Horizontal Exchange of forumZFD in the Philippines on Conflict Sensitive Journalism and Conflict Transformation

 

Our two project coordinators, Wiebke Warkentin and Tobias Pietsch, participated in a Horizontal Exchange of forumZFD in the Philippines, together with Iuna Vieira from the Forum Civil Peace Service (forumZFD) Jerusalem team. This format of exchange aims for mutual learning and the sharing of best practice approaches in the different areas in which forumZFD is active. The exchange program took place in the Mindanao Region in the South of the island state, from February 8th to the 19th. Mindanao faces multiple intertwined conflicts that derive from struggles over land and natural resources as well as cultural and ideological divisions. The situation in Mindanao is characterized by the struggle of multiple Muslim rebel groups for the creation of an autonomous Region on the one hand, and by the armed insurgency of the Maoist New People’s Army, which has persevered for almost 50 years, on the other. Caught in the crossfire, diverse groups of Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao struggle for a recognition of their rights.

The exchange began with the International Academic Conference “On Conflict-Sensitive Journalism”, that took place at the Ataneo de Davao University. 300 participants, consisting predominantly of students from the Philippines, but also including experts and practitioners from South East Asia, Europe and the Middle East, discussed their experience and ideas regarding conflict-sensitive journalism (CSJ). This approach strives for a media coverage that gives voice to all sides of the story, particularly in situations of conflict: Journalists need to critically reflect on their own roles as well as on dominant narratives in society, which may be prejudiced. By using the CSJ toolbox, the media can help mitigate tensions, instead of deepening social division through one-sided or sensationalized reporting.

During the exchange, the participants met the staff of forumZFD Philippines and their local partner organizations in Davao City and Cotabato City. In both offices, the work focusses on media as a tool for conflict transformation. The Media Educators Mindanao network (MEM), based in Davao City, developed curricula on conflict-sensitive journalism that are used in eight universities and colleges throughout Mindanao. In Cotabato City, which is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the participants visited the Forum-team and their office, while their main focus was on exchanging ideas and experiences with activists of the Kutawato Multimedia Network (KuMuNet). Since 2013, and with the support of forumZFD, the Kutawato Multimedia Network produces a weekly one-hour radio program that reaches remote rural areas in the region. The program reports on the latest developments of the peace process and provides a platform for discussing listeners’ concerns. Hence, the network’s diverse and nuanced coverage contributes to the de-escalation of the conflict, and facilitates a constructive dialogue. To go live on the radio program “The Voice of Peace” and to see how the show is produced was a very impressive experience!

Back in Jerusalem, the participants presented the outcomes of the exchange to the entire team of the Willy Brandt Center and froumZFD Jerusalem. Many of the tools and ideas that were gained in the Philippines could be applied in our internal and external communications, as well as in different projects in Israel and Palestine. The team is now brainstorming ideas for implementation in the local context, and planning for a reciprocal exchange.

After the popular success of Jerusalem’s first Pop Up Dance Hall Festival last autumn, which attracted participants of all ages, nations and religions, we decided to continue our dance activities on a monthly basis.
This year’s first edition of Willy’s Pop Up Dance Hall was presented under the motto “Dancing on the Line”. The purpose of this initiative is to present different dance styles such as swing, salsa, tango, vogueing, waltz and gaga by professional dance instructors, who teach our participants the basic steps of each dance style, followed by social dance sessions.
The evening of January 28th was dedicated to swing. Swing was a popular dance style from the 1920s to the 1950s, and over the past two decades it has seen a huge worldwide revival . We at the Willy Brandt Center were delighted to welcome back our friends from Swing Dance Palestine, a group that was established in 2014 by dedicated Palestinian dancers, with a swing dancer from Germany as their teacher. The group has grown over the years, and now also offers classes in Bethlehem and Ramallah for experienced dancers as well as beginners.
The participants in our swing evening travelled to Jerusalem from Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah and Tel Aviv. We are looking forward to future cooperation with Swing Dance Palestine and to present Willy’s Pop Up Dance Hall in other places of the region as well.

The Social Art Program organized the first Pop-Up Ballroom Festival in Jerusalem, attracting participants of a wide range of different ages, nationalities and cultural backgrounds from Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Tel Aviv.

At each of the five events, professional dance instructors offered a free dancing class and taught the audience basic steps which they were able to try straight away on the dance floor.

The program included salsa, swing, Viennese waltz, and tango, as well as an introduction session to dance therapy. Palestinian and German DJs, as well as the renowned pianist Maria Neishstadt, carried out the program with their musical contributions. The Viennese waltz workshop took place at the Austrian Hospice in the old city of Jerusalem, while all other dancing events were organized at the Willy Brandt Center and lasted until late into the night.

Dance is a language that enables us to talk without words, as it connects people through the joy of movement. Due to the big turnout and the immense public success, the Willy Brandt Center has decided to continue its dance activities by offering a dance therapy course for women in the coming year, as well as a series of clubbing events under the motto “Dancing on the Line”.

Salsa – Sunday, October 27, 2019
The Willy Brandt Center held a Salsa dance with Yonathan and the professional dancer Katie Silver for about hour and a half, in which she gave a small introduction to Salsa and offered a few basic steps for the participants to begin with.

Following the Salsa dance, Najwan, a young Palestinian DJ woman, played Latin music, allowing the participants dance freely and enjoy the music.

This day was the opening session for the week-long festival.

Swing – Monday, October 28, 2019
The Willy Brandt Center conducted a swing dancing event, performed and instructed by a Palestinian group and their swing dance teacher from Germany. They started off by explaining what is swing dancing, and gave some basic dance moves for beginners. The class lasted for an hour and a half, during which the participants enjoyed the atmosphere and kept on dancing.

Viennese Waltz – Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Our Social Art Coordinator, Petra Klose, held the Viennese Waltz dance at the Austrian Hospice in the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, where she gave the basic waltz steps in a short introduction workshop. Participants followed the steps and started to dance with their partners, while enjoying a live music performance by the pianist Maria Neishtadt. The class was an hour and a half long, and was also held in the beautiful, enchanting ambiance of the Imperial Salon at the hospice.

The event was also followed by a classical music concert by the Austrian duo Karner & Henter.

Dance Movement Therapy – Wednesday, October 30, 2019
This event was intended only for women – Arab, Jewish and International. It was held at the Willy Brandt Center by the instructor Shaked Sabag, who explained what is dance movement therapy and shed light on its importance. This was followed by some exercises that helped the women to feel comfortable and more relaxed. The session lasted for an hour and a half, and included different exercises such as a mirror exercise and breath exercise. The women participants enjoyed the session and requested additional sessions in the near future.

Tango – Thursday, October 31, 2019
This was the last event of the Pop-Up Ballroom Festival. The Willy Brandt Center organized a tango class held by the professional Tango dancer and teacher Anna Rosenberg, who gave an introduction to the dance, followed by basic tango steps. The participants enjoyed the live music performance by the pianist Maria Neishtadt.

In summary, each event had approximately 10 to 15 participants that enjoyed the classes, the night view from the beautiful balcony at the Willy Brandt Center, and small refreshments.