Summer Hangout The annual Oona Bar hangout weekend returns this weekend! As is now customary on '48 Stunden Neukölln' gallery weekend, we host our summer hangout this Friday and Saturday, with a bumper offering of DJs, radio shows, food, art installations and more surprises. See you on Weserstraße! World Refugee Day This Tuesday is World Refugee Day. If you’re in Berlin, Impact Hub is hosting an event at Rollbergstrasse 20, including workshops, sessions with refugee-led organisations and more activities. From 18:00 head to Oranienplatz, the symbolic centre for Berlin’s refugee and migrant movements, for music, talks and a demonstration in the name of freedom of movement. Re:SEÆ Fundraiser On Sunday 25 June, head to Funkhaus Berlin for Re:SEÆ, a fundraising party in solidarity with refugees and people on the move worldwide. There will be DJ sets from moe., No Plastic, Olenka and many more, plus speeches from Sea-Watch, Solidarity with Refugees in Libya, Reclaim The Sea, and members of the Sudanese and Eritrean diaspora.  New Chatroom Refuge Worldwide's brand new chatroom is now live! Grab a direct line to our residents and dial in those requests or track IDs you always wanted. We’ve migrated our chat to Discord to create a place to meet and connect with other listeners, radio hosts and the station's staff. Join the conversation on our website or login via Discord. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: ICKPA Festival w/ Nastya Vogan, Christian AB & Koloah b2b Udda Wednesday: Doc Sleep, Abibi, CCL Nalamazon Thursday: Golden Medusa, Kemback, VK, Gabriel Gifford Friday & Saturday: Summer Hangout! Elise, Dangermami, Lawrence Lee, ophélie, Mandel, Nat Wendell. Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Reclaim the Sea host fundraising party this Sunday]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/re-seae-fundraiser</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/re-seae-fundraiser</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Re:SEÆ on Sunday 25 June, 14:00-00:00 at Funkhaus, Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Reclaim The Sea is an organisation that runs events to fundraise for anti-border campaigning, as well as swim and surf lessons for refugees. This Sunday Reclaim The Sea host Re:SEÆ, an International Refugee Week finale event on the riverside at Funkhaus Berlin. Head down to catch DJ sets all day from Refuge regulars No Plastic, Olenka, plus moe., Murrin & Gill, João Comazzi and many more. As well as music, there will also be speeches from Sea-Watch, Solidarity with Refugees in Libya, Reclaim The Sea, and members of the Sudanese and Eritrean diaspora. Funds raised will go to Reclaim The Sea, Refugees in Libya and SAPA, a Sudanese medical organisation. Lineup: moe.  Murrin & Gill No Plastic  João Comazzi Olenka DJ Chichi MilDred b2b RCRDR Anonymous aka DJ and more surprises... Buy tickets here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Our brand new chatroom is live!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/new-chatroom</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/new-chatroom</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 16 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join the conversation on our website or login via Discord.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Grab a direct line to our residents and dial in those requests or track IDs you always wanted - Refuge Worldwide's brand new chatroom is live.  We've migrated the Chatroom to Discord, creating an online extension of our physical community space, a place to meet and connect with other listeners, radio hosts and the station's staff.  Discord is an instant messaging social platform. Participants have the ability to communicate with voice calls, video calls, text messaging, media and files in private chats or as part of communities called "servers". The Refuge Worldwide Discord server is split into three channels: #⁠general-chat - this is the live chatroom, it functions as normal and is mirrored with https://refugeworldwide.com/chat - that means the Discord channel and the website’s chatroom are the same, updating in real-time. All live shows and radio hosts can interact with this channel just like the old chatroom.  #music-promos-demos - in here anyone can share their tracks in the hope of getting some radio play.  #⁠berlin-stories - Drop links to Berlin-based parties, exhibitions, protests or meet-ups. We pick a weekly selection to amplify on our IG story round-up. Please note we cannot share everything. Please read the guidelines when joining, while you can sign-up via Discord for full features. See you in the chat!]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[City Slang Takeover]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/city-slang-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/city-slang-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 12 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tuesday 13 June, 16:00-00:00, Oona Bar and online.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Tuesday 13 June, City Slang celebrate their 33rd Birthday live on air and in person at Refuge Worldwide.  Founded in 1990, City Slang is an independent Berlin-based record label that has served as a platform for artists like The Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo, Caribou, Gold Panda and many more.  Tune in on Tuesday to hear them celebrate with sets from the City Sang inner circle, artists and friends of the label. Then on Friday, head to Festsall Kreuzberg for their Birthday party with Noga Erez, Gold Panda, Roosevelt (Dj), Sinkane, Sprints, McKinley Dixon, Softee, Zouj. City Slang Takeover full lineup: 16:00 Paula and Severin 17:00 Aida 18:00 Softee & Jeremy 19:00 Christoff Ellinghaus & Olga 21:00 Waleed 22:00 Alexandre Lemieux 23:00 Pascale Project If you are in Berlin, join the party at Oona Bar, Weserstr. 166, 12045 Berlin.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #121]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-12-june-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-12-june-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 12 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Italy detains rescue vessels | North America wildfires | Kakhovka Dam]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Italy detains sea rescue vessels Italy has detained two ships – operated by the NGO’s Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye – for carrying out rescue missions in the Mediterranean. Earlier this year, Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government passed a decree making it illegal for rescue ships to carry out several consecutive rescues at once, and limiting where they were allowed to disembark. Sea-Watch has called the decree an ‘unjust law aimed at criminalising solidarity.’ Ukraine dam explosion The destruction of the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River in Russia-controlled southern Ukraine has unleashed a humanitarian and ecological catastrophe in the region that will be felt for generations. While Russia has denied responsibility for the destruction, experts say that the collapse was likely caused by a deliberate explosion. Floods, including in the city of Kherson and the surrounding area, have devastated the region and carried 150 tons of machine oil to the Black Sea. North America wildfires Over 100 million people in the U.S. have been impacted by severe air pollution as a result of wildfires in Canada. We’re only at the start of the fire season and 400 fires are burning in the forests of Canada – the third largest forest area in the world – fuelling fears that this year could be the country’s worst ever for wildfires. Last week the fires temporarily caused New York’s air quality to drop to among the worst in the world. Sara Mardini in Barcelona We’ve teamed up with Miista in Barcelona for an event with champion Syrian swimmer and renowned humanitarian Sara Mardini. Join us in Barcelona on Wednesday evening for a Q&A with Sara, some music, and a special preview of her documentary ‘Long Distance Swimmer’.  Lula's plan to end deforestation Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has unveiled his plan to end deforestation in the Amazon by the year 2030. “Brazil has resumed its leading role in tackling climate change, after four years in which the environment was treated as an obstacle to the immediate profit of a privileged minority”, he said on Twitter, while also calling on wealthier countries to take responsibility for their role in destroying the planet. The plan includes cracking down on illegal logging, mining and ranching, and introducing new incentives for sustainable agriculture. Boris Johnson resigns The former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned from parliament in disgrace after an investigation into the ‘Partygate’ scandal – related to his defiance of his own government’s COVID restrictions – proved that he had deliberately misled parliament. Johnson accused fellow members of parliament of taking part in a “witch-hunt” against him, in order “to take revenge for Brexit and ultimately to reverse the 2016 [Brexit] referendum result.” City Slang takeover On Tuesday, we welcome Berlin-based independent record label City Slang for an 8-hour takeover. Tune in or come to Oona from 16:00-00:00 to catch sets from Paula and Severin, Aida, Softee & Jeremy, Christof Ellinghaus & Olga, Waleed, Alexandre Lemieux and Pascale Project. Hamburger Bahnhof We’re teaming up with Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof to host a field recording tour and soundscape workshop as part of the museum’s open house weekend (17-18 June). Participants can attend the workshop free of charge, led by Refuge residents Margaux and Nick Höppner. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: City Slang takeover Wednesday: Mansions & Millions, Lychee, Still On Hold Thursday: ezgi, Leona, Cosmic Circuit Friday: Henry Weekes, Maryisonacid, PvssyDivx Saturday: Nikola & Virginia, Olin’s World Header image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona Bar summer hangout returns]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-summer-hangout-2</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-summer-hangout-2</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 08 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A weekend of art, music and celebration at our home base.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The annual Oona Bar hangout weekend returns! As is now customary on '48 Stunden Neukölln' gallery weekend, we host our summer hangout with a bumper offering of DJs and radio shows. Station residents and special guests are rolling all day on Friday June 23 and Saturday 24, with music from Nat Wendell, YUI, Gramrcy, Pretty Gang Collective, DJ Amir, Fandango residents, Lawrence Lee, Yasmin Umay, Éclat Crew, while King Sleepy is joined by Fogo No Cu & Coven and many more. A number of art installations will also take place in Oona, curated by venue manager Laura Vargas. Come and check out artworks from Gabriela Guarnizo, Laura Vargas, Qusay Awad, Rebeka Akane Fimmel, Shivani Luithle, Sophie Douala and Xuehka. On Saturday from 12:00, Sophie Douala invites Ziggy Zeitgeist to perform a live sound collage in collaboration with her art installation.  In a last minute drop - brand new Refuge Worldwide caps, the perfect summer accessory, will be exclusively available this weekend at the bar. Two colour ways, black / pink "Unity in The Community" and off-white / blue "No Drinks In The Booth", both €30. And for a tasty bonus, there will be free food provided by Gather and a couple of other surprises. Come join us and celebrate. Artwork by Jesse McCormack.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host free field recording tour of Hamburger Bahnhof]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hamburger-bahnhof</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hamburger-bahnhof</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Create your own Hamburger Bahnhof soundscape with Margaux and Nick Höppner.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 17 and 18 June, Hamburger Bahnhof will host an Open House weekend, with all exhibits at the renowned Berlin museum made free-to-attend, plus a range of extra activities and events. Refuge Worldwide has been invited to host a field recording tour of Hamburger Bahnhof's historic hall. Beginning at 11:00 on 17 June, our resident Margaux will take participants around the space gathering sounds. Nick Höppner will then lead a workshop showing participants how to mix and layer these recordings - which will be captured on phones or on microphones provided - in order to create a live soundscape. Refuge Worldwide has also curated a selection of archive radio shows which will be played at the Hamburger Bahnhof silent disco. During the disco, participants will be allowed to draw on the walls of the room, inspired by the music they’re hearing. People of all ages and audio experience levels are welcome and no sign-up is necessary. The session will be held in both English and German.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #120]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-05-jun-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-05-jun-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tiananmen Anniversary | Kosovo Crisis | Leipzig Riots]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Tiananmen Square anniversary - protesters arrested Last week was the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, when police violently suppressed a pro-democracy protest in Beijing, killing hundreds if not thousands of protesters.  In Hong Kong over the weekend, scores of police in armoured vehicles and police vans conducted stop-and-search operations, effectively blocking the city’s Tiananmen vigil, the largest annual event commemorating the massacre. At least 20 people were arrested and detained for ‘breaching public peace’. Last Generation On 24 May, German police carried out a series of raids across the country targeting members of the climate protest group Letzte Generation. The group, which has been classified by some police departments as a ‘criminal organisation’ continue to plan protest actions across Germany. They have also relaunched their website, which had been taken down by Bavarian police on the day of the raids.  Kosovo political crisis There were clashes between Serbian state-backed militants, police and NATO soldiers in Kosovo over the weekend, as political tensions in the region continue to escalate. The current crisis started in April when Serbs in Kosovo boycotted local elections, and then protested when ethnic Albanian candidates were elected to the local councils. Serbian militants were reportedly wearing the ‘Z’ symbol also used by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Popular Front in France Popular Front has released a new documentary about the ongoing protests in France. The unrest in France began in January this year in reaction to President Macron’s pension reforms which increased the pension age by two years and cut pension benefits for various sectors. Click here to read an exclusive new interview with Jake Hanrahan by Johanna Urbancik. Leipzig anti-fascists clash with police Clashes between police and protesters broke out in Leipzig on Saturday after a number of prominent anti-fascists were handed multiple-year sentences. Approximately 1500 people took to the streets, despite a court refusal to authorise a demonstration, in protest of the 5-year sentence given to Lina E., a student convicted of participating in organised attacks on neo-Nazis. War in Sudan The war in Sudan has escalated following the breakdown of last week's ceasefire talks. Fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF paramilitary has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the region, with over 1800 people killed and 1.6 million displaced. Outside the capital of Khartoum, the fighting has been particularly intense in Darfur, where the memory of the decades-long conflict between Arab militias and non-Arab groups still looms large. Refugee shelter fire Thuringia On Sunday, a fire broke out in a refugee shelter in the eastern German state of Thuringia, resulting in the death of one child and the injury of at least 10 other residents. Police said the cause of the fire is unclear and a criminal investigation is currently being carried out. 245 people were living at the shelter, which is now uninhabitable. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Rami Abi Rafi, TRU:L Wednesday: Killa, Tina & KeyClef Thursday: XJAZZ! Festival, O.N.A & Jadalareign Friday: Helina, Lavan, Emma Korantema Saturday: Hypersoft, Makayabundo, Chichi Header image licensed under CC BY 2.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide & Miista present an evening with Sara Mardini]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/an-evening-with-sara-mardini-miista</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/an-evening-with-sara-mardini-miista</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 05 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Taking place in Barcelona, 14 June.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide have teamed up with Miista for a special preview screening of Sara Mardini’s new documentary Long Distance Swimmer.  Sara will guide us through sections of the film alongside a Q&A, music and conversation at the Miista Barcelona flagship store. This event is free to attend - taking place from 18:00 - with Refuge Worldwide DJs and a drinks reception. RSVP here and read more info about the documentary below. Long Distance Swimmer One moment champion Syrian swimmer Sara Mardini is Europe’s most celebrated refugee and humanitarian, the next she is a “criminal mastermind”. While her sister competes as a swimmer at the Olympics, Sara awaits trial and a possible 25-year prison sentence. Shot over a period of three years, Long Distance Swimmer follows Sara’s fight for justice and journey of self-discovery, and it illustrates Europe’s biggest shift in the last decade: from being a place that welcomed refugees to an environment hostile to those who dare pull drowning people out of the sea. At 20, Sara Mardini was already famous. She fled Syria in 2015 with her younger sister Yusra. When their boat broke down as they were crossing the sea to Greece, Sara and Yusra and two others jumped into the waves and swam for three and a half hours in open water to stop their dinghy capsizing, saving the lives of everyone on board. Their journey made headlines around the world, and is dramatized in a Netflix film called The Swimmers. Our story begins when the fictionalised drama ends. Sara has spent three years rescuing refugees on the same journey that made her famous, but is suddenly arrested in August 2018, accused by Greek authorities of running a criminal enterprise and charged with “international espionage and people smuggling”.  If convicted, Sara and her colleagues, including activist Sean Binder each face up to 25 years in prison. and the end of her humanitarian career. Banned from Lesbos and waiting for news of the trial, she lives a surreal existence in Berlin. Studying at a liberal arts college by day, escaping to techno clubs at night, she tries to reconnect with her family, while Yusra trains for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, a dream the two sisters once shared. Join us on Tuesday at Miista as Sara talks through the film, Europe's inhuman border laws, and her hopes for the future. For more information about the ongoing trial of Sara, Seán Binder and their fellow humanitarians in Greece, follow here.  Miista: Av. del Marquès de l'Argentera, 1, B, 08003 Barcelona, Spain 18:00 // Wednesday 14 June Photo in the article heading is originally by Esra Gültekin.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Jake Hanrahan: "Truthful reporting means being honest about what you think is right."]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/on-the-ground-popular-front</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/on-the-ground-popular-front</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 01 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Johanna Urbancik talks to the founder of the grassroots media platform Popular Front.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Jake Hanrahan has made a name for himself within and beyond the world of traditional journalism, having reported from war and crisis zones in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Palestine and southern Turkey, to name a few. With his media organisation, Popular Front, he shares podcasts, documentaries, and zines focusing on the aspects of war and conflict that mainstream outlets ignore. Unlike traditional news companies, Popular Front sustains itself entirely through Patreon subscriptions, merch, and independent sponsorships. In this interview, Jake tells us about what it takes to make a Popular Front documentary, how to deal with internet “experts”, and Popular Front’s work in Ukraine and Armenia. (Anarchists fight with police in Athens - Greece, 2018) Hi Jake, why did you start Popular Front? I felt there was a gap in conflict reporting. A certain demographic of people who were very good at what they were doing were being completely ignored by more mainstream publications. Or, if they weren't being ignored, their work was just being stolen from them. I wanted to create a journalism outlet for people who are not the traditional war reporter type. I also wanted to establish an organisation that wasn't influenced by grants from government-linked entities or by corrupt businessmen who decide the agenda based on their own politics. I became tired of people telling me that underreported issues were not important, even though I knew they were, and I knew people cared. The success of Popular Front proves that we were right. People do care. You just have to present it in an interesting way. Why did you become a war reporter? I'm interested in kinetic situations or environments that are completely different from the norm. It doesn't get much more different, confusing, and kinetic than war. It's not so much the conflict or the combat I'm interested in. I don't care about which weapon fires which bullet. I'm interested in how war affects people when it turns a normal situation upside down. On a Monday, someone can just have a regular job doing their thing. And on a Tuesday, if war comes to their doorstep, they either have to run, fight, or do something else to help. That's why I was drawn to it – to see how war impacts people and society. (Sergey Lim, a separatist fighter from Russia, surrounded by the destruction of Donetsk Airport - Ukraine, 2016) How does your approach to reporting on conflicts and war differ from that of traditional or mainstream news organisations? At Popular Front, we blend in with the people a lot more. I don't like talking about class because it's boring, but the reality is that the majority of reporters in news organisations are middle class, have a private school education, or are upper class. They are not the ones who fight in wars or are on the front lines.  It's typically working-class men and women who end up fighting. Our approach to war reporting is different, in that we report on conflicts and wars from the perspective of the people who would be sent to fight if a war came to our country. One recent documentary focuses on Russian partisans who are either fighting in Ukraine or attempting to destabilise Russia from within. What was the response to the documentary like? Those fighting in Ukraine were very receptive to it. I have friends on the front line in Ukraine, and they thought the documentary was excellent. The negative feedback we received was from the kind of people who are numb to brutal violence and turn it into pop culture because it's one side versus the other. Initially, they doubted that the people in the documentary were Russian, claiming that every Russian is bad, so the whole thing must be fake. On the other hand, we also received negative feedback from pro-Russian imperialists – ironically tankies and ultra-communists who claimed that these guys were fake and working for the CIA. But this was the minority. The majority of people liked the documentary. Unfortunately, many people had no idea that this was happening. They are not shown this side of things. For some reason, everything has to be black and white with this war. It was a challenging documentary to produce, but I felt that this is an important perspective that is not usually told. (Ukraine soldiers playing table tennis at a frontline base in Avdiivka - Ukraine, 2015) You have reported from Ukraine before the full-scale invasion. How do you deal with the rise of "experts" on social media who can't be pleased with any type of reporting? We ignore them because they're not relevant to us. We don't play the "look how popular we are on the internet" game. If you were to talk to people who have suffered the loss of their loved ones, the destruction of their land and homes, the bombing of their houses, and deprivation of food and livelihood on the front lines, they wouldn't care about internet experts. We're very conscious of not buying into or playing that game. There are serious negative consequences for us because, in the role of war reporting now, you have to play the game and be part of the club. We don't do that because it's not normal or human. It's not what war is about. Unfortunately, people with no experience in Ukraine, no experience on the front lines, will be listened to more than people with experience if they project the simplistic idea of one side is good and the other is evil.  How do you decide which topics or conflicts to cover in a documentary?

We'll never be the first. We don't have the money and resources to do that. So, we focus on what's different. In Ukraine, everyone was covering the clashes, which is important frontline reporting. We noticed many militias, including fascist and ultra-nationalist militias, but then we found a militia formed by antifascist football hooligans. They happened to be the only antifascist football hooligans in the whole of Ukraine for the last 15 years. That's a unique story that sheds light on a side of this conflict that you won’t see on the news. When we look into these specific communities that are also fighting, it gives a more diverse and accurate depiction of Ukrainian society. If we were to just rely on the mainstream news, we would think that everyone in Ukraine is fighting for the same reason. But in reality, there are many people, such as the anti-fascist hooligans who have been fighting against ultranationalists for decades, who have now changed their tactics to save their country. We aim to find unique stories within existing conflicts or to investigate wars that are not being reported on enough. However, there has to be something special about the story to make it a Popular Front documentary. We need to make the story unique from our perspective while also ensuring that it tells a niche story in an engaging way. (A scarecrow on a collapsed bridge, just past the entrance of the ATO zone - Ukraine, 2016) Are you still in contact with the group, Arsenal Kyiv Hooligans/ Hoods Hoods Klan from that documentary? I talk to them probably every week, to be honest, especially Anton and his wife. She even came to one of our screenings in Germany all the way from Ukraine to show support and say thank you. They're a very interesting and intelligent group of people. However, they've been sidelined a bit due to their beliefs and what they did before the war.  The Kyiv Independent, which is now the biggest independent journalism platform in Ukraine, has extensively covered the war but hasn't once mentioned the leftist divisions fighting in Ukraine for their country. I think that speaks volumes. Despite being sidelined, they're still fighting for their country and what they believe in. I think it's important to keep in touch with people and raise awareness. Through various screenings across Europe, we raised a fair bit of money for them, which we donated for medical equipment because they were lacking in that regard.  Their commander, Yuriy Samoilenko, was killed last year, which was a big blow to them and their unit is all over the place, but they're still doing what they do. How do you manage to remain a journalist and not turn into an activist when you witness the struggles of your friends, whom you are covering? I'm not an activist and I've never felt the need to become one. The way we get our message out is by making our documentaries and doing our journalism. Making a documentary that is fair, accurate, truthful, and properly calls things out, is more important than doing neutral reporting for me. You can't be neutral in a non-neutral situation. Imagine if people were neutral about the Nazis. I believe that truthful reporting means being honest about what you think is right.  (An ageing soldier watches as young Armenian troops are transported to the frontlines - Artsakh, 2021) Why did you decide to make a documentary about Artsakh? I have been interested in Karabakh, or Artsakh, since 2014 and had been trying to go there. I read something about the region and wanted to see it for myself. When I was working at Vice, in 2016, the four-day war broke out, and we were meant to fly out the same day, but it was over by the time we got things set up. Then, the 2020 war happened, and even though we missed the main kinetic part of the war because we were on another project, we went straight there as soon as we were done with it. We covered the very tense ceasefire, and I believe our coverage was the best in that conflict. We put our heart and soul into it and were with Armenians on the ground the whole time.  To be honest, other reports I saw were average, saying simply that both sides have committed war crimes, which, yes, technically, it’s true. But you're talking about a few executions on one side versus dozens and dozens of government-awarded beheadings and mutilations on the others. That's not being biased against Azerbaijan; that is literally what happened. I don't understand why the rest of the media put both sides on equal blame when it comes to war crimes. Maybe they couldn't be bothered. The region is not of much significance to the media.  We really need to make a difference and show everybody how serious and bad this is. Armenia's only ally is Russia. They don't really like Russia, and Russia hasn't helped them in the recent attacks that happened. Right now, Azerbaijan is occupying actual sovereign land of Armenia, and the Russian forces, the peacekeepers, won’t help. Armenia has received no help from anyone. Moreover, Azerbaijan is the new EU ally because they sell them gas now. I actually looked into this, and Azerbaijan breaks almost every single rule of the EU charter. It's incredible that the so-called progressive West will do for money.  With the Azerbaijan – Armenia conflict, that's so visible, you know? That's why I'm so happy with our documentary. It was immediately censored by YouTube, so it has very few views. But that doesn't matter because every view counts. We laboured over it, even though we weren't meant to go to many of the places we went to. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quite controlling, and they told us not to go to certain frontlines. The reality is that the Armenian government had not been properly supporting their own troops. They received literally hundreds of millions from the diaspora, yet some troops didn't even have winter boots.  That's really the essence of Popular Front. We were there for the people and showed the reality of the people and their desolate situations. We showed the hypocrisy of the EU and the corruption of the government. I'm glad we did it. It was very important for us. (Cognac left out in commemoration for a fallen Armenian soldier, buried here on the frontline - Artsakh, 2021) Watch the latest Popular Front documentary, covering the ongoing riots in France, here. Check out Popular Front’s latest podcast episodes, documentaries, and merch releases on their official website here. All photos courtesy of Jake Hanrahan.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #119]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-may-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-may-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 22 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Last Generation | Thai elections | Jüdische Stimme]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Last Generation classified as ‘criminal organisation’ Potsdam’s Regional Court has classified climate protest group Last Generation as a ‘criminal organisation’. Berlin’s new Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg is reportedly also considering harsher measures, and spearheading an investigation into wether the group can be classified as such, in response to a number of actions in the past week. Last month members of the group received five, four and three-month jail sentences for blocking roads, the ‘harshest ever’ sentences imposed on activists from the group so far.  Turkey elections On Sunday, Turkey will go back to the polls to vote in the second round of the presidential election. The rhetoric of the two competing party leaders, incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his reformist opponent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has turned increasingly anti-migrant in the past weeks. Kilicdaroglu vowed in a recent speech to ‘send all refugees home’, in a bid to break the deadlock by winning decisive votes from the ultra-nationalist MHP, who scored 5% in the election’s first round. Portugal legalises euthanasia Portugal’s parliament has legalised euthanasia for people who are experiencing great suffering from incurable diseases. The decision marks the end of a lengthy political battle, in which the bill was approved four times in three years by parliament but repeatedly sent back for constitutional review by conservative president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Portugal will become the sixth country in Europe to legalise assisted dying. Florida anti-trans bills Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law a new package of anti-trans legislation, including restrictions on gender-affirming treatment for minors, a ban on transgender people using bathrooms or changing rooms that match their gender identity, and restrictions on the use of pronouns in schools. Republican DeSantis, who is expected to run for president in the next election, has overseen a shift to the political right in Florida this year, including new restrictions on abortion and an expansion of capital punishment. Thai opposition wins landslide Thailand’s youth-led Move Forward party won a landslide in the general election, sending a powerful message to the authoritarian, military-backed government that has ruled the country on and off for decades. Despite a historic result and record turnout, the military government still have a huge say in deciding who will be the next leader, and has previously banned opposition leaders from politics and dissolved parties in order to keep power. Scholz to tighten German border German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced plans to tighten controls at Germany’s border, and said he will support the creation of new asylum processing centres on the EU’s external borders. Over 50 humanitarian organisations in Germany have come together to oppose the plans, which they say would break refugee protection laws and lead to human rights violations. Police violence at Berlin Jüedische Stimme protest  Berlin-based Jewish pro-Palestinian union Jüdische Stimme have criticised Berlin police after their Nakba-commemoration demo on Saturday ended with police violence and multiple arrests. Jüdische Stimme report that the protest was peaceful and carried out in full cooperation with the police, who “were ready to be aggressive all the time and at some point also surrounded parts of the crowd” before shutting down the demo early. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Oona Pub Quiz! Wednesday: Steve Bicknell, DJ Heartbreak & Bitter Babe Thursday: Sally C, Dangermami, Tati Au Miel Friday: Calamidades Lola, Soyklō, Bok Bok Saturday: Denzxl & Kieran Loftus, Nadia Wise Header image licensed under CC BY 2.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Sign up now for the first Oona Pub Quiz!]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-pub-quiz</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-pub-quiz</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[From 19:00, Tuesday 23 May, at Weserstr. 166]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey, smarty pants! Are you tired of sitting at home, pondering life’s greatest mysteries like “Why is a boxing ring square?” Well, fret no more, because we have the answer to your boredom woes! Next Tuesday, get ready to put your knowledge to the ultimate test at the first-ever Oona Pub Quiz! Assemble your team (max. 4 people per team) and sign up via the link below. Due to limited space at the venue, there will be a maximum of 6 teams, so we recommend signing up ASAP to book your spot. Sign up now.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA["Good Yute For Life": Get to Know baby k of Black Artist Database]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/baby-k-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/baby-k-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Kay Ferdinand, director of B.A.D, plays our stage at GALA on 28 May.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Day-to-day wisdom with baby k.

Ahead of his set at our stage at London's GALA festival on 28 May, we had a chat with Kay Ferdinand (aka baby k), the director of London's essential music and creative platform Black Artist Database, and a wicked DJ - as you can hear here. Check the interview below for some profound, and some less profound thoughts, and if you're in London come hear the house and garage gems in Kay's record bag. Most interviews like to start at the beginning, so let’s start at the end. Where do you see yourself in, say, 40 years? Chillin hard… big soundsystem, room full of records, lots of sunshine, off the grid. Been planning my retirement since my first day at work, can't wait. Now tell us about the real baby Kay. Were you a well behaved child? I was you know! Good yute for life :) Only cried when I wasn't fed. Mumsy didn't even have time to feed herself before I'd start to make noise… my hair was long like it is now. Future, past and now present. Picture the scene: someone walks into the Refuge Worldwide tent at 18:30 on the Sunday at GALA. baby k is in session. There’s 30 mins to go. The place is bouncing. What are they likely to be hearing? These good people will hear me trying to draw out the last of the sun… some techy percussion, off kilter, swingy stuff, pre-2010 garage type shit. Hopefully some sounds we haven't heard before, and some sounds we find familiar.  I know you’re mainly a vinyl DJ. Do you have the same approach elsewhere in life… film camera? Matches instead of a lighter?  Kinda….stairs over escalators, face to face before facetime, post-its litter anywhere I work, and you’ll never catch me with a kindle.  How do you describe the mission of the Black Artist Database in one sentence?  Anyone I've worked with will tell you my sentences run too long… Black Artist Database exists to make the music industry fair for Black people. Can you give an example of a time you have seen the effects of the database have real life consequences for people? I got a really sweet voice note from someone on the mix series; I wont bait them out but they were saying how they were really gassed to contribute to the same series as one of their inspirations from before they even started their DJ journey… little things like that make me happy for real. There has no doubt been some progress in terms of gender and racial balance in the electronic music scene since B.A.D began, but do you think things are moving fast enough? I’m not sure fast enough is the way to look at it…fast enough would be instant, fast enough would be yesterday, it’d be fairness and justice from the outset. It's gloomy as hell, and we have to celebrate the progress thats been made, but we can't make progress fast enough if the destination is somewhere we should have been from the start. I hadn't thought of it like that but completely agree - thank you. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the relationship between corporate brands and community organisations like B.A.D or Refuge. How do you navigate this issue? It's a sticky one for sure. The money in dance music is huge, and the vast majority of it is held by brands and bigger industry corporations; community, groundwork organisations, and talented people hold the cultural capital, the sauce. I don't think we’re seeing fair exchange of money and culture at this point, organisations have to jump through too many hoops for too little money. We need these corporations to be more transparent, and more understanding of the true costs that go alongside the culture they want to access. I think as community organisations as well, we need a better understanding of our value - but trying to balance that with the pressing issues of accessing funding is tough; something we struggle with at B.A.D too. Other avenues, such as grant funding, is inaccessible to many people, and even that pot seems to be shrinking. Looking for money from elsewhere in the community; artists, music fans, other organisations, feels super tough as well in this economy. What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given? Close the app, make the ting :)  Shout out Elijah. Really made me realise that overcomplication has been burdening me for a long time. something doesn’t have to be perfect for it to be started, once it exists it can be grown and refined to get closer to the idea of perfection you have in your head. If you cut it another way as well; taking a long time to get something to a fixed idea of perfection doesn't guarantee you’ll be happy with it by the time its done, so i may as well just put it out! What is the best live performance or DJ set you’ve witnessed in the last year and why? I was lucky to see a lot of Good Shit last year, highlights gotta be NIKS at Alperdrom Festival in Switzerland for that feeling of a crowd being ultra locked into a groove, Uncle Waffles at Piano People for the frenzy, Roska at RW x BAD in London for the vibe and reminding me of UK funky's power & importance, and Errol b2b Molina at Field Maneuvers for a lot of shit i resonated with but hadn’t heard before. How about radio… have any particular shows had a big impact on you? Been slacking on the radio front not gonna lie! shouts however go to Mr. Redley for the Black Wine Club show on rinse, ab.diablo for warmth on Balamii, The Lot in NYC generally, and Nat Wendell’s In-Depth on Refuge. Big ups :) What's coming up in the near future for yourself and B.A.D? Synergy, the first release on the B.A.D label, is out now, featuring some serious hitters on production. all Black, all femme-identifying, all action - plus NIKS debut release! run it up :) Finally, where should we go eat when we come over to London for GALA? Gotta be jumbi, I ain't tried the new menu yet but that's where you’ll find me. Catch baby k playing in the Refuge Worldwide tent at GALA on Sunday, 28 May.

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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #118]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-15-may-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-15-may-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Nakba 75 | #FreeHumanitarians | Iran executions]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Nakba demonstrations banned in Berlin This Monday 15 May is the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, the violent expulsion in 1948 of the majority of the Palestinian population from their homeland. For the second year running, state authorities banned several demonstrations and memorial events over the weekend in Berlin, which is home to around 80,000 Palestinians. We stand in solidarity with Palestinians everywhere and in opposition to the assault on freedom of expression in Germany. #FreeHumanitarians back in court The controversial trial of Sara Mardini, Sean Binder and other humanitarians arrested in Greece for saving the lives of refugees making the Mediterranean crossing is still ongoing. Although the charges were dismissed back in January, the Greek Supreme Court will hear another appeal by the prosecution this Tuesday, 16 May.  This Wednesday, catch a screening of the documentary ‘Sara Mardini - Gegen den Strom’ at Freiluftkino Hasenheide.  Executions in Iran Executions have spiked in 2022 and 2023 in Iran, which remains one of the world’s top executioners. Iranian authorities have put to death over 200 prisoners so far this year. Since the death in September of Mahsa Amini and the subsequent protest movement, Iran’s Baluch minority have been particularly hard hit by the increase in state executions, which Iran Human Rights says has been sanctioned by the regime in order to “create societal fear.” Burundi's solar-powered capital Burundi now produces enough solar energy every day to power its entire capital city, Gitega, during daylight hours. President of Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye officially inaugurated the Mubuga solar field last Tuesday, which has produced 10% of the country’s energy since 2021. He also pledged to increase the field’s generating capacity, hoping to double the amount of energy it produces.  Italy passes Cutro Decree Lawmakers in Italy have passed the new, anti-migrant Cutro Decree, which is designed to deter migration by denying special protection status to asylum seekers fleeing war and natural disaster and increasing barriers to attaining work permits in the country. Language courses and legal advice are also being scrapped under the new law, the latest attempt by Italy’s far-right administration to make life harder for people seeking refuge in Europe. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Gabrielle Kwarteng, King Sleepy Wednesday: Not Grown Yet, Tornado Wallace, Jake Muir Thursday: Ziúr & Iceboy Violet, ophélie & Frederik Tollund Friday: The Neighbourhood Character & MAF, Deniz Arslan Saturday: Kissen, kidkanevil, Monibi Cover Image licensed under Creative Commons CC0 1.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[BLVSH to host intermediate vinyl course]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/blvsh-vinyl-course</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/blvsh-vinyl-course</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 09 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The three sessions take place on 15, 22 and 29 May.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Attention FLINTA* digital DJs! BLVSH was created for the exposure, peer support, and promotion of new talents. The Berlin-based collective is committed to contributing to a much-needed increase in the visibility of women, trans and non-binary folks in the electronic music scene. After a few successful beginner courses, BLVSH is finally hosting a vinyl-mixing course for experienced -digital- DJs in partnership with Refuge Worldwide. Participants will learn the basics of vinyl mixing as well as everything related to it: record shopping/digging, packing a bag for a gig, cleaning, fixing a turntable during a gig. This course is for experienced digital DJs ONLY. This means: you are used to DJ often in a club environment but too shy to play with vinyl yet. Feel free to bring your own headphones and records if you have any. We can also provide them for those who don't. This workshop will take place in person at Refuge Worldwide (Weserstr. 166, 12045 Berlin) on the below dates. Apply here. Mon 15th May from 16:00 - 19:00 Mon 22nd May from 16:00 - 19:00 Mon 29th May from  16:00 - 19:00 For more info on BLVSH, watch our Meet The Residents video here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #117]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-may-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-may-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Turning Tables | Congo Floods | Stop Deportation Protest Camp]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Turning Tables This summer, we will be running a German-language mentorship programme together with Turning Tables Germany. The course will focus on using broadcasting as a platform to share creative ideas, whether through performance, hosting or music production. The course is aimed at persons under 25 years of age. Head to our website to find out more about the programme, its mentors, and to apply! Uganda Uganda’s parliament passed one of the world’s strictest anti-LGBTQ+ bills earlier this month despite President Museveni asking to tone down certain provisions after its initial adoption in March. The bill includes extreme measures such as the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”, a term used by the government for same-sex acts when HIV-positive, as well as a 20-year prison sentence for “promoting” homosexuality, which activists fear could criminalise any advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. Congo floods Landslides and flooding following heavy rainfall last week have killed more than 400 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with many more seriously injured or listed as missing. The disaster happened only two days after at least 131 people were killed in floods in neighbouring Rwanda. The DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the flooding once again highlights how the extreme effects of climate change are disproportionately affecting those contributing the least. XJAZZ Tune in this week for a series of XJAZZ! shows, Tuesday-Saturday at lunchtime ahead of the festival. Kicking things off tomorrow will be Aver from Move78, guesting beside Henry Weekes. Later in the week, you can catch music and chat from Sanni Est, Douniah, Sonic Interventions, Dimitra and more. Stop deportations The Stop Deportation protest camp is looking for voluntary translators who would be willing to help out during June 1-6. You do not need any previous experience - while French, Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Spanish, English, and German are most needed, any other languages are equally welcome. Head to their IG to find out more and get in touch. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: XJAZZ, Plo Man, Nuits Sonores Wednesday: TRU:L, DJ Hops Thursday: Mehmet Aslan, Alias Error, Müge Friday: Pbar warm-up with Heléna Star, Kush Jones, James Bangura Saturday: Neinzer & Aroent, Jeyrototo]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Human Rights Film Festival Berlin presents 'Forgotten Crises']]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hrffb-forgotten-crises</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hrffb-forgotten-crises</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 03 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Screenings on Friday 5 May, 19:30 at City Kino Wedding.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Friday, Human Rights Film Festival Berlin returns for one-off screening of three short films exploring humanitarian crises in countries often ignored by international media: South Sudan, Bangladesh and Lebanon. This event is presented by HRFFB as part of the #INDENFOKUS campaign, a partnership with over 30 NGOs drawing attention to forgotten crises. Each film will be followed by a short talk on the humanitarian situation in each country. Read the full description of each film below: Films: On the White Nile, directed by Akuol de Mabior, with a talk by Kira Fischer, head of advocacy at Aktion gegen den Hunger Germany. An immersive river ride into the world of Rebecca Chol, a spirited and resilient South Sudanese fisherwoman. On the White Nile, by filmmaker Akuol de Mabior, takes us into the world of Rebecca Lith Chol. From the stern of her long wooden boat, Rebecca steers her crew down the White Nile, running her small fishing business. She is a formidable, courageous woman – in charge of her boat, her business and her destiny. Hers is a precarious living, but despite a life of hardship, her philosophical outlook and strong heart drive her forward. Shobe Surfs, directed by Elizabeth D. Costa, with a talk by Mohammad Akmal Shareef, Country Director of Action Against Hunger in Bangladesh. Shobe visits the only surf club on the coast of Bangladesh where girls are also allowed to surf. For the 13-year-old from the slum, surfing is more than just a sport. It is her ticket to a better world. While her family expects her to get married as soon as possible and would prefer to send her to work in Oman, her surf instructor Rashed shows her an alternative way to escape the poverty she was born into. The Lebanon I Dream of, directed by Mounia Akl, with a talk by Philipp Hedemann, journalist. This revolution has been eye-opening and inspiring. This is a reminder of all the reasons we took the streets, and is dedicated to all the people actively working on making these dreams a reality. Find out more and book tickets here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Khadija hosts DJ workshop at Oona]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/breaking-barriers-dj-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/breaking-barriers-dj-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 03 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Workshop on Monday 8 May, 14:00-18:00.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Thinking of diving deeper into DJing? Join us at Oona bar for a 4-hour workshop aimed at those who have some experience in DJing and are looking to increase their technical understanding of playing with different styles, learn how to keep a dance floor engaged, and fine-tune their performance skills.   This workshop is hosted by Khadija, a musician, visual artist & DJ based in Berlin. Her sets consist of soulful and refreshing house music and her taste creates a very unique melodic atmosphere made up of a fine, handpicked selection of deep sounds. Khadija is a resident at Refuge Worldwide and has already showcased her skills across various Berlin platforms and venues such as Tresor and HÖR. This free workshop is presented by Refuge Worldwide and Khadija, and priority will be given to BIPOC, Muslim, female, trans, and non-binary people.  Find out more and sign up here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Asylum as a Human Right]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/solidarity-with-refugees-in-libya</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/solidarity-with-refugees-in-libya</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 02 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[aequa meets Berlin support network 'Solidarity with Refugees in Libya' to discuss the origins of their movement]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[“Europe is complicit in Libya, in the suffering, in the torture, in murder… This is all part of the EU border regime.” - Azeb Ambessa, Solidarity with Refugees in Libya. Sarj, host of aequa radio, was recently joined on air by two members of Solidarity with Refugees in Libya, a grassroots movement in Berlin that has come together to support the work of the Refugees in Libya movement. Thousands of people who have fled conflict, persecution, poverty and climate breakdown are detained while travelling through Libya on their way to Europe. In Libya’s detention centres, migrants and refugees experience horrific human rights violations including torture and forced labour. The response of the UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, has been largely ineffectual, while the European Union has been at the very least complicit and at worst an active participant in the abuse. In this edited transcript excerpt, Sarj, Charlie and Azeb discuss the origins of the Refugees in Libya movement, the growth of grassroots support systems and the effects of EU border policy. Additional quotes from representatives of Refugees in Libya have been added. CW: torture, modern slavery, human trafficking Sarj: Today on aequa radio we are going to once again be exploring the idea of refuge itself, and more specifically, the idea that asylum is a human right. I'm very grateful to have Azeb and Charlie here from Solidarity with Refugees in Libya. We talk a lot on this show about co-creating a new world together. It’s not only about building new structures, new alternatives to the systems of capitalism, patriarchy and colonialism, that have failed so many of us. It's also about showing solidarity with those who are, in many cases, literally enslaved by these systems.  Charlie and Azeb, thank you so much for being here today and being willing to share with us. Let’s start at the beginning. Who are the Refugees in Libya that you stand in solidarity with? What are they experiencing? What are they fighting and organizing for? Azeb: So today we’re talking about the self-organized protest movement Refugees in Libya. You can find them on Twitter, they have a website where you can read their manifesto, which explains exactly who they are and what they're demanding. This movement started in October 2021 as the result of some raids in an area in Tripoli called Gargaresh, where many migrants and refugees live. During these raids Libyan authorities incarcerated more than 5000 people who were living there, claiming that the refugees were criminals selling drugs, engaging in prostitution etc. Soon after they were detained, a riot broke out at the al-Mabani detention centre and many managed to escape. They gathered in front of the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) offices in Tripoli, to seek UN protection. They protested for more than 100 days, and this protest became the movement Refugees in Libya.  In January 2022, the UNHCR decided to close the offices and tried to disperse the people, telling them that they could only help the most vulnerable. They didn't really provide any protection or support to the protesters. Two days later, Libyan security forces dismantled the protest camp, burned everything down and, again, took more than 600 people into custody, mainly to the Ain Zara detention centre.  “The UNHCR, who has taken a huge grant to represent the people, only plays politics with our lives.” - Yambio David, Refugees in Libya Sarj: From what I understand this is not only this resistance movement, but they're also running a mutual aid effort. Can you tell me a bit more about these two aspects of their work? Azeb: So from that point [January 2022], Refugees in Libya were no longer protesting publicly. Instead, they have adopted a different form of resistance by supporting each other and supporting survivors of torture. They work to provide life-saving aid like housing, food and medical assistance to people who've just been released from torture camps. Sarj: And all of this is coordinated through WhatsApp, right? It’s incredible to me, that if someone calls out to the UNHCR in distress, the wait time is up to two weeks. On the other hand, here are people who themselves are up against incredible circumstances and are organizing ongoing multilingual support. The network is doing the job better than this institution.  Do you mind telling me a bit more about their demands? What are they asking for specifically? Charlie: In the manifesto of Autumn 2021 there are seven demands. These include, for example, the evacuation of refugees in Libya to safe countries; fair treatment by the UNHCR for all people on the move regardless of official status; abolition of the EU funding of the so-called Libyan coast guard; justice for those who have been murdered, tortured, and arbitrarily detained; and for Libya to sign the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention.  Sarj: So if I understand correctly, part of the reason that what’s going on in Libya right now is even possible is that Libya has abstained from signing this convention, right? Azeb: Yes, that makes these abuses possible. The fact that Libya hasn’t signed the Geneva Convention is something that the UNHCR also struggles with because this convention gives them their mandate.  But also, these abuses are very much facilitated by the European Union, which is using the Libyan authorities to control migration and to deter migrants from entering Europe. I think that plays a very important role. A main factor is all the money that has been pumped into this region to deter migrants from reaching safe countries in Europe. Sarj: What is the EU funding exactly?  Azeb: Well, a lot of money goes from the EU toward the so-called Libyan coast guard, which was also established as a consequence of EU pressure. The coastguard is basically made up of militias and criminals that are now all wearing a uniform. They are supposed to save people if they are in distress at sea, but what they do instead is intercept migrant boats, take them back to Libya and put them straight into detention and torture camps. A big role in all this is played by Frontex, the border agency fully financed and installed by the EU. Frontex have surveillance planes, and they pass on coordinates to the Libyan coast guard, who can then intercept migrant boats. And I just want to add something about the different causes for refugees to leave their countries. Of course, climate change, and environmental factors play a role, but also poverty and wars. And a lot of times these causes can be traced back to European actors and colonialism. Sarj: So, when the Coast Guard intercepts people they then take them to detention centres. Could you explain a bit more about what that means, please? Charlie: Detention centres are not like regular prisons. They are organized by the militia. They can be large, like a big hangar or warehouse, where people are lucky if they have space enough to sit, or enough space to sleep. There are often no bathrooms, there's nothing to wash with, no toilets or anything. If you're lucky, you get a meal once a day. Many people are tortured, and their families are blackmailed. There's lots of violence, rape, and forced labour. In our group, we see videos showing human rights violations on a level that's really, really horrible. It’s hard to imagine. It's really important to see this [detention centre] not just as a prison, but really as a torture camp.  “Libya became a grave of migrants. You try to cross the sea, you are pushed back and put into detention, where you cannot see sunlight.” - Lam Magok, Refugees in Libya Sarj: Can you say a bit about how this group, Solidarity with Refugees in Libya,  was born? Is it only Berlin-based or a part of a wider network?  Charlie: Right after the Refugees in Libya movement was created in October 2021, two groups were formed. One more on a European level that was formed out of a press conference from Mediterranea, Alarm Phone and some other big groups. Parallel to that, a smaller solidarity movement in Berlin grew out of individuals from the group United4Eritrea, as well as through local groups like No Border Assembly. And in the spring of last year, we finally found our way together and are now working together as one big group and alliance. Sarj: Working together across these coalitions is of course easier said than done. What does it look like for members of the groups in this alliance? What kind of actions are you collaborating on? Charlie: So every group has one or two representatives in our alliance. We meet on a weekly basis. But we are also organizing through different chat groups and we have working groups for specific topics and issues either focused on fundraising, or on something like the UNfair campaign for example. Sarj: Do you want to say anything more about the UNfair campaign? Charlie: The UNfair campaign started at the end of last year, and it specifically targets the UNHCR. It's basically a continuation of the protests and demands of Refugees in Libya, brought from Tripoli to Europe. We had two action days in Geneva, where the UNHCR head office is, on 9 and 10 December, International Human Rights Day.  “People have been wondering why we named it the ‘UNFAIR campaign’ or the ‘UN Refusal Agency’. UNHCR in Libya has been silent, has been watching the situation that we have been subjected to. We have the right to name them unfair.” - Yambio David, Refugees in Libya Charlie: We have a lot of criticism for the UNHCR, but at the same time, we see them as a potential partner, because their mandate is to protect refugees. We are trying to continue the dialogue that started in Tripoli and continued in Geneva. I hope that we can achieve some change with that. From what I understand you also do a lot of mutual aid on the ground here in Berlin, for people who are part of a network and who are in the Lager [refugee housing] system in Germany. Can you say a little bit about what listeners out there can do to show solidarity and how to support these actions that you're planning? Charlie: So if you don't have time to offer, you can always donate, you can find a donation link on our socials, as well as the socials of Refugees in Libya. You can share their content, you can amplify their voices. If you want to become active, you also can become a member of the alliance if you're interested in that. Just contact us via our socials or our email which is: solidaritywithrefugeesinlibya@riseup.net Azeb: Yes, and I want to add that if you want to learn about what's going on, on the ground, every fourth Monday of the month, we organize a network meeting, which is meant for people who are interested to learn more about the and to potentially join any of the working groups and contribute to this cause.  All right, well, thank you both so much for sharing, for being here today, and for the work that you continue to do for this movement. Thank you to everyone else from that alliance for what you're doing. Please donate if you have the means! Follow, share and donate to Solidarity with Refugees in Libya (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) Follow, share and donate to Refugees in Libya (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) Photos courtesy of Solidarity with Refugees in Libya.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Jetzt Bewerben: Radio-Mentoring-Programm für junge Leute]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-x-turning-tables-music-and-radio-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-x-turning-tables-music-and-radio-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 26 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Applications now open for a creative radio mentoring programme (DE)]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide & Turning Tables are running a German-language mentorship programme.  Focusing on using broadcasting as a platform to share creative ideas, whether through performance, hosting or music production. The course is aimed at persons under 25 years of age.  Read the full programme description and apply below by Sunday, May 21! Refuge Worldwide und Turning Tables organisieren ein Mentoring-Programm mit dem Schwerpunkt, Radio als Plattform für den Austausch kreativer Ideen zu nutzen, sei es in den Bereichen Performance, Moderation oder Musikproduktion. Gibt es ein Thema, dass dich inspiriert oder dir sehr am Herzen liegt?  Etwas was du mit der Welt da draußen teilen willst, weil du dich gut damit auskennst oder weil du findest, dass darüber mehr gesprochen werden sollte?  Oder hast du Lust dich mit Musik zu beschäftigen und möchtest dein eigenes Mixtape produzieren? Zusammen mit Turning Tables veranstalten wir diesen Sommer eine deutschsprachige Workshopreihe zu den Themen Musik & Radio für junge Menschen bis zu 25 Jahren. In diesem von kultur_formen geförderten Workshop wollen wir dich dabei unterstützen dein Projekt zu realisieren, indem wir dich z.B. bei der Themenauswahl, Recherche, Playlisterstellung oder beim Mixen deiner Musik mit technischem Know-How unterstützen.  Am Ende der Workshopreihe veranstalten wir einen Live Showcase, bei dem ihr euer Projekt oder euer Mixtape broadcasten könnt.  Jeder Workshop wird begleitet von verschiedenen Mentor*innen die dich und dein Projekt tatkräftig unterstützen werden.  Die Workshops finden jeden Montag vom 05.06.2023 bis zum 24.07.2023 von jeweils 17:00 bis 19:00 Uhr in unserem Studio in der Weserstr. 166 statt.  Wenn wir dein Interesse geweckt haben und du mehr erfahren oder dich bewerben willst, kannst du das bis Sonntag, 21. Mai hier tun.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bungalovv hosts LP release show at Oona]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bungalovv-smoke-signals-release-party</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bungalovv-smoke-signals-release-party</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[27 April, 22:00-00:00, at Oona (Weserstr. 166).]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join Bungalovv and friends at Oona on Thursday evening to celebrate the release of Visited by Strangers on Shanghai label Genome 6.66 Mbp. Bungalovv is the electronic alternative music project led by Pablo Betas, a core member of the internationally acclaimed label Infinite Machine and one of the founders of Trrueno (AR). Since 2019, he has been based in Berlin, Germany. To celebrate the release of his new album, Bungalovv is hosting Smoke Signals, a two-hour takeover with an all-star crew including fellow Buenos Aires-born producer Catnapp, SVBKVLT-affiliate ABADIR, Candie, Isaka, M8NSE and TRYCE. Smoke Signals will be broadcast live from 22:00-00:00 on 27 April. Vinyl copies of Visited by Strangers will be for sale at the bar. Listen to Visited by Strangers on bandcamp.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide appointed Music Director for Special Olympics World Games]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/special-olympics</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/special-olympics</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The world's biggest inclusive sports event takes place in Berlin this June.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are honoured to be named as the Music Director of the Special Olympics World Games. Founded in 1968, the "Special Olympics is a global inclusion movement... changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities." The Special Olympics World Games takes place every two years, with Berlin hosting the 2023 edition. 8191 athletes from 184 countries will come to Berlin to take part from 17-25 June, at venues including the Olympic Stadium, Wannsee Lake and Messe Berlin. Refuge Worldwide has curated a music library to be used across the venues during the games and has contributed 10 DJs from our roster of residents to play the music. More info and tickets to the games are available here.   ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #116]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-apr-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-apr-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 24 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Berlin coalition | Make Amazon Pay | Beirut Heritage Initiative]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Berlin's new coalition With just a small majority of 54,3%, members of the SPD in Berlin have voted in favour of a coalition with the CDU. There’s now not much standing in the way of Kai Wegner, head of the CDU in Berlin, becoming the party’s first mayor of Berlin in 22 years.  The new government is expected to implement cuts to healthcare and education while significantly increasing spending on police and speeding up deportations. Follow @berlinzusammen, a union of grassroots organisations in opposition to the new government, to find out more. Make Amazon Pay Today is the 10-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in recent history. Make Amazon Pay are calling on Amazon to sign the ‘International Accord’ created in the wake of the disaster to ensure safe conditions for garment workers. Despite being the largest retailer of clothing in the US, Amazon has failed to commit to protecting workers in its supply chain. Find out more about the campaign and sign the petition here. Crackdown on climate protesters Climate activists across Europe are facing increasingly tough sentences for peaceful protest actions. Last week, two Just Stop Oil protesters were sentenced by a UK court to 2.5 years in prison each for scaling a bridge over the river Thames. Meanwhile, in Germany, three members of the group Last Generation were given prison sentences of five, four and three months for blocking roads, the ‘harshest ever’ sentences imposed on members of the group so far.  Sudan Sudan could be on the brink of civil war and humanitarian disaster after a week of escalating conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group RSF. Hundreds have been killed in the fighting which has spread from the besieged Sudanese capital Khartoum, where fighting continues today despite a newly announced truce, to areas such as Darfur. Tens of thousands of people have already been displaced by the conflict and crossed the border into neighbouring countries. Beirut Heritage Initiative fundraiser compilation Past and Future is a new compilation released by Beirut label System Revival, raising funds for Beirut Heritage Initiative, a group of architects dedicated to renovating, rebuilding and preserving the architectural heritage of the city after the 2020 port explosion. The compilation features music from KMRU, Ireen Amnes, Rami Abi Rafi and more. Listen and donate here. Apartment Project  This Wednesday, 26 April, we’re teaming up with the artist-run platform Apartment Project to present Parallels, an evening of sonic, visual and spoken interpretations on the theme of resistance. Join us live at Oona, tune in to Refuge Worldwide or stream the event via the Apartment Project channel Chromatic Wednesdays. Now You See Me Moria poster campaign Now You See Me Moria is launching a new poster campaign to raise awareness about the imprisonment of refugee children and their families in Closed Control Access Centres (CCACs) in Greece. Artists, designers and creatives can head to the Now You See Me Moria website to find out more about the project, download poster templates and contribute their own designs. OML Podcasting Course Calling aspiring storytellers! Tuesday 25 April is the deadline for applications to our Creative Podcasting workshop programme, presented in collaboration with OML and Today at Apple. The programme will run from 15 May and will cover storytelling, interviewing, hosting, recording, production and promotion, with plenty of opportunities to gain hands-on experience.  Sign up here. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Eddington Again, Lunchbox Geoff & Ady Toledano Wednesday: Apartment Project Takeover Thursday: Bungalovv - Smoke Signals Release Party Friday: DJ Westfa, SiSi, Mandel Saturday: DJ Skain, ELLLL, Llupe, Lavan Cover Image licensed under CC BY 3.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Apartment Project and Refuge Worldwide present Parallels]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/apartment-project-parallels</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/apartment-project-parallels</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 20 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[26 April, 19:00-22:00, at Oona (Weserstr. 166).]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Founded in 1999 in Istanbul, and running since 2012 in Berlin, Apartment Project is an artist-run platform for global-local, multi-media artistic collaborations.  Check the live streams they post online, or head to one of their events on Hertzbergstrasse, to discover their “politically engaged art, transdisciplinary experimentation, and cultural community outreach.”  One of the many projects under the Apartment Project umbrella, Chromatic Wednesdays, will be broadcasting live from Refuge Worldwide HQ, Oona Bar, on 26 April. The event, called Parallels, will take place from 19:00-22:00 and will explore the idea of resistance.  Parallels is an evening of overlapping sonic, visual and spoken interpretations of the theme resistance, led by members of the Refuge Worldwide radio station’s community. Seven artists will use their respective mediums to tell stories or ask questions, exploring parallel narratives and streams of protest.  We'll be hosting the evening at Oona. The event will be broadcast live on Refuge Worldwide, and video streamed via Apartment Project channel Chromatic Wednesdays. Artists: Charlie Cruz Proxy Laura Vargas Oscar Atanga Richard Akingbehin Sarah Zeryab Tianna Strickland ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Solispiral is fundraising for refugee communities in Palestine]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/solispiral-ii</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/solispiral-ii</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 19 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Solispiral founder BB talks to Magi Fatouleh at Aida camp near Bethlehem.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Solispiral is a Berlin-based event series initiated to build material support in the grassroots music universe for Palestinian refugee camp communities. The next Solispiral party is happening on 22 April at Fitzroy, with sets from Sansibar b2b Denzel, YA Z AN, Falyakon, Ossia, and La Maquina Corrupta. All money raised will go to the community-run kindergarten Zahrat Al-Yasmeen in Aida Refugee Camp, near Bethlehem. I’m BB, Solispiral founder, facilitator, writer and host of The Spiral Times on Refuge Worldwide, originally from South Wales, living in Berlin. I first connected with Aida camp while fundraising for a gym in Lajee Center, a grassroots cultural and community space run by and for refugees. In August, I spent time volunteering there, making friends and witnessing the brutal violence meted out by the Israeli army, including attacking children with teargas. One day they arrested a small boy who’d been playing next to us with his friends after school and threw him into an armoured vehicle at gunpoint. He was held alone for days in the nearby military base until his parents could pay the fine. This is the daily reality for a community living in the direct shadow of the 9m high apartheid wall dotted with sniper-guarded watchtowers. The small (0.07km²) area is home to more than 5000 people and is used as a de facto training and testing ground for tanks, chemical weapons and live ammunition. The military has been known to specifically target children, and in 2017 Berkeley Law School research found Aida to be the most heavily teargassed place on earth. Zahrat Al-Yasmeen (or Jasmine Flower) is a kindergarten that opened in 2021 inside Lajee Center. Its unique play-based, trauma-focused programme uses nature, art, drama, music, storytelling, cooking, dabke, olive harvesting, singing and puppetry to manage the high-stress levels experienced by 3-5-year-olds growing up under occupation, including the 10-15% who have learning disabilities. Understandably, places at the kindergarten are in high demand. Solispiral II will help fund a much-needed new classroom to allow for 25 more children to attend, converting disused garages to maximise natural light whilst providing protection from chemical weapon attacks. Magi Fatouleh, interviewed below, is the director of Zahrat Al-Yasmeen and a learning disabilities specialist teacher who plays a crucial role in the lives of many of Aida’s children while raising two of her own. How do you, your team and the children deal with the frequent teargas attacks? When they shoot gas while the children are inside the Kindergarten, which is often, the first thing we do is shut all the windows and doors, and put music on so the kids can’t hear that something bad is happening outside. We have a strategy in the community. Older boys will come and warn us if they see the soldiers invading the camp.  When people try to say our children ‘get used to’ being teargassed, I have to stop them. You never, ever get used to it. It smells like it’s killing you. It stays in your body, your hair. When I’ve been teargassed, I’ll feel mentally bad for days after. If they had any humanity, they would stop shooting when they read our big sign that says ‘Kindergarten.’ They know we have tiny children in here. Instead, they do it in the morning and they do it at night. We pick up canisters from the ground every day and put them in the trash. We have to be so, so careful.  What about the psychological impact? We see it in their emotions. The children always ask us about the soldiers. We have a few children who live outside the camp and come to our Kindergarten now, and they are especially terrified because they don’t know what is happening. They will wake up crying. Imagine our lives! A four-year-old asking you about why they are being teargassed? No one in the world wants to hear this from a child. I’m a Mum, and the first time I brought my own daughter to work she could smell it, and now she always asks me if I will be gassed at work. This is the situation all over Palestine. They steal everything from our children. They make them so, so afraid. But we are caring enough to put love back in, to smile, to try and create some safety for them. We can fight by bringing love and providing a safe place for our kids. How does the support model you’ve developed at Zahrat Al-Yasmeen make a difference to refugee families? I’ll tell you a story. We have a four-year-old boy, and he has a relationship with his Dad that’s more like best friends than father and son. They are so close. A few months ago, the soldiers raided their home at night and attacked the family. They took his Dad away in the night and put him in jail. There was a lot of shock and trauma. The boy felt so much anger and emotion. The soldiers did something to that child. He’s only small but you can see it through his movement. He could no longer take part in activities. No more singing, no more playing. Just sadness. First, we met with his mum, who is now alone caring for two small children. Those first few months alone are so hard. [Her husband remains imprisoned illegally in Israeli jails alongside almost 5000 other Palestinians, more than half of whom are being held indefinitely without trial under the Israeli military law. 160 of those prisoners are children.] Together we made a special plan to support the boy’s emotions. We use it in the kindergarten and we show his mum how she can do something similar at home, with drawing, lots of time in nature and boxing gloves.  I always remember one day I took him outside to the playground and told him "don’t be afraid anymore, I’m next to you. Say whatever you want and I won’t stop you." He hit the punch bag and he cried. He shouted "I’m so angry, I’m so sad! I want to hit the soldiers. I miss my dad. I love my dad. I just want to hug my dad. They didn’t let me hug my dad in jail.” The Israeli jails don’t let parents hug their children so on the visit he had just seen his Dad through the glass screen and heard him on the phone. When the punching stopped, he said "Ah! I feel comfortable now." It was wonderful. I told him "You can be angry. You can cry. You can shout. Anytime. Come and share your emotions." Honestly, we’ve seen this child start coming back to life. It’s slow, but he will stay with this programme and plan until his Dad comes back home. Lajee Center also helps to support his Mum financially. What would you say to people considering supporting the fundraiser for a new classroom? You know, this is not a job for me. It’s a mission. I am Palestinian. I had a bad childhood. We didn’t know how to find emotional or social support. I don’t want our kids to have the same experience. The situation now is so bad but no one can stop us from trying to live our lives. We have a unique vision at the kindergarten. Our mission is to support these kids to build healthy personalities and a future. We deserve love, happiness, everything!  As Hebh Jamal pointed out in her recent interview with Refuge Worldwide, while the German state and civil society continue to suppress and punish Palestinians and their allies, it is up to the grassroots to forcefully open up conversations. Building solidarity via political friendships rooted in love and commitment across borders has always been an antidote to hopelessness, and a spiral is a non-linear form of movement, where struggles may have to repeat and renew themselves over and over, but learn from the past and moving ever upwards towards new perspectives.  Governments worldwide will likely continue funding, participating in or excusing the daily death-making practices of the occupation for some time. We can choose a worldwide grassroots response of funding, participating in and supporting the daily life-making practices of the people trying to survive that occupation. As well as generating funds for refugee-led projects in the West Bank, Solispiral hopes to encourage more musicians (and all justice-loving people) to become a useful echo for voices that deserve international amplification, respect and solidarity now more than ever. All profits from Solispiral II at Fitzroy on 22 April will go towards building the new classroom for Zahrat Al-Yasmeen. Follow @thespiraltimes for more information, and donate to support the Kindergarten here.  Images of Aida camp courtesy of BB.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Catch us at a stage near you this festival season]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/festival-summer-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/festival-summer-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 19 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide summer dates.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are hitting the road for a series of DJ sets, workshops, panel discussions and live broadcasts. Organik Taipei, 21 - 23 April  Organik festival takes place this week, with Refuge Worldwide co-founder Richard Akingbehin playing, alongside the likes of Sedef Adasi, Bézier, Kate Miller, VRIL and Jing. Keep an eye on Refuge Worldwide to hear some recordings from the festival soon. XJAZZ! Berlin, 08 - 14 May We are proud to work alongside the fantastic XJAZZ! crew this year with AKA KELLZ, Chelsea Carmichael, LOUIS COLE, Alfa Mist, K.Zia, Moses Yoofee Trio, KOKOROKO!, Roy Ayers and Move78 performing. Nuits Sonores Lyon, 17 - 21 May Refuge Worldwide will be an official media partner of Nuits Sonores - airing exclusive broadcasts as well as hosting a European Lab on-site hub and radio workshop. The festival's musical programme so far includes Avalon Emerson, Chilly Gonzalez, LSDXOXO, Moderat, Tzusing, Channel One, Madam X, Paula Tape, DARKSIDE and many more. 
GALA London, 26 - 28 May We take over the Parkcorner tent for the 3rd year running. Our curation begins with an extended back-to-back from Refuge Worldwide family No Plastic, Gaby and Bell. Guests for the day are the versatile Creole Cuts DJ Anja Ngozi, baby k from Black Artist Database and foundation.fm favourite Helena Star. The full weekend includes performances Kerri Chandler, Jordan Rakei, Yu Su, Congo Natty, Amadou & Mariam, Dreamcastmoe, Donato Dozzy. AUDRA Kaunas, 29 June - 02 July We host the AUDRA festival pre-party, streaming live from a stage in the central square of Kaunas in Lithuania. AUDRA is a festival of forward-thinking electronic music and art, linked to the Lizdas venue which we visited on our 2022 tour. Our stage, taking place from 6-10PM, sees sets from local artists and Refuge crew members Richard Akingbehin and Gramrcy.  Tune in!]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Body Language co-founders host party-promoting workshop]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/body-language-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/body-language-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Workshop on Monday 24 April, 17:00-19:00.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Do you have a party idea that you want to refine?  Unsure of how running a party exactly works or what you need to plan before investing your time and funds into your passion project?  This workshop, which takes place at Oona (Weserstr. 166) on Monday 24 April, is designed as an open space to come and ask any of those questions that might be holding you back from organising your event.  Your hosts, Camilla Rae (she/her) and Caitlin Russell (she/her) are both co-founders of the Berlin-based party Body Language. Between them, they have over a decade of experience in every position imaginable within club and party spaces, from booker to bar manager, DJ to door selection.  Together they will talk about how to refine your party concept and how to contact a booker effectively. They will cover the logistics of running a party, including the finances and promotion. They will ensure you know how to get the full potential from a venue, working together on issues like tech, and security, and forming a good working relationship. Finally, they will discuss the different roles and responsibilities you need to cover in order to create your dream team.  Sign up for 'Turning Your Passion into a Party' here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #115]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-17-apr-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-17-apr-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sara & Yusra Mardini | Yemeni Peace Process | Exist Compilation]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Sara & Yusra Mardini Sara and Yusra Mardini, the two sisters who fled Syria in 2015 and whose story inspired the 2022 movie The Swimmers, have been named among TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2023 for their advocacy of everyone’s right to seek refuge and safety.  Sara continues to face criminal charges for her work as a search-and-rescue volunteer in Greece. Follow Free Humanitarians to keep up to date with the trial, which has been described as Europe's "largest case of criminalisation of solidarity". Listen back to Nicky Böhm's 2021 interview with her through the archive. Yemen's peace process Saudi Arabi and Yemen’s Houthi rebels completed the first round of official peace talks last week. More than 800 prisoners from both sides were released over three days, boosting hopes for an end to Yemen’s devastating eight-year civil war. Negotiating a new truce in Yemen, which faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, remains a complex task, with important groups including the Yemeni government still absent from the negotiating table. Putin cracks down on opposition activists Russian activist Vladimir Kara-Murza has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for 'high treason', after making a series of speeches criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s the longest sentence ever given to a Kremlin opponent, and marks an escalation in Putin’s war on dissent.  There are also reports that influential Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is in critical condition due to possible poisoning. Navalny, who is serving an 11-year sentence, has been isolated and denied medical care in prison. Italy's 'state of emergency' Italy declared a 6-month state of emergency last week due in reaction to an increase in the number of migrants coming into the country. NGOs such as Sea Watch have expressed concerns about the decision and attributed funds, which are supposed to help set up new migrant reception centres and could make it easier for the far-right government to speed up deportations of asylum seekers.  Earlier this month, Italy was found guilty of human rights violations for the illegal deportation of four Tunisians without appeal. Power struggle in Sudan Nearly 100 civilians have been killed in ongoing clashes between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the past three days, with no end to the fighting in sight. The conflict is due to a power struggle between General al-Burhan, Sudan’s de facto ruler and General Dagalo, leader of the RSF. Both generals had previously allied to carry out a military coup in Oct 2021, halting the transition to democratic elections in the country. Exist Records presents Gaza compilation Palestinian arts collective, label and event series Exist release their second compilation, No ComplY, this Wednesday. The compilation features music from artists at the forefront of the electronic music scene in Palestine and beyond, including Muqata'a, Kujo and MC Yallah & Debmaster. Money raised through the release will help fund a skatepark in Gaza City. Head to bandcamp to pre-order. AfroCuration AfroCuration is an event series aiming to empower young Africans to readdress historical biases and take ownership of the digital narrative by creating knowledge about their culture and identity on Wikipedia. In partnership with the Twi User Language Group and Oroko Radio, the next event will take place online and in person in Kumasi, Ghana from 26-28 May. Head to Oroko Radio’s IG to find out more and apply. Jah Shaka Jah Shaka (AKA Zulu Warrior), a pivotal figure in the history of dub music, has died. Born in Jamaica, Shaka moved to London in 1956, where he became a forefather of the UK’s dub scene. As the leader of Jah Shaka soundsystem, he was responsible for releasing some of the most seminal records in the history of London sound system culture. His influence can be felt across a range of genres and cultures, from dub to jungle and post-punk.  This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: ophélie & Abibi, DJ Python Wednesday: Not Grown Yet, Emotional Labor Queen Thursday: SAGAN, Front Row Dancer, Bridon'tknow_ Friday: Daytimers, Glenn Astro, Nalamazon Saturday: Kaodi, JAW Family, The Neighbourhood Character & MAF Cover Image licensed under CC BY 3.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Apply now for a 3-week workshop series on podcasting]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oml-podcasting-course</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oml-podcasting-course</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 17 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Calling aspiring storytellers!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Open Music Lab is excited to announce another partnership with Today at Apple and Refuge Worldwide. After hosting a successful course in radio production last year, together we will bring a new 3-week Podcast Workshop Series to Berlin. The course will be running from 15-30 May with classes on Monday and Tuesday each week. The month of June will then be dedicated to teamwork for putting together your very own podcast at Refuge Worldwide studios. We are calling aspiring podcast hosts, producers and researchers to join this journey of crafting and producing stories. Through the course, you will be mentored by and work with industry experts on topics of storytelling, interviewing, hosting, recording, production and promotion. Expect hands-on experience, ongoing support for your ideas, and lasting connections via our extensive network of creatives! Find more information and submit your application by 25 April 2023 through this form. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oroko Radio & Refuge Worldwide host joint takeover]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oroko-radio-x-refuge-worldwide</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oroko-radio-x-refuge-worldwide</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 11 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tune in to the 10-hour takeover this Saturday, 15 April, 12:00-22:00 CET.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[For the second year running, we're teaming up with our friends at Oroko Radio for a day of joint programming. Oroko Radio was launched in January 2022. Based in Accra, Ghana with residents across West Africa, Europe, America and beyond, Oroko champions alternative sounds, thoughts and perspectives from the African continent and diaspora.  The lineup for this year's takeover is made up of Oroko and Refuge residents, friends, family, as well as some newcomers to the station. Tai Lokun Richard Akingbehin & O.N.A DJ Katapila Kissen & Nico Adomako MELANIN International Joe Nia Records: Collo Awata B2B Delfiné Shani Dekkapa Khadija Tune in from 12:00 or join us live at Oona, Weserstr. 166.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host radio lab and workshop at Nuits Sonores]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ns-2023-festival</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ns-2023-festival</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 10 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The festival takes place in Lyon from the 17-21 May. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The first collaboration between Refuge Worldwide and Nuits Sonores. We are happy to take part in Lyon's Nuits Sonores festival this year, which takes place across multiple venues from the 17-21 May. Refuge Worldwide will be an official media partner of the festival, airing exclusive broadcasts as well as hosting an on-site radio lab and giving a radio workshop on 19 May. Our four-hour radio lab slot - hosted by Richard Akingbehin - will feature a listening session with Tsuzing, a conversation with Funk Butcher about unsung heroes of the UK electronic music scene and a panel talk between Crack Magazine deputy editor Rachel Almeida and Borshch Magazine's Mariana Berezovski about electronic's music relationship with activism and resistance. Lastly, there will be a discussion about community radio, moderated by Ieva Gudaitytė. Refuge co-founder George Patrick will also host a two-hour workshop about running a DIY radio station, from 10:30 on 19 May. All our activities will be part of the European Lab, a discursive part of the festival reserved for "artists, thinkers, journalists and mobilized activists who will present the keys to understanding the great challenges our world is facing." Before the festival, be sure to tune into Refuge Worldwide on 17 April for a selection of Nuits Sonores shows, mixed by the Le Sucre residents. The festival's musical programme so far includes Avalon Emerson, Chilly Gonzalez, LSDXOXO, Moderat, Tzusing, Channel One, Madam X, Paula Tape, DARKSIDE and many more. Tickets and more information are available here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide kick off Panorama Bar residency in May]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/panorama-bar-may-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/panorama-bar-may-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come early, stay late.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This May we launch a new residency at Panorama Bar. After a packed-out first event in December, we return to Berghain on 12 May to take over the Panorama Bar floor from 22:00 until 10:00.  Refuge co-founders No Plastic and Richard Akingbehin will warm up the dance before renowned selector Sassy J takes over.  As always, we will bring artists to at the club for the first time: this time we're joined by foundation.fm host Heléna Star and prolific talent Kush Jones. Closing down is the one and only PLO Man. 22:00 - 10:00, Friday 12 May - see you in the dance! 22:00 No Plastic 23:30 Richard Akingbehin 01:00 Heléna Star 03:00 Sassy J 05:00 Kush Jones 07:00 PLO Man Art by Raoul Gottschling.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[B2B Day is back]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/b2b-day</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/b2b-day</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[14 new and exclusive back-to-back shows this Friday.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[One of our favourite days of the year at Refuge Worldwide is the Friday bank holiday in April, which, since last year, we have dubbed “B2B day”.  From 10 AM to 2 AM, we celebrate new friendships and musical collaborations through a whole day of all-new back-to-back radio shows. Breakfast show host Nikola will start the day in partnership with Bézier, and from there expect a full day of joint musical adventure between the station's residents.  Come and hang out at Oona Bar (Weserstr 166, 12045 Berlin) and witness the madness, or listen online. As always free entry to the bar and a full day of fantastic music. 10:00 - 12:00 Nikola & Bézier 12:00 - 13:00 No Plastic & Anton Teichmann 13:00 - 14:00 Rita & Delphine 14:00 - 15:00 Henry Weeks & Shiru 15:00 - 16:00 Richard Akingbehin & Riki Ross  16:00 - 17:00 Zoe & Dance_98 17:00 - 18:00 Nadia Wise & Pat 18:00 - 19:00 Alias Error & Kiki 19:00 - 20:00 ABIBA & Yasmin Umay 20:00 - 21:00 Mandel & Deniz Arslan 21:00 - 22:00 Grant Gibson & O.N.A  22:00 - 23:00 Laura Vargas & Nordberg 23:00 - 00:00 MLE & Stephen Howe 00:00 - 02:00 NM DJ & Ophélie]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Apply for a "Making Big Tunes For Big Rooms" workshop now.]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/workshop-big-tunes-for-big-rooms-with-works-of-intent</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/workshop-big-tunes-for-big-rooms-with-works-of-intent</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Hosted by Works Of Intent]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This free workshop is presented by Refuge Worldwide, Your Mom's Agency & Open Music Lab, in partnership with Orchestral Tools who will demo their free soundpacks.  Please note the workshop is aimed at people who have finished productions and are looking to increase their technical understanding of music production, mixdowns & club sound systems. Is my kick drum loud enough? How low is too low? Will "finalMix_v14_master3" be the last version I re-upload to Soundcloud? Neodymium magnets, how do they work? Some of these deeply existential questions have answers. Producer Works Of Intent's "Making Big Tunes For Big Rooms" workshop will take you on a frequency dependent, sidechain filled adventure to create arena sized belters. You'll learn advanced production techniques, mixdown tricks and learn how sound systems operate to answer the real question. Have you compressed hard enough? Application date closes on Monday, 10th April, sign-up here. Date: Friday 14th, April  Time: 5pm - 8pm  Location: Orchestral Tools HQ, Aufgang 5, UG, Pfuelstraße 5, 10997 Berlin About Works Of Intent: Made in England mix-engineer-designer-essayist & activist Works Of Intent  productions blend bracing club music with a dizzying array of influences. A sound rooted in the UK underground but dripping in both techno & pop sensibilities. He’s found a home on labels such as Monkeytown, Turbo, REKIDS and most recently Laurent Garnier’s COD3 QR - Garnier a cheerleader for the rising star and kindred spirit. In the booth he’s a master of the live edit, unexpected blend and four deck wizardry. Key gigs include Nordstern, Blitz Club, fabric London, Panoramabar, REX Club, Apgrade Festival. This year Works Of Intent expects to kick things into gear with a summer India Tour and a debut album on the COD3 QR label.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Double Trouble Workshop: Crumbs of Capitalism]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/double-trouble-workshop-crumbs-of-capitalism</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/double-trouble-workshop-crumbs-of-capitalism</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Workshop on Saturday 8 April, 12:00 - 14:00.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Is there a way out of capitalism? Can we avoid being punked by marketing strategies?  In this workshop, participants will be encouraged to take a critical yet humorous look at some crumbs of the capitalistic system. Together, they will create a small exhibition at Oona for people visiting after the workshop. Workshop host Anne (she/her) strives to shine a tragicomic light on the absurdities we are fed under a capitalistic system. The motivation to do so came after witnessing as a vet the immoralities of the modern food industry and animal husbandry.  Anne uses multiple mediums to portray her message including her Instagram account @_baerchenwurst_ , workshops, and interactive art to provoke thought for change.  Find out more and sign up here to get involved.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #114]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-03-apr-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-03-apr-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tempelhofer Feld | Vanuatu Climate Campaign | Ryuichi Sakamoto]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Tempelhofer Feld development As part of their new coalition agreement for Berlin, the CDU and SPD have agreed to reopen the debate around building on parts of Tempelhofer Feld. It remains unclear whether the issue will be put to another referendum, a repeat of the 2014 referndum in which Berlin residents voted overwhelmingly against development.  The new coalitionagreement also includes pledges to build 5000 new apartments a year for social housing, hire up to 1000 new employees for the police and fire departments, and digitise city administration. Read the full agreement here. Vanuatu climate resolution reaches highest UN court Vanuatu has spearheaded a historic climate resolution at the UN general assembly, directing the International Court of Justice to determine countries’ climate obligations under international law. Advocates hope the resolution, which passed last week, will help vulnerable states and hold polluting countries accountable.  Vanuatu is amongst the world’s lowest contributors to climate change but has been devastated by its impacts, including two category 4 hurricanes within just 72 hours last month. EU border violence The EU is deliberately ignoring widespread violence committed by its border guards, Doctors Without Borders reports. Since 2021, almost 500 people have been treated by the NGO for injuries inflicted by border authorities at the Serbian-Hungarian border. European leaders are being accused of complicity in violence, arbitrary confiscations of clothes and belongings, solitary confinement and other methods used to deter people from entering the EU via the Balkan route. Australia's 'Indigenous Voice to Parliament'  A referendum to amend Australia’s constitution and establish an indigenous committee in parliament could be held by the end of 2023. The new ‘Indigenous Voice’ would provide advice to parliament and the government on the social, economic and spiritual well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who make up about 3.2% of the country’s population, track well below average on most socio-economic measures and suffer disproportionately high rates of imprisonment and suicide  Italy Human Rights Violations Italy has been found guilty of human rights violations by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of four Tunisians who came to the country in 2017 and were deported without appeal. After being rescued at sea the four people were taken to a ‘migrant hotspot’ on the island of Lampedusa, where they were detained under appalling conditions, denied contact with any authorities and made to sign refusal-of-entry orders they did not understand. Ryuichi Sakamoto Ryuichi Sakamoto, Oscar-winning composer and Japanese pop pioneer, has died aged 71. Sakamoto was a groundbreaking figure in electronic music, film score composition, pop music and beyond, and had a long and diverse career as a member of the group Yellow Magic Orchestra alongside numerous solo projects and collaborations. A truly visionary musician, he was also a dedicated environmental campaigner and founder of the carbon-offsetting forestry project More Trees. On The Ground: Artsakh The Armenian breakaway Republic of Artsakh has been under complete blockade by Azerbaijan since December last year. In the latest On The Ground feature, Johanna Urbancik talks to Siranush Sargsyan, a historian and journalist based in Artsakh, about the history of the conflict and the realities of life under blockade. Read the full feature here. This week on Weserstraße: Tuesday: Paul St. Hilaire, VK, Raiders Crew Wednesday: Killa, RapReflection, Riki Ross Thursday: Nick Höppner, Camilla Rae, loves_kills Friday: B2B Day! Saturday: Double Trouble Takeover, Hypersoft, Katerinha & Njeri Images 1 and 2 licensed under CC BY 2.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Dreaming of Peace | On the Ground: Artsakh]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dreaming-of-peace-on-the-ground-artsakh</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dreaming-of-peace-on-the-ground-artsakh</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 31 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Living under a blockade.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 12 December, “environmental activists” from Azerbaijan blocked the only road connecting the breakaway Republic of Artsakh to Armenia, and to the rest of the world.  The road, called the Lachin Corridor, is still blocked over 100 days later. Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, has a majority ethnic Armenian population, who are currently being deprived of basic necessities and goods, such as food, medicine, and gas.  In 2020, Azerbaijan, with military assistance from Turkey, launched an attack on Artsakh and nearby territories, recapturing significant portions. Eventually, a ceasefire agreement was facilitated by Russia, and a peacekeeping force was deployed to monitor the remaining region. Pro-Armenian local authorities currently still govern the area.  The current blockade, now in its fourth month, is receiving very little media attention. Why is that? One can, of course, only speculate. Last year, the EU and Azerbaijan agreed on expanding the volume of gas exports from Azerbaijan to the EU, in order to stop importing Russian gas and actively funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Armenia, on the other hand, is officially allied with Russia – at least on paper. The world’s indifference and Russia’s apparent unwillingness to unblock the corridor have made it easier for Azerbaijan to violate Armenia’s territorial integrity several times, violating the ceasefire agreement. We spoke to Siranush Sargsyan, a historian and journalist based in Artsakh. She told us what it’s like living through this blockade and the ongoing threat of more violence and a third invasion. How are you? That’s a hard question, to be honest.  The blockade is already in its fourth month. Every day I see endless queues for food and other necessities. People wait in line and are forced to go home without nothing because of shortages. It's hard to follow because it’s hard psychologically to see what the people are going through.  During this period, Azerbaijan has cut off the sole gas supply to Artsakh several times. At this moment, the gas supply is once again disrupted. In addition to that, the main high-voltage electricity line has been intentionally damaged by Azerbaijan, who won’t allow our specialists to approach and repair it. Because of this, we have very limited electricity and rolling blackouts. You can hear the sound of generators everywhere in the city. During the war the sound of the sirens was terrible, but now the sound of the generator does not give me peace – even during the night.  Living without electricity is very hard, especially in the winter. How are the people, and especially kids, coping? In the 90s, when I lived through the first war, we had this same situation for almost two years. Nagorno-Karabakh was under a blockade, and we didn’t have access to Armenia or the outside world.  In Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh, people were almost starving. Now, when I talk to the older generation they always compare these two events. Psychologically, I think they want to calm themselves down by thinking it was difficult back then, too, but we overcame it. The situation was different, though. We knew at the time what we were sacrificing and we had hope.  During that war when there was no electricity, it was cold and every pupil took a piece of wood with them to heat the school. When the blockade started in December, the government said they couldn't open the schools because of the weather and the risk of children becoming sick.  I asked myself, why were we able to manage back then, but not now? Just last month, the government solved this problem and installed wood-burning stoves, so even when there’s no electricity or gas, children can still go to school. I spoke to many kids who were excited about not having to go to school in the beginning. But now, they get stressed. The uncertainty is difficult for them. They know that their living conditions aren't normal, and they’re missing out on vital education. This blockade affects every person – no matter their age! They will remember this for the rest of their lives and live with this trauma forever.  Of course, considering they’ve already lived through a pandemic before this as well. I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of effect this will have on them. Especially for children whose parents are stuck in Yerevan. There are some young kids who ask if they’ve done something wrong and if that's why their mother, for example, doesn’t want to come back to Artsakh. My nephew lost his father in the 2020 war, and now, he’s very scared of his mother leaving. He always asks when she’ll come back.  We don’t want him to understand what’s going on. I don’t want him to know that our neighbours are acting like that. I don’t want him to grow up with that resentment and hatred. I hope when he’s grown up, this situation will be different. We try to explain the blockade to him in different ways, but he doesn’t believe us, of course. I want to discuss why Nagorno-Karabakh is currently under a blockade. Last year in December, a group of several hundred Azerbaijani citizens presenting themselves as "environmental activists" obstructed the Lachin corridor, ostensibly staging an environmental demonstration to draw attention to "eco-terrorism" in Karabakh.  Reports and investigations show that these protesters have very little to do with climate change but are actually acting in support of the regime in Azerbaijan. As reported in Azatutyun: "Data available in open sources proves that what many of [the 'protesters'] have in common is their love and support for the presidential family and pride in Azerbaijan’s military successes." Are they still pretending to be environmental activists? For us, it’s ridiculous they’re pretending to be environmental protesters. After the war, we all knew that someday they’d close the road. We never thought they’d do it by making it an environmental issue. There are hardly any environmental protests in Azerbaijan. We know that “normal” citizens from Azerbaijan can’t go to certain areas in Artsakh. It’s forbidden by the Azeri regime, and you need a special permit from the government. Even for journalists that’s the case. If there was a real environmental issue there, maybe we could understand them. But it’s all artificial and organized by the government.  They are mocking us. Not only by pretending to be doing it for the environment but by how they do it. On the first day, they blocked the road. On the second, they cut our gas supply. Then they damage our electricity and internet lines. Every day, they do something new. It feels like they’re testing us as if we’re animals. One day they come to a meeting to try to resolve issues, the next day they ambush and kill citizens. They leave no room for trust. These are clearly planned steps to deprive us of the right to live in our homeland. But we can't leave, and we don't want to leave! Hypothetically, if you decided right now you wanted to leave. Would they allow you to? I can’t leave, even if I wanted to. There’s one road. I want to have access to the road because some of my family and friends live in Yerevan. I don’t want to leave, but I want to have the right to come and go whenever I want, without facing any dangers.  The first thing I asked myself when they blocked the road was what I’d do if I were on the other side. I don’t know how I could’ve lived these past months without being able to go home. As long as Azeris are on the road, I cannot go there. You’ve mentioned the Russian peacekeepers. Armenia is in an intergovernmental military alliance, CSTO, with Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Those Russian peacekeepers were supposed to prevent a blockade, which they’ve failed to do. What’s the purpose of those Russian soldiers? In accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed on 9 November, 2020, the Lachin Corridor, which will ensure communication between Artsakh and Armenia, will remain under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. By closing the only road connecting Artsakh to the whole world, Azerbaijan has violated that agreement, and Russia is not fulfilling its obligations. I don’t understand why they don’t do anything, and why we have to pay for that in Nagorno-Karabakh? There is a treaty, so they should follow it. Why are our rights less than everyone else’s? Why is the whole world talking about the invasion of Ukraine, but not about us? We’re expected to be calm and wait. The Russians don’t help us, so should we just wait for the Azeris to come and kill us? Did people generally expect the peacekeepers to fulfil their duties?  I know that for us, for Armenians, it was difficult that other peacekeepers would come here to protect us. But we accepted it, and we did our part, so they should do the same. I don’t have much hope now that the Russians will come and help us. I don’t have any hope about anyone coming to help us, including Western countries.  The only one we can count on is our compatriots living in Armenia and in different countries of the world. Most of whom – being the descendants of the Armenian Genocide – understand very well that today we too are under the threat of genocide. Last September, ex-US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Armenia. I guess she was one of the highest US-state officials to visit the country in the last few years. Has that visit changed anything for you, or was it purely performative? Nancy Pelosi was always a friend of Armenian communities in the US. She has a good relationship with the descendants of the Armenian Genocide. Of course, she represents the US government. It was her last official trip, and she promised it to the Armenian community in the US. In the end, it came to nothing, though.  The US attitudes towards Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are different. They made statements when Azerbaijan invaded Armenia in 2020, but they don’t say a word about Nagorno-Karabakh. The US government sends humanitarian aid everywhere, but what did they do during the Artsakh blockade? It’s like we don’t exist. We’re mostly invisible to this world. Note: US-Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to Azerbaijan’s president Aliyev on the 100th-day of the blockade. He pressed Aliyev to open the Lachin corridor. Asbarez reports Aliyev calling the blockade “false Armenian propaganda”, saying that Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross have used the corridor. So far, no US sanctions have been imposed on Azerbaijan. Why do you think that the situation is being ignored?  Azerbaijan is more of an ally and more valuable than Armenia to Russia, Europe and the West in general. The US uses Azerbaijan for their agenda and Europe wants to use Azerbaijan for their gas supply, regardless of the fact that Azerbaijan might be selling Russian gas to Europe. I don’t know how to explain these feelings. Every time I hear EU president Ursula von der Leyen talk about the strength of Ukrainians, it makes me sad. I can imagine what Ukrainians are going through, I went through a couple of wars myself. I know how horrible and traumatic it is. But, I don’t understand why don’t European officials care about us too. Are we less brave? Are we less worthy to live in our land? Of course, I don’t believe Russia will help us, and we all agree that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is wrong. But, when the Azeris invaded us in 2020, during the hardest year of the pandemic, it seemed to be okay for western countries as well.  For the whole world, it seems to be okay for us to be invaded. Why is one dictator a good, trusted partner, and the other one is evil? I guess gas and politics are prioritised over morals and human rights. We see that human rights and democracy are not actually that important to the West, and we’re disappointed. In the latest Freedom House Report, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia are among the partly-free countries, and Azerbaijan is among the not free countries. How can the leading democratic countries turn a blind eye and throw us into the arms of tyranny? It’s not even about recognising Nagorno-Karabakh, it’s about the people living here and their basic rights. For animals, when they’re living in bad conditions, there are organizations fundraising and trying to help. But when it’s 120,000 Armenians, there’s no outcry. I know that Nagorno-Karabakh isn't an exception. Many other places in the world are forgotten. You tend to see your pain first, though.  How can we help you? I started writing after the 2020 war, as even before the blockade of Artsakh when the road was still open, it was closed to international journalists. They were forbidden to enter Artsakh.  For me, it was hard seeing so much suffering and pain, and also so many refugees after the war. People living here want to be heard and understood. I started to write about the people living here, but it is not enough. We need more international media attention.  You and others can tell the world about us and ask questions of your government's representatives. How is it that in the comprehensive agreement signed with Armenia in 2017 regarding the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is clearly stated that the issue should also be settled based on the principle of the right to self-determination? Today, everyone is silent about it.  The Nagorno-Karabakh problem is not solved, as Azerbaijan tries to present it. Through international media coverage, the world must understand that we are living in danger. We wish to have the opportunity to live in our historical homeland, but the sword of Damocles hangs over our heads. We live dreaming of peace but waiting for the next war. Note: We have contacted the EU’s foreign minister Josep Borrell’s office and have asked Zane Rungule, who is responsible for Armenia and Azerbaijan, why the EU doesn’t have a clear stance on the blockade of the Lachin Corridor. So far, we have not received a response. Since the invasion in 2020, Siranush has been writing about Artsakh for various international media outlets. Her work – and daily updates on life in Artsakh – can be checked out on her Twitter account at @SiranushSargsy1. All images by Siranush Sargsyan. Graphics by Graeme Bateman.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Watch a four-part series of Meet The Residents films]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/meet-the-residents</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/meet-the-residents</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Get to know BLVSH, Aver, The Honey Tapes and Breakfast Show hosts Nikola and Jummy.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Check out four short films with Refuge Worldwide residents. Over the past few months, directors Greg Latham and Bjorn Tobiasson have followed four of our residents to some of their favourite spots in Berlin, as well as paying a visit to the Refuge Worldwide studio.  Meet The Residents episodes with Aver, BLVSH, The Honey Tapes and The Breakfast Show hosts Jummy (aka mokeyanju) and Nikola are online now - watch all episodes here. Big thanks to Greg and Bjorn for their work! ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Beginner's DJ Workshop with NaN]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/beginners-dj-workshop-with-nan</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/beginners-dj-workshop-with-nan</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Workshop on Monday 3 April, 15:00 - 19:00, Weserstr. 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[NaN returns to Oona for another 4-hour DJ workshop. This is a workshop aimed at complete beginners. Have you been thinking of getting into DJing and wondering how to navigate it all? NaN will take you through all the key starting points including an overview of software and hardware you can access. Participants will also spend some time getting hands-on experience on the decks. Just bring a USB with 5-6 tracks (in mp3 or WAV format) that you know very well, as you'll get a chance to spin them on the decks.  Based between the contrasting capital cities of London and Berlin, NaN is a DJ and Refuge Woldwide resident who works with a wide and eclectic range of genres.  As always, our selection process will give priority to minority groups or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face difficulties when accessing the music scene or music education in Berlin. Find out more and sign up to attend here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Help KAF Kolektif support earthquake survivors in Kahramanmaraş]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/kaf-kolektif-fundraiser</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/kaf-kolektif-fundraiser</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 28 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Donate now to support grassroots aid.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[KAF Kolektif is part of a network of grassroots organisations working to provide basic needs like food and shelter to those who need them.  Founded just after the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6 this year, the group has quickly become a vital support structure for around 5000 people living in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. KAF began as a field kitchen, and since early February they have been serving around 10,000 hot meals a day from their campus, located on a basketball court of a high school in Dulkadiroglu district. Set up initially by a small group of friends from Istanbul, the KAF Kolektif project has quickly expanded with the support of locals in the city and other volunteers across the country, and now includes a workshop, a playground for children, communal areas and a temporary cinema. With the help of the international and local NGOs, KAF's supply chain and water systems were improved, and a 10,000-litre capacity WASH system was installed to filter contaminated water. Kahramanmaraş is located only kilometres away from the epicentre of the two earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey, Syria and Kurdistan, amounting to one of the worst natural disasters of this century so far.  Follow KAF Kolektif (@kaf.kolektif) on IG to find out more about the work they do, and if you are able, please donate here. 
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #113]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-mar-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-mar-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 27 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[German Transport Strikes | Israel Protests | Kaf Kolektif fundraiser]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Nationwide transport strikes in Germany Transport workers across Germany are on strike for 24 hours on Monday to demand fair pay in the face of soaring livings costs. German unions EVG and Verdi, which together represent over 2.7 million people working primarily in the public sector, argue that workers have been forced to bear the burden of huge increases in the price of electricity, gas and food after inflation hit 8.7% in Germany last month. Israel protests Mass protests continue across Israel in opposition to prime minister Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms, which would curb the power of the Israeli supreme court and concentrate power in the hands of the governing hard-right coalition. Tens of thousands of people blocked motorways and clashed with police on Sunday night, while hospitals, universities and the country’s largest trade union announced a general strike on Monday morning. Netanyahu’s government, the most right-wing in the country’s history, has overseen four months of political crisis, a hardening in ultra-nationalist Zionist rhetoric as well as a sharp escalation in settler and military violence in the West Bank.  Steve McQueen  A film by Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen showing the ruin of Grenfell Tower, the residential tower that was destroyed because of flammable and unsafe building materials in 2017, will be shown from 7 April - 10 May at London’s Serpentine Gallery. The film is shot as a single take without words or music and shows the burnt-out tower just before it was wrapped in plastic. Released just before the six-anniversary of the disaster, McQueen's film is a politically charged reminder that no one has been held accountable for their role in the tragedy that claimed 72 lives. Germany continues deportations to Iran Nearly seven months since the start of Iran’s ‘women, life, freedom’ revolution, the regime continues to respond with extreme censorship, violence and executions. Despite an agreement last December of the German interior ministers to halt deportations to Iran, four people have been deported back to Iran after seeking asylum in Germany. Two fell under the so-called “flughafenverfahren”, a loophole through which asylum seekers are kept in transit areas and prevented from entering the country, and therefore not officially deported. Kaf Kolektif fundraiser Donate now to help support KAF Kolektif, a grassroots organisation providing earthquake relief in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Founded by a small group of friends, the group has been serving around 10,000 hot meals a day since early February and has become a vital support structure for around 5000 people in the area. Follow KAF Kolektif (IG: @kaf.kolektif) to find out more about the work they do, and if you’re able to, please donate. Berlin's failed Klimaneutral vote Sunday’s referendum to make Berlin climate neutral by 2030, which would have made Berlin one of few major European cities with a legally binding obligation towards carbon neutrality, has failed. Had it passed, it would have forced the new conservative local government to heavily invest in renewable energy, public transport and building efficiency. Despite the majority voting in favour (50,9%), the minimum of 608,000 ‘YES’ votes was not reached, with voter participation at only 35,8%. Gala Takeover We are excited to host a Refuge Worldwide takeover at GALA festival over the May 26-28 bank holiday weekend at Peckham Rye Park, in London. To get in the mood, tune in every day this week for special GALA shows featuring Anja Ngozi (pictured), Heléna Star, MCDE and more. If you are in London, come join us in the Park Corner tent on Sunday, 28 May for a special Refuge residents B2B, plus sets from Anja Ngozi, baby k and Heléna Star. This week at Oona Tuesday: Nat Wendell, ELLLL, Ben Sleia & Prieste5s Wednesday: RAYNE (live set), Auco & Neana Thursday: MINQ, Deniz Arslan & Jana Falcon Friday: Calimidades Lola, Maque Pereyra Saturday: Nathan Fake, Olin's World Cover image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Ambient Sound Meditation returns to Oona Bar]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ambient-sound-meditation-2</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ambient-sound-meditation-2</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday 1 April, Weserstraße 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Cornelia and Léa are back for a spring awakening sound journey.  Following the success of their first workshop in November, the duo will transform Oona Bar once again into a cocoon for restoration and collective care, using Deep Listening as a medium to access our ability to feel. Cornelia and Léa invite participants on a meditative journey into ambient sounds to slow down and step out of the hustle and bustle. This workshop offers an exploration of Presence through the sense of hearing and other tools of embodiment.  Evolving gradually, layer after layer, the voyage will start with a guided meditation to lower the volume of internal chatter and external sounds – an attempt to create more space and slowly awaken our bodily receptivity. As the mental waves settle, the curated ambient soundscape will progressively appear and open a new sonic dimension to dwell in the here and now, while the granular qualities of music take you on an enveloping sensory experience.  Please bring a blanket and a small cushion to make yourself comfortable for the session. Optionally, also bring a pen and paper. Find out more and sign up here.
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #112]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-21-mar-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-21-mar-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 21 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[20 Years Since Iraq Invasion | Vjosa River | Berlin Coalition Talks]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. 20 years since the Iraq invasion 20 years have passed since the US-led and UK-backed invasion of Iraq. The invasion caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions more and triggered a cycle of violence and instability in the region that continues to this day. It also generated trillions of dollars in profits for US and European defence contractors and oil companies. The American and British politicians who lied to justify an illegal invasion and oversaw widespread human rights abuses have avoided accountability for one of the century's greatest atrocities. Wild river national park in Albania In a historic win for river protection, the Vjosa River in Albania, one of the last wild rivers in Europe and home to over 1000 plant and animal species, has been declared a national park. The project was established to safeguard the Vjosa and its unique 31,500 acres of natural ecosystems after an almost decade-long campaign. There are hopes that the move could establish a blueprint for protecting wild rivers elsewhere. Malawi cyclone More than 500 people have died in Southeast Africa in what might be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in history, starting in late February and continuing to ravage Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. Hundreds of thousands have been left homeless or displaced by floods, landslides, and heavy rains. Malawi and Mozambique already faced cholera outbreaks before the storm, and there are fears that flooding could aid the spread of water-borne diseases. War crimes arrest warrant for Putin The International Criminal Court has accused Russia of committing war crimes, issuing an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, over the forced deportation of children from Ukraine. Russia does not recognise the court and does not extradite its own citizens, and although it remains unlikely that the warrant will be executed soon, it could prevent Putin from travelling to other countries without fear of arrest. Malta accused of ignoring distress calls Following last month’s deadly shipwreck off the Libyan coast, Maltese authorities have come under fire for their repeated failure to save lives at sea. According to the director of the Aditus human rights foundation in Malta, the country has "adopted a migration strategy that leaves men, women and children to drown or foists the responsibility onto other EU member states." Malta and other Mediterranean states like Italy have taken an increasingly hardline stance towards migration and humanitarian rescue missions in recent years. Last year SeaWatch and other organisations released a statement demanding more from Maltese authorities, while the UN has criticised the "horrific" conditions in Maltese detention centres. France strikes continue Widespread protests continued across France over the weekend after president Emmanuel Macron decided to bypass parliament and use executive powers to push through his controversial pension reform bill, which includes raising the retirement age by two years. Further strikes in the transport and education sectors are planned for the next few days, and protests are expected to continue in cities across the country despite heavy-handed police response.  Hebh Jamal Check out our latest interview feature with Palestinian-American journalist and activist Hebh Jamal, who has spent the last few years documenting and reporting on the repression of Palestinian perspectives in German politics and media. Interview by Joshua De Souza Crook. Resistence to CDU/SPD coalition in Berlin Following last month’s repeat Berlin election, the CDU and SPD are still in coalition talks with the announcement of a new government expected at the beginning of April. There were protests in Berlin over the weekend, with many activists calling the prospect a ‘conservative step-backwards’ for the city. 17 organisations, including Bridges over Borders and Deutsche Wohnen & Co enteignen, have written an open letter in opposition. Head to Berlin Zusammen to find out more. First Nations sue Canadian government Ten First Nations have issued a lawsuit against the Canadian government over the loss of language, culture and tradition inflicted on communities by the First Nations child-welfare system and the “mass scooping” of children into state custody from the 1950s-80s. Lawyers argue that harm was inflicted not just on the individuals but the entire community, with intergenerational trauma, addiction, and poverty all resulting from the practices of the federal government.  Cover image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hebh Jamal: the silencing of Palestinian voices]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hebh-jamal-the-silencing-of-palestinian-voices</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hebh-jamal-the-silencing-of-palestinian-voices</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 15 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The American-Palestinian journalist discusses the state of censorship in Germany.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Activist and writer Hebh Jamal has been flying under the radar of Germany’s political and press elite, a group she identifies as having a vested interest in smearing any discussion of Palestinian identity as an infringement against the state of Israel. Three years ago, Jamal moved from New York to Mannheim in Germany, where she started a new life with her Palestinian-German partner. After experiencing a culture shock in the transition from New York's openness to the traditional views she faced in Baden-Württemberg, she felt compelled to document the world of Islamophobia, censorship and injustice transpiring in front of her. Jamal made her political debut fighting inequality as a teenager in The New York Times and Teen Vogue, and has continued her work as a social commentator both in America and Germany.  In the past year, Jamal's work has documented the state of censorship in modern Germany and has been featured in Al Jazeera and +972 Magazine. With the prosecution of some of the many activists arrested at last year's Nakba Day demonstration in Berlin ongoing, Jamal reflects on the struggles that Palestinians endure to exist in this country.  Hebh, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and how you got into journalism and writing? I am a Palestinian-American from the Bronx, New York City. I always had this idea of going into academia, teaching or writing. But I realized academia is actually a very systemically racist structure. I felt like it would be very difficult for me as a hijabi, a full-blown Palestinian woman to make it. So instead of subjecting myself to potential racism, I thought I might as well write but without a title. I want to document the experience and suppression of Palestinians here and I’ve been busy–Germany has kept me very busy!  I essentially gave myself a timeline to make it as a writer here. I wanted to feature the voices of people who are similar to me, and who have had a similar experience. You could say it is an almost selfish endeavour to tell the story of my identity and how it has been extremely politicized here. What is your first memory of Palestine or being Palestinian?  My first memory of being Palestinian was in 5th grade, prior to that I didn’t really understand what it meant to be a Palestinian. I was in Middle School in the Bronx, and a teacher came up to me and asked me: "Where are your family from?" I knew I was Palestinian, my parents had obviously told me by this point. But I was 11 years old and this teacher threw the whole Palestinian-Israeli issue in my face. He asked me: "What is it with Palestinians fighting over a land that is smaller than Brooklyn?" I didn’t know what to say, this was kind of crazy. He told me he was an Israeli and wanted to fight in the IDF. I was shocked! My whole being and identity were being hyper-politicized by this man who was over three decades older than me at the time. After that, I began to understand more about where I was from and how being Palestinian is treated everywhere in the world. I didn’t speak to anybody, not even my family, about what happened. It took me a few years to reflect on this and understand how it impacted me at age 11. It was an uncomfortable situation, especially at that age when you listen to everyone older than you because they are 'smarter' and 'brighter.' This teacher never really presented an argument to me on the situation. It was more like a "your people are ridiculous" kind of thing. There wasn’t any room for an argument. It wasn’t something I could make sense of at the time, but later I began to notice that this is part of a much larger epidemic in the West.  Prior to moving, what was your understanding of Berlin and Germany? Has it changed at all since moving? My expectations were very different from the reality I found. I didn’t expect my whole identity to be criminalized to the point that saying almost anything would be considered a crime. Thankfully I’m not in a position where I have to rely on any German institution or organization to provide me with income or stability. I’m not afraid to say what I see, even when they try to call me antisemitic. My position won’t be jeopardized if I speak out, which sadly isn’t the case for so many other Palestinian Germans here. What I really didn’t expect was this degree of Islamophobia. I’m a Muslim, a hijabi, and this is the first thing that people see. I don’t even get a chance to express myself before somebody has made up their mind and starts criticizing me. Every time I go outside without my partner I get harassed on the streets. I try not to leave the house by myself but sometimes I have to force myself. I feel completely unable to operate within this system without someone making a comment or smirking. Even in Mannheim which is very diverse and inclusive, I still feel uncomfortable whenever I encounter white Germans. I never felt like this in New York. Even after 9/11 when there were many incidences of Islamophobia, I never felt it to this degree.  Yet Germany is often considered a free and liberal democratic culture in much of the world’s media. Germany loves to present itself as the free-thinker of Europe, like it's Europe’s role model and that the world should turn to it for guidance. How many conversations have you heard about how America should learn from Germany with regard to its remembrance culture? When in fact this same remembrance culture is based on the idea that you cannot criticize the state of Israel without being antisemitic. On every level of German society, from the education system to politics, Germany intentionally censors Palestinian voices in the name of fighting antisemitism. In some cases, the actual existence of somebody considered Palestinian is considered antisemitic. Almost every single individual that I have spoken to (while researching a story) has said explicitly that their identity was attacked and criminalized in school. One student I spoke to said that she was told by a teacher she shouldn’t refer to herself as Palestinian, instead, she should refer to herself as Jordanian. She was told that she shouldn’t wear her keffiyeh to school as it is a terrorist scarf. You can find these examples across society in Germany. Berlin is believed to be home to the largest Palestinian population outside of Western Asia, mostly based in Neukölln. Censorship is a focal point of your journalism and in one +972 Magazine article, you discuss Sarah El Bulbeisi’s “tabooization” of the Palestinian experience in Switzerland and Germany. What policies do you believe are being used to limit their freedom and rights? It isn’t a policy, but rather the entire orientation of how Germany talks about antisemitism and how they talk about the Holocaust. There is this tendency to try and "repair the damages they have done" by totally adopting a Zionist mentality. An example is Angela Merkel’s speech in March 2008 before the Israeli Parliament, where she stated that Israel's security was "Germany's reason of State." This speech set a precedent of Germany completely defending everything that Israel does. In order to protect Israel, they also have to suppress Palestine and Palestinian voices, identities, academics and artists.  That has trickled down to a lot of institutions. For example, recently at Documenta 15, there was a huge media onslaught against Palestinian artists and others who were in solidarity with Palestine. There was a smear campaign against these individuals, essentially pointing them out to be antisemitic. Another key issue is Germany’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism which conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. These are just a few examples of how Germany deals with antisemitism. They tend to categorize it as "imported antisemitism" that absolves Germany itself of being antisemitic, which in turn puts the blame on refugees, Arabs, Muslims and people coming into the country. They label it as a "new wave of antisemitism" that is coming from these migrants. They want to proclaim that foreigners are the problem because antisemitism no longer exists within Germans. They conflate being pro-Palestinian as being antisemitic as well, and these are only some of the most obvious and recent examples of the tabooization of the Palestinian experience. It all stems from this orientation towards the state of Israel. Can you shed any light on how the media in Germany covers or fails to objectively cover Palestinian identity? Axel Springer has specifically said they are pro-Israel and pro-Zionism. When you have a company like this, one that is in charge of so many different publications, saying something like this then you have already lost any sort of objectivity, even the appearance of objectivity.  Another example is Deutsche Welle, who just changed their code of conduct to include a ‘special obligation’ toward the state of Israel. This is meant to be a government-funded, objective organization that is meant to be non-ideological. What does that tell you? It tells you that any reporting on Palestine and what is happening in Israel, in the West Bank, must be taken with a grain of salt. What Germany is now doing is a disservice to the international community. During the 2021 assault of Al-Aqsa, many citizens were killed, and many innocent children, women and men were all killed. The only kind of coverage on German television during this period was of Hamas rockets flying into Israel. That’s all there was! There was an interview with Ali Abunimah of The Electronic Intifada on Deutsche Welle during this period that was actually taken down because he pointed out these contradictions and hypocrisy. Deutsche Welle had an internal memo that was sent throughout the company which banned certain words such as 'apartheid.' I remember speaking to one Deutsche Welle journalist who pointed out that the official name is 'occupied Palestinian territories', – but if we can’t say that Israel is the occupier then it makes no sense. It is a complete contradiction and shows you to what extent the German media will go to paint the picture of Palestinians as terrorists.  Have you experienced bottlenecks as a journalist in Germany covering these stories or communities yourself? The biggest obstacle for me when reporting, especially when it comes to journalistic credentials, is when you are documenting people who have experienced horrible things and are too scared to go on the record. I want to respect their ability to have autonomy over what is reported and what is not, but it puts me in a delicate position where I have obtained these insane stories that I can’t share, articulate or even publish because people are scared of reprisal. This is a situation that I have encountered time and time again. In so many of my articles, I have to write "anonymous source" and I hate this because I come from an environment where injustices are always discussed. Other people are more reserved and scared of the backlash, of course, which is something that I respect, but it is also an obstacle when covering a story. If everyone could go on the record and talk about these injustices there would be so much more solidarity on the issue.  What needs to change with regard to Germany’s relationship with Palestine, both on the ground and from decision makers? How can this be done?  Honestly, I think Germany just needs to relax. They need to realize that nothing will be in jeopardy if Palestinians are given the ability to breathe or given the ability to exist. Their whole foundation won’t crumble. I don’t think there is going to be any sort of policy change here, what needs to happen is grassroots organizations forcefully opening the conversation. It will be these groups that fight for a voice, it is Palestinians on the ground or activists who advocate for this on a daily basis that will change structures. Follow Hebh Jamal on Twitter. Images: Free Gaza Protest, Berlin. By Montecruz Foto. (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Gaza Protest, Berlin. By Montecruz Foto. (CC BY-SA 3.0) Courtesy of Hebh Jamal. Free Gaza Protest, Berlin. By Montecruz Foto. (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Palestine, Schönleinstr., Berlin. By Hossam el-Hamalawy. (CC BY 2.0) Internationalists against the war in Gaza, Berlin. By Montecruz Foto. (CC BY-SA 3.0) Layout by Kolja Tinkova.
 ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #111]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-14-mar-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-14-mar-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[International Day Against Police Brutality | Georgia Protests | Ukraine Resistance Radio]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Wednesday: International Day Against Police Brutality Wednesday 15 March is the International Day Against Police Brutality. Berliners can join Wrangelkiez United at their demo from 17:00 in Görlitzer Park. Afterwards, KOP and ReachOut Berlin are hosting a free event from 18:00 at Nachbarschaftshaus Urbanstraße 21, including a panel discussion on racist police violence and an introduction to the campaign ‘Go Film The Police.’ Georgia unrest Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Georgia last week to oppose a draft law that critics have called an attempt to limit free speech, weaken the country's integration with the, and strengthen ties with Russia. The law, which would have forced media outlets and NGOs to register as ‘foreign agents’ if over 20% of their funding comes from abroad, mirrored a 2012 Russian law used by Putin to silence many human rights groups. The proposal was withdrawn after two days of protests. UK ‘small boats’ plan  A draconian new Illegal Migration bill proposed by Rishi Sunak’s UK government could effectively reverse a ban on child detention in the UK, putting vulnerable children at risk of detention and deportation. The proposed law, designed to reduce ‘small boat crossings’, of migrants arriving in the UK, marks a U-turn on 2010 rulings to protect children, and has been called inhumane and illegal by human rights groups, and even some members of Sunak's own Conservative Party. Gang violence in Haiti Women and girls have been amongst those most affected by Haiti’s descent into gang violence, as new stats reveal a sharp increase in gender-based violence. The situation in Haiti is only expected to get worse and instability to grow, as privately financed armed groups are trafficking increasingly sophisticated high-calibre firearms into the country. The country’s national police are underfunded and overwhelmed, and local NGOs are claiming to not have received any government support. France protests There were violent clashes between protesters and police across France last week, as millions took to the streets nationwide in opposition to an unpopular pension reform that includes raising the age of retirement by two years. The standoff reached a climax over the weekend when the French senate voted in favour of approving the reforms. Macron has repeatedly avoided calls from unions to meet and discuss a resolution, and footage has been circulating of heavy-handed riot police response. Odai Masri Fundraiser Help us to support our dear friend and Refuge Worldwide resident Odai Masri (Oddz), who has been diagnosed with a serious ear condition that could end his music career. Odai, who founded the Palestinian musical festival Exist, needs €2000 for surgery that could save his hearing. Head to the gofundme page to help fund Odai’s treatment and recovery. Ukraine Resistance Radio The Ukraine Resistance Radio project has put out an open call for tracks for their first broadcast, aiming to amplify the experimental sounds and music of Ukrainian artists and their collaborators. The first broadcast with partner Radio Vilnius will be on 19 March. If you would like to submit your work, make sure to apply by Wednesday, 15 March. Any personal expression is encouraged, including surprising and experimental music, field recordings, and other sonic inventions.  Sustain Saffron Saffron needs your support! For the past seven years, Saffron have been working to advance gender equality in the music tech industries by taking an intersectional approach and offering courses, mentorship and guidance to women, non-binary and trans people. With their current grants coming to an end, the community is now finding itself in need of financial support. Check out their IG for more information on their work and if you are able to, donate here. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Aver hosts sound collage workshop at Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sound-collage-workshop-with-aver</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sound-collage-workshop-with-aver</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Monday 27 March, 17:30 - 19:30, Weserstr. 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Sign up now and learn how to compose atmospheric sound collages with just your phone and free production software. Taking inspiration from the sampling culture of hip-hop, this workshop aims to encourage a D.I.Y. approach to sound design, highlighting the fun ways layers of simple field recordings, voice notes and ambient music can be combined to create live performances or recorded soundscapes. Aver is a music producer from Manchester, UK, who moved to Berlin in 2016. He is part of the band Move 78, whose debut releases The Algorithm Smiles Upon You and Automated Improvisation showcase an innovative blend of free-flowing jazz and programmed hip-hop. Aver is also the host of the Move 78 Show on Refuge Worldwide, a fortnightly celebration of independent music, weird records and strange vibrations. Using the starting point of sampling, Aver digs deep into his collection to blend jazz, film soundtracks and musique concréte with many more genres to create a wonderfully psychedelic sonic collage. Aver's Sound Collage Workshop will take place from 17:30 - 19.30, Monday 27 March at Refuge Worldwide (Weserstr. 166). To attend, please sign up here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide head to Nitsa, Barcelona]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nitsa</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nitsa</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[rRoxymore and Violet play the first Refuge event in Spain.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We're heading to Barcelona! On 25 March, we're taking over the Astin room of Nitsa club, with a night of heady techno, bass and breaks. DJing on the night will be French-born, Berlin-based artist rRoxymore, who is well-known for her experimental house and techno releases, as well as genre-hopping DJ sets. Also playing is Lisbon's Violet, the mind behind the excellent naive label, Rádio Quantica and Planeta Manas venue.

