The four guest discussing with moderator Carolin Bannorth: from left to right: Carolin Bannorth, Hervé Tcheumeleu, Sarah Reinke, Ahmad Hassan Arnau, Abbas Tharwat The Darfur conflict – told by local people, based on their own lived experiences. This was the theme of the fourth evening in 14km’s Film and Discussion Series, which featured Sudanese director, Hisham Hajj Omar’s documentary: “Darfur’s Skeleton”. From the outset, the audience was closely listening to the realities of Darfur as our guest, Ahmad Hassan Arnaud, himself having fled from the region, explained: “In Darfur, a village is burned every one to two days. But the media do not report it.” This 2009 film covers three dimensions of the war in Darfur: environmental destruction, persecution of the civilian population, and the role of tribal authorities in resolving the conflict. At the time of filming, three trees a day were being cut down in Kondowa forest – a rate that could soon lead to desertification of the region. In 2009, the forest is as good as dead. Nearby, in Otash camp, the home for tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes, inhabitants struggle to survive through daily life with close to nothing. For these refugees, selling the rare forest wood represents a scarce livelihood opportunity they are obliged to take, despite the protests of forest rangers in the film. “We have no choice”, the displaced declare. The Kondowa forest symbolizes a vicious cycle, which fuels the war in Darfur: a poor climate and limited arable land drives resource conflicts between neighbouring tribes, and nomadic and sedentary populations. In turn, hostilities destroy villages and force people to flee, leading to further exploitation of national resources in areas where thousands of refugees gather – as in the Kondowa Forest. Giving voice to the victims The sight of countless victims fleeing violence, which pervades the news and media, offers only an abstract context and encrypted figures. This documentary, in contrast, highlights the names, faces and voices of the victims. Aysha, for example, was shot and robbed in an attack in Guz. She lay alone and helpless in the village with her daughter until relatives were eventually able to rescue her, only for her injured leg to be amputated in Otash refugee camp, condemning her to a life of idleness. Half-smiling, Aysha laments: “How are we going to find the strength to cry?” By contrast, teacher Mohamed Adam, remains positive. He himself had to flee from home, traveling a dangerous route before reaching Otash camp. Having endured the experience, he is determined to pass on his knowledge to the children in the camp, so that they may tread a new, better path. In addition to allowing victims of the war to have their say, the film analyses the causes of the war, portraying the situation from their perspective. They speak of the responsibility of the central government in Khartoum, whose strategy of “divide and rule” and tactics using the Janjaweed militia has activated conflict lines and fuelled hostility between the Arab and African populations. Tribal leaders argue that with peace between the government and the rebels, conflicts between individual tribes would soon be reconciled. Yet, the government is hesitant to provide essential funding to tribes so that they might self-govern and achieve peace. Another obstacle to peace, particularly emphasised by political analysts, is the challenge of putting to trial war criminals and providing reparations to the victims – without which there can be neither peace nor an end to cycle of hatred. Holding the perpetrators accountable 14km staff Carolin Bannorth and Andreas Fricke The absence of judicial process was addressed by Sarah Reinke of the Society for Threatened Peoples in an audience discussion following the film screening. Tribunals at the local level and permanent mechanisms for prosecution are needed. At the international level, prosecution was not successful either. The International Criminal Court failed to hold President Omar al-Bashir accountable although he was indicted for his involvement in genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Ultimately, the international community’s attempts to resolve the conflict have not been helpful. According to Sarah Reinke, the Doha peace process was not supported by international powers, with Russia and China blocking the UN Security Council’s ability to act. Hervé Tcheumeleu, executive director of the Africa Media Centre, pointed to the economic interests of large defence manufacturing companies, and to countries including Russia, China and the UK. Similarly, the impotence of the African Union (AU) on the issue has been evident, with Tcheumeleu arguing that “many presidents in the AU support Al-Bashir, as they themselves are in the same position as he is.” “A village is burned every one or two days” Hajooj Kuka by Toyin Ajao (CC) Ahmad Hassan Arnaud, a young Sudanese man from Darfur who has been living in Berlin for three years, lived through the war himself. “The reality is still clearly worse than shown in the film,” he informed the audience. “A village is burned every one or two days. But the media do not report it.” Sarah Reinke agreed: “After twelve years of genocide, the situation is very grim.” It was difficult to take a positive outlook away from the discussion. But at least the film ended on an optimistic note with a hopeful phrase: Darfur has a strong skeleton – and so long as the skeleton remains intact, flesh will once again cling to it. The director, who is currently working under the name of Hajooj Kuka, is receiving a lot of accolades and prizes, from