In June, a two-day symposium on theatre work in war and conflict regions took place in Wroclaw (Poland). Participants from Palestine, Israel, Syria and Sri Lanka took part via video conference, and other projects were presented directly on site at the Grotowski Institute, which organised the event together with the ITI Theatre in Conflict Zones Network. Thomas Engel took part in the event as a representative of the ITI Artist Rights Committee, where above all the possibilities for actively supporting and making visible theatre in resistance were discussed. The results of the discussions serve as a basis for action for further initiatives by the institutions involved.
Category Archives: News
Russia: Detention on Remand for Berkovich and Petriychuk extended for 2 Months and 6 Days
Today, the Khamovniki Court of Moscow decided to extend the detention of Yevgenia Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk. The investigation petitioned the court to leave both defendants in a pre-trial detention center until September 10, 2023.
Source: Lawyers PRO people
U.S. to rejoin UNESCO in July
The United States of America had officially notified the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, of its decision to rejoin UNESCO in July 2023, on the basis of a concrete financing plan. The US had suspended its financial contribution in 2011 due to domestic legislation, before notifying UNESCO of its decision to legally withdraw from the organisation in 2017, during the first year of the Trump presidency.
In his letter the U.S. Department of State welcomed the way in which UNESCO had addressed in recent years emerging challenges, modernized its management, and reduced political tensions. The return of the United States was made possible by the agreement reached by Congress in December 2022 authorizing financial contributions to UNESCO. The proposed financing plan must now be submitted to the General Conference of UNESCO Member States for their approval. Some Member States have requested that an extraordinary session be held soon so a decision can be made.
Source: UNESCO press release 12 June 2023
Iran Chairs UNHRC Social Forum
Wile the UNHCR is investigating Iran’s killing of hundreds of peaceful protesters, the Islamic Republic of Iran has just been appointed Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council 2023 Social Forum, to be held on November 2 and 3. This year’s theme is the contribution of science, technology and innovation to the promotion of human rights, including in the context of post-pandemic.
UN Watch hast launched a Petition to UN Secretary General Antònio Guterres. You can sign here.
What Do Cultural Rights Have to Do With Sports?
The Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki, has published a series of 14 Questions & Answers, following an interaction with the International Olympic Committee after the recommendation of the IOC Executive Board, on 28 February 2022, to exclude all Russian and Belarusian athletes from sports events.
The concern of the Special Rapporteur on the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes includes a “wider concern of on-going unnecessary exclusions of Russian and Belarusian people from participating in cultural life. Artists too have been excluded from cultural events, festivals and other platforms based on their nationality and their artistic freedom tightened.”
The Q&As can be downloaded here and are published on the website of the mandate.
UN HCR Special Report on Cultural Rights and Migration
In her thematic report the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki, underlines the rights of migrants to have access to and effectively participate in all aspects of cultural lives, both of the host State and their own cultures: “Migration enables individuals, both migrants and the host population, to reevaluate their cultural frameworks and be positively influenced by other ideas, values and practices. In that process, States must be aware of the vulnerabilities of migrants and take measures to enable them to enjoy their cultural rights, irrespective of their status.”
The report has been introduced in February 2023 and is now available in all 5 UN languages.