Before the party starts, we will host a DJ workshop from 22:00 until midnight, at BeSide Music School, with Violet as the mentor. Entry is free and you can apply here. Tickets are available here, doors open 23:59.
 Art by Raoul Gottschling.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Tune in to International Women's Day on Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/iwd-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/iwd-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 07 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Listen to Nadia Wise, Cate Hops, Room 4 Resistance and more on 8 March.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We're celebrating feminist protest on-air this week with music and discussion from artists and collectives working to elevate FLINTA* voices across music and culture. On 8 March, genre-hopping selector Nadia Wise takes the reins for a special IWD edition of The Breakfast Show, followed by Cleo of the Emotional Labor Queen podcast, Niki K hosting Caoimhe and BIWOC* Rising discussing barriers, empowerment, allyship and coping strategies. There will also be a repeat play of Malika Mahmoud's fantastic show highlighting feminist dancehall artists. Cate Hops is back with another episode of the series Sound System Culture: On the Radical Roots of Rave with a special guest, artist and activist Shannon Soundquist who discusses feminist structures in the free tekno scene and shares a selection of FLINTA* only tekno productions. ABIBA presents a special episode of Soul Soothing alongside miszo & Dangermami, followed by Akimat & Dance____98 with Still On Hold. Taking over from 20:00 until midnight is Berlin-based queer club collective Room 4 Resistance, with residents luz and tobha hosting ariesfallenangel, BEIGE and Dis Fig (pictured). For even more, tune into Mansions & Millions on Thursday for a conversation between Magic Island and Amande Dagod of A-Okay Management about becoming mothers in the music scene, and a selection of music exploring the theme of motherhood. Listen Back Don't forget to check out some great shows from the last week, including Monday's VENUS (Sound Of Women) by French artist Tennin. On Saturday, Berlin FLINTA* collective xcuse:u presented four hours of music to promote their IWD party 8-TO-THE-FLOOR with BLVSH at Alte Muenze on 7 March. Last Friday, Abby Young-Powell & Edna Bonhomme hosted the first edition of the new talk show As We See It, featuring an in-depth discussion of the questions around International Women's Day, its commercialisation and the decision to make it a public holiday in Berlin. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #110]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-07-mar-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-07-mar-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[IWD in Berlin | Tunisia Protests | Boycott Deportation Airlines]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. International Women's Day in Berlin Here are our top picks to celebrate global feminist protest this week: BLVSH/xcuse:u are two exciting Berlin-based FLINTA* collectives, who together are throwing the party 8-to-the-floor on 7 March, with an exciting lineup of residents and international artists at Alte Muenze. Female:pressure are also hosting a fundraiser event, including panel talks, DJ workshops and more at Club OST. On 8 March The Alliance of International Feminists is calling all women*, trans and non-binary people to join them for a protest against the patriarchy, fascism, imperialism, colonialism, white supremacy and femicide. The demonstration starts at 14:00 at Frankfurter Tor, head to their IG for more info.  Tunisia protests Thousands took to the street this weekend to protest against the authoritarian regime of Tunisian president Kais Saied, defying an official ban and breaking through a police barrier in Tunis. As well as shutting down the elected parliament in 2021, Saied has openly spewed racist conspiracy theories targetting the country's migrant workers, mirroring aspects of the ‘great replacement theory’ embraced by far-right leaders in Europe like Italy’s Giorgia Meloni. Iran poison attacks More than 1000 girls in schools across Iran appear to have suffered from poison attacks since November. Many journalists and activists have speculated that extremists are targeting young women in reaction to the country’s ongoing feminist revolutionary movement. After months of ignoring the incidents, Iran’s regime publicly condemned the attacks last week. Human Rights Watch has raised doubts about the possibility of an inquiry, pointing to Iran’s extremely poor track record of investigating violence against women. CDU/CSU push for harsher limits on asylum Germany‘s centre-right alliance CDU/CSU have put forward a proposal to place even harsher limits on migration and speed up deportations, just a week after the shipwreck tragedy in which over 60 people lost their lives off the coast of Italy. The CDU/CSU proposal, which included the expansion of the list of so-called ‘safe’ countries – clearing the way for deportations to Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Georgia – has since been rejected by the SPD-led government. Egyptian man faces life in prison in Greece for people smuggling  In a trial beginning today, an Egyptian fisherman in Greece has been charged with people smuggling and currently faces life in prison. Due to his seafaring experience, he and his 15-year-old son helped steer a boat carrying almost 500 people from Libya in November. If convicted, he will be sentenced to 10 years per transported person, totalling 4760 years. Head to Borderline Europe for more information on how to demand an end to the criminalisation of people on the move. Turkey Syria Fundraising Compilation Head to bandcamp to listen to and buy re-LEAF, a fundraising compilation in support of the hundred of thousands of people injured, displaced and otherwise affected by the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey of 6 February. The compilation was curated by Hüma Utku (above) and Sine Büyüka and features music from Kujo, Aho Ssan, KAOSMOS, KMRU, ABADIR, Drew McDowell and many more. No Business with Deportation Airlines 13 airlines are collaborating with the German state and receiving funding from FRONTEX, the EU’s border agency, to facilitate over 200 deportation flights from Germany every year. On Tuesday 7 March, No Border Assembly and Abolish Frontex are demonstrating at the world’s biggest international tourism fair in Berlin, calling for an end to mass deportations and a boycott of the airlines that profit from the EU’s brutal border regime. SHAPE Open Call for 2023 Musicians and audiovisual artists in Europe can apply before 31 March to be part of the 2023-24 SHAPE+ roster. SHAPE+ is a platform supporting emerging artists through collaborative residencies and supporting commissioned artworks, presentations and performances. Head to their website to find out more and apply.  Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Mandel's House of Highlife selections]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mandel-house-of-highlife-selections</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mandel-house-of-highlife-selections</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 05 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[10 tracks you might hear this Friday at OHM.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Since launching his House of Highlife show last summer, Mandel has steadily become a Refuge Worldwide favourite.  "House of Highlife is a radio show that pays tribute to some of my favourite genres - house and highlife. Just as house music has many styles, on the show you will not only hear highlife but also Juju music, zouk, compas, both from the motherland and the diaspora. The name of the show is also a wordplay and salute to the origins of house music and to the ballroom culture; 'House of', and highlife (the good life)." We caught up with the vinyl fanatic ahead of this Friday night at OHM, where Mandel joins SAGAN, Cromby, and Body Language co-founder Camilla Rae for our third party of 2023.  Read on for ten of Mandel's favourite house and highlife cuts. House Kerri Chandler - Atmosphere (Track 1) It is hard for me to imagine a list of favourite house records and not include at least one Kerri Chandler track. This one is probably one of my favourite NY house tracks of all time. DJ Deep & Jovonn – Back In The Dark (Jovonn Next Moov Talking Shit Rmx)  Another amazing producer from NY, Jovonn, this time teaming up with one of the most known and respected house DJ's from France, DJ Deep. This is an amazing track, especially for the fact that on this track Jovonn gives shout-outs to so many of the pioneers and legends of the late 80s and early 90s house scene. Callisto - Never Again Callisto might not be the first producer one might think of when you talk about the Boston music scene, but definitely one of the greatest, also arguably underrated. However, he produced so many amazing tracks under the name Callisto, DKNA or Dana Kelley. Ron & Chez D - A1. Untitled We still find ourselves in Chicago for this one with a track from two legends, Ron Trent and Chez Damier. This way I can include two amazing artists on one track. They collaborated quite a bit for a while and even ran a label together (Prescription). Nemesis – I Need You So Bad (Baby) For the last track of the house section, I chose this beautiful deep track from Nemesis, another favourite artist of mine, who is representing the U.K. Really recommend checking out all his stuff on his own label, Intrigue Records. Toyin Agbetu did not only produce house records but also some of the best U.K. street soul tracks from the early 90s. Highlife Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe - Ozubulu Brothers Chief Stephen Osadebe was one of the most prolific Igbo highlife artists. This album is special to me as it was playing at home and in my parent's car since I was a little kid. Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National – Igede Fantasia Celestine Ukwu was another great Igbo highlife artist, unfortunately he passed away at quite a young age, nevertheless he left behind a fantastic discography. Admiral Dele Abiodun & His Top Hitters Band – It's Time For Juju Music With this track we are jumping into Juju music, and what better artist to talk about than Dele Abiodun. I'll never forget the first time I heard this album playing, I was in a record store in Paris, it immediately caught my attention and I had to ask the owner of the store what record was he playing. King Sunny Adé and His African Beats - Synchro System King Sunny Ade, needs no introduction, one of the pioneers of Juju music. He was also one of the first African artists to gain international fame. Lijadu Sisters - Danger Even though not exactly highlife or Juju music, their sound also encompasses afrobreat, funk, soul, rock and other styles, the Lijadu Sisters must have a place on the list. The duo were some of the greatest artists that came out of Nigeria in the 70s. They were also political activists. Mandel plays 01:30 - 03:00 this weekend at OHM.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #109]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-28-feb-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-28-feb-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Climate Strike | Earthquake Aid Inequality | SoliType Fundraiser]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Climate Strike on 3 March Fridays for Future are organising a Global Climate Strike on 3 March to demand action and accountability from policymakers, world leaders and those most responsible for the Climate Crisis. To join the protest in Berlin, head to Invalidenpark from 12:00. Earthquake aid inequality 50,000 people in Turkey, Kurdistan and Syria have died due to the catastrophic earthquakes on 6 February. NGOs report that aid to the region has been distributed unequally, with Kurds, Syrian refugees and other minorities facing intense discrimination.  Germany has been criticised for its slow aid response and reluctance to accept earthquake victims seeking asylum. Sign this petition to the German government demanding a greater commitment to aid equality and a simplified visa process for those fleeing the region. Brazil landslides Record-breaking rainfalls in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state have led to flooding and landslides since last weekend and during the carnival celebrations. In another display of the deadly effects of climate change, coastal towns of Brazil’s richest state have been hit by more than 600mm of rain. The City of Sao Sebastiao bore the brunt of the human toll with at least 56 deaths. More than 4,000 people have been forced from their homes and many are still missing.  Nablus raids Israel’s hard-right government has faced growing international criticism since its election at the end of 2022, which has triggered a sharp rise in military and settler violence across Gaza and the West Bank. The West Bank city of Nablus became a focal point last week after 11 Palestinians were killed and over 100 injured during a military raid. Then, dozens of Palestinian homes and cars were set on fire in nearby Huwara, in what looks like one of the worst outbreaks of settler violence in decades. Taliban crackdown on contraceptives The Taliban have continued their crackdown on reproductive rights by banning the sale of contraceptives in two of Afghanistan’s main cities, claiming that the use of contraceptives is a western conspiracy to control the Muslim population. Midwives and pharmacies have been threatened and ordered to clear out all birth control medicines and devices. Afghanistan is already one of the most dangerous places to give birth, and these restrictions represent another significant blow. SoliType fundraiser for the queer community in Turkey and Syria SoliType, a fundraising platform where designers share typefaces in exchange for donations, has launched a new appeal in support of people from the LGBTQIA+ community and s3x workers who are affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Head to the SoliType IG to see what’s on offer, or donate directly to the queer relief fund here. Black History Month Playlist To celebrate and pay respect to Black musical, cultural and artistic pioneers, we have compiled a selection of our favourite Black History Month-themed radio shows on our website. Listen back to last week's two-hour conversation between Thea and Seun Kuti, a six-part series exploring narratives of resistance through South African and Ethiopian perspectives, a show dedicated to Octavia Butler, and much more. On The Ground: Iran Read the second instalment of our On The Ground: Iran series. This time, Johanna Urbancik talks to an anonymous Iranian artist about protest, censorship and creativity in the face of oppression. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Living through a Revolution | On the Ground: Iran]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/living-through-a-revolution-on-the-ground-iran</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/living-through-a-revolution-on-the-ground-iran</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An Iranian artist discusses protest and creativity in the face of repression.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Five months after the death in custody of Jina Mahsa Amini, Iran's revolution is still in full force and the people of Iran are more determined to fight for their freedom – even if you don’t see it in the news anymore. Since Amini’s death on the 16th of September 2022, protests have erupted all over Iran calling for freedom and a regime change. The regime has met those protests and demands with brutal force and barbaric violence. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has said that, as of Friday 10 February, 528 protesters had been killed, including 71 minors. There are no definite numbers as to how many protesters have been arrested, but the regime itself has acknowledged the detention of tens of thousands of protesters. Although it is unclear how many executions there have been of protesters, in total the regime has executed 87 people this year already. Following the conversation I had with a girl involved in the protests late last year, this interview is with an artist living in Iran, who tells me how their life has changed due to repression and censorship and what it's like to work in the arts while living through a revolution. How are you doing right now? How have the last months impacted you mentally Mentally, I’m doing both well and bad the moment. I say 'well' because I am still alive, and the fact that I’m taking a small part in this movement gives me hope and purpose. On other hand, I am feeling at times very down and heavyhearted, just like millions of other Iranians. Many of us have seen before our eyes so many brutalities and cruelties, and we are hearing so much devastating news every day. It makes it really hard for one to keep fully sane. Over 500 people have been killed, over 20,000 people imprisoned, many have been tortured, many have lost their eyes… and we haven’t yet achieved the freedom we are fighting for. But I, just like others, understand that this is a process that might take some time, so we are keeping our spirits high, even though we feel downhearted at times. What does your day-to-day life look like now?  The protests, and the regime’s response, have had a huge impact on our day-to-day lives in so many different ways. We are all more cautious with everything we do, because everyone is under surveillance. Even talking on the phone has become hazardous. Everyone keeps track of the news by the hour. Society has become very bipolar; supporters of the regime, although in minority, make up a considerable part of the population, so there are a lot of arguments and conflicts within society. The regime is under economical pressure, the inflation rate is really high, and many people are going through very difficult times financially. Internet access is getting more limited by the day, and we have complete internet shutdowns every once in a while.  Many people were financially dependent on the internet, so they have basically been unemployed for almost four months now. That includes artist to a degree. It was difficult for artists to make a living before the protests too, since many forms of art or subject matters are forbidden in Iran, and many platforms where artists usually showcase their works have been banned, although there were some ways around the barriers. Many were working underground, or using VPNs to publish their works online, but now with the slow, limited internet, and a very oppressive atmosphere, it has become very difficult. But this movement really needs active artistic works to fuel its spirits. Iran solidarity protest in Berlin, October 2022. Photo: Amir Sarabadani (CC BY-SA 4.0) The regime is threatening to execute two more protesters, in fact, by the time this interview will be published, we don’t know how many have been executed and prosecuted in these sham trials. How do they make you and the country feel?  It’s a great sorrow to see such innocent and free-hearted lives being unjustly executed for seeking freedom. There have been four protest-related executions so far, and over 50 other protesters have been sentenced to death. Executions are only one way that the regime is trying to intimidate and take revenge on the protesters. Many have been killed under torture, on the streets, with the same purpose. But apparently, executions have had a counter-effect. I believe these executions are increasing public rage and determination. They act as a fuel to people’s train for running this regime over. They are only making people more determined for what they want, which is freedom. Do you think people are more scared after the first executions to continue protesting? In short term, they could have helped in silencing some people, but in the long run, executions will bring more people to the protests, just as executions and other forms of suppression in the past have led us to where we are now. We’ve had numerous protests in Iran in the past few years, and they’ve all been violently suppressed. But they’ve become bigger, broader, and more purposeful every time. We had protests in 2020 called the Bloody November, where about 1,500 people were killed on the streets in only a few days, and here we are now, at what most Iranians believe is a revolutionary movement. There is a lot of international focus on the protests and the executions. Do you feel any of that? We do, and it’s really promising, and Iranians are very grateful of the international community. But more action needs to be taken by the politicians. Many western politicians have taken “political sponsorships” of almost all the protesters who have been sentenced to death, however the regime is still executing them.  Note: A political sponsorship involves utilizing the political influence of a lawmaker to raise awareness of the situation of Iranian prisoners, by engaging with Iranian ambassadors, fellow politicians, and human rights organisations. This means these actions taken have not been enough. The regime needs to learn that killing its people and violating human rights is going to be at a huge cost for them, and that can only be induced by the world’s politicians putting maximum pressure on them.  You’re also a musician. Can you tell me a little bit about what your musical career and day-to-day life looked like before the protests? Being an artist in Iran is really difficult in general. There are so many obstacles in your way, especially if you are an independent artist. You have to be working with the regime or conforming to their ideology in a way if you want to be a “successful” artist.  It’s a bit easier for music producers like myself, but as soon as lyrics are involved you have to be really careful about what is being said. If you reflect the reality of Iran in your works, you’ll be accused of painting a black picture of the country and could face penalties like being banned from working or appearing on screen/stage. If your works touch political issues or criticise the system, the penalty could go as high as serving time in prison. If you want to publish your work, you need to get a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. That’s why many artists work underground, while others censor themselves. For me personally, the most challenging part of my career was getting my music to audiences and performing live. I collaborate with a lot of vocalists – underground artists who don’t have permission to perform live or for their works to be published. So we have no choice but to publish our works on international platforms such as SoundCloud or Spotify, which are banned in Iran. That makes the market we aim for very limited, since not every Iranian has access to those platforms. I believe Iran is the country with the second most artists in exile. The number will probably be even higher after the recent upheavals. How have the protests changed your music career? This movement has changed my music career in many different ways. For one, publishing musical works has become much harder now. As I mentioned before, with the new internet limitations and bans, which include all platforms where musicians publish their work, it’s become very difficult to present your work to your audience. On the brighter side, I’ve been so inspired by everything I’ve witnessed since these protest began. I’ve heard sounds and voices that I’ve never heard before, and they’ve already found their way into my music. I have friends and acquaintances who’ve been in prison and have been damaged physically and/or mentally. I’ve seen images of the bravery of my people, or of their sufferings. These things have had a huge impact on me emotionally, which as a result has greatly affected the music I work on these days. What would you like to tell the world? How can we support and help you? All we need for the world to do is to stand on the right side of history. The Iranian people are bravely fighting for freedom that will make the world a better place. This is what the world must understand. This regime is not only a threat to the Iranian people but a threat to all of humanity. Fortunately, foreign politicians have heard the Iranian people’s voices, thanks to their people, who have stood in solidarity with the Iranians.  We now hope that they put pressure on the regime, so we can win this war against a weaker enemy. This can only be achieved if the international community keeps amplifying our voices through art, media, etc. All I would want to tell the world is to stand with the people of Iran for a better world. Your voice matters and makes a difference. In memory of and solidarity with… Mohsen Schekari, 23, Barista and Rapper, executed on 8th December 2022,  Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, executed on 12th December 2022  Mohammad Mehdi Karami, 22, Karate Champion, executed on 7th January 2023  Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, 20, executed on 7th January 2023 And the countless people that have killed, mutilated or detained unjustly by the regime!]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide returns to OHM]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ohm-10-mar-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ohm-10-mar-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Cromby, Camilla Rae, Mandel and SAGAN will play.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our third club night of the year goes down at OHM on 10 March. Kicking off at 10PM and running until around 7AM, our next party at OHM will be headlined by the world-renowned talent—and long-time friend of Refuge—Cromby. Also playing on the night will be eclectic selector SAGAN, house and highlife vinyl fanatic Mandel and Body Language co-founder Camilla Rae. If you’ve ever checked any of their radio shows, you’ll know we’re in for a proper party.  15€ on the door. RSVP via RA.  Artwork by Raoul Gottschling.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Listen to a selection of Black History Month-themed radio shows]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bhm-playlist</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bhm-playlist</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[From feminist dancehall to afrobeat via traditional Ethiopian music and early UK funky.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[To celebrate and pay respect to Black musical, cultural and artistic pioneers, we have gathered together some of our favourite Refuge Worldwide radio shows on the theme. Starting with a show from this week, we can highly recommend Thea’s two-hour conversation with Seun Kuti, son of the legendary Fela. In fact, dive into any of Thea’s shows and you will find a treasure chest of black music and history, with guests including DJ Amir, Rick Wade, Kai Alcé and Robert Owens. The same could be said of our wonderful breakfast show host Mokeyanju. She welcomed the Blindian Project on her Breakfast Show earlier this month, soundtracked by a selection of Afrocentric folk tunes by past and living legends to commemorate BHM. In 2021, we were blessed by a six-part series exploring narratives of resistance through South African and Ethiopian perspectives, hosted by Dumama and Jessica Korp. Also from that year: a Blues “juke joint” special by O.N.A and a show by Monty Luke dedicated to the memory of the great Science Fiction novelist, Octavia Butler, the writer considered the mother and primary catalyst of the Afrofuturist movement. For those wanting to get deep into a talk show, check out DeForrest Brown, Jr. in conversation with Christine Kakaire and Jessica Ekomane, covering Black counter-culture past, present and future. Alternatively, check out the Listening Bodies Podcast, in which African artists from the field of dance and performance give insight into their working methods. A few other favourite interviews: okcandice speaking with Nigerian jazz percussionist and musician Lekan Babalola; discover the history of Lagos city meeting point Ojuelegba via this conversation between sound artist Emeka Ogboh and Richard Akingbehin or check out Nicky Böhm’s show with melodramatics of Black Obsidian Sound System. If you’re after musical deep dives, this feminist dancehall special is a sure-fire winner, as is this selection of vintage African music from KILLA's family vault, Roska’s UK Funky Archives show, Lupercia's show on Ethiopian political popstar Yeshimebet Dubale, Nam & Rob's 60 minutes of protest music and Sky Deep’s journey from the OG's to the new along a timeline of funk music.  Last but not least, we loved Mama Lior’s Sade Adu Appreciation Hour - we love anything to do with Sade, to be honest - and loved Kaodi’s exploration of jazz and traditional Ethiopian music.



]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Listen back to sets from our Turkey-Syria fundraiser]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/earthquake-fundraiser</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/earthquake-fundraiser</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[All sets recorded at Arkaoda, Berlin on 19 February]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Music and arts in solidarity with the earthquake victims. On February 6th, two earthquakes took the lives of over 40,000 and counting Turkish, Syrian and Kurdish people, and displaced millions more, in what is one of the most devastating natural disasters of the 21st century. The effects of this disaster will be felt for years to come, and we as an international community need to raise money however we can to help, and also need to keep the crisis visible in global news. On Sunday, February 19th, we hosted a fundraiser event at arkaoda Berlin, in collaboration with Root Radio, Radio Alhara and Resident Advisor. It was a chance for people from the affected communities to meet and mourn together, to listen to some DJs from these regions play downtempo sets, to buy some donated artworks and crafts and, most importantly, to raise money. Together, we raised 12,000€ which was split equally between three reliable organisations: AHBAP who focus on Turkey, The White Helmets focusing on Syria and Heyva Sor focusing on Kurdish people. Thanks to all the artists involved and to everyone who came down, tuned in and donated. Find all recordings from the event below: Ahmedshk  Deniz Arslan  Et Kin  Hüma Utku Konduku Lefter Records Mehmet Aslan Melis Müge & Irem Tanriverdi Rabon Aibo Sarah Zeryab Slimgirl Fat Taradud Yasmin Umay Zilch Flow Zuhour ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ROOTS Berlin host workshops with Juba and Maryisonacid]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/roots-berlin-host-dj-workshops-with-juba-and-maryisonacid</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/roots-berlin-host-dj-workshops-with-juba-and-maryisonacid</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Monday 27 February at Refuge Worldwide]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[ROOTS is a non-profit organization that advocates for and brings Berlin's BIPoC community together through creativity, movement and knowledge sharing. On Monday 27 Feb we are collaborating with Roots to host two DJ workshops. 12:00-15:00 with Juba: Characterised by her thrilling blends and effervescent energy, Juba has steadily built a reputation as a confident, skilful and daring DJ who champions African and African diasporic future sounds across Europe and beyond. A child of the Nigerian diaspora in the UK, since 2016 Juba has been paying musical homage to her heritage as a DJ who principally showcases music from Africa and the African diaspora. As a regular host on Berlin's Cashmere Radio and core member of London's Boko! Boko! collective, not only is she a skilled DJ, but she also utilises her platforms to explore socio-political issues surrounding the world of music.⁠ 15:30-18:30 with Maryisonacid: Maryama Luccioni aka Maryisonacid is a DJ, promoter, Refuge Worldwide resident and label owner of AAITF records. She grew up in the 80s in a mixed family between Paris and Corsica and has been based in Berlin since 2010. She has been touring for the past 8 years bringing her night to venues, festivals, art institutions around the globe but also performing solo as Maryisonacid. Her love for music is beyond the club scene, building bridges between communities and genres. She takes crowds on cinematic journeys, breaking the rules of traditional dance music sets. Workshops are for BIPoC, are donation based and will be held in English. To Register get in touch with ROOTS via IG: @rootsbrln or email them at info@rootsberlin.com.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #108]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-21-feb-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-21-feb-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Big Oil's record profits | Berlin Election talks | Stop Deportation Centre BER]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Record profits for Big Oil The six largest western oil companies made over $200bn in 2022 thanks to a sharp rise in oil and gas prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The record profits come at a time when people around the world are struggling to pay their energy bills, driving accusations of war profiteering and demands for higher windfall taxes. One of the companies, BP, also announced plans to scale back its climate targets, after doubling profits from the previous year. Turkish and Syrian refugees face bureaucratic hurdles 23 million people have been affected and 45,000 have lost their lives due to the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. A week ago Germany announced plans to simplify the visa application process for victims with family in the country. In reality, there is still a long list of required documents, relatives are expected to pay all costs, visas are limited to three-month-stays and processing times are slow. Seeking refuge in Germany remains very complicated from Turkey and almost impossible from Syria. Berlin election A little over a week since the repeat elections in Berlin, talks continue between election winner CDU and the current ruling party SPD to determine whether there is a basis for a coalition government between the two parties. The SPD has also announced talks with the Green Party and Die Linke this Tuesday, saying they could imagine a continuation of the current Red-Green-Red coalition established in 2021. Talks between CDU and the Green Party are scheduled for Wednesday.  Meloni’s deadly sea rescue decree deemed unlawful by Italian court In a ruling that has been hailed as a win for activists working in the Mediterranean, a decree by Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Italian government restricting sea rescue has been declared unlawful by a court in Catania, Sicily. The decree stipulates that only the most vulnerable migrants from a rescue ship are allowed to go ashore and was deemed to contradict the legal right to rescue and obstruct access to the asylum procedure.  German police officers charged over refugee teenager’s death Five police officers have been charged over the fatal shooting of a 16-year old Senegalese boy last year in Dortmund. Officers claimed that after the boy, who was a refugee, had run towards them with a knife, they used pepper spray and tasers before shooting him with a submachine gun. The shooting is only one of several recent fatal incidents caused by police and has sparked protests and debates about police brutality and racist violence in Germany.  Stop Deportation protest camp The initiative Stop Deportation Center BER is organising a protest camp from 1-6 June 2023. The camp will provide an opportunity for existing groups, activists and interested people to get to know each other, share knowledge and strategies and build a broader movement against the planned deportation centre and Germany‘s racist deportation policies. If you would like to get involved in the planning and organisation, join the open plenary on 23 February at Linie206.  Spiral Times fundraiser for kindergarten in Palestine BB, host of Spiral Times on Refuge Worldwide, is raising money to expand Zahrat Al-Yasmeen (jasmine flower) a kindergarten located in Lajee Center, a grassroots community space run by and for refugees in Aida Campa near Bethlehem, Palestine. All money raised goes directly into Palestinian hands and will help provide infrastructure and resources for the next generation.  Black History Month at Refuge Worldwide Tune in or head to Oona this Wednesday for a Black History Month takeover hosted by Taboo from 19:00-00:00. The event will include a conversation between Taboo founder Kenny Eshinlokun and Refuge co-founder Richard Akingbehin, an interview and live set from RAYNE, and DJ sets from Bernard Koomsin, Nasra, Yazzus and DJ Hyperdrive. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Join a sonic storytelling workshop with Mmakgosi Kgabi]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mmakgosi-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mmakgosi-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The session takes place from 17:00-18:30, 20 Feb.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us for a sonic storytelling workshop with Mmakgosi Kgabi. In this workshop, you will explore compositional strategies for storytelling using deep listening, a voice looping machine and improvisation. This session will give you the tools to transmit a sonic story captured in a live moment. You can sign up, free-of-charge, here. Mmakgosi Kgabi ((s)he / they), is a dancer, dramaturg, director, DJ, voiceover artist, writer, producer, film actress and currently a resident radio host on Refuge Worldwide. She is the founding member of Motherbox Organisation in the Arts and has a BA in Choreography, Dance Repertoire, and Acting as well as an MA in Solo Dance and Authorship. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #107]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-07-feb-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-07-feb-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Nigeria's Shell lawsuit | Syria/Turkey earthquake | Support Sea-Watch]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Nigeria  A group of almost 14,000 people from two Nigerian communities have sued fossil fuel giant Shell over the devastating pollution of their water sources and the destruction of their way of life due to oil spills. Aside from the loss of food and livelihoods, lawyers state that ingested pollution is causing serious health problems and rising mortality rates. Shell argues the company bears no responsibility for the illegal siphoning of oil, which they claim is the leading cause of spills. Emergency appeal after earthquake in Syria and Turkey Widespread destruction has struck Turkey and Syria following two earthquakes of 7.8- and 7.7-magnitude respectively within the space of only 12 hours. The combined death toll for the first quake alone currently stands at over 5000 and is only expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.  Molham Team, the White Helmets and many humanitarian agencies have launched emergency campaigns after widespread destruction in Turkey and Syria following two earthquakes. Search and rescue operators have rushed to the region but face difficult conditions as the death toll rises significantly. Displaced people are in dire need of help to secure alternative housing and basic needs. If you're able to support click here. Myanmar It’s been two years since Myanmar’s military junta came to power, and the country’s humanitarian crisis remains one of the world’s most neglected and underfunded. An estimated 17.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and 50,000 homes have been destroyed in brutal crackdowns by security forces. Military violence against the country’s Rohingya population since 2017 has forced over 1 million people to flee to congested camps in neighbouring Bangladesh. Thursday: Soli Küche for stop deportation center BER On Thursday, No Border Assembly are organising a Soli-Kitchen event at KIEZLADEN (Sonnenallee 154) to support the campaign against the new deportation centre at BER Airport. There will be food from 18:00 and a discussion with activists from 20:00 about the new centre and the protest camp. All donations will go towards Stop Deportation Center BER and a friend who needs to cover expenses to remain in the country. Follow No Border Assembly to find out more. Italy's Sea Rescue Decree Italy’s new sea rescue decree is making it more difficult for humanitarian organisations to save lives in the Mediterranean. The decree prohibits ships from carrying out multiple rescue missions at once and forces NGO ships to take rescued migrants to faraway ports in Northern Italy. Last week at least 10 people making the Mediterranean crossing died off the coast of Lampedusa, southern Italy. A Sea-Watch spokesperson has called the ruling ‘a call to let people drown.’ Sea-Watch is looking for support Sea-Watch needs your support to continue its vital rescue work in the Mediterranean. The NGO has been involved in the rescue of over 35,000 people since 2015, and is now facing harsh crackdowns and criminalisation by EU border state governments. Head to their IG to find out how you can help by donating, fundraising, volunteering, working or helping to raise awareness. Rainbow Disco Club 2023 Rainbow Disco Club festival in Japan returns for a 2023 edition and has announced the full line-up including DJs such as Ben UFO, Chaos in the CBD, Jeff Mills and a b2b from DJ Nobu and Eris Drew. We will be a media partner and share some exclusive new sets from residents, as well as recordings from last year’s festival. Tickets and more information are now available on RA. Mmakgosi Kgabi to host storytelling workshop On 20 Feb, Mmakgosi Kgabi is hosting a storytelling workshop at Oona, exploring compositional strategies for storytelling through improvisation and deep listening. Mmakgosi is a dancer, dramaturg, director, DJ, voiceover artist, writer, producer, film actress and Refuge Worldwide resident. Sign up now to attend. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. 'The Sea-Watch 2 crowded with survivors covering themselves in rescue blankets', licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Fighting for Choice: the activist network helping people in Poland access safe abortions]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fighting-for-choice-ciocia-basia</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/fighting-for-choice-ciocia-basia</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Ciocia Basia face the challenges of war in Ukraine and restrictive German abortion laws.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Berlin-based abortion activist group Ciocia Basia has had to adapt to a lot of “new normals” in recent years.  First came the pandemic, which made it harder for Polish people with unwanted pregnancies to travel to neighbouring Germany to access surgical abortions. Then came the October 2020 ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal that made abortion due to severe foetal defects unconstitutional, tightening Poland's already draconian abortion laws.  When Russia invaded Ukraine at the start of 2022, refugees who fled to Poland found themselves deprived of reproductive rights the moment they crossed the border. And 2022 also saw Justyna Wydrzynska become the first pro-choice activist to face criminal charges for facilitating abortion in Poland, increasing the risks for activists like her. “At every stage I have to tell myself – ok, this is the new normal, get used to it. Looking back at all these crisis situations, we’ve somehow managed to work through each one,” says Zuzanna Dziuban, a cultural scholar from northern Poland, who’s been volunteering for Ciocia Basia since 2018. She is one of 19 members of the Berlin-based group, established in 2014 to help people in Poland with unwanted pregnancies access safe abortions. Its name is a diminutive drawing from a traditional Polish name – “the idea is that you can put it in your phone and it doesn’t look suspicious because everyone in Poland has some Auntie Basia."  Many of the calls Ciocia Basia receives are from people in the early stages of pregnancy who need help obtaining pills for medical abortion at home. Part of the Europe-wide abortion rights network Abortion Without Borders, Ciocia Basia directs many callers to its sister organisation, Women Help Women. But if the pregnancy is over 10 or 11 weeks but under Germany’s 14-week limit, Ciocia Basia arranges for clients to travel to Berlin to have a surgical abortion there, covering the cost of the procedure and other expenses. Its volunteers offer everything from funding and translation to appointment bookings, overnight accommodation, and emotional support. Between October 2021 and October 2022, they helped 128 people from Poland access safe surgical abortions. Poland's reproductive rights crackdown The demand for Ciocia Basia’s work intensified in October 2020 when Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) voted to remove the foetal defect clause, imposing a near-total ban on abortion by making it legal only in cases of rape, incest, or when the person’s life is at risk. The law, which came into effect in January 2021, prompted widespread outrage and protest across Europe.  “The ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal totally changed the landscape of access to abortion in Poland,” says Dziuban. “It’s not just about abortions on demand now. More and more people travelling abroad have wanted pregnancies, but are seeking abortions due to foetal abnormalities.” The team had workshops with counsellors to help them prepare for this new wave of clients. “It’s a totally different conversation when it’s a wanted pregnancy. It’s a totally different language you have to use, totally different emotional labour that you have to perform.”  In 2022, the Polish government went further by introducing new measures obliging healthcare professionals – from gynaecologists to dentists – to register all pregnancies and miscarriages. Ostensibly intended to update national health records, this centralised register allows the government to monitor the outcome of pregnancies and identify illegal abortions conducted both in Poland and abroad. “People are afraid to go to a doctor. They feel under constant threat from the medical healthcare system,” says Dziuban. “The government has created an organised system that forces people to lie. It’s unbelievable where all of this has ended up.”  Ciocia Basia’s volunteers are used to navigating the emotional hardship that comes with these measures. While guiding people in Poland through at-home medical abortions, they are available by phone or email at every step of the process, sometimes exchanging 100 messages with one person in a single evening. “There are those who write to you every five minutes and send you pictures of everything,” she says. “We see a lot of embryos and sanitary pads in our activism, and a lot of toilets as well.” Dziuban looks to other members of Ciocia Basia for her own emotional support. “If it gets too much, we go to each other. We vent, we cry, sometimes we laugh because it helps to discharge the tension.” Arrivals from Ukraine Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted Ciocia Basia dramatically. Ukraine was known for its comparatively liberal abortion laws, with abortions legally provided upon request for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. While neighbouring Poland provides a place of relative safety for refugees from Ukraine, they are now subject to PiS’s repressive reproductive laws, increasing demand for Ciocia Basia and its sister groups. From March 2022 to October 2022, Abortion Without Borders helped 1,515 people from Ukraine access abortions. For Dziuban, the new reality set in during a conversation with a Ukrainian woman in March. “She wrote that she'd been in Poland for a few weeks, and had just learnt her husband was killed, and couldn't carry the pregnancy to term. I shed some tears, informed her where to order pills, and realised that conversations like this would happen from now on.” Among the refugees that Ciocia Basia tries to help, many of their unwanted pregnancies are the result of rape. Although abortion in these circumstances is technically legal, the requirement for rape survivors to show proof of rape and a certified letter from a public prosecutor makes it nearly impossible. “In Poland, you theoretically have access to abortion in this case, but very theoretically,” says Dziuban. “According to government numbers, an average of just two people per year are allowed access to abortion because of rape – this number is a total fiction.” There are even cases of refugees returning to Ukraine to carry out their abortions there. But Dziuban and her fellow activists are cautious of excessive media attention on this topic. “We get asked about Ukrainian victims of sexual violence as though they are more deserving of abortions than other people,” says Mara Clarke, founder of the UK’s Abortion Support Network. “These aren’t the only refugees we’re helping, these aren’t the only traumatised people we’re helping. Any situation that prioritises one group of people over another lead to bad legislation; this idea that you can have an abortion if. No – you’re either pro-choice or you’re not, and it’s the choice of the person who’s pregnant.” Legal repercussions for Polish activists  In cases of illegal termination in Poland, the patient is not subject to a criminal penalty but any medical personnel carrying out the procedure are. Justyna Wydrzynska, a member of Ciocia Basia’s sister organisations in Poland, Abortion Dream Team and Kobiety w Sieci, is on trial in Warsaw after being accused of helping a woman in an abusive relationship end a pregnancy with pills. The first activist to be charged in Poland for facilitating an abortion, Wydrzynska faces up to three years in prison.  Even activists working outside Poland becoming worried about being caught up in the country’s legal system. “It’s a shocking development for us,” says Dziuban. “It’s a means to intimidate and discourage people from supporting others in accessing abortion. They will never succeed, but a lot of our energy is associated with this case.” She sees this as further evidence of how the Polish state “criminalises empathy and solidarity”, pointing to the criminal charges being brought against activists for helping migrants cross the Belarusian-Polish border.  There is further worry among activists about the presence of Ordo Iuris in the courtroom, the ultra-conservative Polish Catholic think tank that has been spearheading efforts to roll back women’s and LGBTQ+ rights for years. “The judges are not objective at all,” Dziuban adds. As the case continues this year, with more hearings added due to witness absences, anticipation is growing. But Clarke articulates a glimmer of hope: “This trial has meant that the pathways to safe abortion are getting promoted more and more across Poland. There are now international eyes on the Polish government's failure to care for pregnant people, as well as more knowledge of where people in Poland can go to get abortions.” Germany’s flawed system For Dziuban, a certain “paradox” hangs over the work of Ciocia Basia, which is rooted in the barriers to abortion at home in Germany. Abortion is technically illegal in Germany, criminalised under Paragraph 218 of the German Criminal Code, which dates back to Nazi-era social policy. It can be carried out without punishment during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (14 weeks since the last period), provided a mandatory counselling session takes place and is permitted at a later term if the pregnancy poses a health risk. “Help is criminalised in Poland, but you can still have your abortion without legal consequences. In German law, having an abortion outside of the medical system is criminalised full stop,” Dziuban explains.  One of the many hurdles to obtaining an abortion in Germany was paragraph 219a of the criminal code, which stated that anyone who publicly "offers, announces [or] advertises" abortion services can face penalties of up to two years imprisonment or a fine. This clause was scrapped in June 2022, but activists won’t celebrate without a total transformation of the law. “Scrapping 219a has been more symbolic than tangible,” says Lana Saksone, a doctor and representative of Doctors for Choice Germany (DfC). “They’ve left 218 in the criminal code, there are still no protection zones for practices providing abortion care, and the anti-choicers are getting bolder.” She points to an abortion clinic that opened in Dortmund last December, where death threats were sent to doctors, nurses and technical staff. “Abortion is still illegal and stigmatised in Germany.” Established in 2019, DfC is a network of physicians, medical students and other health professionals who campaign for autonomous choice in all areas of sexuality, reproduction and family planning. “There was this feeling that reproductive health is not important at all in Germany,” says Saksone. “Contraception is not paid for by health insurance, and abortion is criminalised; no one is obliged to teach it, no one is obliged to learn it, and no one is obliged to provide it. We thought that was an unacceptable situation.” As the majority of medical institutions and universities don't teach abortion – not even to gynaecologists – DfC participates in scientifically recognised “Papaya Workshops” to provide medical students with basic abortion training. Due to its shape, size and texture, a papaya is used as a model of the uterus, enabling students to practice vacuum aspiration, the procedure that uses a vacuum source to remove an embryo or foetus through the cervix. DfC is also opposed to mandatory counselling sessions that take place three days before an abortion is carried out. Saksone emphasises WHO guidelines, which recommend “removing medically unnecessary policy barriers to safe abortion, such as criminalisation, mandatory waiting times, the requirement that approval must be given by other people (e.g., partners or family members) or institutions, and limits on when during pregnancy an abortion can take place.” The shockwaves of the Roe v. Wade reversal Predicting developments in legislation across Germany and Poland is a difficult business. As Dziuban notes, “When we started Ciocia Basia in 2014, we expected that in a year or two, we would be unnecessary because the legislation would change for the better. But it’s getting worse. I’d be afraid to predict the direction of the law change.” When Roe v. Wade was overturned in the US in June 2022, the reverberations were felt throughout Europe. “For many people, it became clear how reversible the situation is – the fact that abortion legislation in Germany could flip very quickly as well,” she continues. But as abortion rights debates intensify, awareness of Ciocia Basia and its sister organisations spreads. “Whenever there is a crisis about access to abortion, we do see an increase in support and solidarity from the international community. The tighter the laws become, the more the consequences become visible, the more support there is.” Indeed, in November 2022, support among the Polish public for allowing access to abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy rose to 70 per cent, the highest level ever recorded by pollster Ipsos. And increased funding has led to the growth of Abortion Without Borders, with new groups such as Ciocia Wienia in Austria and Ciocia Czesia in Czech Republic established, providing easier access to abortions abroad for people in southern or eastern Poland. “Running through all these crises strengthens the ties in our network,” says Dziuban. “Abortion Without Borders has effectively taken over all the abortion work that was done before by the Polish healthcare system. We know we can rely on each other and share our resources and funding. The fact we are still here, and we manage, is a really great thing.” Images: Berlin. Courtesy of Bündnis für Sexuelle Selbstbestimmung (BfsS). Safe Abortion Day Köln 2022. Courtesy of BfsS. Courtesy of Ciocia Basia. Safe Abortion Day Köln 2022. Courtesy of BfsS. Safe Abortion Day Köln 2022. Courtesy of BfsS. Safe Abortion Day Hamburg 2022. Courtesy of Adriana Beran, BfsS. Graphics and layout by Graeme Bateman & Kolja Tinkova.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide team up with Berlin’s XJAZZ! FESTIVAL 2023]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/xjazz-23</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/xjazz-23</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The first XJAZZ! radio show airs this Friday.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Running from 8-14th May, Berlin's XJAZZ! FESTIVAL 2023 takes place across multiple venues in Kreuzberg. From 10–12th May, the festival will be spread across the venues Emmauskirche, Festsaal Kreuzberg, Lido, Privatclub and Æden. Over the weekend, it moves to a dedicated festival area located around Schlesischer Busch. Artists announced so far include AKA KELZZ, Chelsea Carmichael, LOUIS COLE, Alfa Mist, K.Zia, Moses Yoofee Trio, KOKOROKO!, Dumama and Bugge Wessetoft & Henrik Schwarz. We are proud to be a media partner of the festival this year, kicking off with an XJAZZ! show live from Oona Bar on February 10th from 5-7PM. Further collaborations, both on-air and on-site, will be announced soon. Tickets and more program details are available here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #106]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-31-jan-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-31-jan-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tyre Nichols protests | Jenin Raid | Schlafplatzorga]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Tyre Nichols protests in the US Protests erupted across the US last week following the release of video footage detailing the fatal police beating of 29-year-old African-American man Tyre Nichols during a traffic stop in Memphis earlier this month. Although the five officers who beat Nichols have been fired and charged with second-degree murder, protesters are calling for an investigation into the other officers present, and the murder has sparked renewed calls for police reform and abolition. Escalating violence in Palestine At least 35 Palestinians, including 8 children, have been killed in the West Bank since Israel’s new hard-right government came to power at the end of 2022. Last week at least 10 Palestinians were killed and 20 more injured in a raid on Jenin refugee camp, sparking further violence in Gaza and East Jerusalem with casualties on both sides. Protests against the new, openly fascist coalition government have continued into a fourth consecutive week, with tens of thousands taking to the streets. Schlafplatzorga need your help! Schlafplatzorga Berlin, a group dedicated to finding safe sleeping places for migrants and refugees in Berlin, is still in need of support. If you have a spare room, a couch in your living room, a free apartment or a coworking space where someone could stay for even a few nights, get in touch via sleepingplaceorga@systmli.org. If you can't offer a place to stay but you'd like to support them in other ways, they are also asking for donations to pay outstanding rent and other costs. UK Home Office whistleblower Pressure is growing on the UK government to act after an investigation revealed that dozens of asylum-seeking children were kidnapped from a hotel operated by the UK Home Office. Last week a whistleblower claimed that many children were driven into the hands of criminals by ‘violent threats’ and ‘emotional abuse’ from staff. Over 200 children are still missing having vanished from state-run facilities.  Those in the UK can join protests in London and Brighton this Thursday. Refuge x CTM Next Saturday, join us as we team up with CTM for a dedicated Refuge Worldwide floor at RSO. Don’t live sets from Binghi in collaboration with Berlin-based singer and dancer Astan KA, and Nyege Nyege regular Debmaster with Menzi. Find Richard Akingbehin behind the decks alongside Nico Adomako, Philou Louzolo and a fire b2b from Lecken & Wax Treatment affiliate KILLA with Monibi.  GALA If you're in London, join us at GALA Festival from 26-28 May in Peckham Rye Park, London. We'll be taking over the Neighbourhood tent on Sunday from 13:00-21:00. Our curations begins with an extended b2b from Refuger Worldwide family No Plastic, Gaby D'Annunzio and Bell. Guests for the day include Creole Cuts DJ Anja Ngozi, baby k from Black Artist Database and foundation.fm favourite. Musicboard Scholarship Apply now for Musicboard’s Project Scholarship, aimed at Berlin-based pop and experimental musicians who need help delivering new projects and initiatives. Head to the Musicboard Berlin website to find out if your project is eligible. Applications close on 1 March at 18:00. Good luck! Thanks! Sending out a huge thank you and lots of love to everyone who played, tuned in, hung out and danced at Oona or arkaoda, or otherwise helped us celebrate our birthday over the past weekend! Refuge Worldwide would not be the same without the community that surrounds it, and we are grateful for each and every one of you <3 Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host tent at GALA Festival 2023]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gala-23</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gala-23</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We’re coming back to London!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 28 May, we return to GALA Festival for the third year running. Our curation begins with an extended back-to-back from Refuge Worldwide family No Plastic, Gaby D’Annunzio and Bell. Guests for the day are the versatile Creole Cuts DJ Anja Ngozi, baby k from Black Artist Database and foundation.fm favourite Heléna Star. If you’re in London, come find us in the Neighbourhood tent from 13:00 until 21:00.  Over the three days of GALA, which takes place from 26-28 May in Peckham Rye Park, there are slots billed for artists including Kerri Chandler, Jordan Rakei, Yu Su, Congo Natty, Amadou & Mariam, Dreamcastmoe, Donato Dozzy, Anz, Byron Yeates, Tai Lokun, Alex Kassian and many more. For more information on ticket sales head here, and check out our radio collaborations with GALA here. Photography by Justine Trickett and Frankie Casillo. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Migrantifa Berlin: 'Everyone has a political consciousness']]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/migrantifa-berlin-everyone-has-a-political-consciousness</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/migrantifa-berlin-everyone-has-a-political-consciousness</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Dina Elsayed talks to the Berlin protest group about community organising in the aftermath of Hanau.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[As Migrantifa Berlin, people of migrant descent across various communities organise together. Formed in the aftermath of the Hanau terrorist attacks of 19 February 2020, when a white German man killed nine people in a racially-motivated massacre, Migrantifa has been embedded since its inception in the fight for justice and accountability for the victims of Hanau and their communities. While they have become a recognisable participant in the city’s antifascist demos and marches, Migrantifa is also focused on various aspects of community organising through smaller-scale events and food distribution. In November last year, they opened a physical space, Roter Lilly Kiezladen at Emserstr. 114 in Neukölln, which they share with Stadtteilkomitee Neukölln and Bloque Latinoamericano. We caught up with the anonymous organisation about their various neighbourhood activities and their plans going forward as the group continues to grow.  How did Migrantifa come to be? What’s the background of the core group and how did the idea of Migrantifa crystallise? The initial spark was the Hanau attacks in 2020. At the time, the idea was to go on a general strike. Then the pandemic happened and things went on hold for a while. And at some point, we started to assemble again to discuss how to move forward with our idea - it was all online.  We were a bunch of mostly migrant people who were experiencing racism already, but this was a turning point and wake-up call for many of us, especially for the younger generation. We all felt this immense shock, and it really turned into a collective memory of anger and togetherness. We all agreed, this went too far and something needed to be done immediately. At the time, a few of us were already organised within very different migrant organisations in Berlin and had been doing anti-racist, grassroots work for many years.  Our first action was a demonstration on a boat against racist and fascist structures. It was a special event as it was the first time for us to meet each other after having organised it all online. It was both crazy and empowering. That was the very first manifestation of Migrantifa Berlin.  You’ve become quite a recognisable body in various demonstrations in Berlin. Do you consider that your priority? I don’t think that was the plan, actually! Our initial boat protest was just what we could do during the pandemic. There was so much frustration and anger and it just had to get out. More people started to attend our meetings and we started to be more active in rallies, but at some point, we shifted our focus to our community.  Tell me more about this shift. What are you keen to focus on with regard to the community? One thing that we do is food distribution, so, across different neighbourhoods, we organise food distribution actions once a month where people come by and get food, and there’s usually someone cooking, making soup. There’s coffee and tea, and also different hygienic products. It is really nice because we try to involve people. For example, one time we arrived late to the event, so members of the community were already there and had already started distributing the food. And now, there are regulars and familiar faces. We know them and they know us. They talk to us about their lives and what they’re going through. And people want to help. There’s a strong feeling of togetherness.  What’s your main goal there? Other than helping those in need, of course? Connecting the community. We are just trying to create a space for people to meet, and we support them where we can. I mean, we are only there once a month. But people still show up. We value these small little moments when we meet and connect and bond over these small little chats. This takes a long time to evolve relationships like this, so we are learning along the way.  In the bigger picture, the way this community connects has shown us that we don’t have to rely on the state and police to help us because they won’t help us anyway. What we can do is organize and build a counter structure. What has been the response from the community to your presence and the various campaigns you work on? Very supportive in general, but the response varies depending on the topic. When it comes to issues like inflation, people respond very well as it’s something that directly affects their livelihoods. Also, with regard to the Hanau attacks, we have found that there is still so much anger, and people in the community express their anger clearly. In general, we have found that people are simply happy to share their thoughts and views and have a space to express their frustrations.  What issues or topics are on your agenda for the next year? I think the focuses in the group are quite diverse, because people come from different backgrounds with different experiences, and are politicised under different influences. So it really depends. We have multiple working groups, some planning campaigns that focus on anti-racism, and some focus on queer and trans politics. In general, our main focus remains anti-capitalist and anti-racist work. That’s what we all have in common.  I would also like to stress that Hanau remains the one issue that brought all these topics together. It was the crystallisation point for our work, including on topics like inflation, food security, environmental justice, patriarchy, and workers’ rights. This will continue to be our focal point.  Activity-wise, we have taken a huge step in opening our Kiez Laden at Emser Str. 114 with Stadtteilkomitee Neukölln and Bloque Latinoamericano. Now we finally have a physical space! It will make the food distribution efforts a lot easier and it will just be a space for people to meet and talk and come together. What change would you like to make or see happen? One topic is the political involvement of youth, especially younger migrants. We would like to make sure there is a space for them to express their views and be safe, not in fear. Also the idea of self-organisation for the community in general.  We would love for people to be aware that everyone has a political consciousness and an agency. There are so many reasons to be angry. We should all be angry. Let’s be angry together, but we can also take care of each other, self-organise and shape our community together, without having to rely on state institutions or relying on the police to save us and protect us.  Throughout your engagement with the community, what did you find are their desires and needs? What is your community longing for? Whether you grew up in Germany or whether you are a migrant in Germany, no one really asks you or cares about your experience, how it has been, and what it feels like. It’s often like we should just be happy to be here. So people just want a chance to talk about this to be heard and to connect with others with whom they can relate. And that’s exactly what we would like to provide our community with.  Keep up to date with Migrantifa Berlin on Twitter and Instagram. If you'd like to get involved, Migrantifa Berlin hold an open cafe event for newcomers on the last Wednesday of every month at Rote Lilly. Images by Julia Tulke (1, 2) and onnola licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License. Layout by Kolja Tinkova.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #105]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-jan-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24-jan-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Peru | Sierra Leone | UK child asylum seekers]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Peru protests continue At least 50 people have been killed in the protests in Peru that began in December when former leftist president Pedro Castillo was removed from office by lawmakers and arrested. Peru’s top prosecutor has announced that an inquiry has been launched into current president Dina Boluarte to investigate allegations of genocide. Deadly violence by Peruvian security forces has been particularly intense in rural and indigenous regions where Castillo had strong support.  Sierra Leone's Gender Equality Act In what has been described as a “ground-breaking” move, Sierra Leone has passed a new Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, stating that 30% of public and private jobs must be reserved for women. President Julius Maada Bio issued an apology to women in the country for their poor treatment until this point. Under the new law, women benefit from ringfenced senior positions, equal access to bank credit, training opportunities, and a minimum of 14 weeks of maternity leave. UK child asylum seeker kidnappings The British government is under fire after an investigation revealed that dozens of asylum-seeking children have been kidnapped from a Brighton hotel operated by the UK Home Office. According to whistleblowers, this high-profile case is indicative of a broader trend in similar facilities on England’s South Coast. Reportedly, Home Office officials have been repeatedly warned of the risk, yet have failed to put in place proper protection.  Wrongfully convicted Somali man wins appeal in Lesbos Mohamad Hanad Abdi, a Somali man who was sentenced by a Greek court to 142 years in prison for people smuggling, has been released following a successful appeal. Abdi was arrested in 2020 for steering a dinghy to the Greek island of Lesbos after he and over thirty others were abandoned in the Aegean Sea by a smuggler.  Abdi’s wrongful conviction has attracted international attention and solidarity, highlighting the broader criminalisation of migrants under the EU’s brutal border regime. Refuge Worldwide 2nd Birthday Join us for our second birthday party this weekend as we celebrate two years on the airwaves! We will be taking over both floors of our favourite Neukölln venue arkaoda from 22:00-06:00 this Saturday, 28 Jan. Come down for a boogie courtesy of Christa Belle, Dangermami & Riva, DJ Westfa, No Plastic, The Honey Tapes and more! Migrantifa You can head to our website to read an interview by Dina Elsayed with protest group Migrantifa Berlin. Members of the prominent anti-fascist collective discuss migrant activism and community building in the aftermath of Hanau.  If you’d like to learn more about Migrantifa and get involved with their community work, this Wednesday they host their monthly open cafe event at their new space, Rote Lilly at Emser Str. 114. Debashis Workshop On Monday 30 Jan, join sound artist Debashis Sinha for a workshop exploring field recording, radiophonic art and new collective sound mythologies. Debashis has created numerous solo and collaborative projects including composition for dance, video, film and theatre. Using smartphones to gather recordings, you will participate in a collaborative session to discover the hidden stories within different sound materials.  Find out more and sign up here. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Sonic Mythologies Workshop with Debashis Sinha]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sonic-mythologies-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sonic-mythologies-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Monday 30 January, 14:00 - 15:30, Weserstr. 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us at Oona for an exploration of different sound materials. Applications are open and the workshop is free to attend. On Monday, 30 January, you can attend a 90-minute workshop hosted by sound artist Debashis Sinha, an artist who has composed for dance, video, film and theatre alongside numerous solo and collaborative projects. Debashis' speculative mythology-driven sound practice has led to live appearances at events and venues such as MUTEK Japan, the Guelph Jazz Festival, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt.  In this workshop, participants will explore field recording and radiophonic art, collectively building the foundations for new sound mythologies. Using smartphones to gather recordings, participants will be led in a collaborative mixing/editing session to discover the hidden stories within different sound materials.  Debashis, who is currently an assistant professor in production in Performance at The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University, will share some possible techniques for dealing with recordings with an ear to craft an open sound story. No special equipment is required other than some kind of recording device. Smartphones and their recording apps work well. If you have other recording gear that you are comfortable with, feel free to bring it along. Find out more and sign up here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #104]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-17-jan-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-17-jan-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Lützi Bleibt! | Poland-Belarus pushbacks | Open Decks Day]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Luetzi Bleibt! Up to 35,000 people protested this weekend in the village of Luetzerath, which is due to be demolished to make way for the expansion of a coal mine by Germany's largest energy company RWE. Organisers report that dozens of activists were injured in clashes with police. Greta Thunberg, who joined Saturday’s protests, said that Germany was ‘embarrassing itself’ and panned The Greens for striking a deal with RWE that could make it impossible for Germany to meet Paris climate targets. Though the occupation has been cleared, the fight to keep 280 tonnes of coal underground continues, with further protests planned in the coming days. Lesvos trial: misdemeanour charges dropped Misdemeanour charges against 24 migrant rescue activists, including Sarah Mardini and Seán Binder, were dropped last Friday, following pressure from international human rights groups, the EU and the UN. The case, which the EU parliament has labelled "the largest case of criminalisation of solidarity in Europe" was rejected on procedural grounds. Mardini and Binder however still face an investigation into felony charges, including for human trafficking. Quântica Fundraiser Lisbon-based Rádio Quântica is launching a fundraiser to help keep the community station running. Quântica is reliant on public funding, of which they receive very little, and is currently struggling to pay for the service and repair of essential equipment, as well as to pay the salaries for their studio team. If you would like to support Portuguese community radio, check out their fundraiser for more details. Four months of protests in Iran Though it may have fallen out of the headlines, Iran’s revolutionary movement continues despite the arrest of over 19,000 and the death of around 500 protesters since protests began in September. Repression has been particularly intense in western Kurdish regions and in the Sistan and Baluchestan province, where hundreds took to the streets again on Friday, defying the imposition of military rule in some cities.  Poland-Belarus border pushbacks Around 285 people have been reported missing and up to 33 people have died along the Polish-Belarusian border since crossings began in the summer of 2021. Brutal and illegal pushbacks by border security forces are a key factor according to NGO network Grupa Granica, who released a statement calling for "an end to deportations and [for] humane treatment of migrants" this weekend after three bodies were found by Polish authorities in the last ten days. Open Decks Our second-ever Open Decks Day is happening on Sunday, 29 January as part of our birthday weekend celebrations. Anyone is welcome, including absolute beginners, just email richard@refugeworldwide.com with some details about yourself and the music you’d like to play. Submissions are open until Friday, 20 January. Debashis Sinha Workshop On Monday 30 Jan, join sound artist Debashis Sinha for a workshop exploring field recording, radiophonic art and new collective sound mythologies. Debashis has created numerous solo and collaborative projects including composition for dance, video, film and theatre. Using smartphones to gather recordings, you will participate in a collaborative session to discover the hidden stories within different sound materials. Cover image and Image 1 are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Listening Bodies Podcast Series on Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listening-bodies</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listening-bodies</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Listen to the full eight part series in English or French.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Listening Bodies is a new podcast series spotlighting contemporary African artists from the fields of dance and performance. Presented in collaboration with Spielart Theater Festival and Goethe Institut, Listening Bodies is a series of interviews with artists from across the African continent who are invited to share insight into their work, lives, and the socio-political roots and transformative possibilities of their art. You can now listen to all eight episodes of the series in both English and French below. Head to the Listening Bodies page to read more about the project. English: Fatou Cissé (Senegal)  Serge Aimé Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) Julie Iarisoa (Madagascar) Edna Jaime (Mozambique) Ogutu Muraya (Kenya) Nashilongweshipwe Mushaandja (Namibia) Chuma Sopotela (South Africa) Zora Snake (Cameroon) French: Fatou Cissé (Sénégal)  Serge Aimé Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) Julie Iarisoa (Madagascar) Edna Jaime (Mozambique) Ogutu Muraya (Kenya) Nashilongweshipwe Mushaandja (Namibie) Chuma Sopotela (Afrique du Sud) Zora Snake (Cameroun) ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide celebrates two years on the airwaves]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/2nd-birthday</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/2nd-birthday</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[From 27-29 January, we host radio specials, an open decks session and a dance at Arkaoda.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Two years and going strong. When we first started broadcasting in the cold, pandemic-hit January of 2021, we had no idea where would we would be two years later, or if we would even exist at all. Well, we are still here, thanks to the love and contributions of our crew, residents, listeners and dancers. Oona To celebrate the milestone, and add a bit of spice to the year's most dreary month, we are holding a three-day birthday celebration. It kicks off on Friday January 27th, starting with the first ever breakfast show hosted by both Jummy and Nikola. Following that, Refuge Worldwide's co-founder and programmer Richard Akingbehin will play two hours of music he has pinched from other people's radio shows. Over the rest of the day, there will be shows from Dangermami, Corina Benshimol, George Snow and a three-hour, anything-goes B2B session. Anyone is welcome to join the B2B (7-10PM), just come down to Oona bar with your records or a USB and form an orderly line!  On Saturday afternoon, we host radio shows from Cassette Heads, NaN, DJ Uta, Soyklo and more during the day. As usual, there will be some sweet treats and a few celebratory drinks being passed around Oona. Arkaoda At 10PM on Saturday, the party rolls down the road to our favourite Neukölln basement, Arkaoda, where we take over both floors until 6AM. Upstairs, musical selections will be provided by Refuge's dub and disco maestro No Plastic, a B2B between Nordberg and BB, Corina and The Honey Tapes. Downstairs expect the freshest house, electro, breaks and garage from Christa Belle, Jank Inc., DJ Westfa, Lovefoxy and a closing B2B exclusive from Riva & Dangermami. As you would expect from a two year old's birthday party, expect plenty of balloons, party hats and a few other cheeky surprises. Open Decks Day On Sunday, we are excited to host our second Open Decks Day, as well as a charity live painting session from Hiba Baddou.  Email richard@refugeworldwide.com with "Open Decks Day" in the title - plus some details on yourself and the genres you play - if you wish to take part (29th January). We are giving priority to folks who have never played at Oona before. Is this you? Then give us a shout!  Oona Bar: Friday 27th, 12:00-02:00 Oona Bar: Saturday 28th, 14:00-02:00 Arkaoda: Saturday 28th, 22:00-06:00 Oona Bar: Sunday 29th, 12:00-22:00]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #103]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-10-jan-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-10-jan-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Italy Criminalises Sea Rescue | Lützerath Occupation | Berlin Elections]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Italy's new sea rescue decree Italy’s far-right government have introduced a new decree that will limit the capacity of humanitarian organisations to carry out search-and-rescue missions in the Mediterranean. Rescue ships looking to disembark in Italy could face fines, ship seizures and further criminalisation for breaching the new code of conduct. Head to Infomigrants to hear from three NGOs about how the new law could make one of the world’s deadliest migration routes even more dangerous. The fight to save Lützerath Protests continue in the German village of Lützerath, which is set to be razed to the ground for the expansion of the Garzweiler lignite mine. Lignite is one of the dirtiest forms of coal and the battle for Lützerath has become a national symbol of the struggle to balance the country’s energy needs with its climate ambitions. Follow the campaign Luetzi Bleibt and Lützerath-Vernetzung Berlin/Brandenburg to keep up to date and find out ways to support.  Register for Berlin's February elections The re-run of Berlin’s 2021 elections is set to take place on 12 February. If you are able to vote make sure you have submitted your electronic application by 18:00 on 10 February. Berlin’s constitutional court recently declared the results of the 2021 election invalid due to “serious systemic flaws”, meaning that the standard for democratic elections was not met. Find out more info on how you can apply for a postal ballot here. Artsakh blockade continues The Armenian region of Artsakh has been under blockade by Azerbaijan since 12 December, cutting off 120,000 people from the outside world and stopping the flow of food, medicine and supplies into the region. The blockade is the latest development in a pattern of aggression by Azerbaijan, which receives backing from Türkiye, against the Armenian population in Artsakh, in violation of the ceasefire agreement that has been in place since 2020. Check out Bridging The Borders to find out more. Bolsonaro supporters riot  Thousands of supporters of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the National Congress, Presidential Palace, and Supreme Court in Brasilia on Sunday. Hardcore supporters have refused to accept the populist’s election loss and are calling for a military coup to overthrow president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The newly elected Lula, who has vowed to fight inequality and deforestation, called those involved “vandals, neo-fascists and fanatics“ and has blamed Bolsonaro for the violence. Conservatives co-opt Berlin fireworks debate Following attacks on police and emergency workers on New Year’s Eve in Berlin, discussion of a potential fireworks ban has quickly been transformed into a racist debate on migration, with the SDP’s Nancy Faeser tweeting about the need to be tough on “people who refuse to integrate”. Hakan Demir, MP for Berlin-Neukölln, accused conservatives of using the events to blame Germany’s ills on people with migration backgrounds and called the debate “not good, but unfortunately typical”. (Seán Binder & Sarah Mardini) Support Free Humanitarians The controversial trial of Seán Binder, Sarah Mardini and Nassos Karakitsos for search-and-rescue activities on the island of Lesvos is set to begin on 10 January. The humanitarians face charges of espionage and human smuggling for fulfilling their legal and moral obligation to help those in distress at sea. Follow the Free Humanitarians campaign and donate to help fund their legal defence. Biden reinstates Trump-era border controls  The Biden administration has revived punitive Trump-era border enforcement with a new policy that will block Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans from accessing asylum in the US. The regressive new policy is also in violation of international refugee law and human rights law that prohibits discrimination in accessing asylum. Head to Human Rights Watch to find out more. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide Partners with Turning Tables Germany ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/partnership-announcement-turning-tables-germany</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/partnership-announcement-turning-tables-germany</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Empowering young people through music and film.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In 2023 we will be partnering with Turning Tables Germany to create new workshop series’ and other projects.  Turning Tables Germany is a Berlin-based non-profit dedicated to giving space to young people from marginalised and refugee communities in Berlin and beyond to express themselves through music and film. As well as expanding our collaboration, Refuge Worldwide are donating 100% of funds generated through our Patreon to support Turning Tables projects. Based at the historic NaunynRitze centre for young people in Kreuzberg, where some of the biggest names in German rap started their careers, Turning Tables offer young people an open creative space where new artistic and technical skills can be learned and exchanged, as well as a platform through which young people can tell their stories to a global audience. We had the pleasure of working with Turning Tables multiple times in 2022. From July to September, we collaborated on a 10-week beatmaking, singing and rapping workshop series for young FLINTA* people, which culminated in a showcase at the Nike Berlin City Hub. In December, we helped them celebrate the release of the Kinder vom Kotti compilation/concept album at Oona, with a day of live broadcasts and a written feature where we interviewed some of the young people and organisers behind the project. Turning Tables already have several exciting projects lined up for 2023, including more FLINTA* workshops at NaunynRitze with Refuge Worldwide, and a collaboration with Solidrinks on an exclusive Kinder vom Kotti Ice Tea brand EINSTEE to be sold in Späti’s around Kottbusser Tor. Head over to our Patreon page and subscribe to help us to support Turning Tables in their mission! Every year we choose an inspiring non-profit organisation to partner with. If you want to know more, check out our previous partners Lilipad, Radio Zaatari and the Queer Black Therapy Fund.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #102]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-28-dec-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-28-dec-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sarah Mardini & Sean Binder Trial | Paris Protests | NYE Lineup]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Humanitarians on trial Sarah Mardini and Sean Binder are among a group of humanitarians set to stand trial for search-and-rescue activities on Lesbos between 2016 and 2018. The trial is scheduled to begin on 10 January. The two dozen defendants face charges from espionage and forgery to human smuggling. A report by the EU Parliament identified the trial as “the largest case of criminalization of solidarity in Europe”. You can listen back to our interview with Mardini from 2021 here. Paris Protests Protests escalated in Paris over the weekend following a shooting in a mainly Kurdish neighbourhood that killed three people. The 69-year-old suspect admitted to a 'pathological' hatred of foreigners and said he wanted 'to kill migrants‘. Clashes between protesters and the police led to tear gas being used to disperse the crowds gathered at Place de la République. The Kurdish community is calling for justice and for the attack to be labelled a terrorist attack. Missing Rohingya Refugees 180 people are feared to have died after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Malaysia went missing in the Andaman Sea. Over one million Rohingya people currently live in extremely congested camps in Bangladesh, having fled persecution and genocide in Myanmar. The tragedy, if confirmed, would make 2022 one of the deadliest years ever for refugees fleeing the camps in Bangladesh. CTM Partnership We are teaming up with CTM Festival for its 24th edition, which will take place from 27 January – 5 February next year, across venues such as Berghain, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, silent green, Revier Sudost and radialsystem. Expect daily CTM radio shows with artists from the lineup, a DJ workshop at Oona, and a takeover at RSO on 4 February featuring Nico Adomako, Menzi & Debmaster, and more. NYE at Oona Say goodbye to 2022 at Oona! We’re throwing an NYE party with three Berlin crews. Local record dealer Kimchi Records will curate the music from 14:00 before our regular resident Sied and friends take over until 22:00. Chemistry Club, the Thursday night party held at Zum böhmischen Dorf, will curate from 22:00-03:00. Further lineup details TBA. Deportation Centre BER A new detention and deportation centre is scheduled to open at BER airport by 2025. We spoke to one activist to find out what this could mean for those living in fear of deportation, and how we can stop it from happening. Read the full story here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Kotti für Alle: what a new police station could mean for Kreuzberg]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/kotti-fuer-alle</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/kotti-fuer-alle</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Racial profiling, police violence and the campaign to stop the new Kotti police station.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Diesen Artikel auf Deutsch lesen. In February 2023, the Berlin Senate plan to open a new police station in the Zentrum Kreuzberg building overlooking Kottbusser Tor. The new station could permanently transform 'Kotti', a location that has served as a symbolic nucleus for Berlin's Turkish population and Kreuzberg's political identity since the '60s and '70s when migrant workers, squatters and radicals moved into what was a neglected neighbourhood on the border between East and West Berlin. For Kotti's diasporic communities, racial profiling and police violence have been everyday realities for decades. Since the '90s, Kottbusser Tor has been an officially designated 'kriminalitätsbelasteter Ort' (crime-ridden area), effectively legalising racial profiling by allowing police to stop, search and surveil there without cause.  Campaign group Kotti für Alle (Kotti for all) argue that the new police station, which has cost around €3.75 million to build, underlines the state's failure to find 'social solutions for social problems'. Instead of addressing gentrification, housing shortages and soaring living costs, the state has chosen to criminalise those most affected. We sat down with KfA members Lino from the youth political group Kreuzberg United and Biplab Basu from KOP (Campaign for Victims of Racist Police Violence), to understand how Berlin's multiple crises intersect at Kottbusser Tor. Lino (Kreuzberg United) (Kottbusser Tor. Photo: Kolja Tinkova) Hi Lino, tell us about yourself. What's your personal experience with activism in Kreuzberg? I grew up right here by Kotti and it’s always been part of my daily life. I grew up in a Kreuzberg that was still a neighbourhood of squatters, or former squatters, so the politicisation of my life here began early.  Now, as Kreuzberg United, a neighbourhood youth group, we have taken up the topic of the gentrification of Kreuzberg, because it’s an incredibly important topic for young people here. It’s becoming more and more difficult for our generation to imagine ever finding an apartment here, and now, the police are moving in too. It contradicts all the things we associate with our Kiez. Do you personally have much experience with police violence? Yes, of course. As an activist, you come into a lot of contact with the police. I have personally witnessed and experienced violence myself. What I have been spared is of course the racist component. For many, racial profiling makes police violence not just an occasional occurrence but something that happens every few days, over and over again. What are your main objections to the new police station?  At Kotti people already experience an incredible amount of police violence and racial profiling. Kotti is registered as a so-called kriminalitätsbelasteter Ort [crime-ridden area], which means that the police are allowed to disregard the existing laws and to stop, search and surveil without any suspicion or cause. We are concerned that the existing racist police practice will intensify once the police are permanently stationed here.  Secondly, we are concerned that this new station is not intended to solve any problems, but is in fact just a gesture by the state, to say: "We are doing something about Kotti. We are cracking down." None of the real problems will be solved. Drug addiction will not be fought, homelessness is only increasing all the time with rising poverty. People are evicted every day by police, criminalised by immigration law, banned from working and forced to do things like, for example, sell small quantities of drugs on the street.  A police presence will solve nothing and will serve only to sanction people and push them out of the neighbourhood. Kreuzberg will become viable only for people who have money. Those who can't afford it will be forced to live out their misery elsewhere.  (Site of the new police station in the Zentrum Kreuzberg building. Photo: Friederike Kalz) What would you have liked to see in this space instead of a police station? My personal wishes are not the most important. The use of this space is something that should be decided through a democratic process involving all the people living here. I could imagine a community centre, a meeting place for the neighbours or a cultural space – somewhere you can just spend time without having a lot of money, which is difficult to find here these days. Kreuzberg United campaigns against gentrification and the high cost of living. How do these issues intersect within the Kotti für Alle campaign? I think that what we are seeing right now, with this cost of living crisis, is the origin of problems that will take place later at Kotti. When we say we need 'social solutions for social problems' this is what we mean. Even if you can just about pay your food and bills, where are you supposed to get the money for the €29 ticket? I saw a video the other day, in which a Berlin policeman violently assaults a young man at his home and insults him in a racist way. The crime was three counts of fare evasion, which was a €700 fine. How many so-called 'serious offenders' will we have by the end of this winter? This spiral of misery and state violence takes place exemplarily at Kotti. What can you tell me about the history of the Zentrum Kreuzberg building and the symbolic significance of the station being there? Well, the problem is I'm a bit too young to remember, but I think that when it was built, there was a lot of opposition because it was seen as a sign of gentrification. The rest of the area has developed so quickly that now it's actually more of a bastion of the old Kreuzberg, the working-class and immigrant Kreuzberg.  In any case, Kotti and Zentrum Kreuzberg have often been at the centre of debates around co-determination in the city, affordable housing and questions of reappropriation and state ownership. Now that the decision has been made by the state to work with the police and intensify repression, Kotti once again becomes a symbol. Why did you choose the name Kotti für Alle? What does it mean to you? We wanted to move away from only fighting defensive battles. Yes, we are fighting against this initiative, but we have so much more to gain. It's not about maintaining the state as it is now, we want something better. We want improvements for this place. We do see the problems, the crime, the violence, the misery. But we want to create a place where everyone can live in dignity, without fear of poverty, with help for addiction, with legal residence and the possibility to work. And for everyone, that means without fear of racist police. Biplab Basu (ReachOut, KOP) (Photo: Kolja Tinkova) Hi Biplab, please tell us about yourself and the organisations you represent. I work at ReachOut, a counselling centre for victims of racist violence and antisemitism. I’m also a co-founder of KOP (Campaign for Victims of Racist Police Violence), which was founded in 2002, and I've been working in this field for many decades now. What are KOP’s main objectives? KOP works in the area of civil rights. We have worked for a very long time to establish the issue of racist police violence as an important part of the discussion in Germany because until recently, there was hardly any awareness of a systematic racist approach by police or the state. For a long time, the term ‘racial profiling’ was a much greater subject of discussion in English-speaking countries than in Germany.  Why do you think German society has been so much slower to take up the topic of racial profiling? How has it changed over time? Germany invented an alternative term: Ausländerfeindlichkeit (xenophobia) and because of that racism was apparently not an issue at all. Nobody talked about racism, so how could you talk about racial profiling? I feel that the German state and the white population of Germany have knowingly stopped the discussion around racism, and insisted: ‘Race does not exist. We won't talk about it.' But race does exist in social contexts. It exists in how society is structured and it’s wrong to ignore social realities. Only when we acknowledge the social concepts of race and racism can we combat them.  We started to talk about racial profiling systematically in 2005 or 2006. At that time, nobody understood or wanted to talk about racial profiling, especially the police and the politicians.  Then in 2012, after the trial known as the Koblenzer Urteil, suddenly there was a conversation. We were lucky that we also met an Italian photographer [Riccardo Valsecchi] at that time who wanted to do a photography exhibition and a short documentary about racial profiling. This documentary, ID Without Colours, made a lot of waves among civil society organizations, student groups and so on, and it really brought the conversation forward. (Film still: ID Without Colours, dir. Riccardo Valsecchi) Why was it important for KOP to be involved in the Kotti für Alle campaign? Kotti has long been established and has become well known, since the 1970s, as a place where migrants live and a place where migrants are able to lead their lives differently from the white majority population. That’s why we find it sinister that the state would now build a police station there as if to say: ‘criminals live here’. It’s a clear attempt to establish a visible connection between migrants and crime. The state wants to solidify this connection, to imply that seeking refuge is a crime, migration is a crime, and every immigrant is therefore potentially a criminal.  How widespread exactly are police violence and racial profiling at Kotti? Has it changed over time? The criminalisation of migrants was always present at Kottbusser Tor. It is neither a new phenomenon nor is it more intensive, I think. Of course, at times when there are more people in society who are homeless or struggling with addiction, then that is something that you see reflected at Kottbusser Tor.  But that also raises an interesting question: why are these problems so present here? This is a place for migrants that has also been one of the city’s most liberal places, a place where addicts could stay and no one drove them out by force. If addicts all gathered in one place in Wilmersdorf for example, they would have definitely been driven out. Does that difference in tolerance explain the link between police violence and gentrification for you? This alliance between the state and a certain segment of the population? To me, gentrification means that the people who have lived in an area for a long time are being uprooted from that place. But by whom? It's not just the developers who kick me out, but a certain group, most of them white people, who are uprooting others. Of course, an alliance between the rich white population and the state exists. This is what the state wants – that all these people who are still at Kotti should live somewhere else far away. Those people can live in the outskirts with the poorer white population, but here in the centre there will be a 'better' society.  Why do you think the state has chosen the present moment to push this decision through?  Why now? Well, I think there is currently a strong movement against racist police violence and the racist criminal justice system. There are many conversations going on right now about how to stop the encroachment by the state on our rights. As this movement becomes more powerful, the state has a corresponding impulse to act even more severely against it. Another reason is the current coalition between the Social Democrats, the Left and the Greens. These are all political organizations that are generally thought of as being socially progressive and essentially not hostile to people in poverty. This makes the moment much more favourable for authorities to establish something like this because people have this idea that 'their own' organisations are in power. When the SPD senator proposes something, it’s not as easy for people to object. If it were the CDU or AfD making the same proposal, I think a lot more people would take to the streets. One of the slogans of the campaign is 'social solutions for social problems'. What does it mean to you exactly? So for me, ‘social problems’, meaning poverty and the consumption of different drugs etc. are not law and order problems. You can't abolish these issues with truncheons. But this is what the state does when the state has no ideas left. They have no methods for dealing with poverty so they try to present themselves as 'saviours' against a criminal population. But social problems must be solved socially. For example through health policy. You can’t be pulled from alcoholism with truncheons, you have to approach the person differently. These are social problems and health problems, but they are not seen that way by the state. For the state, they are only problems of crime and punishment. (Kottbusser Tor. Photo: Kolja Tinkova) Keep up to date and find out how to support KfA, Kreuzberg United, KOP and ReachOut on IG: (Kotti für Alle, Kreuzberg United, KOP, ReachOut) and Twitter: (Kotti für Alle, Kreuzberg United, KOP, ReachOut). Header Photo by PM Cheung. Layout by Kolja Tinkova.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Celebrate New Year's Eve at Oona]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/celebrate-new-years-eve-at-oona</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/celebrate-new-years-eve-at-oona</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[14:00–03:00 at Weserstraße 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Saturday we're throwing an all-day NYE party with three Berlin crews. Local record dealer Kimchi Records will curate the music in the early afternoon, with appearances from Kim & Kamyar. At 18:00 our regular resident Sied (pictured) takes over for a special b2b with friends including Dimë, Slow PSTL & more. Chemistry Club, the Thursday night party held at Zum böhmischen Dorf, will curate from 22:00-03:00. For a taste, check out the shows from the Chemistry Club November takeover here. Say goodbye to 2022 with us! Stay tuned over the next few days for more lineup details. 
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[BER's New Deportation Centre: what does it mean and how can we stop it?]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/stop-deportation-centre-ber</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/stop-deportation-centre-ber</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A new detention centre is scheduled to open at the Berlin airport by 2025.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The new Berlin airport has long been the subject of intense controversy: from the jaw-dropping cost and extensive construction delays to the public outcry against the closure of Tegel airport.  However, government proposals to create a new "asylum processing centre" on-site have put the spotlight on the even more sinister topic of detention and deportation. The planned facility at BER airport, which should be built and ready to open by 2025, could make the process of deportation from Germany (already a regular occurrence) simpler, faster and more efficient. Established at the end of last year, the Stop the Deportation Center BER campaign is part of a growing chorus of groups in Berlin who oppose the state’s restrictive and racist immigration policy. We sat down with M. from the campaign to hear the latest developments and find out how the community can get involved. CW: deportation, state violence Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us. For those who haven’t heard about the campaign, can you give us a quick overview of it and why your group launched it?  We’re a group of people, some from organising backgrounds and some who are just interested in the campaign, and we’ve been meeting regularly for about a year now to mobilise against the deportation centre through various actions, demos, rallies, and lots of research about the complex—the planning, the building, and what exactly it will entail. The planning of the new deportation centre has been a really intransparent, undemocratic and corrupt political process within the Brandenburg government. It all happened behind closed doors and has involved a corrupt investor [Jürgen B. Harder who, according to the campaign's website, "will make millions of euros in profit from the deportation centre over the next 30 years."] Initially, it was really hard to get any information. When we talk about deportations, we are talking about people, often vulnerable, often racialised people, being taken by force onto flights by security guards or cops, sometimes in handcuffs, and being flown against their will to a country that they previously left behind. Deportations are scary and dangerous. Cops or security are always present, which can lead to physical violence. There have been cases of people being injured, falling extremely ill due to stress and even dying on deportation flights. Of course, deportation can also lead to death in the country people are forced to return to, because they are not safe nor are their needs met there.  Before we jump into the details about the new centre, how would you describe the current state of immigration policy in Berlin and Brandenburg?  I’m not an immigration policy expert, but it is pretty awful. There are many aspects that different groups and refugee-led groups are organising against.  For example, something as simple as the right to work and study: it’s very, very hard to get access to that. The government grants people—if anything—ungenerous social benefits, makes them completely dependent on the state and then never actually offers them the right to work, study or live. Many people are living in constant fear of deportation. And to be specific about deportation because I think it can be an abstract idea for many people: living in fear of deportation is extremely traumatising. You may or may not be notified, you can be taken from your family, home or community at any time. The state will demand deportation and if you don't comply, then the police can get involved, which is a completely terrifying ordeal.  Something else that refugees and migrants are calling for is the abolition of Duldung, which is a ‘tolerated’ status that allows people to stay for an indefinite time. But you basically can't work or study or make a life here. As soon as it's deemed safe for you to return to the country you travelled from, the government can deport you. This creates a constant state of suffering and fear.  Why are people being deported? Who is being targeted for deportation most often?   In Germany, anyone whose residency status can be questioned and anyone whose asylum application is denied can be deported. Obviously, it's very rare that people from, for example, the UK, Australia, or the US, are deported. It's mostly refugees and migrants from the Global South and Eastern Europe. Black and POC refugees and migrants face a specific kind of violence.  Over half of deportation detention cases are deemed unlawful. We believe that every single case of deportation and detention is unjust, racist border violence.  It can be an arbitrary decision. Some people are deported after they have lived here for many years. They have communities, families and livelihoods. Some are deported as soon as they arrive at the border–that figure isn’t even included in the overall deportation figures.  What are the specific implications of the BER deportation centre? How will it change the current situation and who could be most affected?  It’s going to be easier for authorities to deport as many people as possible. It's really scary for anyone whose residency status is in question or can be questioned, who lives in Brandenburg or Berlin. There are so many people who live in constant fear of being taken into deportation detention, and this will just fuel that even more. The new deportation centre will provide more spaces for deportation detention, which means that the state can far more easily take people into detention and prevent them from escaping their deportation. Currently, there is space for 20 detainees. The plan is for the new deportation centre to have space for 120+ detainees. So this new plan is a massive upscale.  When people are taken into deportation detention, it’s said that they will be provided with a lawyer on site, but they will actually be taken away from their own community. They're shut away from society. They're isolated from their own trusted networks and legal resources. And I think that makes the fight against deportation just so much harder and more brutal.  The fact that this building is right next to the airport, where the deportations take place, and that there will be space to detain so many more people is a very gruesome and significant change.  What are the authorities currently saying about the plans for the buildings at BER? And how have they responded to the demands of your campaign? Well, they don't say much. We don't manage to have much of an exchange with them. We now know roughly what the site of the deportation center will look like. There will be a legal facility to simplify the legal procedures around deportation. Everything authorities need to deport people as efficiently as possible will be on site. They are naming it an Ein- und ausreisezentrum, meaning ‘arrival and departure center’, which we think is completely intransparent and dishonest.  The Greens have been a target of some of our actions because they have previously said they won't be part of a coalition that builds a deportation centre. They are now part of that coalition and doing nothing to stop it. They claim to be a liberal and pro-refugee party but now they are proving the opposite. The SPD has said less about immigration policy, but they seem to be a little more self-aware about the fact that the process has been corrupt. The youth groups of both parties have been ashamed that their elders are taking part in this and they’ve called for a stop to the plans. The pressure from them alone, though, just won’t be enough.  The Greens have definitely heard us and have definitely been disturbed by us, even though they haven’t done anything to act on it. SPD, I think, are also starting to hear us—and not just us. We called for a few action weeks, and there have been so many groups and also individuals who have gotten involved. That has been really, really cool. The movement has grown a lot in the last few weeks.  You’ve been organising for about a year now. Have you seen the attitude and the actions of the government towards migration change since the war in Ukraine started?  I would say that since the invasion of Ukraine, there have been some reforms by the German government to help Ukrainian nationals receive a relatively stable residency. They have the right to work and study and have been pretty much provided for, which is fantastic. There are many Black and POC migrants who lived in Ukraine and fled the war to Germany who have a completely different story. There has been a mostly grassroots response to those cases where people were provided with absolutely nothing. There are campaigns for reforms that will grant them the same benefits as Ukrainian nationals, but it remains a pretty bad situation.  Other countries in Europe have sometimes looked towards Germany, for better or worse, to inform their own immigration policies. How could building and using the BER deportation centre influence free movement and immigration policy across the EU? Any current policy and any new policies, any new institutions, that make border politics more elaborate and strengthen ‘Fortress Europe’ can be very easily emulated by other EU countries. We’re worried this model could be the future of a fascist and racist ‘Fortress Europe’ not just in Germany, but also in other EU coloniser nations. If authorities like what this does and find it effective, then they will copy it. And I think that's really, really terrifying. It's a process that we definitely need to stop before it can start. Many of us are also just appalled that this is happening in a place like Berlin, a place with a special and exciting history of refugee and migrant resistance. It's really just like a slap in the face. The fact that the deportation centre is being built in Berlin adds a layer of fear. If this can happen in Berlin, then it can happen anywhere.  Finally, how can readers get involved? How would you like people to support your work?  Spread the word. Keep an eye on our Instagram, Twitter and website to find out about upcoming actions that we’ll need support on. Keep an eye out for demos. Tell your friends, tell your neighbours! This information just needs to be spread. So many people don't know that a deportation centre is being planned, because that’s been the nature of its planning: opaque.  We also have flyers on our website that you can print out and share at your workplace, put in your neighbours' post boxes, plaster up in the neighbourhood, or bring to a party or event box office. Please spread the information and stay tuned.  The only way to stop the deportation centre is by growing the campaign and the movement as far as we can, including beyond Berlin and beyond Brandenburg. This is a German and European issue. Anything else you’d like to add?  We recognise that the countries of ‘Fortress Europe’ are currently and historically responsible for instilling war, poverty, climate disaster, racism and anti-Blackness, queerphobic and sexist violence, in lands across the world. The legacy of European imperialism leads to people wanting or needing to move to Europe. Whether it's safety, family, healthcare, education, or economic reasons, we believe all reasons are legitimate and that movement is life. In our campaign, we are trying to imagine and work towards a world without deportations, a world without borders. Follow Stop Deportation Center BER on Twitter (@AbschiebeZ_BER), Instagram (@stopdeportationcenterber), and on their website.  Design by Kolja Tinkova.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Listen to round the clock festive specials on Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/eoy-mixes</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/eoy-mixes</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We’ve got you sorted for holiday listening.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[While we take a quick end of year break from live shows, Refuge Worldwide residents have prepared a special festive treat for home listening. Eight of the station's residents put together extended winter warmer sessions to keep you and your loved ones cosy while Oona's doors are closed. The end of year special shows are streaming round the clock, 24/7 from 24th-27th December, and 1st-4th January.  There’s two hours of soothing sounds from Rita, Versailles (pictured above) journeys through R&B, indie and jazz, Jank Inc. splits his three hours into a triptych of house, ambient and downtempo, while Ady Toledano & Geoffrey LaRue’s hilarious Time Machine show takes on the theme of “winter”. There’s a show full of soft, cozy and trippy sounds from MINQ, as well as new age detritus and woo-woo ambience from BB. Stillwarley and N.N Sexless come correct with the sweetest cuts around. Former smartbar booker and resident Olin steps up, and last but not least, Nick Höppner delivers ambient and experimental, perfect for a long drive or train journey.