Toronto to Luxor, for his second documentary “The Beats of Antonov.” This film, which explores the music scene of his home country, gives expression to something that is obscured by the palpable suffering in “Darfur’s Skeleton”: Against an identity that is imposed by the Government and which drives conflict, the only solution is to enthusiastically become aware of one’s own cultural identity. After the first film, we know that Darfur’s skeleton is not yet broken. After the second film, we will know that music can bring Darfur’s skeleton back to life. We thank our guests Ahmad Hassan Arnaud, Sarah Reinke, Hervé Tcheumeleu and Abbas Tharwat for helping us approach the difficult topic by sharing their personal point of views. Film links:  Film homepage Director’s CV Event organisation and moderation: Carolin Bannorth Coordination of the Film and Discussion Series: Andreas Fricke Text: Susanne Kappe Translation: Alex Odlum Photos: Silvia Limiñana, Caroline Bunge Organisation: The volunteer 14km Film Team The 14km Film and Discussion Series 2015 gets sponsorship by budgetary funds of the Federal State of Berlin – Office for Development Cooperation. Further events are scheduled as followed: 07 October / 28 October / 18 November / 9 December The events are dedicatet to a single country or specific topic, in order to give an artistic-documentary impression . The ensuing audience discussion aims to include further informations by an affected person living in Berlin and by an scientific expert, always aiming to make links to North-South relationships. We express thanks for the support:

My name is Michael and I am currently enrolled in an internship working as a researcher and grant director with the Lebanese NGO SMEX - Social Media Exchange. I started in April 2015 and I will stay in Beirut until October. SMEX is a media advocacy and development organization based in Beirut. We provide on- and offline trainings for journalists and activists and advocate for human rights adapted to technology and the web throughout the MENA region. The founders Mohamad and Jessica are experienced and their work is very professional. I am very happy to have found this internship as I learn a lot about the way how local NGOs work, digital rights in the Arab region and social media tools for advocacy. Lebanon is a very interesting country with a lot of different and often opposing views within society - it gives me a lot of input to think about and to question assumptions I had before. “Unfortunately” a lot of people speak perfectly English, so my plan to really learn Arabic and French did not work out until now. The people are very nice and it is easy to engage with them and to do lots of different activities (hiking, cycling, beach, party, …). The safety situation is relatively good, but one should be aware of limitations within the country and some negatively affecting interior and exterior conditions which could change the current situation.

“LIFE IS WAITING – Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara” (documentary, USA /Western Sahara 2015, original version with English subtitles, 59 min) by Iara Lee    on Wednesday, 07th October 2015 at 6:45 p.m. (1845)    at Filmrauschpalast, Lehrter Straße 35, 10557 Berlin-Moabit 14km.org presents the fifth evening screening of the 2015 “14km Film and Discussion Series.”: In her film, “LIFE IS WAITING – Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara” (Arabic/Spanish/English/French with English subtitles), director Iara Lee documents how the Sahrawis, the local people of Africa’s last colony, Western Sahara, continue to struggle for their independence from Morocco despite it being promised by the former colonial power, Spain, over 40 years ago. Following the film screening, special guests will engage with the audience to discuss the independence movement and the current situation in Western Sahara. Attendance is free, donations are welcome. The event takes place at Filmrauschpalast cinema, on the 1st floor of the Kulturfabrik's backyard building in Berlin Moabit: Lehrter Straße 35, 10557 Berlin. The discussion ends at 22:00 (10 pm) at the latest. Facebook event Additional film informations The 14km Film and Discussion Series 2015 gets sponsorship by budgetary funds of the Federal State of Berlin – Office for Development Cooperation. Further events are scheduled as followed: 28 October / 18 November / 9 December The events are dedicatet to a single country or specific topic, in order to give an artistic-documentary impression . The ensuing audience discussion aims to include further informations by an affected person living in Berlin and by an scientific expert, always aiming to make links to North-South relationships. We express thanks for the support:

Jute bags labelled with our motto "14km - The shortest distance between North Africa and Europe" are now available! We want to spread the message of just how close North Africa and Europe are to each other! It's a message that deserves more attention, especially now when so many people are fleeing the region and seeking refuge in Europe. We want to send a signal against xenophobia and to promote the building of bridges across these "14km." These fair-trade, hand-made jute bags are produced especially for you! You can purchase one (or more!) for 10 EUR* per bag at our next event, such as the 14km Film and Discussion Series. Alternatively, we can deliver if you pay the extra shipping costs - simply email info@14km.org to place and order. Buy a bag and wear a statement of just how close our cultures are! * By purchasing a 14km jute bag, you help support our non-profit, volunteer work.

