Why Germany: Online lecture series

Free speech

Why Germany is an international lecture series addressing the crackdown on free speech in Germany and beyond. Within Germany, some of the most effective actors in the intimidation of Palestinians and their allies over recent months have been cultural venues, art schools and universities. The hostility towards advocacy for Palestinian lives has surpassed recent escalations across Europe or the USA: the lockstep is more thorough, the language more hateful, the measures more extreme. With the help of historical perspectives and specific case studies of German art schools and universities, this series addresses the eclipse of free speech and its ramifications for local cultural landscapes, but also for neighbors and allies – not to mention for Palestine itself. These weekly lectures are co-hosted by a network of institutions that grows over time.

By means of a rolling program, it creates a space for creative, informed and considered expression. Importantly, the series will move beyond critique alone, to propose strategies for the future: which languages, alliances, policies and support systems might ensure a measure of autonomy in the longer term?

Join online on Tuesday 14 May (6pm CET) for a lecture by Hanan Toukan and Tirdad Zolghadr.