Hit play on the live player at any point this holiday time and enjoy these specially-curated, bumper broadcasts.  The station and Oona reopen on 27th-31st December, and again for 2023 on 4th January. NYE celebrations will be hosted by Sied & Friends, Kimchi Records, and Chemistry Club until 3am.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Turning Tables: Photo Story]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/turning-tables-photostory</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/turning-tables-photostory</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Looking back at our summer workshop series.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In collaboration with Jordan Brand and Turning Tables. Back in August, Refuge Worldwide co-hosted a 10-week workshop with a group of young FLINTA* people from underrepresented communities in Berlin. Sessions were held in the Turning Tables Germany home base NaunynRitze, a space focused on cultural and sports programmes for kids and young adults from the neighbourhood.  The workshop covered beatmaking, singing, and rapping and was supported by mentors DJ Freshfluke, Spoke, Yasmin Umay, Jaqee, Magda and Antifuchs. Above - Soraya (left) and Lidia (right) in the studio. Participants were able to use professional studio equipment, allowing them to familiarise themselves with the technical side of music making. Above - Lyan (left) and Yasmin Umay in the studio at NaunynRitze. Songwriting was one of the topics covered during the workshop, and the participants were later able to record what they wrote. The 10-week workshop culminated in a showcase at the Nike Berlin City Hub, Players' Night event, where the participants performed their own songs in front of an audience of friends and family for the first time.  Above - Yasmin Umay (Turning Tables), one of the mentors of the project, introduced the participants and performed one of her own songs, "Moon.” Top left: Soraya during one of her performances, she played the songs "Active", "Self-Confidence" and "Forest" // Top right: Lidia performing her song "Gold" // Lower left: Lidia, Lyan and Soraya (left to right) at the final performance // Lower right: Lyan performing her song "Fighter". A big thank you to all the participants for their incredible performances, to all the mentors and everyone involved in making the workshop happen from Turning Tables Germany and Jordan Brand, and to everyone who came down and supported the performances!   Photo Credits: Nailya Bikmurzina.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #101]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-20-dec-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-20-dec-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Netherlands' Slavery Apology | Victory for Polish Protesters | UK's Rwanda Plan]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Netherlands issues slavery apology The Dutch government has issued an apology today for the Netherlands’ role in slavery and the exploitation of more than 600,000 people over the course of their colonial past. Officially abolished in 1863, a mandatory 10-year transition period saw Dutch slavery continue until 1873 in places such as Suriname. The apology has been criticised in the Caribbean, with many activist groups and officials stating that they were not consulted and that what’s really needed is reparations.  Poland's discriminatory education bill vetoed After months of protests by students and activists, Polish president Andrzej Duda has decided to veto a controversial bill that would have limited access to rights-based sexuality education and anti-discrimination classes in schools, citing widespread public opposition. Poland’s conservative ruling Law and Justice party have repeatedly attacked women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights since coming to power in 2015. The bill’s withdrawal is being hailed as a testament to the power of protest. UK's Rwanda scheme ruling The UK’s high court has ruled that the Conservative government’s controversial and inhumane plans to send asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda are legal. Further appeals are expected, but for now, judges have ignored calls from aid groups and activists to permanently stop the plans, even after the European Court of Human Rights intervened in the summer to prevent the first scheduled deportation flight, which at the time was deemed to be illegal.  Tunisian election turnout Tunisia’s opposition parties have called on incumbent president Kais Saied to resign after the country recorded an electoral turnout of only 8.8% last week. Last year Saied suspended parliament and introduced a new constitution to limit the power of Tunisia’s political parties, which he has described as ‘enemies of the people.’ With 91% choosing not to vote, the election represents a severe blow to Tunisian democracy and Saied’s legitimacy. COP15  The COP15 UN biodiversity summit in Montreal reached a ‘historic’ agreement aiming to safeguard biodiversity and protect nature across a third of the planet by 2030. It will remain to be seen how seriously these commitments will be taken, as the agreement is not legally binding. DRC, Cameroon and Uganda did not support the agreement and expressed incredulity at its passing despite their concerns about the lack of funding. ANC Leadership race South Africa’s ruling ANC party has re-elected incumbent president Cyril Ramaphosa as its leader despite the “farmgate scandal” in June, when up to $5m of foreign currency was found at his private farm. Though the ANC has retained power for 30 years, high-profile corruption cases, economic instability, the pandemic, and an ongoing energy crisis have eroded support for Nelson Mandela’s old party. The ANC is expected to retain the presidency but lose its absolute majority in the 2024 election. CTM Festival We are teaming up with CTM Festival for its 24th edition, which will take place from 27 January – 5 February next year, across venues such as Berghain, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, silent green, Revier Sudost and radialsystem. Expect daily CTM radio shows with artists from the lineup, a DJ workshop at Oona, and a takeover at RSO on 4 February featuring Nico Adomako, Menzi & Debmaster, and more. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and CTM Festival announce 2023 partnership]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-ctm-2023</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-ctm-2023</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Berlin festival will host daily radio shows for one week.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide will partner with CTM Festival again next year. After a great time hosting the not-so-chilled-out chill-out room on the closing night of CTM 2022, we expand our collaboration for 2023. Next year, the festival takes place from January 27th until February 5th, across venues such as Berghain, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, silent green, Revier Sudost and radialsystem. It aims to connect "multi-perspective experiences, critical reflection, hedonism, and collaborative learning." We will be hosting a CTM radio show from 15:00-17:00 every day for the duration of the festival. On this show, visual and musical artists from the festival's programme will come down to the studio to present and discuss their work.  Co-curating a room at RSO for the CTM night on February 4th, the party is set to feature Philou Louzolo, Menzi & Debmaster, Binghi & Astan, a B2B between Killa and Monibi, Einhundert boss Nico Adomako and Richard Akingbehin. On Monday 30 January, we host a beginner-friendly DJ workshop with Happy New Tears at our space Oona Bar at 17:00. The session will cover basic music theory related to DJ practices, and a technical rundown on hardware that meets club standards. Participants will take a moment to think about the community/scene(s) they wish to represent and how this might fit into their working process, and why it matters where DJs choose to play. RSVP to workshops(at)ctm-festival.de with your full name, to join the workshop. Priority is given to FLINTA*, POC, and queer applicants (please mention in your email if you are part of one of these communities). Check out the full festival programme, which includes the likes of Hanaby, Toumba, Eris Drew & Octo Octa, Om Unit, LSDXOXO, Lolsnake, Tash LC and Authentically Plastic.  Listen to a recently-broadcast radio show on Refuge Worldwide, in which CTM curators Opium Hum and Born In Flamez chat to Richard Akingbehin about the festival's roots and vision. Header photo: Stefanie Kulisch]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona Bar Winter Hangout takes place this Friday]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-winter-hangout</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-winter-hangout</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Come enjoy a Glühwein with us.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Ending the year with a warm and cosy hangout. To mark the end of an amazing, eventful and inspiring 2022 with you all, we're hosting another hangout at our Weserstraße space, Oona Bar. Kicking off at 10:00am with the first ever joint breakfast show, helmed by both Mokeyanju and Nikola (!!!), the rest of the day features sets from JAW Family affiliates Sassy J and Deon Jamar, new resident Robert Owens and Body Language co-founder Stella Zekri.  Making an appearance in the booth and on the airwaves we also have a huge cast of station residents including - TRU:L, Lloyd Grogan, Naomi & Nathalie Robinson, Christophe Darbouze & D.Strauss, Nip & Zoe, Rowan & Ring Ma, Laura Fiore, Irem Tanriverdi, Gaby D'Annunzio & Laura Vargas (aka Bailey's On Ice) and No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin. The glühwein will be flowing from early and we have a few other festival surprises planned. See you! Artwork by Raoul Gottschling. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #100]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-14-dec-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-14-dec-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[FIFA's Human Rights Failures | Greece Police Violence | Protests in Peru]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our 100th weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. FIFA's Qatar legacy fund Despite a series of misleading statements from FIFA, there is still no plan to compensate migrant workers or their families in the aftermath of this year's World Cup in Qatar. A newly announced ‘Legacy Fund’ offers no compensation to workers who faced injuries, death, and wage theft in the run-up to the competition, despite the demands of NGOs like Human Rights Watch.  Reports suggest that over 6500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since the country won the right to host the competition. Roma Teenager shot by police in Greece - protests  Protests erupted across Greece last week after a 16-year-old Roma boy was pursued and shot by police in Thessaloniki for failing to pay a €20 bill at a petrol station. The boy remains at hospital in critical condition. Far from an isolated incident, police violence against Greece’s Roma minority has been a regular occurrence for years.  Protesters have blamed the country’s centre-right ruling government for failing to respond to the longstanding pattern of racist police brutality. The main left-wing opposition party have called on the government to take action against the “climate of fear created by extreme police brutality." Iran Executions Iranian authorities have executed two men, Mohsen Shekari and Majidreza Rahnavard, who were both arrested during Iran’s ongoing anti-regime uprising. The revolutionary movement shows little sign of slowing despite the use of extreme and deadly violence by Iranian authorities. At least 458 people have been killed during the protests by security forces, and at least 11 protesters have been sentenced to death, according to Iran Human Rights.  Peru Protests Widespread protests in Peru against the arrest of former president Pedro Castillo have continued over the weekend, killing at least two people and injuring four. Peru has had six presidents in the last four years. Castillo, who was only the second leftist leader of Peru in modern history, was arrested following plans to dissolve the country’s right-wing Congress, which has historically been at odds with elected leaders and had already attempted to impeach him twice. The country's interim president Dina Boluarte has announced she will call for early elections, in an attempt to calm the political situation. Stop Deportation Center BER  On Wednesday, 14 December, join the rally against the planned deportation centre at BER airport. The deportation centre is currently set to be constructed between 2023 and 2025 at BER Airport terminal 5. The state of Brandenburg’s budget, which will be made official on Wednesday, includes the expansion of the current detention centre and planned mass-deportation charter flights. ICC asked to investigate killing of Shireen Abu Akleh Al Jazeera has formally requested that the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot in May by Israeli forces in Jenin in the West Bank. As well as examining the murder of Abu Akleh, which has been called a potential war crime by the UN, the ICC has been asked to investigate a wider pattern of Israeli violence against journalists and press outlets in Palestine. DJ workshop w/ Fairooz Next Monday we are hosting a four-hour DJ workshop led by London-based DJ Fairooz (aka NaN) for complete beginners. All you need to bring is a USB with 3-4 of your favourite tracks. Sign up here. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-SA 3.0) license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[NaN Hosts Beginner's DJ Workshop]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dj-workshop-with-nan</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/dj-workshop-with-nan</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Workshop on Monday 19 December, 14:00 - 18:00, Weserstr. 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us at Oona for a 4-hour beginner's DJ workshop. Based between the contrasting capital cities of London and Berlin, NaN is a DJ who works with a wide and eclectic range of genres. During this workshop, they will take you through all the key points to get started as a DJ, including an introduction to the different hardware and software needed. Participants will also get the opportunity to gain some first-hand experience behind the decks. This workshop is aimed at complete beginners, all you need to bring is a USB with 3-4 of your favourite tracks (in mp3 or WAV format). As always, our selection process will give priority to minority groups or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face difficulties when accessing the music scene or music education in Berlin. Find out more and sign up to attend here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #99]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-06-dec-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-06-dec-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Swimmers | International Human Rights Day | Dirar Kalash fundraiser]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. The Swimmers The Swimmers, a biographical drama based on the story of sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini, is now available to stream. The movie follows teenage Olympian refugee Yusra Mardini and her Sister Sara, who swam alongside a sinking dinghy to help it safely across the Aegean Sea during their escape from Syria. Sara, who is currently facing charges for her search-and-rescue work in Lesbos, gave an interview with us last year which you can find here. International Human Rights Day On International Human Rights Day (Saturday, 10 December) Woman Life Freedom Collective, Feminista, #leavenoonebehind and other groups have organised a demonstration in Berlin to protest the violent and oppressive regime of the Islamic Republic in Iran. The demo starts at 13:00 and sets off from the Brandenburg Gate towards Pariser Platz at 15:00. Christine McVie Christine McVie, the British singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac member, passed away last week. McVie was behind hits such as Little Lies, Everywhere, and Say You Love Me. In 1998, she was one of eight band members inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame. A statement by the family said that McVie died peacefully in a hospital, and asked people “to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being”. UK's failed Afghanistan resettlement programme An investigation by Lighthouse Reports has revealed that a pledge by the UK government to launch a resettlement programme, which would evacuate over 5000 at-risk people from Afghanistan, did not relocate a single person in the year following the fall of Kabul. Many thousands of people, specifically those who had worked for or were affiliated with the UK government, have been left behind, often facing torture and death due to their previous public standing against the Taliban. Far-right militants in Ohio More than 50 far-right demonstrators gathered outside a church in Columbus, Ohio to shut down a Drag Queen Story Hour event on Saturday. The protesters, many of whom were armed, included members of the white-nationalist Proud Boys and other militant groups. In the wake of last month’s mass shooting in Colorado, the presence of armed protesters in Columbus is another disturbing development in the campaign by America’s far-right, as well as the Republican Party, to target the queer community. Crowdfunding for Dirar Kalash Radio AlHara have launched a crowdfunding campaign for Palestinian sound artist, composer and leading figure in Palestine’s experimental music scene Dirar Kalash, who was hospitalised last week after an accident in Berlin. Donate now to support Kalash with medical bills and living expenses while he is in recovery, and catch up on his four-part ‘Ether Ground’ series here. Playtronica workshop Join us on Monday, 12 December for an interactive musical workshop with Playtronica, where participants will use a MIDI controller to conduct and trigger sounds with different fruits and seasonal veggies. No preexisting musical knowledge is required. Sign up here.  Present Pasts In this feature for Refuge Worldwide, Tiffany Lai speaks to Majazz Project, Shasha Movies and Hopscotch Reading Room about alternative archives and how they can challenge mainstream colonial narratives. Previously published in our Regenerate Zine, you can read the full piece now on our website. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Playtronica: Music for Fruits and Veg]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/playtronica-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/playtronica-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Workshop on Monday 12 December, 18:00-19:00, Weserstr. 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us for an interactive musical workshop with Playtronica. In this workshop, participants will use a MIDI controller to conduct and trigger sounds with different fruits and veggies. Join us for a playful exploration of music and sound that goes beyond what you thought possible. The workshop will be hosted by Sasha Pas and Aglaya Demidenko, both educators and co-founders of Playtronica Berlin Station, a space to explore electronic music in a fun and accessible way. No preexisting musical knowledge is required. Read more and sign up here.]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Present Pasts: the Art of the Archive]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/present-pasts-the-art-of-the-archive</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/present-pasts-the-art-of-the-archive</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An interview with Majazz Project, Shasha Movies and Hopscotch Reading Room.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Over time, memory fades and we reach for materials to help narrate the past. Archives can hold the key to what communities deem worthy of preservation, what they see as history.  Mainstream archives re-produce mainstream narratives and the influence of some stories over others can result in erasure or cultural forgetting. Alternative archives, therefore, expand our view of what could be, by changing our conception of what has been. Re-envisioning histories through archives can produce new imaginaries of the future.  Tiffany Lai spoke to three individuals who use archives in their professional and creative practice, asking them the same four questions:   What is an archive to you? How can the act of archiving challenge mainstream narratives?  How are archives changing in the face of technological advances?  How can people bring archives/archiving into their daily lives?  Mo’min Swaitat, founder of the Majazz Project, a record label and research platform dedicated to vintage Arab and Palestinian sounds. As the owner of the first Palestinian reissue music label, the archive for me is a non-stop research project. We are dedicated to telling the story of the Palestinian lost archive - we’re interested in the music and the artists behind the work to give the music a new life.  I also strongly believe that these kinds of stories must be told by people who have a personal connection to the material, so as to avoid misinterpretation and orientalism in exchanges between the West and the East.  The art of archiving has come back at just the right moment, it marks a return of emotional, warm spaces and stories. Our conversations and memories must be saved, celebrated and passed on to the next generation. Bella Barkett, film programmer at Shasha Movies, an independent streaming service dedicated to new and archival films from South-West Asian and North African cinema.  Archives to me are a way to connect, to learn and to challenge. Whether it’s a shoe box, a diary or a film roll, the archive stored in one object has the power to move the individual consciousness to realms of generational suffering, injustice, strength and courage. One of the core memories from my youth is of my dad telling us about the various films that he would see with his friends at a cinema on Hamra Street, a trendy stop in downtown 70s Beirut. Many of these films were made in Lebanon prior to 1975 and their histories have since been lost due to structural and environmental issues. For example, the lack of investment in proper storage facilities, films lost to censorship and the ravages of conflicts are all partly to blame. These collections, which are hardly known, are at risk of disappearing altogether, so archives are crucial to our ability to research and develop understandings of a communal identity.  The world of archives no longer just consists of scholars but rather has an audience whose members have varying levels of expertise, expectations and cultural backgrounds. This new audience is more focused remote access. As a result, a beautiful thing has occurred in the last few years - new ways of interacting with digital archives have developed, whether for personal projects or reconnecting with families.  Archives have been forced to face new interactions and challenges. The scope for which we can interact with archives is ever-increasing, which further unlocks the potential of what an archive can, and will do.  Siddhartha Lokanandi, owner of Hopscotch Reading Room, a non-Western and diasporic bookshop based on Kurfürstenstraße, Berlin.  I think it’s interesting you use the word archive. Archives like mine or Shasha’s are more akin to repositories of interest and passion. Historically, archives are more systematic than that. Because of that history, I’m careful not to valorise archives.  All the archives in the West are essentially stolen and carry a colonial past. If we think of the Phonogram Archive in Berlin, (a collection of ethnomusicological recordings), it’s an archive of sounds deposed from their source. It’s full of sounds recorded in India or Africa because cinema and sound recording came on the coattails of colonialism. As soon as the technologies were developed in England, they spread to the colonies. That's why India has as much of an active cinema tradition as England.  I think it’s important to problematise and probe archives. Admittedly, you could say I have an archive here at Hopscotch. I trawl blogs and social media for texts, I chase them down online and bring them here to Berlin and that is the archive in one sense. But through that archive, I’m looking to elevate the idea of the diaspora, especially one that is at odds with the German idea of the diaspora. So a lot of what I do is at a 90-degree angle to official discourse. For me, each person comes with their own cultural baggage and since we can’t step fully into each other’s shoes we need to interact more with each other’s worlds—we can do that through books. When some people come into this bookstore there is an intense and visceral sense of recognition when they see certain books, sometimes verging on sadness. People have broken into tears before. I’m committed to trading in those moments of recognition and then hoping to regenerate or change something. Globalism is an archive of loss, diaspora is its record. Some of it is self-validating and championing and some of it just weighs you down. So the game is to figure out the axes of that scale and then celebrate it. In the past, a lot of texts have been focussed on the awareness of loss but now we're in an age of making something of that loss and regenerating ourselves.  Design by Kolja Tinkova.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #98]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-29-nov-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-29-nov-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Protests in China | Kurdistan airstrikes | Arts of the Working Class]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Protests in China A wave of protests has spread across China, triggered by a fire in an apartment building in Urumqi, Xinjiang which killed at least 10 people. Protesters have blamed China’s severe lockdown measures for the deaths, taking to the streets in many major cities over the weekend to demand an end to the zero-COVID policy. Some groups have called for the resignation of President Xi Jinping, holding blank sheets of paper to represent the inability of the people to freely express themselves. Kurdistan Attacks on Kurdistan by both Iranian and Turkish governments have intensified in recent weeks. Last week, Turkish airstrikes in Rojava, northeastern Syria, killed at least 11 civillians. Since 2016, Türkiye has carried out repeated military attacks against Kurds within and outside its borders. Meanwhile, the Iranian government’s repression of the ongoing protests has been particularly severe in Iranian Kurdistan, such as in the city of Mahabad where de facto martial law was declared last week.  UN to kickstart international tax reform talks  A UN resolution that will kickstart new talks on global tax regulations has been passed, despite opposition from the world’s wealthiest nations and corporations. The resolution, which was introduced by a group of African nations at the UN, could lead to reforms that would stop big corporations from dodging tax through offshore havens. Germany to simplify citizenship rules Germany’s coalition government is working towards an easier naturalisation process. The Interior Ministry is currently working on draft legislation which would allow foreigners living in Germany to apply for citizenship after five years in the country, instead of the previous eight. The new legislation would also make it easier for children born to foreigners to become naturalised, and relax the rules on dual citizenship. Kinder vom Kotti On Saturday, 3 December, Kreuzberg’s youth hip-hop collective Kinder Vom Kotti are coming to Oona to celebrate the release of their first compilation EINS. Ahead of the event we spoke to some of the young people involved, and the team behind Turning Tables Germany. Read the full feature here.  Arts of the Working Class Arts of the Working Class have published their latest edition, ‘Sports and Dis*ability’, which explores ableism and the body as a site of performance. Art of the Working Class is a multi-lingual street journal published every two months and distributed primarily by unhoused and unemployed vendors who keep 100% of the sales. Pick up a copy out and about in Berlin or subscribe online. Workshop Sign-up now for ‘Statefree: questioning the meaning of nationality' hosted by Christiana Bukalo at Oona, 5 December. This workshop will propose a collective reflection on the meaning of nationality, explore the causes and impacts of statelessness and examine the history of nation-states and nationality as a legal bond and identity. Find out more and sign up here. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Introducing: Kinder Vom Kotti]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/kinder-vom-kotti-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/kinder-vom-kotti-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 24 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Don't miss Kreuzberg's youngest hip-hop collective, 3 December at Oona and online.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[“Some kids are taught to think that they don't have a chance and don't belong in certain spaces. That's why we do what we do: so that they can feel empowered.” Based at NaunynRitze, the long-running Kreuzberg youth centre where some of the biggest names in German rap started their careers, Turning Tables Germany is a non-profit that gives space to young people from marginalised communities to express themselves through music. Turning Tables’ most recent project, Kinder Vom Kotti, was founded at the pandemic's peak by Berlin DJ and producer Cord Labuhn (aka Robosonic). A loose collective of over 40 kids and young adults between 7 and 24 years of age, Kinder Vom Kotti use hip-hop to communicate the realities of life for the youth of Kreuzberg and beyond. On Saturday, 3 December, Kinder Vom Kotti are coming to Oona to celebrate the release of their first compilation EINS. Ahead of the event, we spoke to Cord, Maryam from NaunynRitze and some of the young people involved about what Turning Tables means to its community. Cord Labuhn - producer and project coordinator Hi Cord, tell us about the concept behind Kinder vom Kotti. Behind the Kinder vom Kotti project is a specific vision of musical storytelling that combines music and field recordings in a conceptual album format. When you listen to the compilation, you find that there are a lot of different things happening – you are thrown from one situation to another. Over the course of the album, there's a progression from a very young perspective to a more adult one. That's how I see it at least. Stylistically, it was obvious from the start that hip-hop is the main cultural reference point we will use, because it’s so present in today's youth culture, as well as being a key part of my own youth. When I first got into production and DJing, the lyrical sides of hip-hop drew me in, the storytelling approach that transports you to different parts of the world.  How was your experience working with young people at Turning Tables? What is a usual studio session like? It's fun and unpredictable. There's a lot of beauty in it when something magic happens. When you listen through recordings and hear something that really captures a moment, or you come up with a finished project, it's really great.  One kid we work with recorded his first track with us at age 15. The other day I just bumped into him by chance on the street – he was cycling around with headphones on listening to his own music while going through the city, and he was so thankful and inspired that he could do that. There are so many moments like that and they really motivate you to push forward. The creative process was organic. We set up some basic equipment, we invited the kids or made appointments with small groups of two to three people, and then we just see what ideas they come up with. Sometimes they bring beats from YouTube, and sometimes we start something from scratch. Soraya - singer and songwriter Hi! Tell us about yourself. My name is Soraya, I'm 18 and I live in Berlin. I got to know about Turning Tables around February through a friend. I came here and they just asked me what I'd like to do. I wrote a song with my friend and we recorded it together. We were supported a lot throughout the process. I’ve been playing instruments since I was 12, but I was always singing with my mother at home, and I have always danced. But really, I had never had any real training – some choir practice and music camps. How did Turning Tables help you with your release? We were supported a lot in the studio with the production, and Normen (Turning Tables Germany project leader) helped with a lot of organisational things. A lot of the support was just simple mentoring – we would get honest feedback about what to add, what sounded good and what didn’t. Could you imagine making more music or starting a career as a musician? I can definitely imagine myself releasing songs in the future. But I think I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I tend to like live concerts more because you’re so in the moment, and when someone in the audience is looking at your face, you can feel and communicate your own emotions more clearly. Mert (aka CIVO) - rapper Tell us about yourself – how did you get involved with Turning Tables? I’m 21 years old and I was born and raised here in Kreuzberg. I came to Turning Tables through Outreach initially, that’s how I was ‘discovered’ you could say.  I've been making music since I was 14 years old, so for 7 years now. I was really happy that this opportunity arose. I have been with Turning Tables for two-and-a-half years now, and I’ve participated in many different workshops. I also work with the kids here, helping to write lyrics as a kind of peer mentor. Is there a specific message to your music? Cord told me that the focus of the project was on storytelling. Yes, we got those instructions from Cord. Before this project, I also told stories, but on more of a street level, I’d say. My focus was ‘our’ day-to-day I guess. And I used mainly what you might call ‘youth slang’. It has developed over the years and I have sometimes made an effort so that my music is also listenable for so-called ‘Germans’. So, I speak with grammar, with proper sentence structure, but I continue to tell stories about my life here in Kreuzberg and what I’ve experienced. Stories about the reality we live. Tell us about the track you recorded for the Kinder vom Kotti compilation? This track is about me. I wrote these lyrics at a time when, in a sense, I felt very much alone, and had distanced myself from my circle of friends, because they all started doing really weird stuff. Doing drugs and other things, and I felt completely out of it. I said ‘guys if you want to do that, then do it, but not with me.’ I offered them my hand to come with me, and no one really came along. This song is about coming to Kreuzberg and meeting the devil. Half of the track is in German and half in Turkish. I wanted to address ‘our’ people, the people I know in Kreuzberg mostly come from a Turkish background. So my track just tells the story of what is here and what has shaped me. Maryam - educator at NaunynRitze Tell us about NaunynRitze, what is your role here? I work with the kids here as an educator. We try to understand and analyse the lived reality of the people who come here, and to find out what’s important to them. I'm really happy to be here. NaunynRitze is probably the best-known centre of its kind. The best-known in Kreuzberg?  In the whole of Germany! This place has a long history. The Flying Steps started here, a very well-known breakdance group who now travel the world. There are also rappers like Kool Savas and Eko Fresh, people who are known well throughout the Turkish diaspora. They both came to NaunynRitze and grew up right here in this building. How do young people get involved here? Is it an open space that people are just allowed to come into? Yes of course. That’s how the work here starts. We meet young people who are coming here, hanging out, spending their free time here, and we work with them to see if they might be interested in any of our projects. We'll try and find out what their interests are, but it's always their choice. We just offer ourselves if they have questions or need any support. What are your goals here? NaunynRitze, in all its projects including Turning Tables, is about opening up space for kids who are not really accepted in society.  We're right next to Kotti and young people experience a lot growing up here. A lot of positives, and a lot of negative things too, like drugs, violence and gangs. This is their everyday business. For a lot of people, NaunynRitze becomes a second home.  The people here, and the POC boys, in particular, are criminalised every single day. They all have experience with racial profiling in the area. The Berlin senate has decided that instead of dealing with any of these problems and supporting organisations like ours, they will build a new police station at Kotti, which of course will only make things worse. Some kids are taught to think that they don't have a chance and don't belong in certain spaces. That's why we do what we do: so that they can feel empowered. The Kinder Vom Kotti Refuge Worldwide takeover takes place on 3 December, at Oona (Weserstr. 166) and online. In collaboration with Solidrinks, Turning Tables and Kinder vom Kotti are also planning to release their own ice tea called EINSTEE soon. Stream EINS here. Images by @kalzfotografie]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[UNTER3HUNDERT Exhibition and Market]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/unter3hundert-open-call-for-artists</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/unter3hundert-open-call-for-artists</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[16:00-00:00, 10 December at Oona.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On 10 December we are hosting our first in-house art market. UNTER3HUNDERT is an event organised by Lupita, an initiative founded in 2020 by Colombian visual artists Laura Vargas and Gabriela Guarnizo to create DIY, non-profit exhibitions with the aim of making art an accessible space for both emerging artists and the audience.  Artworks between €3 and €300 will be exhibited and offered for sale at Oona between 16:00 and midnight. Participating artists must produce art for a sales format: small, reproducible and mobile. Apply via the link below before 27 November to have your work exhibited. All disciplines are eligible, and we strongly encourage BIPOC artists, LGBTQ+ artists, immigrant artists, and artists with disabilities to apply.  Application is free, and all earnings will go directly to the artists.  Read more and apply here.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #97]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-nov-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-22-nov-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Berlin elections | COP27 | Mobile Refugee Support]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. UNTER3HUNDERT Calling all Berlin-based visual artists: on 10 December we are hosting our first in-house art market UNTER3HUNDERT, where artworks between €3 and €300 will be on sale. Apply before 27 November to have your work exhibited – all disciplines are eligible, and we strongly encourage BIPOC artists, LGBTQ+ artists, immigrant artists, and artists with disabilities to apply. Application is free, and all earnings will go directly to the artists. Apply here. Berlin elections to be repeated On Wednesday, Berlin’s constitutional court ruled that last year’s regional elections must be repeated. The court declared the results invalid due to "serious systemic flaws", meaning that the standard for democratic elections was not met. While the vote will not change the outcome of the general election, it may change the political equilibrium in the state parliament and its current centre-left coalition. World still ‘on brink of climate catastrophe’ after Cop27 deal COP27, the UN’s annual climate change conference, closed on Sunday with mixed results. A potentially historic 'loss and damage' agreement was reached, which should channel funds to poorer countries disproportionately impacted by the worst effects of climate change. On the other hand, very little progress was made to build on agreements around reducing emissions and limiting temperature rises to 1.5C, which will be vital to prevent irreversible climate breakdown. Mobile Refugee Support looking for volunteers in Northern France  Mobile Refugee Support is currently looking for volunteers. The Calais-based charity provides essentials, communication support, power and WiFi to displaced people in and around Northern France. If you would like to volunteer (even for short periods) any help is greatly appreciated. New study: Police in Berlin are using ‘trade inspections’ to justify illegal raids on migrant-owned businesses  Berlin police are routinely conducting illegal raids on shisha bars, Arabic supermarkets and other migrant-owned businesses under the guise of ‘trade inspections’. A newly leaked internal study raises serious questions about the legality and efficacy of the senate’s use of trade law in the fight against so-called “clan crime” – a term often used to justify racial profiling, stigmatisation and islamophobia.  Free group therapy sessions in Wedding next year from Each One Teach One  From next spring onwards, Sema Akbunar and Marcel Badra will be offering free racism-sensitive group therapy for BPoCs. Sessions will be held in the Interkulturelle Psychologische Praxis in Berlin-Wedding. If you are covered by German public health insurance and want take part in the sessions, reach out to Sema and Marcel directly. You can find their contact details and more info on Each One Teach One’s IG Colorado Shooting  At least five people were killed and 25 injured in an LGBTQIA+ club shooting in Colorado Springs this Saturday, another tragic event in a long history of attacks on queer venues in the United States. Clubgoers were eventually able to subdue the 22-year-old gunman who is currently in custody. Fears of violence and intimidation against the queer community have grown in the wake of recent efforts by Republicans to prohibit drag shows and impose other forms of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. Workshop Sign-up now for ‘Statefree: questioning the meaning of nationality' hosted by Christiana Bukalo at Oona, 5 December. This workshop will propose a collective reflection on the meaning of nationality, explore the causes and impacts of statelessness and examine the history of nation-states and nationality as a legal bond and identity. Find out more and sign up here. Black Friday - Make Amazon Pay campaign  The Make Amazon Pay Campaign is organising a global day of action on Black Friday, 25 November. While raking in record profits this year, Amazon has forced real-term pay cuts on its workers, escalated union-busting tactics and dodged its environmental responsibilities. Last year the company paid zero income tax in Europe. Click here to find out how you can get involved. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Schlafplatzorga Need Your Support]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/schlafplatzorga</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/schlafplatzorga</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Donate money or offer your spare room this winter.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Schlafplatzorga provide temporary shelter for unhoused and criminalised refugees and migrants in Berlin. An organisation with deep roots in Berlin's refugee resistance movement, Schlafplatzorga was initially founded in response to a wave of forced evictions that took place in 2014, namely, the evictions of Kreuzberg's occupied Gerhart-Hauptmann-Schule and of the shelters where many former inhabitants of the Oranienplatz protest camp were living.  Since then, Schlafplatzorga have fought to find community-based solutions for those looking for shelter, by creating a network of people offering accommodation and providing support to refugees and migrants searching for longer-term housing.  Read their most recent call for support below: Can you offer a place to sleep?

This can be a couch in the living room, a bunk bed in the hallway, a spare room when a roommate is away, a whole apartment, a coworking space, etc.) Even one or two nights a week can make an incredible difference and be really helpful!
Please contact us, send us an email, a message or give us a call: Email: sleepingplaceorga@systemli.org Phone: +4915214699071 If you can't offer a place to stay but you'd like to support them in other ways, they are also asking for donations to pay outstanding rent and other costs. Check out their GoFundMe here and follow Schlafplatzorga on IG to keep up to date with the work they do.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Statefree: Questioning the Meaning of Nationality]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/statefree-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/statefree-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Workshop on Monday 5 December, 17:00-19:00, Weserstr. 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us at Oona for a workshop exploring statelessness, the nation-state and identity. Workshop host Christiana Bukalo is the co-founder of Statefree, an organisation dedicated to the empowerment of stateless people. Born and raised in Germany, she set up the organisation to invite stateless people like herself to speak up on the issues that concern them and build a community despite their circumstances.   As well as discussing statelessness itself, those it affects, and the meaning of nationality from a stateless perspective, this workshop will also aim to dive deeper into the broader impacts of statelessness, and some of the legal, social and emotional challenges that come with it. Read more and sign up here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #96]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-or-96</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-or-96</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Qatar World Cup | Manston Asylum Center | Gal Costa]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Qatar World Cup 6,500 migrant workers have died in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and thousands more have suffered from wage theft, excessive hours and forced labour. With the competition estimated to generate over 6 billion USD in revenue, we stand with human rights groups, fans and trade unions across the world in calling for an international boycott and demanding that FIFA and Qatar, one of the world’s richest countries, finally pay fair compensation to workers and their families. Death sentence for Iranian protester Yesterday, Iranian authorities issued the first official death sentence in connection to the protests that began two months ago after the death in custody of Zhina ‘Mahsa’ Amini. Iran’s feminist revolutionary movement perseveres despite over 300 police murders and the arrest of over 15,000 protesters. Many of the arrested could now face execution after a majority of MP’s voted last week to issue the death penalty to protesters. Manston Asylum Center protests Protestors in the UK are calling for the closure of Manston Asylum Center after reports of illegal detention lengths, dire conditions and dangerous levels of overcrowding. Manston is the UK’s main asylum processing center for people who cross the channel, and is currently being used to detain 4000 people, despite having been designed for just 1600. The UK government have admitted that many people at Manston are being detained for illegal lengths of time, but so far have failed to act. France and Italy in rescue ship standoff The Ocean Viking rescue ship, run by the charity SOS Mediteranee, has finally been granted permission to land in Toulon, southern France. A standoff between Italy’s new far-right government and French authorities started when Italian ports refused the vessel carrying 234 migrants and deferred it to France. The boat had been in open waters since late October, with some of the migrants on board spending nearly three weeks at sea. The Boy Club Berlin and Seawatch Berlin-based FLINTA* designers collective The Boys Club Berlin have teamed up with Sea-Watch, a sea-rescue organisation that helps migrants and refugees making the Mediterranean crossing. Head to the Sea-Watch online shop to check out their new line of t-shirts and posters. Gal Costa Gal Costa, one of the most influential artists in the Brazilian Tropicália movement, died last Wednesday aged 77. Alongside fellow Tropicália songwriters Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa was a prominent figure in the anti-authoritarian opposition to the Brazilian dictatorship of the 1960s and 70s. News of her passing has led to an outpouring of condolences online, with Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva referring to her as “one of the world’s greatest singers” on Twitter. Afghanistan's new bans In their most recent crackdown on women’s rights and freedoms, the Taliban issued a ban preventing women from entering public parks, gyms and fairs in Afghanistan. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice called the ban a result of people ignoring segregation orders and women wearing hijabs improperly. Afghan women have already been banned from middle and high school, restricted from most fields of employment and forced to wear head-to-toe clothing in public. Image 1 (Renovation of the Khalifa Interational Stadium, Qatar) and 2 (Gal Costa) licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[On The Ground: Iran]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/on-the-ground-iran</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/on-the-ground-iran</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An interview from the front line of Iran's revolutionary movement.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA["The people here have seen so much sadness in their lives. This sadness made them stronger and stronger. I am sure one day this strength will turn into a rainbow!"  - Anonymous Iranian photographer On the 16th of September 2022, protests erupted all over Iran after the country’s morality police murdered 22-year-old Zhina Mahsa Amini for allegedly not properly wearing her hijab. Since then, young and old have taken to the streets daily to protest the regime under the banner of Zan, Zendegi, Azadi (woman, life, freedom). In much of the country, internet access has been shut down. Under the Islamic regime, Iran has become one of the world’s worst countries for press freedom, so there are virtually no independent journalists present to cover the protests. That means we don’t know how bad the situation really is and rely on reports and footage shared via social media.  As of the 16th of November at least 342 people including 43 children have been killed during the protests, as reported by the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights. More killings could soon follow – In an open letter signed by 227 of Iran’s 290 members of Parliament, lawmakers called for protesters to be taught a “hard lesson” and urged the judiciary to sentence protesters to death. The first official death sentence in connection to the current protests was issued on Sunday, 13 November. Johanna Urbancik has been speaking to people across the country and abroad to get a better understanding of the protests. Below is a Q&A with someone who is currently in Iran and regularly involved in the protests. Their identity will remain anonymous for their safety.  Can you tell me a little about what’s happening in Iran at the moment? Are you still joining the protests regularly? The protests are taking place all over Iran. Big and small cities are fighting against the Islamic Republic, and yes, it’s our regular programme to attend the protests. At first, mostly teenagers and young people were fighting. But now everyone is fighting with everything they have for freedom. People are becoming more confident and brave. We are more than before, and it’s not just a few neighbourhoods. When you leave your house you can attend protests everywhere.  The Iranian people didn’t know how to be a community. They were afraid of any community or group in the last 40 years. But now, people have decided to be united. For example, we started boycotting the dairy company Mihan, because they were helping the government with their cars. Now, the company is facing bankruptcy. We also decided to boycott the national TV programmes by not buying the products it advertises. It's a real synergy for the Iranian people. How did you find out about the protests in the first place, and what made you join them? In Iran, women are limited in so many ways. But on the other hand, zan (women) and children are our red line! I knew after Mahsa Amini’s death everything was different! In earlier protests, we had great hopes for change, but the government did nothing except repress and kill. We had so many protests in recent years – protests for freedom, expression and in the south of Iran and Isfahan, for water. Can you believe it, during the protests three years ago they killed 1500 or more protesters in three days! They cut the internet totally and massacred us! We need the voice of the people of the world to stop them! How do you get your news? Instagram – the news on TV here has so many parasites, which makes the news on Instagram more reliable. Protesters at Amir Kabir University, Tehran. People around the world are watching the protests and especially the women with such awe. You’re all so incredibly brave. How would you describe the unity amongst the protesters? We all have one goal: Freedom! When you walk into the city, you can see girls and women everywhere without a hijab – even in front of the police! Mothers and little girls aren’t wearing a hijab when returning from school. I don’t know how to explain it, but that’s so dangerous!  But they fight! Our students and university students are still protesting every day, even when the police arrest them. They don’t stop and the number of universities that are now attending the protest is uncountable. They arrest students – some are only 15 years old. But we keep going. We encourage everyone to participate and not be afraid! So many people aren’t wearing a hijab, it’s so beautiful. We protest on predetermined nights. The walls of the city are full of slogans. You know, we have become much kinder and more empathetic than before. We were always angry and upset, but now something has changed. Of course, we are afraid that the government will arrest us or kill somebody, but we are braver and more hopeful. The protests have become more intense. Now it's a political war between the people and the government. We want to weaken the government by any means to minimize the killings. It takes time to involve passive people and global organisations. Iranians who live abroad are fighting, too. We are all trying to be free. How has the police presence changed? At first, they killed people to stop the protests. But this time Gen Z is involved! They want to take back their future. Especially women who want to take back their rights. There are so many other reasons in our society why people are protesting, I mentioned some of them earlier.  These protests are comprehensive. Cities all over Iran are fighting, which means the government has to spread their forces. They are very tired and have increased violence and arrests.  The force is reduced, so the government tries to rouse the feelings of religious people and encourage them to join military armies, for example, the Basij. [A paramilitary volunteer militia established in Iran in 1979 by order of Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Iranian Revolution.] They have also brought some soldiers from Iraq, the Hashd al-Sha’bi, who are being trained by the Iranian government.  Are you scared?  Actually, I’m afraid every day and at every moment.  But when I think about a free Iran and the people and children who were killed because of freedom, I gather my courage. If I get arrested, it’s nothing compared to those who lose or lost their lives. Would you call this a revolution? Of course! We have no other choice: We want to take back our country! (L-R: Protests in Ottawa, Canada; Protester holding a sign that reads: "Mr Officer, did you know that as children we used to sing with love before sleep, 'when we sleep, the police are awake'", Iran; Protests in Berlin) What about the older people in your life, are they worried about you protesting? Yes, some are worried about that. But others tell me these are my rights and that I should fight for them. What do you want to say to the people outside of Iran? You know, the Mullahs wanted to separate all of us to save themselves. But now, we are one! We fight to win. I believe it’s a practice for the future, to be a united Iran and rebuild our country. Iran is a big country with a rich culture and a long history. We have lots of natural resources and oil, but we have no prosperity.  They kill us, rape women in jail, arrest and torture protesters, artists, writers and so many more. They steal our financial resources for themselves and their families. They live in the best conditions and with the best facilities in other countries. You can’t believe it, but some people have committed suicide because they have no money to continue to live. Now I’m crying. This isn’t right! Is there any way we can support you? Please, be our voice! Push your governments to expel the diplomats of the Islamic Regime [in your country]. They are holding over 80 million people hostage. They have guns and can kill us, but if you are our voice, they can't do it so easily. Be our voice! Push and force your governments and the international community to condemn the Iranian government, and weaken it even more. The regime is like an octopus whose hands must get cut off one by one – and it has many hands outside of Iran, too!  Please, be our voice! We need your help. If you want to keep updated with the protest movement in Iran, you can follow the accounts of two German presenters who have given their accounts to two Iranian activists. Their handles are @officiallyjoko (taken over by @azamjangravi) and @damitdasklaas (taken over by @sarahrmni). Listen back to previous On The Ground interviews on Refuge Worldwide and follow @johannaurbancik to keep up date with upcoming interviews. Images by Darafsh and Taymaz Valley licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 license and Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 license, respectively. All other images provided by Johanna Urbancik. Graphic design by Graeme Bateman.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #95]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-nov-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-nov-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Migrantifa: Not On Our Backs | New Melilla report | Forensic Architecture at HKW]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Migrantifa: Not On Our Backs Join Migrantifa Berlin on 12 November for their demonstration against rising food, rent, electricity and gas costs. The demonstration is a part of the Nicht Auf Unserem Rücken (Not On Our Backs) campaign, protesting social inequality and insufficient action by the government to protect workers throughout the current crisis, while large corporations continue making billions in profits. Haitian civil society rejects foreign intervention Canada and the U.S. are debating foreign intervention in Haiti as the country’s political and humanitarian crises worsen: over 96,000 Haitians have been displaced by gang violence and many have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of U.S.-backed PM Ariel Henry. Nearly 100 Haitian civil society groups have written to President Biden to object to intervention, which historically has stripped Haitians of their right to self-determination and prolonged crises under the guise of foreign aid. Netanyahu returns to power Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may return to power after last week’s election results gave his party and his allies in the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism party enough seats to form a government. Netanyahu is a firm supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are deemed illegal under international law. His return is likely to escalate tensions amid a significant increase in Israeli military operations, which have killed more than 125 Palestinians this year. Right-wing terrorism Arsonists set fire to a planned refugee shelter in a former eastern German hotel in what authorities believe to be a xenophobic attack. The opening is now being postponed, it is unclear when the shelter will open its doors to the 30 people from countries such as Macedonia, Afghanistan, and Syria, who were supposed to move in only a few days later. Attacks are on the rise across Europe, including a similar right-wing terrorist attack on a migrant processing centre last week in the UK. Forensic Architecture at HKW A new exhibition by the multidisciplinary research collective Forensic Architecture exploring racist violence in Germany is now on display at HKW, Berlin. ‘Three Doors’ presents the collective’s influential and eye-opening forensic investigations into the Hanau terror attack of 2020 and the death in custody of Oury Jalloh in 2005, while drawing upon the experiences of relatives, survivors and supporters to give visibility to their ongoing struggles for accountability. New report on Melilla tragedy A new BBC investigation into the Melilla tragedy has cast serious doubts on the official version of events. At least 37 people died and 70 remain missing after the incident in June at the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla. The new report reveals that the Spanish border authorities pushed over 450 people back into Morocco after they crossed the border, fired rubber bullets at close range and withheld crucial CCTV evidence after the incident. aequa Life Architecture workshop series aequa is hosting another round of their Life Architecture series, a four-part workshop aiming to support participants in clarifying, imagining and building a life that is more in line with their personal values. There are still a few spots available and sessions will be held every Friday morning over the course of four weeks, facilitated by sarj and Jarral Boyd. Get in touch with aequa if you would like to sign up. Support is available for those currently struggling financially.  Ambient Sound Workshop Join us on 19 November for an Ambient Sound Meditation workshop at Oona Bar, hosted by Cornelia and Léa. This 1,5-hour workshop will take you on an exploration of presence through the sense of hearing and other tools of embodiment. Find out more and sign up here. Klimaneustart Berlin The campaign by Klimaneustart Berlin calling for a referendum on climate neutrality in Berlin goes into its last week. If you would like to add your signature to demand the Berlin Senate reduce CO2 emissions and reach climate neutrality by 2030, sign here before 14 November. The petition will need to reach approximately 240,000 signatures for the referendum to be accepted. EU tour Five down, six to go. Our European tour continues this weekend with a party and workshop at Jasna1 in Warsaw. Following that are Corsica Studios (London), Lizdas (Kaunas), Poing (Rotterdam), Ankali (Prague) and Panorama Bar (Berlin).  Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Ambient Sound Meditation at Oona Bar]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ambient-sound-meditation</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ambient-sound-meditation</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday 19 November, Weserstraße 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us for an Ambient Sound Meditation workshop at Oona, hosted by Cornelia and Léa.  This 1,5-hour workshop from 12-13:30 on 19 November will take you on an exploration of presence through the sense of hearing and other tools of embodiment, transforming Oona Bar into a cocoon for restoration and collective care – using music as a medium to access our ability to feel. Music lovers, awareness and touch explorers, sweet friends and co-creators, workshop hosts Cornelia and Léa respectively have different and complementary backgrounds which include dance, massage therapy, mindfulness, and movement exploration. As a common denominator, they share a big curiosity for human emotions and how they affect the body. On their individual paths, they are eager to discover new dimensions of perception using modalities such as music, conscious touch, and intuitive movement. 

Please bring a blanket and a small cushion to make yourself comfortable for the session. Find out more and sign up here.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #94]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-01-nov-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-01-nov-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[COP27 | Stop Deportation Center BER | Brazil election]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. COP27 Activist Greta Thunberg has announced that she won’t be attending the UN’s annual climate change conference, COP27, citing the lack of civic space allowed by the hosting Egyptian government and criticising the event as a forum for “greenwashing” by those in power. Last week, new UN studies showed that carbon emissions must be halved by 2030 to meet the international target of 1.5C of heating, and called for the urgent collective action to limit the worst effects of the climate crisis. Brazil election Brazil’s former leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in Sunday's hard-fought presidential election. Lula will now seek to dismantle Bolsonaro’s far-right political vision, which included attacks on democratic institutions and the rapid destruction of the Amazon rainforest, with his own policies based on social justice, civil rights and environmentalism. Refuge Worldwide at Savvy On Sunday 13 November we will invite 15 participants to join us at the acclaimed Savvy Contemporary gallery in Wedding, Berlin, to take a two-hour workshop exploring our connection with our bodies, mindfulness and self-awareness. Sign up now by emailing workshop@savvy-contemporary.com. Afropolitan Berlin internship Kreuzberg-based intersectional Black community organisation AfroPolitan Berlin is looking for a new intern to help with comms and event support for 3-6 months starting in December or January. Head to their IG to find out more and check out their upcoming events, which include this Thursday’s workshop on “Navigating working life (whilst Black)”. Ambient sound workshop at Oona Join us on 19 November for an Ambient Sound Meditation workshop at Oona Bar, hosted by Cornelia and Léa. This 1,5-hour workshop will take you on an exploration of presence through the sense of hearing and other tools of embodiment. Sign-up is now open. Stop Deportation Center BER Support the campaign to prevent the construction of a new deportation centre at BER airport, which would hold up to 120 people in detention. The time to act is now – plans to build the facility could be solidified this November as Brandenburg’s Innenauschuss meet to negotiate a new budget. Sign the petition and follow the campaign to stay informed of upcoming actions. Moudjahidate - WOMEN*, RESISTANCE, QUEER ALLIANCE Tuesday 1 November is the 68th anniversary of the start of the Algerian War of Independence, a crucial moment in the history of decolonisation. To mark the occasion, Oyoun is holding an opening event for Moudjahidate* - women*, resistance, queer alliance, an interdisciplinary exhibition focusing on the work of three FLINTA* artists of Algerian origin. Head to the Oyoun’s IG to see the full programme of panels, performances and workshops accompanying the exhibition.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Regenerate 2022: Photo Story]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate_festival_photo_story</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate_festival_photo_story</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A look back at this year's festival, spread across 3 days in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our annual Berlin weekender took place from September 29th through October 1st. Kicking off at the Carhartt WIP store in Berlin Mitte, we welcomed Sarah Farina alongside The Neighbourhood Character & MAF to DJ whilst we launched our long sleeve t-shirt, (made in collaboration with Carhartt WIP), as well as our 40-page zine. The zine houses interviews, features, illustrations, news from the Refuge community, a poem and more - it's still available to pick up for free from our space on Weserstrasse. Friday of the festival weekend was spent hosting workshops and radio shows at Oona Bar, including a field recording workshop from Margaux, mic building with YA Z AN and shows from Thea, Nikola, Jonah Considine, BIWOC* Rising and more. On Saturday morning, we headed to OHM for a day of live music, talks, food and gathering. First up was Flora Päär, who led us through a guided meditation based on themes of Regeneration. We then presented performances by a wide range of multi-disciplinary artists from our community, from percussionist Kimia Bani and Oudai Amer, to rappers Real Mo and 6aha Aiwa, Henry Weekes' newly-formed band Marina Dances and singers Soraya, Douniah and May The Muse. As well as soaking up the music, attendees could check out stalls from BIWOC* Rising, Sea Eye and Arts Of The Working Class, as well as vinyl sale and some food supplied by Kreuzberger Himmel and Stewy Cakes. After the daytime programmed wrapped up at 9PM, we hosted a DJ workshop with CCL (in collaboration with AIAIAI), before getting stuck into an afterparty featuring No Plastic, Mark Ernestus, Sarah Farina and CCL and THC playing B2B for the first time in Berlin. Shows and recordings from the festival will be uploaded shortly. Many thanks to all our partners, performers and everyone who turned out across the weekend.  Produced with support from Berlin Musicboard. Carhartt WIP photos supplied with generosity by Changwook Gu.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host body and collective resistance workshop at Savvy Contemporary]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/savvy-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/savvy-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The session will be led by Camille Barton (AKA AfroOankali).]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Sunday 13 November, 14:00-16:00. How do we befriend our bodies? How do we help create a more beautiful world that our hearts know is possible? And how do we integrate these ideas into our daily lives?  On Sunday 13th November, we invite 15 participants to join us at the acclaimed Savvy Contemporary gallery and ideas lab (Wedding, Berlin), to take a two-hour workshop exploring our connection with our bodies, mindfulness and self-awareness. Through dance, consent exercises, personal sharing and discussion of René Descartes mind-body dualism, Camille Barton will lead the Sunday afternoon session towards a physical state fit for collective resistance in times of great change. Barton is an artist, drug policy advocate and embodiment educator from the UK and is now based in Amsterdam. This workshop is part of Savvy’s 4+3=1 exhibition, which deconstructs old philosophies, archaic ways of thinking and structures which control society.  Sign up for the workshop by emailing workshop@savvy-contemporary.com. Attendees should wear comfortable clothing, and bring a water bottle, notebook and pen. Listen to AfroOankali’s Bass Incarnate radio shows here. Photo credit: Lusi Mbira]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #93]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-25-oct-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-25-oct-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Melilla inquest | U.S. plots Haiti intervention | aequa fundraiser]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. In Limbo In this new feature, Liv Stroud speaks to BIPOC students who fled Ukraine at the start of the Russian invasion and now find themselves at the mercy of complex bureaucratic processes and racist European authorities. Click here to read the full feature. Nigeria Around 1.3 million people have been displaced by floods in Nigeria, which have wreaked havoc across 31 of the country’s 36 states and claimed 600 lives. Floods began in summer and have intensified after several months of above-average rainfall in Nigeria, another country in the global south to be disproportionately affected by climate crisis this year. Donate now to Fridays for Future Nigeria, who are fundraising to support families displaced by the floods. Melilla inquest Spain’s government have voted to block an official inquest into the Melilla massacre. On 24th June this year, 2000 people attempted to scale the border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla, resulting in the death of at least 37 people amid widespread reports of unjustified force by border guards. Spanish and Moroccan governments continue to blame and criminalise the survivors – over 75 have received criminal sentences – while avoiding any official probe into the massacre. U.S. plans intervention in Haiti The U.S. are looking to spearhead foreign intervention in Haiti to prop up the illegitimate government of Ariel Henry. Haiti’s political and humanitarian crisis has worsened in recent months – gangs have blocked the country’s main fuel terminal and many have taken to the streets to demand Henry’s resignation. Historically, U.S. military intervention in Haiti has largely served to strip Haitians of their right to self-determination and deepen crises under the guise of foreign aid. West Bank A new UN report has declared that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal under international law, citing the occupation’s “permanence and the Israeli Government’s de-facto annexation policies”. The announcement comes amid a significant increase in Israeli military operations, which have killed at least 100 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the year. Aequa fundraiser aequa, an intersectional community for social equity based in Wedding, are hosting a fundraiser at the weekly Mauerpark fleamarket this Sunday, 30th October. You can buy artwork, plants and other pieces from the aequa co-working space, and help them to raise money for their upcoming project at Exerzierstrasse 13.  Iran Talks This Tuesday, 25th October, Die Linke Neukölln are hosting a panel talk with Iranian feminist author Mina Khani and political scientist Dastan Jasim about the current situation in Iran, its political background and significance as a feminist revolutionary uprising. Head to Linx*44 at Shierkerstr. 26 at 19:00 to attend. European Tour Up next in our Europe-wide DJ workshop series with AIAIAI is Helsinki this weekend, hosted by DJ Fart In The Club, then Turin on November 5th (PLO Man) and Warsaw on November 12th (CCL). Apply at this link to join the tutorial, practice session and the party afterwards! Header Image: Poland, March 2022. Photo: Liv Stroud]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[In Limbo: the war-torn dreams of BIPOC students who fled Ukraine ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bipoc-students-who-fled-ukraine</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bipoc-students-who-fled-ukraine</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Liv Stroud speaks to students across Europe caught in a web of bureaucracy and racism.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[When the first bomb exploded on Ukrainian territory on the morning of February 24, 2022, it sparked the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War. According to the UNHCR, some 7.4 million people fled the country. Ukrainian government data from 2020 puts the number of international students at over 75,000, around half of whom moved to Ukraine from the African continent and India alone. Seven months since the start of the invasion, many of the BIPOC students who were forced to abruptly halt their studies have been caught in limbo, unable to return to their countries of origin, adrift in an ocean of paperwork and waiting for processes outside of their control.  (Medyka on the Ukraine/Poland border at the start of the war. Photo: Liv Stroud) BIPOC people forced to wait at the border Ahmed, a Palestinian second-year medic who was studying in Kharkiv, fled Ukraine shortly after the first Russian attacks. He bundled his British shorthair cat into a carrier and stuffed all he could into a couple of suitcases. Many students paid hundreds of dollars to get from the western Ukrainian city of Lviv to the border. Some walked between 20-100 kilometres. Ahmed had to abandon his suitcases somewhere along the way.  After a gruellingly long train journey, he was expecting a quick exit into safety through the Medyka border crossing. But for five days, Ahmed and his friends were forced to wait in sub-zero weather to cross, while white Ukrainians were prioritised and shuttled through. (Mohammad (left) and Ahmed (right) at the Medyka border crossing at the start of the war. Photo: Liv Stroud) “Some people hadn’t eaten in five days. I tried offering all the food I had... to the point where I wasn’t even eating,” Ahmed says. He gave most of his clothes to another refugee who was “almost freezing to death.” He adds that some of the people began to hallucinate since none of them had slept in four days. They were all over-exhausted, forced to sleep outside without any shelter from the elements. Ahmed recounts: “I tried making fires, but the border guards would put them out as soon as they saw them, and started shouting at us that they would hit us with the crowbar, or whatever they were holding. A lot of people were literally freezing. There was no water at that point. There was nothing to eat.” According to Ahmed, two people were beaten unconscious by border guards. When an ambulance arrived after 20 minutes, it only had space for one of them. Others were threatened by guards, who prescribed 'exercise' as a treatment for anyone who passed out from lack of warmth, food or water. “I lost hope in these people,” says Ahmed, describing how only 10 thin blankets were provided for around 1,000 refugees. This was only the beginning of the journey for many BIPOC students who had come to regard Ukraine as their home and had to flee the war. White Ukrainian women and children were given priority to pass through the border points, with black and brown women and children forced to wait in line. Eventually, Ahmed and his cat Cherry were among the 1 million refugees who managed to cross the border into Poland within the first week of the war, where they settled into camps to review their options. Exclusionary German bureaucracy  After a long journey from Poland, some of the students arrived at Berlin’s Central Station (Hauptbahnhof), drifting through makeshift camps with tables dedicated to clothes, food and medicine dotted through the space. Various German families clutched homemade cardboard signs with offers of accommodation scrawled across them. One architecture student from Morocco, who declined to give his name, said he and his two friends struggled to find a place to stay as many families were specifically looking to help white Ukrainian women and children. (Berlin Hauptbahnhof at the start of March. Photo: Liv Stroud) T. Vicky Germain is a Haitian-US activist who has helped organise the BIPOC booth at Hauptbahnhof since the start of the war. She says that although arrivals have thinned out, there are no official numbers of how many third-country nationals have arrived in Berlin or Germany since the start of the war. It’s presumed there are many who have become illegal, after missing the August 31 registration deadline imposed by German authorities. The main issues the BIPOC refugees face are gaining access to social and emergency funds, health insurance, which is compulsory in Germany, and access to food. “It’s a huge fight getting housing because many social offices don’t want to pay for housing for BIPOC folks,” Germain says. Many refugees were only able to find accommodation offers in apartments or rooms for weeks at a time. “You have people running from the same war, and those with Ukrainian citizenship are being treated in a more privileged way and those who don’t have Ukrainian citizenship are being treated differently. They don’t have the same rights to stay in Germany or to receive the same type of protection,” Germain says. Authorities in states including Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia have confiscated refugees' passports, refusing to return them, and other states have been issuing deportation notices and denying residency permits. “It’s really crazy since [the refugees were] legally tourists until the 31st of August," says Germain. In other states, like Bremen and Hamburg, people get six months to try to figure out what they’re going to do to learn the language and meet the requirements for the student visas. Germain says that she is hopeful of a better, more functional solution. Most of these students are professionals, and Germany already suffers from a major worker shortage. According to the Federal Employment Agency (BA), around 1.2 million workers are currently being sought, two-thirds of whom are skilled workers.  “There’s a need for these people here. So, I don’t know what the hold-up is,” Germain wonders. “You ask yourself – when will they finally arrive in a situation where they feel safe and can start living their lives?” Obstacles to continuing studies Nothing has changed in the last six months since Zimbabwean-born second-year medical student Korrine Sky, who was studying in Dnipro, returned from Ukraine to the UK. Sky, who obtained her British passport a few years ago, emailed 13 British universities when she arrived, to find out if she could continue her studies with any of them, but they all came back with reasons why they couldn’t accept students transferring from universities abroad – unless they are Ukrainian.  Sky’s main motivation to move to Ukraine two years ago was access to affordable university education, avoiding the eye-watering £9,000 tuition fees that British universities demand per year. She estimates her medical studies up until now have cost her £18,000, including fees, flights, accommodation, and other costs. Now, she feels like it has all been for nothing, as other universities are demanding she starts again from scratch. Some universities have been quick to offer places to Ukrainian nationals to transfer. The support for Sky and others in her situation has been “completely zero.” “I’m not asking for prioritisation. I’m asking for empathy to be extended to all victims of the war. And education is a right.  When people are educated, they can benefit society, the community and themselves. It’s literally the gateway out of poverty for many.” Sky points out. “So to be denied that on completely unfair grounds – we’re not the ones who started this war, we didn’t invade Ukraine, we haven’t caused all the violence – it feels as if we’re being penalised and disregarded.”  (Photo: Korrine Sky) Asylum applications rejected Sudanese aerospace engineering student Mustafa came to Berlin at the start of the war but soon left for The Hague in the Netherlands, because German bureaucracy made it impossible for him to register. Now, he is temporarily working in a logistics facility as a machine operator. His plan is to work for a year whilst he saves up, and then finish the last part of his degree.  The Dutch government has changed the laws recently to state that from July 19, people who had a temporary residence permit in Ukraine, for example, because they studied or worked there, can “no longer claim municipal shelter, living allowance, education, and medical care.” This includes third-country nationals from so-called “safe” countries.  Mustafa, who was lucky enough to arrive in the Netherlands before the deadline, says he met some refugees who prefer moving into other EU countries when their paperwork is rejected by other states, rather than returning to their country of origin, which authorities deem “safe.” “Even the Ukrainians are considered temporary. [Dutch authorities] don’t want a massive wave of people like us.” “Many people in Ukraine were not from safe countries, including Sudan. We have a military coup there, it’s really unstable there. I expect a civil war will happen,” he says. Others fear returning to their own country because of forced conscription. Mustafa warns, “you can’t make one law for everyone, there are always special and individual cases.” Mustafa says that if he were forced to return to Sudan, he would be arrested for protesting. So great is his fear to return to the country he was born in, that when his passport expired whilst he was in Ukraine, he went to renew it in Dubai, which cost more. The biggest challenge the refugees in the Netherlands face, Mustafa says, is that “the European union is suffering from gas [shortages], economy, inflation. They don’t want to accept more people. But even now we are working and paying tax. We are useful for the community.” Living in fear of deportation Like Mustafa, Algerian-born Ramy feels he cannot return to his native country. When he arrived as a refugee from Ukraine, the German government rejected his asylum application and offered him a €2,000 resettlement grant to return to Algeria. But Ramy says authorities do not provide translation for official documents, including forms to apply for asylum or returning of passports, leading to refugees signing forms permitting deportation they haven’t fully understood. “They trick us in this way. I asked for the form to be entirely translated.” Buy he says the authorities were reluctant to do so. “It was written that this person is going to exit the country as soon as possible. And they will give me €1,000 when I agree and €1,000 when I return to Algeria.”  German authorities kept Ramy's passport for six weeks, and he said some refugees ran away from Germany into other EU states without getting their passports back because they were so afraid of deportation. “They gave me a temporary permit, for three months, but you cannot do anything with that. You don’t have the right to work. They gave me a tax number so I can pay taxes, but I cannot apply for a job." Ramy fled to France, tired of waking up every morning afraid that German police would come to forcibly deport him without warning. “The police and German government treated me like a criminal,” he says. Now living in a refugee centre in France, Ramy fears that authorities are trying to set him up for deportation. He feels separate from Ukrainian refugees even though they are both fleeing the country for the same reason.   “I am in a centre for asylum and refugees here in France. And of course, the priority is for the Ukrainians,” he says. It has been the story of the last three years since he left Algeria for Ukraine in 2019. “I have nowhere to stay. No money. I was told I would find a place to stay, but outside of Paris. Maybe 300 miles (482 km) or more. And there I will start to make my documents for asylum.” Ramy says he feels he has been passed from pillar to post, whilst Ukrainians are made to feel welcome.  “Now I’m disappointed because I can’t find a job in seven months. My family is sending me money. It’s very hard in Europe alone, without documents.” He says he feels ashamed that he’s gone from sending his family money from Ukraine to needing support from them. “If I go back to Algeria, I have no future. I spent €10,000 to leave Algeria to go to Ukraine. I was working hard in Ukraine. Ukraine was a home for me. The [Ukrainian] population are open-minded. In Ukraine I had freedom.” (Photo: Ramy) When I first spoke to students at the Polish-Ukrainian border during the first few days of the war, they were elated that their journeys of suffering and horror were over. Many arrived in poor physical and mental health, but were convinced there would be no more hurdles. Unfortunately, thousands are still stuck in precarious and nightmarish housing, academic and financial situations. While many of the BIPOC refugees had made Ukraine their own home in their hearts, EU states are still forcing them to return to their countries of origin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the war in Ukraine essentially boils down to ‘democracy vs autocracy.’ But once again, when supporters of democracy come to Europe from outside, they find that Europe is only too happy to turn its back and hope they go away. (Poland, March 2022. Photo: Liv Stroud) Header image by Rasande Tyskar licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #92]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-18-oct-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-18-oct-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Human Rights Film Festival Berlin | Italy/Libya Memorandum | Mina Queercare workshop]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed. Human Rights Film Festival Berlin The Human Rights film festival continues this week. Check out films including Olha Zhurba's Outside (pictured), Q&A’s with filmmakers and talks on subjects like war reporting from Ukraine, intersectional feminist narratives and press freedom. This year’s theme is ‘Beyond Red Lines,’ with screenings across theatres in Berlin. Head to the HRFFB website to find out more.  Italy/Libya Memorandum On Saturday, protesters took to the streets across Europe in opposition to the Italy/Libya Memorandum, which is due to be renewed on the 2nd of November. Under the terms of the memorandum, Italy and the EU provide support to the Libyan coastguard, helping to sustain a well-documented system of exploitation, extortion and human rights abuse against refugees in detention in Libya. Head to IG: @SolidaryWithRefugeesinLibya to find out how you can get involved. Iran On Saturday a fire broke out in Evin prison in the Iranian capital Tehran. Four people were killed and sixty-one injured in Evin, which mostly holds political prisoners and has long been criticised by human rights groups. Meanwhile, Iran’s political and feminist revolution continues to gain momentum as nationwide anti-regime protests enter their fifth week. At least 215 people have been killed by security forces since the uprising began, including 27 children, according to Iran Human Rights. Berlin Collective Action fund Berlin Collective Action have reopened applications to their funding program, which provides people in Berlin impacted by risk and violence with the support needed to pay for rent, health insurance, food and other necessities. Head to B.C.A. to find out more. Horst This Saturday our Europe tour heads to the Horst x Nachtlab Lab conference in Leuven, Belgium, where we will take part in a panel about "(Re)forming Communities" and host a DJ workshop given by Bibi Seck. Miista On Thursday this week, we are curating the music for the Miista x City Slang Records pop-up store in Mitte. Come by Münzstrasse 7 to hear sets by Alias Error (above), Ella Victoria, Jaxx TMS and Hanaby, as well as browsing Miista's new range. Queercare workshop Lisbon-based queer party collective Mina Suspension are running a workshop series on Harm Reduction & Queercare in collaboration with Clubcomission Berlin. The workshops take place on Thursday 3rd and Monday 7th October and will focus on the ‘Raver’s Care Corner’ that Mina host at their parties, as well as exploring crisis situations relating to drugs and anxiety. Oona This week at Oona: on Tuesday night Stella Zekri is back in the booth for a two-hour slot alongside Dee Diggs. On Wednesday afternoon, Ziúr invites artist and writer DeForrest Brown Jr. to the Now Now Residency, followed by sets from Zoë Mcpherson, Ciarra Black and more.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide curates Miista pop-up store]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/miista-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/miista-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In collaboration with City Slang Records.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Münzstraße 7, 10178 Berlin Mitte. London-based fashion brand Miista are hosting a pop-up store in Berlin from the October 10th - November 5th, in collaboration with City Slang Records.  Amplifying local projects and initiatives during their time in the city, the Miista pop-up store will see workshops, talks, tattoo artists, and musicians alongside DJ sets every weekend. Thursday, October 20th (16:00-20:00) sees Refuge Worldwide takeover the store with residents Alias Error, Ella Victoria, Jaxx TMS and Hanaby helming the DJ booth. The sets will be broadcast post-event on Refuge Worldwide, alongside an interview with Miista co-founder Laura Villasenin. All sales on the day of our takeover will be donated to Women In Exile.  Founded in 1990, City Slang is an independent international record label representing over 40 artists spanning a wide range of styles that helped shape the last three decades of alternative music. Miista X City Slang Opening Days  10th October - 5th November Mondays - Saturdays (closed Sundays) // 12:00 - 19:00  Münzstraße 7, 10178 Berlin, Germany 
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            <title><![CDATA[Creative Studios: Photo Story]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/creative-studios-berlin-photo-story</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/creative-studios-berlin-photo-story</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Looking back at 6 weeks of radio workshops in Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In collaboration with Apple Creative Studios and Open Music Lab.  Last June and July we hosted a four-week radio workshop programme with the aim to provide 40 participants with the access and training needed to produce brand-new radio shows for broadcast on the station. This series of workshops, studio sessions and field trips were assisted by a revolving cast of artists and music professionals, including a number of Refuge Worldwide residents.  Above, Refuge Worldwide residents Maryisonacid and CCL host DJ workshops. In the voice training workshop, participants learned warm-up exercises such as deep breathing and voice control, and were guided through common problems and speech vocabulary.  Participants at the audience engagement workshop learnt about the importance of visual content creation, hosted by filmmaker, photographer and Refuge Worldwide resident Dhanesh Jayaselan.  Participants also got to explore interview techniques, formats, journalistic ethics and how to formulate interview questions. They learnt about crafting stories for music and talk shows, incorporating research to enhance content and keeping listeners engaged. On Radio Insight Day, hosted at the Refuge Worldwide studio, participants were given an overview of the day-to-day process of running a radio station, including tutorials on studio equipment and insight into how programming is structured.  The radio workshop series culminated in participants broadcasting their original shows on Refuge Worldwide. Listen back here to all the shows by participants, exploring Cambodian Civil War era pop, disability in rave cuture, relational listening, time capsules, Weserstraße, slow jams and much more. Thanks to all who helped to bring our radio workshop series to life – Creative Studios Berlin, Open Music Lab, Oyoun, plus all participants and mentors. Photos by Maria Strum.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bubble World takeover with KMRU, Martyn Bootsypoon and more]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bubble-world-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bubble-world-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday 15th October, 14:00-02:00 (CET), Oona Bar and online.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Saturday, Bubble World host Christa Belle is bringing nine artists to Oona Bar for an all-day showcase. Head to Weserstr. 166 or tune in live from 14:00 CET for 12 hours of music and talk, including a live mix by KMRU exploring Black (hi)stories from the African continent and its diaspora, aural and tonal experiments courtesy of Felisha Ledesma, and a discussion on sound, language and friendship with Martyn Bootyspoon.  At Oona you can also check out a one-off video installation by Trouble Pictures. Screenings will include artist portraits of Jackie House of Honey Soundsystem, Noncompliant and Shaun J Wright. Trouble Pictures has also created a special limited edition zine with Terre Thaemlitz aka DJ Sprinkles called TERRE THAEMLITZ - Top 11 Favorite Movies That Date Me Terribly, which will be on sale alongside tapes and records by KMRU and Doc Sleep.  Check out the full lineup with set times below: 14:00 Como La Flor 16:00 Trouble Pictures 17:00 Christa Belle & Martyn Bootyspoon 18:00 Craig Schüftan 19:00 KMRU 20:00 Felisha Ledesma 21:00 Doc Sleep 22:00 Gordo 23:00 Data Plan 01:00 Christa Belle ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #91]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-11-oct-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-11-oct-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Feminist revolution in Iran | Yemen's failed truce | Human Rights Film Festival Berlin]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Iran  Iran’s women-led anti-regime uprising enters its fourth week. Nationwide protests under the banner of ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ are being met with violent repression - over 180 people have been killed by the state since protests began according to Iran Human Rights, including over 90 in the Sistan and Baluchistan province. One activist told the New Arab: ‘it is already a revolution – a social, a political and a feminist one. Women are in the front row and Mahsa (Amini) has become a symbol of the 43 years of suppression.’ Human Rights Film Festival This years Human Rights Film Festival Berlin begins this Thursday, 13th October. Head to @hrffb to check out the full programme of screenings, talks and workshops taking place at venues across the city. This year’s theme ‘Beyond Red Lines’ focuses on the questions: ‘How do we as an international community react when red lines are crossed? What consequences does crossing red lines have for our society?’ Get 5 cinema tickets for 40€ over on the official website. Now you see me Moria call for experts Now You See Me Moria, a project devoted to documenting and raising awareness of the realities faced by refugees, is building a database of refugee camps across Europe and the people who live there. They’re looking for researchers or anyone with on-the-ground knowledge to help out. Head to their IG (@now_you_see_me_moria) to learn more about the project. End of Yemeni truce A truce in Yemen came to an end last week, as opposing factions in the country’s civil war - the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Houthi rebels - failed to agree to new ceasefire terms. Although some fighting continued over the course of the 6-month truce, there was a significant reduction in the rate of people being forced to flee their homes. There are fears that violence will escalate again in the country facing one of the world’s worst - and most neglected - humanitarian crises. Breakfast Show On October 11th we are launching our flagship Breakfast Show! Taking place from 10am until midday, from Tuesday until Friday each week, begin your day with the eclectic selections of Mokeyanju (Tuesdays & Thursdays) and Nikola (Wednesdays & Fridays). We also just launched our new chatroom, allowing for smoother real-time interaction. Join us there 24/7.  Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide Breakfast Show Goes Live]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/breakfast-show-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/breakfast-show-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tuesday at 10am, join us in the chatroom!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Wakey wakey! It's breakfast show time! Finally, we are super excited to start our new, flagship breakfast show on October 11th. Taking place from 10am until midday, from Tuesday until Friday each week, begin your day with the eclectic musical selections of Mokeyanju aka Jummy (Tuesdays & Thursdays) and Nikola (Wednesdays & Fridays). As well as music, the hosts will be serving you local news, interviews, updates from the community and much more. Alongside the Breakfast Show, our new chatroom goes live too, allowing for smoother real-time interaction with the hosts. Join us there 24/7 and get all your track ID requests as well as studio news and chat with the Refuge Worldwide community. Mokeyanju is a German-Nigerian poet and performer who has been a resident of the station since our launch. Nikola is a DJ, host of the Front Row Dancer show and an experienced radio presenter based in Berlin. Before the breakfast show kicks off, get to know our two hosts a little better with the below Q&As. What can listeners expect from your breakfast show? Nikola: First of all: We are in Berlin. So our Breakfast Show starts at 10am and as we desperately miss a breakfast show that focuses on our community that’s not being represented by big media I’ll try to focus on music and topics you would usually not hear on any mainstream-radio. Music-wise we will have jazz, breaks, tasteful 80s, house, pop, you name it. And of course we will invite guests: artists, both musical and visual, activists, fierce figures from the scene and we’ll try to make the mornings in Berlin more bearable. 
How are you feeling about this new experience? Its not really a new experience in a sense that I’ve done so many shows over the last 8 years. I started out ages ago as an intern at (now not longer existing) BLN.FM where I had several shows that I created from scratch and later worked for DLF Kultur and commercial radio. But it is for sure exciting because Refuge Worldwide filled a gap in Berlin that we had for several years: Creating a true community radio representing what’s so special about this city - it’s incredible diversity in people and arts. So doing the morning show is definitely a big responsibility as this will be the new flagship Refuge Worldwide show. I’m a bit nervous. Even if we have a brief idea where the show is heading to and the host of the show is pretending to have everything under control - he has not. Most of it will develop and grow over time. Anything else you would like to share about the show? We will also have a new chatroom at Refuge Worldwide and I’m very much looking forward to all kinds of messages. As we are in Berlin I think the show could easily be renamed as „Morning Therapy“.   What can listeners expect from your breakfast show ? Jummy: Finely selected tunes from all corners of the world, occasional special guests and of course some fresh material from Berlin's finest and beyond. I will surely be asking listeners what's happening around them, so that chatroom's gonna be active and alive.  Is hosting a show like this a new experience for you? Are you excited ?  Radio is my favourite medium, and though I listen to it everyday and got my own radio show too, the Breakfast show is definitely 'Neuland' for me - a very intriguing journey with probably lots of fun surprises. But Refuge's booth is basically like home for me now, so I guess that gives me a home advantage. Anything else you would like to share about the show ? Tune in to hear some vibrant new things! The Breakfast Show goes live Tuesday 11th October at 10am.  Photos by Kolja]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #90]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-04-oct-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-04-oct-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Facebook in Myanmar | Queer Palestinian film | O-Platz is 10]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Facebook and violence in Myanmar Facebook algorithms ‘amplified and promoted’ hatred and violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, according to a new report by Amnesty. Beginning in 2017, Myanmar’s military has committed genocide against the Rohingya population, forcing over a million to flee and creating the worlds largest refugee camp, Kutupalong, in neighbouring Bangladesh. Amnesty claim that the company’s “relentless pursuit of profit” aided the spread of violent hate speech and disinformation before and during the genocide. Meta (formerly Facebook) has repeatedly ignored calls from activists to take action. Iran strikes Iraqi Kurdistan Iran has launched missile and drone strikes on Northern Iraq, officially targetting Kurdish “separatist terrorists” who are accused of fueling the ongoing protests against Iran’s government. UNICEF has reported that a pregnant woman and two children were among those killed. Protests in Iran began last month after the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Zhina Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for breaching Iran’s strict hijab mandate. Germany makes arms deal with Saudi Arabia The German government have approved new weapons export deals with Saudi Arabia, defying a 2018 ban on arms exports to countries involved in the war in Yemen. The new deal is part of a joint program with Italy, Spain and Britain. A Saudi-led military coalition have been supporting the Yemeni government against Houthi rebels over the course of Yemen’s eight-year civil war, which has led to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.  Queer Palestinian film festival in Berlin A queer Palestinian film festival is taking place on Tuesday 4th October at AL Berlin on Skalitzer Strasse, presented by @quarcberlin, @berlinagainstpinkwashing and @palestinespeaks. The first edition of أثر ATHAR looks to open up a new queer space for the work of Palestinian film-makers. Germany amends law for queer refugees Germany has introduced a new amendment that will help queer people applying for asylum. Previously, queer people were only considered at risk of persecution if they had been threatened with violence, death or imprisonment due to their sexual identity. Laws against homosexuality were not considered grounds for asylum if the person was not openly living with their queer identity. The new amendment will protect those who "feel forced to lead a dangerous double life" in their country of origin. Refuge Worldwide Breakfast Show Our brand new Breakfast Show goes live on Tuesday, 11th October at 10am. Full details will be announced this week. Our flagship show will serve music, local news, interviews and much more. O-Platz is 10 This week, International Women* Space will commemorate the history and legacy of the O-Platz movement, which began 10 years ago this October when refugees and activists occupied Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg. Don’t miss Angela Davis in conversation with Napuli Langa and Jennifer Kamau on Thursday at 10am. On Sunday, Sozi36 are hosting a workshop on graffiti and political messaging. Head to @iwspace.de to find out more Tag Der Clubkultur From Monday, 3rd October, until Sunday, 9th October, we are hosting an online and offline series of special Tag Der Clubkultur broadcasts and workshops at Oona, as well as a listening event at K.wia on Friday evening. Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Our Tag Der Clubkultur program announced]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tag-der-clubkultur-program</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tag-der-clubkultur-program</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 03 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A week to celebrate Berlin club culture.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[It's TDC week! From Monday, October 3rd, through Sunday, October 9th, we are hosting an online and offline series of special Tag Der Clubkultur broadcasts and workshops at Oona, as well as a listening event at K.wia. There will be DJ workshops (in collaboration with BLVSH), an interactive turntable installation hosted by Kate Miller, a production workshop with Playtronica and our usual offering of free-to-book studio sessions. In addition, we have TDC special radio shows from Tahl Klainman-who will explore psychedelics in club culture-Future Female Sounds, BLVSH, Raiders, DJ Swisha and promoters Hypersoft. Ambient listening bar K.wia will share some recordings from their archive to soundtrack Tuesday morning, and Refuge Worldwide's Richard Akingbehin interviews Groove Service founder Peeps about the place of house dancing in Berlin's clubs. On Friday evening, we host a night of downtempo music and spoken word at K.wia, on Maybachufer, curated by O.N.A.  On Saturday, there is a four-hour takeover from Vio PRG's Flight Mode show and an all-star B2B session hosted by Mama Lior. To round off, on Sunday, we will rebroadcast some of our favourites from the archive which deal with issues surrounding club culture in Berlin. Many thanks to the Club Commission and shout out to all the fantastic collectives who applied for this year's TDC. Header photo by Ellie Coker]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Regenerate Festival Magazine Now Available Online]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/zine</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/zine</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Check out our first printed magazine, now online and in audio formats.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Interviews, features, illustrations, news and a poem. The first Refuge Worldwide printed magazine has arrived and is available to pick up for free at our space, Oona, as well as at all the Regenerate Festival events. The 40 pages include interviews with YA Z AN, Nour, Space Of Urgency, Lilipad and more, as well as a feature on the art of archiving and one on the changing face of Neukölln. Refuge resident Cate Gowers contributed an illustration entitled "Uplift" and Nat Marcus wrote a poem based on the vocals in a Masters At Work track. Big thanks to all the contributors to the zine. The zine is now available in digital format here, and in audio format here. Design by Panorama Studio, layout by Graeme Bateman. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[THC & CCL, Mark Ernestus and Sarah Farina - Regenerate After-Party]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-after-party</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-after-party</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This Saturday at OHM]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide head to OHM this Saturday. Regenerate Festival’s after-party runs from 23:00-07:00 on Saturday night, featuring Hard Wax and Basic Channel founder Mark Ernestus, the first ever Berlin back-to-back from CCL & THC, alongside Emergent Bass head Sarah Farina and No Plastic. Patreon members please DM for Q Skip. Regenerate's three-day event will start on Thursday 29th September (20:00) at Carhartt WIP’s location in Berlin Mitte, where Refuge Worldwide celebrate the launch of a new Regenerate Zine, our first printed magazine, as well as a limited edition long sleeve shirt going on sale, produced in collaboration with Carhartt. There will be complimentary drinks and a DJ set from Sarah Farina, The Neighbourhood Character & MAF. On Friday, September 30th, Regenerate takes over to Refuge Worldwide's home-base, Oona Bar, with a microphone building workshop by YA Z AN and dedicated radio shows courtesy of Thea, Nikola, BIWOC* Rising, No Plastic & Kemback, The Neighbourhood Character & MAF, Jonah Considine and Max GL & Elise. Full festival details here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Angela Davis to speak at O-Platz anniversary in Kreuzberg]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/angela-davis-to-appear-at-o-platz-anniversary-in-kreuzberg</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/angela-davis-to-appear-at-o-platz-anniversary-in-kreuzberg</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join International Women* Space at Oranienplatz from the 5th to the 9th of October.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join IWS to celebrate the history and legacy of the O-Platz movement. October 2022 marks 10 years since the establishment of the Oranienplatz protest camp and the occupation of the Gerhart-Hauptmann School on Ohlauer Straße by refugees and activists, a critical moment in the history of the refugee resistance movement. To mark the anniversary, International Women* Space (IWS), a feminist, anti-racist and anti-colonial protest group whose origins can be traced back to the 2012-2014 O-Platz occupation, will return to Oranienplatz to host an art and culture festival from the 5th to 9th of October.  American Black activist, philosopher and author Angela Davis will appear at Oranienplatz at 10:00am on Thursday 6th October alongside refugee activist Napuli Langa and IWS co-founder Jennifer Kamau for a press conference on the racist treatment of BIPOC refugees. Davis, a long-time supporter of Germany’s refugee resistance movement, visited Berlin in 2015 to speak to activists from the O-Platz movement.  Listen to Nicky Böhm's Flip The Script radio show with Lucy Nganga from IWS here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #89]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-sep-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-27-sep-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Iran protests | O-Platz anniversary | Kotti fuer Alle ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Iran protests Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the death of Zhina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died after being arrested by morality police in Tehran for wearing her hijab in an “improper” way. Hundreds of protesters, journalists and activists have since been arrested. The Iranian judiciary has vowed “decisive action without leniency” against the protesters. Countless social media platforms are now blocked in Iran, and the death toll has reached at least 41 people (according to official numbers).  Italian elections Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Italy’s general election, becoming the country’s first female prime minister and leader of Italy’s most far-right government since the fascist era of Benito Mussolini. Meloni’s Brothers of Italy emerged as the biggest party in Sunday’s elections with 26% of the vote. Her coalition partners, Matteo Salvini’s League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forward Italy, have won enough votes to guarantee a parliamentary majority. Angela Davis US civil rights activist, philosopher and author Angela Davis (below) is coming to Kreuzberg on October 6th for a discussion on the racist treatment of BiPoC refugees. Davis will appear alongside activist Napuli Langa and Internation Women* Space co-founder Jennifer Kamau at a five-day open-air art installation at Oranienplatz. The event marks the 10th anniversary of the O-Platz occupation, a key moment in the history of Germany’s refugee resistance movement. Berlin Marathon Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge finished the Berlin Marathon clocking 2:01:09 on Sunday, smashing his previous world record set on the same course four years ago by 30 seconds. Kipchoge was so far ahead of everyone else that he had time to hug his trainer, greet friends, pose for photos, and wave the Kenyan flag before the second-place runner finished, four minutes and 49 seconds later. Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa won the women's race in a course record of 2:15:37.  Musicians for Palestine On Tuesday, September 27th, Radio AlHara and the Al-jisser cultural space in the occupied Palestinian West Bank will broadcast a one-off show featuring four hours of music by artists joining the #MusiciansForPalestine initiative. Hundreds of musicians have pledged their support for Palestinian human rights since the 2021 appeal by Musicians for Palestine to protest the bombardment of Gaza. Lilipad need volunteers Our partners, Lilipad, a Berlin-based NGO working to improve children’s lives by promoting a culture of reading and the love of learning, are looking for German-speaking volunteers to join their core team as Project Coordinators. Lilipad has built libraries in Germany, Morocco and Uganda. To apply as a volunteer, write an email to community@lilipad.org Kotti fuer Alle This Friday, Kotti für Alle will hold a demonstration in protest to plans for a new police station at Kottbusser Tor. The controversial plans, which will cost the state around 2,5 million euros, include heightened video surveillance of Kotti, and are expected to intensify existing patterns of police violence and racial profiling in the area. We stand with Kotti fuer Alle in rejecting these plans and demanding "social solutions to social problems." No AFD Berlin @noafdberlin is organizing a seminar focusing on attempts by Germany’s far-right AfD party to infiltrate social movements. The talk will take place on Friday, 30.9 at 19:30 at ZGK in Friedrichshain, and is in collaboration with Aufstehen gegen Rassismus and Mobile Beratung gegen Rechtsextremismus Berlin. Selective solidarity Refugee support group Wir packen’s an will host a panel discussion on selective solidarity next Monday at Kulturmarkthalle, Berlin. Panelists include representatives from BIPoC Ukraine & Friends in Germany, the Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland and TAZ. Wir packen’s an are also receiving donations of warm clothing and other essentials. Head to their IG to find out more: @wir_packen_s_an Regenerate Festival We kick off our annual festival weekender on Thursday, at the Carhartt WIP store in Mitte. There will be DJ sets, the launch of our new apparel collaboration and zine, as well as free drinks. On Friday, we move to our HQ Oona for a day of workshops and live radio. Saturday’s programme takes place at Tresor, with live performances, panels, screenings, workshops and DJ sets taking place across the garden and OHM space. Everything, save from the OHM afterparty, is free to attend. Oona This week at Oona: on Tuesday night Berlin creative collective deadHYPE land on Weserstr. On Wednesday night, John Loveless is joined by Time Machine host Ady Toledano for the Hot Concept show. Don’t miss Katerinha & Njeri’s return to the booth for the second edition of their Club Collage residency (below) on Thursday. Image 1 and 2 licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide & Carhartt WIP]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-and-carhartt-wip</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-and-carhartt-wip</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Limited edition apparel drop and magazine launch - Regenerate Festival warm-up]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Thursday in Berlin. Regenerate Festival's three-day run will start on Thursday 29th September at Carhartt WIP’s location in Berlin Mitte (Rosenthaler Str. 48). Join us for the warm-up party to celebrate our new Regenerate Zine, Refuge Worldwide’s first printed magazine, as well as dropping some long-awaited and very limited edition apparel, produced in collaboration with Carhartt WIP. Come down from 20:00 for DJ sets by The Neighbourhood Character & MAF and Sarah Farina, as well as complimentary drinks. We will have a limited amount of the long-sleeves on sale, designed by Studio Panorama (40€ - cash or PayPal only). The 40-page zine houses a number of features with performers and members of our community who are involved with this year's Regenerate Festival, including YA Z AN and Nour, as well as features on Space Of Urgency and the art of archiving. Refuge resident Cate Gowers has also contributed an illustration and Nat Marcus has written a poem. The zines will be given out free of charge. Photos by Rowan Allen. Modelled by Camilla Rae. Design Studio Panorama.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Listen back: Tresor 31]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/t31-x-carhartt-wip</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/t31-x-carhartt-wip</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Eight hours of music and discussion, broadcast in collaboration with Carhartt WIP.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Check out a selection of DJ sets and panels from Tresor's 31st-anniversary festival. Yesterday, September 19th, we shared a selection of DJ sets and panels recorded in the hallowed halls of Tresor, Globus, OHM and Kraftwerk. The panels include a discussion on Intersectional Awareness and Equitable Curation, a conversation between Brendan Gillen and Beate Bartel, a talk between the judges of Tresor's Save The Night funding campaign and DeForrest Brown shedding light on his book Assembling A Black Counter Culture. The DJ sets come from rRoxymore, Paurro, Mafou and Jensen Interceptor. Strap in for a snapshot of the energy on the Tresor dancefloors over the summer. Listen back to all Tresor shows here. Thanks to Carhartt WIP for supporting this broadcast. (Header photo: Frankie Casillo)]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #88]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-20-sep-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-20-sep-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Berlin's 29€ ticket | Nagorno-Karabakh | EU's militarised borders]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Berlin transport The Berlin senate has finally decided on a successor to the 9-euro ticket: a 29€ per month ticket that will run from October to December. The caveats: The ticket will only be available on a subscription basis for all 3 months, and will only be valid in the AB fare zone. The move is part of the Senate’s new relief package and is probably a temporary solution until states reach a decision on a nationwide discounted ticket, which so far seems unlikely.  Nagorno-Karabakh Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan flared up again last week in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, suggesting a renewed escalation of one of the longest-running conflicts in post-soviet Eurasia. 170 soldiers were killed in two days last week, before a ceasefire. Russia is a key ally to Armenia, and some commentators have suggested that Azerbaijan is looking to take advantage of Russia’s recent setbacks in Ukraine by strengthening its position in the region. EU borders Europe’s borders are becoming increasingly dangerous, while vulnerable people seeking refuge in Europe are systematically used to test new and illegal surveillance technologies. In a new interview for Progressive International, academic Mark Akkerman discusses the militarisation of Europe’s borders, and how large security companies are making fortunes from the EU’s harsh and racist migration policies. Casa Kua workshop  Trans/inter/queer community and health centre Casa Kuà have announced their three-day transdisciplinary workshop entitled T R A N S A C T. The workshop aims to explore an artistic discourse on the queer body and will include bodywork, performances and life drawing. To register, shoot an email to 5hrimp@posteo.de.  GROOVE internship GROOVE Magazine is seeking an intern (paid) from October 2022 for three months (full-time) or six months (part-time). If you’re passionate about electronic music and interested in writing about it, check out the application requirements here.  Open Music Lab On Thursday, Berlin-based non-profit Open Music Lab will celebrate the release of their new release, Diffraction, with a party at Acud Macht Neu. Lineup includes live performance from rapper RealMo, a sound installation by Hami Mehr & Ben Osborn and DJ sets from students, friends and Berlin regulars like Panasiagirl, Juba, Sarah Farina and Mor Elian. Read more here. Euro Workshop Tour It’s less than two weeks until we begin our Europe-wide tour of parties and workshops, taking place in 10 cities from October until December. Applications to the workshops, which are held in collaboration with AIAIAI, are now open. The workshops will take place in the clubs where we are hosting events (Berlin, Helsinki, Warsaw, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Prague, Kaunas, Leuven, Turin and London). Apply now.  Oona This week at Oona: African jazz specialist Mmakgosi Kgabi is back for another 2-hour slow on Thursday night. On Friday, the Time Machine team take on 1977, before shows by Laura Vargas, Dangermami and more.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Open Music Lab presents Diffraction LP]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oml-diffraction-release-party</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oml-diffraction-release-party</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Release party: 22nd September, 18:00-04:00, Acud Macht Neu, Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Berlin-based non-profit Open Music Lab will celebrate the release of their new release, Diffraction, with a party at Mitte venue Acud Macht Neu. Diffraction is a 10-track compilation of original material from OML's community of up-and-coming music producers. On this release, which follows the EP's Quanta and Redox, artists like Panasiagirl, Juba and YA Z AN are called on to 'showcase their individuality, channeling their cultural backgrounds, personal identities and lived experience. The tracks move through many moods and soundscapes, reflecting the journeys of their creators.' You can preorder Diffraction now via bandcamp. From 18:00 until late, OML will celebrate with the launch of their new release with a lineup that includes a live performance from Iranian rapper RealMo, a sound installation by Hami Mehr & Ben Osborn and DJ sets from students, friends and Berlin regulars like Panasiagirl, Juba, Sarah Farina and Mor Elian. Check out the full lineup below: Hami Mehr feat. Ben Osborn (sound art installation) Juba b2b Sarah Farina King Sleepy b2b YA Z AN Laguna Park II Mabenge Mor Elian ophélie Panasiagirl RealMo (live) Thea]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #87]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-13-sep-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-13-sep-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[German deportations to Pakistan | Nyege Nyege Festival | Chris Kaba]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Nyege Nyege Festival Uganda’s Nyege Nyege festival (pictured) will take place next weekend, despite threats by the government to ban the event on the grounds of ‘sexual immorality.’ After a tense 24 hours, Uganda’s prime minister Robinah Nabbanja confirmed that the event will be allowed to go ahead last Wednesday, although some new regulations are expected to be introduced. Since its first edition in 2015, Nyege Nyege has become a vital outlet for pan-African contemporary music. German deportations to Pakistan The German government are being accused of ‘humanitarian bankruptcy’ after a deportation flight took off from Munich last Tuesday bound for Pakistan, a country that is currently experiencing catastrophic flooding. According to humanitarian groups in Germany, many of the people on board may have been eligible to stay in the country under the government’s new ‘right to remain’ law. Last year, 513 people were forcibly deported from Germany to Pakistan. London On Saturday, thousands of people marched through the streets of London to protest the murder of Chris Kaba, a 24-year-old black man who was shot and killed by police while unarmed in South London on Monday. In a statement, Chris Kaba’s family said: ‘we need answers and we need accountability. We are worried that if Chris had not been Black, he would have been arrested on Monday evening and not had his life cut short.’ The UK’s police watchdog has launched a homicide investigation into the killing. Denmark's Rwanda plan  In a joint declaration, the Danish and Rwandan governments have revealed new plans to ‘transfer’ people seeking asylum from Denmark to Rwanda. Denmark has adopted one of Europe’s harshest approaches to immigration – last year, prime minister Mette Frederiksen announced his aim to have zero asylum seekers in the country. The announcement echoes the UK’s inhumane Rwanda deportation plan, which is currently in limbo after the scheme’s first scheduled deportation flight was deemed illegal by the UNHCR. Refuge Worldwide European workshop tour Applications are now open for 11 DJ workshops we are hosting in collaboration with AIAIAI. The workshops will take place in the clubs where we are hosting events on our first European tour, in Berlin, Helsinki, Warsaw, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Prague, Kaunas, Leuven, Turin and London. Full information on the Refuge European tour and workshop series is available here. Feature writing workshop Next Monday we are hosting a feature writing workshop for writers of all experience levels. Come along to learn the type of stories our community is interested in, brainstorm ideas, and take part in a hands-on feature writing exercise to hone your skills. The workshop will be led by Berlin-based journalist Jessica Bateman and Refuge Worldwide's supervising editor Dina Elsayed. Applications are open until Tuesday, 13th September. Oona This week at Oona: on Wedesday Berlin party and 90s house music collective BRENN celebrate their fifth birthday, with a two-hour show hosted by residents Lewamm Ghebremariam, Flemish Fetish & Sherø. On Thursday night, resident Nikki Nair makes his long-awaited IRL debut, as a guest on Olin’s World.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Root Radio Istanbul takeover on Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/root-radio-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/root-radio-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday 10th September, 14:00-23:00, Oona Bar and online.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Saturday, Root Radio Istanbul are taking over Refuge Worldwide with 9 hours of music from residents and friends of the radio. Root Radio began as a series of intercultural events, concerts and talks, with the aim of providing a space of dialogue for local and migrant communities, and has transformed into an online platform for artists and activists and collectives from across the world, broadcasting live from Istanbul. The takeover brings together 10 artists spanning experimental electronic music, jazz, ambient and more. Check out the full lineup below. o  K Ahmedshk jonah p. Taradud Monti & Donna Silverstein Donna Silverstein Mariana Berezovska Diana Azzuz Dj Regret (pictured) Geisha Online]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide announces 11-date European tour]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tour-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tour-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide will host parties and AIAIAI-supported DJ workshops around Europe]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Starting and ending in the radio station’s home city of Berlin, the first Refuge Worldwide club tour runs from October 1st to December 9th. Tickets here. The 11 dates include stops in Amsterdam (Garage Noord), Helsinki (Post Bar), Turin (Bunker), London (Corsica Studios), Prague (Ankali), Leuven (Horst Lab), Rotterdam (Poing), Kaunas (Lizdas) and Warsaw (Jasna1). The two Berlin dates will be the tour launch at Tresor’s OHM club—part of Refuge’s annual Regenerate weekender—and the final date at Berghain’s Panorama Bar on December 9th. Collaborators on the tour include Black Artist Database, who have co-curated the London date, Laura BCR’s On Board Music in Rotterdam and Gravity Network in Prague. Artists booked for the 11 dates include Mark Ernestus, THC, Bradley Zero, Yen Sung, Charisse C, PLO Man, Konduku, Shannen SP, Roska, DJ Fart In The Club, Stella Zekri, Laura BCR, plus station residents such as Sarah Farina, CCL, Gramrcy, Ophélie, Sally C, O.N.A, YUI and co-founders No Plastic and Richard Akingbehin.  Before each event, there will be a DJ workshop held at the venue in collaboration with AIAIAI headphones. One of the DJs playing at the club night will give a tutorial, before participants have time to try out playing on a club setup for the first time. A continuation of Refuge Worldwide and AIAIAI’s partnership on the Zaatari Radio workshops in Amman, and AIAIAI’s bi-monthly Freedom To Create talkshow on Refuge Worldwide, these DJ workshops are aimed at empowering a new generation of DJs, allowing access to equipment, removing barriers to entry and striving for greater diversity in the DJ community. Apply to be part of the DJ workshops by filling out the form here. 
Oct 1, OHM, Berlin, DE Oct 14 Garage Noord, Amsterdam, NL Oct 22 Horst Lab, Leuven, BE (workshop + panel) Oct 29 Post Bar, Helsinki, FI Nov 6, Bunker, Turin, IT Nov 12 Jasna1, Warsaw, PL Nov 25 Corsica Studios, London (with Black Artist Database), UK Nov 26 Lizdas, Kaunas, LT Dec 2 Poing, Rotterdam (with On Board Music), NL Dec 2 Ankali, Prague (with Gravity Network), CZ Dec 9 Panorama Bar, Berlin, DE 