Two Swedes, a camel and the wide Yemeni desert – all set for an adventure. The third evening of our 14km Film and Discussion Series brought opposites together, not only on the screen, but also off it in the Filmrauschpalast filled to capacity with a diverse group of guests. After the film, Amal Nasser, Yemeni activist and co-founder of ArabHub Berlin, and Mohamed al-Thawr of "The Youth Initiative for a New Yemen", discussed stereotypes and diversity, as well as women's rights in contemporary Yemen. The film's Swedish director, Mikael Strandberg, is a passionate and experienced explorer. According to a friend speaking on his behalf, Strandberg's message to the audience was: "It's very hard to be in Yemen and not to fall in love with the country". However, whether his film succeeds in conveying this same message while portraying the diversity of the country and its people's needs, brought up a range of opinions in the ensuing discussion. An Adventurous Perspective The film is shot from the perspective of an adventurer looking directly into the director’s camera. Right from the introduction, the audience is prepared for an expedition, which they watch unravel over 60 minutes from the comfort of their armchairs. We first find the two exhausted explorers in the middle of the desert, seemingly stranded with their camel unwilling to continue. There seems to be no way forward. We are then transported back to the starting point of the journey in the capital, Sanaa. There, Mikael Strandberg and the journalist Tanya Holm are eagerly getting to know Yemeni society, meeting a Sheikh responsible for negotiations over a murder case. Strandberg is impressed by the good atmosphere among the hundreds of tribal members and their ability to resolve such a sensitive dispute, with neither aggression nor the assistance of the state institutions. He is less impressed, however, by the ever-present weapons and dangers of possible terrorist attacks. After that episode, we accompany Mikael and Tanya on their gruelling trek through the desert of the al-Mahra region, witnessing the generous hospitality with which the humble local villagers consistently greet them. The adventurers travel by foot in order to get as close as possible to the locals and to try and reciprocate their warmth and curiosity. By contrast, negative images of terrorists and rebel fighters with their attacks, kidnappings and hate speech, hardly appear in the film – they were simply not encountered during the 2012 journey. And that is a key message of the director: in contrast to the negative coverage of Yemen in the Western media, it is important to paint a positive picture that emphasises the normality of people above and beyond the country’s troubles with violence. Diversity versus Stereotypes Amal Nasser, invited to the post-film discussion as an expert on Yemen, was left unconvinced by Mikael Strindberg's portrait of Yemen. She points to the early scene portraying the gathering of armed men, or to that set in a Bedouin tent where Strandberg explains to his hosts the workings of a GPS device, as examples of the unbearable stereotypes of Yemenis reproduced even in this film. According to Amal, the film does not show the reality of 9-to-5 professionals or cafe visits among friends in the way they would be captured by local Yemeni directors. Mohamed al-Thawr, however, disagreed. For him, it is clear that the adventurer is looking for exciting snapshots, as he would expect to find them on a dangerous wilderness journey. Of course, there is another daily life in Yemen, but it is not so interesting to document. Exploring Yemen's diversity has been somewhat of a personal expedition for Mohamed al-Thawr, who has spent his whole life oscillating between Yemen and Germany. 