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            <title><![CDATA[Feature writing - workshop applications now open]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/writing-workshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/writing-workshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Upcoming workshop gives budding writers a chance to hone their skills]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Calling all budding writers: Refuge Worldwide are hosting a feature writing workshop. No matter your experience level, if you have a passion for art, culture, and social justice, this workshop is for you. Come along to this session to learn what type of stories our community is interested in, brainstorm your ideas with our editor, and take part in a hands-on feature writing workshop to hone your skills. This workshop will be led by Berlin-based journalist Jessica Bateman and Refuge Worldwide's supervising editor Dina Elsayed.  Date: Monday, 19th of September Time: 17:00 - 19:00 Location: Refuge Worldwide (Westerstr. 166) Application deadline: Tuesday, 13th of Sep Apply here. Jessica Bateman is a freelance journalist specialising in social and human rights issues. She has over a decade’s experience writing features for publications including The Guardian, Wired, The Economist 1843, Vice, The Nation and Foreign Policy, and has reported and presented several audio documentaries for the BBC World Service.  Dina Elsayed is the Supervising Editor at Refuge Worldwide and a Berlin-based podcast producer. She started her journalistic career covering the 2011 uprisings in her native Egypt and her work, which focuses on social and cultural issues, has appeared in various mediums on numerous outlets including NPR, Financial Times and CTV News. Header image by Frankie Casillo.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #86]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-6-sep-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-6-sep-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Chile constitution vote | Pakistan fundraisers | Energy rebate]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. One-off energy rebate The German government approved a package aimed at providing financial relief to rising energy costs back in March, including a one-off €300 allowance for all workers who pay tax and social insurance contributions in 2022 to be paid in September. The one-off rebate is subject to tax, so full time employees can expect to receive €193 on average, paid out by their employers. Freelancers can also receive the rebate, but will have to claim the money on their tax return. More details about the energy relief package here.  Chile overwhelmingly votes against progressive constitution In disappointing news, Chileans overwhelmingly voted against a proposed new constitution on Sunday, blocking what would have been one of the most progressive constitutions in the world. While nearly 80% of  Chileans voted to draft a new constitution in 2020, almost 62% voted against the new, left-leaning text. The current constitution, drawn up in the Pinochet-era, will now remain in force.  UK Privatisation  The UK government has given contracts worth over £2.5million to two private companies to help police the English Channel. ‘Cwind’, owned by a US investment firm, and ‘Aeolian Offshore’, an offshore wind turbine service, have been enlisted to assist with intercepting and towing boats thought to be carrying migrants off of the UK coast. Whether either firm has the experience or means required to undertake the contracts safely is unknown, yet they stand to walk away with over £2million in profit. Leipzig demo after arson attack on asylum shelter The action network “Leipzig nimmt Platz'' is calling for antifascist demonstrations on Monday, a few days following the week of remembrance of the racist riots in Rostock-Lichtenhagen which unfolded 30 years ago. Last week saw an attempted arson attack on an asylum shelter by “unknown perpetrators,” promoting worries of further xenophobic attacks in Leipzig.  Pakistan Floods - a list of fundraisers Lethal monsoon floods continue to devastate Pakistan’s four provinces, with more than 33 million people affected, and at least 1,290 killed including 453 children. This is a list of fundraisers collecting aid for the flood-stricken country, including each organisation’s needs and how to donate.  Brazil Agribusiness exposed A shocking new report reveals that banks and funds such as JP Morgan, Blackrock and Bank of America have all invested billions in Brazilian agribusiness conglomerates, which have historically undermined the rights of workers, the environment and Indigenous people in the interests of profit through their connections to Brazilian politicians. The report was assembled by De Olho nos Ruralistas, a Brazilian agribusiness observatory in Brazil focusing on social and environmental impacts.  Khalil Awawdeh is Free  Following a hunger strike for 182 days, Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh will be released on October 2, 2022. Awawdeh began his strike last March to protest his detention without trial or charge following an arrest in December 2021. “Our cause is just, regardless of the high price paid,” Awawdeh said in a video message published following the announcement of his release. Thousands of Palestinian prisoners began a mass hunger strike last week to protest the Israeli Prison Services’ ‘collective punishment policies.’ Berlin plans to reinvent the 9-euro ticket After 52 million sales and 1 billion journeys per month, the beloved 9-euro ticket has come to an end. Berlin, however, is planning to continue the scheme from October to December 2022, at least for the AB tariff zone. How much the new ticket will cost is still not clear.  Not Without Us “Not without us 14 percent” (@nichtohneuns14prozent) is a new self-organised group of people without German citizenship fighting for the right to vote in federal and local elections for all people who have lived in Germany for five years. Check out their Instagram and their homepage for more information on what they do and how to support them. 

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            <title><![CDATA[Human Rights Film Festival Berlin returns ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/human-rights-film-festival-berlin-returns-from-13th-to-23rd-october</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/human-rights-film-festival-berlin-returns-from-13th-to-23rd-october</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The festival will run from the 13th to 23rd October]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This year’s theme is ‘Beyond Red Lines,’ with screenings across theatres in Berlin and nationwide. In light of the events in Ukraine and Afghanistan, HRFFB director Anna Ramskogler-Witt asks: How do we as an international community react when red lines are crossed? What consequences does crossing red lines have for our society?   The programme will focus on “humanitarian aid and the fight against hunger, as well as peace, resource and environmental conflicts, children’s rights, refugees and migration.” One of the films featured this year is Children of the Enemy, the story of a grandfather trying to bring his seven orphaned grandchildren, trapped in a Syrian detention camp, back to Sweden.  This year’s festival base will be at the Villa Elisabeth where you’ll also be able to find a series of talks, workshops, performances and a conference series bringing together film industry professionals, activists, political decision-makers and more. The talks at Villa Elisabeth will ask questions such as: How do we fight hunger? How do we free ourselves from (post-)colonial prejudices?  In what ways can we revisit open discussion?  Films will include documentaries from all over the world exploring the theme of crossing red lines and will be screened at the following cinemas in Berlin: Villa Elisabeth, ACUD Kino, Atelier Gardens in der BUFA, Colosseum, Hackesche Höfe Kinos, Kant Kino, Zeiss-Großplanetarium, Sputnik Kino am Südstern and Yorck Kino Passage.  Early bird festival passes and conference tickets can now be purchased online. A preview of the programme is also available online too. The Human Rights Film Festival is partnering with Greenpeace and Save the Children. Like last year, the organisation that founded the festival, Aktion gegen den Hunger (Action Against Hunger), will be the festival’s main organiser.  The festival is also now looking for volunteers who will receive full access to films, workshops and the conference. You can apply here before the 12th September. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #85]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-29-aug-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-29-aug-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Pakistan floods | Germany deportations | Notting Hill Carnival]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Pakistan floods The death toll following widespread flooding in Pakistan has surpassed 1,000 people in what has been described as a “climate dystopia.” The flash floods, which started in June and have intensified over the last few days, have swept away villages, people, livestock and crops across the country's four provinces. Pakistan is appealing for aid as hunger and displacement for millions loom. It’s worth mentioning that Pakistan and its people contribute less than 1% to global carbon emissions.   Germany: Over 6,000 deportations in first half of 2022  Germany has deported almost 6,200 foreigners between January and June 2022, including to other EU member states where they first entered the bloc and applied for asylum. Die Linke politician Clara Bünger sharply criticised the practice of so-called 'mini charter flights', with no more than four deportees on board. According to infomigrants.net, the costs of these chartered flights reportedly amounted to over €100,000 per flight for one or two deportees. Chile’s new constitution  All eyes are on Chile as Chileans are set to vote next Sunday on the country’s new draft constitution, which would enshrine many of the priorities of the social movements led by the younger generations: Gender equality, environmental protections, Indigenous rights, and guaranteed access to education. The constitution is one of the first in the world to be drafted in the context of a climate crisis and to be written by a convention with gender parity.  Human Rights Film Festival - call for volunteers  Every year, the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin presents about 40 outstanding international documentaries. The HRFFB team are looking for volunteers to support them during and before the festival. Check out their homepage for more details. Berlin demo Ticker - your guide to all demonstrations across the German capital  Demoticker Berlin is a Telegram channel announcing upcoming demos in Berlin. The channel gives descriptions of demos, their locations and provides advice and real time updates for attendees. Important information about transport links, blockages and summaries of events are also often provided. An auto-translated English version of the channel is also available.  Notting Hill Carnival is back  After a two year hiatus, Notting Hill Carnival has burst back onto the streets of London as Europe’s biggest street festival returns. The three day festival celebrating the music, food and culture of the Caribbean diaspora draws to a close today after a weekend of revelry. The carnival has historically been a way to bring local POC communities together in West London and began as a children's street fair in the mid 60s following the death of Kelso Cochrane from a racially motivated attack.  Reminder: Expedition Grundeinkommen petition 
Expedition Grundeinkommen, the organisation pushing for the trial of a universal basic income, is still looking for signatures for their petition. The organisation is proposing a trial that will consist of 3,500 participants, half of whom will be given €1,200 every month for three years to test how people’s lifestyles and mental wellbeing change. In order to get to referendum level they need 240,000 signatures by the 5th September. You can find the petition at our studio on Weserstr. 166 now. 

 ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide announces full Regenerate Festival line-up]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-2022-line-up</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-2022-line-up</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Highlights include free-to-attend workshops, a documentary screening, live performances and DJ sets from Mark Ernestus, CCL & THC.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[For the second edition of Regenerate, Refuge Worldwide will explore how civil society groups can mobilise communities, self-organise and turn the tide from awareness to action. *Unfortunately, due to forecasts of heavy rain, we have had to move our outdoor Saturday program to inside at OHM. Due to this move, the two panels and Playtronica workshop have had to be postponed. They will be rescheduled in the next weeks.* (Dieser Artikel ist hier auf Deutsch verfügbar). The three-day event will start on Thursday 29th September at Carhartt WIP’s location in Berlin Mitte, where Refuge Worldwide celebrate the launch of a new Regenerate Zine, Refuge Worldwide’s first printed magazine, as well as a limited edition long sleeve shirt going on sale, produced in collaboration with Carhartt. There will be complimentary drinks and a DJ set from Sarah Farina, The Neighbourhood Character & MAF. On Friday, September 30th, Regenerate moves to Refuge Worldwide's home-base, Oona Bar, with a microphone building workshop by YA Z AN and dedicated radio shows courtesy of Thea, Nikola, BIWOC* Rising, No Plastic & Kemback, The Neighbourhood Character & MAF, Jonah Considine and Max GL & Elise. The programming on Saturday 1st October will take place at OHM and in the Tresor garden, with DJ sets, live performances, panel discussions, workshops and more. The day’s activities start at midday in the Tresor garden, as Flora Päär hosts a sound meditation session and Lilipad share tips on drawing and storytelling, ahead of live performances from  6aha Aiwa, RealMo, Douniah, Oudai Amir & Kimia Bani, Henry Weekes’ Marina Dances and May The Muse. Additional programming will be simultaneously broadcast from Oona Bar, with shows from Resom and Esper Moss. Tresor’s OHM space hosts a field recording workshop with Margaux, followed by workshops from Playtronica—bridging entertainment, education, and art through interactive musical experiences—and Sarah Farina (AI AI AI DJ Workshop). Refuge Worldwide’s Chloe Lula will moderate a panel on Selective Empathy with representatives from International Women* Space, Bridges Over Borders and Casa Kuà. Palestinian DJ and film-maker Nour will screen snippets of her new documentary and take part in a panel alongside Odai Masri from Exist festival, journalist Jad Salfiti (The Guardian, Financial Times and Al Jazeera English) and multidisciplinary artist Sarah Zeryab. All the aforementioned sessions are free-to-attend. There will also be on-site info stands from BIWOC* Rising and Arts Of The Working Class, a merchandise stall and a charity vinyl sale of records donated by the Refuge Worldwide residents. Regenerate Festival’s after-party runs from 23:00-07:00 on Saturday night, featuring Hard Wax and Basic Channel founder Mark Ernestus, the first Berlin back-to-back from CCL & THC, Emergent Bass head Sarah Farina and No Plastic. Regenerate festival is family-friendly*, accessible and a celebration of unity in the community. Workshop sign-up forms are here: YA Z AN - Microphone Building Workshop / Friday 30th Sep /11:00 to 13:00 / Oona (Weserstr. 166) https://forms.gle/sDK2PxSr7zut1EF29 Margaux - Field Recording Workshop / Saturday 1st October / 13:00 to 14:00 / OHM (Köpenicker Str. 70) https://forms.gle/qCUiLUFcXzKtTCAo9 CCL - AI AI AI DJ Workshop / Saturday 1st October / 20:00 - 22:00 / OHM (Köpenicker Str. 70) https://forms.gle/L3nfziXneMhj8Y6y8 *After-party is 18+ This project is supported by Musicboard Berlin.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Desire Lines: Photo Story]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/desire-lines-a-photo-essay</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/desire-lines-a-photo-essay</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Moments from HKW’s exploration of queer love across island imaginaries ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Last week at Berlin's HKW, Desire Lines delivered a two-day event deconstructing and challenging narratives surrounding queer love in the Caribbean. The event explored several questions: Why is the geopolitical and cultural space of the Caribbean region perceived as unequivocally homophobic in the Western-capitalist imagination? What impact do anti-colonial and emancipatory struggles have on LGBTQIA+? And how homophobic are dancehall and reggae? Below are a selection of moments captured across the Desire Lines weekender: Audience members listen in during Virginia Wilson (Gin) and Lyall Hakaraia’s talk on “Carnival, Community and Legacy”. The talk covers the legacy of Fagamuffin Bloc Party, an organisation founded in order to increase the visibility of QTIPOC Pride at carnival, and focuses particularly on London’s historic Notting Hill Carnival.  Phil Collins (pictured above) is a visual artist, filmmaker and educator. His work is rooted in close collaboration with people, places and local communities. With Marc Thompson, Phil Collins presented a talk on the photographic archive in their talk: “Black and Gay back in the Day”.   Friday at HKW saw workshops exploring themes such as queer counter-histories and erotic rebellion, before culminating in a cooking performance entitled “Jamzuela 100” by LaLoVe’s Kitchen.  ‘Perras Apocalípticas’ (Apocalyptic bitches), a conversation between artists Jao Moon and Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau. In a dialogue between Berlin and Cartagena de Indias, the artists discuss artistic practices and “versatile gazes”. (Pictured above are) attendees at Jamzuela 100. JamZuela is a term coined by Latinx food performance artist Lalo Gomes to describe a type of cuisine presented in a communal experience. An exercise in communal care, one hundred participants of LaLoVe’s Kitchen were invited to help cook, serve each other and eat as a community.  On Saturday, another day of talks and workshops took place, before Sweatbox threw a final dancehall party, featuring DJ sets from: Faggamuffin Bloc Party, B. O. S. S., La Byle, DJ Biggy C and Sippin’ T.  Refuge Worldwide hosted the Desire Lines crew for a hangout at Oona, which included a dancehall set from resident O.N.A featuring special guest Mila, as well as sets from MINQ and Killa. You can listen back to our evening of programming on the Refuge Worldwide site now.  Images by Kolja (IG: koljaaaaa__)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide launches intermediate DJ workshop series with Resident Advisor]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/intermediate-dj-workshops-resident-advisor</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/intermediate-dj-workshops-resident-advisor</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Applications for the full course are now open, deadline on 5th of September.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Last July, we began our collaboration with Resident Advisor to launch a series of 13 workshops for beginner DJs.  Participants were led by the likes of Sarina Farina, Floyd Lavine, CCL, Palms Trax, rRoxymore and Call Super, spending a year learning the basics of DJing under successful mentors with years of experience.  This October, we’ll be hosting the next instalment of free workshops, this time for intermediate DJs looking to build on their skill set and fine-tune methods they have already picked up. As was the case for the beginners’ course, priority will be given to minority and underprivileged groups. For this instalment, we’ve recruited Juba, Nick Höppner and Mor Elian to lead the exciting new round of workshops. All the workshops will take place in October at our studio (Weserstraße 166, Berlin), before wrapping up at the RA office in Friedrichshain. At RA, there will be a Q and A with Whitney Wei, (Editor in Chief) and Kazim Rashid (Chief Creative and Brand Officer). This will be followed by a networking event with the RA team where participants will have the opportunity to share experiences of the music industry and play B2B. The entire series of workshops will take place on the following dates:  Monday 10 October, 6 pm - 8 pm with Juba at Refuge Worldwide The first workshop will cover mixing techniques: EQs, spin backs, effects, radio vs DJ mixing and mixing different genres.   Monday 17 October, 6 pm - 8 pm with Nick Höppner at Refuge Worldwide A deep dive into Rekordbox as well as creating playlists and organising music.   Monday 24 October, 6 pm - 8 pm with Mor Elian at Refuge Worldwide  A practice B2B session at Refuge Worldwide.   Monday 31 October, 4 pm - 6 pm at the RA office with the RA team There will be a final workshop with RA staff on artistic development & navigating the music industry, followed by a B2B session with participants and RA staff.  Sign up for the whole programme before September 5th, 2022 here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #84]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-23-aug-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-23-aug-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Palestinian NGOs raided | Athens camp eviction | River Loire drought]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Israeli forces raid Palestinian NGOs Last Thursday, Israeli forces carried out raids on seven civil society organisations in Ramallah, Palestine (pictured), including the human rights organisation Defence for Children. Documents and computers were seized, doors were welded shut and orders were issued to close. The raids follow attempts last year to designate the organisations as “terrorist” groups under Israeli law – further signs of a broad assault on human rights defenders in Palestine.  Eleonas camp eviction The Eleonas camp, one of the last refugee camps in Athens, was the site of a stand-off between protesters and the police last week when authorities deployed tear gas and a flash grenade to disperse residents and activists who were protesting evictions. 670 residents are being evicted after Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis tweeted that he was going to close Eleonas in order to upgrade the area.  River Loire drought Following last week’s reports of drought in the river Rhine, France’s river Loire is in a similarly worrying condition. Extremely low levels of rainfall since last winter have caused many of the river’s tributaries to dry up completely, with catastrophic results for wildlife in the region. Baobab pop-up market  This Saturday, there will be a Black-owned business pop-up market in Reuterkiez. Running from 12-20, Baobab pop-up market will feature haircare, skincare, accessories and much more from small businesses from all over Germany.  ACLAÍ Palestine The ACLAÍ Palestine Project, the goal of which is to open a volunteer gym in the Aida Refugee Camp in the West Bank, are raising funds. This gym will help improve the quality of life in the camp and support the physical and mental health of the people who live there. Donate now! Beyond Homophobia Our resident Yewande Adeniran (aka Ifeoluwa) spoke to the founders of Beyond Homophobia about the perceptions and reality of queer experience in the Carribean, the colonial roots of homophobia, and the demonisation of dancehall. Check out the full article. Interflugs Interflugs is launching a series of events on the topic of anti-discrimination work, starting this month and running until February 2023. The program will include workshops, talks, panel discussions and film screenings exploring community organising, intersectional environmentalism, archiving memory and much more. The events will be held mostly online and free of charge.  Regenerate Save the date: on Friday 30th September & Saturday 1st October, Regenerate festival returns with DJ sets, live performances, panel discussions, workshops and more hosted across OHM, Oona bar and the Tresor garden. Stay tuned for the full lineup and more info. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Truth Beyond Carribean Homophobia]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hkw-beyond-homophobia-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hkw-beyond-homophobia-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Yewande Adeniran speaks to the founders of Beyond Homophobia ahead of their appearance at Desire Lines.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Is Jamaica homophobic or are we viewing the country through a Eurocentric lens? Perceptions of Jamaica in the West, the importance of self-empowerment for LGBTQ+ individuals in the Caribbean, and the colonial roots of homophobia in Jamaica are the themes that the project Desire Lines seeks to untangle this week at Haus der Kulturen der Welt.  We explored these questions in detail with the co-editors of the multi-award-winning volume Beyond Homophobia, whose joint work builds on years of personal experience and groundbreaking research into LGBTQ+ experiences in the Anglophone Caribbean diaspora: Moji Anderson, who is a senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, and Canadian writer and lecturer Erin Macleod. Spanning prose and poetry with contributors from a wide variety of academic disciplines including Ajamu Nangwaya, Rinaldo Walcott, Carla Moore and Anna Kasafi Perkins, Beyond Homophobia aims to disrupt the pre-existing perceptions of the Caribbean as inherently homophobic. This image has been perpetuated by colonial attitudes, homophobia and structural gendered discrimination, as a result of years of Transatlantic slavery and British colonialism. Macleod and Anderson fight depictions of Jamaica and the Caribbean as violent and dangerous for LGBT+ people, which not only erase the voices of people from the large queer community living there but marginalises them further. Jamaica hums with the sound of bashment, dancehall and reggae, genres that have been hugely influential in the US, UK and throughout the diaspora worldwide. For years however, some LGBTQ+ charities have spearheaded blanket bans of Caribbean music due to fears about homophobic lyrics. This perception of entire genres and movements as monolithic has harmed queer Jamaicans who use music to express their identity.  In the early 2000s, Anderson found herself in the U.K., working with people living with HIV of Caribbean origin, across a wide spectrum of sexualities. It was there that she became interested in their experiences and life stories. After travelling back to Jamaica, where she is now based, Anderson began to write extensively on what she had learned. At UWI (University of the West Indies) she met Erin Macleod – a chance meeting that spawned a fruitful collaboration. Together, Anderson and Macleod organised the symposium that would eventually lead to the Beyond Homophobia collection in 2020. Anderson recounts the event with great excitement: "It was awesome! It was amazing, there were so many people in the room. The vibe was incredible. People were excited and thought ‘wow, this could genuinely happen?!’" The absence of space for LGBTQ+ people does not mean that it isn’t wanted or needed – it’s simply a gap to be filled, and their collaborative event proved this. "It was almost like there was a sigh of relief in the room. People felt comfortable. Erin and I were happy with the research that was presented. It was respectful and engaging. That’s when we decided to make it bigger," Anderson explains. “If there are people in society who are stigmatised and marginalised and not allowed to have their own voice or speak their own truth, then certainly as human beings but especially as academics, we want to present an opportunity for those voices to be heard". Homophobia is an import to Jamaica, forcibly implemented during slavery and British colonialism. There is nothing about Jamaica that is inherently homophobic. Speaking of her research once more, Anderson invokes the term homocolonialism. This is the imperial need and drive to define those who are considered colonial subjects. The need for Jamaicans, and formerly colonised people across the world, to tell their stories is now more pressing than ever. Those who are not familiar with the day-to-day experiences of queer Jamaicans are often the most vocal, due to their privilege of residing in Western countries. Those among us who are active on parts of the Internet where LBGTQ+ African and Caribbean people are building online spaces, and in turn offline communities, know that marginalised groups have always found ways to exist together and create moments of joy and happiness. As Anderson points out, "through our separate experiences, we’ve had a lot of insight into the fact that people who are not heterosexual in Jamaica are living their best lives. That doesn’t mean there’s no homophobia or transphobia, that would be impossible to say." Throughout her work in London with Caribbean people and in Jamaica, Anderson found that even in the context of official and performative homophobia, people still find ways to navigate and have fulfilling lives. Pushing back against the external narrative that’s been imposed is a key way of challenging people’s perceptions. "You can’t tell us who we are or what Jamaica is like for those who aren’t heterosexual," Anderson says. "Who are they to tell us Buju Banton can’t travel and perform?" asks Anderson. Since the start of the millennium, the U.K. has banned artists including Banton and Beanie Man from performing anywhere. With a report into LGBT+ hate crime in the U.K. by the charity Galop stating that 3 out of 5 LBGT+ people have experienced violence relating to their sexuality or non-conforming genders, the hypocrisy of the U.K., which presents itself as a safe place for queer people, is clear. These bans serve to reproduce the same dynamics that were created centuries ago. Anderson declares: "It is unfair and racist. There is a very important political point to what we’re doing that is anti-imperialist and decolonial." Macleod points towards examples of the monolithic attitude of superiority in white activist society: "white LGBTQ+ organisations who are ‘supposedly’ attempting to speak out against homophobia, end up missing who they should actually be listening to because white people are just listening to ourselves." Macleod continues: "I remember back in 2004 when there was initially the 'Stop Murder Music' campaign zine with Peter Tatchell. In that there was a commentator named Richard Burnett, who wrote this cover story called 'what happened to one love?' and identified all these dancehall artists that he deemed to be profoundly homophobic." This triggered years of campaigning and articles in the British and Canadian press, supported by the Green Party of England and Wales. Paraphrasing a quote from the zine, Macleod retells of the blatant and prevalent anti-Blackness: "You keep that back on your island." It is this cognitive and historical discrepancy that gave birth to the name Beyond Homophobia. "When you focus on homophobia, what you’re doing is centering attitudes that stem from the colonial system. Even if you try to fight that as a member of an activist organisation in the so-called West, you end up centering the same colonial position that has caused this in the first place, rather than listening to people within Jamaica," Macleod explains. Although around twenty years have passed since Tatchell’s zine, media platforms are still showcasing the same rhetoric, which has the potential to influence current and future generations.  Documentaries concerning the lives of LBGTQ+ individuals across the globe are a rare occurrence, but when Great British Olympic diver Tom Daley’s one-hour-long feature, 'It’s Illegal To Be Me' was broadcast on BBC One in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games, there was scope to accurately represent those living in Commonwealth countries where being gay is punishable by law.  But this opportunity was missed. Referring to the broadcast, Macleod speaks of Daley’s simultaneous confrontation of his own biases and gaps in his own knowledge of other LGBTQ+ people around the world: "He is forced to come to terms with his utter disrespect of queer communities in other commonwealth nations around the world and his own thinking that him being the person who is being focused on gives him assumed knowledge on the topic. He is occupying the same position as Peter Tatchell by focusing on the homophobia and not the people there," she says, adding that "the idea of going 'beyond' homophobia, beyond monolithic views of places outside of white western understanding, to me is extraordinarily important." Beyond Homophobia and avenues like it provide a platform to connect, build and learn from one another, but without the support and adequate infrastructure, their existence is at risk. Anderson points out that getting started wasn’t too difficult, because the need for a project like Beyond Homophobia to provide physical space for Caribbean and other non-white people to tell their stories was pressing: "There’s nothing like it. There is something really powerful about this collection and by extension the conferences. The reason we were able to do it was because there were people before doing the work. This is what we’re building on. What we did was provide a big space and a couple of days for those people to come together." Macleod adds: "People have always wanted to connect and there have been previous opportunities, but the question is infrastructure and capital and if they are able to support this. Having the University of the West Indies, which isn’t the most wealthy institution, channelling money into getting a scholar like Rinaldo Walcott to speak is important. This is what activists in the U.K., Canada and the U.S. need to know." To create change, we need to focus on the positive experiences of being queer in the Caribbean. "That’s what you should focus on." Macleod explains. "You don’t punish and boycott and ban. You support, nurture and address the positive. Demonisation and the existing ‘keep that shit on your island’ attitude is just going to maintain the same cycle." Images: Desire Lines, Stills from research, Kingston, 2022, Courtesy Shade Lane Productions, Design: NODE Berlin Oslo. Simone Harris as medium for Lady Blake Ophelia Stratum, 2020, Photo: Lisa Chang, Jamaica. Courtesy of Simone Harris. 'Troubling Identities' (Multimedia – Digital Collage Art & Poetry) by Angelique V. Nixon Sippin’ T LaLoVe´s Kitchen: La Gran Drama-Tisch photos by Dico Baskoro & Agostina Cerdán (2021) ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Fight for a Universal Basic Income is on]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/volksentscheid-grundeinkommen</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/volksentscheid-grundeinkommen</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A Berlin campaign needs 240,000 signatures by 5th September 2022. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In a civic landscape of widespread precarity, an unconditional basic income seems too good to be true. Expedition Grundeinkommen are a Berlin-based non-profit challenging that idea by offering people registered in Germany €1,200 as a universal basic income. In order to test how the scheme might affect people’s well-being and lifestyles, the organisation is proposing a trial.  The trial will consist of 3,500 participants, half of whom will be given €1,200 every month for three years. Both groups will be monitored as a scientific control. Participants who sign up will be selected at random.  For those in precarious financial positions, the scheme could offer the kind of stability and mental space otherwise painfully out of reach for many.  The organisation is hoping for the trial to be state-funded and is therefore pushing for the pilot scheme to reach the referendum level. Referendums, unlike petitions, are binding. In order to get to that stage, the pilot scheme petition needs 240,000 signatures by 5th September 2022.  If you’re over 18, have been registered in Berlin for at least three months and are a German citizen, you can now find the petition at Refuge Worldwide on Weserstr. 166 to sign. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #83]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-16-aug-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-16-aug-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[German police violence | Salman Rushdie | Anniversary fall of Kabul]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. German police violence The pattern of police violence and racism in German police departments is once again in the spotlight after four people were killed by police across Germany over the course of one week, in the cities of Frankfurt, Cologne, Dortmund and the town of Oer-Erkenschwick. The latest victim was a 16-year old refugee who was killed in Dortmund's Nordstadt distrcit, an area that has repeatedly made headlines for police abuse and violence. Salman Rushdie Indian-born British novelist Salman Rushdie was stabbed in his neck, stomach, eye, chest and thigh during a literary festival in New York. Rushdie has faced decades of death threats, including an Iranian government-sanctioned bounty and a call for his execution for writing his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses. His attacker, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges. Rushdie is still in hospital and has started his ‘long road to recovery,’ according to his agent. Afghanistan It’s been one year since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. Life for Afghans has only become harder, as sanctions, poverty and drought exacerbate the economic crisis that has worsened the already dire humanitarian situation. According to the United Nations, half of the Afghan population is experiencing acute food insecurity and 90% of the population are not getting enough to eat. Human rights activists are urging world leaders not to let the fate of the Afghan people fade into oblivion. German Drought As temperatures continue to hover around 30 degrees, drought has hit the Rhine river. This month has seen little rainfall and large sections of the riverbed are exposed and cracked. The drought comes at a particularly pressing time for Germany. Since Russia reduced its gas supply to Germany, the country has been forced to become more reliant on barges transporting coal to power stations, but dangerous sailing conditions in areas of low water could make relying on coal increasingly difficult.   Leftoverklangwerk Ariel Orah and Johanes “Mo’ong” Santoso Pribadi from the Soydivision Kollektiv will be leading a 3-day workshop at the Hack the Panke festival this week from the 19th-21st August. The Leftover Klangwerk workshop will see participants collecting waste objects on the first day, transforming them into functioning self-made instruments on the second day and creating an improvised musical performance on the third. Participation is free and you can register online. Desire Lines This Friday and Saturday we’ll be at HKW for Desire Lines, a public artwork focusing on issues around queer love in the Caribbean. The event will include broadcasts, panel discussions, talks and performances, closing with a dancehall party on Saturday night. We’ll also be hosting a pre-event hang-out on Thursday night at Oona. Oona  On Saturday, Exist Festival Palestine presents an all-day takeover with music, installations and talks from Odai Masri, Bint Mbareh, Ciarra Black, Dirar Kalash, Falyakon, Kujo, Oldyungmayn, Sainte Marine and No Plastic.  
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide's Regenerate Festival returns]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-festival-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-festival-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[ Save The Date: Friday 30th September & Saturday 1st October.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[After the success of last year's edition we are bringing Regenerate festival back to Berlin, hosted across OHM, Oona bar and the Tresor garden.  The second edition of our weekend festival is coming up and this year we will be exploring how civil society groups can mobilise communities, self-organise and turn the tide from awareness to action. The event will take place over two days starting on Friday 30th September at Refuge Worldwide's home-base, Oona bar, with a workshop and dedicated radio shows broadcasting live on refugeworldwide.com.  The programming on Saturday 1st October will take place at OHM and in the Tresor garden, with DJ sets, live performances, panel discussions, workshops and more. Regenerate festival is family-friendly*, accessible and a celebration of unity in the community. We’re looking forward to celebrating with you so keep an eye out for the full festival line-up and programme, to be announced later this month.  *After party at OHM is 18+ 
Regenerate Festival is supported by Music Board Berlin and Carhartt WIP.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Odai Masri: Existence Under Occupation]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/odai-masri-q-and-a</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/odai-masri-q-and-a</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Exist Festival Palestine's founder on family, solidarity and music in the face of oppression.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[“The objective of Exist has always been to build bridges between Palestine and the international scene, as well as to raise awareness about our everyday reality – to remind people that we exist!” A cultural activist, organiser and lynchpin for the Palestinian electronic music scene, Odai Masri has been running events in Palestine since 2006. In 2019, he organised the first edition of Exist Festival in Ramallah in the West Bank, to forge links of solidarity between Palestine’s fiercely creative and tight-knit community of artists and their counterparts around the world. Three years later, Exist Festival encompasses a broad creative and political project, an event series that has hosted nights across Europe and the Middle East, a record label, and a diverse and devoted collective that sprawls across national and artistic borders.  On Saturday the 20th of August, 2022, Exist lands in Berlin for the first time, for an all-day takeover at Refuge Worldwide featuring a lineup of the festival’s core team and extended family.  A Refuge resident since December 2021, Odai also took on a key role as a mentor at our Aswat Al Raseef project that took place earlier this year. This conversation began in May in Amman, where Odai has lived since 2021, unable to legally return to Ramallah, a city to whose musical culture he has been so central. Hey Odai, thanks for talking to us! Since its foundation back in 2019, Exist has held events around the world, and always attracts a lineup that spans nationalities, scenes and styles. How do you define Exist now? How do you decide who is involved? The way I see it, Exist is not a festival as such. In a way, the aim was to be a festival, but really it’s a collective and a family. The Exist family includes Palestinians that live in Palestine, Palestinians outside of Palestine, people from Lebanon, from Europe and beyond. We are a big family, and the family is the main reason we continue to run events.  The aim of Exist has always been to build bridges between Palestine and the international scene, as well as to raise awareness about our everyday reality. To remind people that we exist! The most important thing for Exist events now is that this family can all be together and that the connections that we have created can be sustained.  This year we held the second proper edition of Exist festival in Athens, as well as a number of smaller events in Amman, Beirut and Oslo. It was so special to have the family back together after three years, including core members like Drew McDowall, Hiro Kone, Bint Mbareh, Falyakon and Kujo, to name a few. These people have been supporting Exist since day one, and they're a huge part of why the festival exists. What attracted you to music and culture as a form of resistance? I think it's important to remember, that it’s impossible to find a Palestinian who doesn’t resist in their own way, even if it's just by going to school or by living their normal daily life. When you’re in Palestine, there are obstacles that make it hard for you to do anything.  I am open to all shapes and forms of resistance. Personally, I decided to take my resistance in what you could call the most peaceful direction – music, art and spreading awareness through culture and discussion, which includes short films, installations, exhibitions, panels and talks. The Palestinian case is one that affects us all. Not just Palestinians. There’s been a system of oppression going on over there for 76 years now, and it’s important to use any tools we have in our hands – media, connections, events, radio – to continue to remind people of that. We want to show everyone that there are people living in Palestine, and not only living but doing great things, creating beautiful art and doing amazing collective work. We also noticed that our form of resistance is very effective. We have people all over the world joining our cause because of the cultural work we are doing. We are able to create spaces to freely talk about how we feel, to discuss what we know and what's really happening in Palestine, without going back through the same mainstream media. We don’t want people to feel sorry for us. Actually, we fight this mentality. We want people to understand what’s happening, to stand with us and support us in our right to exist and liberate ourselves from oppression and occupation. You’ve been living in Amman now since 2021, and you’re sadly unable to return to Palestine. How has your experience been in Amman? As a Palestinian, I technically have only one month of residency here, after which I have to pay every day to continue my stay. There’s very little separating Amman and Ramallah – it’s 45 minutes in a car if you don’t count the checkpoints, and you can barely separate them visually, ethnically or culturally. But even here in Amman, it’s not easy to live as a Palestinian. Ultimately, I'm not here by choice. I hope that one day everything will be fine and I can return to Palestine. I keep hoping for the best, I think it’s how I stay mentally stable. At the same time, I feel privileged to be here. It's an open country, I can move around freely, I can stay up late, and go to other cities without passing through checkpoints. I can go to the beach! This is something I could never do in Palestine, where the occupation government reminds you every day that you are oppressed, with their checkpoints, helicopters and walls, as well as the stories you hear daily about violence against teenagers, elderly people, women and all other Palestinians. I feel privileged to wake up in the morning and not hear shooting or bombing. You can't wake up anywhere in Palestine without thinking of occupation. How does your experience running events in Ramallah compare with your experiences in Amman and other cities? It’s totally different. Here in Amman, I feel everything is a little more separated into bubbles. But in Palestine, we all grew up with each other. I know many people from the scene that have been my friends for 13 years now – we were kids together! I also feel that people in Palestine just appreciate music more than in other countries I’ve been to. Maybe I’m harsh, but that’s my experience! In Ramallah you can have a techno event on Thursday, hip-hop on Friday, trance on Saturday then indie rock music in a bazaar on Sunday and everyone you know will be at every event. In other places, I never felt quite the same sense of community and togetherness. Sadly, at the moment many Palestinian artists are working individually due to the circumstances. But there are so many amazing artists, people, collectives and labels, from pop to hip-hop, noise, industrial, techno grime, drill, and beyond. Everyone keeps things moving no matter what. Even when they’re forced to stop working, they eventually return with crazy new releases. In 2018/19, there was a marked increase in media attention for the Palestinian music scene. In your last interview that aired on Refuge Worldwide with Chloe Lula, you said that you were frustrated with how Palestine and its music scene were represented by some media platforms at that time. Yes, that's true. I felt that the coverage was definitely missing some things. At the time, we weren’t really aware of how these processes work. We had all been working together in Palestine for a long time as a very small community. It was intimate and genuine. Then to suddenly receive these requests for interviews, events and whatever else… We weren’t really ready for that. I felt at times that the journalists who approached us had fixed intentions or a preconceived narrative in mind before they arrived, and weren’t necessarily open to understanding what was really happening. Coming to Palestine with an intention to do your story is naive. They sometimes didn't even ask us what we wanted, or how we felt our story should be told. They just came and decided for themselves. As you said, it's very difficult for you to go back to Palestine at the moment, but do you have plans to continue organising from a distance? Definitely. There are so many messed-up things happening in Palestine lately. It’s extremely hard to run events there at the moment. I’m not even talking about raves, even one person with a guitar could get shut down right now! I think it stems from a realisation that events like these are effective and dangerous! You can see how the cultural movement in Palestine has gone viral, and how this has been effective in raising awareness across the world.  I would love to run an Exist event there again to fight back a little bit. Even if I’m not there, I’m lucky enough to have the connections and the power to organise something. We’ve been through a crazy fight over the last few years, but we’re experts at dealing with these obstacles. We can't just let all of these things that we built for the last two or three decades just die. It's worth the sacrifice, the time and the energy. We are really excited to host the first-ever Exist event in Berlin on Saturday. What can you tell us about the lineup you’ve curated? Thank you, I’m excited too! As always, everyone who is playing at this event is part of the Exist family.  Bint Mbareh is based in London. She’s a co-founder of Exist, and for me, one of the most interesting artists in the region. She experiments a lot with her voice and traditional folk sounds and visuals. It’s very important that she is part of this event because the last time she played at Exist was the first-ever event. From the Exist core team we also have Ciarra Black and Falyakon, who are amazing artists based in Berlin.  Kujo is my main partner at Exist at the moment. I'm a huge supporter of his music and his label Modular Mind, and appreciate what he has done for Exist so far. Sainte Marina is a Lebanese artist, now based in Paris. She’s also a member of the Exist family and is one of the closest people to my heart lately. She's helped me a lot mentally in the last year! Oldyungmayn is a Palestinian who lived in Egypt, I'm a huge fan of his music and his work as a queer activist as well. He's done a lot of great things for the cause. Then we have Dirar Kalash, who for me is the godfather of the Palestinian electronic music scene. He creates the weirdest sounds you’ll ever hear! He’ll be playing a noise set and exhibiting a sound installation, which is based on archived recordings from 1948 and 1967, the Nakba when the occupation began, and Naksa when it expanded into the West Bank and Gaza.  The other installation is by Sarah Risheq and is based around the destruction of Palestine’s archives, including traditions, art, clothes and lifestyles. It discusses the importance, as Palestinians, of keeping the archive within us. It’s a powerful piece because it transcends the Palestinian case – it attacks the colonial mentality in general. 
Don’t miss Exist Festival’s Refuge Worldwide takeover, Oona Bar and online, Saturday, 20th August. Images by Kolja Tinkova (IG: koljaaaaa__)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #82]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-aug-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-08-aug-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Grundeinkommen | Gaza | Exist Palestine]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Grundeinkommen The campaign for a universal basic income trial in Berlin is into its final month. Expedition Grundeinkommen needs 240,000 signatures by September 5th to trigger the state-financed 3-year study, which will look into the effects of universal basic income on equality, lifestyle and mental health for 3500 Berliners. Check out IG:@expedition.grundeinkommen for more information, including how and where you can add your name to the petition. Gaza At least 44 Palestinians – including 15 children – have been killed in the latest Israeli attack on the besieged Gaza Strip, with hundreds more injured. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since Sunday, after a series of deadly airstrikes. More civilians are likely to suffer as the Israeli bombardment exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with fears that medical services could come to a halt on Tuesday due to a lack of electricity. Reproductive Rights panel Refuge Worldwide’s Dina Elsayed was joined by reproductive rights activist Mohana Kute and Chriss Njesh (AKA Natural Girl) from Women in Exile in this live panel discussion to explore the implications of the groundbreaking decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade in the US, Germany, and beyond.  Neukölln The trial against the alleged main perpetrators of a series of right-wing extremist attacks in Neukölln will begin on August 29th. Die Linke Berlin politician Ferat Kocak (@der_neukoellner) expressed his shock at having his request to appear as a joint plaintiff in the trial denied, after the judge claimed that Kocak suffered “no serious consequences” from the attacks. Kocak was the victim of an arson attack which targeted his car and family home in 2018.  Sea Watch In a “victory” for Sea Watch, the European Court of Justice has ruled that ships involved in search-and-rescue work cannot be seized on suspicion of being overloaded by national maritime authorities. Sea Watch is a non-profit initiative focused on rescue missions in the central Mediterranean sea. The ruling means that port authorities can no longer arbitrarily detain search-and-rescue ships that have taken on more passengers than their legal limit. Hawaii RIMPAC, the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise, concluded last week. Some 25,000 military personnel from around the world had gathered in Hawai’i to simulate violent war games, The Slow Factory reported. According to the non-profit, the water crisis in Kapūkakī/ Red Hill is still ongoing, as traces of jet fuel contamination were detected even though the US Navy deemed the water safe to drink last April. Follow @theslowfactory to learn more about O'ahu’s battle for clean water. Italy Italy’s far-right parties are stoking racial hatred against refugees ahead of September’s election, which a far-right coalition is expected to win. Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, has been targeting what he calls ‘fake refugees’, declaring ‘Italy is not the refugee camp of Europe. This is shameful.’ Last month, a Nigerian man was murdered in broad daylight on a busy street in Civitanova Marche, surrounded by onlookers, an incident that police are denying was racially motivated. Myanmar executions Myanmar’s military-led government executed four political prisoners on July 26th in a move that has spiked tension following months of violent protests, after the government seized power from democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Neighbouring nations have strongly criticized the hangings, and the UN has been firm about the “blatant violation” of a person’s “right to life, liberty and security.” Due to its failure to comply with the peace process, the current government of Myanmar has been banned from attending ASEAN meetings.  BLACKNUSS! Refuge resident Ghostpoet will be debuting a new project at Kampnagel festival in Hamburg this weekend in collaboration with artist/researchers Obaro Ejimiwe and Luiza Prado. The interdisciplinary installation will showcase stories of Afrodiasporic knowledge, migration, resistance and joy. In addition, Ghostpoet will be curating a club night on August 20th featuring KMRU, dumama + kechou and more. EXIST On August 20th, we are hosting the first Berlin edition of Exist Palestine, a festival that promotes solidarity and forges connections between artists, musicians, DJ’s and curators from Palestine and around the world. Join us at Oona bar or tune in live for a day of music, installations and talks featuring Exist extended family Bint Mbareh, Ciarra Black, Dirar Kalash, Falyakon, Kujo, Oldyungmayn, Odai Masri, Sainte Marine, Sarah Risheq and Refuge co-founder No Plastic. OONA - Apple Creative Studios showcase this week The mentees of our four-week radio programme are taking over our airwaves this weekend to showcase their new skills. Over the course of a month, young mentees from marginalized communities took classes in DJing, audio editing, interviewing and much more. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[HKW and Transmission present Shaping Dance Floors]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/shaping-dance-floors</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/shaping-dance-floors</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[1st September, HKW and online.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Thursday 1st of September, we are heading to Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt (HKW) to broadcast the event Shaping Dance Floors, which will explore forms of resistance, activism, community and pleasure in dance music culture. ‘Even if its consumption increasingly takes place online, music still stands for an immediate and deeply communal experience. In a club culture characterized by escapism and profit logic, however, the significance of the dance floor as a political place is being lost from view. In urban centers around the world, actors are working to defend and repeatedly reimagine this space. At Shaping Dance Floors, some of them come together for a conversation with the audience.’ Shaping Dance Floors is curated by Sarah Farina and Kerstin Meißner, hosts of Transmission on Refuge Worldwide, and will include a panel discussion, talk, dance workshop and party. The event will feature producer and organizer Phatstoki, DJ and radio host Eugenia Seriakov from the Berlin collective Sound System Culture, scholar Larisa Kingston Mann aka DJ Ripley (pictured) and choreographer Peeps in conversation with Samira Hamid Sharifu about their experiences in underground club culture and the possibilities of making a difference in their communities. Afterwards, there will be a house dance workshop with Peeps and DJ sets by Phatstoki and Sarah Farina.  Meet us at HKW or tune in from 20:00 CET on 1st September, as we broadcast the event live.  On August 18 at 12:00 CET we will also be broadcasting a special podcast called Shaping Dance Floors, Locally curated by Sarah Farina, Kerstin Meißner and aequa radio’s Sarj Lynch. The show will focus on the politics of dance music culture outside of big cities, and will feature a number of organisers and club activists from smaller German towns including Sedef Adasi, Gîn Bali, Ra-min and Ulrike Schell. Full event info on the HKW website here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Exist Festival Palestine at Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/exist-x-refuge-worldwide</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/exist-x-refuge-worldwide</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[20th August, Oona Bar and online.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We’re very excited to host Exist Palestine, who hold their first-ever Berlin event at Oona Bar, Weserstr. 166 on Saturday, August 20th. Exist is a festival and event series founded in Palestine, with the aim of building bridges between artists, musicians, DJs and curators from Palestine and across the globe. Its broad, transnational family are united in a desire to use art to impact their environments in critical ways, and through their engagement with anti-colonialism in the context of Palestine and beyond. Exist Festival’s event at Refuge Worldwide will include DJ sets by Exist extended family members Ciarra Black, Dirar Kalash, Falyakon, Kujo, Oldyungmayn, Sainte Marina, No Plastic and the festival's co-founders Odai Masri and Bint Mbareh.  There will also be two installations on-site at Oona: an audiovisual installation by Sarah Risheq titled if_the_archive_could_speak, exploring Palestinian physical and mental archives; and a sound piece by Dirar Kalash called To Exist In Sound, which draws from audio recordings of the 1948 Nakba and 1967 Naksa. More information coming soon.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Creative Studios Berlin: Radio Showcase]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/creative-studios-showcase</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/creative-studios-showcase</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday 13th, Sunday 14th and Monday 29th of August]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In the next few weeks, participants of our recent radio workshop programme with Creative Studios Berlin are broadcasting their new shows live on Refuge Worldwide. On Saturday 13th, Sunday 14th and Monday 29th of August, we'll be hosting a wide range of conceptual broadcasts, including shows exploring guilty pleasures, sign-language radio, sonic time capsules, Black science fiction, and much more. Our four-week workshop programme, presented with Creative Studios Berlin and aimed at young people from marginalised communities, covered a wide range of essential skills in radio production. The syllabus included studio techniques, such as DJing and interviewing on air with mentees like Maryisonacid, CCL and Sarj; as well as writing workshops with journalists like Caroline Whiteley. This week, we will be broadcasting the first English shows on Saturday and the German-speaking shows on Sunday. Tune in for a taste of the future of radio broadcasting. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #81]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-01-aug-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-01-aug-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 03 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Frontex scandal | O-Platz lives! | Wildfires in Germany]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Frontex supported illegal pushbacks in Greece A new classified report has found that the European border agency Frontex has been helping to finance and cover up the illegal pushbacks of refugees in Greece. According to DER SPIEGEL, the report by EU anti-fraud agency OLAF provides detailed evidence of Greek human rights violations, including the practice of leaving asylum-seekers abandoned at sea on inflatable boats or rafts without motors, as well as Frontex’s systematic efforts to prevent any investigations. O-platz lives! From 30th July to 13th August, the O-Platz Movement 2022 are hosting an exhibition on new & on-going refugee struggles at Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg. The event, which targets ‘discriminatory treatment and racist migration policies’ through ‘intersectional, anti-racist struggle’ marks a decade since the first occupation of O-Platz by refugees in 2012. Click here to support the event by volunteering, performing or hosting an activity. Regina Baer Regina Baer, co-founder of legendary Berlin club Tresor, has died. Baer managed Tresor and Globus from the club’s foundation in 1991 until 2005. Fellow Tresor founder Dimitri Hegemann wrote: “The history of Tresor, and indeed of Berlin’s entire nightlife, would be different without her energy, drive, vision, creativity, discipline and ability to carry others along with her and motivate them.” Spanish law for undocumented workers Last week a bill was passed in Spain that will make the process easier for undocumented workers looking for legal employment. The new law could affect 500,000 people currently employed in the country’s ‘underground economy’, by giving them access to legal income and allowing them to apply for residence papers and enroll in training courses for jobs in hospitality and agriculture, with the aim of solving labour shortages. Forest Fires in Saxony and Brandeburg Hundreds of people have been evacuated from eastern Germany due to forest fires. Last week, a fire broke out in Brandenburg’s Elbe-Elster district that spread to an area of 800 hectares by Tuesday morning. In Saxon Switzerland, local firefighters have been struggling to contain a wildfires since mid-July, and a ban has been imposed on all entry into the forest. Germany was exceptionally hot and dry throughout July, with drought reaching ‘catastrophic proportions’ according to the German meteorological service. Viktor Orbán's Nazi speech Hungarian far-right leader Viktor Orbán has incited controversy again after an appalling and racist speech that attacked the ‘mixing’ of races and made references to the great replacement conspiracy. Zsuzsa Hegedus, Orbán’s special representative on social inclusion and modernization, has resigned from the government, calling the speech a “pure Nazi text.” Earlier this year, Orbán won a fourth consecutive term in office. BLVSH This Saturday, Berlin FLINTA* DJ collective BLVSH return to the Refuge Worldwide booth for their third showcase, with a lineup of BLVSH residents and special guests including Ká, hripsime, lenami and Acid Angel. Head to Oona Bar from 15:00-01:00. Entry is free, but donations to BLVSH always welcome. IWS workshop at Frieda Frauen*Zentrum On Friday, International Women* Space (@iwspace.de) are holding a workshop for BIPoC women* who have fled the war in Ukraine. The event will take place at the Frieda Frauen*Zentrum in Friedrichshain, and offers a safe space for women to get advice, exchange experiences and relax. IWS will also provide psychosocial counseling, assistance with paperwork and hot meals.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Pleasure Politics: Transmission in Conversation with Lecken & CHEEX]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/transmission-in-conversation-with-lecken-and-cheex</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/transmission-in-conversation-with-lecken-and-cheex</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sarah Farina & Kerstin Meißner lead a discussion on dance, eroticism and sexual freedom for all.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The history of electronic dance music and club culture is inseparably linked to bodies in all their different shapes, as well as forms of identity expression, movement and community-building. Sarah Farina and Kerstin Meißner of Transmission were recently joined in the Refuge Worldwide studio by Wanda and Zoe from queer feminist club night Lecken, and Nikki from the ethical porn and sexual wellness platform CHEEX. Their wide-ranging conversation covered sensuality, sexuality and the politics of pleasure, both on and off the dance floor. In this transcribed excerpt, Zoe, Wanda and Nikki introduce Lecken and CHEEX and discuss their personal conceptions of pleasure. You can read the full text version of their conversation here. Sarah Farina: We are so happy to have you all here. To start with, Zoe and Wanda, perhaps you could explain what Lecken is? Zoe (Lecken): We like to call Lecken ‘an erogenous party with a strong commitment to the dance floor.’ It could be described as a feminist sex party, or a queer feminist sex-positive party,  but it's also much more than that. It's a little bit of a social experiment. It’s a place of play, friction, sexiness and sensuality, with a focus on the pleasure and interest of FLINTA* people. Wanda (Lecken): We primarily describe ourselves as a queer feminist party as opposed to a FLINTA* party, because we want to emphasise that this kind of work is always political. We were always interested in having an inclusive as opposed to separate space, and an all-gender inclusive darkroom. Of course, we prioritise the needs of populations that have historically had difficulty accessing these spaces.  When we say queer feminist, what we're essentially saying is that everybody's welcome as long as they can live by or live up to queer feminist principles. One slogan that we like to use to understand this, is ‘dare to desire, dare to care.’ Sarah: Beautiful. Thank you for sharing! Nikki, could you tell us about CHEEX? Nikki (CHEEX): We consider ourselves a sexual wellness platform. We have also had certain priorities related to certain groups since the beginning of the platform – we are focused on platforming the female gaze, feministic or female-oriented porn, as well as supporting queer performers and queer content. But what we really want is sexual freedom for everyone. Our aim is to disrupt the porn market and to platform porn that is inspiring and realistic while encouraging open communication and education around sex. Sarah: My next question is, how do you define pleasure? What does pleasure mean for you personally and in the context of your work? Wanda: There's so much to say about this, I think education is one thing that’s really pleasurable for me – talking to friends about ideas can be libidinal or erotic. Since we started Lecken we’ve had this kind of internal book club. There are a lot of nerds who come to Lecken, you can listen to all sorts of conversations in the hallways or in line for the bathroom, from the latest meme to Donna Haraway. I think this is one kind of pleasure that holds us together: pleasure in intellectual inquisitiveness, and in an understanding of queerness as a never finished practice, as an ongoing process of upheaval. I also find pleasures that allow relief from accumulated energies in the body, whether that's nervous energy, stress, overwork or trauma. People have different ways of processing tensions, but dancing and pushing your body to the limits of liberalism has a pleasurable attraction for many. Zoe: As an overthinker, I think that pleasure to me is something that takes me totally out of my mind and totally into my body. And I think that's something that I find myself craving. That can happen in any form, but especially on the dance floor. Nikki: For me, pleasure is defined by being in your own energy. And I think this also touches upon practices like dancing. For me, a whole part of my journey was discovering myself through dance, discovering what it means to feel seen and to feel free – pleasure and freedom at the same time. Pleasure has also come to me in calmer situations, such as meditation, yoga, or just being alone. That is also a pleasure, to be able to connect with myself and to be with myself at all times. I'd like to try and focus on being myself at all times and in that way feel more comfortable with pleasure as well. Sarah: I'm going to play a track now that was selected by Wanda and Zoe, we can talk about why they chose it afterwards. Track: Pirahnahead -  Dancing Feel’s like (Pirahnahead's F Mix) [feat. GoddesStephanie]  Wanda: This is a very groovy deep house track that wouldn't necessarily be played at Lecken, but the lyrics play on this theme of dancing being like sex. For me, this speaks about the continuity that we’re trying to create, between the dance floor and the dark room as a continuous atmosphere in which eroticism is not limited to sexual encounters, but spans an entire spectrum of activities.  We try to reassure them that there is a way to totally belong to the space without even stepping foot in the dark room. It’s much more about feeling safe to be adventurous and to form a relationship with your sexuality regardless of the kind of sex that you are having. I think it’s also very important that you can have a conscious relationship with your sexuality, even if you have periods in which you're less sexually active, when you’re monogamous, or anything else that one might usually place on the conservative end of the spectrum. Sarah: Thank you Wanda. Nikki, how do you choose what content to show on the CHEEX platform and how to address different bodies? Maybe you can expand a little on what the mission of CHEEX is? Nikki: First of all, it's a work in progress. The platform has been online for two years, and we are constantly learning, evolving and improving. We get a lot of feedback from our communities. We want to know what we can improve and what's missing. How do users feel about the categories and the content we have? We also take a lot of time to do thorough research, and we have certain parts of the team that are just dedicated to researching new directors, independent movies and performers so that we have a variety of content, from homemade movies to more professional productions and more diverse, alternative productions. In the beginning, we were going to a lot of porn events and festivals, in order to connect with people and get recommendations. We are very thorough about which videos we pick for licensing, so that in the end everything is aligned with what we're trying to promote, which is ethical and fair porn. Kerstin: I think diversity is an interesting point to expand on, because it’s such a corporate buzzword as well.  How do you represent different people’s bodies and appeal to people from marginalised communities, without exploiting that kind of diversity, or using it just to make your platform look better? Nikki: Yes, thanks for touching on this. In the end, we want to make sure that we can continue to exist, we want people to use our platform and we need subscriptions. The question is how can we make sure that our product is still matching the values that we’re trying to share? What we try to do is just go at a slow pace. It is our priority to include everyone, but it's not worth being hasty regarding content. We work organically video by video, there’s no quota system where we put out 10 queer videos, then 10 of something else, for example. We try to have completely open communication, within the team, when new people join. As in any company, we try to ensure there is diversity and inclusion in our team. Our emphasis is really on finding matching energies and finding people who believe in what we are doing. We don’t want to force it, or even suggest diversity is something that defines us. It’s something that happens naturally. Sarah: You have so many tutorials on your website. Maybe you can tell us a bit more about how education takes place on CHEEX? Nikki: We try to support an open conversation, which starts with our free blog. Our blog covers the topics that you never dared to ask about. It’s where we try to include the most information that we can. This covers all the topics you never dared to ask about, and it’s the fastest way that we can try to provide education without having to involve multiple parties. Then we have workshops and discussions. We talk a lot about the shame normally associated with watching porn, particularly once you know that something has been ethically produced. We try to cater to different groups so that whoever is interested can join in the discussion. One topic was ‘how to eat pussy.’ Another time, we had a conversation with a domina, who hosted a zoom conversation about BDSM. We’ve also hosted roundtables with some of our performers. Sarah: Wanda and Zoe, not long ago I had the pleasure of playing at Lecken, which was a really great experience. I felt such a sexy energy in a room, but didn’t feel immediately sexualised, which is so impressive. It really made me think, what are they doing differently?  How do you educate your community and help people understand the difference between feeling sexy and feeling sexualised? Zoe: It's a very good question. That is really part of what we consider the ‘social experiment’ of Lecken. I think a big factor is that the party is organised by people who have experienced objectification themselves or those who have a ‘feminised’ experience. We are the people who are operating the party, setting the tone and the standards.  Another factor is the strong community vibe that we try to cultivate. This comes ideally through person-to-person sharing. The party started out quite small among people who all knew each other. It's grown exponentially over the last couple of years, but in a lot of ways, it's grown through connections that people have made, so that ethos has been passed on.  When that’s not been possible, we’ve tried to use texts to help with the process, which is where our manifesto comes in.  Wanda: I have this saying, ‘every party gets the crowd that it deserves.' Of course, it’s a bit folksy to claim that ‘the values you put out are the ones you get back', but at points, it has turned out to be true.  At our first party, we opened the dark room at Ficken 3000 to persons identified as female for the first time. Six years ago, that was a really radical idea, and the line for the door stretched all the way to the corner of the street, to everyone’s surprise! It showed us that this was an idea whose time had come and that there were many people in the city and beyond for whom these queer feminist values were resonating.  That’s a big part of it: we are many, and we are creating this culture together.  Click here to read and download the rest of the conversation in text form, or listen back to the original broadcast here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #80]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-25th-jul-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-25th-jul-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Germany's deportation airlines | 'Poor quality' aid in Yemen | Melilla sentencing]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Deportation Airlines In 2021, the German government commissioned 206 mass deportations via charter flights, with the support of the EU border agency Frontex, at the cost of 21 million euros. Deportation Alarm, a working group of the No Border Assembly initiative, took it into its own hands to “break the silence and to expose the airlines that profit from the racist deportation business”. The list of 18 airlines will be published on the Deportation Alarm website. Yemen An independent report into the UN’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen has found that the aid provided has been of “unacceptably poor quality”. The report says that camps for internally displaced people have been built without toilets, roads left unfinished, schools poorly built, and that faulty agricultural equipment was provided. The report also stated that equipment for hospitals did not work, with X-ray machines left unused because ink was not provided. Melilla A Moroccan court sentenced 33 people to prison over their attempts to scale a border wall to reach Spanish territory, deeming them guilty of "disobedience," "armed gathering," "violence against public officials," and "illegal entry into Moroccan territory." On June 24th, about 2000 people attempted to cross from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Melilla, resulting in the death of at least 23. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights has slammed the verdict  as “very harsh.”  Slovenian border Slovenia's army has started dismantling a razor-wire fence that was built on the border with Croatia in 2015. This comes weeks after the election of a new centre-left government that ended the rightwing, populist Janez Jansa era. “Time has shown that no fence can prevent migration, but it has caused many tragedies and people were dying,” said Slovenia's interior minister. The border will continue to be monitored by other means though, including drones.  UK Rwanda plan In a new report on Channel crossings, migration and asylum, the UK’s Home Affairs  Committee has harshly criticised the government’s inhumane ‘Rwanda plan’, arguing that the policy was put into place without agreement, without consideration of the wellbeing of those affected, and without any evidence that it would work. The first deportation flight from the UK was due to take off last month, but was cancelled after multiple legal challenges in the European Court of Human Rights. Trans Pride This Saturday, Berlin celebrates Trans Pride. The march will start at 14:00 at Kottbusser Tor before heading to Mariannenplatz, for an afternoon of speeches and performances. A few days ago, Trans Pride Berlin put at an open call for volunteers and guests, so get in touch @transprideberlin if you’re interested in helping out, performing or speaking at the event. Sleek Mag Earlier this month, Refuge Worldwide was featured in Sleek Mag, who visited us and took some photos at the Oona Bar Summer Hangout. Head over to their website for a photo gallery from the event, plus interviews and mini-profiles of our residents BIWOC* Rising, Ella Victoria, Khadija, Maryisonacid, NM DJ, Fast Castle and Sweet Slice.  Arkaoda This weekend, don’t miss our Summer party at Arkaoda. Upstairs, Refuge stalwart Aver will play alongside Laura Fiore and Dhanesh Jayaselan. In the basement, Nalamazon & Irem Tanriverdi will open, followed by Chola y Gloria, Khadija and a closing set by Gramrcy. Oona On Wednesday at Oona, we are joined by Underground Quality label boss Jus-ed, who will feature on Thea’s What You Sayin'? show before a two-hour solo slot. Stick around afterwards for Monty Luke, Vio PRG, Yasmijn and Raiders Records.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Desire Lines: Queer love and dancehall at HKW]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/desire-lines-at-hkw</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/desire-lines-at-hkw</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An exploration of ‘Queer Love Across Island Imaginaries’ at Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[What does it mean to be queer in the Caribbean? We’re working with HKW, filmmaker Phil Collins and Jamaican organisation Beyond Homophobia as the local media partner for Desire Lines, a long-term public artwork challenging narratives around LGBTQIA+ issues in Jamaica, Trinidad, and beyond. From an intersectional perspective, Desire Lines examines “the consequences of anti-colonial and emancipatory struggles on the LGBTQIA+ community in Jamaica”, and asks, “how homophobic are dancehall and reggae?” At a special event on August 19-20 at HKW, a wide range of multi-disciplinary contributors will engage in talks, discussions, performances, screenings, radio broadcasts, informal interactions and a dancehall party. Join us at Oona for the pre-event hangout on August 18th, and be sure to tune in to the shows we are broadcasting before and after the event.  Featuring: Moji Anderson Beyond Homophobia Black and Gay, Back in the Day B.O.S.S. (Black Obsidian Sound System) DJ Biggy C Phil Collins Kiera Coward Deyell Faggamuffin Bloc Party Lyall Hakaraia Simone Harris Erin C. MacLeod Jaevion Nelson Angelique V. Nixon Sippin’ T Marc Thompson Gin Wilson and others.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #79]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-19th-jul-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-19th-jul-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[European heatwave | Frontex data collection | CSD Berlin]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Climate This summer, record temperatures are driving multiple environmental crises across Europe. Earlier this month, Italy declared a state of emergency in five northern regions around the river Po, amid the worst drought in 70 years. The Po, Italy's longest river (pictured), is currently seven metres below its average. Wildfires have destroyed thousands of hectares of land across France, Greece, Portugal and Spain. These dramatic heatwaves in Europe, once exceptional, will become increasingly frequent in the coming years and decades as a result of climate change. Frontex’s ‘intrusive’ data collection The European border agency Frontex has been ignoring EU data protection laws and its own watchdogs in order to pursue a controversial programme of ‘intrusive’ data collection, according to a new report by BIRN on Balkan Insight. The report reveals how Frontex, with backing from the European Commission, has systematically expanded its power since 2016 in order to surveille and criminalize migrants and refugees. Read more on Balkan Insight. CSD Berlin's annual Internationalist Queer Pride for Liberation (@iqpberlin) joins the city’s Pride celebrations this Saturday, 23rd July, for an anticolonial, antiracist and anticapitalist march. Hit Hermannpltz at 17:00 for ‘a day of coming together to reclaim the streets, to rally the drumming of thousands of heartbeats, striking fear into the very foundations of this system.’ Sri Lanka Sri Lanka’s deep economic crisis, soaring inflation and shortage of basic supplies have sparked an unprecedented wave of protests that brought an end to the country’s political dynasty. Protesters captured the presidential palace last week, and days later, ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa filed his resignation and fled to Singapore. The Rajapaksa family had been controlling Sri Lankan politics for the last two decades.  Uganda More than 91,600 children and 9,500 pregnant or breastfeeding women are believed to be suffering from acute malnutrition in Karamoja, one of Uganda’s poorest regions, according to various humanitarian agencies. The looming famine has been largely unnoticed amid the current myriad of global crises. Refugee Rights Project documentary list For your next movie night, The Refugee Rights Project (@therefugeerightsproject) has compiled a list of documentaries that will help you better understand the plight of refugees around the world.  Children and armed conflict UN report The UN has released its annual report on children affected by armed conflict globally, which includes statistics on human rights violations and recommendations for preventative measures. According to the report, children were most affected in Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Desire Lines at HKW  We’re working with HKW as the local media partner for the project Desire Lines - a long-term public artwork focusing on issues around queer love in the Caribbean. This special event will feature panel discussions, talks, performances and a dancehall party. Mark your calendars: 19th and 20th August, 2022.  Refuge Worldwide at Arkaoda Last week, we announced the lineup for our next party at Arkaoda, and it’s a family affair. Upstairs, Refuge stalwart Aver will play alongside Laura Fiore and Dhanesh Jayaselan. In the basement, Nalamazon & Irem Tanriverdi will open, followed by Chola y Gloria, Khadija and a closing set by Gramrcy.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Playlist: Aswat Al Raseef]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listen-back-aswat-al-raseef</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listen-back-aswat-al-raseef</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Listen back to 8 shows created by participants of our workshop series in Amman.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Aswat Al Raseef (Sounds of the Sidewalk) was a series of workshops, film screenings and public talks, delivered in collaboration with Zaatari Radio and Al Raseef 153 in downtown Amman, Jordan. Over the course of the four-week program, workshop participants were given the skills to record, produce and broadcast their own radio shows, which covered topics like music, youth culture, mental health, migration and more. Broadcast live from the pop-up radio studio at Al Raseef 153 and through Refuge Worldwide, you can read more and listen to all the finished shows below. Eyes of Youth | Reyam Elyaman Reyam Elyaman explores the views of youth living in Amman, from music, the education system and navigating the city through adolescence into young adulthood. Compelled Experimentation | Maria Akeel Khorzom Maria Khorzom invites composer Ali to talk about their experiences making music with only a limited budget and access to equipment. Ali shares the techniques, hacks and music that has influenced their style. People and their Secrets | Siba Masuod Siba presents a sound collage combining music and conversation on the topic of secrets. Our Story | Thikra Mohammed Thikra Mohammed presents a sound collage documenting her family's journey from Iraq to Jordan featuring interviews, music and sound. Street45 | Rami Ramahi Rami Ramahi's Street45 is an insider look at Jordanian street culture. He talks with 7Hills founder Mohammed Zakaria, rising skateboard star Hakiem, and local musicians making movements in the scene. Treasure on the Road | Oraib Aldardasawi At Aswat Al Raseef, Oraib chose to record her own song 'Tabaddod' - a reinterpretation of a traditional Palestinian folk song with electronic layers. Vocals are provided by Oraib and production by fellow participant Maria Akeel Khorzom. This radio show explores the background, meaning and development of the song. Young People and Mental Health in Amman, Jordan | Ahmad Hajeer In this show, Ahmad Hajeer explores the topic of mental health in young people in Amman. Ahmad interviews friends, details his own experiences and discusses the topic with therapists from the city. The Don Show | Omar Almaghathah For Aswat Al Raseef, Omar worked on producing a new track. In this show, Omar speaks about the influences behind his new song and plays music that helped inspire his work. Header photo by Kolja.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge residents' party at Arkaoda]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-july-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-july-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 12 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday 30th July, Arkaoda, Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[At the end of this month, we are returning to Arkaoda with an all-star family and friends lineup. Upstairs, Refuge stalwart Aver appears alongside Laura Fiore and Dhanesh Jayaselan (pictured). In the basement, new residents Nalamazon & Irem Tanriverdi will open, followed by Paloma Negra host Laura Vargas (aka Gloria) with regular b2b partner Chola. Khadija will step the pace up before a closing set by Gramrcy. Come early, stay late.  Full lineup: Aver Chola y Gloria Dhanesh Jayaselan Gramrcy Khadija Laura Fiore Nalamazon & Irem Tanriverdi ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #78]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-11th-jul-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-11th-jul-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[German Selbstbestimmungs-Gesetz | Stop BER deportation center | Alexei Gorinov sentenced]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Selbstbestimmungs-Gesetz A new self-determination law will soon allow people in Germany to be able to change their first name and gender entries in their passports with a simple procedure at the registry office (Standesamt). This law is intended to replace Germany’s transsexual law that has been in force since 1980, one considered outdated and discriminatory.  According to the law in place, one can only change the name and the gender entry only if they obtain two psychiatric reports and answer intimate questions - a process that is not just discriminatory, but also expensive. “A milestone for human rights!” is how Sven Lehmann, Queer Commissioner of the Federal Government, described the new self-determination law. Moscow councillor receives seven-year sentence for criticising Ukraine invasion In the latest blow to free speech in Russia, Moscow city councillor Alexei Gorinov was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday for denouncing Russia's war in Ukraine. The court deemed Gorino guilty of "disseminating clearly false information" about the Russian military using his "official duties" and doing so as part of an organised group motivated by "political hatred.” Human rights groups worry that more anti-war voices will soon suffer the same fate.  Stop Berlin’s Deportation Center #DumpHarder is an ongoing campaign that seeks to prevent the planned construction of a new Deportation Center at BER airport and “stop investors and their business partners from profiting from deportations and racism.” You can support them by sharing their toolkit on social media or writing to the responsible politicians. All the details you need are are on IG:stopdeportationcenter_ber or here. Mediterranean Mediterranean rescue ship Geo Barents is currently at sea with 314 migrants on board, including over 70 minors, after completing 6 rescue missions last Thursday. Requests for disembarkation in Italy and Malta have been ignored. Médecins Sans Frontières, who operate the Geo Barents, have criticised Maltese authorities for failing in their obligation to assist those in danger at sea, and tweeted yesterday: ‘a positive response must be given now. This situation cannot continue any longer.’  Fridays for Future Fridays for Future Germany have condemned in a statement the “brutal and racist violence” the police inflicted on 4 of the group’s BIPOC activists in Berlin on July 3rd. “... the ongoing disenfranchisement of indigenous territories and the immeasurable suffering of BIPoC climate refugees make it clear that climate justice must always mean social justice,” the statement said. No Bounds Win 2 tickets to No Bounds Festival in Sheffield. One of the UK’s most innovative festivals, this year’s October event features 4 new venues and a lineup of 45 artists spanning electronic music and contemporary art, including Blackhaine, Deena Abdelwahed and a Nyege Nyege showcase.  Take Flight – Basketball Festival This Saturday we will be heading to the Take Flight Basketball Festival at the newly refurbished Satou Sabally basketball court. ABIBA, Hanaby, Helina and Nissa will provide the soundtrack, which will also be broadcast live on Refuge Worldwide. Later this month, in collaboration with Turning Tables, we will begin a series of music workshops for a group of young FLINTA* people from underrepresented communities in Berlin, ending with a live showcase at the court’s closing event this Autumn. aequa Berlin Wedding-based community for social equity aequa are looking for new people to join their Advisory Team. aequa’s Advisory Team meet once a month to ‘direct and influence big decisions, offer feedback on questions of development, and steer the work of community organising.’ Prior participation in aequa events or experience in community organising is required. Head to their Instagram to apply before noon this Friday. Berlin events In Berlin this week: on Friday evening our resident Aver will be performing with Move 78 at Badehaus, for the band’s first-ever full Berlin live show. On Saturday, Romain Azzaro takes his ‘Smells Like Troubole’ residency on the road, for a day party soundtracked by Richard Akingbehin, Mohammad Reza Mortazavi and Ernesto Chahoud. After that, head to Autobahn for a soli-party in support of ACLAÍ Palestine, with music from Dangermami, Gramrcy and more. Oona On Weserstr. this week: Rotterdam femme collective AMPFEMININE are back in town on Tuesday for a special 3-hour afternoon takeover, followed by the return of Dog’s Breakfast at 19:00. On Thursday, don’t miss the new instalment of CCL’s 𝙡𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 residency.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[No Bounds 2022]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-bounds-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-bounds-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Win 2 tickets to experience Sheffield’s electro-industrial heart. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are teaming up with Sheffield’s No Bounds Festival and offering you the chance to attend this innovative UK event.  No Bounds has revealed the line up for its 2022 edition, which will feature 45+ artists, 4 new venues, showcases and a number of art installations, all to take place on one weekend: October 14-16.  No Bounds’ stellar cast is now joined by a unique b2b between legends Craig Richards & Calibre, as well as heavyweight DJ sets from LTJ Bukem, Palms Trax, I.JORDAN, DJ Fart in the Club, De Schuurman, MARRØN, Yazzus, Tailor Jae, Ifeoluwa, Proteus, Mun Sing, BBC R6’s Tom Ravenscroft as well as Axis Record first UK signing, Mal Hombre from Leeds. The festival will also present the world premiere of Rian Treanor’s collaboration with Ocen, due out via Nyege Nyege in 2023 as well as live sets from Malaysia’s Wanton Witch, and turntablist Nik Nak performing her afro-futuristic visions on a multichannel sound system. For it’s “Closing Sequence,” No Bounds showcases some of its main events; Mark Fell curating performances from Beatrice Dillon & Nakul Krushnamurthy, and performances by the Explore Ensemble live at Sheffield Cathedral, as well as a live performance by synth-wave band Working Men’s Club with support by Sheffield legends Winston Hazel, Pipes and DJ’s who contributed to the band’s latest Steel City remix EP. In addition to Sheffield Cathedral and Hope Works, No Bound’s slew of venues for this year’s edition includes the iconic brutalist Moore Street Electricity Substation which alongside the SADACCA (Sheffield And District Afro Caribbean Community Association) will house an art exhibition curated by Amy Carter Gordon. The Delicious Clam, a DIY venue, will showcase some of the region’s best live alternative bands from Kalter to South Yorkshire Mick Hucknall.  Further developing the environmental and wellbeing strand of the programme is the J G Graves Woodland Discovery Centre, and Hector’s House where Sheffield artist and organic farmer Mikk Murray will be exhibiting new work and delivering art workshops.  As for the discourse programme, the festival will feature authors Colin Steven and Jim Ottewill in conversation celebrating the launch of their book, ‘Out of Space | How UK Cities Shaped Rave Culture’ to discuss whether there is still room for nightclubs and rave culture to thrive in UK towns and cities. A special wellness treat will be Debbie Chia’s brilliant ‘Light and Sound Bath’ sessions and Drone Yoga with Sarah Cotton. To win 2 tickets to No Bounds 2022, just email us at  hello@refugeworldwide.com by the end of August with the answer to the following question -  Q: Which artist is curating the closing performances at the Sheffield Cathedral? And if you can’t make it to Sheffield this year - Refuge Worldwide will be hosting a radio show in Berlin featuring some of the festival’s artists. Stay tuned for more updates.  ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #77]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-4th-july-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-4th-july-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[DWE Kiezteam meetings | Melilla tragedy | Germany's 'tolerated' migrants]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Deutsche Wohnen & Co Ent. Grassroots campaign group Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen are holding meetings across Berlin over the coming weeks. After last year’s successful referendum campaign, the group continue to organise across the city, fighting for the expropriation of Berlin’s large corporate landlords and a solution to Berlin’s escalating housing crisis. Head to IG: @dw_enteignen to find out how to get involved through your local Kiezteam. Melilla On the 24th of June, around 2000 people attempted to scale the border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla, resulting in the death of at least 23 migrants. On Monday, the Kenyan government joined NGOs and activists across Europe and Africa in calling for an immediate probe into the tragedy, after widespread reports and video evidence that border security forces were using excessive and unjustified force to prevent migrants from entering the EU. New path for the 'tolerated' A new visa status for rejected asylum applicants living in legal limbo and lacking permission to work in Germany might help more than 200,000 'tolerated' migrants find a pathway to legal residence, work, and a semblance of normalcy. Germany has for years granted some asylum applicants a 'tolerated' status meaning they can't be deported, as is the case for countless Afghans whose country is mired in crisis. What seems like an overdue first step towards a pragmatic migration policy has naturally been under attack by the parliamentary opposition. San Antonio 53 people were found dead in a tractor-trailer rig on a remote back road in southwest San Antonio, Texas, last week, in what is believed to be the deadliest smuggling incident in US history. As the temperatures inside the vehicle soared to 75 degrees, “there were no signs of water [...], and no visible working AC unit,” according to the San Antonio fire chief. Republican politicians didn’t hesitate to seize on the tragedy and blamed it on Joe Biden’s immigration policies, which they inaccurately describe as “open borders.” Amman Head to the AIAIAI website to read interviews with organisers and participants of Aswat Al Raseef, our recent workshop series with Zaatari Radio in Amman, Jordan. With the help of mentors like Nour and Odai Masri, workshop participants were able to produce and broadcast their own radio shows on everything from music to mental health, migration and street culture. Listen back now on our website. Lilipad: Libraries and Lyrics For the past five years, Lilipad's team of passionate volunteers have made it their mission ‘to enable children in vulnerable communities to enjoy access to a fulfilling, quality and stimulating education.’ We talked to the team to find out more about their new library, our hip-hop workshops, and plans for the future. Oona On Wednesday, catch our resident Golden Medusa followed by a 3-hour mini-takeover by Prenzlauer Berg’s finest OYE Records, who celebrate 20 years since opening with sets from Sabine Hoffmann, Formella and the store’s co-owner Tinko.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide, Turning Tables and Jordan Brand team up for new workshop series]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jordan-summer-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jordan-summer-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The 10-week course will cover beatmaking, singing, rapping and performance.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From July to September we will be holding a series of music workshops for a group of young FLINTA* people from underrepresented communities in Berlin, culminating in a live showcase at the newly refurbished Satou Sabally basketball court. Satou Sabally is a Berlin-Schöneberg-raised basketball player and WNBA All-Star team member who is working to help provide FLINTA* people from BiPoC, LGBTQIA and other marginalised communities access to sport in a safe and non-discriminating environment. Jordan Brand, in Satou Sabally’s name, are helping to refurbish a local Berlin basketball court, to offer marginalised communities a safe space to explore sport, music and other aspects of Basketball culture. On the 16th of July we will host the opening event at the Satou Sabally court, "Take Flight – Basketball Festival" with music from ABIBA, Hanaby, Helina and Nissa. We will also be dropping a special basketball-themed playlist, compiled by Tamara Fox, with audiences around the world able to listen to the full party via a live broadcast on refugeworldwide.com. Taking place at Naunyritze, Kreuzberg, the 10-week workshop series begins on July 20th and will cover hip-hop beat-making, singing, rapping, lyric writing and performing. At the end of the series, participants will be invited to showcase their skills at the court’s closing event in October. Confirmed workshop mentors include Yasmin Umay, Jaqee and DJ Fresh Fluke, with more to be announced soon. This workshop series will be delivered in collaboration with Turning Tables, an organisation that seeks to empower children and young people through music. A free creative space where experiences can be shared and new artistic and technical skills can be learned, Turning Tables is currently based at Naunyritze in Kreuzberg, a long-running youth club and community space that is well known for its role in the history of Deutschrap since the 1990s. Sign-up for the July 16th party here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Lilipad: Libraries and Lyrics]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/lilipad-interview-feature</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/lilipad-interview-feature</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We are extending our partnership with Lilipad, a unique Berlin-based educational charity. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[For the past five years, Lilipad's team of passionate volunteers have made it their mission ‘to enable children in vulnerable communities to enjoy access to a fulfilling, quality and stimulating education.’  Founded in Uganda in 2017 with the goal of constructing a school library, Lilipad has since partnered with various local institutions to open seven multilingual children’s libraries in Morocco and Berlin, constantly striving to create an engaged culture of reading and learning amongst children.  To encourage creative self-expression, Refuge Worldwide have co-organised a series of four rap and hip-hop workshops that involved teaching young children how to write their own lyrics and rhyming flows while rapping to a beat. The series, which took place at the Gemeinschaftsunterkunft in Britz, one of Berlin's largest collective refugee accommodation centres, was a hit.  We talked to the team behind Lilipad to find out more about their experience with Refuge Worldwide and their future plans.  Tell us more about your team structure and roles within Lilipad.  Priscilla: I’m Priscilla. I’ve been with Lilipad for about three years now and I joined to help out with developing and increasing the impact of Lilipad. This involves developing the educational workshops and impact frameworks, so thinking about why we’re doing what we’re doing.  Eleonora: I’m Elenora and I’ve been with Lilipad for exactly one year now. I am the project coordinator of one of our projects: the Marzahn library. I’m in charge of running the library, so it’s all about the communication with and meeting the needs of our partners there, taking care of the books/inventory, and coordinating all the events. Serafina: I’m Serafina and I joined Lilipad in November 2021 as a project coordinator for one of our libraries in Britz. Since January, I took on expansion, which involves finding locations for new libraries and following up on the process of opening them. I also work on institutional fundraising, which is basically writing applications for grants that are not corporate fundraising.  How many people are involved in Lilipad in total? Priscilla: We are 11-12 people. We’re mostly a volunteer-run organisation so most people have their normal day-time jobs and then they volunteer on the side with Lillipad. We have a core team, mostly made of volunteers, and then a couple of us are starting to freelance as well.      How did the Lilipad project come to be?  Priscilla: Our founder Sara started it in 2017. The concept originated from one simple motivation: to reduce some of the social injustice in the world. Having grown up in Morocco and been empowered by books in her own way, it was easy for Sara to decide that education should be the main area of focus for Lilipad. And so the organization was formed around the idea that we could provide books to children in vulnerable communities. Since Lilipad is based in Berlin, it naturally developed here as well. The idea was to provide more access to books for children who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity––whether because they are in rural areas, low-income communities, or refugee or migrant communities.  It’s not just about creating access to books but about having a learning and educational space where they can grow and develop (and that are welcoming and safe for kids). And hopefully providing them more opportunities for the future. A nice thing about our libraries is that they’re inclusive, multilingual, and diverse, so whatever that looks like for different contexts, we try to instill those values. In Berlin, that looks like having multilingual libraries and mother tongue language books. We make sure that the books we provide match the needs and languages of the communities.  Eleonora: Also, we’re really striving to make reading attractive and fun, and to get the kids to get used to this library as an institution. Because we work in the so-called Gemeinschaftsunterkünfte, where the families are living, I think it really makes a big difference to have this exposure. Even if some kids say “I don’t like reading,” they still have the opportunity to hang out there and have this community. Are all the books donation-based? Serafina: No. We have some donations, but we mainly buy them with our budget. We are always very open to receiving donations. German books are easier to get donations, but in order to get Arabic or Farsi books, for example, we pretty much have to buy them.  Last month, Refuge Worldwide and Lilipad co-hosted a rap workshop at your Britz library location. How did that go? Serafina: Some of the kids were actually familiar with rap and they were really happy to experiment. We managed to gather 3 different texts. It was kind of a trial run because it was the first time Mo (an Iranian poet, music producer, and rapper) and Taha aka 6ahaaiwa  (a Syrian rapper, lyricist, and music producer) were giving the workshop to very young children. We had one song in German and one in Arabic. It was definitely a learning experience and a good place to see how we can improve it for next time. Some of the kids were really into it and I’m curious to see how it will develop tomorrow because we have a second appointment with them. Priscilla: The nice thing is that Taha is an Arabic speaker and Mo is a Farsi speaker, so we also wanted to ensure that the hosts could have that language connection with the kids.  Your core programs include connecting with local institutions and building libraries. Could you tell us more about these processes? Serafina: We are now in the process of opening three new libraries in Berlin. As Elenora was saying, we partner with Gemeinschaftsunterkünfte (GU), which are essentially refugee shelters, and it’s a very small world. All the staff from different locations know each other. So it’s a pretty solid network. They talk about us with their colleagues and reach out to us and ask if we are interested in opening a library there. I get in touch with them, and we have a call where I present the project. It’s kind of slow because we are in contact with the coordinator of volunteering at the GU. They normally aren’t working full-time, and they’re also responsible for other partnerships. So it takes some months to actually create a date for the opening. Once we’ve secured a location, we find a free room in the unterkunft and place bookshelves, fill them with books, and make it cosy and inviting. Once we have the library, we find volunteers who are in charge of opening the library once a week. Afterward, we try to find a workshop with a specific theme each month.   Another pillar is providing long-term support. What does this entail? Priscilla: It’s basically referring to having these educational workshops and making sure we keep the library as an active and engaging space. So that’s also ensuring that there are volunteers, the library is open, the book supply is stocked, we host ongoing workshops, offer reading engagement, etc. We are trying to train our volunteers on how to better engage the kids in reading. This also requires more of an educator’s perspective, so we’re trying to get experts to help us develop that. We’re in the process of creating a reading engagement guide that the volunteers can refer to so that they can have the resources and strategies to not only engage the kids but get them excited about the material. It actually takes a lot of preparation, skill, and effort if you want to have a greater impact on the kids. And we have an educator who is helping us research this and develop this material.  Your website mentions the use of the adaptive methodology. What is this approach and how does it operate for each local community? Priscilla: The adaptive methodology is our working model that refers to adapting to the context that we’re working in and responding to the needs that present themselves. For example in Uganda, they had more basic needs when it came to having curriculum books and school supplies. To just be able to go to school was a need. It’s not just the curriculum and tutoring, but it’s also about adding the fun books and getting them more engaged in reading for fun. Then there’s the additional thing that it’s not just about books themselves but learning in general. So the library operates as a space where we can engage them in other types of activities and learning. It all has the purpose of their growth and development–– whether it’s developing their self-confidence, skills that might be useful for them in the future, or their literacy skills. I think that’s what we mean by adaptive. It’s working with the different country content and various needs of the groups we’re working with. You’ve already established local partnerships in Uganda, Morocco, and Germany. Are there any further locations or educational programs in the pipeline? Priscilla: I think our focus now is definitely Berlin because there is so much need and it’s a lot more fluid here. Our growth is very organic in Berlin. Obviously, we have more ideas for expansion, but maybe that’s a bit more in the future.  How can volunteers get involved? Serafina: We always need volunteers in the libraries,  volunteers who engage themselves as librarians. Because of how life has been since the pandemic, it is really hard to find this. But it’s really important for the children to be able to rely on someone who is showing up every week. Eleonora: This is one thing that the pandemic has had a huge impact on, volunteering. The fact that people expect to be so mobile and flexible really takes a toll. We spoke with our partners and they’re also having a hard time finding volunteers. This is something to think about.  Priscilla: We’d love to have more people willing to host workshops, too. Obviously, it has to  be a good match and fulfill our mission. It’s quite broad, but as long as it’s contributing to the kids’ growth and development, anyone who has that skill is welcome to come. It would also be nice to have someone who’s not a one-off but can offer a series because that would create a bigger impact on the kids. Also, any Arabic or Farsi speakers who have availability during the daytime and who would like to read to children is a very needed area of volunteering. We are extending our partnership with Lilipad to organise more rap and hip-hop workshops for children as well as provide the inspiring organisation with 100% of the funds generated through the Refuge Worldwide Patreon. To top it off, we plan to give the participating children a chance to have their own creations professionally recorded.  Head over to our Patreon page and subscribe to support Lilipad in its mission! Learn more about Lilipad on their website or follow them on their Instagram. Photos by Gaby D'Annunzio. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #76]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-28th-jun-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-28th-jun-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 28 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Roe v. Wade overturned | Humanitarian work in Greece | Berlin's minimum wage]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Roe v. Wade  Last Friday, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that made access to abortion a constitutional right. Abortion has immediately been prohibited in 9 states and will likely be prohibited in 12 more in the near future. This historic decision of a court dominated by white men to control women's bodies flies in the face of democracy and marks a step towards a new dystopian reality in a country with unparalleled global influence. Germany On the very same day as the Supreme Court decision, the German Bundestag voted to abolish paragraph 219a of Germany’s criminal code, which criminalised the ‘advertising’ of abortion services by doctors. The result comes after years of campaigning to repeal the Nazi-era law, which made it impossible for clinics to provide detailed information about the procedure on their websites. Greece The UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, has called on the Greek government to end the criminalisation of humanitarian work, saying ‘solidarity should never be punished and compassion should never be put on trial.’ At particular risk of prosecution by Greek authorities are groups that document and prevent the practice of illegal pushbacks on the border. Listen back to our interview last year with Sarah Mardini, who was arrested and put on trial in Greece for assisting migrants and asylum seekers at sea. Berliner Mietverein Last Monday, the Berlin Tenant’s association Berliner Mieterverein declined to sign the ‘Alliance for New Housing Construction and Affordable Housing’ on the grounds that it provides inadequate protection for renters. The alliance between the Berlin Senate, real estate groups, state-owned housing companies and others has also been criticized by grassroots initiative Deutsche Wohnen & Co. enteignen, who say it only guarantees rising rents. Berlin Climate Protests  Activists from the group Last Generation blocked Frankfurter Tor on Thursday in a bid to protest against oil drilling in the North Sea, which the group describes as ‘fossil madness.’ Around 65 activists showed up for the action, and according to the police, 45 of them glued themselves to the asphalt. Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district mayor Clara Herrmann (Greens) said she 'understood' the reason for the protests, even though she 'doesn’t think these blockades are right.' Berlin Minimum Wage The Berlin Senate passed a draft law on Thursday that bumps the hourly wage of workers employed directly by the state of Berlin and state-owned companies, as well as companies receiving state grants to €13. Earlier this month, the Federal Council granted a wage increase for all workers in Germany to €10.45 per hour, up from €9.82. On October 1, it will jump to €12 per hour. Sea-Eye This Saturday we are hosting an event alongside Sea-Eye, a non-profit and civil sea rescue organisation that was founded in Germany in 2015. Sea-Eye operate rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea, searching for people in distress along the world’s deadliest migration route. Join us at 6pm for a screening of the documentary Route 4 at Wolf Kino, before heading to Oona bar for a panel discussion with Sea-Eye members, and music from Khadija, Michel Cédric (Live), DJ MWA and Dominik Szczepaniak. Community Event - Stark vernet(t)zt This Wednesday and Thursday Das NETTZ are holding their annual community event ​​’Stark vernet(t)zt’ at OYOUN in Neukölln, Berlin. Das NETTZ is an organisation working to counter hate speech and the spread of disinformation online. This year's two-day event panel discussions, talks and open workshops. RSVP to get involved. Tresor This weekend we are holding our first event at the legendary Berlin venue Tresor. On Saturday, 2nd July we are taking over the revamped Globus floor, with music from Paul St. Hilaire, Richard Akingbehin, Monty Luke, Ethel and Radiant Love founder Byron Yeates. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Arrival and Life After: Refuge Worldwide x Sea-Eye present an evening of solidarity]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sea-eye</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sea-eye</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday,  2nd July, 18:00-01:00 at Wolf Kino and Oona Bar.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Sea-Eye is a non-profit and civil sea rescue organisation that was founded in Germany in 2015.  The group operates rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea, searching for people in distress along the world’s deadliest migration route. In collaboration with Refuge Worldwide, the series Solidarity Without Borders will come to an end with the event ‘Arrival and Life After’. Join us for a screening of the documentary Route 4 at Wolf Kino, after which you're invited to Oona Bar just around the corner for a panel discussion hosted by Sea-Eye members. The discussion will also feature a number of special guests who will share their first-hand experiences as new arrivals in Germany.  Stick around after the discussion for live music as well as a small bake sale to raise funds for the continued efforts of Sea-Eye. Programme details:  6-7pm: Documentary screening: Route 4 at Wolf Kino  7-8pm: Welcome drinks & bake sale at Oona with  Julia Jazz  8-9pm: Panel discussion 9-10pm: Khadija 10-11pm Michel Cédric (Live)   11-12pm DJ MWA 12-1am: Dominik Szczepaniak  
For more about Sea-Eye and their mission, check out their website. Photo by Pavel D. Vitko. 

]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Summer T-Shirt Drop]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/t-shirt-drop-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/t-shirt-drop-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Available now online or for collection at Oona]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Two new summer t-shirts are up on our web store now.  Photographed by Kolja in and around our Neukölln home, both shirts are shipping worldwide or available for collection at Weserstraße 166. Modelled by Lior, Shiru, Maria and Kaodi. Shipping worldwide or for collection at Weserstraße 166. Designed by Studio Panorama. Shout out Bierbaum 2.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #75]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-21st-jun-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-21st-jun-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Colombian election | Rwanda flight grounded | Bridges over Borders]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Colombia Yesterday, Gustavo Petro beat populist real estate tycoon Rodolfo Hernández to become Colombia’s first ever leftist president. A former guerilla, Petro has promised to end political and legal persecution and to support ‘the silent majority of peasants, Indigenous people, women, youth.’ This result follows a pattern of leftist wins across Latin America, after surprise victories in Peru, Chile and Honduras. Bridges Over Borders: Volunteers Needed Community-based collective supporting BIPoC, LGBTQIA+ & other marginalised individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine Bridges Over Borders urgently need more hands on deck. Reach out to them if you can lend a hand in social care, housing support, or fundraising and social media. Check out Veronika Kailich's interview here, to find out more about Bridges over Borders. To apply, email: prospects@bridgesoverborders.de Rwanda flight grounded After a tense few days, all 31 migrants booked on the UK’s first deportation flight to Rwanda had their tickets cancelled. The flight, which was due to take off last Tuesday and reportedly cost €580,000 to charter, was grounded after last-minute rulings in the European Court of Human Rights. On Tuesday the court ruled that the deportation of one passenger, an Iraqi man known as K.N., was illegal. This decision allowed all other passengers to appeal. The UK government continue to insist that the Rwanda plan is legitimate, despite mounting evidence that it is not only wasteful and inhumane but illegal. Julian Assange The UK has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange to the US to stand trial for Espionage, after a decade-long legal battle. The charges against Assange relate to his publishing a series of US army and diplomatic leaks in 2010, which included evidence of US war crimes in Iraq leaked by whistleblower Chelsea Manning – crimes for which no one has yet been stood trial. The decision sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom worldwide. Nour Read a brand new interview feature ‘Storytelling as Resistance’ with Palestinian musician, artist and activist Nour, who was our first workshop host at Aswat Al Raseef in Amman. Nour is currently working on a documentary film and oral history archive centred around interviews with survivors of the 1948 Palestinian Nakba living in Jordan. Afrolution ’22: Re:INCARNATION Each One Teach One presents a unique dance performance as part of the 2nd edition of the Afrolution Festival this Saturday 25th June at Centre Francais de Berlin (@cf_berlin). ‘Re:INCARNATION’ is a dance performance by Qudus Onikeku and the QDance Company that 'showcases the depth of ancient Yoruba philosophy, mixed with the current Nigerian youth culture.' Get tickets here. Savvy Berlin-Lagos residency If you’re an artist, architect or curator in Lagos or Berlin, be sure to check this open call from @savvycontemporary for a residency where you can present your ideas on design and art in relation to urban space in either city. The residency is by @gi_nigeria in collaboration with @hfactor.co, @savvycontemporary and @zku.berlin. Costs are covered. Find out more and apply here. Oona Bar summer hangout The Refuge Worldwide summer party is set to go down this weekend at Oona bar. Join us on Friday, June 24th (12:00 - 02:00) and Saturday, June 25th (14:00-02:00) for live music, a huge selection of DJ sets and some free snacks to top it off (kindly provided by Gather). Find out more here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona Bar summer hangout]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-summer-hangout</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oona-summer-hangout</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 20 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Two-days of music, food and live shows in the sunshine.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The Refuge Worldwide summer party is set to go down this weekend at Oona bar.  Join us at Oona Bar on Friday, June 24th (12:00 - 02:00) and Saturday, June 25th (14:00 - 02:00) for live music, a huge selection of DJ sets and some free snacks to top it off (kindly provided by Gather). Everything is free to attend and will also be live-streamed on www.refugeworldwide.com. Friday afternoon brings radio residents Alex Kassian (Love On The Rocks), Khadija, Maryisonacid and the BIWOC* Rising crew to Weserstraße 166, before NM DJ's fantastic Tabloid Soundsystem show and the Fast Castle crew welcome Gent1e $oul & Cubemod. The evening sessions are curated by Sweet Slice, Ella Victoria, SWAK and stillwarley. Cross Currents curates Saturday night with live performances from A’th, Carla Borges, Int. Business Casual, alongside DJ sets courtesy of Jess 2 Empress, K’boko and Lewis D-T. Refuge Worldwide's Christa Belle, The Monthly Pattern, Nathan Micay and Anton Teichmann soundtrack the afternoon from 14:00, with Space Of Urgency hosting a discussion to kick off the day. If you are attending in person, please note that noise outside the bar should be kept to a minimum. We ask that you respect our neighbours by clearing the pavement/walkways. Artwork by Raoul Gottschling. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Nour: Storytelling as Resistance]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nour-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nour-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 20 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Nour discusses her upcoming documentary and Palestinian generational memory.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Nour is a Palestinian musician, artist and activist. Though she's often split her time between touring, production and roles with collectives like Future Female Sounds, Nour has recently shifted her focus to just one project: a documentary and oral history archive filmed in refugee camps around Jordan. So far Nour has collected around 90 interviews with Palestinian survivors of the 1948 Nakba. Nour's interviewees, who are mostly in their eighties and nineties, recount a history that has been ignored and erased: their experience of Palestine before the occupation, of 1948 when around half of Palestine's population were expelled from their homeland, of the journey to Jordan and a lifetime of displacement. Last month, we met Nour at the opening session of our workshop series Aswat Al Raseef and accompanied her on a filming trip to the Prince Hassan refugee camp in East Amman. Just two days after Nour hosted her workshop, the news came in that Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh had been murdered by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, only a few hours' drive away. The following conversation took place over the phone soon after. Hi Nour, where are you right now? I’m in East Jerusalem with my family at the moment. As you may have heard, Shireen Abu Akleh was recently killed in a targeted attack by Israeli forces. She was a well-known and loved reporter here in Palestine and across the Arab world, so we are all mourning her. The atmosphere has been tense. I always worry when the situation gets tense in Palestine and I'm not here. Whenever I feel that something might happen, I try to get here immediately.  I was at the funeral for Shireen which was amazing, so special. The violence that took place at the hospital was horrible. I wish it hadn’t happened, but I’m glad that the world saw it.  A few weeks ago in Amman, you held the opening workshop at Aswat Al Raseef. What was your focus? My workshop was on the art of interviewing: how to approach an interviewee and help them to be comfortable, the kind of questions to ask to get a story from someone and the kind of things to avoid. It was about designing questions that allow people to reflect on their emotions and experiences. You showed the students some clips from your upcoming documentary, can you tell us about those? Yes, exactly. The documentary will have no voiceover, so the interviews and testimonies I am collecting will lead the narrative. One of the interviews I screened was with a man called Abdullah from the village of Al-Dawayima in Palestine (watch here), the site of one of the worst massacres of 1948. Abdullah witnessed many murders and lost his own family members. He fled and has been living in a refugee camp ever since. This all happened to him at the age of 12 and he was 84 years old when I interviewed him. It was traumatic, but he hasn’t forgotten. I think for him and many others, those events remain ingrained in your brain for a long time, they don't disappear. I took the students through the process of how to approach an interview like that: how to ask the right questions and how to know when it's time to take a break. There were moments in that interview when I would stop asking questions and just let the camera roll. Sometimes you don’t need to talk, you can just let there be silence and this allows you to capture the most incredible footage. I chose that interview as an example of how to manage emotional topics and situations, how to stay present and bring those emotions out, but not let those emotions overtake the interview completely. What was the response of the participants? It was amazing! They were so open-minded, eager and interested. After I screened the clips and gave a short talk, we let the students record interviews with each other. Everyone was so shocked and impressed by how quickly they opened up to each other. They interviewed each other on mental health, goals in life and existential questions – things I definitely wasn’t thinking about as a sixteen or seventeen-year old! Their questions and answers were so in-depth, even though they had only just met that afternoon. It was really special to work with them. How important is it to pass these stories and skills on to a new generation? Very. Allowing these memories to pass from one generation to the next is the main objective of the whole project. It's also so important to pass on the art of storytelling itself. In my case, storytelling has been so important for my understanding of the world and my place in it. I'm a Palestinian with no memory of Palestine before 1948. But my Grandma remembers and she tells me stories about Palestine that I will pass on to my own children. The people I’m interviewing are members of the last generation. Once they are gone, there will be no one left who lived through the Nakba and saw Palestine before the occupation. That’s why it’s so important to document these memories while these elders are still with us. As Palestinians, it’s vital that we pass on our stories and history. You’ve collected 90 interviews so far. Do you have an idea of the total number you're aiming for? I'm not planning on stopping soon – I’m addicted, to be honest. The more stories I collect the more important I realise this project is. Obviously, I can’t use all of them in the documentary, but that isn’t important. I want to have them archived, to make a home for them. Who are you hoping will see the documentary you're making? I'd love it if twenty years from now a young Palestinian child could go look at them and hear what I heard about the history of our country. I'm lucky enough to hear these stories from the mouths of those who survived it, but the next generation won't have that unless we collect these testimonies now. My other main target for this film is the Western world. I have lived outside Palestine for most of my life and I'm continuously surprised by how little the West knows about Palestine and the Nakba. During the last outbreak of violence in May 2021, I realised that even close friends of mine had no idea about the history of the conflict. Why don't we talk about 1948 like we do other humanitarian catastrophes and massacres? It makes me angry and I think it makes most Palestinian people angry, that 74 years later we still have to fight to explain what happened. That's why I am collecting these testimonies–so I can show them to the world. There’s a clear educational aim behind the documentary. Have you felt that the process of making this film has been an educational experience for you too? Definitely, I learn something new in every interview. I learn about places in Palestine that I didn't even know existed because they were destroyed. I learn about new massacres that I didn't know about because they were hidden. I'm learning so much in the process. That's also why I'm so addicted. It feels like there's so much left to unveil. In addition to this project, you're also working as an artist and DJ. How do these different roles combine in your life, or do you keep them separate? They combine in many ways. For myself and so many Palestinians, art or music is just another form of resistance. As Palestinians, we resist through whatever media we choose. There are Palestinians who resist through traditional Palestinian cooking, or by celebrating centuries-old Palestinian fashion or embroidery techniques.  There are so many powerful ways to be an artist, to have a platform and to use it for good. And as a Palestinian, everything you do goes hand in hand with resistance. Images by Kolja Tinkova (IG: koljaaaaa__) Follow Nour's work on IG: @refugeechronicles]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Kinder vom Kotti at Féte de la musique]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/turning-tables-kinder-vom-kotti</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/turning-tables-kinder-vom-kotti</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 18 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tuesday 21st June, 16:00-22:00, Civili-Park, Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Turning Tables are celebrating Féte de la musique with FÊTE 36EINS, an evening of music and the live debut of their project Kinder vom Kotti. Turning Tables is an organisation that seeks to empower children and young people through music. A free creative space where experiences can be shared and new artistic and technical skills can be learned, Turning Tables is currently based at Naunyritze in Kreuzberg, a long-running youth club and community space that is well known for its role in the history of Deutschrap music since the 1990s. This Tuesday over 20 young musicians involved in the Turning Tables project will perform at Civili-Park in Kreuzberg, to celebrate and announce the upcoming Kinder vom Kotti compilation. Delivered in cooperation with Outreach Kreuzberg, Flüchtlingskirche and producer Cord Labuhn (aka Robosonic), Kinder vom Kotti is a collective project that explores hip-hop music as a means of self-expression for young refugees and locals living in Kreuzberg. Come down to Civili-Park (Waldemarstr. 57 - 10997 Berlin) on Tuesday to celebrate with the Kinder vom Kotti from 16:00-22:00 CET. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #74]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-14th-june-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-14th-june-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[UK's Rwanda deportation plan | Utah environmental disaster | Katharina Oguntoye fundraiser]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Rwanda The first deportation flight from the UK to Rwanda is due to take off today, as part of the UK government’s new plan to deport thousands of asylum seekers to the East African nation. Some of the refugees detained in a centre near Gatwick airport are on hunger strike, Al Jazeera reports. Legal challenges and demonstrations are taking place across the country. Care4Calais, who are soon launching a legal case against the Rwanda plan, are tweeting regular updates. They shared the good news yesterday that so far 24 of the 31 migrants due to be on the flight have had their tickets cancelled. 7 live tickets remain. We call on the UK government to cancel the flight and scrap the Rwanda plan. We encourage you to take a look at the Care4Calais twitter feed for regular updates and to donate to their stop #StopRwanda legal campaign. El Salvador 38,000 people have been arrested in El Salvador as part of a heavy-handed crackdown on gang crime declared by president Nayib Bukele at the end of March. Bukele’s government are being accused by Amnesty of ‘flagrant violations of human rights and criminalizing people living in poverty’, after thousands of arbitrary detentions, violations of due process, widespread reports of torture and the death of 18 people in state custody. Utah Utah’s Great Salt Lake (pictured) is drying up, which could turn the region into an environmental disaster zone. Driven by climate change and the increased siphoning of water to homes and farms, the lake has shrunk by two-thirds since the 1980s and is on the verge of eco-system collapse. This poses an existential threat to millions of migratory birds, while the high levels of arsenic in the lake’s exposed bed could poison the air in Utah’s fast-growing capital, Salt Lake City. Katharina Oguntoye fundraiser Donate now to a fundraiser for Afro-German historian, activist and poet Katharina Oguntoye. Katharina is the author of Showing Our Colors, Afro-German Women Speak Out, and founder of Joliba, an organisation that has provided support to Berlin’s BIPOC community for decades. Katharina has been in a wheelchair for the last six months and her partner started the fundraiser to help make their apartment wheelchair accessible. Donate here. Tresor Last week we announced our first event at legendary Berlin venue Tresor. On Saturday, 2nd July we are taking over the revamped Globus floor, with music from Paul St. Hilaire, Richard Akingbehin, Monty Luke, Ethel and Radiant Love founder Byron Yeates.  Oona This Saturday at Oona SpaceTune will present an evening of Arabic hip-hop. Curated and moderated by Hala Al-Sadi, the takeover starts with a panel conversation between Thawra Sh2am, OTAT and UmKuBu on hip-hop in the MENA region, before a freestyle session featuring Omar Omar Elsadek, Oldyungmayn and Zuhour. The event is free to attend and will be broadcast live on Refuge Worldwide and Radio Ma3azef.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[SpaceTune takeover]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/spacetune</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/spacetune</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday 18th June, 19:00 CET, online and at Oona.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Saturday SpaceTune present an evening of Arabic hip-hop and discussion at the Refuge Worldwide studio, Weserstr. 166, Berlin. Curated and moderated by Hala Al-Sadi, SpaceTune is a playground for artists to gather and explore music in both conversation and practice. The takeover will begin with a panel conversation between Thawra Sh2am, OTAT and UmKuBu on hip-hop in the MENA region. From 20:00-00:00 CET Omar Elsadek, Oldyungmayn and Zuhour (pictured) will be in the booth for a freestyle session. The event will be broadcast live on Refuge Worldwide, as well as on Ma3azef, an online radio and web magazine based in Tunis and dedicated to contemporary Arabic music. The event is free to attend and supported by WaraQLab and AFAC. Visual by @tewa_almakina]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Tresor Klubnacht with Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-x-tresor</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-x-tresor</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday 2nd July, Tresor, Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us on the revamped Globus floor for our first event at legendary Berlin venue Tresor. We're excited to announce the return of Paul St. Hilaire (aka Tikiman), who appeared at our event at Arkaoda in October last year. The dub techno icon, who has lent his voice to some of dance music's most important records, will perform alongside Refuge Worldwide co-founder Richard Akingbehin. Detroit-raised, Berlin-based DJ Monty Luke and Sobremesa founder Ethel will both spin before closing set specialist and Radiant Love co-founder Byron Yeates. Lineup: - Globus Byron Yeates  Ethel  Monty Luke Richard Akingbehin Paul St. Hilaire - Tresor Ciarra Black Madalba Rage Therapy (live) The Advent]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #73]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-6th-june-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-6th-june-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[DRC's neglected crisis | Hate crimes in Germany | Spiking in Berlin]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Neglected refugee crises The Norwegian Refugee Council published their annual list of the world's 10 most neglected displacement crises, highlighting striking disparities in the international reaction to crises around the world. The list is generated based on three criteria: lack of international political will, lack of media attention and lack of international aid, all relative to the number of people displaced by the crisis. DR Congo was named the world’s most neglected crisis and all 10 on the list are taking place on the African continent.  The war in Ukraine has highlighted the immense gap between what is 
possible when the international community rallies behind a crisis, and 
the daily reality for the millions of people suffering far from the 
spotlight. Read more. Ukraine Last Friday was the 100th day since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In that time an estimated one-third of the country’s population has been displaced and nearly 7 million people have left to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, with over 700,000 recorded in Germany. In Berlin a key challenge is stable, long-term housing. Check out our recent interview with Bridges over Borders to learn more and find out how to help. Germany Last week Human Rights Watch reported on a sharp increase in hate crimes in Germany since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine against people perceived to be Russian, including Russians, Belarussians and Ukrainians. The Federal Criminal Police Office told HRW that they are counting around 200 crimes per week, ranging from insults and threats to vandalism, memorial desecration and assault. Berlin  The Berlin Clubcomission are investigating an increase in cases of spiking, after multiple reports of spiking, including with needles, across Europe and in Berlin clubs like Berghain. On the 16th of June, the Clubcomission are holding a closed event for exchange and discussion on the topic. Head over to their Instagram page for more information and get in touch at dj@clubcomission.de if you have been affected. Photo Story This May we were in Jordan working on a radio workshop series ‘Aswat Al Raseef’ with Zaatari Radio and Al Raseef 153 at the7Hills skatepark in downtown Amman. Last week to mark the close of the project we published a photo gallery by IG: koljaaaaa__, giving you a look at the early stages of the project, the team behind the scenes and a snapshot of life in and around the city. MELT Festival On Saturday we’re heading to Ferropolis for MELT Festival, one of the biggest open-air electronic music festivals in Germany. We’ll be setting up at the festival’s brand new Radio Stage and broadcasting live throughout the day. On the lineup: Flora Päär, No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin, BeatPete, Margaux and Yu Su. MINQ hosts workshop Open Music Lab and Refuge Worldwide are excited to announce a new workshop created and hosted by sound artist, sound designer, DJ and radio host MINQ. The workshop takes place 27th of June 2022 at Refuge Worldwide, Westerstr. 166 Berlin, from 6pm. MINQ’s Sonic Utopias | Research Lab is a space for play and experimentation around mindfulness, sound, voice and movement. The workshop will explore the concept of Sonic Utopias using deep listening scores, sonic meditations and vocal improvisation practices. No musical knowledge is needed, just an open and curious mind and a sense of humour. Free Course You can now take a 3-week online course on ‘Volunteering with Refugees’ for free. Created by Human Hive and Cambridge University Press, the course is for beginners who are interested in working with and teaching language to displaced people. Head over to the Future Learn website to find out more. Oona At Oona this week: Rubin Henkel will perform live piano on Tuesday evening, ahead of a new release on contemporary classical label 7K! On Friday, JAW Family and Olin’s world play in the afternoon followed by a 6-hour takeover from 20:00 CET hosted by London label Phantasy Sound. Music will be supplied by PYTKO, Wilted Woman, Cromby & Tee Amara, Josh Caffé and Gramrcy & John Loveless. 
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Phantasy Sound label takeover]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/phantasy-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/phantasy-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Friday 10th June, 20:00-02:00 CET, online and at Oona, Weserstr. 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Phantasy Sound are in the building next Friday for a 6-hour takeover, live on Refuge Worldwide. Founded in 2007 by DJ and producer Erol Alkan, the London label is home to artists like Daniel Avery, who will deliver an exclusive mix for the station, before live DJ sets from London-based Polish experimentalist PYTKO and Berlin's Wilted Woman.  Refuge resident and Phantasy labelmate Cromby will team up for a live set with vocalist Tee Amara, celebrating the duo's recent collaboration Que Sientes on Phantasy. London-based selector Josh Caffé will make his debut on Refuge before a closing set by Gramrcy and John Loveless, who made their Phantasy debut with 'Highdive', released on all platforms last week. Phantasy will also be releasing a limited-drop of a new shirt from designer Sofia Lucarelli, ‘Dancing’. Available exclusively through Phantasy’s online store and shipping worldwide, 10% of the profits from each sale will be donated directly to our fundraising partner Lilipad, a Berlin-based educational NGO who build children's libraries. Read more about our partnership with Lilipad here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[SOUNDBOKS takeover AutoGrill]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-autogrill</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-autogrill</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sunday 12th June, Wilhelm Hallen, Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide will provide the soundtrack at the SOUNDBOKS x AutoGrill event on Sunday 12th June, taking place at Wilhelm Hallen, Berlin. The Move78 band (featuring Refuge resident Aver) are performing live. There will be DJ sets from Katerinha & Dhanesh Jayaselan, reprising their show together at the Refuge B2B day in April, Ella Victoria & Richard Akingbehin and No Plastic. Food and wine will be supplied by Otto and Frauenpower.  The 5-week AutoGrill event series is a celebration of contemporary cuisine taking place at WIlhelm Hallen, a space opened in September 2021 as a new hub for creative industries. Located in Wilhelmsuh, Wilhelm Hallen includes several halls, loft spaces, offices and outdoor areas at the old Winkelhof iron foundry. RSVP now via SOUNDBOKS and receive a free glass of wine on entry. Photo by Ella Yarnton.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Behind the Scenes: Aswat Al Raseef]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gallery-aswat-al-raseef</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gallery-aswat-al-raseef</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A look back at our project in Amman.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This May we were in Jordan working with Zaatari Radio and Al Raseef 153, a maker space and community hub located at the 7Hills skatepark in downtown Amman. On Saturday the collaborative project 'Aswat Al Raseef' (Sounds of the Sidewalk) draws to a close. Over the course of four weeks of workshops, film screenings and public talks, participants have been learning how to record and produce their own radio shows, which are being broadcast on 4th June, live from the pop-up radio studio at Al Raseef 153. Taken during the first weeks of May, these photos document the early stages of the project, the team behind the scenes, the first few workshops and provide a snapshot of life in and around the city. Some of the Aswat Al Raseef team outside Al Raseef urban education space. (Left to right) Robin Hunter, Majed Abu Dayyhe, Liam Evans, Nicky Böhm, Mohammed Zakaria, Jude Swearky, Tom Critchley, Kas Wauters and Ghassan Niemat. (Left) Kas Wauters of 7Hills Skatepark shares a watermelon with Majed Abudaye, manager of Al Raseef 153. (Right) Tom Critchley, co-founder of Zaatari Radio. Aswat Al Raseef participants meet for the first time at the opening workshop with musician and filmmaker Nour, who showed clips from her upcoming documentary and led a session on interview techniques, before giving participants space to record their own conversations. Nour photographs interviewee Fatima Hazem and her family at Prince Hassan Refugee Camp in East Amman. For her upcoming documentary project, Nour is travelling to refugee settlements around Jordan to collect interviews with Palestineans displaced by the 1948 Nakba. Workshop hosts Nour, left, and Odai Masri. Founder of Exist Festival Palestine, Odai led a workshop on pop-up radio and production techniques and helped the students to produce and finalise their radio shows during the last few weeks of the programme. Skaters and rollerbladers at the 7Hills Skatepark, a vital community space for many young people in downtown Amman. Young people from Jerash camp to the north of Amman attend a skateboarding workshop led by the 7Hills team. Jerash camp is known locally as Gaza camp, and was set up in 1968 for Palestinean refugees from Gaza who fled the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Aswat Al Raseef participants during a workshop. As well as classes for small groups, the programme featured public talks and open discussions on topics like youth culture, art and public space in urban environments. Tune in on Saturday via 7Hills Skatepark to hear a live pop-up radio broadcast from the Aswat Al Raseef studio.  Thanks to all who made Aswat Al Raseef happen–participants, mentors, 7Hills Skatepark, Zaatari Radio, Al Raseef 153 and to Solidrinks for their support. Images by Kolja (IG: koljaaaaa__)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #72]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-30th-may-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-30th-may-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 30 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Mediterranean crossing | Aswat Al Raseef broadcasts | AutoGrill]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Greece The Greek migration minister Notis Mitarachi has revealed plans to extend a steel fence on the land border with Turkey from 40km to 120km, in a crackdown on attempted border crossings. According to government statistics, there has been a sharp increase in migration from Turkey over the last fourth months, both through the land border and across the Aegean sea. This includes 600 people on 9 boats who were pushed back to Turkey by the coast guard last Tuesday. Amid rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries, there are fears that asylum seekers are once again being used as political pawns. Mediterranean crossing According to a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 600 people went missing while crossing the Mediterranean from Libya and Tunisia in North Africa in the first three months of 2022. While the central Mediterranean route is often referred to as the world’s deadliest, this figure represents a sharp increase from last year and the highest rate of disappearance since 2014. Berlin/Detroit Residency Berlin-based solo artists can apply now for Musicboard’s 2023 Detroit/Berlin tandem residency, which is aimed at independent electronic musicians and involves 6-8 week stays in both cities. The residency is designed to promote exchange and collaboration between musicians from Detroit and musicians from Berlin, and to raise awareness for the origins of techno and house as black, queer music cultures. Applications close on Wednesday, 1st of July. ROOTS Berlin This Thursday ROOTS Berlin are hosting ‘Sharing Game’, a get together for upcoming BIPoC musicians at Friends Space Berlin, which will include workshops and panel talks with artists and industry figures including Kelvyn Colt, Joy Denalane and Aisha Vibes. ROOTS was founded in 2020 with the aim of fostering solidarity and support within the BIPoC community. You can find more information and RSVP via their IG. Aswat Al Raseef Earlier this month we were in Jordan working with Radio Zaatari and 7Hills skatepark on the project ‘Aswat Al Raseef’ (Sounds of the Sidewalk), a pop-up radio studio and four-week workshop series for a group of young people living in the capital Amman. Every day this week you can hear podcasts, soundscapes and sonic narratives produced by the participants, and on Saturday there’s a special all-day broadcast, live from Al Raseef in downtown Amman. Head to the 7hills skatepark website to tune in.
 GALA Festival Takeover This Friday, 3rd June we are hosting a stage at GALA, a four-day Festival in Peckham Rye Park, South London. The Neighbourhood Tent will open with an extended set by Refuge co-founders No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin. Riva and Saachi from South Asian artists collective Daytimers will go B2B before sets by Borne Fruits label-head Amaliah and NIKS, co-founder of Black Artist Database. AutoGrill Refuge Worldwide will supply the soundtrack at AutoGrill on Sunday 12th June, taking place at Wilhelm Hallen. The Move78 band are performing live, alongside DJ sets from Katerinha & Dhanesh Jayaselan, Ella Victoria & Richard Akingbehin and No Plastic. Food and wine supplied by Otto and Frauenpower, RSVP for a free glass of wine upon entry. Oona This week at Oona: on Thursday night we are broadcasting live shows from Nick Höppner, Human Margareeta and more. Then on Friday, SWAK make a return with a guest appearance from Berlin-based South African selector Anele, before Two Thou takes over for a special show with Paris/Berlin label Altered Soul Experiment.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide takeover at GALA Festival]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gala-announcement</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gala-announcement</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Friday 3rd of June, Peckham Rye Park, London.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Friday, 3rd June we are returning to host a stage at GALA, a four-day Festival in Peckham Rye Park, South London.  Founded in 2016, GALA is an independent festival to celebrate dance music’s lineage. For their annual festival, they focus on DJs and live bands from local and international scenes, spanning grassroots jazz, originator DJs, queer icons and hand-picked future talent. This year's line-up includes DJ Harvey, Goldie, Palms Trax and Josey Rebelle.  The Refuge Worldwide stage opens with an extended set by Refuge co-founders No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin. Riva and Saachi from South Asian artists collective Daytimers will go B2B before sets by Borne Fruits label-head Amaliah and NIKS, co-founder of Black Artist Database. Neighbourhood Tent | Friday 3rd June: 13:00 | No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin 16:30 | Riva B2B Saachi 18:00 | Amaliah 19:30 | NIKS Tickets are here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #71]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24th-may-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-24th-may-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[100 million displaced | Sri Lankan crisis | Pakistan heatwave]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. UNHCR: 100 million forcibly displaced The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced today in a press release that the total number of forcibly displaced people in the world has risen above 100 million for the first time ever. This figure, which includes 53.2 million displaced within the borders of their own country, is equivalent to the 14th most populous country in the world, and over 1% of the global population. In addition to the 14 million displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the steady increase in displaced people has been driven by waves of violence in countries including Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the words of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi: ‘One hundred million is a stark figure – sobering and alarming in equal measure. It’s a record that should never have been set. This must serve as a wake-up call to resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, end persecution, and address the underlying causes that force innocent people to flee their homes.’ Sri Lanka Last week Sri Lanka defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history, as the country’s worst ever economic crisis deepens. Earlier this month, protesters were attacked by pro-government supporters resulting in violent riots and the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Runaway inflation has made basic goods unaffordable to most Sri Lankans, who face frequent blackouts as well as extreme shortages of food, fuel and medicine.  Pakistan An ongoing, record-breaking heatwave across South Asia is leading to rapid melting of glaciers in the North of Pakistan, and water shortages of up to 38% in key Southern crop-producing provinces. In a best-case scenario estimation by NGO ActionAid, Pakistan’s vulnerability to global climate change could result in over 600,000 climate migrants by 2030. As the New Humanitarian reports, the shortfall in the wheat crop in both India and Pakistan, which is growing due to climate change, could add even greater pressure to food supplies worldwide. Bridges Over Borders Read Veronika Kailich’s interview with the inspiring Bridges over Borders (BoB), a Berlin-based community organisation who are providing support to BIPoC, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalised individuals entering Germany from Ukraine. The team behind BoB have been working tirelessly over the past few months to provide social, bureaucratic, legal and housing support to new arrivals. CTM On Sunday 29th May we are taking over one room at the CTM Festival closing party at SchwuZ, Berlin. From 22:00-04:00 five Refuge residents will go B2B for the first time–NM DJ, O.N.A., Two Thou, ELLLL and Richard Akingbehin–with a focus on spoken word, ambient, downtempo and experimental sounds. Creative Studios Sign up by Wednesday, 25th May to our new radio workshop series in collaboration with Today at Apple Creative Studios and Open Music Lab. The four-week, free-to-attend programme will cover all aspects of radio show creation, including research and interview techniques, audio editing, DJing, microphone training and promotion. Classes will be offered in English and German. Decolonoize Festival This Saturday the Berlin BIPoC music collective Decolonoize are hosting a one day festival at Zukunft am Ostkreuz. Decolonoize Festival aims to bring representation, visibility and a safer space for BIPoC musicians and music lovers. The lineup includes DJ-sets, panel discussions, screenings and live performances by Black feminist punk band Big Joanie, Neukölln rapper Nashi44, and many more. JAW Family The event series and booking agency JAW Family are hiring a paid intern for their office in Berlin to help with communications, booking, production and general assistance. Applications close on the 6th of July. Oona This week at Oona: on Thursday evening CTM Festival are in the building for a mini-takeover with Gabber Modus Operandi and Kinshasa collective KOKOKO!, live from the studio. On Saturday, we are hosting a special Ukrainian artist showcase, with Ponura, Human Margareeta and Olivia Sugar. Images: Aid for refugees at Berlin Hauptbahnhof by Leonhard Lenz; Nat Marcus (NM DJ)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bridges Over Borders: 'Long-term integration is our main objective']]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bridges-over-borders</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bridges-over-borders</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Seeking sustained solutions for marginalised refugees.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Bridges over Borders (BoB) is a community-based collective in Berlin who are supporting BIPoC, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalised individuals entering Germany from Ukraine.  The organisation, which currently houses and supports around 60 refugees, aims to provide long-term housing solutions, financial aid and assistance in navigating the German bureaucratic process. The group organically evolved in early March to safely transport and accommodate refugees who were facing racist discrimination during attempts to cross the Polish-Ukrainian border. We sat down with editor and culture writer Harriet Shepherd, who is an early member of BoB, to learn more about the organisation. Shortly after the war broke out, many people took the initiative to drive to the Polish-Ukrainian border after hearing that Black people were being tormented, beaten and held at gunpoint by police and army officials. Two of Harriet’s close friends, Benjamin and Jon, brought back a Congolese family of eight, including a two-week-old baby, a four-year-old and their grandmother. From that point, BoB developed into a structured group. Friends and friends-of-friends came together to offer support with driving, sourcing housing, social work, hot food deliveries and legal advice. A week or so later the group was operating under the name Bridges over Borders. ‘It happened incredibly quickly,’ Harriet tells us, ‘it was amazing to see how people mobilised to support wherever they could.’ At this point, the government was still failing to provide clear legislation about the legal status granted to refugees, or how laws created for Ukrainian nationals would affect other refugee groups. BoB works alongside organisations such as Tubman Network, EOTO and Casa Kuà to share resources wherever possible, and has grown to 30 members, bringing together a broad range of experience in social work, policy, activism and beyond. Thank you for carving time out of your busy schedule to meet! Can you tell us about yourself and how the organisation originated?  Essentially, we are a growing group of friends and volunteers working to bridge the gap between marginalised individuals arriving from Ukraine and different aspects of German life and the bureaucratic system. We aim to support and facilitate access to everything from housing, food, finance, and medical support to social work, language courses, sports, schooling, jobs, and access to different kinds of leisure activities as well. We are working closely with other local organisations to pool resources and help eachother wherever possible, as well as internationally recognised organisations such as the IOM, UNHCR, ORAM etc. The organisation evolved quite organically after some friends decided to drive to the borders, in response to the news of discrimination against BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ people being denied safe passages out of Ukraine. From there it was a case of getting needs met—we had to start building structures to find housing, provide food, and help communicate legal updates, as the government was failing to do so. We are currently supporting around 60 people. Can you give us an overview of how BoB is structured? What are the various branches of the organisation? We are made up of multiple small teams that all work closely with one another. We don’t really have any hierarchical structure—everyone brings what they can to the team, and supports each other when needed.  BoB started with a team of drivers, who took it upon themselves to provide safe transport from the borders, and the housing team was formed almost in tandem. The housing team work relentlessly to connect people with private hosts for temporary, mid-, and long-term housing solutions, which is of course the ultimate goal. I work as part of the social work team with a group of professional social workers, immigration counsellors, and activists. We handle everyone on a case-by-case basis, to provide ongoing assistance with bureaucratic and legal matters (with the help of professional legal advisors) as well as everyday needs.  We also oversee a group of social support volunteers, each assigned to a particular family, individual, or group being housed together. These volunteers assist with the day-to-day side of things and act as a friendly faces and social contacts, checking in with people in-person and over the phone, hanging out, showing people around the city, doing activities, and accompanying them to Burgeramt visits or doctor’s appointments. We always try to match volunteers with guests by language, location and cultural background where possible. We’re also supported by friends who are gathering information and opportunities for study and work—they host CV workshops, connect people with advisors and try to actively search for jobs that match each individual’s skill set and experience. Our donations team handles all material donations like clothes and furniture and responds to any specific needs communicated by the social work team or social support volunteers. There’s also a small team overseeing our incoming and outgoing communication—including social media, email etc.—which is a mammoth job but so essential, we could really use some additional help in this area!   Our logistics team is responsible for organising weekly grocery and cash pick-ups for people who are not yet receiving social welfare, and coordinating transport when people need to be re-housed or driven to appointments.  The medical team organises any urgent appointments or vaccinations that might be needed and is constantly updating a list of doctors and mental health professionals who are willing to work pro-bono.  And of course, we also have the finance people, who manage our accounts (our main donations are collected through Mensch Mensch Mensch e.V.), and organise different fundraisers.  Europe’s embrace of Ukrainian refugees has spotlighted the ways that refugees of colour seeking asylum from other countries have often been met with outright denial. Have you found that your organisation’s work has helped shift some perceptions or facilitated discussions around this two-tiered system? It’s so important for civil-society groups and community-based organisations who 'do the groundwork' to be in exchange with the groups that are able to affect major change if they want to. Sharing our experiences with other organisations, groups, and volunteers who deal specifically with BIPoC has become a very important part of our work, especially when it comes to the lack of solidarity and downright denial of humanitarian aid. The mere existence of organisations like ours, and others who have similar aims and objectives, demonstrates the glaring disparities within systems and structures built to 'support' people.  On a smaller scale, we're seeing it spark conversations among our extended community. It’s something we want to talk about more on social media too, but haven’t really had the capacity.  How do you work towards the integration of refugees over the long term? Sustainable long-term integration is our main objective. This is why we really try our best to understand the realities of people’s status and their different options. We have an amazing partnership with the GFBM, who have offered full-time certified German and vocational courses, and who are creating more classes as demand grows. Hopefully, this opportunity will soon be available to many other people outside of just our group.  We are trying a multitude of different strategies to secure long-term housing in Berlin and beyond, and are doing our best to find jobs and educational opportunities that fit our guests. It would be amazing if we could create a network of solidarity support structures throughout Germany and beyond to ensure the support of many more. At the beginning of the invasion, it felt like there were a lot more people offering places to stay, volunteering at train stations or making an effort to support in some way. Have things changed over the last few months? The offers of solidarity are not flooding in at the same rate as a couple of months ago by any stretch, but we are still getting new messages every week from people willing to offer their time and efforts.  What are the main challenges you face now? The biggest struggle by far is finding long-term housing—it’s that ‘catch 22’ of having to have Anmeldung to do anything in Germany—to open a bank account, start working, apply for welfare, enroll into school or language courses etc. It’s also difficult to manage all this work in our own unpaid time. Finding affordable housing can be a nightmare in Berlin even when you have an impressive backlog of bank statements, a letter of recommendation, and a Schufa. We are super proud to say that in two months, we’ve managed to secure 7 long-term apartments with Anmeldung, which are now housing 12 people, and whose landlords have offered initial rent-free periods.  Thanks to generous donations, going forward we are able to pay a bit of rent support, so our housing team is coming up with creative ideas to find accommodation in other ways, contacting anyone who might prove useful in the process of finding homes for new Berliners. How do you assess or categorise the individuals or groups that take higher priority?  We talk to people and try to understand what their needs are. Some cases are more straightforward, others are complicated and might require more legal advice, for example. Some people have ongoing medical conditions which require more attention, others are fit and healthy. Some groups of friends have travelled together, but are open to being split up if it makes it easier for them to find housing—others are families with small children, who we prioritise keeping together. But we do not want to play into the narrative of a logic which categorises people according to their utilisation value and then prioritises by that standard.  Finally, is there anything else you'd like to add? What are worthwhile ways in which our readers can help?  For every story that reaches us, there are literally millions we do not hear—of those who are stuck at the borders, kept in detention centres, and never make it to safe places, or who make it to Europe only to be met with hostile authorities and bureaucratic practices, which make it impossible to get support. Our work is just a drop in the ocean but hopefully is able to create visibility for those who do not get their fair share of solidarity, and whose stories have long dropped out of mainstream interest. It’s evident that we have the space and funds to work towards borderless solidarity, we just need to mobilise to do so. If you want to help, in whatever way, please just contact us. We’re always looking for Berlin-based volunteers who are able to accompany people to amt appointments and in-person support, but whether you’re a social worker, an event organiser, or just want to take photos for our social media, we want to hear from you! Discover more about Bridges over Borders on their Instagram. You can donate and offer to host here, or email them directly.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide all night B2B at CTM closing party]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-ctm</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-ctm</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 17 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The CTM closing party runs from 22:00(CET) on Sunday 29th May at SchwuZ, Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Sunday 29th May we are taking over one room at the CTM Festival closing party at SchwuZ, Berlin. From 22:00-04:00 five Refuge residents will go B2B for the first time, with a focus on ambient, downtempo, experimental music and spoken word. NM DJ (aka Nat Marcus) is a musician, DJ, writer and one half of TABLOID Soundsystem. Nat will recite spoken-word works and poetry at SchwuZ. Get a taste by listening back to her appearance at the last WET event at Oona. Two Thou, a producer from South Sardinia, is host of the Los Angles show on Refuge, and has a discography that spans house, jazz, experimental music and beyond. Listen back here to his latest show with French producer rRoxymore. ELLLL is an Irish-born, Berlin-based DJ and part of GASH Collective. Her Refuge residency is a goldmine for bass, breaks and experimental club music. O.N.A is a core member of the Black Artist Database and a producer of breaks-driven music of all kinds. Richard Akingbehin is the co-founder of Refuge Worldwide, host of the Tuesday Blues show and founder of Kynant Records. This year, the 23rd edition of CTM Festival took place in two halves, with the second part running from 24th-29th May. Head to the website to see the full schedule and lineup, which includes Loraine James, Space Afrika, Moor Mother and Turkana.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[ICYMI | #70]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-16th-may-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/icymi-16th-may-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Shireen Abu Akleh | Police ban protests in Berlin | Alabama anti-trans law blocked]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our weekly roundup of the stories you may have missed. Shireen Abu Akleh funeral attacked by police Thousands gathered in East Jerusalem on Friday to mourn the death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead by Israeli forces last Wednesday while covering an Israeli army raid in the Palestinian city of Jenin, Al Jazeera reports. Thirty-three were injured and six hospitalised during the funeral procession as Israeli police attacked mourners with batons and stun grenades. An Al Jazeera correspondent for 26 years, Abu Akleh was one of the prominent journalists reporting from Palestine and a trailblazer for women in Arab media. Police ban on Palestinean protest in Berlin In a crackdown on support for Palestine, a number of demos were banned by Berlin police due to the alleged risk of violence and ‘anti-semitic exclamations.’ Prohibited events included a vigil for Shireen Abu Akleh, organised by the Jewish group Jüdische Stimme, and a series of demos to commemorate the 1948 Nakba–the event that marks the destruction of Palestinian society and displacement of 700,000 Palestinians. Activists report that 170 people were arrested in Berlin over the weekend for perceived support of Palestine, including for wearing a keffiyeh (Palestinian scarf) or carrying a Palestinian flag. Controversial UK-Rwanda asylum seeker scheme begins Last week the UK Home Office announced that the first group of asylum seekers to be impacted by the government’s new relocation scheme have been informed that they are being sent to Rwanda. The scheme, which will send thousands of refugees who arrive in the UK on a one-way trip to Rwanda to apply for asylum, has faced legal challenges and has been condemned as inhumane across the board, including by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Salvadoran woman handed 30-year sentence after miscarriage A woman in El-Salvador has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated homicide after suffering a miscarriage, a decision that activists are calling a devastating step backwards. The Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion have called the case ‘loaded with stigmas and gender stereotypes.’ It offers a stark warning to observers in the US, where the supreme court is considering overturning Roe v Wade–legislation that protects the right to abortion. Judge blocks anti-trans Alabama law In the US, an Alabama law that banned puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender children under 19 has been blocked by a federal judge. The law included threats of criminal prosecution for parents and teachers who support transgender children in transitioning. Jennifer Levi of GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders called the decision to block the legislation ‘an extraordinary relief… parents should not be punished for wanting to do what’s best for their kids.’ Cheaper travel in Germany The German government have announced a new €9 monthly public transport ticket that will be introduced from the 1st of June. The new ticket is part of the German ‘Energy Cost Relief Package’, designed to offset the rise in energy and field prices that have occurred due to high inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ticket will work for all regional and local transport, including BVG, but will not be valid on ICE, IC, EC trains or long-distance buses. HVW8 Gallery This summer we are pairing up with Nico Adamako’s HVW8 hangouts in LA and Berlin, broadcasting sets recorded at HVW8 as part of the Einhundert x Radio Galerie series. Listen back now to the recordings from Saturday’s event, including a set by a very special guest from Durban, gqom pioneer DJ Lag. Kicks & Hugs Berlin booking agency, mix series and Refuge Worldwide show Kicks & Hugs have just announced the launch of a brand new label. The first release is a mini-compilation out on 27th May, and features tracks by Bertrand., the late Andrew Smith (aka Jasen Loveland), Varg2™ and Dasha Rush.  Oona  This week at Oona Bar, ok. on danse host a Thursday night takeover with Haider and Refuge residents Ben Sleia and Chloé Duperry. On Friday afternoon we are broadcasting a special set live from the studio by Mo’min Swaitat of Palestinian Sound Archive, followed by a guest show from Niks Delancey, founder and director of Black Artist Database. From midday on Sunday, Honey Tapes are back with a Garage Girls takeover, including documentary screenings, a vintage clothes market and sets from the residents. 
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            <title><![CDATA[Creative Studios Berlin and Refuge Worldwide present four weeks of radio workshops]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/creative-studios</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/creative-studios</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 13 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sign up is open until Wednesday, 25th May. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This June and July Refuge Worldwide are presenting a new workshop series in collaboration with Today at Apple Creative Studios and Open Music Lab.  The four-week, free-to-attend programme will cover all aspects of radio show creation, including research and interview techniques, audio editing, DJing, microphone training and promotion. The course will be taught in two groups, one English language and one German, and will run for four weeks from the 13th of June, with sessions held twice a week. Workshops will be held at Oyoun (Lucy-Lameck-Straße 32), studio sessions at Refuge Worldwide (Weserstr. 166) and Pirate Studio Berlin Tempelhof (Bergholzstraße 1-4/Tor 3). Workshop hosts will include Refuge residents Maryisonacid, CCL and Sarah Farina, journalists Paul Hanford and Caroline Whiteley, plus many more. Mentors will offer hands-on experience, guidance and ongoing support for participants’ creative ideas. At the end of the course, participants will have the opportunity to create shows that will be broadcast on Refuge Worldwide. Read more and sign up for the workshop series here – German / English. Priority will be given to those with refugee backgrounds, people of colour, people from the LGBTQIA community, women or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face difficulties accessing the music scene or music education in Berlin. 
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            <title><![CDATA[Coming to Berlin book launch at Oona Bar]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/coming-to-berlin-book-launch</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/coming-to-berlin-book-launch</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tune in online or join us this Saturday at Weserstr. 166, 12045 Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Saturday from 6pm CET we celebrate the release of Paul Hanford's new book Coming to Berlin with an evening of music and conversation at Oona Bar. Coming To Berlin reflects, through the lives and music of migrants, settlers and newcomers, how a constantly in flux city with a tumultuous history has evolved into the de facto cultural capital of Europe. And how at the heart of this, electronic music and club culture play a unique role. A plea for multiculturalism and a love letter to the borderless potential of music, the book breaks the tradition of Berlin’s perception as techno ground zero and shows the true diversity and richness that make up this city. The event will include a discussion with Paul Hanford, AIR Podcast and Refuge Worldwide host Emma Robertson, and veteran record producer Mark Reeder. Refuge Worldwide residents Ghostpoet and Vio PRG will provide music alongside Berlin-based artists Bakläxa, Tarabalsi and curator Sonia Fernández Pan.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host the Radio Stage at MELT 2022]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/melt-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/melt-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Yu Su, BeatPete and Flora Päär join us in Ferropolis this June.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide are heading out to Ferropolis this summer, hosting the Saturday at Melt Festival's new Radio Stage.  Nestled by the lake next to the camping site, our stage opens in the morning with a sound healing session from Flora Päär, before station residents Margaux and BeatPete spin a range of funk, hip-hop, soul, ambient and chillout alongside No Plastic and Richard Akingbehin. Composer, DJ, and sound artist Yu Su (bié Records) will perform as a special guest. Melt returns after a two year absence, naming Arlo Parks, Little Simz and Greentea Peng among the headliners. Melt Festival is one of the biggest open-air electronic music festivals in Germany. The festival takes place at the Ferropolis open-air museum, near Gräfenhainichen Melt festival explained, "Online radio became an important platform for all of us to discover new artists, dig new sounds, and it provided a testing ground for a new generation of producers. We want to highlight this again with giving radios their own stage." "The Radio Stage, which invites you to relax and unwind, is designed by radio stations from across Germany." The Refuge Worldwide stage running order is below: 11:00-12:00 - Flora Päär (Sound healing session) 12:00-14:00 - No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin 14:00-16:00 - BeatPete 16:00-18:00 - Yu Su 18:00-20:00 - Margaux For tickets and info, head here. Photos by Nicola Rehbein & Jen Krause]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Branko: 'In Lisbon, we had to build everything from the ground up.']]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/branko-q-and-a</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/branko-q-and-a</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We met up with Enchufada-boss Branko to talk about Lisbon, curating a stage at Sónar Lisboa 2022 and his new album OBG.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Branko is an outspoken advocate for the Lisbon scene.  As a founding member of kuduro collective Buraka Som Sistema and label-head of Enchufada, he's dedicated his career to elevating the uniquely Portuguese strains of club music–evolutions of kuduro, kizomba, zouk and more–that he first encountered growing up in Amadora on the outskirts of the city. A few weeks ago Branko played at and curated a Saturday night Enchufada showcase at the first edition of Sónar Lisboa. We caught up with him the day before the show, which was also the day his third solo album OBG was released, to talk about Lisbon, his new LP and some of his favourite upcoming artists. Hey Branko, congratulations on the new album. How does OBG relate to what you’ve been doing throughout your career, and what’s new about this record? I’ve always focused on the idea of Lisbon as a cultural melting pot and a creative magnet for Portuguese speaking cultures. In terms of influences, genres, rhythms etc., OBG continues that path. The biggest difference is that for most of my previous records I was travelling a lot and the creative process was a lot more social. This time I wasn’t getting that same creative fuel, so I had to shift focus. In 2020 I went back to a lot of the places I visited in Portugal with my parents or friends when I was younger. I started a series of outdoor DJ sets, at first just using a small controller with my daughter filming. The project kept building–we started working with a film crew in locations across the country, and I started making original music for the sets. I was really happy with the feedback and at some point, I realised I was already making an album. It was just a question of finding the final pieces. All the track titles on OBG are SMS-text abbreviations, what was the idea there? People can be very precious with language. I’ve always been a fan of making communication simpler and faster. In Portuguese, every sentence has so many verbs and conjugations. Because most of the tracks on OBG are instrumental, it didn’t really make sense for me to give them long names. Two of the abbreviations are in English: ETA (estimated time of arrival) and OOO (out of office). ABR is abraço (hug), OBG is obrigado (thank you). The most complicated ones I kind of made up, but I hope people will start using them! ADRT is adoro-te, somewhere between ‘I like you’ and ‘I love you’. It's not as strong as amo-te, which you’d only say to someone you’re in a relationship with. You would say adoro-te to a friend. You grew up on the outskirts of Lisbon in Amadora. What was your experience there and how did it influence your music? Amadora is a city full of people who work in Lisbon. It's residential, housing is cheap, and it's full of concrete. It was a nice place to grow up because there were so many kids in the same place, playing football, going to school, and eventually listening to and playing music. We’d do everything together. I remember a concert in Lisbon that we all went to. There must have been forty kids on one train, and we waited at the station for every single person to arrive. We were always several hours late. It felt like everybody in the neighbourhood was from a different place–Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, rural Portugal. That was cool because when we started listening to music, you could go to one friend’s flat and hear their parents’ Brazillian records, another flat and hear Cape Verdean music–the same was true of the food. At my school people made CDs with cracked music software that would circulate through the entire school–everyone got to take it home for 48 hours and then you passed it on to the next person. That’s how I got into production. Growing up there was fun, diverse and very organic. It definitely shaped the way I understand the world. In terms of diversity and community?  Yes, but also in terms of how I see the city of Lisbon itself. As I grew up I was surprised by the difference between how the city was perceived and how it actually is. What was your early experience of Angolan kuduro music and how did the idea for Buraka Som Sistema come together? When I was a teenager there were certain clubs that played mostly kizomba, and some kuduro when the night peaked. I could never get into any of them because you had to have nice shoes and be well dressed. My friends and I would just hang around in the streets. People would be driving around, listening to kuduro and other music in their cars. Later on, I met Kalaf, an Angolan MC, and together we decided to research the music we were hearing, to try and understand what was going on. We realised kuduro was the same tempo as dubstep and other kinds of club music, and that we could play around with the rhythms to make something interesting. Eventually, we came up with the idea for Buraka Som Sistema, which started as a club night. The collective was made up of Conductor, who grew up in Angola; Rui (DJ Riot), who I went to school with and whose parents were from Mozambique; Kalaf and myself. We all had very different cultural backgrounds–the idea was to make all that work together. When we began producing our own music, ​​we started the label Enchufada so that we could release it ourselves. Were Buraka and Echufada attempting to change that false perception of Lisbon that you described, or shine a light on a side of the city that is ignored by the mainstream? Yes, in a way. It’s interesting though because as much as the culture we were celebrating was ignored intellectually, you hear Angolan and Cape Verdean music on mainstream radio all the time, particularly kizomba. The music is there and people are dancing to it, but hardly anyone is talking about where it actually comes from.  People hold very strange, negative feelings towards these communities, but then they’ll get in their cars and sing along to music from that same community. There’s a lack of intellectualisation of the subject, and a failure to understand how deeply-rooted all these communities in Lisbon are. So the consumption of the culture hasn’t translated into any real understanding or respect for those Afro-Portuguese communities and artists?  Exactly, and with Buraka Som Sistema and Enchufada, we always wanted to make these connections as obvious as possible.  How important is it to make sure those communities and artists get the credit they deserve? That’s been a key objective throughout my career, to be honest. I know that the music I'm playing is part of my musical vocabulary because I grew up in a city with friends who introduced me to it, but it wasn't music that comes from my actual background. My perspective has always been to try and approach the culture in a way that's respectful and to work with other artists to create something new together. It’s very important to involve people in your creative process. With Buraka, it was always so complicated to license everything, write contracts or even just say the names of the songs, because we tried to give credit to everyone involved. Take the song 'Sound of Kuduro' that featured M.I.A. We could have just left it at that but we thought, ‘if M.I.A. is singing “sound of Kuduro knocking at your door” on the hook, then we need to get some of the best kuduro MCs to do verses.’ We added Saborosa, Puto Prata and DJ Znobia. It added layers of difficulty, but that was the way we wanted to tell the story. There’s a difference between just repackaging something that isn’t yours and positively contributing to culture. It’s also about making sure that everyone is with you on the lineups you’re on, and that the right artists are being promoted through your label. There’s no fixed path to take, but you need to be honest about what you’re doing. Labels like Enchufada and Príncipe have helped to establish an idea of a 'Lisbon sound' for an international audience, but what does the scene look like on the ground? What spaces is that music played in? It’s cool because right now in Lisbon if you go out on a Friday or Saturday you're always going to find that Lisbon sound, and not just from DJs associated with the scene. If you go to a hip-hop night, at some point the DJ will play something on Enchufada or Príncipe, and the crowd will keep dancing, they won't even notice that the energy shifted. I feel like a lot of young producers see possibilities in the Lisbon sound. They’ve seen examples around them and a potential path to success. At the same time, one of the obstacles here is the fact that there's no real industry set-up whatsoever. If you look at Berlin, London or other European cities that have birthed genres that took off internationally, most of them had a music industry structure already in place–there were already people there working in marketing, PR, music press or for major labels etc. In Lisbon, we had to build everything from the ground up. We had to explain everything. For example, in the first years of Buraka, we really struggled to get promoters to understand basic concepts like the difference between a DJ set and a live set. The events that happen are all based around two or three spaces: Musicbox, sometimes Lux Frágil, sometimes smaller bars etc. Because of that, things move slower. The sound is there, but the scene needs more people on the industry side–people who can develop a structure that enables artists to create and be compensated for their work. The ecosystem is not complete, and that prevents things from evolving. Enchufada curated one of the stages at Sonar Lisboa. What was your approach to building that lineup? I wanted to focus on people that have new or recent releases, and artists who weren't able to properly tour and have their breakthrough because of the pandemic. For example Pongo (pictured below). She grew up in Amadora as well, featured on a couple of Buraka songs and now she has a beautiful, growing career. I always wanted her to play an Enchufada event at some point, and this was perfect timing because she just released her debut album.  For my own set, I invited Gafacci, one of the producers whose music I play the most. I once did a documentary series for the Portuguese public channel RTP, in which I visited 8 cities, exploring the connections between traditional music and club music. Gafacci was one of the people I spent a lot of time with when I was in Accra, Ghana. Kampire is one of the champions of the whole global club scene. Every time I check she's in a different place, and the Nyege Nyege festival and label has contributed so much to the whole scene.  One of the most relevant figures in the scene for me is Shaka Lion. He's an amazing DJ. If I want to go out and have fun, I will find a night where he’s playing a long set, and make sure I’m there for the whole thing. He plays Lisbon music, but he’s originally from Brazil so there’s a lot of Brazillian influence in there too.   Finally Dengue Dengue Dengue are core Enchufada artists. They released two albums and two EPs on the label, so we had to have them back. Aside from those you’ve already mentioned, who are some key artists for you right now, from the Lisbon scene or beyond, who deserve more attention? In terms of producers and DJ's in the whole Lisbon style, I think Vanyfox is a really big producer to look out for. He's got an amazing melodic sensibility. Then there’s Pedro, who recently released an album on Enchufada. He really cracked the code in terms of creating beats, you can instantly recognise one of his tracks.  Finally, a very important artist for me right now is the vocalist Dino D'Santiago. He sings mostly in Cape Verdean Creole, which is really powerful. People enjoy his music, and see him as a Portuguese artist while singing along in Creole. He’s an amazing artist overall and what he’s doing is pushing the whole scene forward. Photos: Kolja Tinkova and Pedro Francisco.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[When 'Fahrscheine, bitte!' lands you behind bars]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/freiheitsfonds</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/freiheitsfonds</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Freiheitsfonds are freeing those jailed for not paying public transport fines.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Each year, thousands of people in Germany end up in jail for riding public transport without a ticket. The controversial law which permits sentences of up to one year in prison for dodging fares was introduced in 1935 under Nazi rule and remains in force to this day.  The policy primarily affects vulnerable groups who can neither afford tickets nor the fines they accrue when a person in nondescript clothing pulls out a ticket reading device and shouts the dreaded 'Fahrscheine, bitte!' as the U-Bahn doors close. Enter Freiheitsfonds, the project founded last year to free people who sit behind bars for riding without a ticket. The organisation has already paid penalties to the sum of over 350 thousand Euros to prisoners, freeing over 300 individuals from serving a combined 25 thousand days in prison. The activists also claim that because of the high cost to taxpayers of detaining people–around 150 Euros each day per prisoner–the project has saved German authorities approximately 3.8 Million Euros. We spoke to Freiheitsfonds' Arne Semsrott about the project, the possibility of free public transport and how people can get involved. Can you tell us how and why the Freiheitsfonds project came to be? The idea had been around in our friend group for some time now, stemming from a story we heard about an inmate freeing his fellow prisoners by bailing them out. When we researched this topic for a TV episode with ZDF Magazin Royale, we eventually decided to put our ideas into practice. It's really astonishing that everybody who works on this topic, be it researchers, public officials in prisons or politicians, knows that this system is discriminatory, creates new problems and is even incredibly expensive. What can you tell us about the people who are jailed for riding without a ticket and the punishments they receive? Usually, people who are jailed for riding without a ticket are people who don't have any money and haven't had a job for a while. Often they don't have an apartment. A significant portion of the group have mental health issues and are not able to open letters from the state, and from available research we know that every seventh person is suicidal. No one from this group should be in jail. Why do you think these sentences remain so tough, when it costs the state so much money to detain people? There's been a steady development in the past decades in the German justice system leading to the current situation where mainly poor people end up in jail. There hasn't been enough pressure to change the system, which is logical, in a way, because people in jail don't have a strong public voice. They are literally shut out of public debate. Freiheitsfonds advocate for free use of public transport over the long term. How do you envision such a system? Free use of public transport is important both from a social and an environmental point of view. Of course, this could only be realized by investing in infrastructure, but money has never been the real issue here, the issue is political commitment. In the long run, we need free public transport anyway if we want to realize a 'Verkehrswende'–a fundamental change in how mobility is perceived. You’ve also started an online petition directed at the Minister of Justice. How is the petition going and what are your plans if you get the signatures? There are 70,000 signatures so far, which shows that there is public awareness for this topic. We want to use this to put pressure on the Ministry to act. There have been nice quotes put out by different politicians–but that's not change. We need concrete action. Are there any other low-level criminal offenses that you might want to focus on in the future in a similar way? Yes. Riding without a ticket is one of the offences that are easiest to communicate, but most low-level offences that lead to people getting jailed should not have these extreme consequences–low-level theft, for example, and minor drug offenses. Often, people land in jail when the offence was equal to a damage of only a few Euros. How can people get involved? Freiheitsfonds is financed by donations. But what we need most of all is public pressure for the government to change the law and decriminalize riding without a ticket. Get involved by donating and/or signing the petition at the Freiheitsfonds website. Photo credit: IngolfBLN]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Identification of Music: an International Community of Music Lovers ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/iom-q-and-a</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/iom-q-and-a</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Head of Identification of Music Robbie Murch discusses the platform’s research-based model and creative music community.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Since 2015, IOM has been a rapidly growing community-driven music discovery service whose roughly 110,000 ardent music lovers help each other to identify cryptic tracks.  Through the exchange of musical knowledge, members are able to find track names from blank white label records, hummed melodies, vague descriptions and indecipherable live sets. The passion and care of the community make apps such as Shazam appear like a cold technological exchange. While creating an inclusive community that embraces a range of music tastes, the behavioural guidelines of the group are tightly monitored–IOM moderators decline thousands of members who disrespect the pages’ rules. Looking into the future, CEO Robbie Murch plans to extend the reach of IOM and its partner agency Bump, fostering meaningful discussions on how cultural work is compensated. He spoke to Refuge Worldwide about the project. Could you tell me about your background in the music industry, how IOM started and how the project has developed over the years? I was studying Chinese at Peking University in Beijing whilst promoting parties, DJing, and working for an electronic music festival and record label called ARP (Acupuncture Records). ARP was asked to produce the first Boiler Room shows, and I was asked to present at Boiler Room in Mandarin and English. It was there that I met the founder of IOM, Daniel Rothwell, who invited me to become an admin. The existing team weren’t big fans of the group anymore, so I was handed the keys to the group as lead admin. From there, I got a whole new team and set about trying to address the core problems of the group and build it into something new. Diversity was one of the main issues, as was moderation. After a while, I entered IOM into the International Music Summit Visionaries Competition, and we won. Through another brilliant member, Rupert King, I met a producer called Robin Millar–he produced Sade’s Diamond Life album, and has managed some of the Belleville Three & Luciano. He’s got a really cool career, and he was kind of my patron. Through his support, I was able to explore loads of different avenues to make IOM a sustainable community. We now have 10 part-time and 2 full-time workers. All of those young people have come via a Covid-related UK government grant called the Kickstart Scheme, which helps get 18 to 24-year-olds who are at risk of long-term unemployment into work. A big part of our ethos is spotting young talent, believing in them and giving them lots of responsibility. With that team, we managed to build an editorial model on our website, build out socials and start an agency. The future focus is on taking what we have on Facebook to other platforms. Facebook has a lot of problems: data, its founder, the way it’s treated its staff, and the lack of payment for its communities. There are a few things we’ve got going on at the moment. One is a series called IOM Recommends, where people can post in the group, 'Hi I’m in Berlin (or Prague, Budapest etc.) for the weekend, looking for recommendations for clubs, restaurants, record stores, etc.' That’s going to be on Discord. We are also releasing IOM Academy, which will provide young individuals with the opportunity to explore creative concepts. Just like I was supported by Robin with a grant, I’m now in a position where I’d like to provide young people with grants to explore what they’d like to do.  The community aspect is the core of what we do. So all our decisions, business direction, music direction, everything is still curated by our communities.  The IOM Facebook community now has 110.9K members. Was the nature of its growth rapid, or did it stem from a handful of dedicated members who slowly spread the word?  It started off with a bunch of core, passionate music fans who were nerds for the scene, and who loved exploring, identifying and discovering new tracks, and just sharing their knowledge. They respect people who are able to wield a lot of knowledge. We’ve been using the term ‘esoteric’ a lot recently: people who are specifically interested in a niche area of knowledge and who want to explore that with a group of people. That’s what people aspire to and why they join the group. Because they want to expand their musical Rolodex.  We’ve always been quite inclusive in terms of music taste. I didn't want to kick people out because they had a certain kind of music taste. The downside is that some people may think we’re ‘mainstream’ or not as underground. But we hope to be an important platform for young people to discover new sounds.  We've capped the Facebook group at about 100-110k for the past 3 years because it’s not about quantity. At one point we were declining by 10k people monthly. A lot of the world is looking at numbers but it’s more about engagement and trying to have those 1,000 true fans rather than 1 million members and no fans. We’re really trying to find our superfans and build a community from that point upwards. We also ask members to follow our socials because we want them to be invested in us apart from the core function. Sometimes running a community can feel like people just come and take, with no exchange. We don’t judge, and all our events and content are free. The only thing we ask for is that people try to get involved in the discussion. We want to meet our members because we know they’ve got cool projects, or they’re artists. We’re fundamentally interested in underground communities.  What does the community aspect of exchanging ideas allow that a product like Shazam, which relies so heavily on technology, can’t offer? At the core of what we do is sharing knowledge. We try to do that in an unbiased way. The future of where we’re going, and how we sustain ourselves, is through research projects with the creative music community.  Whereas Shazam is a product that has an advertising model, our product is recognising the core value we have, which is knowledge. We want to respect our members by offering to pay them to share their knowledge. The goal is to support the future of grassroots creative communities. At the moment it’s music, but we’re trying to expand into other forms of creativity that we’re interested in, like technology and fashion.  So through our agency, Bump, we hold panel talks, focus groups, and we do custom research projects. For example, we held a panel talk (pictured above) with IOM & Pirate on the position of electronic music, specifically exploring the interaction between live streams/online music communities and IRL (in real life) music scenes that are built on people going to gigs and physical interaction. We create music strategies by crowdsourcing. We identify knowledgeable members from across the globe and produce reports with them and pay them for their time.  With democratic platforms, there are always individuals who abuse community guidelines. How do IOM admins monitor the group, or does it trust its more loyal community members to shut down such behaviour?  We’ve always had a team of admins and moderators who are amazing. However, it’s hard because it’s a volunteer job and you're policing the internet, which is open to everyone. When we have 75,000 posts a year, you can’t keep on top of everything, but you can try. We’ve had periods of being really good at it and periods of being less good. At the moment, it’s slipped a bit. We’re a little fed up with what Facebook has to offer. We ban on sight if people are discriminatory in any way towards someone else. We put an explainer in the comments if that’s the case. Or we ban and keep the comment, so we show the community that we’ve banned them–otherwise, you’re fighting in silence. It’s tough for any community, but having a group of key global diverse moderators helps.  Is there anything else you’d like to add? A call to action–if anyone is a creator, they should enter their details onto the Bump website. We can hopefully find them work or get them involved in our projects. If they're interested in joining our community, we can pull you into our Reddit and Discord. We're always looking for conversations with inspiring young creatives and community members who want to chat. Also, check out the IOM website.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Sign up for the next round of Refuge x RA DJ workshops]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ra-workshops-may-july-22</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ra-workshops-may-july-22</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sessions will be led by Sarah Farina, Floyd Lavine and nd_baumecker.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Resident Advisor present the next phase of beginners DJ workshops, held in May, June and July at the Refuge Worldwide studio. Our upcoming sessions will take place on the 9th of May with Refuge resident Sarah Farina (pictured), who will lead the workshop in German; on the 6th of June with RISE co-founder Floyd Lavine; and on the 11th of July with Panorama Bar mainstay nd_baumecker. These sessions are aimed at absolute beginners and will include slots at the studio after the workshop for participants to practice. As always, our workshops are free to attend, and priority will be given to minority groups or anyone else who feels that due to their background, they face difficulties when accessing the music scene or music education in Berlin. Sign up here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Oona bar to host launch party for Meri Melkonyan's 'The Borderline']]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/the-borderline</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/the-borderline</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Iraqi food, live performance and DJ sets this Saturday on Weserstraße]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Saturday 16th April, Oona hosts the launch party for Meri Melkonyan's book, 'The Borderline'.  Produced as part of the Freie Universität Berlin's “Mapping Diaspora; New Understandings of Space, Place, and People on the Move” the book investigates migration and diaspora experiences in Berlin.  Enriched with beautiful illustrations by Polina Parygina, 'The Borderline' details nine very individual stories from Iraqis who have made the journey to settle in Berlin. From her field research, Meri Melkonyan complied 'The Borderline' with interview excerpts centred around ideas of homeland, identity and culture, and focusing on young adults moving from Iraq to Berlin.  Featuring live music, food, DJ sets and interviews, the launch party this Saturday will also have a merch stall. Copies of The Borderline are available now at Oona, we highly recommend picking one up before they sell out.  Oona - Weserstraße 166, 12045 Berlin - 18:00-02:00 
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Femme Bass Mafia - Open Call for Participants]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/femme-bass-mafia-april</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/femme-bass-mafia-april</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Deadline for applications: April 15th 2022]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Femme Bass Mafia will soon launch a new round of their DJ mentorship programme. Starting early May until the end of October, FBM requires all participants can commit time on a bi-weekly basis, at weeknights and some weekends. The previous cycle of workshops culminated in mentees performing live on Refuge Worldwide and in club venues around Berlin. "Femme Bass Mafia is all about providing a safer space for anyone identifying as a woman, as well as transgender and non-binary people. It is important for us that you understand and agree with our teaching approach and the notion of safer spaces, replacing competition with cooperation, communication and support." Apply here before the deadline - Saturday, April 15th. Please note that this is a Berlin based initiative and designed for people residing full-time in the city. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Open Music Lab and Refuge Worldwide announce new workshops]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oml-x-refuge-workshops-april-may</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oml-x-refuge-workshops-april-may</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sign up now for workshops on ambient production, music journalism, hip-hop beats and more.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The Open Music Lab is back on Weserstrasse with a new series of workshops at the Refuge Worldwide studio (Weserstr. 166, 12045 Berlin). Led by musicians, industry professionals and experienced mentors, these free workshops give participants the opportunity to learn directly from talented experts in an open, non-hierarchical space. Workshops are open to all, but priority will be given to people from marginalised communities including refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, people of colour, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people. Workshops will be held on the following themes – click the links below to read more and sign up: Ambient Music Production with Ableton (Monday 11th April, 18:00-20:00) - Led by Asa 808, a DJ, Producer and founder of queer collective TOYS, as well as an experienced counsellor on Refugee law. Introduction to Music Journalism (Monday 25th April, 18:00-20:00) - Practical advice on pitching to publications, finding editors' contacts and preparing a portfolio. Led by Caroline Whiteley, a freelance writer, editor and creative strategist with ten years of experience across a wide range of print and digital media, radio and podcasts. Making Hip Hop Beats in Ableton Live (Monday 16th May, 18:00-20:00) - Producer, songwriter and experienced teacher Richard Barr (Wikihow Adventure Cruise) offers tips, techniques and guiding principles for making hip-hop beats. Bookings and Artistic Development (Monday 23rd May, 18:00-20:00) - Booker, DJ and one of OML’s core mentors Ophélie Kauffmann discusses finding your own style, growing as an artist and getting bookings. With both a booker’s and an artist’s perspective, Ophélie offers a unique insider’s insight into some of the key aspects of working professionally in music. Musicality in Electronic Music Production (Monday 30th May, 18:00-20:00) - Led by Greek DJ, multi-instrumentalist and producer Lee Burton, this workshop takes participants through understanding tones, octaves and frequencies using basic music theory, creating a strong foundation for rhythm, composition, arrangement, sound design and mixing. Photo by Bethania Medina.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Oroko Radio present a day of live broadcasts]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/rw-x-oroko</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/rw-x-oroko</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[On Saturday, April 2nd, we are collaborating with Oroko Radio]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Launched in January 2022, Oroko Radio aims to “reclaim and recenter narratives from the African and Diasporic artistic communities with a particular focus on local perspectives in Accra.”  Our day of joint programming starts (11:00 CET) with two hours of hip-hop and some Kenyan/Congolese music from mokeyanju and Sam The Digga, followed by Oroko residents Pasta and TMSKDJ. Christian Adofo is over from London to present his Alt-Fro show live, as well as presenting his new book A Quick Ting On Afrobeats. There will be DJ sets live from Oona bar all evening from Moneyama, Peeps, Maryisonacid, Selecta K7 and rRoxymore, ending with a B2B session hosted by Oroko’s Nico Adomako. At 22:00, we head down the road to Arkaoda for our neighbourhood dance with a full crew of residents playing, including Oroko’s Nico Adomako and Selecta K7. Come through!]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Artists to catch at Sónar Lisboa 2022]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/artists-to-catch-at-sonar-lisboa-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/artists-to-catch-at-sonar-lisboa-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our tips for the festival's first Lisbon edition.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In a few weeks, we are heading to the first edition of Sónar Lisboa to meet some key players in the local scene, as well as to hear and record some sets for a special post-festival broadcast in collaboration with Carhartt WIP. Taking place over three days in a number of iconic venues around the city, the lineup balances local heroes with international artists playing all shades of dance music, plus films, talks and AV installations. Here are our top picks for the weekend:  Yen Sung - Friday - Centro de Congressos de Lisboa One of the city’s finest DJs, Yen Sung has been a resident at Lisbon institution Lux (and its predecessor Frágil) for over 30 years. Her eclectic taste draws on the rich history of Black music, spanning hip-hop, funk, soul, dub, house and techno. Yen plays on Friday night at a party hosted by her label Alphabet Street, which she runs together with Photonz. It’s a collaboration with Violet’s label naive and local collective mina, and features Nkisi and Aril Brikha as well as members of their crew. (Pictured above - photo by Francisco Narciso.) Rita Maia: Lisboa Beat - tbc - Fabrica do Pāo Worldwide FM radio show host, filmmaker and exceptional DJ Rita Maia will present her first film, Lisboa Beat (2019), on Friday daytime. It will be part of the Sónar+D congress programme, which includes a wide range of interviews, AV shows and installations. Lisboa Beat follows Lisbon-based artists with backgrounds from Angola, Sao Tome, Cabo Verde and Guinea Bissau, learning how they fit into the city and its cultural scene. Maia will discuss the film with some of the artists featured, recreating it in radio show style—street-level knowledge from a low-key hero of the Lisbon underground. Nídia - Friday - Coliseu dos Recreios Since joining the vital Lisbon dance music label Príncipe at the age of 18, Nídia has been one of the scene’s most exciting and prolific artists. Building on the foundation laid by pioneers like DJ Marfox, Nídia’s music infuses Afro-Lusophone styles like kuduro, kizomba, tarraxinha with touches of Southern US hip-hop and grime. The result is a distinctive tough-yet-flexible style with a melodic, emotional core. Nídia will spin alongside a number of her Príncipe labelmates at the Coliseu dos Recreios.  Rroxymore - Saturday - Coliseu dos Recreios The France-born, Berlin-based producer Rroxymore makes organic, evolving club hybrids for labels like Timedance and Don’t Be Afraid. Performing a live set on Saturday night, Rroxymore’s unpredictable, improvisational performances are the perfect context to take in her distinctive vision of dance music. Kampire - Saturday - Pavilhão Carlos Lopes Kampire is a DJ, writer, organiser dedicated to platforming and uplifting artists from across the African continent and beyond. She's one of the key figures behind Kampala, Uganda-based collective, label and music festival Nyege Nyege, who did a takeover on Refuge Worldwide back in November. She's also an amazing selector, building sets that hop between colourful, bass-laden styles from around the world.  Thundercat - Friday - Pavilhão Carlos Lopes One of the most accomplished live performers on the lineup, Thundercat's surrealist, humor-flecked take on classic soul, jazz and funk music he’s become an unlikely pop icon, earning him multiple Grammys both as a solo artist and for his work with artists like Kendrick Lamar. The virtuoso bassist and longtime Flying Lotus collaborator Thundercat adds some eclecticism to a Friday night lineup, appearing alongside artists like Dixon and Elkka.  Check out the full lineup here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Ziúr: 'There are so many possible directions for your music. Why would you go for the same one that everyone is choosing?']]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ziur-q-and-a</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ziur-q-and-a</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The PAN artist discusses her new Refuge Worldwide residency Now Now, safer spaces and her upcoming 'jazz' album.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[A restless and prolific creative force, Ziúr is a key member of Berlin’s experimental club music vanguard.  Best known for her unclassifiable dancefloor tracks, she worked on nine different projects in 2021 alone, completing multiple EPs, her third solo album Antifate and collaborative LPs with James Ginzburg of Subtext and Vietnamese collective Rắn Cạp Đuôi. Ziúr counts her computer as her primary bandmate, but she’s collaborated constantly throughout her career, including recently on performance projects with artist Juliana Huxtable and dancer Kiani del Valle. She also co-founded the now-defunct Boo Hoo, a party series famous for its diverse lineups and inclusive atmosphere. Since Ziúr's first show on Refuge last September with SWAK, she's become a close friend of the station and was instrumental in organising the Nyege Nyege takeover last November. We’re only two episodes in, but her new residency Now Now is already one of the station’s least predictable. We caught up with Ziúr to talk about her radio show, upcoming projects and perspectives on the scene. ‘Now Now’, your new Refuge residency, shares its name with an EP you released towards the end of last year, which I understand you produced in only one day. What made you want to set yourself that challenge, and how was the experience? Yes, the Now Now EP took 27 hours in total, including sleep. I just wanted to see if I could do it really. It was boredom–one of those days stuck at home in lockdown. The first day was pretty good and I managed to finish three tracks. Then on the second day, I really hated myself for it, but I got there in the end.  How do you think working under time pressure affects the music you make? I always tend to work quite quickly. I like it because it prevents me from overthinking. The best music I have released was all written in a very short amount of time. I’m not someone who has hundreds of versions of the same track. I think there are people who work like that and never manage to finish anything. I prefer to finish something quickly before I get lost in a downward spiral of over-editing without necessarily making anything better. I’d always rather work on a fresh idea. If I’m overthinking, it compromises the music’s freedom. What made you decide to start a radio show? I've done a lot of mixes for the big platforms over the years, and it feels a bit like nobody listens to them anymore anyway. I don't know if people aren't listening to mixes in general, or just not my mixes. Maybe they're just over me haha! My focus has changed. I’m trying to be involved in and support something rather than just boost my own exposure. I feel like on Refuge I can contribute and maybe bring some interesting guests on as well. It feels good to be involved in a new project at a relatively early stage. The last time I saw you at the Refuge studio actually, I noticed you weren’t using any headphones, is that an artistic choice? Yes, I used to mix with headphones but not anymore, it's a distraction for me. I feel I can do more interesting things with the time I would be using to pre-listen or beat-match. It's an artistic choice, but also practical, I'm a bit lazy I guess! Before you started making electronic music you were singing and playing in punk and hardcore bands. What drew you to that scene initially? To be honest, growing up in a small town, the punk and hardcore scene was the only outlet for any musical alternative. Back then it wasn't that easy to write music on a computer. You had to have samplers and a load of equipment. It wasn't nearly as accessible as it is now. At what point did you start making electronic music as a solo artist? Each time I started playing in a new band it naturally ended after a few projects. There was always a two-year time span in which I could work well with people, then I would start wanting more. After a while, I started using my computer. It was easier for me to work alone–not as much logistical effort or need to rely on others. My interest in electronic music grew slowly. Initially, I was just interested in finding different ways to make the computer my bandmate. What came out was by necessity more beat-driven, then it got more interesting as I improved technically.  Was there a point when you were making dance music in a traditional sense? Emulating the sounds of specific genres like techno/house etc.? No, I would always try and stand on my own, which automatically makes things a bit weird. There are so many possible directions for your music. Why would you go for the same one that everyone is choosing? That approach just bores me. You have a history of organising parties too, most famously the night Boo Hoo. Do you have any plans to start running events again? I would love to but have nothing concrete planned at the moment. Myself, Juliana Huxtable and Theresa Baumgartner started doing these Off License events, a performance we worked on together and took to Unsound, Krakow and Lisbon recently. But in terms of a straight-up club night, I have no plans right now. You’ve spoken in the past about the importance of making your parties 'asshole-free zones'. Right now it seems that more and more club nights are aiming to create safer spaces for their crowd. What do you think are the important ingredients you need to put into place to provide that? The question is, are safer spaces really being created? I think a lot of people are using the ‘safer space’ idea because they want to do something that fits a current trend, or merely to present themselves as being 'woke' without feeling the real need to incorporate these things into everyday practice. I don’t know if these declarations always mean you’re going to actually find a nice environment when you go to events.  I think the main ingredient is: mean what you say. With Boo Hoo we didn’t openly want to promote any specific agenda. It was all about the details: how you curate a lineup, the kind of space you choose, how you take care of it, how you brief security etc.  I think people need to prioritise how they handle things on the down-low. The truth is, what goes on behind the scenes is more important than how you promote your ideals in the front. That's often what makes the difference. You have to ask yourself how many people are actually speaking the specific language of ‘safer space’ as well, right? If you want to be genuinely more inclusive, you also need to slow down with some of the buzzwords. Speak to people beyond your scene and your crowd, try and broaden your horizons a little bit.  I understand that you also resisted having specific labels put on your night, right? It wasn’t specifically sold as a queer night? Yes exactly. That's not what I wanted for the night. I understand that those spaces need to exist, but I didn't necessarily feel the need to create one with Boo Hoo.  I also get frustrated myself when I'm exclusively booked at queer events, just for an identity I may have. I’m slowly getting frustrated by this kind of queer politics. I’m frustrated by acts of politicised kindness that seem to be aimed at making people look good, but aren’t necessarily performed because people feel any real necessity. It takes away the meaningfulness of the action for me. It feels like we probably have to do the fight over and over again. Like, when was the last time you saw a pride flag that wasn't a corporate logo? Is your goal more intersectional? Definitely, that’s really important to me, even though I wouldn't necessarily promote it as such. Intersectionality is a buzzword too of course! Let’s talk about your recent musical collaborations. At your Atonal show last year you worked with a dancer, Kiani del Valle. How did that come together and what was your experience working with dance? I’ve been working for a while with Kiani and Sander Houtkruijer, a videographer. We’re all friends–we hang out together and connect on an artistic level. The three of us were working on a music video for my album Antifate which was sadly never finished, and right now we are working on Kiani’s dance film for her ensemble. Collaborations happen when it feels natural–I primarily work with people that I know and have a level of mutual appreciation with. At Atonal, it was a very spontaneous decision to add Kiani and Sander to the lineup. The performance itself was very improvisational. The set was loosely structured, and some things didn’t work out–for example, Kiani broke a camera attached to her arm by jumping off the stage. It was impossible to stick to the plan, but in the end, our energy just exploded and reached levels we didn’t expect. Another recent collaborative project of yours that might have flown under some radars is your work with the Rắn Cạp Đuôi, a collective from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Tell us how that came about? That was an amazing project to work on. The band had recorded the album and were just looking for a label. They wrote to James Ginzburg from Subtext, who was really excited about it but felt it wasn't ready, so he asked me to be involved. What was your role exactly - I’m curious to know how far the finished album departs from the original recordings. It’s all very much their vision. I didn't want to be some kind of coloniser and rewrite their music. My role was to create space between the different elements–because each track has a structure of three sections. I dissected it and added percussion parts here and there, just to subtly make things more audible and smooth the transitions.  I really liked the result, I love that their music combines these traditional elements with an experimental structure. I was happy to see that it got some attention too. The album was in the NY Times, and they became the first Vietnamese band to be covered by Pitchfork, which is amazing–although kind of tragic that it’s never happened before. Rắn Cạp Đuôi are doing a mix for the next Now Now show in April too, which I’m really excited about. What’s coming up next? I'm finishing a new album at the moment. It's hopefully coming out later this year. I’ve been working with three different vocalists on it, combining three completely different worlds. I'm acting as 'the glue', pulling it all together. It’s exciting but too early to say much more about it. I started telling people it's a jazz album. I mean it's not really, but I guess it's my kind of jazz. What's keeping you inspired to make music at the moment? Coming out of a dark second covid winter, seeing sunlight again is definitely helping. Being close to finishing a body of work is really motivating as well. Plus, touring starts again soon and I have to prepare different live shows for some festivals in April. I'm happy to see life slowly coming back. You can listen to the latest episode of Ziúr's Now Now residency here. Photos: Kolja Tinkova (@divnoholka) Photo editing: Ben Cross (@first_crimes)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Lineup released for our next event at Arkaoda]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-april</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-april</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Collo Awata & Delfiné, Nico Adomako & Selecta K7 and more will play the Neukölln venue.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Clubs are open in Berlin and we are taking over both floors of Arkaoda on Karl-Marx-Platz once more.  After a cosy one back in October with Tikiman & On Board Music, this time (Sat 2nd April), we are joined by Collo Awata & Delfiné (NIA Records), Nico Adomako & Selecta K7 (Oroko Radio) and Body Language's Camilla Rae, alongside Refuge Worldwide residents Pat, DJ Fire Abend, VK & Elise, and Vio PRG.  Come early, stay late. Check out the full lineup below - Downstairs: Collo Awata & Delfiné Nico Adomako & Selecta K7 Vio PRG Upstairs: Pat DJ Fire Abend Camilla Rae VK & Elise Sat 2nd April, 22:00-05:00, Arkaoda (16-18 Karl-Marx-Platz, 12043 Berlin) No advance tickets, 5€ b4 23, 10€ after]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[We Are Hiring - Venue Manager]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/venue-manager</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/venue-manager</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide are looking for a new person to join the team at Oona.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This is a full time position, applications close 7th April. Refuge Worldwide are looking for a new venue manager for Oona; our bar and radio station on Weserstraße in Neukölln. The ideal candidate will be able to start in May, and already have relevant experience in a bar/live music environment. Please email hello@refugeworldwide.com with your CV/resume, a cover letter, and "OONA VENUE MANAGER" in the subject line.  - Key Responsibilities Venue Bookings  Staff Coordination  Budgeting & Finance Planning  Stock Management Studio Management Bar Management (including strong knowledge of cocktails and natural wine, dealing with suppliers, ordering and stock control) - Additional Skills English & German (minimum B1 level) First Aid / Health & Safety Training Team Leader Drivers License  - Bonus Experience Working with people from vulnerable backgrounds Community Activism / Leadership Oona is a community hub, a place for meeting, drinking, conversation, it is the home of our weekly workshop programme, and the location of the Refuge Worldwide's radio studio.   We expect the ideal candidate to treat the venue as their own, while working as part of a growing team to deliver a safe and comfortable environment for a wide variety of events; from our regular daily radio schedule, to birthdays and community meet-ups, book launches and live music shows.  Please email hello@refugeworldwide with your CV/resume, a cover letter, and "OONA VENUE MANAGER" in the subject line. People from marginalised / under-represented communities are encouraged to apply. Photo credit: Joseph wolfgang ohlert]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide x Sónar Lisboa x Carhartt WIP]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-sonar-lisboa-x-carharrt-wip</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-x-sonar-lisboa-x-carharrt-wip</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From the 8th-10th of April, we are heading to the first edition of Sónar Lisboa as an official media partner of the festival. We will be conducting a series of interviews, photoshoots and other activities, as well as recording sets for a post-festival broadcast on our airwaves. We are teaming up with Carhartt WIP, a sponsor of the festival, to provide content from their stage and through their channels, with a strong focus on the local scene. Over the course of three days, the festival will occupy iconic spaces across the city, like the auditorium Coliseu dos Recreios and the former 1922 Pavilion of Portuguese Industries Pavilhão Carlos Lopes. Established international artists and DJs like Arca, Thundercat and DJ Stingray 313 will play alongside a strong selection from the local scene.  There will be appearances by Lisbon selectors like Yen Sung, Rui Vargas, Violet, Bleid and Photonz. DJ Lycox, DJ Marcox, DJ Nigga Fox and Nidia will represent the sound of the Lisbon club music label Príncipe. Connecting sounds from across the wider Lusophone (Portuguese speaking) world, the duo behind imprint Enchufada will perform alongside artists like Angolan Kuduro star Pongo and Brazilian dub artist Shaka Lion. More details of our collaboration coming soon.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[International Women's Day 2022]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/iwd-2022</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/iwd-2022</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tune in on 8th March for special shows from Tama Sumo & Lakuti, International Women* Space and more.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On the 8th of March, we celebrate International Women's Day with a special programme of discussion and music from Refuge Worldwide favourites and exciting new guests. Starting at midday, the female, trans and non-binary music-making collective Éclat Crew will invite producers LAMIA, Blood Williams and Dornika to discuss their work, influences and processes. Nicky Böhm returns with another episode of Flip The Script, in conversation with Lucy Nganga from feminist, anti-racist political group International Women* Space.  Refuge regulars Sarah Farina and Kerstin will host a special IWD edition of Transmission in Conversation, before Konvent, a Berlin-based FLINTA collective present the Hoelogram talk-show, a conversation on mental health, glitch-feminism, grassroots mobilisation and more. From 17:00 Melt Festival will host a special takeover, a selection of music from FLINTA artists from the Melt lineup, an interview between Lewamm Ghebremiariam and Lilia Van Beukering of Femme Bass Mafia, an introduction to sound healing by Flora Päär, and a mix from Refuge resident Margaux.  Music will be provided through the evening by Tama Sumo and Lakuti, who play live at Oona at 19:00 as guests on Saramé's Selectors show, IDA from Sävy Records and Boo Lean for Daisychain. Tune in live on Refuge Worldwide or catch live shows at Oona, Weserstr. 166, 12045 Berlin, Germany. Happy International Women's Day! ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and Zaatari Radio to collaborate in Amman]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/amman-workshops</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/amman-workshops</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This May, Refuge Worldwide and Zaatari Radio will build a studio and deliver four weeks of workshops and talks at the 7Hills skatepark in the Jordanian capital.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[At the Al-Raseef urban education space at the 7Hills skatepark in Amman, Refuge Worldwide will be working collaboratively alongside Zaatari Radio, the local community and other partners to build a recording studio in the heart of downtown Amman.  Four weeks of workshops and talks will be delivered by musicians, artists and industry experts, aimed at young people from marginalised communities in Amman. Participants will create radio shows to be broadcast throughout Jordan and on Refuge Worldwide, resulting in subsequent radio residencies on the station. Aswat Al Raseef - Sounds of the Sidewalk The project, ‘Aswat Al Raseef’, which means ‘Sounds Of The Sidewalk’, will celebrate the vibrant culture and diversity of the Arabic metropole, a result of the city’s geopolitical importance as a destination for refugees and migrants from Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Egypt, Nigeria and across the MENA region. Through a curriculum of practical workshops on digital, technical and creative radio production skills, participants will produce radio shows examining identity and migration histories in contemporary Amman, utilising sound media to portray life in the city for host, migrant and refugee communities. There will also be a series of talks from industry experts in Jordan and across the MENA region, which will be open to members of the public. Workshop hosts include Chilean musician Nicolás Jaar; Palestinian producer, DJ and radio host Nour; ODDZ (aka Odai Masri) the founder of Exist Festival, Palestine; alongside industry figures from the MENA region and representatives from Refuge Worldwide, Radio Zaatari and Arabic music magazine Ma3azef. This project will be delivered with support from Resident Advisor, Solidrinks, Ableton, AIAIAI, ADAM Audio, Ocean, Forever Playground and Heels and Souls.  At the end of the project, the pop-up studio and all donated equipment will remain in place at 7Hills, to become a lasting resource for the local community. Email info@7hillspark.com for more information and to sign up for workshops.  The workshops will take place at Al-Raseef; 7Hills' urban education space opposite the skatepark. Since opening, 7Hills have been providing free-of-charge creative workshops from screen printing, mural painting, carpentry and more. The space runs on commitments to multidisciplinary, collaboration and DIY culture, something that will continue through the radio workshops as we partner with 7Hills on delivering the programme.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Abdullah Qureshi's Open Encounters: exhibition opening and talk series]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/thx-again-x-refuge-worldwide</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/thx-again-x-refuge-worldwide</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Exhibition opening 10th March, followed by talk series broadcast on Refuge Worldwide]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In collaboration with Thx Again, Refuge Worldwide will broadcast a series of talks and discussions led by artist Abdullah Qureshi as part of the exhibition OPEN ENCOUNTERS opening on the 10th of March. Through painting, filmmaking, and cultural production, Toronto-based artist Abdullah Qureshi deals with personal and collective histories, traumatic pasts, and sexuality. Drawing on autobiography, as well as curatorial and collaborative approaches, Qureshi's recent work examines formations of queer identity and resistance in Muslim migratory contexts. OPEN ENCOUNTERS takes the artist's work and ongoing research as a starting point for a visual dialogue with other artists, theorists and cultural producers invited to participate. The exhibition, which runs from the 10th of March until the 23rd of April at Frobenstr. 1, 10783 Berlin, will begin with opening event soundtracked by Khadija. It will include works by Abdullah Qureshi, Gloria Zein, Syowia Kyambi, Sara Khan, Natasha Jozi and Tasnim Baghdadi. In the weeks following the opening, Abdullah will hold a series of conversations with old and recent companions to discuss engaged collaborations, representation and collective memories, which will be broadcast on Refuge Worldwide. Head over to Thx Again to read more about the event, and see the full program below: 10.03. | 18:00 - Opening featuring music by Khadija.  11.03. | 18:00 - ‘MEETING KASPALE’: Abdullah Qureshi x Syowia Kyambi 13.03. | 16:00 - ‘THE POLITICS OF THE HUMAN TOUCH’: Abdullah Qureshi x Natasha Jozi 13.03. | 17:00 - ‘THE IDENTITY OF SCULPTURES’: Abdullah Qureshi x Gloria Zein 17.03. | 18:00 - ‘BLACKING OUT THE CANON’: Abdullah Qureshi x Tasnim Baghdadi 19.03. | 18:00 - ‘ON MAGICAL REALISM’: Abdullah Qureshi x Sara Khan Image: The heat in Lahore, Abdullah Qureshi (2021)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[BLVSH are hosting a six-week beginner's vinyl DJing course]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/blvsh-beginners-vinyl-course</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/blvsh-beginners-vinyl-course</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Every Monday from 14th of March - 18th of April at Weserstraße 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[BLVSH is a Berlin-based FLINTGA* DJ collective, created for the support and promotion of women, trans and non-binary people in the clubbing scene. In March and April BLVSH will team up with Refuge Worldwide to host a six-week vinyl DJing course aimed at absolute beginners. The course will take place on Mondays from the 14th of March to the 18th of April, and will include sessions held by mentors, practice sessions in the Refuge Worldwide studio, a day trip for record shopping and a closing party/showcase.  As a platform and network, BLVSH are dedicated to finding and promoting new talents through mixes, radio shows, interviews, events, workshops and exhibitions. Last Saturday,  the 19th of February, BLVSH hosted a takeover at Refuge Worldwide - you can listen to those recordings and previous shows through the BLVSH artist page here. Click here for more information and to sign up for the BLVSH beginners vinyl course. Applications will close on Monday the 6th of March.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Live broadcast fundraising for Ukrainian organisations]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ukraine-live-stream</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ukraine-live-stream</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 26 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[JASSS, Alinka, Cromby and Palms Trax join line-up this Sunday]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Berlin's Our Society crew have put together a fundraising event at Oona this Sunday, broadcasting live on Refuge Worldwide. The event will be collecting money for Vostok-SOS and the Ukrainian Red Cross. Tune in live from 14:00 or join at Oona, Weserstraße 166, 12045 Berlin - Refuge Worldwide will also be making a donation from the bar, and the station will host a solidarity record sale of vinyl donated by its residents. On February 24th, Russian President Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacking several major cities, including the capital Kyiv. Protests against the attack have broken out around the world. As well as the radio stream, a video stream is available here. Thanks to Sameheads for providing the video equipment. DONATION LINK 14:00-15:00 - Alinka  15:00-16:00 - Cromby  16:00-17:00 - fka.m4a   17:00-18:00 - Palms Trax  18:00-19:00 - S-candalo (THC & DHC)  19:00 - 20:00 - JASSS  20:00 - 21:00 - DJ SPIT B2B CcC  21:00 - 22:00 - SALOME  See our resources list on how to help in Ukraine, here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Resource roundup: how to help Ukraine]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ukraine-resource-list</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ukraine-resource-list</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Below is a list of resources you can consult to help those on the ground following yesterday morning’s invasion.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we've collected some useful resources and information.  On February 24th, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacking several major cities, including the capital Kyiv. Ukraine's president said that at least 137 people were killed in the first day of Russia's assault, and with fighting reportedly reaching downtown Kyiv, that was likely to rise quickly. Many have sought refuge in basements, metro stations or bomb shelters. Al Jazeera reports that up to 5 million people could be displaced. People on the ground are calling for action - continue mass meetings in the streets of your cities, pressure your government to provide support, offer shelter to those fleeing the violence. Ukrainians have put together a list of organizations where foreigners can donate. Those organizations include: Last week we ran a fundraiser for Vostok-SOS and the Ukrainian Red Cross, two humanitarian organisations working on the ground with civilians in Ukraine. You can donate here - DONATION LINK. This Linktree provides an overview of Berlin-specific resources, including a list of upcoming demonstrations. Standard Deviation, the label affiliated with ∄, has also shared a list of funds and organisations supporting the looming humanitarian crisis. Razom for Ukraine, Help for Ukraine, Sunflower of Peace, and Revived Soldiers Ukraine: these four organizations will use donations to fund medical aid for the people of Ukraine, including the purchase of first aid kits, backpacks stuffed with medical supplies, and medical rehabilitation for injured soldiers. Committee to Protect Journalists: CPJ is calling for the protection of journalists in Ukraine following the invasion. Donate here. International Rescue Committee: This group helps families in conflict zones around the world, including in Ukraine. Make an emergency donation here. For those on the ground in Kyiv, here's a map of bomb shelters, via Google Maps. Booking agency Minor AM hosted a fundraiser stream for The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund and the International Fund (КОЖЕН МОЖЕ), with Job Jobse, Carista, DJ Bone and more on Sunday, February 27th. More info here and donate via PayPal here. Kyiv club ∄ has shared a link, via Instagram Stories, to this post containing donation links for various organisations, including People In Need, Caritas Ukraine and Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. United Help Ukraine are a charitable organisation distributing donations, food and medical supplies to Ukrainian refugees. The Voices of Children Foundation has been helping children affected by the war in Ukraine since 2015. Everyone at Refuge Worldwide sends love and strength to our friends across Ukraine. We will continue to update this list as events unfold. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[For Nigerian asylum-seekers, Refugees4Refugees creates opportunities for exchange and self-organised action]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/r4r-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/r4r-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 20 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Activists Rex Osa and Sarah Farina discuss the harsh conditions that Nigerian asylum seekers and refugees face, and how you can help.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Since 2014, Rex Osa has been connecting a network of deported refugees in West Africa with the refugee movement in Europe.  By creating exchanges between refugee activists and migrants, Network Refugees4Refugees allows them to openly share their experiences with one another and provide assistance in legal and emotional hurdles. Recently, Sarah Farina joined the organisation as a volunteer, and together they have created an emergency money pool to cover costs for food, accommodation, and medication for deported individuals arriving in Lagos.  Network Refugees4Refugees is a self-organised grassroots community network of political refugee activists who support asylum seekers and deportees in Nigeria. Network R4R facilitates communication amongst refugees and migrants, informs asylum seekers about their rights in the asylum procedure, offers translations for asylum-related application documents, and accompanies migrants to visits authorities. DERS (Deportees Emergency Reception and Support) is a project created by Network R4R in cooperation with the local Nigerian alliance NfCMC. This joint project offers emergency support for deportees on arrival in Nigeria.  Find out more information about R4R's latest and very urgent fundraising drive here. Could you begin by introducing yourselves and your involvement with advocacy, particularly in regards to refugees? Sarah: My name is Sarah Farina and I’m a DJ, producer, and activist. I’m based in Berlin and I’ve always been very political, trying to practice justice and peace in my everyday life and to use my platform to be part of the solution.  Rex: I’m Rex Osa, originally from Nigeria. I have a refugee background in Germany, so my motivation started from my own personal experiences. After 4 years of going through the horrible asylum hurdles in Germany, I couldn’t find myself doing anything besides organising and supporting asylum seekers in becoming politically active in their issues. Since 2006 I’ve been fighting for the rights of refugees. The distinction of what I do compared to other organisations is that I don’t wait for refugees to come to me. Instead, I meet them where they are, so my daily life is surrounded around refugees and where they live.  I try to showcase what it’s like to be a refugee in Germany and to organise empowerment by creating opportunities for exchange among refugees — to share experiences and knowledge and to mobilise ourselves to collectively fight against oppressive powers of the state. In the last year, a major concern has been deportations. I’ve been very passionate about this particular issue and decided to go beyond just monitoring the deportations here, but rather to see what it’s actually like when they arrive in Nigeria and to see what kind of support they need. This is a very essential part of the political push to show how horrible and violent the deportation processes can be. So I’m the coordination activist for the Network Refugees4Refugees and am engaged with other refugee movements Europe-wide as well. Thank you.  DERS provides on-site first-aid to Nigerians arriving in Lagos. Can you describe the current situation of Nigerians who are forcibly deported to Lagos from Germany — the details that the media fails to shed light on? Rex: It’s important to know exactly how deportees arrive. They are picked up in the middle of the night in Germany from their rooms unexpectedly. Some are picked up from train stations coming from church. Others are arrested coming from work. They’re taken straight to the airport. There was a case of somebody who jumped from a 2-story building in a city in Rhineland-Pfalz. He had broken legs and possibly some fractures, but the ambulance still drove him straight to Frankfurt. They took him with a wheelchair through the airport, got him on board the flight, and when he arrived in Nigeria, they didn’t give him a wheelchair to come down in. Fellow deported colleagues had to carry him on their heads to bring him down from the flight. In Pforzheim, there was a case of somebody who attempted suicide by stabbing himself in deportation prison. He was taken to the hospital and was there for 5 days with bandages all over his body. But still, they took him from the hospital to the airport and deported him to Nigeria. These are the circumstances they’re dealing with every day.  Onboard the flight, you have three police officers per person, which means that if you’re deporting 50 people, you have 150 officers. There are people who resist onboard and experience lots of violence. And the children see it. The others see it. As the plane lands in Nigeria, the officers remove the handcuffs from the deportees' hands and legs. The German police don’t come down, they just give the flight manifest to the Nigerian immigration officers, who come on board, call their names and march them off the flight. They take them into a room where they are profiled and get their fingerprints taken. They then drive them to the front of the cargo airport area in Lagos and abandon them there. The Nigerian cargo airport area is a business zone with criminals (called area boys). Many of these deportees never knew Lagos besides traveling through. Most of them are usually from southern or eastern parts of Nigeria.  People sleep under the bridge for days before they can find their footings. With 0 cents. There was a lady who had mental issues who was dumped at the airport and was there for over 2 weeks. The airport authorities had to organise her evacuation from the airport premises, not because they wanted to help her but because they were ashamed of the demonstrations she was creating in front of the airport. They sent her to the local government, but they gave us no information on her. So no one knows where she is. This German bureaucracy tries to force doctors not to issue medical documents that sustain residence permits for people — people who should not be deported on the grounds of their real medical issues.  You began a fundraiser with DERS and Refugees4Refugees in July 2020. How did this project come into fruition, namely the most recent campaign for Isabel (a deported Nigerian single-mother)? Sarah: Rex has been doing this for a long time and I’m very new. In the summer of 2020, I read an article from a German news outlet about deportations in Germany. It was a very shocking article that activated emotion but had no call to action. I knew, but I wasn’t aware that it was such a massive structure. They also had photos of the people who were being deported, so I researched the photographer and asked them who could put me in touch with the people involved in those stories. Luckily he connected me to Rex, and then Rex and I started having phone calls about the work that they were doing. I decided that I wanted to support.  At this time, activism is a brand on social media, but when I heard Rex talking, I thought “Wow, this is someone who is really doing the work.” The uncomfortable and heavy work. Especially with the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020, people thought that posting a black square is activism. But there’s so much more we can and should do. And so I decided to offer Rex my skillset and platform. I said, “Hey, whatever I can do to support I’m here.” We spoke about Isabel who was mentioned in the article and we brainstormed how we could support her in a sustainable way. That’s how we came up with the fundraiser.  Rex: Actually, getting in contact with Sarah was a unique turning point for me. Because I’ve been in this whole process for many years, I remember those days when I’d be on the train and have 3 phones to communicate with people at the airports, trying to stop the deportations, communicating with the deportee, and with activists all while typing emails. Sitting on the train talking about deportation, deportation, deportation like a madman. But in the last years, I thought, “How can we address issues of people AFTER they are deported?” Once they arrive in their country, their human rights finish just like that. How do they arrive? What happens after? Even with over 10 years of experience, you’d expect that nothing shocks me anymore, but there are still things that happen on a day-to-day basis that shock me. To realise the circumstances of women and children, thrown out of the airport premises, stranded and left on the street with their children.  I took to monitoring the deportations myself in 2019 at the airport after following the case of a Nigerian guy who was really sick, but the regional officer responsible for deportation was so bent on deporting him. We involved an activist lawyer who identified all the manipulations and presented them to the judge. He was destined to be deported. At first, they tried without documents and it didn’t work. Then they tried with documents. I had to travel twice to the Nigerian embassy in Berlin on this issue. Since it was very clear that the embassy would issue a deportation document for him, I decided to observe the deportation flight arrival by traveling down to Lagos a week ahead. I met with the immigration officials to inform them about such abuses but they showed no interest but to do their job of receiving the deportees. They didn’t question any abuses or confirm issues about non-Nigerians who may have been on the flight.  On the day of the deportation's arrival, we could see the frustration and trauma in their faces. They appeared really confused and aggressive because they are shocked at how their country betrayed them. The only two ladies who were on the flight were single and they immediately disappeared into thin air. There’s a stigma for Nigerian women traveling abroad, imagine the situation of those who are later deported. Having experienced the situation myself, I was challenged with mobilising volunteers including journalists and representatives of CSOs engaging in migration to observe subsequent deportation and create awareness about this in the Nigerian society. Since then, we established the Deporteee Emergency Reception and Support Team, which is a group of volunteers and journalists who receive deportees upon arrival. The minimum you can do for them is to offer mobile phones to call their families or friends. This way, we are able to build connections with them. Afterward, we can assist those in need of transportation, emergency accommodations in Lagos, etc.  Sarah: I think just in a couple of days we reached the goal of €3,000. I think it’s interesting to point out, of course, it’s great that there are journalists who share those stories but in what way? We have to be critical. People are socialised in the west. They interview and photograph people in the most traumatising stages in their lives. And if someone like me reads the article, I’m like “Hey I want to reach out.” It made it very complicated. There are many steps, which made it really hard to just support. It took some time to find the photographers’ contact and luckily he was open to connecting me with Rex.  There’s a whole other dynamic we need to talk about: the white savior complex. I wish there would be more guidelines for big magazines to be less shit and more ethical. And really help in a sustainable way. What is the issue with adding a hyperlink to a Go Fund Me on this article?  After Rex and I decided to do the fundraiser, I actually reached out to the German news outlet that had featured Isabel and told them “Hey thanks to your article, I’m now in contact with Rex and I’m ready to support with my platform and activate my community to get this money together. Do you think you could help us spread the fundraiser?” They said: “I’m afraid we can’t do this…” There wasn’t a real reason and it wasn’t really an answer. It’s just unethical to me at the end of the day.  Rex: Actually, I get calls from journalists and researchers requesting contacts to such persons to make their reports and sell their papers. For these Italian journalists, they had proven themselves with years of engagement in the refugee/migrant solidarity movement. Unlike many other journalists, they offered us the pictures for use without their logos on them. My concern wasn’t just Isabel and her kids, but I wanted to really show how it feels for a woman and her children (who were born in Europe) to be deported after several years. Even researchers are falling into this trap –– many of them are going to Nigeria to conduct interviews on deported persons with no minimum financial solidarity. I had to set up a condition for those getting in contact with deportees through our networks.  You cannot engage with these deportees as your informants with just one bottle of coke and a plate of food. That’s not what they need. 10,000 naira, which is about 15 euros, as a kind thank you package. If they don’t agree, I say no thank you. You cannot talk to somebody who has no home and hasn’t had a good meal in the past 4 days, and you with your privileged position come in. You’re being paid for this job. You have a solidarity responsibility to share your privilege and be part of the political change. Many do not want to understand this. They always see us as instruments for their projects. And that’s what our local project “Migration Information Point” is trying to address in Nigerian society. The MIP project kicked off in 2018 with the aim to develop a platform for critical migration consciousness in Nigeria.  You often reference No White Saviors, the advocacy campaign working towards disrupting the White Savior Complex in international development and aid. How is its message pertinent in the German–Nigerian context? Sarah: I’ve been following their work for a few years now. It really helped me to start decolonising my mind. My dad is Black but I was born and socialised here, mostly in the white part of my family. And I’m not free of the white savior complex. And also I’m light-skinned, and there’s privilege when it comes to featurism, texturism and all kinds of hierarchies, and of course, I have proximity to whiteness. Of course, it’s an uncomfortable process to start, but we need to in order to decolonise our minds and decenter ourselves if we want to support people. The change starts with yourself, it’s a lot of internal work.  I’ve never done a fundraiser before, and it was very important for us not to use shocking pictures or to dehumanise anyone. There are other ways to activate people without using Black bodies in these dehumanising and stereotypically racist ways. And so we decided for the fundraiser to only take pictures of Isabel and her family from behind, to really just focus on the pattern of the story. Not to make it too much about an individual person but to show how systemic the whole issue is.  At the end of the day, there are many Isabel’s out there… It’s definitely much harder when you don’t have these individual stories that people can emotionally and directly connect to, but I hope it can help to cultivate something different. Instead of just having one person to share their whole traumatic life story and be very vulnerable in order for people to donate. The motivation to want to be a better person and support people in need should be enough. You can be in solidarity with people regardless.  I feel like it’s a conversation that’s quite new in the western BIPOC community that we can also be part of the problem to some extent. It’s important to use my platform to point these complex things out. We all have different work to do in certain contexts, it might often be uncomfortable but that’s how we can become more empathic people who really start caring for others.  Rex: Beyond the individual responsibility, it's important to point out that the institutions and systems are affected by the same issues. It’s a kind of identity politics of who is doing “more.” The problem of logos and foundations negatively impacts the political autonomy of activist networks here. As a migrant network that needs support for projects outside of Europe, you need to prove yourself extraordinarily in order to gain financial support. There’s a lot of suspicion regarding this “paternal ideology.” Internationalising funds is highly politicised and a matter of interest for the donor country, like the unsustainable re-integration projects of the German so-called “Perspektive Heimat” in refugee-sending countries. These are the actual problems with the EU white savior mentality.  Sarah: Rex connected me with Isabel, and I had uncomfortable feelings because you’re talking to someone who you don’t know at all, and you’re culturally very different. And this person is going through a trauma I can’t even imagine. People should be more willing to offer emotional support or time if they can’t donate money. I think we should normalise this as well because we can’t donate our way out of oppressive systems. For me, this is even more of a spiritual thing –– to have peace,  justice, and equity. And I mean it in the least new-age holistic toxic positivity way. Moving past feeling guilty and learning how to transform your feelings into action.  Rex: Before I got in contact with Sarah, I had already visited the city where Isabel lived in Bayern. What I usually do is meet the local volunteers to exchange on the actual situation of deportees from their community. My concern is not only to mobilise support for the deportees’ families but also to connect them to their families back in Nigeria. A telephone call to deported people is a sort of therapy for them. That feeling of concern is healing to show they are not alone. You will find them opening up to you. The moment Sarah got in contact with Isabel, and the fact that she is a woman too, made her speak more openly. And that has been very productive. By creating this contact between Sarah and her, I’m no longer the only one who has to take all the trauma. We share it. This is exactly what people cannot figure out. Some just want to donate money and do not care about how things develop further. The issue is not just money but also the show of concern.  What are the primary forms of spreading your message? Do you rely heavily on your existing network or does social media help expand the scope of your audience? Sarah: I think that’s a really important question because first of all, people follow me on social media because of music. I noticed that when I started posting the fundraisers, I’ve been losing a lot of followers. That’s quite interesting. It’s not feel-good content, or people are just generally overwhelmed with social media I guess, and are maybe just not open to this kind of content. I find it sad of course but I understand. But it also points to a bigger problem of people’s attention spans. Instagram is a marketing tool, it’s about selling a product. It’s frustrating to fight against this massive, oppressive algorithm machine as well.  Now I’m trying to think of ways to reach people through different channels, maybe a mailing list or so. Or to just say “Hey, if you buy my music the income will go towards this cause.” Of course, I’m a DJ and artist, but I don’t see a reason not to do this. Privilege and oppression are a spectrum, so in the space that I have of privilege – of having a European passport and this network/platform, speaking German – I want to use it for something good and practice community and care. Because at the end of the day when I die, in my last 5 minutes I’m probably going to think of the human connections I’ve made.  Rex: My wish will be that people are much more committed to supporting those in need. There is the need for an understanding that we are all part of the problem and as such, part of the solution because what we are privileged with is what others are suffering from. When Sarah and I first met, I was talking about the patenschaft, volunteers for deported families, especially with financing the education for deported children. This eases the trauma of the mothers as they try to get back on their feet in society. With Sarah’s passion to engage in this, there was no doubt that she would lose some of her social media fans. A lot of privileged people just want to have fun and enjoy the entertainment. I wish that people are able to grow beyond this box. It doesn’t take much to be nice or show concern for others. It’s not just about spending money –– just a telephone call to cheer people up means a lot. Even people like myself, Sarah, and many others need that as well. Collective motivation is very essential to change the system.  The new coalition agreement promises “progressive” policies, which allegedly entail easier family reunifications and naturalisation, sped up asylum procedures, and resettlement for people who are fleeing prosecution… But they also set harsher deportable offenses.  What do you make of this? Rex: A snake will always bite, there is no doubt about that. There is this human urge to maintain power. With this in mind, the current party is compelled to succumb to the conservative society. There is very little or nothing new in the coalition agreement. They could sound new to the politically unconscious society. But for us, it’s the same old story of beautified repression –– just name changes like Ankerzentrum and Gemeinschaftsunterkunft in place of Refugee Isolation Lager. Scrapping Duldung (tolerated stay) doesn’t mean abolishing Duldung. It’s just a matter of creating another term with even more restrictions.  Such deceptive regularisation policies have been increasing since 2007, in reaction to years of political protest and pressure against the German immigration policies. For example, an Altfallregelung for Ketten Duldung (tolerated persons) in Germany was introduced as the Bleiberecht (right to stay). Eligible for this amendment were families holding an uninterrupted Duldung status for 6 years but under the terrible condition of having full-time employment. Another condition was to be free from any criminal charge, whereas many asylum seekers were already criminalised by an apartheid residenzpflicht law that was imposed on asylum seekers. Just a criminal conviction affecting any family member, “even an underaged,” negatively affects the entire family’s application.  The Ausbildungsduldung or Bescahftigungs Duldung and other Bleiberecht regulations are a development from the Altfallregelung. The media will report the few that are able to make it with these new regulations, but the thousands that are deported are made invisible. All these propaganda amendments are developed every 2 years. We’ve found ourselves creating critical consciousnesses on these deceptive regulations. This trend at the moment convinces people to submit their identity documents in an effort to regularise themselves but unfortunately, they’re arrested by the police and deported. It’s a situation of placing a meal up on the shelves for the tortoise when we know the tortoise can’t reach it. We cannot allow ourselves to be deceived by this repeated beautified repression. Nevertheless, people have to always look for possible opportunities within these policies.  Germany is notorious for its complex bureaucracy that even deters expats who don’t have to worry about their legal status. These difficulties are exacerbated in refugee and asylum applications. Could you explain the legal aspect of your organisation and how you help refugees with paperwork? Rex: I’m active in different refugee solidarity networks. Among us in the movement are engaged activist lawyers and migration experts. We are also connected with a network of lawyers volunteering to take up cases of state repression. Our major focus is to create possibilities for the exchange of experiences among asylum seekers to empower one another with information on their rights and obligations. We are also in contact with social workers who refer asylum seekers and complicated cases to us. With a long list of volunteers, we are able to organise translations when the need arises, accompanying people to official appointments, etc. It’s all about solidarity.  “We are committed to creating platforms for refugee and migrant self-organisation. We try to create opportunities for exchange that could promote refugee and migrants’ self-determination.” A typical and most recent example was the series of violent police raids in refugee camps like the Ellwangen and Donauworth cases in 2018. The media reacted by propagating the police and state narratives that present refugee camps as a huge security risk for Germany. In such cases, we engage refugee witnesses or victims in the camp and present their personal narratives on the situation. This is not easy, because it requires lots of time and energy to convince them of the necessity of this. It entails meetings to interpret the societal discourse on the issue, informing them about their rights and obligations, and dealing with their individual fears.  Similarly, during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic when the Lagos airport was shut down, Germany becoming a corona hotspot was bent on enforcing deportation to porous countries. The corona situation in the camps was questionable as asylum-seekers accused the German government of using the camp and its inhabitants as a corona test experiment.  From nearly 2 decades of political engagement here in Europe, I can see that many migrants lack a clear political awareness before and even after arriving in Germany or Europe. Everyone is born a political person, but this awareness usually fails many of us. Motivating people to become politically active requires a level of trust. This is one reason why we’re engaging in counseling and accompanying asylum-seekers to at least create a practical impact in their personal lives. From these cases and experiences, people are further motivated to engage further with us on a political level.  Sarah: In the beginning of last year, I applied for a German passport. I’m already privileged regarding my citizenship because my mom has an Italian passport.  But I have never been allowed to vote, even though I was born here, live here, and pay taxes. I was so afraid of the whole process for the reasons you just mentioned. It costs a lot of money, too. I spent around €700. They want every piece of information that is out there that I didn’t even know existed. It was very dehumanising in some ways and this was only the soft version. At the end of December, I finally got my German citizenship and I had to go the citizen office.  It was such a weird experience because I had to read aloud, “Ich bekenne feierlich, dass ich das Grundgesetz und die Gesetze der Bundesrepublik Deutschland achten und alles unterlassen werde, was ihr schaden könnte,” which basically means, “I’m joyful to announce that I won’t do any harm to Germany and will respect the laws.” Nationality is such a weird concept. I thought, “Okay NOW I’m German.” The person at the citizen's office told me that if I were put in prison in, for example, Turkey for political reasons, it isn’t Germany’s responsibility to get me out. It would still be Italy’s. So basically they just want me to pay taxes and respect their laws. They also mentioned that if I were to become part of a terror group, I’d instantly lose my German citizenship. It was very clear to me that only “good” immigrants get a chance.  Rex: With the foreigner's office, it is obvious that there’s a special criterion for selecting the people who work in such places. My experiences from accompanying people to the immigration offices have been horrible. The way most of them address people. They just want to make you feel that being there is a great privilege, even when you are to be given a Duldung or any of the other residency permits. Is there anything else you would like to add? What meaningful ways could people who are interested in helping get involved? Sarah: One way to support is to sponsor affected people financially and also start to build friendships with them. Or just simply being there. The emotional support that people need is so underrated. Another thing is social media: Rex and I are not social media or Go Fund Me experts. Social media is so much about aesthetics, and it’s a marketing platform at the end of the day. How do we make it appeal to people? If someone is really good at designing visuals or is good with words, feel free to reach out. If you know any relevant mailing lists that we should know of let us know. Another idea: instead of asking for birthday presents this year or whenever ask people to donate. Or a lot of DJs do live streams right now, so you could just add the donation link. Be creative with it. I’m just a supporter and I’m not affected by deportation. I just want to make sure that we have more empathy and that we decolonise our minds. And make sure to check out No White Saviors, they have amazing resources on their socials and website. You can support them too, they also rely on donations in order to do their work.  Rex: We all have to understand that we are all part of the problem but can also be part of the solution. I count myself as privileged to be here because I’m not sleeping on a time bomb moment by moment. I enjoy some opportunities that many people cannot have. These privileges are made possible through the blood and sweat of others. Supporting and donating to help those in need would mean giving back just a little part of what has been exploited by them.  Sarah: I think hopefulness and commitment are really important. Another world is possible where all of us can thrive. The three of us having this conversation and you giving us the opportunity to talk about this is like writing history in a micro version. Each of us can do something, just don’t do nothing.  Rex: We are targeting having a house (Schutzwohnung) for deportees in Lagos. This space will serve as an office and transit accommodation for deportees. This will save us a lot of expenses with keeping people in hotels. People who may be interested should feel free to contact us.    Discover more about Network Refugees4Refugees on their website and Instagram. You can donate via Paypal (refugees4refugees@gmx.de ) or Bank Transfer:  Flüchtlinge für Flüchtlinge e.V GLS Bank  IBAN: DE80 4306 0967 7033 0742 00 BIC: GENODEM1GLS]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Open Music Lab: Quanta release party]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-music-lab-hold-quanta-release-party</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-music-lab-hold-quanta-release-party</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Saturday, February 26th, 17:00-midnight at Oona, Weserstr. 166, Berlin.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Berlin non-profit collective Open Music Lab (OML) will hold a release party for their new EP Quanta. Running from 17:00 until midnight, the event will include live music and DJ sets from OML students, mentors and more. Quanta (now available via Bandcamp) is OML’s second release, following Redox, which showcased the work of students taking part in OML’s 5-month music production course. Featuring music from students and mentors, Quanta celebrates the ‘musical bond and creative collaboration that comes out of the community.’ Each track on the release is produced by an OML student and accompanied by a remix by one of their mentors. At the release party, Iranian percussionist Kimia Bani will perform a unique ambient improvisation alongside OML co-founder Ben Osborn. Berlin-based artist Tarablisi, whose music appears on Quanta, will perform a live set. There will also be DJ-sets from OML mentors Vio PRG and Leibniz, as well as OML students morphena and Abed Alfakir, who both produced tracks for the release. Food will be provided at the beginning of the event by Emma Robertson.  Lineup:  18:00 - Kimia Bani & Ben Osborn 19:00 - Vio PRG 20:00 - Tarabalsi 21:00 - morphena 22:00 - Leibniz 23:00 - Abed Alfakir]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Nikki Nair goes to infinity]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nikki-nair-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nikki-nair-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Nikki chats to Max Graef Lakin on drum-programming, cultural fusions and his new label, n goes to infinity.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[To inaugurate a new series of interviews with our residents, we spoke to Nikki Nair. Broadcasting on Refuge Worldwide since February 2021, Nikki routinely turns in some of the station’s most creative club mixes.  Nikki has quickly developed a unique voice as a producer and DJ by interpolating breaks, hip-hop, bass music, IDM and a range of other influences, to create colourful and twisted dancefloor hybrids. Formerly based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Nikki moved to Atlanta during the pandemic, and for the last two years he’s been releasing music at a breathless pace for labels like Pretty Weird, Scuffed, Lobster Theremin and Dirtybird. Hey Nikki, where are you and what have you been up to? Hey! I woke up pretty recently, put on some coffee, now I’m in my studio at home in Atlanta. After this I’ll start making tracks – in December I finally left my day job so this is the new daily routine! I also just started my own label, n goes to infinity. The idea is to release music that sits between the underground club music that I’ve been making, and other American-style bass music. It’s going to be a bit more flamboyant than my usual releases, and for at least the first year it’s going to be only self-releases and collaborations. The first release, step 2, is out on February 11th. You were one of the earliest Refuge Worldwide residents. Tell us a bit about your show, has there been a specific idea or approach behind it? There’s not really a specific idea, but I usually try to fit tracks together that shouldn’t fit together, or that wouldn’t be listened to by the same group of people. Because there’s no dancefloor it’s easier to make mixes that are not as high energy, and I just like to see what I can fit together. I still play mostly dance music – I don’t know how to do ambient music or anything – but I guess this show is me trying to be experimental. The way you produce and play music shows a pretty broad knowledge of many different scenes. Where does that approach and understanding come from? Honestly, I think it’s just part of the way I like to consume music. Back in Knoxville, my DJing initially wasn’t varied at all. My focus was on American midwest techno and old-school house music, usually from Detroit or Chicago. When I first started getting attention for my music, it was during the period in which I had finally stopped trying to make purist American techno. I love that music, but I’m just really bad at making it, and I grew up listening to genres like drum & bass, which has really influenced my productions. After that breakthrough, my goal became to see how many different genres I could try out. I like all kinds of music, and I want to find ways to blend them. I want to find out, can I put EDM in a techno mix? If I like the music I feel like I have to play it.  Most of your releases have been dancefloor oriented, or at least formatted as DJ-friendly 12”s, even though the music itself has moved beyond that. Your ‘More Is Different’ EP for example, had a strong West Coast beat scene influence. Do you feel yourself slowly moving away from strictly dancefloor releases? I think I’m going to continue to make both. I’m still definitely going to make straight-up dance music, because I know I’ll play it. It’s functional and I want to make people dance.  But I also just get inspired by whatever I’m listening to, and I recently realised that I’ve been ignoring American West Coast-style bass music. In particular artists like Chee and Jon Casey (who are actually both South African, but fit into that scene), as well as artists like Ivy Lab from the UK. All their production is insane, the sound design, just the way that they deal with audio – it's really inspiring to me and I just wanted to try it. I feel like life is short, so I should just try as many things as possible. You’ve also started using more live instrumentation right? Yeah, I have. I have a drum kit here in the studio, I like to make my own samples and loops. I played live bass on a song recently as well. You don’t have to do live recordings to make good music, but I really enjoy making all the parts myself sometimes, I just think it's fun. I noticed from the early stuff you were making that there’s something specific about the drums–a kind of looseness or flexibility that can sometimes be difficult to achieve on a DAW (digital audio workstation). Is that something you aim for? I think part of it is because I played drums most of my life. Even when I’m programming in a DAW–and I do program with the mouse a lot – I go for very specific patterns, and I know exactly what I want to write while I’m writing it. Live recording can be great if you want to get percussion really loose, but generally it’s just about being meticulous and having a lot of patience and precision when writing drum parts. 2000s-era drum & bass artists like Noisia are a big inspiration, because when you listen to their drum programming it's so specific. Every hit is exactly where it needs to be. It's interesting that when you work digitally, it takes a hyper precise, meticulous approach to make something that sounds casually thrown together.  Yes exactly it’s ironic, but it’s so true once computers are involved. If you are casually throwing stuff together on a DAW you’re going to get a very static loop, which on the other hand is very hard to achieve with actual drums. It's all backwards. How involved are you with the scene in your new hometown, Atlanta, and do you have any plans to run parties there as you did in Knoxville? I'm not that involved at the moment, I just moved here during the pandemic from Knoxville. While I was in Tennessee we booked Atlanta artists like Helix and Stefan Ringer to play – who are both big influences to me – and I had come to Atlanta a few times to DJ so I already had some connections and friends. Early in the pandemic, nothing happened obviously, and since it’s been possible I have mostly been playing out of town.  I would love to throw a party here. I feel like I would want to do something different, not just a heads-y underground party because that already exists here. Maybe something in the theme of the mixes I’m doing for Refuge – I'd like to put big bass music acts or an EDM artist on the same bill as someone really underground, and design the running order in a way so that people hear both. Music can be so cliquey, and a lot of that is cultural. But I also think it's slowly changing, and I’d really like to mix things together a bit. A lot of ‘the scene’ is now based around the internet, and when you talk to people individually, a lot of people are listening to a much broader spectrum of music than the narrowly-defined scene in which they participate. I’d like to imagine parties that are more multi-faceted. I get a sense that there are a lot of people trying to break out of these cliques, or move away from this kind of purist approach to genre, and it’s refreshing. I think we need that right now. There was a period of extreme sub-genrefication. There’s so many sub-genres, and it's ridiculous sometimes, they don’t all need to exist. It's all dance music. I used to be one of those purist people. I went through a phase where the way I thought about music was: ‘if it isn’t from Detroit or Chicago, it's bullshit.’ There are some good parts about that way of thinking, you do discover a lot of things that way. There has to be a respect for the history of the music you’re playing, but not in a way that means you’re being bound by it. In general, you find that the groundbreaking artists are the ones who are able to find that balance. You have talked in other interviews about the importance of meeting Mike Banks from UR (Underground Resistance) in Detroit, in shaping the way you think about the connection between music, history and politics. Do you see any echoes of the UR approach or attitude in things that are happening today? I feel there definitely are. My experience has been that a lot of people who are serious about dance music realise that there is a political philosophy behind the music, and they want the music they love to continue to represent those ideals. I don’t know if it's as explicitly political, but there are also a lot of groups that are very community oriented – always focusing on bringing up younger artists and trying to stay true to their ideals. I think Juke Bounce Werk is a pretty good example of a group of artists who have that mindset. How they act as people, what they do and how they live within the dance music world is very community-focused and carefully thought out. They think about what everything they do means.  I read that your parties in Knoxville were also community-focused somehow, right? Well… they were free! It was a small DIY party, focusing mainly on techno, but playing the full spectrum of American dance music. On the one hand, it was a community-based project because everyone could get in regardless of means – so if I was really trying to hype myself up, I could say that! But on the other hand, it was because we thought at the time that if we made people in Tennessee pay to listen to the music we were playing, no one would come. It’s just how we got people to come and dance. You said that you thought the best music was born of cultural fusions. What are some key cultural fusions that you are interested in or you see at play in your own music? I don’t know if I do have any explicitly in my own music. I wish that I had more Indian stuff in my music – I made a Bollywood edit once, but that was very obvious. If it’s anything, it's something more subtle, just related to the whole soup of music I listened to growing up. But with the internet, there are all these crazy subgenres emerging in different places. One of my favourite labels in the world right now is SVBKVLT, from Shanghai. I think I put one of their tracks in most of my mixes. It just feels like their music carries a different set of preconceptions about music from those that I have, and it’s totally overwhelming in a club, amazing to hear on a big sound system. Check out Nikki Nair's most recent show here.
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[How the Novak Djokovic dilemma exposed Australia's inhumane immigration policies]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/australian-immigration-policies</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/australian-immigration-policies</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 05 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We interviewed Mehdi Ali, an Iranian asylum seeker being detained in the country's cruel detention system.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Novak Djokovic's detention in an Australian immigration facility helped expose inhumane conditions that many refugees and asylum seekers have been withstanding for years. A Void for Populist Tactics Until a judge ordered his release, Djokovic, whose vaccination and visa status have been under question in mid-January, found himself in an uncertain limbo with 32 other detainees in a hotel only miles away from the Australian Open. At first, it was a refreshing story to see one of the world's most famous athletes experiencing the same legislative treatment as everyone else. But within hours, news broke from Djokovic's family about the conditions he was being housed in. His father said "he's not in detention, he's in prison." His mother went on to describe the situation as a "political witch hunt" and "corona fascism" against her son.  The tennis star lasted a handful of days under the toll of Australia's processing system before being released by a judge to partake in one of the most premium sporting events of the year, although his visa was again revoked ahead of the tournament. While the situation was developing into a global news story, the cameras began to shine the light on the other detainees who have been held in indefinite detention for up to nine years.  The birthplace of Rupert Murdoch and his media empire, Australia has long been a country where elections are won on a 'tough on borders' rhetoric. Over generations, this has created a void for politicians to pursue populist tactics that form the perfect environment for abusive migration policies to thrive. Following the Arab Spring, the Australian government began to forcibly transfer asylum seekers and refugees to offshore camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in 2013. It is estimated that up to 3,000 refugees and asylum seekers have experienced medical neglect, abuse, and inhumane treatment while detained in these offshore detention centers. Under the guise of border control, an atrocious processing system makes conditions so doubtful and difficult for fleeing migrants that many choose to return to their homeland or seek refuge somewhere else. The average length of stay in Australia's immigration detention currently stands at 689 days. In the US, the average processing period is 55 days, and in Canada, it's 14 days. The disparity between the length of stays in different countries has led experts to scrutinize the extreme physical and mental harm  these conditions put on people. Inordinately long waiting times, like those in Australia, create deliberately hostile systems that sunders the hopes of those most in need. The Case of Mehdi Ali It is rumoured that twelve people have died in Australia’s offshore detention system. The cause of death ranges from suicide to medical neglect and murder. One of the most known deaths is that of Iranian refugee Omid Masoumali, who set himself on fire during a United Nations visit in protest against his indefinite detention. Another notable incident was the death of another Iranian refugee who was refused medical treatment. Hamid Kehazaei passed away after a minor injection in his leg became septic and his life was drastically cut short after he failed to receive the treatment that was requested. Countless others have suffered while in detention in both Australia and its offshore centers. Among the other detainees in the same Park Hotel—a neglected makeshift facility with no fresh air—are countless migrants who are stuck in their rooms for almost every minute of the day. Iranian asylum seeker Mehdi Ali has endured nine years of wait in detention since he arrived in 2013, he told Refuge Worldwide in an exclusive interview. His room was the floor above Djokovic's in the hotel, which is known locally as a "coffin" and a "cruel" impromptu solution for those awaiting their status. As early as October 2020, it was nicknamed the 'Outbreak Hotel' after COVID-19 swept through the facility. Ali's plight has become a sadly symbolic and familiar affair to those navigating Australia's cruel immigration policy. Those confined inside feel forgotten and abandoned, but their stories were rarely told until the cameras and crowds gathered in the streets outside the hotel to cover Djokovic's case. Ali left Iran as a persecuted member of the Ahwazi Arab minority at the age of 15 years old. His family convinced him to seek refuge and arranged transport to Australia in hope that he might find freedom in another part of the world. Ali's claim for protection was legally obliged under Australian law, but the fight for refugee status has hit many rocks. To date, he has been detained in Nauru, Brisbane, and now the Park Hotel. During his nine years, he has seen both sides of the coin. Ali has witnessed those arriving by boat being swiftly processed while in detention and being granted refugee status relatively quickly. But he has also been an onlooker to death and despair, and has been beaten and abused while in the system.   In the Park Hotel rooms, Ali says, the windows are sealed from the world and fresh air. The floors are patrolled by guards who monitor the hotel every day. To get a gasp of fresh air, Ali and other detainees leave their rooms to smoke. “I have to come up with the best method for surviving," he explains. "Sometimes, I feel like if I communicate with other people in the same situation, their frustrations could affect my mental health.” Ali receives no updates. Instead, every day feels the same, and there's "no guarantee it is going to happen at all.” He has seen countless friends and other refugees give up all hope and walk out of the detention centers bound for a flight to another land. Australia's inhumane approach to handling these people's civil liberties, especially in offshore locations, resulted in New Zealand offering to resettle these refugees so they could finally be free of their ordeals. But Australia refused this proposal as they argued it would act as a "pull factor" and incentive to others thinking of coming to Australia by boat. The Djokovic Developments As Djokovic recently discovered, Australia has a mandatory detention policy for those arriving without a visa or appropriate documents. Consecutive governments have tried to deter refugees and those arriving by boat by housing them in offshore facilities. While Nauru remains open, another offshore site on Manus Island was forced to shut in 2016 after being deemed illegal and substandard.  The closure resulted in more widespread condemnation of the facilities as the reality of the conditions inside became a mainstream news story. In response to growing concern in 2019, the government began allowing critically ill refugees to be "temporarily transferred" to the mainland for medical treatment. But even for those within Australia, their treatment as a whole remained inhumane.  The Djokovic developments have sparked new conversations around how Australia handles refugees and asylum seekers. The exposure that came with the international press raised serious questions about how this cruel procedure has been allowed to happen under the radar for so long. It has also provided a podium to those who have had to weather the vicious conditions of seeking refuge in some of the world’s wealthiest democracies.  Similarly inhumane conditions for asylum seekers abound in other powerful nations. Last year, Denmark authorized the transfer of asylum seekers to offshore facilities, while in the UK, the House of Commons passed the Borders Bill, purporting to do the same. This is currently being examined by the House of Lords, but if these laws pass, they will include the worst aspects of Australia’s policy. The Djokovic dilemma has exposed Australia's cruel policies to the world, while also revealing that this model has grown into a source of inspiration for nations in Europe and further afield. Photo © CNN]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Helping on tour for unhoused Berliners]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berliner-obdachlosenhilfe</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/berliner-obdachlosenhilfe</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We tagged along with Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe to bring necessities to the city’s unhoused.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide staff writer Steindór Jónsson took a tour with Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe, a group of Berliners supporting the city’s unhoused.                                                                         - Since moving here five years ago (I’m tempted to not count the last two), I’ve wanted to get involved in charity work, but like many non-natives I was worried about the language barrier. Before Christmas, I reached out to Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe (BOH) and asked if I could join a Wednesday night tour and write about it for our mostly English-language outlet. They were happy to accommodate me and, as it turns out, German skills were not at all necessary.  On a chilly January afternoon, I arrive at BOH’s office in Wedding where the early shift had been hard at work for hours making hot meals, brewing coffee and prepping box after box of food, clothing and other provisions. Everyone is masked and hygiene rules are posted by the door, as well as info for newcomers. One of the helpers welcomes me, but since I’m still feeling out whether to participate in the tour or just observe it, I spend a few minutes looking around. A large home-made sign on the wall reads “keine Suppe für Rassismus” - “no soup for racism.”  Depending on the night, the tour stops at one or more of Alexanderplatz and Hansaplatz in Mitte, Leopoldplatz in Wedding and Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg. Since it’s Wednesday night, we’re hitting the last two spots, starting at Leo. I try to be of some use and help load up the truck, stacking boxes of fruit, sandwiches, yoghurt and pet food alongside picnic tables, benches and a net of sleeping bags hanging from the ceiling. The driver is Julia, who’s only doing her second tour. She started off by donating last summer, but now that she’s more involved she’s shown herself to be one of the most useful people because of her skills driving the van. Drivers are in high demand at BOH, because without one, the tour would be impossible. After a few twists and a pinpoint U-turn, we drive onto Leopoldplatz and park. The guests are already lining up and we begin to unload the truck. As I carry a bench towards the area where we’re setting up, a friendly elderly woman approaches and asks me a question in German. I try my best to understand, but eventually someone else steps in to assist her. Everything is set up under an overpass in case of rain and the helpers are distanced from the guests to decrease the likelihood of a corona infection spreading. When everything’s ready, one helper takes orders as the others prepare them. As I watch and admire the sheer efficiency, an Italian guest strikes up a chat with me and is patient enough with me as I cobble together answers about my native Iceland and its most recent active volcano. A break from parties and nonsense With everything rolling along smoothly, my contact person Tobi has time to chat. He’s been doing tours with the association since October 2017 and is now involved in the organizational side of things, so he’s seen firsthand how the pandemic affected BOH operations, as well as life on the streets. A recent study states that an estimated 60,000 people in Berlin are without a house, with 2,000 to 6,000 of them sleeping rough. “We’re getting more guests now, both guests who are homeless and guests who are poor,” he says. “Everyone is welcome. We get even more guests in the summer, when we serve up to 300, 400 people at Alexanderplatz. In the past we set up benches for people to sit on and people would stand in front of the table to get the food. Now we set up the benches to maintain some distance and always keep a middle man so we break the infection chain.” A born and bred Berliner, Tobi hadn’t been involved with charities before he tried BOH. “A friend of mine brought me here one weekend,” he explains. “In life, you do a lot of parties and nonsense so it’s good to do something where you feel good afterwards. I joined up and got to know people. The work makes you feel good and helps your conscience, so that’s why I started and it’s been four years now. I used to go on every tour, but after a few years you get burned out. So I’m more in the background now, sometimes working on the political stuff, the administrative stuff, the plenaries, planning something and working on how we can improve the tours.” Helpers wanted Like most nonprofits, BOH relies on donations. Most of the food and clothes that BOH gives out is donated to them according to their needs at each time, but the money they collect goes towards everything else. “We buy coffee and hygiene products and certain clothes,” Tobi says. “We buy socks and underwear because they rarely get donated but it’s the most needed thing. From time to time we do fundraising for things like sleeping bags, but mostly we get private donations from individuals, not companies. Sometimes groups get together, like the employees from a company who arranged it themselves. It pays for our rent, the gas for the new van we bought last year. We also have two social workers on staff, one person who’s there for administrative tasks and one for cleaning.” For those who can, it’s simple enough to donate money on occasion with the online click of a button. It’s a good way to help, Tobi says. “I prefer people getting involved,” he adds. “But take your time, learn the basics, get to know the people. We don’t always have enough helpers, because we are an organization of volunteers. Nobody’s earning money from the tours, so we always need more, especially engaged people who have a sense for self-organization.” Some people are heavily involved, around 40 or 50 members who attend plenary sessions and form workgroups. The rest join the tours when they want. There are three shifts to choose from; the preparation shift at their office, the tours themselves, which usually go from 6:00pm to 9:30pm, and then washing up at the office afterwards. “People just show up when they want to do it. It’s also totally fine if you come just once a month. Some people only come on certain days. A lot of people who are here right now have been coming for a long time. We always talk about how we greet new helpers and make them not feel overwhelmed. We tried a buddy system once and a system where one person leads the group. We manage.” They like to have upwards of 12 helpers per tour. “And we have 500 to 1000 guests per week. But it depends on the weather, the season, the time of the month.” Housing first Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe operates without public funding and they like it that way, Tobi says. They want to remain independent. Tobi’s day job is at a homeless shelter, so he’s very familiar with different sides of the work. I ask him if it takes a toll on the people who spend so much time involved in social issues. “Yes, you need - like we say - a Feierabend.”  I ask him if there’s anything that the BOH community does to lift each other’s spirits, like social outings. I can already tell that some of them are good friends. At one point I notice a helper arriving to join the tour, seemingly after a bit of an absence, and a few others cheerfully welcome them back. “A lot of friendships and relationships developed here,” Tobi says. “We had a party before Christmas and we also celebrated New Year’s together. We went and gave out food and afterwards we cleaned and I heard people were there until 7 in the morning.” I can tell that the communal aspect helps motivate people to show up in person and lend a hand. But what can be done to address this issue from the policy side? “Housing first,” Tobi says. “In Berlin, we have a lot of foreign homeless people and the German laws make it very hard to help them. Some people may not even be allowed to have a flat in Germany because of their status or their finances. We have an active political advocacy side for these issues. We support a campaign against police violence and the racial, nationalist structures within the police. We ask our helpers to generally not call the police if there’s trouble on our tours because the first thing the police do is check our guests’ identities and that’s where the problems start.” Bank on it As Tobi and I talk, the elderly woman from before returns with her husband and explains what had happened when she approached me earlier. Apparently I was bringing the bench I was carrying to the wrong area. She and the other elderly guests are seated separately away from the line and get their meals brought to them. This is new development, Tobi says, as the Corona hygiene system would have forced the elderly to stand among strangers in line. “They used to have to stand in line too,” he explains. “We have more helpers now so we can arrange that. It’s gone well, we haven’t had one case traced to our tours.” Tobi later tells me that the woman and her husband have been coming for years. We chat with them for a little while and she’s curious to learn the names of all the new helpers, as well as the English word for “Bank” - “bench” - so she can better communicate the setup next time. I start to feel that an unexpected side benefit of joining these tours again is that my German might improve. Tobi says that either way, a lack of German skills shouldn’t deter anyone from joining up. “Our helpers are very international,” he says. “I used to have tours where I was the only German. Our name helps, because a lot of expats who live here type in Obdachlosen Berlin and we’re the first result on Google, so they come here. We have people from everywhere in the world; India, Mauritius, Ireland, France. I’m maybe the only one here right now who grew up in Berlin.” Good deeds, dogs and donuts After everything’s packed up, I get back in the truck with Julia to hit up our next stop, and this time we’re joined by another helper, Victor. Victor had been looking at different charities before joining up last summer. He’d done charity work in the past, but found it difficult to be sure whether the charities were actually helpful, not to mention politically and ethically sound. But with a homelessness charity, he felt like there was no arguing that he was doing good work. And he could feel it when he joined the tours. He’s been active ever since. Victor describes BOH as having a low barrier for entry. You can simply sign up and show up. You can come once or come regularly. There’s a sign-up sheet on their website and all help is appreciated. “Your involvement is completely up to you and nobody is forced to do anything,” he says. When we get to Kottbusser Tor, it’s already 8pm and the cold is hitting everyone, including myself, who foolishly had thought I’d get away with a light bomber jacket in early January. This is not like my pre-pandemic visits to Kotti, a place I’ve always considered rowdy, when I’d hit up restaurants and bars with friends ahead of a big night out. There are fewer people around and also fewer guests lined up for the provisions than at Leopoldplatz. It’s all very orderly and calm by Kotti standards. One of the guests has a dog who barks a little, but he’s probably just excited to receive one of the pet food packages BOH makes available. There’s also boxes from known Berlin grocery stores, restaurants and pastry shops, food that otherwise would be thrown out and go to waste. I stare at a scrumptious looking donut for a while, but think better of it. With everything looking under control - and since my contribution this time around was minimal anyway - I say goodbye to Tobi, Julia, Victor and the other helpers. Their principle “Helfen ist einfach!” -  “helping is easy” - has turned out to be accurate. I’ve already signed up for another tour. Photos by Steindór Jónsson]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Apply for workshops with Xenia Taniko and Cat Hepburn]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/february-workshops</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/february-workshops</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sign up now for sessions on the 14th, 21st and 28th of February]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This February we are hosting new workshops at our studio on vocal improvisation, and spoken word writing and performance.  On Mondays 14th and 21st of February the artist, performer and choreographer Xenia Taniko will host the Embodied Voice Workshop. The sessions will focus on vocal improvisation, encouraging deep listening and finding playful ways to use the voice as an instrument for sound creation and self-expression. Xenia’s artistic practice spans performance, music, magic practices, community building and participatory formats, and their work has been presented across Germany, Europe and the US. Our second workshop on Monday 28th February will be hosted by award-winning writer and poet Cat Hepburn. Intro to Spoken Word will provide creative exercises and guidance for beginners interested in writing and performing their own poetry. Cat’s poetry has featured on BBC6 Music, ITV and at the Edinburgh Fringe. She has written two books, #GIRLHOOD and Dating & Other Hobbies, and hosts a talk show on Refuge Worldwide. In March and April we have more workshops with FLINTGA* DJ/Producer collective BLVSH and Berlin-based production school Open Music Lab. More info on both coming soon! All workshops will take place in person at Refuge Worldwide (Weserstr. 166, 12045 Berlin). As always, priority will be given to people with refugee backgrounds, people of colour, people from the LGBTQ community, women, trans, non-binary people and those who face difficulties accessing education due to their background. Read more and sign up for the courses here: Embodied Voice Workshop with Xenia Taniko Intro to Spoken Word with Cat Hepburn]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide First Birthday Weekender]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/1st-birthday</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/1st-birthday</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 17 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Thursday 20th - Saturday 22nd January, Oona and online]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From Thursday to Saturday we are celebrating our first birthday at Oona (Weserstr 166, 12045 Berlin) and live on Refuge Worldwide.  Swing by the bar or tune in for music and talk shows from over 30 DJs, including Solid Blake, Virginia, Cromby, Refuge residents, special guests, secret B2Bs and much more.  A lot has happened in the last twelve months... Much love to everyone who has followed, visited and tuned in since last January–we can't wait to see you all on Weserstr. this weekend! Check out our full lineup below. Aver Ben Sleia & Niki K Chloe Duperry Cromby Dangermami DLX-ADV Elise & Camilla Rae ELLLL female:pressure with Virginia FTL Vanta Lynx Gabriel Gifford Gramrcy Love On The Rocks MINQ Monty Luke Nathalie Capello No Plastic & Richard Akingbehin O.N.A Olin Solid Blake THC The Honey Tapes Thru The Grapevine with Shani Atani, SuperJazzClub & Dj Ghana Boi Versailles + Special Guest B2B Special Guest Photo credit Ella Yarnton Artwork by Gramrcy ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[We are teaming up with Lilipad, a Berlin-based educational charity]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/lilipad</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/lilipad</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 14 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Lilipad have built libraries in Germany, Morocco and Uganda]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Every six months we choose an inspiring non-profit organisation to be our partners and receive 50% of the funds generated through the Refuge Worldwide Patreon. For the first half of 2022 we are partnering with Lilipad, a Berlin-based organisation whose goal is 'to enable children in vulnerable communities to enjoy access to a fulfilling, quality and stimulating education.’  Lilipad was founded around a single project: the construction of a school library in Kyabirwa, Uganda, in 2017. Now an international educational charity, every Lilipad project begins with the foundation of a children's library, creating space to foster ‘a culture of reading and love of learning.' By working closely with local not-for-profit institutions, Lilipad have helped to open seven new, multilingual libraries and learning centres in the last five years, at locations in Uganda, Morocco and most recently GU-Britz, one of Berlin's largest collective refugee accommodation centres. Lilipad also run educational events, and recently started an online multilingual audio platform hosting readings of children’s books. In addition to providing support through our Patreon, we will be working with Lilipad on a series of collaborative workshops to take place in Berlin over the next few months. More info on these to follow. Head over to our Patreon page and subscribe to help us to support Lilipad in their mission! If you want to read more about our partnership series, check out our previous partners, Radio Zaatari and the Queer Black Therapy Fund.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin voted to socialize housing. But what happens next?]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/deutsche-wohnen-and-co-enteignen</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/deutsche-wohnen-and-co-enteignen</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Despite a historic referendum, Berlin's new government is delaying the expropriation of mega-landlords.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The biggest celebration on German election night, 26 September, may not have been at the headquarters of any of the victorious political parties. The activists from the Deutsche Wohnen & co. enteignen campaign, in their trademark purple and yellow outfits, had good reason to be cheerful. For the last few years, volunteers have swarmed the streets of Berlin, collecting enough signatures to force a referendum on whether to expropriate the housing stock of the city's largest real estate companies - Deutsche Wohnen, Vonovia and Akelius, to name a few - and use the properties for a common, social purpose. On election night, Berliners responded with a resounding “yes”. The proposal passed with 57.6 percent of voters in favor and only 39.8 percent voting against. However, Berlin's new center-left government, led by mayor Franziska Giffey, has decided to put the matter in the hands of an expert commission. Giffey's Social Democratic Party remains against expropriation and since the referendum results were non-binding the politicians have plenty of chances to stall or even sidestep the will of the voters. The campaigners don’t plan to spend 2022 waiting. We talked to Anisia Petcu and Trevor Silverstein, two activists from the campaign's Right to the City for All working group, about their referendum success and the political uncertainty that has followed. Along with the goal of socializing housing, their group is focused on amplifying the voices of non-citizen Berliners, the large group of the city's inhabitants without a direct say in its political processes. The new Berlin government is dealing with its internal disagreement over the issue of expropriation by giving an expert commission one year to figure out a plan. How do people within the DW & Co Enteignen camp feel about this compromise? Anisia: We’re unhappy with this decision because it’s in clear violation of the spirit of the referendum. The expert commision is being framed as a commission that needs to establish “if” the referendum can be implemented, but it’s already been confirmed that such a law would be constitutional. And this commission will need until 2023 to come to these conclusions, which is to say that doesn’t necessarily mean they will even implement the referendum results. This would be a major rejection of the voices of a clear majority of Berliners. After all, more people voted in support of the referendum than for any of the parties in the ruling coalition. So the question should be not “if”, but “how”.  Plus, there are questions to be asked about the validity of this commission. Who will sit on it? How can we ensure that the groups affected by this decision, i.e. the renters, will be properly represented? What guarantee do we have that this commission will not disproportionally represent those whose interests oppose the referendum? These are all crucial aspects in this discussion and given the attitude of some of the coalition parties to the question of expropriation, we have reason to be concerned. In only three years, the initiative was able to bring this issue from the idea stage to an election victory, forcing the Berlin government to engage with the proposal. Why do you think this campaign was able to succeed? Trevor: There are numerous factors that led to the success of the referendum. Some were related to our own organizing or campaigning efforts and others were surely external, such as this city’s deepening housing crisis and the cancellation of the Mietendeckel (“Rent Cap”) in April 2021. Our initiative has its roots in tenant struggles that have been going on in the city for many years. The proposal to expropriate mega-landlords served as a unifying banner across many of these struggles and brought a great number of the city’s renters together. In addition to this kind of connection-building, the campaign was successful in adapting and experimenting throughout the signature collection process, as well as the election campaigning. Our Kiezteam structures were essential to this. We were able to engage with potential voters in every district of the city and also continually grow our resources by involving new activists. This gave the campaign an atmosphere where people with different backgrounds and experiences could get involved. And in 2021, the initiative went from needing 170 thousand valid signatures (about 7% of the city's eligible voting population) to collecting over 350 thousand. And in September, over 1 million people voted in favor of socialization. This growth of support in less than a year, a large chunk of this under a COVID lockdown, speaks to the success of connecting renters of the city and continually experimenting. You caught people's attention with unconventional promotional tactics such as cheerleading demonstrations at nightclubs. Can you tell us more about this aspect of the campaign? Anisia: I think this was an important aspect of the campaign both for its external supporters, but also for its members. There are many people in the campaign who have experience with activism in other social movements all over the globe. They drew from their practices and spearheaded this process of using a kind of activism that also brings joy, that is about creativity and freedom of expression, and that allows for experimentation and diversity - of origin, of sexuality, of gender expression, of approaches. In a city that doesn’t want to allow full voting rights for its residents who do not have German passports, this was an important aspect. For us internally, it also meant that we could do our work while also celebrating together, and it created a positive and hopeful atmosphere for the campaign. Through it, we drew the attention of people who might not feel so called upon by “traditional” activism and politics, and encouraged them to support us or even get involved. And I’m happy to say Berlin may see more joy from our cheerleaders in the new year! You were active in the Right to the City for All working group within the campaign, like so many other non-native Berliners who wanted to become involved. Does the working group have any future plans to campaign further for the rights of non-citizens? Trevor: The short answer is yes! Right to the City for All is a young organization, in the sense that it was only formed as a working group of the campaign in December 2020. One of our goals was to scandalize the fact that all signatures collected from people who weren’t German citizens would be deemed invalid. When the official signature count reached quorum, there were nearly 55 thousand signatures invalidated for reasons of citizenship. Had the remaining signatures been officially analyzed, we can expect there would have been many more. That’s a pretty steep democratic deficit. Post-election, we’re now in the process of strategizing internally, taking stock of what our goals are, as well as continuing to build coalitions with other migrant groups. One such coalition is with the Nicht Ohne Uns 14% campaign, which is focused on voting rights for all. Already, the Ampel coalition government on the national level [the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Free Democrats] has proposed an easier path to citizenship after 5 years in Germany (as well as allowance of dual citizenship). And Berlin’s incoming RGR government [the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and The Left] has announced that it would like to increase the number of naturalizations every year. This would allow for more democratic participation for many who have been historically excluded from it. But not everyone. There are also calls from The Left to push forward an initiative to change voting rights on the Berlin state level to make all those who have been a resident of the city for 5 years eligible, regardless of citizenship. There are many challenges to changing these laws, but we are definitely staying deeply engaged with this particular issue, among others! What do you think other activists can learn from the DW & Co Enteignen campaign? Anisia & Trevor: In addition to the importance of connecting across differences, experimentation and including the voices of politically disenfranchised residents, it’s important to have good information support systems. We had a lot of materials, workshops, seminars and discussions internally (and externally), to ensure that anyone new to the campaign knew what was going on and what they could do. They had all the necessary information and contact points to get as involved as they wanted to be.  And from the experience of working within Right to the City for All this year, another important takeaway is joy and collective care. Despite our success, this has been a challenging time to organize and stay engaged for many people. Being excited to see and work with people, some of whom you may not meet in real life for months, is a powerful motivator. And the fact that over a million Berliners voted yes  for expropriation should be a powerful motivator for other initiatives too! Refuge Worldwide readers can learn more about the DW & co enteignen campaign on their website. Photo (credit: Jana Legler/DWE)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[A new age of closed borders]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/q-and-a-with-reece-jones</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/q-and-a-with-reece-jones</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Writer and professor Reece Jones opens up about the state of the world’s borders—and border control—during an era of unprecedented crisis.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We interviewed Guggenheim Fellow and University of Hawai'i professor Reece Jones, a vocal commentator on how many of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful nations have been subscribing to colonialist practices. The editor-in-chief of the journal Geopolitics and the author of the books Nobody is Protected (2022), White Borders (2021), Violent Borders (2016) and Border Walls (2012), he has been at the forefront of documenting the movement of people in an age of geopolitical warfare, humanitarian crisis and climate-induced displacement.  In the wake of one of the worst crises of our time, more nations and governments have opted to close their borders, abandoning some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Jones sheds light on the current state of affairs and the violence inherent in drawing boundaries and maintaining exclusive control over movement, people and space. Why do you think some nations and people are obsessed with erecting borders and division? We are often blinded by presentism—the perception that the way things are now is the way they have always been. The reality is that the sovereign state system is only a few centuries old, and in most places only came into being after the end of overt colonialism in the middle of the 20th century. The oldest political borders date to only the 17th century, and most were drawn on maps after World War II, in the 1940s through the ‘60s. Consequently, the idea of a bordered nation-state is only a brief flash in the pan in the longer sweep of human history.  I think we can interpret the obsession with erecting borders and divisions as a symptom of the weakness of the nation-state. In most places, the borders that exist on the modern political map do not represent a longstanding group of people or political configuration. Instead, they are a relatively recent attempt to claim exclusive control over the land, resources and people in that place. While some groups of people attempt to claim exclusive control over that territory, others resist it, most visibly by ignoring the idea that the state should control the movement of people in that space.  The idea of a bordered nation-state is only a brief flash in the pan in the longer sweep of human history.  What was the main conclusion of Violent Borders and would that observation shift considering the events of the past few years? Violent Borders argued that the act of drawing a border was inherently violent. The book also linked restrictions on migrants today with past systems that protected privileges through movement restrictions, including slavery, poor laws and vagrancy laws. The increased construction of border walls and the ever more extreme demonization of migrants only reinforces the arguments of the book.  A lot has happened since the book was published in 2016: governments have changed hands, and the world has succumbed to the ravages of Covid-19. Is the world a more optimistic place or have things only begun to get worse? Things have undoubtedly gotten worse. The EU’s reaction to a few thousand people on Poland’s border was instructive. Instead of allowing the people to cross the border, providing aid and then hearing their asylum claims, the EU instead opted for a security spectacle with water cannons, barbed wire and several unnecessary deaths. That is a worrying development that suggests more violence in the coming years. Borders are where nationalism is most visibly expressed as the location to define who belongs based on arbitrary notions of skin color or where someone was born.  How do you anticipate the global north will react to climate-induced migration and conflicts? We saw some of the world’s wealthiest nations fall short of any meaningful outcomes at COP26. I think you can see the last few years through two different lenses. On the one hand, they were the worst years on record for global temperatures and in the treatment of migrants at borders. On the other hand, if we consider what will happen in the next fifty years, these last few years were likely to have the coolest temperatures and the lowest number of migrants. Although things feel bad right now, if current trends continue, they look to be much worse in the coming decades.  The good news is that it does not have to be that way. Since we know that climate-induced migration is going to increase for decades to come, we have time right now to plan for it. Wealthy countries have a choice. Do they want to invest billions in walls, security forces, and surveillance that will kill thousands of people and create humanitarian crises at borders? Or do they want to invest billions in welcoming facilities to train migrants with language and jobs skills that will allow them to contribute to the economy and society? Wealthy countries around the world are all facing a shortage of young workers to replace aging populations. Allowing more migrants is the easy solution. Wealthy countries are going to spend billions on responding to immigration. Either way, the question is if that money should be spent on violence or on building a better society.  Is there an ethical way or model to look at migration and borders as we move into an increasingly unstable sociopolitical era?  My new book, White Borders: The History of Race and Immigration in the United States from Chinese Exclusion to the Border Wall, argues that racial exclusion is the driving force behind all of the country’s immigration restrictions. Although many people think it is normal for countries to restrict immigration, in the book I demonstrate that in the US’ case, the first national restrictions only came when non-white immigrants began to arrive in greater numbers. The US lacked any national immigration laws until 1875, when the Page Act passed, restricting Asian laborers and Chinese women. The Chinese exclusion act soon followed in 1882, which banned all Chinese immigration. Every revision to immigration laws since has been about protecting the white character of the country.  The true history of why the US has limited immigration is instructive in today’s debates because it clarifies why many countries are opting to spend billions on violence instead of welcoming more immigrants. Borders and immigration have never been primarily about economics. Instead, borders are where nationalism is most visibly expressed as the location to define who belongs based on arbitrary notions of skin color or where someone was born. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Inside Poland’s refugee safe houses]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/inside-polands-secret-refugee-safe-houses</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/inside-polands-secret-refugee-safe-houses</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[There are a handful of people risking arrest to help migrants stranded in the Bialowieza Forest National Park. One organizer tells us what it’s like.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Locals are stepping up to help refugees trapped in the Bialowieza Forest National Park. Heavily-armed army vehicles now patrol what has become the emergency military zone since September. There is a strict no-entry ban for media and NGOs, with only local homeowners and special personnel permitted access. This has resulted in residents turning into overnight activists as the only source of help for thousands of fleeing refugees. Bialowieza Forest National Park is the largest and oldest forest in Europe. It is the last primeval forest on the continent—an open mass defined by swamps and fallen trees. Even for experienced hikers, the forest presents challenges. For refugees seeking passage, the forest can present potentially fatal encounters. Ola, who has requested to omit her last name, lives 300 meters away from the Belarus border. She has been a focal figure in providing support to the thousands of passing refugees since the crisis developed over the summer. The border crossing recently became the preferred route for an influx of Iraqi Kurds and Syrians hoping to enter the EU Bloc, but Ola has also helped travelers from Yemen, Congo, and Nigeria. Poland is reluctant to grant these people legal refugee status, so they have become political pawns that are continuously pushed back into the Belarusian side of the forest—a no-man’s-land. The crisis has been simmering for months, but now it’s on the verge of becoming a humanitarian disaster. The crisis has divided Ola’s small village into three groups. There is one group trying to help the refugees. Then there is an elderly group who are either scared or concerned about the developing situation. The final (and most visible) group is actively looking for refugees to report to the border guards. “The forest is a blessing and at the same time very dangerous just to be there for a couple of days,” Ola explains. She once helped a group stuck in the forest for over three weeks seeking safe passage out of the military zone. Most groups pass through the forest within a couple of days to their connecting transport on the other side, but countless others are caught and detained by border guards. Spending her time between Warsaw and the forest, Ola built a countryside getaway a few years ago with some friends to escape from the city. Today her home is the headquarters of their initiative and a warehouse that supplies refugees. No NGOs or charities are allowed to enter the zone, but Ola and ten others supply essentials such as food, clothing and aid to the refugees. They also provide guidance for safe passage through the forest. Occasionally they act as the legal representatives of the captured refugees. They have partnered with Grupa Granica, a group of 14 different NGOs that teamed to support those at the forefront of the crisis. “There are police checkpoints everywhere. It is essentially impossible to pass unless you show the right papers,” Ola explains. “Not even our distant family can visit. I see over 25 large military trucks driving through my village every day. There are helicopters, drones, military men with big guns, and there is a lot of border guard presence everywhere. The atmosphere has changed in the village, it feels like you live in a warzone.” This has split locals, pushing many into anti-immigration and anti-refugee groups. “Unfortunately, this group will actively go into the forest to search for refugees and call the border guards,” Ola says. “They also keep an eye out on their neighbors, and if they see anything suspicious, then they will also call the border guards.” “I have a neighbor who will drive around my house three times a day, he’ll be looking very suspiciously inside to see what is happening in my backyard,” she adds. “He’ll look into my house to see if we are looking after people. I feel like they are watching me constantly.” Helping refugees comes with consequences, often involving an invasion of privacy by others in the village. “In one situation, we were trying to help a family of seven people who had two little girls with them. They must have been 2 and 5 years old,” she says. “We gave them food and clothing, then showed them the way out of the emergency zone, and when they left and went to the forest, our neighbors ran out of their homes and after the refugees to see where they were going and then called the border guards. They came and picked them up and then drove the group deeper into the forest.” The forest can be a lawless environment where border guards and the military bypass international law. On top of forcefully pushing refugees back into Belarus, military also transport them even further into the forest to disorient them. Ola has witnessed many confrontations between refugees and Polish forces. She says these encounters are “very unpleasant.” She recalls seeing a family of nine people from Iraq, including a pregnant woman, an elderly person and two teenagers with border guards. “We saw them when the border guards were already with them. At first, the guards were fine with us providing some food and talking to them a little bit,” she explains. “But when we asked if they wanted to sign papers for international protection, and if they wanted us to be their legal representatives so that later on we could enquire about them legally or go to court on their behalf, then the border guards switched. They wouldn't let them sign the papers or even let us pass the papers to them so they could apply for legal rights.” Ola wanted to record the refugees saying that they were in Poland and that they wanted to apply for national protection, but the border guards didn’t allow her to. Instead, they packed the migrants into a van and drove them away. “We didn’t know exactly where they were taken. One of us tried to follow in another car but that person was stopped by the police on the border between the emergency state zone and the regular area,” she explains. At that point, they lost sight of the border guards.  Ola says this is one of the border police’s regular tactics. She adds that ambulances can’t legally enter the forest. In emergencies, refugees will leave the forest’s relative safety to seek medical attention. “But we would then need to monitor the situation as the border guards would often come to the hospital to collect the people who just got to the emergency room three or four hours earlier,” she explains. The guards would hastily take them in their vehicles and drop them off even deeper into the forest. This breaks almost every human rights law that exists, she says. Dozens of bodies have been found in the forest since the crisis began.  In recent weeks, the border guards and paramilitary have become increasingly heavy-handed with people helping refugees. Ola recalls an incident where one of the volunteers, who is also a translator, was forced out of his car by a paramilitary organization called the Territorial Army. “These people are not professional soldiers, but they are in the area to help the soldiers. They are usually young and inexperienced people who like the idea of holding a gun but have no idea how to handle these situations,” she says. They stopped his car on the road and were very violent, accusing him of people smuggling. There is little to no accountability when these governmental forces overstep their legal rights, she says. Poland’s police-military actions are not damaging Belarus or President Alexander Lukashenko as intended. “They are targeting these poor people and treating them like ping pong balls back and forth. What they are doing doesn’t make any sense at all,” she explains. “It is counterproductive.” She says the area now feels like “being part of a forgotten part of the country left to its own devices,” a lawless reign where the end seems nowhere in sight. This disconnection has encouraged the military and government forces to ignore EU regulations and treat these refugees however they see fit as the world is not watching.  “No psychologists or doctors are helping in the area. Instead, all of this has fallen on us, a very small group of people,” she says. “Any normal or responsible country would allow experts and professionals into the area to help,” she explains. Instead, she has witnessed the crumbling of international law and the rise of the military state. The architects of the crisis have created a situation destined for failure. If governing bodies fail to acknowledge this ongoing crisis, it will result in helpless refugees being forgotten and seeing their rights stripped away from them by brutal authoritarian forces.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Body Language takeover the airwaves this NYE]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nye-body-language-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nye-body-language-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 28 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We are teaming up with the Berlin crew 19:00-late at Oona and online.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Say goodbye to 2021 with us.  This Friday we are teaming up with the Body Language crew for an extra special NYE celebration. Join us at Oona (Weserstraße 166, 12045 Berlin) from 19:00 CET until late, or tune in live and direct for music from Refuge Worldwide and Body Language residents and guests. It's 2G+ rules, please stay home if feeling unwell. As always it is free entry but highly recommended to arrive early.  Check out running times below and a very Happy New Year to you.  19:00 – 20:00 Human Margareeta 20:00 – 21:00 Christa Belle 21:00 – 22:00 Inara 22:00 – 23:00 Gramrcy 23:00 – 00:00 Big Leg (Astral VIP) 00:00 – 01:00 Camilla Rae 01:00 – End Mini Nik B2B Fat Mink Thanks to everyone for the support across this last 12 months, it has been a crazy time for us all - see you in 2022.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA['Solidarity, not charity': Sarj Lynch on colours, community space and mutual aid]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/q-and-a-sarj-lynch</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/q-and-a-sarj-lynch</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The aequa co-founder and Refuge Worldwide resident discusses how we can support each other and work in solidarity with marginalised people through difficult times.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[At their new aequa headquarters, based in Wedding, Sarj co-creates spaces for mutual support and solidarity. Comprising a group of facilitators and workshops, aequa offers education and growth around topics such as allyship, unconscious bias, conscious communication, equitable organising practices, inclusive organisational design and more. The income from these workshops—as well as income from co-working and space rentals—is what keeps it running.  Hey Sarj! The last time I saw you on 6 November, you were preparing for the grand opening of the aequa space. How did it go? I would say it was as we wanted it to be—it was less grand and more cosy, warm and small. You know, I don’t know that "grand" was ever our vibe, but it felt like sort of a family reunion without all the drama. A lot of us in the community have spent a lot of time together online or in really small groups, distanced throughout the last year, and so it was really beautiful to be able to finally gather a bigger group in person to feel each other’s presence physically and just share the space together. Just unpacking that with everyone has been a joy. Sitting in the room and cutting paper, making a zine about social equity; or the little corner where people are colouring the queer animals colouring books; or in the evening singing karaoke together, which we talked about way before the space was even open.  There was a moment where everyone was shouting each other out for their achievements in the pandemic, whether that be a big hurdle like publishing a master’s thesis or changing out of a toxic job, or leaving a toxic relationship, or just making it through the day-to-day stuff. It was just an incredibly special experience and we were really thankful. We were able to COVID-test everyone coming in so that even some more high-risk people in our community could also join us and feel safer.  You were dressed so colourfully at the opening, just like the space itself. Are vibrant colours a big part of aequa’s inclusive identity? I would say that aequa is quite colourful and our community is quite colourful. Berlin has enough grey and darkness. I think for a lot of us, where it comes from is, “How do we survive these winter months together?” I do think it is a reflection of who we are as a community, in terms of who is attracted to the space. We’re kind of like a patchwork family. We’re tied together less by any specific one identity, or identity traits, but by a shared set of values and the belief that the world can be better and safer for more people, and that we each have a role to play in that. So letting each of our individual colours shine, but at the same time, recognising that there are a lot of colours in the proverbial crayon box and that each one is equally worthy and beautiful.  It’s a funny thing that even with some of the organising stuff, we’ll find that there are big disagreements about colours to use—for a flyer, for instance. We’ll have to do consensus-processes around something as silly-seeming as colours, because culturally they mean such different things to different people. The more diverse any community is, the more of those difficult conversations happen where you’re trying to find consensus or a common thing that you can share. The more we get into a democratised and consensus-based framework, the more we have to have a looseness to accommodate different ways of being and understanding, on everything from the colours to the words and language you use to describe something to try to find a middle ground that will serve as many different kinds of people as possible, while still being respectful and inclusive for many different kinds of people. For our readers, could you give a brief run-down of your background and how your interest in mutual aid, community-building and intersectional feminism blossomed? I think like so many people that are interested in these things, it came from a lived experience. I didn’t have any kind of academic connection to them. I guess my family and I are even part of mutual aid networks, if you could call them that, for as far back as I can remember (even though I learned that term in my 30s). It’s really nothing more than person-to-person support networks, and these have existed for as long as we’ve had communities. There were years for me personally where my family really depended on community to get through particularly hard times. I’m not religious now, but the church that I attended as a pre-teen and teenager in Texas, where I grew up—which is on un-ceded Wichita indigenous lands—is really where I learned about mutual aid and community care.  My parents separated, and at that time the church provided my freshly-single mom and all five of us kids with a support system. I’m the oldest of five, and I watched the way my mom also built support networks with other single parents, of which there were not many in Texas at that time. This could mean taking care of each other’s kids while you went to work, or passing along job opportunities for a gig on the weekend. Or you could do catering and make a few bucks. It could be literally sharing an extra frozen lasagne with the mom down the street, or letting them come use our washing machine when it was working, or borrowing each other’s cars. It was very practical the ways in which we were supporting each other—a very practical love.  I think even though there are certain aspects of that religious upbringing that I am trying to unlearn and leave behind, especially the shame aspects of it, there is so much that I am thankful for … that this church and this general mutual aid network of single parents and single parent families was the place where I learned to love both strangers and community in really practical ways. I learned that we are all equally worthy of love, of safety, of dignity, of respect. Regardless of where we come from, where we live, who we love, how we love, how our brains are wired. It taught me what are now the hallmarks of transformative justice as well. This movement that I still subscribe to today, this belief that we all have the possibility to grow, transform and change. None of us dropped into this world an intersectional feminist. We were dropped into systems wherein we were either oppressors or the oppressed. It’s a lifetime of trying to unlearn those things. I’m very thankful for those experiences and I do think that they feed into what aequa is today.  aequa was founded to provide equal access to mutual aid services for marginalised communities. Can you illustrate how the intersectional nature of oppression systematically impacts these communities, and how spaces such as yours can help? With mutual aid, this is a practice and a culture that comes directly from marginalised communities. They’re the ones who have been doing this since time immemorial, and I think it’s this practice of coming together to support each other where our governments or institutions—the so-called non-profit industrial complex—are failing us, leaving gaps of care. And it’s filling in those gaps.  I think mutual aid is based on this belief that we’re the ones we’ve been waiting for. We can take charge of caring for each other. I think space in particular is a really interesting example of a resource, similar with funding, where if you are someone who is more marginal, if you have different intersecting oppressions (you might be a Black trans woman, or a trans woman of color, you might be disabled, or neurodivergent. Each one of these oppressions compounds the others), the community space of aequa, while it is a community space that is open to people of all different kinds of experiences, we really try to make sure we run it in a way where there is priority given to those who might not have access to spaces otherwise.  Think about Wedding vs. Neukölln as one example. That was why it was attractive to go and take over the be’kech space in March of 2020; there are a lot of amazing community spaces that are already happening in Neukölln, and people who live there have access to those spaces. And in Wedding there are simply fewer of these kinds of queer feminist spaces on the map. So it was really exciting for us to be a part of that. We're also making sure that we're not giving to everyone equally—that would be social equality. We’re really thinking about social equity: We’re giving to everyone based on their needs. So this is where things like sliding scale prices come into play. It's also why we do a lot of barter arrangements. If someone doesn’t have funds to be a coworker, but they have time, experience or wisdom to give, we want them to come and have that exchange in whatever way is possible and meaningful for them.  I think that’s also in a way part of the reason why we also strive to have a truly diverse community, not only in terms of marginalisations that people experience, but also privileges. My co-organisator, Kes Otter Lieffe, always tells this joke about how mutual aid is usually the same 10 poor people passing around the same €5 in the same circle forever. While there is a beauty in that, and in the way that we as marginalised people show up for one another, to borrow words from adrienne maree brown, “if you’re good, say you’re good.” Because if we’re all bad all the time, then there’s not enough good to go around. It’s about this equilibrium that we’re trying to achieve. There will be moments where you have privilege or access or money, or time that someone else in the community doesn’t have access to at all or in that moment. And so you give into this community with the trust that when you need something—friendship, emotional support, child care, advice, whatever it might be—that that’s going to come back to you in some way. It’s less about creating these person-to-person transactional barter systems than it is about a ground-swell of give-and-get of continuous exchange. In that sense, we really try to focus, as Dean Spade said, on “solidarity, not charity.” It’s not about an institution giving out handouts: It’s about people supporting each other.  If I could just add one more thing, part of that solidarity work and the work of anti-oppression learning and unlearning, in general, is what happens in aequa's Workshops Collective. This is a group of facilitators with different experiences who are committed to helping individuals and organisations  recognise and dismantle the systems that we’re born into: systems of racism, ableism, classism, cis-sexism, colonialism capitalism, ableism, etc. There are so many of these systems that we’re born into that put us at odds with each other, many times in life-threatening ways. Part of the work of that collective is going out and teaching things like unconscious bias, conscious communication, equitable organising practices. The income that we earn from that actually makes it possible for us to pay the bills of the space, and at the same time make that space available for free to the groups that are doing the movement work that we really care about. It’s this redistribution that’s happening. As people are learning (or unlearning) the work of systemic oppression, learning ways to work against it, that income is then funneled into the space to the people who are doing that dismantling work—for example, organising solidarity demos or hosting mutual support groups. Do you have any hopes or goals down the line to grow aequa into a larger network that extends beyond Wedding?  We existed online and hosted in many different locations in the city before we got this space in Wedding. In general, it is quite an international community online. Even in Berlin, there are people who will show up online who could never come into a physical space. Whether that’s because of physical disabilities, or high sensitivity, or neurodivergence—there are many reasons someone might not be able to or want to come to the physical space. So yes, there’s the online aspect of it which we keep for access reasons.  Then there is the possibility of other spaces. One of the things we talked about was using an orchard model. We had these ideas that we’d cultivate in a specific location in Berlin that would be kind of a cooperatively-run community space. If we could pull it off, then the idea would be to take that fruit and see if we could grow it in another context. We’re still in the "sapling phase," trying to make sure this tree can make it through a very difficult winter of the pandemic. Whether it’s called aequa or something else, the idea is that little manifestations of this could exist in many different places.   Are there any resources, organizations or individuals you’d like to shout out to our readers who’d like to learn more or are in need of mutual aid themselves?  For mutual aid, there are so many resources online and organisations who have been doing this stuff for years and years. We learned from them. If you’re thinking of consensus-organising, there’s an organisation called Seeds For Change that has a lot of great resources about that. To focus on Berlin, I would say at this moment, there are so many amazing groups that are organising. The ones that are inspiring me right now are Queer and Trans Mutual Aid Berlin, Women in Exile, International Women Space, Sex Worker Action Group Berlin, Deutsche Wohnen Enteignen, Casa Kua, LOOM eV and Berlin Collective Action eV (disclosure: I was a founding member, although I don’t have capacity to be active at the moment).   Is there anything else that you’d like to mention or expand on before we wrap up? I guess it’s mostly an invitation. This space exists in and for the community, so if you are an organiser, you can go to our website to apply to use the space for your initiative (whether that’s climate action, sex workers rights organising, anti-racism work, etc.) for free. If you’re someone who has access to funds, such as at your company, and if you think you need diversity and inclusion training or if you need a space to rent for your meetings, all those sources of income make it possible for us to provide the space for free to the movement folks and folks with less access to spaces and resources.  Discover more about aequa on their website and Instagram. You can support their efforts on Patreon. Learn more or book a workshop at http://aequa.cc/workshops. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Take our listener feedback survey and win prizes]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listener-survey</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/listener-survey</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Let us know what you think of Refuge Worldwide]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[It's been almost a year since we launched our community radio platform, Refuge Worldwide, and we want to know how our listeners think it's going. If you have enjoyed Refuge Worldwide in 2021, or if you haven't, we would love to hear your thoughts on how we could improve our work as a radio station, online platform and collective. Fill out a quick survey by the end of December for a chance to win a €50 bar tab at Oona, 2x guestlist entry to our 1st birthday (if living in Berlin), an official Refuge Worldwide scarf, tote bag, pin badge, and a bottle of (delicious) natural wine. You can fill out our feedback form here. Thanks for listening!]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide charity record fair and EoY broadcast]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/charity-record-fair</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/charity-record-fair</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 09 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[December 16th, Oona, Weserstr. 166.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Next Thursday we are hosting our end of year party at Oona. Refuge residents, associated labels and other Berlin collectives have kindly donated records and merch for a big end of year record fair in aid of Radio Zaatari, open from noon-midnight. So far, labels participating in the fair include Big Dada, Kompakt, Ndagga, Tresor, !K7, Ninja Tune, Luaka Bop, Berlin Institute For Sound and Music, Fever AM, Partisan, Love On The Rocks, Transmigration, Midnight Shift, CWPT, Home Again, Soundwalk Collective, Phantasy, A7A, Concentric, Acting Press, Home Again, Peach Discs, Sneaker Social Club, Kynant and many more. Check out a full list of the records available here. All the money raised from the fair will go to our partners at the refugee-run radio station, Radio Zaatari in Jordan. Big thanks to all participating labels and artists! Refuge Worldwide has been in partnership with Radio Zaatari since July 2021, and we’ve been donating half of the funds generated by our Patreon page to the project. We’ll also be selling our tote bags created in collaboration with Danielle Doobay (aka DJ Danielle), and giving 50% of the proceeds to Zaatari.  Expect merriment, Glühwein, and special b2b sets from Refuge residents and extended family. The station operates under 2G rules. Radio lineup: 12:00-13:00 aequa Radio w/ Sarj 13:00-14:00 Richard Akingbehin & Dhanesh Jayaselan 14:00-15:00 Ellie Rumbold (Partisan Records) 15:00-16:00 Pat & Vio PRG 16:00-17:00 Ace Of Demons 17:00-18:00 Aver & Kemback 18:00-19:00 J.A.W Family 19:00-20:00 Ophelie & O.N.A 20:00-21:00 Lawrence Lee & Grant Gibson 21:00-22:00 Lovefoxy & Jaxx TMS ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide named one of 2021's best online radios by Electronic Beats]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/end-of-year-shout-outs</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/end-of-year-shout-outs</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[End of year shout outs!]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We have been featured in end of year roundups by Electronic Beats and shesaid.so. Click here to read Electronic Beats roundup of the year's best online radio stations. And here to check out the Alternative Power 100 Music list by shesaid.so, an international network of women and gender minorities in music. We are featured in the 'Community & Activism' category alongside our very own head of Community Development, Nicky Böhm. Huge shout out to all the artists, show hosts, team members, supporters and listeners–the last year has been a massive collaborative effort through some difficult times.  It's been a pleasure.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Paying the price for saving lives at sea]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sean-binder-sarah-mardini</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sean-binder-sarah-mardini</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Why human rights activists Seán Binder and Sarah Mardini are being put on trial for helping refugees.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[How did aid workers Seán Binder and Sarah Mardini become casualties of Greece's geopolitical migration crisis? Along with 24 other aid workers, Binder and Mardini—who appeared on an exclusive Refuge Worldwide interview last week—were accused of espionage, forgery, and intercepting radio frequencies for aiding those fleeing war-torn countries. He spent 107 days in pre-trial detention despite there never being "a shred of evidence against us," he explains. The court trial was meant to begin this month, but was then postponed after a chaotic hearing. Speaking about the trial, he said, “I feel angry. I feel angry that the legal requirement to try and help people in distress out at sea is being criminalized right now." "It's a trial we never wanted to see happening because these people are facing trumped-up charges, absurd charges," said Giorgos Kosmopoulos, a senior campaigner for Amnesty International. If found guilty, Binder and the other aid workers could face up to 25 years behind bars. The lead-up to the trial has been controversial and arguably unethical to those caught up in it. It has morphed into a monumental court case that seeks to smear those under trial while sending a very calculated message to other aid workers in Greece or those intending to make the journey over to provide aid. UN expert Mary Lawlor said that a "guilty verdict for migrant rights defenders could mean more deaths at sea." The "decision to adjourn the case to be tried at a higher court only compounds the grave human rights violations in this case," Binder said. The other aid workers include 73-year-old Dutch national Pieter Wittenberg and Syrian refugee swimmer Sarah Mardini, who are both affiliated with the Emergency Response Center International (ERCI), a non-profit search-and-rescue group operating on Lesbos from 2016 to 2018. Mardini originally arrived on Lesbos as a refugee from Syria in 2015 along with her sister Yusra Mardini, now an Olympic swimmer. They were widely celebrated for their bravery and humanitarian spirit when the engine of the refugee boat they were on failed; they saved 18 fellow passengers by dragging the sinking vessel to safety. As the climate crisis and conflicts continue to displace migrants and refugees around the world, Greece has begun taking a tougher stance on those hoping to flee and seek passage on its shores. Lesbos' judicial system wants to make an example of Binder in a bid to dismantle a new generation of aid workers joining the frontline.  Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said the trial is intended to intimidate aid workers, calling the charges "farcical" and "politically motivated." In June, a European Parliament report called the trial "the largest case of criminalization of solidarity in Europe. There have also been calls from other groups to drop the "absurd" charges of spying and disclosing state secrets. "I have seen babies holding onto empty water bottles in the ocean because they think it will stop them drowning. What would you do if you saw someone struggling?” asks Binder. A Greek journalist recently described the conditions of refugees on the island as 'inhuman,' with many being beaten, mugged, and even pushed back. The Binder trial marks how the country intends to hinder local efforts to accommodate displaced people, and it offers a window into Greece's newfound agenda and its way of dealing with those looking to support migrants who are risking their lives at sea.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Big Dada curate Refuge Worldwide takeover]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/big-dada-refuge-worldwide</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/big-dada-refuge-worldwide</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tune in for guest mixes, live sets and interviews with Nine Nights, H31R, Yaya Bey and more.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On December 7th, Big Dada land on Refuge Worldwide for a six-hour takeover, featuring interviews and mixes from some of the label's artists.  The event will also spotlight various organisations and mental health resources for Black, POC & minority ethnic people.  Big Dada, a sister-label of Ninja Tune founded in 1997, was relaunched in 2021 as a label run by Black, POC & minority ethnic people for Black, POC & minority ethnic artists. Big Dada's mission statement is to amplify marginalised artists' voices, bypass stereotypes and encourage freedom of expression, by building upon the label's existing history and offering support to a new generation of artists.  In addition to the takeover, Big Dada have donated records for our charity record sale, which takes place at Oona on December 16th. Tune in to Refuge Worldwide on December 7th (13:00 CET) for: 13:00 - 14:50 May Mahmoudi 14:50 - 15:20 Interview: Big Dada Relaunch 15:20 - 15:45 H31R 15:45 - 16:15 Stephanie Phillips 16:15 - 16:40 Nine Nights (Live) 16:40 - 17:30 Yaya Bey 17:30 - 17:40 Interview: Youth Music 17:40 - 18:25 MF DOOM - King Geedorah special 18:25 - 19:00 DJ Nativesun]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Lineup announced for Radio Zaatari fundraiser party at OXI]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oxi-december-2021</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oxi-december-2021</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sets from Sally C, Turkana, Steve Bicknell and more.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Friday December 3rd, Refuge Worldwide will take over OXI, the newly refurbished Friedrichshain venue, for a party in support of Radio Zaatari in Jordan. Proceeds will be split between the Refuge Worldwide workshop series and the refugee-run radio station serving the people of Zaatari Village. 70 kilometers northeast of Amman, the village is home to over 15,000 Syrian refugees. Refuge Worldwide has been in partnership with Radio Zaatari since July 2021, donating half of the funds generated by the Refuge Patreon page to the project. As anyone who made it down to the re-opening weekend will have noticed, OXI has undergone serious renovations since its forced closure back in August, including major upgrades to the lighting and DJ-booths.  Artists at the controls include South Sudanese DJ, producer and Nyege Nyege affiliate Turkana and African Acid Is the Future founder Maryisonacid. There will be b2b sets from Tornado Wallace & PLO Man, Berlin house-heads Lovefoxy & ADHDJ, and Chloe Lula & Lawrence Lee. Einhundert co-founder Nico Adomako will go head to head with Aryu Jassika, who runs Cape Town's SWAK CATALOG. Also appearing are Refuge Worldwide residents Olin, Sally C, and Steve Bicknell, who will present deep cuts from his collection for a set spanning soul, hip-hop and grime. Patreon subscribers please DM for guest list & Q skip. See the full lineup below. OXI, Friday December 3rd, 23:59-10:00 Lawrence Lee & Chloe Lula Lovefoxy & ADHDJ Maryisonacid  Nico Adomako & Aryu Jassika (SWAK x Einhundert) Olin Sally C Steve Bicknell [Radio Set] Tornado Wallace & PLO Man Turkana (Nyege Nyege) Poster by Christina Proske.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[eott is normalizing discourse surrounding mental health in the UK dance music scene]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/q-and-a-with-eott</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/q-and-a-with-eott</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Brighton-based collective is creating campaigns for young people to form community and seek help. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Founded in October 2019 with the aim of bridging the gap between the dance music community and mental health, eott encourages us to check in with our friends and opens up broader discussions around mental health. 1 in 6 people in the UK experience mental health problems in any given week. With 75% of these issues established by age 24, it’s abundantly clear that mental health resources are in tremendous need.  The Brighton-based collective has helped this young audience by setting a familiar yet casual tone, distributing pamphlets that offered helpful advice during the lockdown. Through their relatable branding and endorsements by big names such as Slowthai, Loyle Carner, and Bru-C, they have quickly sold out their merchandise, donating all profits to charities such as Music Minds Matter, Brighton Food Bank, and Help Musicians. Refuge Worldwide spoke with founders Morgan Lethbridge and Isaac Quine about eott’s inception and future plans. Could you briefly recount your origin story to me, and how you two banded together in bringing eott to life? Morgan: It started maybe three years ago when the first idea came about. On the first hand, there was "uk, g," [eott's slogan] and the eureka moment of that. That was one single idea and when I shared this with Isaac, we both had the desire to make it into a full brand.  Isaac: I was so infused by it. You can’t just leave this at one thing. We need to make it fleshed out and realized. So we got going.  And the slogan?  Morgan: I guess more genetically, it came about from our love of the rave scene. If we weren’t ukg fans it might’ve not happened. One day, I was just playing around with the letters and was like, ohh, uk, g! It was a few days later that I saw “you okay, g?” You launched before the pandemic swept us. What were your initial goals for eott and how have they been reworked over the past 2 years? It changed a lot. We had a load in the pipeline, we really wanted to do a load of shows and build community spaces.  A large deal of our plans were to do with  space, people, and community, be it fundraising parties, live streams or workshop spaces, or even one-on-one interviews regarding mental health. Obviously that couldn’t have happened whilst the pandemic hit, which is the bad thing. But the good thing is it inspired us to reimagine other things we could do. That’s really when we started doing the pamphlets, and the words, and the messages to people, which flourished a lot because of the pandemic. So it was good and bad. I’ve seen a lot of my friends repost your catchy slogans during lockdown hardships. In what ways have you seen "uk,g" influence younger generations? Morgan: One of the good things that’s a little bit different from other mental health discussions that have come before is that it is a little bit tongue-in-cheek. Like the first time you hear it you’d say “Oh, that’s kinda funny,” which kind of normalizes it. And then it becomes a bit deeper. I think that helps. For me anyway, a lot of mental health information I was reading—prior to having started eott—was often quite damning. It definitely helps to have something familiar.  Isaac: From a personal point of view, because it is tongue-in-cheek like Morgan says, my mates come up to me in a jokey manner, like “You alright, g?” But that’s kind of the point and so, therefore, I’d reply “Well actually … it’s been kinda a rough one.” And vice versa, I ask it back.  Right, because another thing I was going to mention was that self-deprecating humor is so integral to UK culture. So I can see how your slogan both normalizes and makes it easier to have these conversations. Isaac: Exactly, yeah. The jokiness and the point of it go hand in hand, normalizing that conversation and making it a thing that you don’t feel caught up about saying how you feel.  What are your personal ties to the dance music scene, and how do you see it intersecting with mental health? Have there been instances that have compelled you to create a positive dance community? Morgan: Well Isaac used to be a promoter. That was our first step in the rave scene. Isaac: Yeah, I used to put on parties in Brighton. I wanted to do it as a career and then it kinda lost its novelty. It got very repetitive and it became a money-making operation so I stopped that. Now I put on the occasional live music show, which is more about promoting Brighton artists. To be honest, I didn’t really like the crowds that were coming. I didn’t know or connect with any of them, which is something that moving forward when we do start doing shows for eott, it will be very much about conversing and forming a community on the dance floor.  Morgan: So maybe in that sense, Base Levels (the parties that Isaac used to run) was an idea of how we don’t want to run a party.  Isaac: It was the yang to the ying.  Morgan: And for me, how me and Isaac connected years before eott was I was a DJ (well, I still am a DJ). That was my step into the rave scene. Isaac was my first promoter. There was once a time when I desperately wanted to be a DJ/producer. Long story short, it was causing me a lot of stress. I was constantly comparing myself and winding myself up. And that was really unhealthy. But also it kinda gave me insight into the mental life of other DJs; they travel all the time on their own, making music on their own. It’s just such a sole mission, you know? I worried about that. Collaborations with DIY groups like Krudd, Beastwang, and Keep Hush seem central to eott’s identity. How have they helped to spread awareness of your brand? Morgan: Well, Keep Hush are the guys basically. Big love to Fred. Of the current rave scene, they are the frontrunners, brand- and community-wise. They’ve always been a massive inspiration. Large Bru-C and Nico have also been supporting since week one or two.  Isaac: They help familiarize the message. It helps to show that these people are also supporting the message. Those are the two key things. When someone sees Slowthai or Loyle Carner repping, for example, then they’re like, “Oh, it’s okay for me to…” They’re idols for many people. Do you make a point to collaborate specifically with Brighton-based artists? Morgan: It helps, but it’s not exclusive. It depends if we’re going to be working face-to-face or not. Luckily in the modern age, a lot of our work can be sending files back and forth. But if we’re throwing a party or bringing DJs, then it would be all local. Isaac: We definitely want to build a hub in Brighton because that’s where we are. But the end goal is to make hubs across every city in the world. But we gotta start somewhere and Brighton is where we were born.  Now that we’re (hopefully) entering a post-lockdown era, what big plans do you have for future events, collaborations, etc.?  Morgan: We’ve got a collab fundraiser coming out with UKF, which a big inspiration for me. They’re a pretty big deal in the UK, anyway. We’ve also got a rave safety campaign coming, which I’m personally really excited to get out as it’s been in the works for ages. And we are working on a uk,g tour. We’ll start with five dates across the country—just small, low-capacity parties. 150 people max. Purely a fundraising effort. Community vibes. Other fundraisers and words too. That’s the general eott vibe. Issac: We’re also doing a bootleg of a very famous designer brand. We’ve got a whole drop coming out—very nice scarves I’m proud to have designed. It’s the first pre-stocked drop we’ve ever done before, we’ve only done pre-orders thus far. They’re available on the 26th of November.  I saw eott got funding from Pirate Studios. Congrats! Did you personally reach out to them or are organizations starting to catch wind of you and reach out? Morgan: Well, they first shouted us over summer about collaborating on a fundraiser, and since that we’ve been closer and they told us of this fund where they give out free studio time. They gave all of us 1,000£, so we put it out for people to apply. We had 40 spaces and 350 applicants, which is really cool but we had to let loads of people down. It was really inspiring to see that many people were interested; we’ll just have to think of some other ways to get everybody involved. Because it’s pretty amazing to see that nationwide there were 350 DJs that were interested in something like eott. Find out more about eott’s work and future drops on their Instagram or website. Photos courtesy of eott.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host live broadcast from FREI[T]RÄUME]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/frei-t-raeume-broadcast</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/frei-t-raeume-broadcast</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join us next Saturday as we broadcast live from the event organised by Space of Urgency]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[FREI[T]RÄUME is a multi-disciplinary event incorporating music, discussion and art, taking place on Saturday, November 27 at Oyoun cultural center in Neukölln.          Foregrounding the themes of dance and protest, reclaiming urban space, queer raver care, alternative economies and more, FREI[T]RÄUME will unfold across six spaces inside the Neukölln venue. A day of talks, panel discussions, film screenings and installations will be followed by an after party from 23:00, with music provided by the likes of Nyege Nyege’s Authentically Plastic and Spiral Tribe’s IX IN DA MIX.  Organised by Space of Urgency, an online platform and global network of self-organised spaces, and presented in collaboration with over 30 artists and organisations, the conference will create space for ‘an intellectual and artistic reclamation of our futures.’ From 16:00 until midnight, Refuge Worldwide will host and broadcast live from the Space of Urgency: Community Space in the Cafe at Oyoun. Expect DJ-sets, discussions and interviews featuring a range of artists, speakers and activists from the festival program, hosted by our own Chloe Lula and Space Of Urgency's Ivan March. Read more about FREI[T]RÄUME and see the full program here. Listen to the most recent Space Of Urgency show on Refuge Worldwide here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[How COP26 became a greenwashing affair for the Global North]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/cop26</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/cop26</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 10 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The annual climate conference, held this week, has been lambasted for excluding indigenous and frontline communities.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[For the 26th edition of COP, the annual UN Climate Change Conference, world leaders and the founders of many influential companies have paraded empty pledges to combat climate change in Glasgow, Scotland.  Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg slammed COP26, which started on October 31 and will end on November 12, as a "Global North greenwashing festival" that falls short of any real action. Her sentiment was echoed by activists around the world, who gathered a counter climate summit on the streets of Glasgow this week to amplify the communities, ideas, and solutions that have largely been absent from the big business-driven initiative. Days before the conference, British Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the Conservative Party would be cutting air passenger tax for flights within the United Kingdom. The decision will make flying a substantially cheaper method of transport in comparison to rail despite its greater ecological imprint. The decision is a testament to the host nation's attitude towards climate change and how seriously it intends to curb emissions. The hypocrisy around the event became even more evident when it was speculated that 400 private jets would be transporting world leaders and billionaires in and out of Glasgow.  With Covid-19 travel restrictions still in place in the UK, the event also became the whitest and most economically privileged on record. Thousands of frontline campaigners and organizers from the Global South were excluded from the event; the COP26 Coalition said that two-thirds of those hoping to travel to Glasgow had given up as they were overwhelmed by the visa process and accreditation problems. This group includes indigenous movements, vulnerable communities, trade unionists, and youth strikers. Many had their permits revoked because they didn't have access to vaccines or were priced out of scarce accommodations.  What was labeled a make-or-break climate summit fell spectacularly short of having any real substance or objectivity. Ahead of the event, climate scientists warned that if nations fail to pivot away from fossil fuels and globalized supply chains, the planet will inevitably face catastrophic consequences. While some nations have instituted new plans to cut emissions, there is growing collective concern that these numbers are nothing but virtue signaling on the world stage.  Last year, the Lancet’s Planetary Health journal concluded that the Global North bears 92% of the world's responsibility for climate breakdown created by unsafe emissions, while the south is responsible for 8%. In recent years, industrialized nations have presented tailored emission goals that often result in little to no economic impact while insisting that poorer states should take the brunt of the burden to save the planet. Many industrialized countries are also better equipped to weather the economic backlash of adjusting to climate change, turning to substantially more expensive alternatives like wind energy, while the Global South has had to rely more heavily on fossil fuels. This questionable top-down approach to climate change led to debates about how emissions should be calculated at this year's COP. As we enter the most "consequential decade in humanity’s history,” South African social-environmental activist Kumi Naidoo said at the third day of the summit, “what we do in the next ten years will determine what kind of future we have—and whether we have a future at all. We still have a window of opportunity, but, if we’re brutally honest, that window of opportunity is small, and it is fast closing.” For there to have been even a glimmer of hope, nations would have had to veer from political PR and commit to inclusive pledges that integrate expertise on equitable and transformative non-market solutions to the climate emergency—and come into effect in months. So what will the world look like after COP26? Probably no different.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Black Creative Database launched today]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/black-creative-database</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/black-creative-database</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Creatives are encouraged to build a profile in a directory of talent from the global Black diaspora]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Black Artist Database (B.A.D.) has launched a new platform, Black Creative Database, expanding its reach beyond artists to workers in the creative field.  Black Creative Database aims to increase visibility, work opportunities and pay equity for Black creatives and shine a spotlight on their work globally. According to a press release from the project organizers, Black Creative Database began as a blank spreadsheet in late 2020, inspired by the work done by B.A.D., which at that time was known as Black Bandcamp. The spreadsheet has grown to become a resource directory of Black creative workers in visual, digital, design, media and curational fields, officially launching today. The database features creatives from multiple disciplines across five continents and Black creatives are encouraged to submit their details to create a profile that will directly link to their online portfolios and social media. “Many Black workers across the creative industries found themselves in an impossible situation in the summer of 2020,” the press release states. “In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder and the racial justice uprisings that followed, Black creatives globally faced a deluge of demands from media outlets and cultural institutions: to write think pieces, speak on panels, create content, draw illustrations, curate stories and produce films that referenced the collective pain of Black trauma. Most of the time these requests were reactive, short notice, with swift turnaround deadlines. There was little opportunity to engage in dialogue about the type of substantive changes Black creatives need to see in the creative industries that marginalise us.” Like the Black Artist Database which was launched this May, the Black Creative Database is a crowd-sourced, community-based platform which provides an easy way to search, filter and directly support people via their online profiles. The team behind the project says that its purpose is to “surface the richness of creative talent from the global Black diaspora, in pursuit of wage equity, transparency and stable employment for our extended creative communities.” You can browse both databases on their website and support the project on Patreon. 
]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[A new report outlines the obstacles Black artists face in the music industry]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/being-black-in-the-uk-music-industry-report</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/being-black-in-the-uk-music-industry-report</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 03 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Black Lives in Music's survey notes that 88% of Black music industry professionals have faced significant racism—and sexism—in their careers. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[BLiM released a survey revealing the lived experiences of Black music creators and industry professionals, covering issues including gender and ethnic pay gaps and mental health.  The UK-based organisation—which promotes diversity and inclusion in the music industry—surveyed 1,718 industry professionals spanning from grassroots to signed artists. The report reinforces race and ethnicity as the leading grounds for discrimination, with gender as a close secondary factor.  The report highlights that the majority (88%) of respondents have experienced barriers to progression due to the lack of access to equal opportunities as their white counterparts. Black professionals, particularly women, are consequently pressured to create coping strategies for navigating negative workplaces. One respondent highlights code-switching as their primary mechanism: “I have felt the need to make myself more palpable for my non-Black counterparts in order to be taken seriously or offered the same opportunities as my white peers.” According to the report, Black women are far more likely to be forced into altering both their behavior (48%) and their appearance (44%), while Black men are likely to change their speech (52%). Singer-songwriter Estée Blu (pictured) also points to colorism and the industry's preference for lighter-skinned, mixed-race female artists as a grave concern.  The report underscores how the intersectional nature of structural racism and sexism results in a stark gender and ethnic pay disparity. Compared to 73% of white music professionals, only 40% of Black female professionals earn 100% of their income from music, leaving them with no alternatives but to work outside of the industry to make ends meet. One respondent remarks, “We aren’t paid proportionately to the value we add to the culture and business of music.” The average wage of Black industry professionals is £1,964 and Black female industry professionals is £1,811, while white industry professionals earn £2,459. Education and funding have a vast potential to provide essential resources supporting career development but remain equally rife with implicit and structural prejudice. Lavender Rodriguez comments on the early onset of these issues, originating from music education’s “traditional atmosphere,” where learning “music theory and then Mozart, Beethoven, and all the classics” is required. Music education consultant Nate Holder adds how music education fails to consider the informal ways in which talent forms in Black communities, often in churches or homes.  Further, while Black professionals (40%) are more likely to apply for financial assistance than their white counterparts (26%), they are 35% less likely to have at least one successful application. Oftentimes, Black industry professionals are not given any information about funding possibilities or deadlines. This failed system grants labels the power to exploit and capitalise on Black music through avenues such as advertisements without returning a single penny back to the artists. Law consultant Kienda Hoji emphasises this discrepancy in the contracting of masters as labels assume ownership of Black artists’ materials “in perpetuity.”   These horrifying statistics have caused the plummeting mental health of over one-third of Black music professionals since the beginning of their music career. This figure is 10% higher for Black female professionals.  Holding the industry accountable for their promises is the next crucial step. The music industry must implement strategic actions and resources to tackle the effects of race and gender-based discrimination, such as targeted mentorship programmes, mental health programmes, diversity and inclusion training, and partnering with organisations to offer financial investments into grassroots education and safer spaces. Initiatives such as Black Music Coalition, PRS Foundation’s Power Up,  Music MITC, Music Therapy, Black Minds Matter, Music Support, Music Minds Matter, and UK Music Diversity Taskforce’s 10 Point Plan play a vital role in creating transformative change in the industry. Find out more information about Black Lives in Music at blim.org.uk. Download the report at blim.org.uk/report.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Kampala's Nyege Nyege take over Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nyege-nyege-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nyege-nyege-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Six DJs from the collective will provide six straight hours of programming. ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Tuesday, 2nd November, Kampala-based festival, label and creative platform Nyege Nyege brought electronic sounds from across sub-Saharan Africa directly to Refuge Worldwide. Founded in 2013 and hosting the Nyege Nyege Festival since 2015, Nyege Nyege illuminates the undercurrents of pan-African contemporary music and promotes a cross-breed of African and European underground dance sensibilities. “Dope underground music, that’s what we’re about. Just dope music,” says Arlen Dilsizian, co-founder of Nyege Nyege Tapes. In the past decade, Uganda has birthed a growing number of homegrown electronic scenes influenced by traditional sounds such as plucked notes of the Ennanga harp and the fervent drumming of courting dances.  Listen back: Here Here Read a short description of each DJ below: South Sudanese DJ and producer Turkana delivers leftfield African electronics, hard dance, and underground rhythms.  Den Haag-based producer De Schuurman formed the late-2000s style of bubbling house in Holland’s Afro-diasporic club circuit. Expect squeaky vocals, rapid beats chopped with rap and R&B samples, and electro wobbles. Berlin-based DJ and producer Ziúr, who played for us once before (listen here), is integral to Berlin’s music scene, combining rich sonic textures and left-field pop. DJ Diaki is one of the originators of the Balani Show sound, entailing cut-up and looped balafon samples, crashing drums, and live remixes of djembe and folk instruments.   Authentically Plastic’s sounds are characterized by subverting norms, influenced by quasi-electronic Northern Ugandan rhythms, early acid experiments, and Afro-futurism. South African DJ and Producer Menzi is one of the early pioneers of Durban’s now world-famous Gqom scene, churning hard-synched techno and dark Gqom.  Find out more about the collective, whose music is available digitally on Bandcamp. All profits are split evenly between the label and the artists.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA['Hybrid warfare': Inside the Poland-Belarus border conflict]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/poland-belarus</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/poland-belarus</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Asylum-seekers are facing pushbacks amid worsening weather conditions.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is under fire after his border forces were found to be orchestrating ongoing and vicious pushbacks along the border with Belarus.  Poland's 400km (248-mile) long frontier with Belarus forms part of the EU's eastern external border. Poland and fellow EU states Lithuania and Latvia have seen massive increases in migrants from Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern and Asian countries since the start of the summer. Last month alone, Polish border guards detained eight times as many people crossing the border as they did in the whole of 2020. Amnesty International found that heavy-handed patrol teams in Poland pushed back a group of over 30 asylum-seekers into neighbouring Belarus, leaving dozens of families to cross a freezing river in the darkness of night. On Wednesday, October 20, Polish divers were reported to have found the body of a 19-year-old Syrian asylum seeker in the river following the alteration with the border forces.  The death marks the 18th recorded migrant fatality since the arriving numbers began to surge in recent weeks—including just one week prior when a 24-year-old man from Syria was found dead in a field near the village of Klimowka. Poland made headlines earlier in the year when it again breached EU obligations to LGBTQ+ and women's rights, which led to the EU revoking funding to the country. The latest occurrence is the start of yet another decisive conflict between the country and other member states who are looking to take legal steps to end the dispute. Amnesty International and the Council of Europe have criticised Poland for its treatment of migrants as well as its continued abuse of marginalised communities.  In August, Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, said, “Poland has been cruelly holding this group of people on their border in horrendous conditions for weeks.”  The situation has worsened in autumn as Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko attempts to use the migrants as a form of “hybrid warfare” against the EU in retaliation to the sanction imposed on his country in 2020 after his crackdown on protesters. As the grip of winter tightens, asylum-seekers have found themselves trapped between both countries with no shelter. Many fear they are on the brink of freezing to death as conditions exacerbates.  A group of Yazidis and Kurd asylum seekers this week said "they are treating us like a game" as the standoff intensifies. They are being bartered as political tools against each Government and the EU, with neither Poland and Belarus ready to budge.  Poland's border, an entry passage to the EU, began to swell over the summer as thousands of refugees sought to enter Germany through the state of Brandenburg in a bid to arrive in Berlin. In August, 209 people were picked up at the German border. In September the number rose to 1,164. By the third week of October, the number had expanded to over 2,000. According to German border police, over 5,700 'illegal' border crossings happened in 2021, mostly by individuals from Syria or Iraq. While refugees weren't a prominent subject matter in the recent German elections, the current scenes in Poland and the German border will bring back memories of 2015-2016, when hundreds of thousands of refugees arrived in Germany after Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to take one million from Syria and Iraq. Only 80,000 asylum applications have been registered this year, but as the situation deepens in eastern Europe, it is thought that thousands more will make the journey despite the wintry and hostile conditions ahead of them.  To support people stuck along the Poland-Belarusian border, visit Constellation of Liberation's funding drive. The Berlin-based organisation is collecting clothing, essential items, toiletries, and fiduciary donations to be distributed to humanitarian workers and activists along the border. Visit their Instagram page or email them at co-liberation@riseup.net.  Cover image © EPA-EFE/ARTUR RESZKO]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Love On The Rocks EP Launch Party]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/love-on-the-rocks-ep-launch</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/love-on-the-rocks-ep-launch</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 19 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Wednesday on Weserstraße, 17:00 - 00:00.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This Wednesday evening we welcome the Love On The Rocks crew to Weserstraße 166 to celebrate their latest EP release.  Catch DJ sets from label heads Paramida and Alex Kassian, as well as youandewan. Love On The Rocks: Dream Ritual EP, released last week, is Paramida‘s debut release on the label and features remixes from Octo Octa & Eris Drew and Youandewan. Oona will be open, free entry as always, from 17:00 - 00:00. Copies of the EP will be on sale at the bar. Listen to Paramida's August residency show on Refuge Worldwide: here Show Hyperlink


]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Dumama and jess2empress launch six-part show on Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/state-s-capture-d</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/state-s-capture-d</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 18 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[State(s) Capture(d) will explore narratives of resistance through South African and Ethiopian music, interviews and spoken word.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The first episode of State(s) Capture(d), which features Julie Nxadi, will air on Wednesday at 15:00 CET. The experimental, gospel, and spoken word show will thread narratives of resistance from South African and Ethiopian perspectives with music from the 1960s and beyond. Together, the hosts will unfold the sonic memories stored in their bodies by excavating music from their respective home countries. Other themes that the show will explore include the women's resistance movement, the politics and psychology of children's and women's songs, and the urban revolution in sound. State(s) Capture(d) Mixtapes is a 6-part radio/podcast show presented by Gugulethu “Dumama” Duma, an artist, performer, and sonic researcher from South Africa, and Jessica Korp, an artist and researcher with a degree in Social & Cultural Studies from London's Goldsmiths College. They will be joined by guest speakers from their communities in episodes that will be available to stream on Refuge Worldwide and Cape Town's The Other Radio. The show is made possible by a grant from the Goethe Institute.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Pollination presents Open Culture: No Borders in support of asylum seekers in the UK ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-culture</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-culture</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 18 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Pollination is a South London-based nonprofit platform aimed at removing barriers to entry in the music industry.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Pollination has recently launched a phased campaign titled Open Culture: No Borders in collaboration with an assortment of artists, producers, DJs, designers, and writers.  The project raises money for Kent Refugee Action Network, an organisation supporting young refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. The campaign includes a risograph poster series, a compilation release, and a live event.  Starting on 15th October, four illustrators have each responded to a stanza in a poem written by Fiona Glen and turned it into a risograph print design. The prints are currently available for purchase via their Bandcamp page and website. The risographs are a limited 200-print series. On 5th November, the release of the full compilation with all 22 tracks will go live on Bandcamp. Currently, the preorder is available, with two tracks to download on Pollination’s Bandcamp page.  Stay alert for their upcoming event on Sunday 24th October. Pollination will be hosting a 10-hour event at TOLA in Peckham, London, where their prints will be sold. Featured artists include Al Wootton, Sofie K, Ifeoluwa, Local Group, and more.  Find more information about their campaign here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide host Scion Versions, Paul St. Hilaire aka Tikiman, and more at Arkaoda]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-party-tikiman</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/arkaoda-party-tikiman</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 13 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The event, on October 23rd, is a collaboration with Laura BCR’s On Board Music]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are taking over both floors of the cosy Neukölln venue Arkaoda.  Downstairs will see deep, atmospheric dub techno with two of the genre’s foundational artists. Substance of the seminal Scion Versions label will DJ, and Paul St Hilaire, AKA legendary singer, producer and MC Tikiman, will host.  Refuge Worldwide resident and On Board Music head, Laura BCR, will close out the night. Warming it up will be our radio curators No Plastic and Richard Akingbehin. Upstairs, which is free entry, we are happy to have to have Jaxx TMS, of the Slic Unit collective, and Open Music Lab’s Ophelie both DJing. Running from 10 PM - 6 AM, next Saturday October 23rd. Entry downstairs is 10 EUR. One for the books! (Photo by Camille Blake)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Clean Scene will explore the intersection of music sustainability in a one-day event]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/clean-scene</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/clean-scene</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join Refuge Worldwide residents CCL, Hunee, Laura BCR, and more this evening at Festsaal Kreuzberg.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[From 17:00-22:00 this evening, artists and activists will explore the dance music industry's potential within the sustainability movement. Join Refuge Worldwide residents CCL, Hunee, Laura BCR, and more this evening for  panels and talks at Festsaal Kreuzberg.  The "A radical shift is required to make our industry more aware of its impacts so we’re bringing together those working at the intersection of music and sustainability to explore the climate crisis, challenging it to work in a less ecologically damaging, more equal way for all," their press release says. Alongside panelists Hunee, Darwin, Franklin de Costa (Mother’s Finest) and Laura BCR (On Board), participants can find out more from: Local, sustainable clubwear designers Ylenia Gortana and Melisa Minca.  Grassroots environmental campaigners Ende Gelände. Green energy campaign SwitchUp - where you can change your electricity contract to the cheapest green energy tariff.  Local, sustainable, plastic, and cruelty free food provided by ROKU  There will be second-hand records on site from the mobile record shop The Ghost, as well as food, drinks, and DJ sets. The event is free today from 17:00-22:00 at Festsaal Kreuzberg. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide's Radio Workshop students will air their shows this Saturday, October 9]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oml-student-showcase</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oml-student-showcase</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Nine participants, who took seven weeks of classes in collaboration with Open Music Lab, will broadcast their work from 15:00-21:30.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Nine participants will broadcast the work they made over the course of seven weeks in conjunction with Open Music Lab.  The platform was created in 2016 when Berlin saw an influx of newly arrived refugees in the city. OML was designed to act as a free avenue for musical expression where people from different backgrounds could connect and create together. Since then, OML has hosted a number of radio workshops, the most recent of which was with Refuge Worldwide this May-July.  Over the course of seven weeks, nine students (pictured) learned radio basics with Mary Anne Hobbs; developed storytelling techniques with Paul Hanford; honed their skills writing scores and implementing original sound design with Benbrick; and took a deep dive into the day-to-day inner-workings of a radio station with Refuge Worldwide's Richard Akingbehin.  To commemorate the close of the class, each participant will air their finished episodes on Refuge Worldwide this coming Saturday, October 9 between 15:00 and 21:30. The students are covering various topics ranging from music in Arabic films to Chilean vinyl collections, city soundscapes, Black female bandleaders, sex workers' rights, and underground Caribbean electronic music. Scroll below for more details on Saturday's programming, including the running order. Running order:   15:00 - Jaqee Nakiri with Treesha Moore: "Being A Black Female Bandleader” interviews bandleader Treesha Moore over music. 16:00 - Kuo-Han Chen Sánchez with Rebecca nea Alemee Meyer: “Narrative Soup” plays music selected by Gia Jones, who also shares her contribution to sex workers' rights. 16:30 - Anas Alshouhif with Abd Alkader Habak: “I Just Start Talking About It” explores a Syrian film through music.  17:00 - Min with Filipino Paranada: "In a Manner of Seeding: The Miracle Rice” discusses rice in the context of Southeast Asia and sounds from the region. 17:30 - Ili Os: “Black Sail Sound” creates soundscapes and compositions based on the community of Neu Am See. 18:00 - Mistica with Sara Hartman: “Out And About” talks about the music industry, mental health and queerness. 19:00 - Alouet with DJ Chacra: “Essensouth” explores her Chilean family’s vinyl collection. 19:30 - Kallaloo: "Hang Jack” showcases underground artists from the Caribbean.  20:30 - LOORA with Nesa Azadikhah and DJ Golbon Mo: “FLINTA TO THE FLOOR” explores Iranian club music through FLINTA people and techno. Photo by Bethania Medina.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide presents Tag Der Clubkultur lineup this Sunday]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tag-der-clubkultur</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tag-der-clubkultur</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[CCL, Akirahawks, Warning and Necton radio shows to air on 3rd Oct.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide is one of 40 awardees selected to celebrate Berlin’s club culture by an independent panel of judges, appointed by the Clubcommission. As part of Tag Der Clubkultur, this Sunday, October 3rd, Refuge Worldwide will host a programme of music, interviews and panel discussions, focusing on and analysing Berlin’s clubbing landscape. The event will take place at the Refuge Worldwide radio studio and Oona bar, Weserstraße 166 in Neukölln, and will be free to attend in person (capacity limited in line with COVID guidelines). The programme will also be broadcast live online. Refuge Worldwide was one of the 40 initiatives to be awarded by Tag Der Clubkultur this year, with chosen awardees to receive €10,000 to take part. The radio station will use the funding to create part time positions for our volunteers and team members. Tag Der Clubkultur was launched in 2020 to highlight the diversity and importance of Berlin's club culture. On the initiative of the Senate Department for Culture and Europe and the Clubcommission, as well as in close cooperation with the Musicboard Berlin, the event is now taking place for the second year running. In an award ceremony at Berlin’s Metropol, our radio curators attended on behalf of the Refuge Worldwide team. Running order 13:00 Panel Discussion "Community Building in 2021” hosted by Steindor Jonsson with panelists Dangermami from Femme Bass Mafia and Shani from Thru The Grapevine. Collective leaders and community figures share their ideas for how to build stronger community ties in 2021. 14:00 'Necton' hosted by Jesse G (Hardwax) “Stories from Berlin’s nightlife venues”. Members from the management teams of clubbing locations and collectives discuss what the last 18 months has looked like for them and their venues. 15:00 'Face The Music' with Perera Elsewhere, hosted by Nicky Böhm & Nick Tsirimokos. Join Nicky Böhm, Nick Tsirimokos and guests for Face The Music on Refuge Worldwide: showcasing, amplifying and celebrating intersectional stories from voices across the music industry. 16:00 Refuge Worldwide DJs 17:00 Akirahawks 19:00 Warning - ‘Antenne' with Lily Haz & Exu Pery 21:00 CCL]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide presents Regenerate - our first festival weekender.]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-festival</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/regenerate-festival</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Regenerate Festival is free to attend, online & offline, across 24-26th September.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Taking place at the Refuge Worldwide radio studio and Oona bar on Weserstraße in Berlin Neukölln, join us for a series of free to attend DJ sets, workshops, panel discussions, comedy and live performance across the weekend of Friday 24th September - Sunday 26th September. The festival is produced in collaboration with Musicboard Berlin. DJs & Live Artists (A-Z) BeatPete / Castro & Nemo (Sound Metaphors) / Gramrcy / Lovefoxy / Maryisonacid / Massimiliano Pagliara / Mokeyanju (live) / SWAK / Wayne Snow (live) Regenerate   Current systems within which we live are drastically failing us. With gross inequality, environmental destruction, climate change, and systemic racism - we need to step away from the idea of simply sustaining what is currently in place and instead reimagining our ecosystems in a way which is regenerative and restorative.  Our festival theme is centered around cycles of growth and renewal, developing a deeper understanding and a closer relationship with our social frameworks, ecosystems, and selves.  Musical programme As usual, we have a wide range of Refuge Worldwide residents, as well as few special guests. On Friday, Maryisonacid (of the African Acid Is The Future crew) will open things up, before the Sound Metaphors DJs (Castro & Nemo) and SWAK collective take over. Saturday sees Massimiliano Pagliara drop by for the first time, as well as residents Gramrcy and Lovefoxy. On Sunday, the focus is on live performance from our bar space. Wayne Snow will celebrate the release of his new album with a live PA. There will be a spoken-word and music piece from mokeyanju, and DJ sets from the one-and-only BeatPete to keep things rolling in-between. Online / Offline Regenerate Festival is free to attend, online & offline. We will be broadcasting live via refugeworldwide.com while all events will be available in person at Weserstr 166, 12045 Berlin. In person events are very limited capacity, please bring proof of a negative test result, a vaccination pass, or a recovery certificate. We ask everyone to respect our neighbours if congregating on the street outside. This event is produced in collaboration with Musicboard Berlin and Open Music Lab. Festival Programme Friday 24th September: 14:00-00:00 Saturday 25th September: 12:00-00:00 Sunday 26th September: 13:00-00:00 Panel Discussions “Code Red For Humanity”: What’s the next step for climate activism? - with Lauren Uba (Climate Action Community) & Nik Kaestner (Berlin Autofrei), hosted by Steindor Jonsson. “Refugees Welcome: humanising the individuals behind the headlines", with Priscilla Megalaa (Lilipad Library) Sarah Mardini and Mo Nemaei, hosted by Nicky Boehm. “Intersectional Environmentalism: Dismantling systems of oppression in the fight for climate justice”, with Sheena Anderson (Black Earth Collective) and Jorge Vega Matos, Hosted by Chloe Lula. Comedy & Spoken Word(A-Z) Anna Beros, Allia Sadeghipour, Lou Griffiths Jones, Santana $exMachine, hosted by Cat Hepburn. Workshops (in partnership with Open Music Lab) Percussion Workshop with Kimia Bani, sign up here. The art of learning how to drum on objects from your daily life to create music. The participants can use objects from their surroundings to drum on, and learn simple Iranian rhythms and percussion styles.  Tape Looping Workshop with Alex Lempert, sign up here. Tape looping - a creative way to generate infinite, sprawling sounds that are completely analog and require no digital technology. A tape loop is a cassette tape that’s been modified to play in an infinite loop. Participants will have a fun, hands-on workshop taking apart old cassettes and recreating new sounds with the tape looping technique.  Vocal & Body Movement Workshop with Xenia Taniko, sign up here. A vocal improvisation workshop to access & reclaim your voice. In this workshop we will use our body to connect to our voice and activate our bodies with our voices. We will practice deep listening and playful ways to access your own voice as an instrument for sound creation and self-expression, individually & together. No experience required, all bodies and abilities are welcome. Bring some comfortable clothes to wear. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Human Rights Film Festival Berlin celebrates "The Art of Change"]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/human-rights-film-festival</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/human-rights-film-festival</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 13 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The event, which will run September 16-25, highlights the stories of activists and aid workers in a series of 40 documentaries.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The event kicks off this Thursday, September 16, and runs through September 25 as a hybrid on- and offline festival. Over ten days, the festival will focus on “stories of courageous people from all corners of the world - through a selection of around 40 outstanding, inspiring, touching and insightful documentaries.” Among them will be documentaries about activists, human rights defenders, and humanitarian aid workers. The opening film to this year’s edition is the Sundance award winner SABAYA, a documentary that recalls the fate of thousands of Yazidi women still in captivity of the IS. The festival is also accompanied by a forum, a four-day international and transdisciplinary conference on storytelling, human rights and activism, which will be opened by German Minister of State Michelle Müntefering. Among the international guests will be Aya Chebbi, Ece Temelkuran and Wim Wenders, who will provide insights into their work, ideas and current projects in keynotes, discussions and workshops. In addition, there will be an exhibition area. The festival is founded and organized by the nonprofit organization Aktion gegen den Hunger and “aims to inspire, influence and educate people – opening their eyes and minds to the concept of human rights through the powerful medium of film”. The key issues highlighted in this year’s film program are equality, freedom of speech, and the climate crisis. Tickets are available online. Films will be screened at five cinemas across Berlin, while all festival films will be available as a stream throughout Germany. Photo © Still from 'The Ants and the Grasshopper' by Raj Patel.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Apply for our beginner music production and audio editing workshops]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/production-workshops-announcement</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/production-workshops-announcement</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We’re kicking off two courses taught by Gramrcy and Gabriel Gifford.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[At the end of this month, we’ll host two courses designed to teach beginners how to work with Ableton and prepare audio ready for broadcast. The first class, Beginners Production Course in Ableton, will introduce participants to the basics of computer-based music production, including an overview of the concepts, processes, and techniques required to bring an original musical creation to life. The class will be taught by Refuge Worldwide’s Gramrcy, a producer and DJ who also runs the label Peach Discs with Shanti Celeste. Every other Monday between September 20 and November 15, he’ll teach students how to use synths, drums, samplers, and more. Our second class, Jingle Workshop, will teach participants how to create and edit audio soundbites by working with jingles. The instructor, Refuge Worldwide resident Gabriel Gifford (pictured), will provide an overview of how to make broadcast-ready productions by working with voice recording and audio effects with Ableton Live. Gifford has hosted and produced shows for Noods Radio, Radio Alhara, NTS, BBC Radio 1, and more. This class will happen one time only on September 27. Apply for Gramrcy’s class here and Gabriel Gifford’s here. We’ll be accepting submissions until Wednesday, September 15.  All classes are free of charge and will take place at our studios in Neukölln. Priority will be given to persons from marginalised backgrounds.  


]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide announce new residents]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/new-residents-announcement</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/new-residents-announcement</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 31 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our roster of DJs, collectives and journalists has expanded.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Eight months into the Refuge Worldwide journey, we are excited to announce a new wave of station residents. Our pool of DJs, artists, presenters and journalists is continuously growing with more music and conversation now appearing live on the station. Over the last few weeks, we have been working on a second wave of residents to add to our programme, and can now share the names with you. Please welcome the collectives 3’ Hi, aequa, AMPFEMININE, BLVSH, Circle Of Live, Daytimers, J.A.W Family, SWAK and a series of shows from legendary Berlin club, Tresor. DJs joining include BeatPete, CCL, Collo Awata, ELLLL, Ethel, IDA, Laura BCR, Lovefoxy, Low End Activist (of Sneaker Social Club), Taylor Tinnies, Maryisonacid, Nour and Thuli Majozi. Journalists Emma Robertson, Annabel Ross and Hakeem Adam will present regular shows too. We are now live with brand new shows across four days per week, (online and in person at Weserstr. 166), while curated playlists stream throughout the night as the station moves to a 24/7 programme.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The co-op underdog fighting in Berlin’s delivery wars]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/khora</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/khora</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 29 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[How Khora delivers ethical, zero-waste food with a non-hierarchical business model.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The streets of Berlin are flooded by branded delivery riders bringing food orders to people across the city—but Khora Collective is doing things differently. The “delivery wars” in Berlin have not been lost on anyone who lives in the city. Two major companies, Deliveroo and Foodora, disappeared in 2019, leaving Lieferando as the presumed winner. Fueled by startup capital, new corporate services like Wolt and Gorillas started springing up in the wake of the pandemic lockdowns, fighting for the throne.  Khora, a co-operative delivery company owned by its riders, is a foil to these big businesses. With a focus on zero waste packaging and collective, non-hierarchical corporate structures, their riders are also their own bosses, and everyone is involved in decision-making.  Refuge Worldwide sat down with the co-op members Anderson and Critters—both of whom requested to be mentioned by first name only—to discuss the structure of the company and how collective practices can provide more sustainable, cooperative, and environmentally-friendly alternatives for the city's burgeoning food delivery industry. Can you tell me about Khora, the structure of the company, and how it’s been going so far? Anderson: At Khora, we try to work without hierarchies, which is not always easy. Some people are more informed on some issues, but we try to keep the hierarchies as low as possible. We make decisions by consensus in a general plenary every two weeks. Like every company we are organized in different areas—we call them Arbeitsgruppe —like marketing, media, restaurant relationships, bookkeeping. Similar to most companies. We have a core of 12 people who bring a lot of energy to the organization. Then there are another 12 people who are less involved and only do the riding. The whole co-op project is owned by the core members. Critters: The other ones help us in the street by riding, but can’t vote in the plenary. They’re welcome to come and share their ideas, but they’re less involved. Some people have less time and just want to ride with us, which is cool. Is there a pathway for people to join the core? And a way out for those who want to leave? Anderson: For sure. It’s super uncomplicated. The only rule for core members is that you have to bring in 20 hours of your time per week. It can be either organization work or riding. Critters: It’s to show that the commitment is there, to show you care. Anderson: We’ve had high fluctuation in members and tried to figure out why that was happening. We recognized that we had a huge disparity in who was doing the organizational work and who wasn’t. Without that work, the whole project can’t run because someone has to manage it. Especially if there’s no boss or management doing it. To balance it more we tried to encourage people to get more deeply involved. Critters: There are so many subjects and not enough hands. If you’re with a regular company like Wolt, you just jump on a bike for 8 hours and then you’re free. We need people to find restaurants, answer emails and such. Somebody has to do it and it’s a matter of balance. This sounds like a classic challenge for collective projects: the need for communication and sharing the burden. I would assume it’s an ongoing process to make it work? Anderson: Totally. I think we’re in a good way now. A year ago when I joined, in winter and in lockdown, it was all on the shoulders of three people. There were more people involved, but fewer doing the management. The people at the top could get burned out and then Khora would fall because no one else had the knowledge to replace them. Now it’s much better with more people involved, not super deep, but enough to share the work. Ideally everyone would do an equal share of the organizational work, because it’s unpaid. We don’t have a boss, which on one hand means that we have more money to share with the riders, but on the other, the things a boss would do need to be done by all of us. Do you make any effort to make this process more fun and less of a chore? Anderson: Well, every member can pick a responsibility on their own, so no one is forced into a direction where they won’t feel comfortable. On the other hand, it’s work, and there’s always aspects that suck. I hate customer service myself, but as part of the team I have to deal with it. I guess that’s what happens with every job. Anderson: Yes. “Life is no pony farm” as we say in Germany. Critters: We also try to get people to write down all the work they do on a shared sheet so we can estimate when we’ll be able to pay for this extra work. We will get there at some point. It’s been a short time and so much has happened already. Also, on August 17 it was Khora’s second birthday, so we closed down the platform for one day so riders can participate in the Alleycat bike race. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with it. Anderson: It’s not a super legal thing. Critters: It’s a street race with checkpoints and whoever collects all of them fastest wins. Anderson: At every checkpoint you need to complete a task. Critters: You really need to know the best shortcuts and get a nice flow. It’s street knowledge. Have you been involved in collectives like this before? Anderson: I was into some collectives as a teenager, mostly for organizing parties and concerts, so it wasn’t that serious. I have some knowledge, but it’s not always worth something. A lot of things you have to learn from the ground up and every social group works in its own different way. It’s not always comparable. You get well integrated into one collective, but that doesn’t matter in another collective. It’s different cultures and different people and in the end you’ll have different results. Critters: Other members of our group work with different collectives so they have the background. But most of the people jump in and try to work out how to do this. What is your take on all the changes that have happened in this market over the last years? With Deliveroo leaving Germany, Lieferando becoming the big player and then Wolt and others starting up? Anderson: We don’t have one theory about it. There are some people who say that these companies are started with the aim of selling them as soon as possible for as much money as possible. I’m not quite sure about this. I think it’s more about squatting the marketplace without going for profits to begin with. Just speculating and trying to get a monopoly that will hopefully come later. Amazon is the best example and Facebook is another one. Creating the biggest network possible, because the bigger it is, the more use you have for the customers and the members of the network. Critters: Even Wolt says in interviews that they don’t expect profit in their first years in Germany. They burn the money to be in the market. There’s space in the market, especially after the lockdown. Gorillas came and then Flink [another grocery service] came, copy/pasting the concept, even saying that they also deliver in 10 minutes. Now there’s Uber Eats, FoodPanda, which is what Foodora was, and all of them got startup money. We were working with a restaurant that also worked with the other services. But Wolt offered them an exclusive deal so they had to tell us goodbye to get the better deal with them. The big companies are taking 30 percent, but the exclusive deal makes it a little bit less. Anderson: It’s about pushing everyone else out of the marketplace. So you have to convince restaurants to work with you when they’re being incentivized to do exclusive deals, and then you have to convince the customers to go with you because you’re more ethical as well? Anderson: I think it’s easier to convince the customers. A lot of them are interested in social topics and it’s no coincidence that they order from us. It’s done with purpose. But convincing the restaurants is harder. We have restaurants working with us because they also have co-operative structures and value sustainability. We don’t have debts, we just invest what we have. We only deliver by bike, not by scooters or cars. Restaurants choose us for this reason. But others are trying to get the cheapest deal for them. Customers are now used to getting delivery service so almost every restaurant needs one. And we are the cheapest one. That’s another argument for us. We try to convince them to make us an exclusive partner so we can support each other. Critters: We promote them through our social media and they can say they chose us for social reasons. This month we are supporting Sea-Watch [a non-profit organization that conducts civil search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean], spreading the information leaflets from them and counting the kilometers we’re riding to collect donations for their missions. Do you have any advice for people who are thinking about starting a co-op themselves? Anderson: It’s a great thing, just go for it! It’s a lot of fun and you know what you’re working for. If you’re in a company like Wolt or Lieferando, you’re just the end of a long chain and no one cares about you. That means you also don’t have to care about the company, which is sometimes comfortable, but somehow it sucks out your soul in the end, I think. It’s more fulfilling if you know what you’re doing this for. It’s not always easy and it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. But in the end, it feels great! Note: This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Photo courtesy of Khora’s Facebook page.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Berliners call for Germany to welcome asylum-seekers from Afghanistan]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/afghanistan</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/afghanistan</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 25 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Here are some organizations you can support to assist fleeing Afghans in need.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Hundreds of people marched on Sunday to support those fleeing the country's political crisis.  Demonstrators urged that the federal government speed up evacuations and family reunification. According to Berliner Zeitung, an Afghan speaker had been on hunger strike for 5 days in front of the Foreign Office, protesting the treatment of his brother who had worked for the German armed forces in Afghanistan for nine years and was now being left behind with his wife and children. The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has led to thousands trying to flee the country. Crowds have gathered outside Kabul airport as frantic attempts to evacuate people continue. Women are particularly vulnerable under the Taliban regime and are already facing threats to their rights and safety. So far, thousands of Afghans have arrived in Germany, waiting to be cleared for onward travel. The issue is already being politicized ahead of the September elections. Far-right party AfD is using it to fuel anti-migration voting, calling plans to take in asylum seekers "a threat to the population." Armin Laschet, the new leader of Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU party, is warning that a repeat of 2015, when Germany welcomed close to a million asylum seekers from Syria, must not happen. On the other side, Annalena Baerbock, the Green party leader, has stated that Germany has an obligation to accept 50,000 Afghans. Amira Mohamed Ali, MP from the Left party, supports taking in refugees as well. “After 20 years of military operation in the country, we have a responsibility that we have to live up to,” she said in a statement.
 Here are some organizations you can support as Afghanistan's refugee crisis worsens: Women for Afghan Women (WAW) is working to secure the safety of thousands of women, children, families and staff under their care as the violence in Afghanistan spreads. https://womenforafghanwomen.org/  
Afghanistan: A Call For Urgent Help is raising money to be distributed to three local organizations in Afghanistan providing necessities to those in need. 
Rukhshana Media is raising funds to produce news from the perspective of women in Afghanistan. 
Luftbrücke Kabul is charting planes to bring asylum seekers from Kabul. The more money they raise, the more people they can help. Photo © NRC/Enayatullah Azad]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Femme Bass Mafia launches second round of mentorships]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/femme-bass-mafia</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/femme-bass-mafia</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Berlin-based DJ crew is opening up applications to women, transgender, and non-binary people until September 1.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The bass music crew has announced that it will teach courses on DJing, performance, track management, and more between September and February. The Berlin-based project was created with the goal of providing a safe space for women, trans, and non-binary people for the learning and practicing of DJing. “Our goal is to support our adelphs [sic] with an online and in-person DJing mentorship by DJs and music aficionados,” FBM founder Dangermami said. Their second round of classes will occur on a bi-weekly basis on weeknights and weekends, covering topics including music collection management, mental health, DJing on CDJs, and radio performance. As the group wants to ensure that every participant can learn as much as possible, they will be limiting the program to a small selection of people.  You can apply using this form between now and September 1. Their Refuge Worldwide show is available to stream here. 


]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Politicians under fire for lack of response to IPCC climate crisis warning]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ipcc-report</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ipcc-report</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A harrowing new report warns that immediate emission reductions are needed to curb “code red for humanity”]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[World leaders are facing criticism for complacency in the wake of the International Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) August report on the climate crisis.  The document, approved by representatives from every nation on Earth, unequivocally states that human activity is causing ‘rapid’ global warming which will continue until 2050, even with immediate reduction in emissions. “Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least the mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered,” the report states. “Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.” The report goes on to state that some changes are now inevitable and irreversible, and will result in extreme weather events. “We can’t wait to tackle the climate crisis,” US President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter in response to the IPCC’s report. “The signs are unmistakable. The science is undeniable. And the cost of inaction keeps mounting.” Only two days later, however, the White House called on OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, to increase oil production even more than has already been decided. “At a critical moment in the global recovery, this is simply not enough,” said the White House about OPEC’s current plans in a statement. In the UK, prime minister Boris Johnson faces criticism for inaction. Despite describing the IPCC’s report as “sobering reading” and urging for “consigning coal to history,” major fossil fuel projects remain on the horizon under his administration. Other leaders have focused their rhetoric on joint global action. French president Emmanuel Macron called for a new deal to match the urgency of the report, claiming that France will be on the side of those who act. India’s environment minister Bhupender Yadav pointed a finger at richer nations, saying that developed countries need to undertake immediate, deep emission cuts. World leaders are set to meet in Glasgow this November for COP26, the UN climate conference. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has described the conclusion of the report as “code red for humanity” and a “death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet.”]]></content:encoded>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide studios are opening this weekend]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/studio-opening</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/studio-opening</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Join us for a day of music, drinks, and food as we celebrate the official opening of our broadcasting space.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Come by our space in Neukölln to help us officially celebrate the launch of our studio this Saturday, August 21. After four months of planning and renovations, we have finished our studio at Weserstrasße 166. To mark the occasion, we’re hosting a big lineup of residents—including Love On The Rocks, Melis, The Mole b2b Hreno, Quartier Groove, Jonah Considine, SWAK's Nico Adomako, Vio PRG, Chloe Lula, Fania Folaji, Lawrence Lee, and The Honey Tapes—who will be live broadcasting from 12PM until 12AM. As our studio space is directly behind our bar, Oona, we’ll also be serving drinks throughout the day. There will also be some tasty snacks provided by station resident and founder of Gather, Ella Victoria. Click here to attend the event on RA. We’re looking forward to seeing you! Please bring a negative test result or proof of vaccination to enter the bar. 


]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Volunteer at Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/editorial-intern</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/editorial-intern</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 15 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Our news team are looking for additional support.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We are looking for an editorial intern to join the team from 1st September.  If you want to help write and source news, conduct interviews with residents, and keep an ear to the ground for local stories, please get in touch. Our ideal candidate can commit between five and ten hours a week to helping us out.  Interested? We would love to hear from you. Write editorial@refugeworldwide.com]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The International Criminal Court pushes to make “ecocide” an international crime]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ecocide</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ecocide</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Environmental destruction could be prosecuted in the same way as war crimes and genocide if the draft law is passed.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The adoption of a new draft law would make many corporate executives and political leaders criminally liable for environmental destruction. The development comes on the heels of a congregation of international legal experts, who have drawn up a definition of “ecocide” with the goal of combating climate change and the destruction of ecosystems. According to the draft law, ecocide refers to “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts.” If the International Criminal Court adopts the proposal, ecocide would become the fifth offense the court prosecutes, along with war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression. “The four other crimes all focus exclusively on the wellbeing of human beings,” professor Philippe Sands, co-chair of the panel, told The Guardian. “This one of course does that but it introduces a new non-anthropocentric approach, namely putting the environment at the heart of international law, and so that is original and innovative.” He mentioned nuclear accidents, major oil spills, Amazon deforestation, as well as incidents of a smaller scope, such as the killing of endangered animals, as examples of ecocide. Dior Fall Sow, a UN jurist and the panels other co-chair, said the definition helps to emphasize that the security of the planet must be guaranteed on an international scale. “The environment is threatened worldwide by the very serious and persistent damage caused to it, which endangers the lives of the people who live in it,” she said. The term “ecocide” was coined by bioethicist Arthur Galston in the 1970s and the issue was raised by the late Swedish prime minister Olof Palme at the 1972 UN environmental conference in Stockholm. The cause’s greatest champion, Polly Higgins, a British barrister who led the Stop Ecocide International campaign for decades, passed away in 2019. Several small island nations, like Vanuatu and the Maldives, have called for ecocide to be made an international crime and French president Emmanuel Macron and Pope Francis have been high profile supporters of such ideas in recent years.  Stop Ecocide International is now collecting signatures for an international petition to make ecocide an international crime. Photo © Patrick Hendry on Unsplash]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide kick off OXI residency with Palms Trax]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oxi-6th-august</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/oxi-6th-august</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 01 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sky Deep and Dhanesh Jayaselan also join our first party in 19 months]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[After 7 months of beaming music and discussion to you over the internet, it’s time to do it IRL again.  We’re taking over Berlin’s OXI Garten on Friday, August 6th, for a day of panel discussions, DJ sets, food and more.  All Refuge Worldwide Patreon subscribers can email us on hello@refugeworldwide.com for Q skip. No advanced tickets, doors open 15:00. Music will be supplied by none other than Palms Trax, Sky Deep and Dhanesh Jayaselan. The panel discussion, which kicks off at 5PM, will focus on the topic of progressive politics in dance music. Come down early to hear Oscar N. Atanga (Black Artist Database), Christa Belle (Berlin Collective Action e.V.) and Sky Deep in discussion, with Refuge Worldwide’s Chloe Lula as moderator.

As always, respect the distance restrictions at the bars and take care of yourself and the other guests. Official after party will be from 22:00 at our bar and community space, Oona, Weserstr 166. OXI
Wiesenweg 1-4,
10365 Berlin Fri 6 Aug 15:00 - 22:00]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide collaborate with Resident Advisor on beginner DJ workshops]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ra-workshop-announcement</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/ra-workshop-announcement</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The sessions will take place at the our new studio and community space.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Over the next 12 months, Refuge Worldwide’s studio and community space in Neukölln, Berlin will host a series of DJ workshops with Resident Advisor.  The first class will take place on August 9th, and they will follow on selected Mondays each month.  The sessions will consist of a workshop hosted by an established DJ, followed by open deck slots for the students to practice. The first six mentors will be CCL, rRoxymore, Call Super, Sally C, Nick Höppner and Sky Deep. The final six will be announced later in the year. You can apply, free-of-charge, here. The courses, which have been developed as part of Refuge Worldwide's ongoing partnership with Open Music Lab, are now open to applicants. Priority will be given to minority and marginalised groups. An introductory guide to DJing, created by Femme Bass Mafia, will be provided ahead of the workshops. 

The course dates will be subject to Covid-19 restrictions. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide to host the Park Corner tent at GALA Festival]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gala-stage</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/gala-stage</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 24 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The station's programmers and resident DJ Stem will play all day Saturday.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On Saturday, 31st July, we are heading to London to host a tent for our friends at GALA Festival.  Running from 12 noon until 8 PM, the Refuge programming team will play back-to-back, as well as inviting London-based resident Stem for a slot from 3PM. Across the three days of the festival, artists including Alfa Mist, Gideön, Moxie, Jayda G, Gilles Peterson, Nabihah Iqbal, Wayne Snow, Cooly G, Joy Orbison, Prosumer and Anu are billed. foundation.fm will host the Park Corner tent on Sunday, as well as local record store Rye Wax curating an afternoon of panels and DJ sets on the Friday. For more information on the festival, as well as their recently launched sustainability initiatives, check their festival guide here.  Listen back to the GALA takeover on our airwaves from March. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[UK Government set to criminalize asylum seeking]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/uk-government-set-to-criminalize-asylum-seeking</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/uk-government-set-to-criminalize-asylum-seeking</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The new policy, similar to Denmark’s, would punish asylum seekers and introduce “neo-colonial approach”]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The United Kingdom is set to introduce tougher sentences for “illegal entry” and grant authorities powers to intercept small boats of migrants and asylum-seekers.  A new Nationality and Borders Bill, introduced by home secretary Priti Patel earlier in July, will make it a criminal offence punishable by up to four years in prison to knowingly arrive in the UK without permission. The bill would also allow asylum claims to be processed outside the UK, even though no agreement to that effect has been reached with a third country. The UK is obligated under the 1951 Refugee Convention to grant individuals access to asylum regardless of how they enter the country. Critics say the bill would breach these obligations, while also criminalizing charity organizations that save lives at sea. Asylum claims in the UK are now at an all-time low and reports have warned that closing borders will “drive migrants to take more dangerous routes, and push them into the hands of criminal groups”. UN Refugee Agency Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Gillian Triggs has said that like similar policy changes in Denmark, the UK Government’s plan is “almost a neo-colonial approach” undermining the entire asylum system. “What we are finding is that western, developed and wealthy countries are now not sharing responsibilities but shifting burdens to these poor countries,” Triggs said at a briefing, stating that the agency was “absolutely dismayed that some of our strongest supporters historically are now playing with this idea of externalising their responsibilities”. The bill is now being debated in the House of Commons. A Home Office spokesperson said it’s meant to “fix the broken asylum system”, welcoming people through safe and legal routes adding “whilst preventing abuse of the system, cracking down on illegal entry and the criminality associated with it.”]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Don’t miss Radio Alhara’s takeover on Tuesday, July 20]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/radio-alhara</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/radio-alhara</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The online station, which connects people living across the Middle East and North Africa, will stream on Refuge Worldwide between 12:00 and 00:00 CET.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Founded by friends living in Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Amman, the online radio station was created in March 2020 to connect people living across the Middle East and North Africa. Yazan Khalil, Elias and Yousef Anastas, Saeed Abu-Jaber, and Mothanna Hussein are among the five people who started the station to help form and sustain community during the coronavirus outbreak. “Each one of us comes from a different background,” Khalil told Mixmag last June. “We have different connections and this is helping to keep the radio diverse in programs with lots of approaches and ideas that are coming from us and from the community. We try to curate each program in a way that makes us more diverse.”  The station broadcasts a wide range of programs and cultural content, including cooking shows and Arab cabarets in addition to more traditional DJ mixes. To hear a small selection of their diverse programming, tune into Refuge Worldwide on Tuesday, July 20 from 12:00-00:00 CET: 12:00 Brown Atlantis Radio 15:30 Dos Sures w/Rolando Hernández 16:30 Mr Kicks! 18:00 Delfina Sessions 19:00 Sounds Of Solidarity w/ Jackson Allers 21:00 Endless Fusion w/ The Groove Collector 23:00 Ghaltan 00:00 Sleeping Dogs Lie w/ Miguel Santos]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[No Border Assembly will hold a demo against deporting asylum-seekers from Germany]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-border-demo</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/no-border-demo</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The march will be held on July 19 at S+U Jungfernheide and end at the Lufthansa offices on Siemensdamm.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On July 19, the Berlin NGO will continue a series of protests called #abschiedefrei directed at the airlines responsible for deporting refugees. According to the organization’s website, more than 25% (5,885 of 22,097) of deportations from Germany were carried out by Lufthansa last year, which amounted to more than 6,025 people being transported out of Germany against their will:  After two action days against Lufthansa in 2020, the state decided from this year to censor information about which airlines are used for deportations. This shows again that capitalism, the state, and racism go hand in hand. A freedom of information request revealed that it is our campaign that was the reason for this censorship.  In the words of the government, naming companies used for deportations might give them a bad image in the view of society. Deportation profiteers will continue their racist business as long as we let them. Take action, we know where to find them. Force Lufthansa to become #abschiebefrei. The gathering will begin at 15:00 at Ringbahn (S+U) Jungfernheide. At 16:20, it will move to Lufthansa’s office at Siemensdamm 62. For more information on the campaign and No Border Assembly, visit their website here. Photo © picture-alliance/dpa/U.Zucchi]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Taipei’s Pawnshop club will take over Refuge Worldwide on July 13]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pawnshop</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pawnshop</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 12 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The organizers will showcase their regular DJs across six hours of programming.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Regular DJs from Pawnshop will share the sounds of Taiwanese nightlife across six hours of programming on Refuge Worldwide.  Even while the pandemic raged in 2020, Taiwan was lucky enough to keep Pawnshop open. "The pandemic changed our perspective," Pawnshop told Refuge Worldwide in an email. "People started to dive deeper and harder into music because the old fashioned way of booking international artists was not possible. The local community is now slowly flourishing."  The space explores underground club culture in every possible form, from art shows and workshops to themed "extravaganzas." According to the organizers, Pawnshop is "all about experiencing demarginalization and absolute liberation for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as all creativity, artistry, otherness, rebellion, pleasure, and euphoria." Pawnshop’s sound is a self-described mixture of local sounds that blend techno, electro, and groovy cosmic disco. On Tuesday, July 13, Pawnshop's regular DJs Yexiao, Jing, Toumingren, AQpie, Jun, and Gemnital will play hour-long sets from each of these genres in an exhibition of the styles that defined the club over the past year. For more information on Pawnshop, visit their Instagram page here. Tune into Refuge Worldwide from 14:00-20:00 CET to listen live.  


]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Georgia's gay pride events cancelled amid violent protests]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tbilisi-pride</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/tbilisi-pride</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The march was disrupted on Monday by anti-LGBTQ+ activists who stormed and ransacked the Tbilisi Pride office.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Video footage released on Monday shows hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ activists scaling the wall of the Tbilisi Pride office to dismantle and tear up rainbow flags.  While queer organizers had planned five days of LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations, including a “March for Dignity” across central Tbilisi, the events were called off amid the violence. Journalists and activists were also attacked ahead of the planned march, and local media reported that a tourist was stabbed because he was allegedly wearing an earring.  In a statement, Tbilisi Pride said local authorities had "not only failed to secure safety of the queer community and our supporters, but actively hampered us from exercising the right of assembly" ahead of the planned march. Several Western embassies in Georgia issued a joint statement condemning the attack and calling on authorities to ensure freedom of expression and assembly. "Violence is simply unacceptable and cannot be excused," the statement said. Church and State Georgia’s hostility towards LGBT rights stems from the contradictions between the two pillars of Georgian national identity, the Church and the State. When the United National Movement (UNM) party rose to power following the ‘Rose Revolution’ in 2003, it promised to overturn the stagnant Soviet political economy and culture by introducing widespread neoliberal reforms, government-led modernization projects and closer ties to NATO and the EU. But UNM’s desired shift towards a Western-aligned national identity was at odds with Orthodox traditionalism. An overwhelming 87% of the population identifies as Georgian Orthodox, and the Church – which considers homosexuality immoral, inappropriate and an affront to God’s design for humanity – is trusted far more than the government. UNM’s rise to power led to a period of polarization – along with a rise in poverty and inequality that has left the country’s most socioeconomically marginalized people, including queer people, at greater risk of exploitation and discrimination. While the UNM was succeeded by the  Georgian Dream regime in 2012, conservatism and pro-Russian accommodationism have continued.   Homophobia vs Solidarity The most recent violent outbreak is not the first to have taken place in the capital city. In May 2013, a small rally in central Tbilisi to mark International Day Against Homophobia was ambushed by thousands of angry protesters. Many of them, including Georgian Orthodox priests, violently attacked the gay rights demonstrators. Russian millionaire and ultra-nationalist Levan Vasadze was a prominent participant in the 2013 ambush. Last month, he announced his plans to enter politics with a new movement Unity, Essence, Hope – abbreviated in Georgian as ERI, meaning “nation.” Recently, Vasadze talked of destablization if Tbilisi Pride were to take place. “We give the government time to cancel the events, otherwise people will react to the government’s decision” and “will not allow the ‘anti-Christian and anti-Georgian’ activities,” he said. The Orthodox Church has since called on supporters to gather for a public prayer against the Pride march. Photo of Tbilisi Pride organizers © George Nebieridze via an October 2020 interview by Chloe Lula.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Carhartt WIP and 1UP crew support Refuge Worldwide with book reissue]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/carhartt-wip-x-1up</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/carhartt-wip-x-1up</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA['One Week With 1UP' is released today.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On July 7th, Carhartt WIP will release a reissued version of the 2018 book One Week With 1UP, with all proceeds from sales going to Refuge Worldwide. One Week With 1UP sees two photographers, Martha Cooper and Ninja K, follow the infamous Berlin graffiti crew over the space of seven days, documenting their work. Since the 1970s, renowned documentary photographer Martha Cooper has captured some of the most enduring images of graffiti and hip-hop scenes and one of the world's largest, most fearless modern-day graffiti crews. One Week with 1UP Bundles are limited to 100, available exclusively from Carhartt WIP’s Berlin Mitte store and carhartt-wip.com. Accompanying the book is a reworked version of the original t-shirt released in 2018, which features 1UP’s smiley face motif applied in silver on a black base. Refuge Worldwide will be making a donation to our partners at Radio Zaatari from the revenue generated by the book sales. Additionally, between July 1st and December 31st 2021 half of our Patreon revenue will be donated to Radio Zaatari, an innovative humanitarian relief project empowering war-affected communities in Jordan. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Corner: Terms & Conditions]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/the-corner-ts-and-cs</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/the-corner-ts-and-cs</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[TERMS AND CONDITIONS Zalando SE (“ZALANDO” or “the Organiser”) is producing, directing, organising, running or paying for the Event together with Refuge Worldwide (meaning Refuge Worldwide, Studio 110 UG, Sonnenallee 110, 12045 Berlin, Germany) (the “PARTNER”). In consideration of the opportunity to take part in the Event, I agree to the terms and conditions set out in this Event Waiver. ASSUMPTION OF RISK ZALANDO has made no representation to me as to the suitability, condition or safety of the Event or Event venue and I acknowledge that taking part in the Event may involve risks and dangers of accidents, personal and bodily injury and property loss or damage. These may result from my own actions or inactions, as well as the actions or inactions of others, the rules of play, and the condition of the facilities and equipment. This includes potential exposure to high-intensity laser effects, which may pose risks to eyesight or camera equipment. I understand and have considered the risks involved in taking part in the Event and I voluntarily and freely choose to take those risks, to the extent permitted by law. RELEASE FROM LIABILITY To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law I, for myself and on behalf of my heirs, executors, administrators, estate, insurers, successors and assigns, hereby fully and forever release and discharge ZALANDO and its parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents, representatives, contractors, successors, assigns, and insurers, and Event sponsors, organizers, advertisers, volunteers, and staff, and all owners or lessors of premises used in connection with the Event (collectively the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all liability, claims, causes of action, costs, losses, damages or proceedings whatsoever arising out of or in connection with my participation in or attendance at the Event (save for my death or personal injury resulting from the negligence of the Released Parties, to the extent such cannot be excluded by applicable law). INDEMNITY To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, I irrevocably and unconditionally agree to hold harmless and indemnify the Released Parties from and against any losses, claims, costs, damages or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising in connection with any accident, loss or damage arising from my attendance at and/or participation in the Event (save for my death or personal injury resulting from the negligence of the Released Parties, to the extent such cannot be excluded by applicable law).

NO INSURANCE I understand that ZALANDO and others involved in the Event do not provide me with any insurance, either life, medical or liability, for any illness, accident, injury, loss, or damage that may arise in connection with my participation in or attendance at the Event. If I want insurance of any kind, I must obtain my own. AUTHORIZATION TO RECORD AND TO USE RECORDINGS AND NAME I agree that ZALANDO and/or the PARTNER may photograph and/or film me during my attendance at and/or participation in the Event and related activities (“Recording”). I agree that ZALANDO and/or the PARTNER may use my image, including for promotional, commercial and internal ZALANDO and the PARTNER purposes. I grant ZALANDO and the PARTNER the right to use, for a period of one (1) year upon signature of this Event Waiver, throughout the world and without any compensation, any Recording of me in any media, for the purpose of advertising, promotion, or any other commercial purpose in connection with the promotion of the Event or future events, in ZALANDO and/or the PARTNER campaigns and/or for other promotional activities. I also grant ZALANDO and the PARTNER permission to display my name, image, Event standings and results during the Event and for the same purposes as any Recording. PERSONAL PROPERTY I acknowledge and agree that any property brought to the Event is my sole responsibility and neither ZALANDO will not be liable for any loss of, or damage to, any Participant property that I brought to the Event or stored with the Organiser for the duration of the Event. REJECTION FROM EVENT I understand and acknowledge that ZALANDO can at any time refuse to allow me to take part, or cease my participation, in the Event if I do not comply with this Event Waiver or with the instructions of ZALANDO representatives at the Event. I understand and acknowledge that my participation in the Event cannot be transferred to anyone else and cannot be exchanged for cash. CHANGES TO OR CANCELLATION OF THE EVENT I acknowledge that ZALANDO reserves the right to change the Event date or make any other amendment to the Event that it deems necessary and reasonable. ZALANDO may cancel the Event for any valid reason such as lack of participation, challenges in the organisation, financial issues, etc and may cancel the participation of any of the PARTNERS in the Event. ZALANDO shall have no responsibility for any losses, expenses or costs incurred as a result of amendment or cancellation of the Event, including any travel or accommodation costs. COVID-19. I accept and acknowledge that ZALANDO may introduce guidance and/or policies from time to time designed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, however, it is not possible to eliminate that risk entirely. I assume the risk of suffering an illness or fatality related to COVID-19 as a result of my participation in the Event, and agree (on my own behalf, and on behalf of my heirs, executors, administrators, estate, insurers, successors and assigns) that I shall hereby fully and forever release and discharge the Released Parties from and against any and all liability, claims, causes of action, costs, losses, damages or proceedings whatsoever arising out of or in connection with my participation in or attendance at the Event, to the extent permitted by applicable law (save for my death or personal injury resulting from the negligence of the Released Parties, to the extent such cannot be excluded by applicable law). ASSIGNMENT I agree that ZALANDO and/or the PARTNER may assign the rights granted to it to any third party as it sees fit.

VALIDITY If any portion of this Event Waiver is held to be invalid or unenforceable, all other provisions shall nevertheless continue to be valid and enforceable. This Event Waiver supersedes any oral or written statements made by or to me in connection with the Event. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION This Event Waiver and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction of the Participant’s residence. 

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            <title><![CDATA[Environmental activists in Cambodia jailed for “insulting the king”]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/cambodia-activism</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/cambodia-activism</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 03 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Human rights activists are calling on the Cambodian government to drop charges against environmentalists who filmed raw sewage drained into a river.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[A Cambodian judge has sent three young activists to a prison in Phnom Penh for conspiracy and “insulting the king”.  Local rights groups and Human Rights Watch are calling for their immediate release from pre-trial detention and for the government drop baseless charges. Late last month, police arrested four environmental activists, Sun Ratha (26), Ly Chandaravuth (22), Seth Chhivlimeng (25) and Yim Leang Hy (32) for filming raw sewage entering the Tonle Sap River near the Royal Palace. Four days later, the court charged Chandaravuth, Ratha and Leang Hy with conspiracy and the latter two with “insulting the king”. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison and a fine. Chhivlimeng was released without a charge. A Spanish national, Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson, founder of Mother Nature Cambodia, has also been charged in absentia. He was deported in 2015. A spokesperson from the Interior Ministry alleged that the authorities had proof that the “rebellious” Mother Nature Cambodia group was using foreign money to topple the government. No evidence to that account has been made public. The arrests are the latest in the government’s crackdown on environmental protests. On May 5, the Phnom Penh court convicted three environmental activists of incitement and sentenced them to between 18 and 20 months in prison and fines. The activists were protesting the authorities filling in the capital’s Boeung Tamok lake. Before the ruling, they had spent almost eight months in pretrial detention. Human Rights Watch has documented nearly 70 current political prisoners in Cambodia, while many other activists have fled the country. “The Cambodian government has stepped up its campaign to silence activists peacefully advocating to protect the environment,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of HRW.  “Foreign governments, the United Nations country team, and international donors should call on the Cambodian authorities to drop their absurd charges against the environmental activists and publicly condemn any further clampdown on peaceful activism.” Photo  © 2021 LICADHO]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Help us partner with the Jordan-based station Radio Zaatari ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/zaatari-patreon</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/zaatari-patreon</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 30 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Between July 1 and December 31, half of our proceeds from Patreon will fund the community radio project.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide is putting half of the proceeds accrued through our Patreon towards supporting the community station Radio Zaatari. The Jordan-based project broadcasts on 97.3FM and is run alongside Acting for Change International, a humanitarian organization created by a Syrian who relocated to Jordan in 2011. Situated roughly two kilometers from Zaatari Refugee Camp near the border of Syria and Jordan, the population of Zaatari Village has more than doubled since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. It’s estimated that over 15,000 Syrian refugees now live in Zaatari Village. Radio Zaatari aims to help children living in the camp broadcast music, poetry, short dramas that investigate prevalent health issues among the refugee population, and artistic expressions from their homeland. To help support Radio Zaatari’s ongoing operations, you can subscribe to our Patreon. We’ll be announcing further collaborations with the platform in the coming months—stay tuned. 


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            <title><![CDATA[BLM Berlin will hold a city-wide protest march this Friday, July 2]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/blm-berlin</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/blm-berlin</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Save the date for a night of speeches, performances, and DJ sets leaving from Brandenburg Gate at 15:30.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Black Lives Matter Berlin will be hosting a protest this Friday, July 2 leaving from Pariser Platz/Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) at 15:30.  For those who want to join the group at other points in the city, the demonstration is scheduled to reach Zietenplatz at 17:00, Oranienplatz at 19:00, and Spreewaldplatz at 20:30, where it will continue until approximately 22:00. There will be speeches held at each location along the protest march addressing Black history in Germany, climate justice, being Black in health care, Black sex workers’ rights, Black trans lives, Black refugees, and Black art. There will also be performances and DJ sets. “For many, Black Lives Matter was a one-off sensation of the past year,” BLM Berlin writes on their website. “But we all know that Black people have been fighting for recognition and rights for decades, in Germany and all over the world … Black lives still matter! We stay loud and take to the streets for our rights!” BLM Berlin’s posters are below. For more information on the organization and this Friday’s march, you can visit their website here. Photo © Bild: dpa/Markus Schreiber 


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            <title><![CDATA[Join us for a showcase of artwork at Refuge Worldwide this weekend]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/exhibition-soft-opening</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/exhibition-soft-opening</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 24 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[‘Now You See Me Moria’ is a photo exhibition and campaign supporting migrants held in Greek refugee camps.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide is excited to announce a special pre-opening event at our community space this Friday and Saturday, June 25 and 26.  There will be an exhibition of posters from the 'Now You See Me Moria' / Love for Moria campaign, which supports migrants being held in the Greek refugee camp. The campaign is a collaboration with the documentary film and photography nonprofit platform Paradox.  Conditions in refugee camps across Greece and Europe are dire, and each graphic design and every exhibition seeks to draw attention to our collective responsibility for the most vulnerable people in society.  The events will take place from 12:00-00:00 on Friday and again from 12:00-00:00 on Saturday at Weserstrasse 166, 12045 Berlin. While the space is not completely finished, we’re thrilled to show you a sneak peak of the progress we’ve made so far—we’re looking forward to sharing the new space with you and the community. Thank you for your support and see you soon! Refuge Worldwide Team Visit the Moria poster gallery if you want to download and print posters yourself.  


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            <title><![CDATA[Help Lisbon’s queer/trans*/feminist rave collective, Mina, start a cultural center]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mina-fundraising</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/mina-fundraising</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 19 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The project will start a community space, radio station, studio, and meeting room in partnership with Rádio Quântica and Rabbit Hole.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Mina, a flag-bearer for progressive counter-cultural resistance in Portugal, is expanding into a multidisciplinary space for musical and artistic communion. One of the co-founders, Pedro Marum (whom we recently interviewed), began the group in “precarious conditions” in 2017 as Portugal began buckling under the weight of a booming tourism industry and gentrification. Their parties quickly became a symbol of radical liberation through sonic exploration, pleasure, and care. “We talked about harm reduction and health care for people who struggle with mental health and substance abuse issues,” he told Refuge Worldwide. “A lot of people didn’t want to work with us because we were vocally sex positive as well.” After years of searching for a permanent home, Mina has located a cultural center near Martim Moniz and Penha de França that will accommodate parties, concerts, rehearsals, talks, workshops, exhibitions, and film screenings, “making sure there is space to participate safely.” The queer rave collective will also join forces with Rádio Quântica and the artistic platform Rabbit Hole. The team is hoping to raise €10,000 in the following three months to secure their space. To find out more information about where the money will be directed and other ways you can help the project, check out more details on GoFundMe or on Mina’s Instagram page. 


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            <title><![CDATA[As Berlin rents rise, migrants and cultural workers push for reform]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pedro-marum-lou-drago</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/pedro-marum-lou-drago</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Pedro Marum and Lou Drago explain the criticality of giving non-citizens a say in city housing issues.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Expats in the Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen campaign are calling for immediate action to control housing prices.  While rents skyrocket in Germany’s capital and laws that protect the financial interests of low-income residents, like the Mietendeckel—a city-wide rent cap in operation between November 2020 and April 2021—are reversed, the campaign Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen (which translates to "Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co) is petitioning local authorities to socialize a large portion of the city’s residential housing. Their plan? To re-claim privately owned apartments from Germany's largest real estate companies—Deutsche Wohnen, Vonovia, and Akelius—and use them for public benefit. Pedro Marum and Lou Drago, pictured, are two Berlin-based artists and DJs who are involved in a working group within the Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteigen campaign called Right to the City for All. The group is shedding light on how a large portion of Berliners, namely migrants and non-citizens, don’t have the right to vote or have their say in petitions. The group argues that the housing market is an area that breeds discrimination and racism, and that migrants face additional struggles making their voices heard within the current system. They’ve both been active in the city’s queer feminist nightlife scene and organized the XenoEntities Network (XEN), a platform for discussion and experimentation focusing on queer, gender, and feminist theories and their intersections with science, digital technologies, and collective futurities.  The campaign must deliver 180,000 valid signatures by June 25 to have the referendum voted on in September. While the campaign has already collected more than the requisite amount of signatures, many will not count as the signatories don’t have German citizenship or Berlin residency. We sat down with Marum and Drago during their rally in Tempelhofer Feld on May 29 to discuss how they’re mobilizing more supporters and overcoming obstacles for migrants, queer people in the nightlife industry, and low-income visa-holders. Note: This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. 
How did you get into working with Right to the City for All? I know a lot of non-citizens in Berlin are hesitant to get directly involved with politics. Lou Drago (LD): A lot of people want to join a campaign but don’t know how to access it. There are many people in our campaign who don’t speak German but are able to participate and collect signatures. We did a little push last week to collect signatures in Hasenheide park. We were a bit tentative to do it, as we’re not very confident German speakers. But we realized very quickly that you can do quite a lot with limited German. We went with a couple of German-speaking friends who helped break the ice, but with my broken German i* could still communicate something to people.  Pedro Marum (PM): Up to 30 percent of the signatures we have may not be valid. The vast majority of those are from people who live in Berlin but don’t have a German passport.  LD: One of the main targets of our working group is to scandalize the fact that about 22 percent of the people who live, work in, and contribute to Berlin don’t have a right to vote in this referendum. * Drago prefers the use of a lowercase “i” as a rejection of privileging the self above others (i.e. “he,” “she,” “they,” etc. which are all uncapitalised). How do you split your time between art and activism? They seem pretty intertwined in your respective work. LD: It’s really difficult to define what activism is, but i personally define it as organizing, not just posting nice things on Instagram. Spreading awareness and raising consciousness is a very important element, but i don’t think that’s enough to be called activism. i’ve put a lot of my artistic work on hold to involve myself in the campaign. It’s always a work in progress to not spread myself too thin. PM: I come from the south of Portugal and moved to Lisbon where I studied in the health field and also worked on issues tied to social justice and gender politics. At the same time, I started running a project with a collective that was sort of a cultural platform focused on music and performance. That’s how I started working in this intertwined field of arts and political discourse, while making activism exciting. We found that it was difficult for a lot of queer people to get into politics, because they wouldn’t see themselves represented or found it difficult to penetrate groups of people that did not share the same perspectives. As the collective grew, we tried to create bridges between social justice projects that existed in the city and host events that raised money for projects, like creating a refuge for trans and queer kids and helping people who need housing or medical care. I also started running a project called mina, which is a queer electronic music collective that operated under very precarious conditions. When we started, Lisbon was changing to accommodate more tourism to curb the massive debt Portugal had accumulated. Lisbon changed very drastically and our group was one of the flag holders of the resistance to this change. The rents were soaring to the point that people were paying half the minimum wage for housing. This is how I started working more with these topics, as Lisbon was like a laboratory for what tourism can do. I moved to Berlin, but one of the things I missed was my capacity to engage with local politics. Our work with XenoEntities is fairly focused on social justice, but there’s always a disconnection with local activism that operates mostly in German. So I learned about this movement, Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen, and particularly the working group Right to the City for All, in the middle of a pandemic when so many artists saw themselves impoverished and realizing just how difficult it is to navigate the housing market. What was your personal experience when you moved here and tried to find an apartment? PM: I’ve been fairly lucky. I already knew some people and they helped me find a place. During the pandemic I realized how important it was for me to get a rental contract and I ended up managing to get it with help from friends, but it wasn’t easy. LD: i moved into my first apartment about seven years ago with two friends, and we got it relatively easily. But after moving in we realized it was a big scam; it was overpriced and they were taking advantage of us. We had to join in with our neighbours to get them to fix the heating for two consecutive winters. It wasn’t until we withheld the rent that they fixed anything. After that i bounced around from sublet to sublet without finding a place of my own. I couldn’t get an Anmeldung [residence registration with the local authorities]. The whole Anmeldung process is so exclusive and complicated for many people. My friend and i applied to over 60 places. It was like a full-time job. I was unemployed at the time and my friend was studying. Every single day we applied and mostly never got a call back. We finally got a place where we had to lie and say we were a couple because the place was much too small for two people, and we had to say that we’d share a room. I think because we presented like a gay couple and the apartment was in Schöneberg, a gay-friendly neighbourhood, we had an advantage. We needed to fake documents to show we were earning more money than we were. It shows how difficult the situation is. You turn up and there’s a line down the stairs and into the street, with 500 people looking at one apartment. There’s a website that shows based on your income which areas in Berlin you can afford to live in, and it’s really scary, because basically we can’t afford to live anywhere in Berlin, not even in the outer suburbs. So it seems like it’s mostly through friends and connections that you’re able to navigate this. PM: In that sense I’m fairly privileged. We hear so many horror stories about people who literally move flats once a month. This is a mechanism that hinders the capacity for migrants to thrive when they already face so many obstacles, not only with the language but with the bureaucracy, with being away from their country, and having to spend a lot of their time constantly searching for housing. I think this is something that Right to the City for All is sensitive to, even though many of the German activists have never faced this. What are the specific housing issues migrants face? LD: When many Germans think about migrants moving to Berlin they may think of the wealthy tech-worker, English trust fund kid or students who have support from their parents. i don’t get the impression that they think about those who struggle to access the system. Many of them work in service industry jobs. Most migrants aren’t here trying to gentrify the city. PM: I’ve become aware of how many nativist policies are in place in this country. In Portugal, when you need to apply for something, there is a culture of accommodating people who don’t speak Portuguese. You can get a translator or paperwork that is already translated into another language. In Germany there is a strong nativist structure that forces institutional workers to speak German, and I think it hinders people from accessing the mechanisms that are already in place to assist renters. It might take you a while to discover that these things exist and that you can get help. LD: Migrants are very often the ones with newer contracts with a higher price. I’ve talked to many migrants who had to repay a lot of money because of the Mietendeckel repeal [the rent control law that was struck down by a constitutional court]. My rent was going to be €300 lower, but luckily i have a German friend who advised me to put the money aside every month and not spend it in case of a repeal. We luckily had the money to pay it back, but for many people in the middle of a pandemic they couldn’t put it aside. They’re now stuck with thousands in bills. Do you think the arts scene in Berlin has a responsibility to take a stand on these issues? PM: Absolutely. Especially the electronic music and nightlife scene. It’s an industry that generates millions in revenue to the city and is a big part of tourism in the city. And yet, a lot of the artists that are putting in the labor to develop the scene don’t see a lot of these profits. People working in nightlife are often in precarious situations, whether they’re sex workers, drug dealers, or artistic performers. It’s an industry that still lacks a lot of protection despite being so beloved and hailed as one of the most fantastic things in the city. We work specifically in the queer nightlife scene, and although the city may seem welcoming to queer people, a lot of the landlords are not and may see us as some sort of pestilence on the city. The clubs are also being shut down, making way for co-working spaces and tech workers who are ironically moving to a city that they perceive as cool and having an exciting global clout. Their higher incomes create a gap between the people who work in the nightlife industry and the consumers who are maybe unknowingly contributing to our evictions. We’ve seen so many clubs close in the last few years. LD: i’d rather play for no one! I definitely think the cultural sector should be responsible, but i think that everyone has a stake in saving Berlin. The gentrification that is happening is so rapid that i’d like everyone to feel responsible. It’s a process that’s always going to happen, but which type of gentrification do we want and at what pace? And what kind of protections are going to be in place for those affected? If it keeps going at this rate the city will end up inaccessible for the people enjoying it now. If the campaign is successful and the referendum takes place, what would you like to see as the outcome? What is the best case scenario, and what would you accept as a positive short-term solution? PM: One of the goals for me was already achieved: to get a lot of people talking about the issue. The campaign has a big presence in the streets and in the media. People know about the campaign, and the repeal of Mietendeckel ironically gave us a lot of visibility. Now Vonovia is buying Deutsche Wohnen and I think both the real estate speculators and the politicians know that people are not happy. I hope we get enough signatures, but it will be hard. The Mietendeckel story has shown how easy it is to take away small comforts like having a slightly lower rent. I just hope that the conversation will be elevated and I’m happy that the club scene is also talking about it. It’s really exciting to see a movement that unites so many different people. LD: Pedro sounds optimistic, and i’ve definitely had beautiful moments of feeling that too. But the fact that Vonovia can buy Deutsche Wohnen now really demonstrates to me that they’re not scared at all. Why would you buy more apartments if you think they’ll get expropriated? I think the state doesn’t care too much about the public and has been protecting these private interests. But what is amazing is all the activists on the street collecting signatures, working behind the scenes to make this campaign happen and how there are posters everywhere. It’s one of the biggest and most diverse campaigns i’ve seen in my time in Berlin. But we’ve also run into many people who are against the campaign. How do you find the power and passion to keep going, both with the campaign and your own work as artists? A lot of people feel hopeless right now and don’t feel like they can get anything done, creatively or politically. LD: The moments that give me hope are when we can do things collectively. Other people give me hope. We don’t have other cities or places in the world to look to. The whole world is suffering under the hands of extractive capitalism. We only have the hope of imagining a better future.  PM: It’s been a difficult year for many of us, but our adversities have become our biggest source of inspiration. Some people are not doing well, but others have the capacity to raise morale. We’re also reminded of our privilege and of what we have: living in Germany where there was some financial support through the pandemic, while there are many people in desperate situations. We’ve managed to still accomplish some exciting artistic projects amid this chaos. Almost like raving in our own ruins. We have no parties, no galleries, no gigs, but we’re still doing what we can. Photo © Roberto Duarte. Find out more about Right to the City for All on their website. You can follow Pedro Marum on Instagram here, and Lou Drago on Instagram here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Workers pay higher tax rates than billionaires, leaked data reveals]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/propublica-investigation</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/propublica-investigation</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Tax documents uncovered by ProPublica reveal how some of the wealthiest people in the world avoid paying their share.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[America’s billionaires pay little, or sometimes even nothing, in income tax, a new investigation by the outlet ProPublica has revealed.  The report highlights how the ultra-rich pay a lower tax rate than the average worker, which “demolishes the cornerstone myth of the American tax system: that everyone pays their fair share.” The report is based on uncovered data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and shows how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffett minimize their tax bills, paying a lower rate than a single worker earning $45,000 a year. Buffett, for example, paid taxes that amount to 0.1 percent of his income. ProPublica also discovered that the Amazon founder (and the world’s richest person, with a $193 billion fortune) Jeff Bezos paid no federal taxes and acquired $4,000 in tax credits for each of his children.  Tesla founder Elon Musk, the world’s second-richest person, managed to avoid the tax completely in 2018. Other billionaires, including Michael Bloomberg, Carl Ichahn, and George Soros have also achieved the feat. While many people live paycheck to paycheck, the wealthiest can sidestep taxes in a perfectly legal way. Most of their wealth comes not from their salaries, but from their assets appreciating in value. These are taxed at a different rate, or sometimes not at all. Many borrow vast sums of money to fund their lifestyles—using their massive wealth as collateral—and pay lower interest than the potential tax bill from realizing their wealth through salaries, dividends, or assets. The COVID-19 pandemic has cost hundreds and thousands of Americans their lives while unemployment has soared. In spite of this, US billionaires have seen their fortunes grow by $1.2 trillion from January 2020 to the end of April this year. Over the last few decades, inequality has grown dramatically and wealth has become increasingly concentrated in the top 1 percent.  “Our analysis of tax data for the 25 richest Americans quantifies just how unfair the system has become,” ProPublica concludes. The piece has catalyzed a series of calls for tax reform in the US and abroad, though many world leaders, including Rishi Sunak—the British Chancellor of the Exchequer—have backed away from charges that capital gains taxes should increase in line with income taxes as the investigation suggests. Images © ProPublica]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[World Oceans Day x TBA21–Academy x Concentric Records]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/world-oceans-day-x-tba21-academy-x-concentric-records</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/world-oceans-day-x-tba21-academy-x-concentric-records</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A day of broadcasts based on sounds from the oceans, featuring Terrance Dixon, Izabel and Jake Muir.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[To mark World Oceans Day 2021, June 8th, we have partnered with Concentric Records to curate a day of broadcasts based on the Ocean Archive of TBA21–Academy. Over the course of ten years, along extensive journeys in all the oceans' currents, TBA21–Academy has invited some of the most inspiring sound artists to record and document the silent world, exposing the resonating voices of many marine species in the most imaginative ways. Alongside the captivating wavelengths of the oceans' many voices, these sound artists have documented the increasing levels of acoustic pollution in the oceans in recent years, giving birth to a unique archive of powerful underwater sounds and stories with the intention of inspiring understanding and promoting change. Their Ocean Archive is an incredible sound library of the seas and harbours of the world, from Galapagos to the North Atlantic. It includes many types of whale, fish, earthquake, seismic explosions, methane seeps, tectonic plates and deep water drilling. Through this immersive day program, each guest artist is invited to produce a 1-hour sound piece utilizing underwater recordings from TBA21–Academy's 'Ocean Archive', and create evocative soundscapes around them to awaken our primordial connection with the oceans, celebrating their life and essence.  The artists involved include Jake Muir, Izabel, Beluga, Carl Michael von Hausswolff, Daniela Huerta, Jana Winderen, Terrence Dixon and Refuge Worldwide programmer Richard Akingbehin. Tune in from 12:00-20:00 CET on Tuesday, June 8. See you underwater! (Photo credit: Underwater hydrophone recording in Silver Bank as part of Jana Winderen's project Silencing of the Reefs, 2013. Photo by José Alejandro Álvarez. Courtesy of José Alejandro Álvarez and TBA21–Academy.)]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Kemoy Jemmott on discrimination, intersectionality, and alternative approaches to therapy and self-care ]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/kemoy-interview</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/kemoy-interview</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 06 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Queer Back Therapy Fund founder discusses creative solutions to systemic problems in mental health care systems.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[While training to become a therapist, New York native Kemoy Jemmott realized that she was one of two queer people—and the only Black person—in her graduating class.  She wondered, Why was it so difficult to find other BIPOC mental health care professionals? And how could queer people of color get access to therapists who were competent in working with issues around race, class, gender, and intersectionality? The last few years have seen Jemmott finding creative solutions to this problem. In 2018, she joined Stillpoint Spaces to bring her background in psychosexual care work and feminist theory to clients in Berlin. And this year, she launched Queer Black Therapy Fund (a platform Refuge Worldwide has supported through donations), an initiative that aims to bring a year’s worth of counseling sessions to 10 queer Black clients in Germany.  We sat down with Jemmott to talk about intersectionality, disparities and gatekeeping in the mental health profession, and ways that we can collectively practice mutual aid and self-care during times of crisis.  Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and how you came to be interested in therapy, sexual health, and their touch points with intersectionality and feminist theory?  I think honestly I was just really lucky to have comprehensive sex education from a very early age. When I was in high school, I developed an interest in psychology, which is what I studied in university. I didn't really have a set goal, so everything has been a work in progress. I eventually became interested in counseling, and I was also studying sexual health in my university and received a minor in sexual health. So then it was just this process of thinking, “Okay, how can I combine these things in a way that feels interesting for me?” Your website says that you’re training to become a doula as well? Yeah. One of the required classes for my minor in college was called Maternal and Child Health. I was super interested in that from a public health perspective. It taught me a lot about the disparities that exist within the birthing world between Black women and non-Black women, and the poor health outcomes that they experience (and also the poor mental health that can be a part of that). I found a training course here in Berlin, and I just decided that this is the time to do it. I imagine moving into this work and supporting my clients from birth with my counseling skills and my sexual health background. It’s a very new journey. You’ve lived and practiced in both London and Berlin. What made you decide to move to Germany? Are the issues you’re approached with here different from the issues you would see in London or elsewhere? I moved to Germany in 2018. I'm still learning how these systems work, and it is so challenging. It's challenging for anyone in a mental health crisis, but also just anyone having a challenging time. Picking up the phone and calling someone for support, or even sending an email, can be really difficult. There’s so much bureaucracy you have to go through, and it's impossible if you're at a place mentally or emotionally where you really need it.  I also think there's a really big separation in the German system. The people practicing are predominantly white and predominantly cis. And these aren’t even the people who can accept health insurance. In order to be able to accept health insurance as a therapist, you have to go through 1,000 hoops that are also on fire, so a lot of people end up in situations where they’re paying out of pocket. It’s really unfortunate.  You started the Queer Black Therapy Fund as a means of addressing the difficulties queer BIPOC have in accessing mental health services, as well as the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on these communities in particular. Can you elaborate on the ways in which racism and other vectors of oppression systematically affect marginalized communities, and the effect that can have on an individual's mental health? It's a big, big question. Mental health systems are a bit outdated and classist. If you want to have access to mental health care, you need to have adequate health insurance, or you need to be able to pay for this service out of pocket. If you don't have the kind of disposable income to access that, then you aren't able to access care.  There’s also a lot of gatekeeping in the training courses as well, which cost tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars. And it’s often suggested not to work alongside a master's program or a higher education program. So this access to higher education becomes a barrier for many people. You look at the people training in the mental health field—and who are now the providers of mental health care—and they're middle or upper class, white, typically cis hetero.  Then from the other end, if we talk about how racism impacts an individual's mental health, we're talking about the stress that comes from the kind of discrimination that might be a barrier to accessing a job, to accessing adequate pay, to accessing education. There’s stress that comes with having to navigate these systems of oppression and to even just move through the world on a day-to-day basis.  Has your goal of supporting 10 queer black people in Berlin been successful? Do you have any goals to grow this project into a larger, longer-term therapeutic network? When I started it, I thought it would be easier. But now I'm thinking that I need to see how I could do it in a more sustainable way. I'm still in the process of raising funds, but I am not seeing clients. The goal was to raise €65,000 to provide a year of counseling to 10 queer Black people living in Germany. And I decided to make it one year because there are so many counseling offers out there that offer short-term counseling, meaning that you're meeting with a counselor once a week for six or twelve weeks. And I think this is a great form of support, but with people who experience racism and other forms of discrimination, there's so much work to do. That amount of time just isn't enough. I wanted to provide a longer offer for support, essentially.  I think we’re at about €16,000, which means we’re able to do 15 sessions with each of the 10 people. But we're still in the process of fundraising. So the idea is that as we continue to raise funds, we can fund more sessions of therapy.  My long-term goal is that I really want to create this small network of therapists who are calm and competent in working with issues around race or sexuality. In my training course, I think I was one of two queer people, and I was the only Black person. So I have always been very interested in meeting other queer therapists and other Black therapists, especially in a field that is so dominated by white professionals.  My dream would be to have a counseling center of sorts for queer BIPOC people. And then, of course, this would be funded either by the government or a wealthy private sponsor. But the goal is to have a hub where mental health care and wellness in general is the focus. Healing doesn't only take place in mind. We can think about things to death and process things, but I think there are some things that need to be healed, especially for people who have experienced emotional or physical trauma. This is a bigger plan for years to come. How do we collectively help people access mental health services who maybe don't have the means to access them? Are there ways to move towards creating an environment in which there are more practicing therapists who come from the communities they’re helping and understand the issues they face? It almost seems like an intractable problem that's just going to perpetuate.  Yeah, absolutely. I feel like there’s so much work to be done. I think it would be extremely beneficial to have more diverse mental health professionals. It's really ridiculous that as a Black therapist, it's so challenging for me to meet other Black therapists. It shouldn't be this difficult. So I think that's one end of things—addressing discrimination. And then the other end comes down to capitalism, I guess, and actual funding.  Collectively, bonds can be collected and redistributed in order to support Black mental health. Like, that's one way of doing things. But I think it's really a problem that really needs creative solutions. I have a colleague here in Berlin doing a super amazing project called Expanding Circles. And the idea behind that initiative is creating a culture of community care based on volunteering. So as I understand it, a therapist can volunteer their time to see clients, and then clients can work with a certain therapist, but instead of an exchange of money, there is an exchange of volunteer hours. So the client chooses how they want to volunteer their time  in exchange for therapy. It takes away so many barriers.  I also feel like there's a lot of learning that can be really beneficial to an individual outside of the counseling room in the meantime. Learning more about mental health can help you understand your mental health a bit more and what you might be dealing with. And this isn't to encourage people to read things online and then try to diagnose themselves. What I mean is learning new ways to cope and heal on your own while you're in this waiting space for support. I also think this culture of checking in on one another and having sober spaces to connect with others is so important.  Are there any other resources where you’d like to direct readers who might be interested in learning more, or in need of mental health support themselves? There’s a book I can't shut up about and it's called Forest Bathing: How Getting Out in Nature Can Heal Your Body and Mind. This is a really amazing tool, because we can access nature so easily. And more recently I’ve been reading a book about breath. It's called Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. It talks about how the breath can be a really important tool in healing and in bridging this mind-body connection that I was speaking about before. You can similarly explore movement or somatic practices.  Is there anything else you want to talk about that I didn’t think to ask? I want to encourage people to seek mental health support when they’re not in a crisis, like when they’re feeling okay, good, amazing. I think this is a really good time to look for mental health support because you have the capacity to do that. If you wait until you are not feeling well and then look for support, things can get tricky and get challenging really quickly. Any time is a good time to be in therapy. 
Listen to Kemoy Jemmott’s monthly talk show on mental health, Convos with Kemoy, on Refuge Worldwide here. You can learn more about her work on her website.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Laura BCR releases third compilation for Sea Watch]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/laura-bcr</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/laura-bcr</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[All proceeds from her label, On Board Music, go towards rescuing asylum-seekers traversing the Mediterranean Sea.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Laura BCR—a French DJ and the founder of On Board Music—is releasing her third compilation to support refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea. All proceeds from the release, The Meaning of Time Part III, will go towards Sea Watch, a German NGO that deploys and operates boats to rescue refugees facing dangerous border crossings. "On Board Music has been supporting the actions of Sea Watch from quite some time now, and during the pandemic there was a urge of supporting their considerable work as the situation was getting out of control,” reads the press release. “We decided to gather the energy of our artists to be able to increase the support to this NGO. This has been a very huge work but also an amazing experience to see all the producers very much motivated and giving time to the cause.” The Meaning of Time Part III was born from an open call by On Board, inviting new artists to remix the works of the label's more established members. The resulting 22 tracks offer a snapshot of modern ambient and deep techno, and feature contributions from artists including Oreste, Eschate, Polygonia, Laima Adelaide and Simone Gatto, and more. To stream the album, visit On Board Music’s Soundcloud page here. Orders will be available on Bandcamp June 4, 2021.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[The UN calls for Biden to lift Trump-era asylum restrictions]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/biden-asylum-restrictions</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/biden-asylum-restrictions</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 28 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The policy, known as Title 42, allows border officials to expel migrants before they have an opportunity to seek asylum.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The United Nations refugee agency is calling on U.S. president Joe Biden to lift restrictions on asylum-seekers put in place by former president Donald Trump in March 2020. The policy, known as Title 42—which was put in place at the outset of the coronavirus—allows border officials to expel most single adult migrants and some families with children before they have an opportunity to seek asylum. Opponents argue that it puts asylum-seekers in danger and incentivizes families to separate from their children, as unaccompanied migrant children are exempt from the policy. The UN says the policy is in violation of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which recognizes the right of persons to seek asylum from persecution in other countries. The restrictions  imposed by Title 42 have  led to serious humanitarian consequences in northern Mexico in particular. “I appeal to the government of the United States to swiftly lift the public health-related asylum restrictions that remain in effect at the border and to restore access to asylum for the people whose lives depend on it, in line with international legal and human rights obligations,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement on 20 May. Despite the Title 42 order, the Biden administration recently allowed up to 7,750 asylum-seekers stranded in Mexico to enter the U.S. each month. The concession comes after negotiations with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which sued the government to stop migrant expulsions on the basis of Title 42. The agreement allows for a daily admission of 250 applicants to continue their legal cases on U.S. soil, up from the limit of no more than 35 migrant families per day. Even with the administration’s concession, litigation remains ongoing. The UN refugee agency maintains that the compromise is not sufficient and that protecting public health and protecting access to asylums are fully compatible. “A system which allows a small number of asylum-seekers to be admitted daily, however, carries with it a number of risks, and is not an adequate response,“ Grandi said. “I encourage the U.S. administration to continue its work to strengthen its asylum system and diversify safe pathways so asylum-seekers are not forced to resort to dangerous crossings facilitated by smugglers.” Despite efforts to overturn Trump-era policies, Biden has been met with criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over a rise in the number of people crossing the country's southern border, and approximately 26,000 active asylum cases that could take several years to process in backlogged courts. The administration has yet to say if asylum-seekers whose cases were denied or dismissed will have another shot at re-entry. When asked, aides have emphasized Biden’s promise of a “humane” asylum system to be unveiled soon. Photo © John Moore/Getty Images]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Techno artists come together for a Colombia charity compilation]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/colombia-charity-comp</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/colombia-charity-comp</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 27 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Proceeds from 100 Years Of Colombia will go towards the NGOs ColPaz, Red Juridica Feminista, and more.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[DJ Nobu, Steve Bicknell, and DJ Rush are among dozens of artists contributing tracks to the compilation 100 Years Of Colombia to be released on June 3. The income from the 99-track album will be donated to charity organizations across Colombia. Colombia-based DJ Exos spearheaded the initiative, together with Planet X label manager Hassen Belhaj. “Since the 18th of April 2021 the people of Colombia have been protesting peacefully in almost every city of the country,” says Exos. “People rose up against corruption and unfairness from their government entities. These protests have been permeated and violated by terrible police brutality. There have been documented disappearances of hundreds of people, killings of civilians by police forces, sexual assaults made by members of the police, and thousands of injured victims according to the non-governmental organization ONG Temblores, who have been documenting the situation.” The 99 tracks on the compilation come from notable artists including FJAAK, Dasha Rush, Lady Starlight, Mark Broom, Bjarki, Cari Lekebusch, Rødhåd, and Refuge Worldwide resident Steve Bicknell. The digital release can be pre-ordered now on Bandcamp.  Proceeds will go to a number of causes through ColPaz, an NGO that deals with current social development issues in Colombia and also intermediates support towards third-party organizations in defense of civil human rights. The charities receiving donations will be Desaparicion Forzada, Movice (Movimento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado), and Red Juridica Feminista, among others to be confirmed. More details about the situation in Colombia can be found here. Photo © BARRETO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Understanding the Israel-Palestine crisis—and how to help]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/israel-palestine</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/israel-palestine</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 19 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The international community has called for a ceasefire and humanitarian assistance following days of escalating violence.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The past two weeks have seen surging violence in Israel and Palestine, with a series of events coinciding to spark the worst conflict the region has seen in years. Tension has been building in the contested city of Jerusalem for several months due to the upcoming evictions in Sheikh Jarrah, a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood near the Old City in East Jerusalem. While the dispute over the area has spanned decades, it reached a head last year when Israel’s Supreme Court released an order to evict eight Palestinian families from their homes to make room for Jewish settlers.  The decision added fuel to the flames of an already-volatile territorial dispute, which was intensified by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This year, Palestinians worshippers at Al Aqsa Mosque—one of Islam's most revered sites—were dispersed by Israeli police. While many stayed on to support the Palestinians facing evictions, their protests were met with stun grenades, skunk water, and rubber bullets. The ensuing days have been defined by the most deadly volley of attacks in the area since 2014. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 200 people have been killed since last week, including 61 children and 36 women. Over 1,000 have been injured. Hundreds of thousands in Gaza face shortages of clean water and medicine. Recently, a growing number of rights watchdogs—including Human Rights Watch—have accused the Israeli government of apartheid and colonial ethnic cleansing, though Netanyahu rejects these allegations. The blockade of Gaza, Israeli officials have added, is a security measure to prevent Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza and opposes Israel’s existence, from acquiring weapons.  EDIT: On May 20, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, bringing a tenuous halt to the 11 days of hostilities. To help Palestinians, you can donate to the following organizations: Medical Aid for Palestine Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) is a registered charity supporting the injured. They are providing essential medications, dressing, and fluids. They are also supporting the central blood bank. To donate, visit their website here. Palestine Children’s Relief Fund The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund has been working in the Middle East for over 25 years, offering surgery and urgent aid to children of all religions and nationalities. Donations help provide medication, volunteer surgeons, and other humanitarian services. To donate, visit their website here where you can select a monthly or one-off donation. Palestine Appeal by Muslim Relief The registered charity Muslim Relief have set up a Just Giving page in order to provide essentials to those affected by conflict. They are aiming to provide clean water, food packages, warm meals, clothes, and more essentials. To donate, visit the Just Giving page here. If you can’t afford to donate, you can still enact change by writing your representative.  FOA is a UK-based non-profit group campaigning for human rights that provides email templates to send to representatives. US and Canadian citizens can sign local petitions and write to their representatives using the resources listed here. All international readers can refer to this list detailing the contact information for their Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Photo © Hosam Salem for The New York Times]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Protests in Colombia escalate as civilians demand sweeping reform]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/colombia</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/colombia</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Dozens of people have died in the surge of demonstrations that started on April 28.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Protests in Colombia are entering their third straight week following right-wing President Iván Duque’s decision to introduce a regressive financial proposal on April 28.  The bid would have added a 19-percent tax to a number of essential goods and services, including water, electricity, and food items. Officials put forward a similar motion giving tax breaks to corporations and the banking sector in 2019. Despite Duque’s withdrawal of the recent legislation, the public’s resistance has mounted into a general strike. Demonstrators are calling for sweeping social changes and demanding a basic income scheme, free university education, and police reform. Dozens of people have died in the subsequent uprisings, almost all of them civilians. Many of the protesters' demands are rooted in Colombia's high levels of inequality. The coronavirus pandemic has made the lives of many Colombians more precarious as strict lockdowns without financial support left many people unable to earn a living. Official numbers now say that 42.5 percent of the population is living in poverty. The country’s GDP dropped by 6.8 percent last year. While the initial wave of protests were sparked by trade unions, they have since grown to involve a number of heterogeneous groups including students, feminists, Indigenous rights groups, and middle class people who fear the government’s policies will push their incomes below the poverty line. Government officials have attempted to link the protests to left-wing rebel groups such as the revolutionary armed forces FARC, with whom the government signed a peace treaty in 2016.  Protestors argue that the government's security forces have been violent and treated the population as “the enemy.” “You can feel change when you go out in the street and feel the union of the people for wanting a better outcome for our country, but it all ends when we see someone else’s life end before our eyes in some other part of Colombia or in Bogotá," the Bogotá-based club promoter Miguel Lega told Refuge Worldwide. "We really need some change. It’s not normal to see more than 800 people lost and more than 30 people dead by our ‘authority.’ If we weren't killed by COVID-19, the government would be the one to kill us.” President Duque has ruled out giving into the protestors' demand to dismantle the militarized riot police, which has exercised increasingly brutal tactics. On 4 May, the United Nations’ human rights office accused Colombia's security forces of using excessive force and said it was "deeply alarmed" by reports that police had opened fire on protesters. Demonstrators have asked the international community to share information about the strike using the hashtag #SOSColombia and to organize solidarity rallies across the globe. For other ways to help citizens on the front lines, visit Primera Linea Colombia's Instagram page. Photo © Fernando Vergara/AP Photo]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[foundation.fm and Refuge Worldwide combine for takeover]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/foundation-fm-takeover</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/foundation-fm-takeover</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 13 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Friday 14th May sees an artist and platform exchange between the stations]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Ten resident artists from foundation.fm and Refuge Worldwide radio will broadcast across both platforms this Friday. The link-up comes as part of foundation.fm's Friday Takeover series. From Refuge Worldwide the programme includes We B... from Black Brown Berlin's Alele Akoth & Ropafadzo Murombo, Su Phu with Margaux, a residency show from Londoner Stem, Daisychain founder Leesh and HAMAM promoter Sedef Adasi. On the foundation.fm side residents Kennedy Taylor and Almass Badat are joined by Skeamer, Children of Zeus and Zof. Kicking off at 11:00 CET the programme runs through to 21:00 CET. foundation.fm's roster will take the first five hours, with Refuge Worldwide handling the evening. With an uprising in the industry of communities trying to find safe spaces to play, create and grow, foundation.fm’s mission is to showcase the hottest emerging talent in the underground music scene, led by a diverse group of women, LGTBQI+ persons and talented creatives who support shared values – with women at the forefront. foundation.fm founders Becky Richardson, Ami Bennett and Frankie Wells. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[EU plans to boost power of controversial border agency Frontex]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/frontex</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/frontex</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 11 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[New reporting reveals how officers have used brutal tactics to keep migrants from reaching European shores]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The European Union is looking to strengthen the authority of its privately-owned border agency, Frontex, despite accusations of brutal treatment toward migrants. In January, the EU’s anti-fraud watchdog, OLAF, began investigating Frontex in response to allegations that its officers have harassed migrants and conducted unlawful operations to stop refugees from reaching EU shores. Frontex is already facing a number of investigations by the European Parliament and the European Ombudsman. Last Wednesday, The Guardian revealed that 2,000 refugee deaths are linked to illegal EU pushbacks, showing how member states have been supported by Frontex in their efforts to turn people away and that they’ve used the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic to increase the regularity and severity of their actions. The Guardian’s analysis found that EU member states used Frontex to stop nearly 40,000 asylum-seekers from crossing into Europe during the pandemic in one of “the biggest mass expulsions in decades;” Frontex officers used illegal tactics ranging from assault to brutality during detention or transportation to keep thousands of people, including children fleeing from wars, from crossing EU borders. More than 2,000 of these migrants died. The pandemic has emboldened border countries to take harder stances towards migration. Many have used the pretense of halting the outbreak to keep refugees out and intercept boats in distress at sea. In April, Italy and Libya were accused of deliberately ignoring a mayday call from a migrant boat in distress, leading to 130 people being lost at sea off the coast of Libya. The EU is looking to give Frontex enhanced powers to deport people as it struggles with a low rate of voluntary returns. In 2019, EU countries issued over 490,000 return decisions, but only a fraction of those affected chose to leave of their own will. Frontex’s budget—which comes directly from EU contributions—has increased rapidly in recent years, growing from €142 million in 2015 to €460 million in 2020. “It's very risky to give additional roles to Frontex, particularly in third countries where Frontex operations tend to be quite opaque and where there is a risk that Frontex runs a sort of parallel foreign policy,” Catherine Woollard, director of European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), told Euronews. “On the question of returns, in particular, we know return operations are a particular area where there is a risk of violations.” Frontex did not comment on the accusations raised in The Guardian, but does claim to have attempted to rescue the boat in distress off the coast of Libya. “All authorities, certainly Frontex, did all that was humanly possible under the circumstances,” a spokesperson said. Photo © SPD Europa]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[How Christiana Bukalo is tackling statelessness]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/how-christiana-bukalo-is-tackling-statelessness</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/how-christiana-bukalo-is-tackling-statelessness</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The Munich-based activist started Statefree to support the millions of people worldwide denied nationality and citizenship rights.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Christiana Bukalo first understood she was stateless at the age of 18.  Born in Munich to parents who immigrated from West Africa without the personal identification they needed to secure German citizenship, she grew up without a national identity and quickly became accustomed to the limitations inherent to her statelessness status.  But it wasn’t until Bukalo attempted to make a solo trip to Marrakech in 2019—her first out of the country—that she grasped the wide-scale ignorance surrounding the concept of statelessness and the degree to which it limited her life. Bukalo was in possession of a travel document that characterized her citizenship status as “XXA.” Hostile border policemen, confused by the classifier, immediately forced her to return on the first flight back to Germany. Devastated by the experience, Bukalo began seeking answers.  The ensuing years have turned her into an advocate for stateless people, of which there are approximately 11 million around the world. Earlier this year, Bukalo received funding for her nascent non-profit Statefree, an NGO dedicated to providing resources for stateless people and a forum through which they can connect with each other and share their stories. We sat down with the activist and entrepreneur to talk about what life has been like as a stateless person, her plans for the platform, and her hopes to change the future of transnational migration and discriminatory border policies. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and what led you to open this platform? I was born in Munich. I’ve always had this sense of uncertainty, but as a child I didn’t think about it too much or too often because our main problem back then was our residence permit, and the fact that we were seeking asylum, which is more important than being German or having any nationality. So the focus was to make sure that we were allowed to stay in Germany. My parents were always in legal consultations and in contact with lawyers who supported us. The most vivid memories I have from that time were staying in an asylum home until I was five, then we moved into a flat. Starting from school, I came into touch with the topic of statelessness more often because we always had issues with my not being able to travel anywhere. There were always these little trips we had to take for school and I couldn’t join. And friends from school started taking vacations and traveling, and at that point I actively started to understand that something was different.  I was 18 the first time I got a travel document. It was called a Travel Document for Stateless People back then. As a stateless person you aren’t allowed to have a passport. In comparison to my friends, I travel once every two years probably. For work I've traveled a few times, but by “travel” I mean that from Munich I traveled to Hamburg. That’s basically it. It’s always uncomfortable for me to travel because it’s always tied to this uncertainty that I don’t know what’s going to happen when security checks my documents. Oftentimes the people checking have no knowledge about it [statelessness]. The document is obviously issued by the state, but authorities working for the government don't get proper education around that, so I oftentimes have to explain this, which is accompanied by a lot of doubts. I can’t even imagine how stressful that would be.  Yes, borders are very physical to me. Oftentimes people aren’t really sure whether or not to let me in, and honestly I don’t even know! I decided to travel to Marrakech for two weeks. Beforehand, I did a lot of research to see if I was even allowed to travel there. I reached out to the embassy, and they didn’t know what statelessness is. So I flew to Marrakech, and as soon as I arrived, I was confronted with the information that I’m not actually allowed to enter the country without a passport. So that was an extremely traumatic experience. I cried a lot.  A week after I returned, I was extremely upset and ashamed that I didn’t have the necessary information, that maybe I didn’t do my research correctly. I felt like I just needed to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else, and that it doesn’t happen to me again. In my mind, I thought, “Okay. People have created the concept of statelessness, so there must be a global institution that knows everything there is to know about statelessness.” But people really don’t know what it is. On your document, it doesn’t really say “stateless,” it says “XXA.” Try Googling “XXA!” So I didn’t even know the term for it. All I knew was that I was without citizenship.  Before this research, I always thought that me and my sisters were the only ones. If you are affected by something, and you notice that no one else in your environment knows anything about it, then you assume that it’s not really a problem that exists, right? It might be a coincidence, but yours must be a very individual case. I’d never met anyone else who had been affected by this or who even knew about the term. And obviously there were no solutions, so I thought that if there were more people who were affected, then there would be more people taking care of them.  But I found out that there are millions of people who are affected. The estimate I found in 2019 was 10 million, which came from the UN. Then I found an estimate a few months ago that said 12 million. There’s just no sufficient data. It’s extremely non-transparent. It doesn’t make sense.  Is this when you decided to start Statefree? Kind of. At some point, I realized there is no single source of truth, but there is a lot of fragmented information. So I thought, “Maybe we don’t need another website that just recreates the problem that already exists, but rather points you to the information you need as a stateless person.” When I talked to the different organizations working on this issue, what stood out to me is that there is a lack of communication between these different groups. And that’s how I understood that I needed a platform and a space for people to communicate about the topic, especially for people who are stateless. Because up until now, it hasn’t been something visible. “Loneliness” and “exclusion” are words that definitely come to mind, especially politically. But also in terms of having a community. So maybe there’s no need to feel lonely about this. There are people experiencing the same thing. I bought the domain Statefree, mostly because I hate that it’s called “stateless.” It already shows that not being a part of the state is something that makes you lose something. Why is it less? Less than what? It’s super wrong, at least in my opinion. At some point somebody sent me a link to Humanity In Action and the Alfred Landecker foundation; it was a fellowship for social change-makers. They were offering a stipend and seed funding. It was great because it would allow me to work with professionals to develop the website. Since then, things have been progressing pretty well. The fellowship started in September. The team grew. Now we’re eight people and we’re working with a web developer. So that’s where we’re at right now.  What are different sets of circumstances that could lead to somebody being stateless? One of the problems with statelessness is that the ways of determining statelessness often aren’t defined. So it’s oftentimes extremely arbitrary. In my case, for example, when my parents came to Germany, they didn’t have sufficient information to prove their identities. And in order for me to become German, being born in Germany isn’t enough.  Statelessness by birth (or childhood statelessness) is a huge issue. So for me to at some point become German, I’d need to prove my identity. I'm stateless, but before that I just had an undetermined nationality, which is even worse. If you have an undefined or undetermined nationality, you have even less access to rights that other people have, which means it could be even harder to get a travel document, and you can’t apply for citizenship because your nationality is undefined or unclear. The 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons stated that people living in a territory would be protected, and that UNHCR is "tasked to undertake measures to identify, prevent, and reduce statelessness, as well as to promote the protection of stateless persons." So, despite efforts to not reproduce statelessness, states are still reproducing the status of an unclear nationality, which is even worse. In Germany, you can only apply for citizenship if you’re at least stateless, and you can only get a statelessness status if you can prove that you aren't entitled to another nationality. So you would need to maybe travel to a country you have never been to—and you can’t even travel—to prove that they are not willing to give you citizenship so that the other country can give you a statelessness status. So people spend a lot of money and a lot of time and emotional burden on proving things they can't prove. I’m born here, so there’s no country in the world that has more information about me than Germany.  In other cases, the country you’re born in or are living in isn’t recognized as a state anymore. So that’s the case with Palestine. There are also gender discriminating cases. In some countries, mothers aren’t allowed to pass their citizenship on to their children. A lot of it is that people will resettle to other countries, and those countries don’t want them to have citizenship.  I imagine being stateless precludes you from accessing opportunities and exercising rights and privileges that most people take for granted. Yes. I'm not sure whether or not I’d be able to marry someone, because oftentimes you need a clarified identity. And I’m also not sure what would happen if I had a child and wasn’t married. I would probably pass my statelessness status on to my child. But other people have worse problems; they’re not allowed to go to school, or they can’t travel at all. They don't have access to public health services. In Germany I do, because I work here, and that’s tied to my working permit and not my nationality.  I’m 27 and I have never lived in another country. I don’t understand what prevents me from voting and participating in society. Stateless people have no power at all. They can’t vote, and then the people who are voting decide who our political parties are, who then determine our access to everything.  In general, things that seem simple to other people are so difficult for us. For example, I really wanted to study communications at a university in Munich, but when I tried to apply for it, they asked for my nationality on the digital form. In the dropdown there was no option for “stateless.” So I just didn’t apply, because I didn’t know how. I knew that asking the people in charge of the program would mean that I’d have to explain what statelessness is, and that even explaining it wouldn’t mean that the problem is solved, because neither I nor them knows whether or not I'm allowed to study at the university.  Other apps require that you prove your identity, and you need to upload your ID to verify your identity. My ID will be rejected 10 times because the system isn’t familiar with it. These are just the small things that are micro-aggressions for stateless people. Nobody understands that we exist.  I know that one goal of Statefree is to find other people to share their stories, and it seems like that would be a very empowering way of taking control of a narrative that’s systematically tried to erase you. Have you had much luck finding people to share their stories? Do you have any plans in place for developing that part of the platform?  Well, right now we only have a landing page! We’re still developing the forum. We’re testing the registration flow and how you post and so forth. We want to have a feed—which is familiar with what we know of social media—and we’ll have another part that’s structured like a forum. Right now our plan is to make the space as comfortable and as welcoming as possible, which isn’t very easy. Apart from that, I'm getting in contact with other stateless people. I'm getting to know them through online events and webinars. People also reach out to me. ENS—European Network on Statelessness—has also called stateless activists and community leaders to get together once a month to share their stories and updates. And this has been a great process to stay in contact with people who are stateless.  What are some tangible ways that statelessness could be addressed? How do you see the conversation growing and legal rights being expanded to include more stateless people? That’s a good question. I was avoiding getting into this legal and political space because I'm not an expert—I’m just a stateless person. But right now we are actually starting to think about things we want to advocate for. The terms of becoming stateless are so arbitrary and undefined. In Germany, becoming stateless or getting German citizenship almost depends on the city you live in. This is something that should stop. It should be similar in all cities, and it shouldn’t depend on luck.
 Somebody also needs to decide what’s possible as a stateless person. These decisions need to be documented. Why can’t people at the highest levels of decision-making at least try to make the situation as easy as possible for us? If readers wanted to help or get involved in some way, what would you suggest they do? I really believe that one of the most important things is spreading the word. I remember that I barely ever told anyone I was stateless. Only my closest friends knew, because it’s not something you just share with anyone. It usually leads to a pretty uncomfortable conversation. There are 126,000 stateless people in Germany. But where are they? Spreading the word can support in raising awareness, increase visibility and potentially even get in contact with other people who are affected by statelessness.
 Apart from that, I think that everyone needs to reflect on the topic of national identity as a whole. Is identity really tied to your citizenship? It can be for some, but some people might identify with the country they’re born in, while others identify with the country they now live in.  One thing that’s very important to me is to at least address the fact that my story is one out of many, and that it’s about everyone who is stateless. It’s super hard to understand this topic, and people think this means they don’t know enough about it. But that’s actually not true. It’s hard to understand because it’s hard to understand. 
Follow Christiana Bukalo on Instagram. You can visit the Statefree website here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Partisan Records donate Bandcamp Day revenue to Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bandcamp-day-partisan-records</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/bandcamp-day-partisan-records</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 07 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Buy music from Fela Kuti or IDLES to support ]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[On the first Friday of every month since March of 2020, Bandcamp have waived their revenue share to help support artists and labels.  Grammy-nominated Partisan Records, home to IDLES, Made Kuti and Laura Marling, will donate 24hrs of sales revenue from the platform to Refuge Worldwide this Friday 7th May.  Music from Fontaines D.C., Soulwax and Fela Kuti's full back catalogue is available from Partisan's Bandcamp page, with any purchases made today between 12am - 12am PST (Pacific Time) supporting the developing of projects at Refuge Worldwide. Sincere thanks to Ellie and all the folks at Partisan. Pick-up your music here. Listen to shows from Made Kuti and Ellie Rumbold on Refuge Worldwide. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Inside India’s deadly second wave]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/inside-indias-covid-19-deadly-second-wave</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/inside-indias-covid-19-deadly-second-wave</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Understanding the crisis and how to help]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Organizations and nonprofits worldwide are urging people to take action as India struggles to contain a surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths.  Hospitals nationwide are overwhelmed, lacking medical supplies to treat their patients, while many die before even seeing a doctor. In the last few weeks, the capital, Delhi, has been hit especially hard, with 448 deaths on Monday alone—a record toll. Local officials have reported that the city’s care facilities have run out of oxygen supplies for their patients. Delhi hospitals have taken to social media to secure supplies, while morgues and crematoriums have had trouble keeping up body counts. Official reports show the infection rates in India declining since the start of May, but many believe that infections and deaths have gone underreported. India accounts for 1 in 3 new cases reported worldwide, and a lack of testing could mean that the ratio is even higher. Up to 400,000 new cases were being reported daily at the end of April. Even though the official number has since gone down, epidemiologists warn that the figure could rise to 500,000 a day by August. Furthermore, the country’s vaccination rollout is off to a slow start. Despite being the world’s biggest vaccine producer, only 10 percent of India’s 1.4 billion people have received a dose. A shortage of supplies means that the situation is unlikely to improve for months, experts warn. Activists are pointing out the systemic factors that have led to this situation. In April, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 87 percent of the world’s vaccine supply had gone to higher-income countries, while lower-income countries received only 0.2 percent. In prime minister Narendra Modi’s constituency of Varanasi, citizens have criticized him for lack of action and for holding mass political rallies as the pandemic ravages his country.  “There are four fundamental issues that caused this crisis,” The Slow Factory Foundation wrote on their Instagram page. “The colonial prioritization of the Global North, the systemic miseducation of marginal communities, the intersecting forces of patriarchal individualism and non-accountability, and the capitalist valuing of profit over human life.” 
 There are several ways to help: 
Mumbai crowdfunding site Ketto is running a campaign to purchase 3,000 oxygen concentrators. https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/mission-oxygen-helping-hospitals-to-save-lives  
Youth Feed India and Helping Hands Charitable Trust are delivering ration kits to vulnerable residents of Mumbai, including daily wage labourers, sex workers and transgender persons. Each kit includes enough food to feed a family of four for 15 days. https://fundraisers.giveindia.org/fundraisers/lockdown-20-mumbai-needs-you  
Indian Red Cross Society runs blood drives and delivers aid and medical supplies all across the country. https://indianredcross.org/ircs/COVID-19  
UNICEF is providing oxygen concentrators and diagnostic testing systems, hygiene supplies and PPE kits to frontline health care workers, while also sharing hygiene information to slow the spread. https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/india-faces-brutal-covid-19-crisis-unicef-there-help/38520  By Steindór Jónsson. Photo © Getty Images.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and 3’Hi are putting on 10 hours of May Day programming]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-and-3hi-are-putting-on-10-hours-of-may-day-programming</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-and-3hi-are-putting-on-10-hours-of-may-day-programming</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 30 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The event will feature sets from BOK BOK, Kush Jones, Neana, and more.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[To mark the May Day demonstrations in Berlin this year, 3’Hi and Refuge Worldwide are hosting a day of DJ sets in support of Kreuzberger Himmel, a Berlin-based restaurant run by refugees that produces high-quality meals for Berlin’s homeless community.  The print shop Badly Drawn DJs will also provide illustrations of the artists taking part in the stream. The drawings have been added to a limited number of T-shirts—pictured above and below—donated by Edwin, the proceeds of which will also be donated to Kreuzberger Himmel. For more information about where donations will be sent, visit the restaurant's project page here. For a limited-edition shirt, email us at hello@refugeworldwide.com. The full May Day lineup is below (all times in CET).  15:00-16:00 BAE BAE 16:00-16:30 Cities Aviv (live) 16:30-17:30 Special Guest 17:30-18:30 Byrell The Great b2b Neana 18:30-19:30 Bianca Oblivion b2b DJ Polo 19:30-20:30 BOK BOK 20:30-21:00 :3LON (Live) 21:00-22:00 Kush Jones 22:00-23:00 OMAAR 23:00-00:00 Chippy Nonstop 00:00-01:00 Eyrah b2b Dr Gabber By Chloe Lula]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide is partnering with Open Music Lab Berlin]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-and-open-music-lab</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-worldwide-and-open-music-lab</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The organizations will launch two joint production and broadcasting workshops starting this May.]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide and the Berlin-based production school Open Music Lab (OML) will team up to offer a series of radio production and DJ workshops throughout 2021 and 2022.  OML, a project under the Give Something Back To Berlin umbrella, was formed in 2016 to offer safer, more accessible spaces for music production in a setting where cultural differences can be celebrated. The OML’s aim is to empower people to write and produce their own music. In recent years, its free workshops and courses have acted as vital places for Berlin’s diverse communities to connect and create together. Since 2018, Refuge and OML have worked together closely on a range of events, fundraising initiatives and panel discussions. “All the fundraising events that Refuge hosted in support of OML over the years have enabled us to continue working with our community and growing the numbers of talented students we create and make music with,” OML’s Gaby D'Annunzio said.  “With the support of Refuge, this year OML has been able to develop a full-length radio workshop series that will culminate in students being able to broadcast on Refuge Worldwide radio. The official partnership between Refuge Worldwide and Open Music Lab will give each of our communities a further platform to share their stories and have their music heard,” she added. It completes the cycle from music production to artist development and performance, giving underrepresented communities the spotlight they deserve and access to the music industry. Starting in May, the two collectives will be partnering on a Music Production & Artistic Development course, an 8-month programme that will help new musicians compose and release their first professional piece of music. Students will also develop their artistic persona through a live performance or DJ mix to be aired on Refuge Worldwide at the end of the course. The programme will welcome mentors such as Sarah Farina, UVB, Alex Rapp and KMRU, among many others. The second workshop—which will focus on radio and broadcasting—will take place over seven weeks during the spring and summer. The courses are due to feature guest mentor appearances from Mary Anne Hobbs, award-winning composer Benbrick and journalist Paul Hanford. Like the previous workshop, these projects will be broadcast on Refuge Worldwide. Until restrictions allow, courses are scheduled to take place online, with future events and classes slated to be held at the OML’s workshop space on Lenaustraße and the new Refuge Worldwide studio on Weserstraße in Neukölln. For more information on deadlines and how to apply, follow OML on Instagram or subscribe to their newsletter. By Chloe Lula Photo credit: Carys Huws ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Climate change disasters exacerbating displacements, UN warns]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/climate-change-disasters-exacerbating-displacements-un-warns</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/climate-change-disasters-exacerbating-displacements-un-warns</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[By Steindór Jónsson]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Weather-related events triggered an average of 21.5 million new displacements each year over the past decade, according to a new data visualization from The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).  On Earth Day, 22 April, UNHCR released a new data visualization highlighting how climate change is compounding risks worldwide for people already living with conflict and instability. More than twice as many displacements were caused by weather-related events than conflict and violence over the past decade, with most people remaining in their home countries in areas highly exposed to perilous weather. Many are unable to return home—becoming internally displaced people—while others are seeking safety abroad. The data illustrates how countries already struggling with conflict, poverty and high levels of displacement are faced with the most severe effects of climate change. In Afghanistan, recurring droughts and floods—combined with the effects of decades of conflict—have left millions vulnerable to hunger this year. In Mozambique, a succession of cyclones has battered the country’s central region, while violence and turmoil in the north has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Climate change-related disasters have decreased food security in vulnerable areas as well, leading to price increases that make food unaffordable for many impoverished or displaced communities. 80 percent of displaced people worldwide live in the areas affected. Similarly, extreme weather can destroy refugee settlements. In Bangladesh, for example, Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Myanmar are now exposed to worsening cyclones and flooding. “We need to invest now in preparedness to mitigate future protection needs and prevent further climate caused displacement,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi earlier this year. “Waiting for disaster to strike is not an option.”  To see the data visualization in full, visit the UNHCR site here. 
Photo © UNHCR/Claire Thomas]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Gramrcy features on fundraising compilation from Hot Concept]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hot-concept-fundraising-compilation</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hot-concept-fundraising-compilation</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Proceeds will go to refugee projects in Greece]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Hot Concept have released a six-track various artist EP, ‘Hot Compilation’, with all proceeds being donated to habibi.works.  habibi.works is an on-the-ground charity assisting refugees in Greece by providing spaces to use and exchange skills. Founded by German NGO Soup and Socks e.V. in 2016 as an intercultural exchange, the project is designed to bring refugees, locals and international experts together to create products and perspectives. There are eight different workshop spaces provided by habib.works for refugees in northern Greece, among them a wood workshop, a metal workshop, a sewing atelier and a Media Lab with access to advanced technology such as 3D printer and laser cutter. Hot Concept ​is a Berlin-based electronic and alternative music outlet founded by DJ, writer and producer, John Loveless. The ‘Hot Compilation’ release includes tracks from Bleaching Agent, Pokies & John Loveless, and Refuge Worldwide resident Gramrcy. Buy the release on Bandcamp here. 
					
				
			
		
	
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            <title><![CDATA[Help build Refuge Worldwide community radio]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/crowdfunder</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/crowdfunder</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[We have launched a GoFundMe for the new studio]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We have just received the wonderful opportunity to take over a fantastic new space in Neukölln, where we can build a real studio for the community.  To help us start building the studio as quickly as possible, we are hoping to raise 10,000 EUR via a GoFundMe page. Refuge Worldwide is a new radio station and platform in Berlin, amplifying the people, music and issues that we care about.  It is more important than ever to make sure we build thriving, independent and growing cooperative communities. The new Refuge Worldwide studio will not only be a community space but it will offer a platform to artists, DJs, community leaders, activists and journalists to showcase their work, as well as helping to connect people with grassroots organisations. Why do we need the studio space? - A physical studio will allow us to be online more days and for longer hours, offering additional space for programming - We want to provide a safe and welcoming space for the community to practice and train on professional equipment - We plan to begin producing our own content covering the issues important to us and our online community, including human rights, migration and sustainability. - To have a place for hosting events and community workshops, including mentorship classes from our residents. The studio will be open, at no cost, to youth and community groups, marginalised persons, and persons who do not have access to a professional audio environment. We will have a booking system to enable training, practicing and/or an introduction to a professional DJ booth and radio studio. Slots/time can be used for recording pilot episodes, getting to know industry standard equipment like turntables and DJ mixers, or just for practicing voice overs and mixes. Thank you for reading and your support. If you can’t contribute with a donation we would greatly appreciate sharing this page on your social media channels. GoFundMe
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            <title><![CDATA[International Women's Day on Refuge Worldwide]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/international-womens-day</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/international-womens-day</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[BLACK WOMXN'S LIVES MATTER]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[We proudly present a live broadcast in collaboration with female:pressure this International Women’s Day, 8th March. Lerato Khathi aka Lakuti, our curator for the day, has brought together a fantastic schedule of music under the banner BLACK WOMXN'S LIVES MATTER, kicking off at 14:00 through to 20:00 (CET/Berlin). Broadcasting live via Refuge Worldwide, the line-up will feature a particular emphasis on DJs in the Global South; Mari Boaventura, Thuli Majozi, Madame Vacile, Bonolo Mafoyane, Jana Falcon and Atiyyah Khan from Future Nostalgia, an arts collective based in Cape Town. Lerato Khathi, is a DJ and artist manager based in Berlin. She is the founder of Uzuri Recordings and Uzuri Artist Bookings & Management agency.

Lakuti said of the event, "IWD means highlighting the fact that we are still living in a world that undervalues womxn on so many levels. It is a day of solidarity, a day of decolonising the womxn struggle." Tune in on refugeworldwide.com from 14:00 CET on Monday.  Photo of Lakuti by Clara Nebeling. Full programme Veronica Villegas / Madame Vacile Madame Vacile, the Afro-Colombian fusion artist who comes from one of the best-known Colombian regions of Afro-descendants, Barranquilla. She grew up in La Arenosa to the rhythm of champeta and Creole therapy until he saturated his senses with those mere rhythms, so he wanted to explore what other sounds Africa hid. Bonolo Mafoyane / Sumthin Brown "I've put together this afro-fusion mix to highlight music by a unique breed of South African musos who told and tell jazz in the most indigenous and spiritual way imaginable, a way that is specifically unique to South African attitudes, tastes, word-play and wisdom. Some are of today and some are of then, but the main thing remains the main thing - an interesting "hard-to-box" fusion of afro folk, afroblues and afro jazz." Bonolo Mafoyane is a mother, writer, events promoter and DJ (Sumthin Brown) based in
Johannesburg, having played at major festivals in South Africa including OppiKoppi,
Smoking Dragon and the Joburg Street Food festivals. She has also played in Botswana
and the Kingdom of Eswatini, establishing professional relationships with artists, DJs and industry professionals in those republics. Her scope of work is mainly in the music industry as a DJ, an archivist, a cultural
commentator and founder & head curator of the Disco Cheese Funk Party series held at Kitcheners in Braamfontein, Johannesburg: a discotheque-themed night where only Funk, Disco, Soul, Boogie and Groove music is played on the night. Her politics include active circumvention of gate-keeping and exclusionary concepts that recycle artists and stifle the natural flow of industry growth, as well as advocating for fair and equal treatment of women artists on and off the stage. Sumthin Brown is also a member and co-founder of Femme Kollektive Experiment, an all-woman DJ collective formed by 5 women collectors/selectors/DJs in 2017. Thuli Majozi  Born and raised from the Vaal South of Johannesburg, South Africa. She describes the music that she plays as African Folk, High Life, African Ancestral Jazz, Spiritual Jazz, Malombo just to mention a few. Thuli Majozi as she is formally known considers herself as a versatile entertainer who does not believe in limiting oneself. This individual right her defines herself as a boundary pusher, out-of-the-box-thinker. She is part of The Femme Kollektive Experiment, a movement of 5 women collectors with a deep love for music across all genres, time and space. Atiyyah Khan / Future Nostalgia Atiyyah Khan is an arts journalist, archivist, selector, crate-digger, record collector and events-curator from Johannesburg, based in Cape Town. 

In 2013, Atiyyah co-founded music collective Future Nostalgia, which hosts listening sessions around Cape Town. The collective is a platform to gather in the spirit of community and brings together ‘collectors, selectors, deejays, and diggers’ to celebrate the culture of records and listening. As DJ El Corazon, her sets explore music beyond boundaries forming connections that link South Africa to the rest of the world. She has also experimented with self-publishing; her latest zine titled Bismillah references Islam and music in Africa. 

Since 2007, Atiyyah has documented arts and culture and been published in major newspapers across South Africa, both in print and online. She was the 2010 Pulitzer Fellowship recipient for her Masters studies at the University of Southern California. Currently, she writes about music, art and culture for online publication, The New Frame. Jana Falcon Jana Falcon grew up in the 1990s with Euro Dance, UK Garage, 2 Step and the likes. The greater Frankfurt area was her home and became her safe harbour for many wild party nights. The famous “Robert Johnson” Club caught her particular attention, or in other words: she crashed there every friggin' weekend for some good ol' House Music. Around 2008 she wanted more and became a regular guest at Berlin's kingdom of House Music Madness – Panorama Bar. Pure love for the music being played there and her very own sense of nerdiness made her start browsing, buying and treasuring Vinyl records and subsequently she began to DJ, too. Jana moved from Frankfurt to Berlin around 2011 and very soon the first DJ gigs came up.  As an alumni of Berlin's SAE institute it's not quite surprising she started producing on a high quality level, too. In 2016, after a long way to go with producing, mixing, mastering and especially facing up to the art of cutting Vinyl records, her first record was released on “Smile for a while.”   Her DJ sets combine eclectic UK Garage and old school House tunes with modern, synth-driven House tunes, as well as deep & discoid stuff. Despite her broad influences she's a DJ personality with an instantly recognizable signature sound. Mari Boaventura Explorer of sounds, images and ideas Diggin’ the imagistic sonority of the African diaspora music and its more modern developments. She is a member of the collective AfroHub and ComunaDeusa. Creator of the parties Avec Ma Mobilete and Sounds Of
Siririca. Beyond that, she is the founder and executive producer of Pantera Cartel Agency. She has present herself along side of artists such as, Luana Hansen, Mel Duarte, Rincon Sapiência, Stephanie Roberta, Luedji Luna, Dj Hum, Seu Oswaldo, Buika, among others. Her passion for black musicality is remarkable in the naturalness with she presents to the audience the diaspora's sounds forms. She has already performed at festivals in Brazil and in countries such as France and Mexico (Carnaval de Bahidora 2019). She makes visual experiments on the festivals, concerts and streets of Brazil. To attentive ears: all creativity and swingue of black music. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Free Online Music Production Course]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-music-lab</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/open-music-lab</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Priority access to persons from marginalised communities]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Open Music Lab have announced a new online beginners‘ course for music production. In the 6-week course they will show you the key concepts of electronic music-making. You‘ll learn how to use the Ableton Live D.A.W., how to construct beats and work with virtual instruments, how to use MIDI and how to work with audio. By the end of the course, you‘ll have all the basic skills you need to start working on your own music. The course is led by Nathan Micay (Whities/LuckyMe) with assistance from the OML team.  Priority given to people with refugee backgrounds, POC and LGBTQ communities, disabled people, women, trans and non-binary people or anyone else who faces difficulties when accessing the music scene or music education in Berlin. Sign up here, classes are Tuesdays at 18:30 starting from March 9th. 


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            <title><![CDATA[Berlin demo to mark anniversary of Hanau murders]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hanau-demo-1st-anniversary</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/hanau-demo-1st-anniversary</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[#Hanauistuberfall]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[This week marks the one year anniversary of the Hanau killings. In February 2020, a far-right extremist murdered nine people in a racist terror attack targeting people with a migrant background.  The victims names were Ferhat Unvar, Gökhan Gültekin, Hamza Kurtović, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Sedat Gürbüz, Kalojan Velkov, Vili Viorel Păun and Fatih Saraçoğlu. On Saturday 20th Feb at 14:00 there will be an antifascist demo starting at Hermannstr. S-Bahnhof and throughout Neukölln to Oranienplatz, Kreuzberg. The demo will commemorate the lives of the Hanau victims and all those affected by racist violence. Message from migrantifa_berlin Our route for tomorrow. Don't forget masks, take drinks and a snack with you. Take care of yourselves and others, don't film people demonstrating and put their faces on the internet (without pixelating). Some people are targeted by the state and fascists - because they are left-wing, because they are active, because they are Kanak, because they are illegalised (sic). Keep that in mind, we are demonstrating together, but we are not all equally safe on the ground. Unsere Route für morgen. Masken nicht vergessen, Getränke und kleinen Snack mitnehmen. Achtet auf euch und andere, filmt keine demonstrierenden Menschen und stellt ihre Gesichter unverpixelt ins Internet. Manche Leute sind das Ziel von Staat und Faschos - weil sie links sind, weil sie aktiv sind, weil sie kanakisch sind, weil sie illegalisiert sind. Behaltet das im Kopf, wir demonstrieren gemeinsam, sind aber nicht alle gleich sicher vor Ort. 

 


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            <title><![CDATA[Queer Black Therapy Fund]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/patreon-queer-black-therapy-fund</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/patreon-queer-black-therapy-fund</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide fundraising announcement]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide are happy to announce we are supporting the Queer Black Therapy Fund, donating a share of the revenue from our Patreon account between the dates of January 1st and June 30th 2021. The Queer Black Therapy Fund is a Berlin-based initiative started by Kemoy Jemmott, a Psychodynamic Counsellor and Sex Educator.  Kemoy, who is also the host of The Queer Black Therapy show on Refuge Worldwide, set up the the fund in order to pay for psychotherapy for 10 Black, Queer people who live in Germany for up to one year. Why the Queer Black Therapy Fund? Both Black people and Queer people have difficulties in accessing mental health services which are competent and understanding of how lived experience is impacted by identity, while the COVID pandemic has disproportionately impacted Black communities.  A GoFundMe page set up by Kemoy on behalf of Gladt e.V., outlines the issues Black communities are facing, “The racial injustices happening in the US and around the globe has had a compounding impact on the mental health of Black people. Living with the generational trauma of our ancestors, the racial trauma that we still have to face and systemic racism, which makes things like accessing appropriate health care a challenge, can leave Black communities at risk to a range of Mental health issues including Depression and Anxiety.” The Gladt. association, who will help distribute the funds, is a self-organization of Black and of colour lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans *, inter * and Queer people in Berlin. They are involved on various levels against racism, sexism, trans * and homophobia, hostility for the disabled and other forms of discrimination. Call For Counsellors and Psychotherapists A statement from Kemoy explains that the Fund is also searching for more health professionals to join the project. It reads, “Although we are raising funds for 10 people’s therapy, it is anticipated that there will be many applications. We would like to put an arrangement in place for those people who apply to our fund but are not selected to have an alternative way to access therapy.” “We are searching for Counsellors and Psychotherapists who are able to be reimbursed by health insurance companies to work with applicants to the fund. We would like to be able to refer applicants to specific Therapists within this network so that the client can begin working with the Therapist and have the cost of Therapy covered by their health insurance. We are still in the process of raising funds and anticipate that we will be allocating clients to Therapist in Spring 2021. “Because Black and Queer people will be applying to access this fund we ask that Therapists be aware of how racial and sexual identities can impact a person's lived experience. We do not need you to be an expert in these fields but ask that you have some experience working with these kinds of clients and are open to learning.” “Therapists who are willing to work with the fund will have access to a Therapy room in Berlin at no cost, group supervision, as well as membership to an online platform so that you may see clients remotely. If you are interested in seeing clients from this fund please let me know and I would be happy to discuss this with you more. Please email us at queerblacktherapyfund@gmail.com.” Follow Kemoy Jemmott on Instagram or her website. Header image by Miikka Luotio]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Close Napier and Penally barracks]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/close-napier-and-penally-barracks</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/close-napier-and-penally-barracks</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 23 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[UK residents - call on your MP to take action]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Choose Love and the Guardian are reporting that victims of trafficking, modern slavery and torture are facing prison-like conditions in the UK.  Hundreds of asylum seekers are being detained in former army barracks at the Napier and Penally sites in Kent, south-east England. With no mental health support and over a quarter of the population within the barracks reportedly being diagnosed with COVID-19, the situation is becoming more dire every day. We at Refuge Worldwide join increasing calls to close the facilities and place asylum seekers in safe accommodation.  UK residents can write to their MPs here. The Napier and Penally barracks are known to be used as assessment and dispersal facilities. Last month the Guardian reported that lawyers were denied access to the Napier barracks. It is understood UK solicitors were trying to speak to 30 of their clients in need of urgent legal advice regarding their asylum claims, with many of the residents moved to detention centres ahead of forced deportation orders. This is unacceptable.  You can Tweet the UK Home Office here to let them know your feelings.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Refuge Worldwide radio launches in Berlin]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/station-launch</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/station-launch</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 18 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[New community platform begins broadcasting Wednesday 20th January]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge, the Berlin-based fundraising series, have launched a new community radio platform this month: Refuge Worldwide, a home for music, conversation, and a blog.  Refuge Worldwide’s programme combines internationally recognised and promising local artists, as well as offering a platform to marginalised communities and amplifying grassroots groups. The station will have shows from magazines and collectives, journalists, venues and activists, DJs, live acts, spoken word artists and community leaders. Topics covered by show hosts range from sustainability, identity, music, art and culture, sexuality, decolonisation, politics, human rights, migration and intersectionality. Resident DJs announced on the radio roster include Kate Miller, Resom, Monty Luke, Stem, Cromby, Sally C, Telephones, Double Dancer, Steve Bicknell, Nathalie Capello, Golden Medusa, Gramrcy, Nazanin Noori, AfroOankali, Yuko Asanuma, Aver, Friendly Fires’ Jack Savidge, Mother from Rubadub, and Hardwax’s Jesse Gravina with Johanna Wenzel. Featured collectives and platforms will include shows from female:pressure, an international network of female, transgender and non-binary artists; Berlin-based crew Climax, as well as CO:QUO, Black Brown Berlin, Daisychain Podcast, Warning, Femme Bass Mafia, Face The Music, Open Music Lab, and Creative Sustainability.  Magazines involved with monthly slots on the station include long-running electronic music publication Truants, International Orange, and new Berlin publishing house SOFT EIS.  Record labels with residencies at Refuge Worldwide are Love On The Rocks, Beats Of No Nation, Mansions & Millions (Best German Label at the VUT Indie Awards 2020), Concentric Records, Partisan Records, (home of Fela Kuti's back catalogue), and Berlin-based party crew/imprint Raiders. Further notable shows will come from Tom and Finn Johannsen (Paloma), Ecodisco, and a talk show from Nathan Micay, producer behind HBO’s hit series ‘Industry’. Kemoy Jemmoy will present a monthly hour for The Queer Black Therapy Fund, while Phoenix Chase-Meares and Naomi Bah's Soul Sauna Symposium, also monthly, focuses on Black and queer communities with an hour of discussion and music about political, social and economic activism. The station kicks-off it's broadcasting across four days per week, with more shows, features and extended hours to be announced in the coming months. There is an open door policy for show pitches. Guest shows in the opening weeks include Daisy Moon, Akirahawks, Ciel, Lucy Railton, Laura BCR and Benoit B. Refuge founder George Patrick said, “Since 2015 the Refuge collective has been working in solidarity with NGO, non-profit and grassroots groups. This year we launch a new radio station to amplify the music and issues that we care about. The new Refuge Worldwide website will not only be a community platform but it will help to connect people with grassroots organisations and improve our fundraising efforts.” “We are really excited to present a broad range of shows ranging from 100% music-focused programmes, to some that incorporate interviews and debate, to programmes completely dedicated to discussion. The music policy is diverse, from hip-hop to house, new wave to northern soul, reggae to R&B, ambient to IDM. All of our hosts have freedom to do what they like with their shows and programme structure, with a key aim behind the platform being to allow discourse to flourish, while delivering varied and high quality music.” Supporters can contribute to the radio station’s running costs via a Patreon page. Patrons will receive exclusive content including videos, mixes and podcasts, as well as merchandise and more. The station will operate remotely before safely moving into a physical studio in Berlin during 2021 (COVID regulations pending). 





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            <title><![CDATA[Support 'aequa Community Centre']]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/aequa-support</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/aequa-support</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Berlin's space for social equity needs your help]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[In 2020 the opening of a vital space in Berlin, the aequa Community Centre, was devastated by COVID.  Founded in 2018, the aequa collective has since grown into a community for people to gather and heal, to empower each other, to share experiences and to build a world of social equity. They offer essential skills sharing workshops, knowledge and resources, and are committed to instigating collaborative action in order to shift power away from systems of oppression in order to meet demands of the marginalised. Currently, the aequa team are in need of funding to cover rent and other essential bills in this unprecedented period. If you can support them, head here. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Our community partners]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-community-partners</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/refuge-community-partners</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A directory of non-profit organisations we support]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Here you can find a list of the non-profit organisations that Refuge Worldwide has supported over the last five years.  In addition to assisting their community projects through our fundraising events, we would like to amplify their work by encouraging you to follow them individually.   Schilleria Community centre offering empowerment and leisure facilities for girls and young women in Neukölln. Frauenzimmer eV An outreach centre and safe house for women and children escaping domestic violence. At Frauenzimmer you can find support with returning to work, children's education, residency permits and much more.  Bikeygees Empowerment project offering cycling lessons, multilingual traffic lessons and bike repair basics, for women and girls. International Women Space IWS is a feminist, anti-racist political group in Berlin with migrant and refugee women and non-migrant women as members. They fight patriarchy and document everyday violence, racism, sexism and all kinds of discrimination. aequa A Wedding-based community, support and action centre. The aequa community share a vision of an equitable society in which every person can thrive. Aequa exists to build and support movements that meet people’s material and emotional needs. They do this through collective education and by creating alternative support systems based on interpersonal exchange. Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe Since 2013 Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe (Berlin Homeless Aid) have been helping people on the streets of Berlin. Their weekly tours around the city provide people with clothing, food and warm drinks. They are a vital service. GSBTB Open Music School The Open Music School is a free, volunteer-powered, knowledge-sharing community. It creates spaces that are open to anyone, in which participants can develop real relationships that break isolation, cross cultures, encourage self-expression and inspire community engagement. Solizimmer Solizimmer eV finances apartments for refugees and migrants who are denied the right to suitable living space. Women In Exile An initiative of refugee women who came together in Brandenburg in 2002 to fight for their rights. 'Women in Exile & Friends' is an extended group in which solidarity activists without a refugee background can also join. Together they bring refugee policy demands to the public from a feminist perspective, including campaigning for the closure of all refugee detention camps. Bündnis Neukölln  The Neukölln Alliance works to oppose the discrimination of individuals or social groups based on their ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief or sexual identity.  International & UK-based organisations: Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders MSF provides urgent and emergency assistance to migrants and refugees attempting the life-threatening Mediterranean crossing. Scottish Refugee Council campaign for political change, raising awareness about issues that affect refugees; and we work closely with local communities and organisations. Positive Action in Housing PAIH runs an Emergency Hardship Fund for those in greatest need and provides free shelter for destitute refugees and their families. Save The Children 220,000 children in Scotland are affected by poverty, going without essentials or living in homes which are cold or damp. Save The Children are fighting to ensure no child is born without a chance. Caring In Bristol Founded in 1987, Caring In Bristol works hard on creating a city empowered to solve homelessness. CIB are about working in imaginative and creative ways with people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, and involving the community to bring about sustainable and permanent change in Bristol and beyond.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[German government forcibly removing people to Nigeria]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nigeria-deportations-from-germany</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nigeria-deportations-from-germany</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Deportations continue in face of COVID outbreak]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Stuttgart based migrant rights association Refugees4Refugees have brought attention to the forced removal of Nigerians by the German government.  Refugees4Refugees have been posting Deportation Alerts on their website when they get news of a scheduled deportation flight from Germany. 32 people were said to have been deported on a flight from Dusseldorf to Lagos on November 12, while The African Courier, a German based website reporting on the African diaspora, announced a further 40 Nigerians (including single mothers and their children), were forcibly removed to Lagos by German authorities on 21 October. Rex Osa from Refugees4Refugees told The African Courier that deportees were simply dumped outside the gate of Lagos airport without any arrangement to receive them or plans for their transport to various destinations in the country.  Refugees4Refugees understands that asylum seekers are being detained ahead of their forced departures at camps such as Ellwangen in Baden Württemberg, where COVID outbreaks are suspected. A statement continued, “With Germany identified as a high-risk region and witnessing another partial lockdown that is affecting social and economic activities in the country, such a deportation may contribute to spreading the coronavirus in Nigeria.”  Deportees are said to have been handcuffed and their feet shackled for the entire duration of the 6-hour flight from Germany to Lagos. Follow Refugees4Refugees on Twitter. #StopDeportations ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Union Of Musicians call for 'Justice At Spotify']]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/union-of-musicians-justice-at-spotify</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/union-of-musicians-justice-at-spotify</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Appeals for increased royalty payments and transparency]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Spotify's end of year 'Wrapped' campaign has highlighted a growing discontent amongst many musicians and music fans, aimed at the streaming giant's unfair payment system. A large number of artists took to social media to voice criticism at Spotify, with The Union of Musicians (UMAW) also launching a 'Justice At Spotify' campaign to help collectively fight the issue. The UMAW aims to organize music workers to fight for a more just music industry, and to join with other workers in the struggle for a better society. Their website statement reads, "Spotify is the most dominant platform on the music streaming market. The company behind the streaming platform continues to accrue value, yet music workers everywhere see little more than pennies in compensation for the work they make. With the entire live music ecosystem in jeopardy due to the coronavirus pandemic, music workers are more reliant on streaming income than ever. We are calling on Spotify to deliver increased royalty payments, transparency in their practices, and to stop fighting artists." Hype Machine have unveiled ‘Merch Table’, an online program that lets you find your favourite artists from Spotify, on Bandcamp. Paste any Spotify playlist link (e.g. "Your Top Songs 2020") into Merch Table’s toolbar and it checks which tracks you can purchase directly from those artists via Bandcamp. Not only does Bandcamp pay artists a fairer rate than Spotify, but it allows unlimited streaming and high quality downloads of any music that you purchase.  Spotify is valued at €62.7 Billion, yet it takes 263 streams of a track to pay out one dollar to that artist.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Raiders compilation celebrates female and non-binary producers]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sarah-farina-raiders</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/sarah-farina-raiders</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Listen to 'Get It Gurl' by Sarah Farina]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Berlin label Raiders have released 'Astral Booty', the concluding half of their Queens of Club project. Queens of Club is a two-part VA collection celebrating established and up-and-coming women and non-binary producers of Ghetto House, Electro, Footwork & Breakbeat. Refuge Worldwide friend Sarah Farina features on Astral Booty with vibrant club track 'Get It Gurl', alongside cuts from jpeg.love and Morphena. Queens of Club: Astral Booty by Sarah Farina Raiders crew said of the release, "The title pays homage to the seminal Queens of Baltimore Club, a highly sought-after LP from various legendary female B'more artists (like Kotton the Cutie and Mz. Thang) compiled by DJ Technics in 2001. Almost two decades later and the club scene is still a hostile environment for marginalised groups and this compilation aims to address that. Queens of Club is by women/non-binary people, right down to the mastering engineer and the artwork designers, and intended for everyone who likes to shake their ass at high speed!" A limited edition rose-gold 2GB USB stick is also available, containing both parts of Queens of Club and bonus tracks, unreleased demos, remix stems, samples, photos, videos and exclusive DJ sets. Listen or buy over on the Raiders Bandcamp.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Stop the #Jamaica50 deportation flight]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jamaica50</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/jamaica50</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Urge the UK Government to end hostile environment]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The UK Home Office plans to deport 50 Black Britons on a flight to Jamaica this week.  Many people on the flight have been in the UK since childhood, some will have been denied legal representation or due process and/or have no family in Jamaica. This act is a product of the continued hostile environment and racist policies which unfairly target minorities across the UK. There will be trauma for people and families involved. The government has already been found to have broken equalities laws after an investigation by the UK Equalities and Human Rights Commission.  In 2010, under Theresa May's department, several administrative and legislative measures were instigated, collectively known as the hostile environment. They are designed to make staying in the UK as difficult as possible for people from migrant backgrounds. The United Nations Human Rights Council has stated that the policy has fostered xenophobia within the UK, and in 2018 led to the Windrush Scandal. Read a Gal-Dem article here, sign the Change petition and use hashtags #Jamaica50 #StopThePlane @pritipatel @ukhomeoffice to help stop this and further deportations.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Scottish Parliament votes for universal free period products]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/period-poverty-scotland</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/period-poverty-scotland</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Ending the “stigma of menstruation”]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[The Scottish Parliament has voted to pass a motion that will make period products available to anyone who needs them, the first country to introduce such a measure. A grassroots campaign had been building momentum to tackle 'period poverty’ over the last year, with Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon tabling a Bill to bring in legal right of free access to tampons and sanitary pads. The new law, ‘The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill’ was passed by 121 to zero votes in Holyrood.  Ms Lennon said outside Parliament, “Legislation is a world-leading opportunity to secure period dignity for all women, girls and people who menstruate. “The campaign has been backed by a wide coalition, including trades unions, women’s organisations and charities. “Thousands of supporters have played a part, including people who shared their experiences of period poverty, and I am grateful to them all.” The vote has received attention around the world, hailed as groundbreaking. We hope it is the first of many. ]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Women In Exile arrange Lager protest in Berlin and Brandenburg]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/demo-international-day-against-violence-toward-women</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/demo-international-day-against-violence-toward-women</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Demos on 'International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women']]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Women in Exile have organised two rally on Wednesday 25th November.  The demos coincide with The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, taking place at 12:00-15:00 in front of the BAMF (Bundesallee 171, 10715 Berlin) and Eisenhüttenstadt Lager, (Poststra Straße 72, 15890 Eisenhüttenstadt). Eisenhüttenstadt Lager is a detention facility which has been labelled a 'deportation jail', of which there are several around Germany. Hundreds of asylum seekers are incarcerated in these Lagers with widespread reports of poor conditions. The English translation of Lager is warehouse or storage facility. BAMF is the German Federal office for migration and refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge). A statement on the Women in Exile social media page read, "Eisenhüttenstadt is not only a dangerous corona hot-spot but also a hot-spot for sexual assaults and harassment against vulnerable women, particularly lesbians. The number of unreported cases is very high. This summer there were two rapes and one attempted rape in the Brandenburg 'Reception Centers' - also in Eisenhüttenstadt. In addition there is sexual harassment and assault, bodily injury of all kinds, domestic violence, psychological violence and stalking. We cannot close our eyes to this violence, which is also caused by the racist asylum system." Read a first hand account of life in Eisenhüttenstadt Lager here.]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[AP investigation uncovers sexual abuse in palm oil industry]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/palm-oil</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/palm-oil</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Associated Press interviews alleged massive scandal]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[A report by the Associated Press has found that dozens of women have alleged violent and sexual abuse while working on Indonesia and Malaysia palm oil plantations.  An investigation by Margie Mason and Robin McDowell discovered multiple cases of unsafe working conditions, child labour, slavery, accusations of rape, and "brutal treatment of women in the industry". “Palm oil is found in everything from potato chips and pills to pet food, and... in the $530 billion beauty business, including L’Oréal, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Avon and Johnson & Johnson.”  Check your labels and read the full report here (trigger warning).]]></content:encoded>
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            <title><![CDATA[Nathan Micay scores HBO series]]></title>
            <link>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nathan-micay-industry</link>
            <guid>https://refugeworldwide.com/news/nathan-micay-industry</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Refuge resident produces the soundtrack for Industry]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[Refuge regular Nathan Micay has scored the soundtrack for HBO series Industry. The series is getting big reviews across the board and an OST will be released on LuckyMe next month.  Nate has played several of our fundraisers over the years, also donating his time and work to Berlin based community groups aequa and Open Music School. “My catalogue is best known for dance records, but since 2016 I’ve enjoyed quietly extending into score work for friends shorts and a feature. My goal in music has always been to reach for a cinematic quality. Circumstances aligned nicely then, when the title track to ‘Blue Spring’ showed up on the radar of the ‘INDUSTRY’ show runners, who cut a screen test to the track. The timing of everything coincided with a year of cancelled touring and forced attention to working on this score – which is something I’ve greatly enjoyed. It’s been one of the greatest honours to have the confidence of HBO and production company Bad Wolf behind me, while I chart a road less travelled, in this modern series.” Congrats Nathan! Sign up to the newsletter by emailing hello@refugeworldwide.com ]]></content:encoded>
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