25 per cent of Yemen's population in the 1960s were Yemeni Jews. To meet a few of those who are still living in Yemen, Mohamed made a contact through his father's hospital, travelled to the Jewish villages and invited the Yemeni Jews to a meeting in Sanaa. "After the masks have been lifted, you can see thousands of similarities ," remarked Mohamed al-Thawr on the impressive experience. Women in Yemen: Emancipated or without Rights? For Amal Nasser, the lived diversity of a society is closely related to the ability of women to move naturally in public space. Unfortunately, this, along with the representation of women in political office, is rare. Although there are female Yemeni politicians, many are entangled in a corrupt system and do not pursue political programmes on their own. This is in contrast to committed young activists pursuing social goals outside of the political system. The role of women in society represented a controversial topic during the demonstrations of 2011. Dr. Yahya al-Thawr, Mohamed's father, is convinced that Yemeni women are in fact "very emancipated" as demonstrated by their important role in the demonstrations along with the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the female Yemeni activist and politician: Tawakkol Karman. Amal Nasser, by contrast, argued that Yemeni women protested as individuals, rather than on behalf of females. For her, it is unfortunately clear that most women in Yemen are oppressed, by fathers, brothers and other authority figures who constrain their free choices. As such, their primary struggle is to achieve their own rights as women, with other revolutionary goals a secondary interest. A Yemeni man in the audience agreed: "It is us men who say that women are supposedly equal in Yemen ". Yemen Today Today's violent situation in Yemen has extinguished the hopeful mood that permeated the country in 2011 after the overthrow of Ali Abdullah Saleh. "The war is a disaster," summarised Mohamed al-Thawr. But this declaration of love, as director Mikael Strandberg describes his film about Yemen, represents at least a small positive beacon amidst a sea of terrible events. Thanks to Amal Nasser and Mohamed al-Thawr for contributing to the fascinating discussion and for providing their interesting insights into the social and political situation in Yemen. Movie links: Film homepage Distribution Information Director’s comment Event Presentation and Moderation: Hussein Ben Amor On site coordination: Andreas Fricke Text: Susanne Kappe Translation: Alex Odlum Photos: Jana Vietze Programme: the 14km Volunteer Film Team The 14km Film and Discussion Series 2015 gets sponsorship by budgetary funds of the Federal State of Berlin – Office for Development Cooperation. The 14km Film Database offers an additional collection of films from and about Yemen, including shorts, documentaries and feature movies. The media collective "# Support Yemen" is producing videos like the short film "The Melody of our Alienation".  You find a tv documentary made by interviews of yemeni women on the revolution. The upcoming Film and Discussion Event takes place on September 16th and will be about Sudan. Read more about the date and the film screening of "Darfur's Sceleton". Further events are scheduled as followed: 07 October / 28 October / 18 November / 9 December The events are dedicatet to a single country or specific topic, in order to give an artistic-documentary impression . The ensuing audience discussion aims to include further informations by an affected person living in Berlin and by an scientific expert, always aiming to make links to North-South relationships. We express thanks for the support:

“Darfur's Skeleton” (USA 2009, original Arabic version with English subtitles, 52 mins) by Hisham Haj Omar on Wednesday, 16 September 2015 at 18:45 (6:45 pm) at Filmrauschpalast cinema, Lehrter Strasse 35, 10557 Berlin-Moabit 14km.org presents the fourth event of the 14km Film and Discussion Series 2015: The film “Darfur's Skeleton” (Arabic with English subtitles) focuses on explaining the causes of the conflict and the citizen suffering resulting from the war in Darfur. Sudanese director Hisham Haj Omar a.k.a. hajooj creates a moving and original statement of Darfurians experiencing the crisis first-hand, including the environmental and social effects of the civil war in Darfur. The movie is followed by a moderated open conversation and audience discussion with invited guests to deepen insights about the history of the Darfur conflict and consequences for today's society and politics in Sudan. Attendance is free, donations are welcome. The event takes place at Filmrauschpalast cinema on the 1st floor of the Kulturfabrik's backyard building  in Berlin Moabit: Lehrter Straße 35, 10557 Berlin. The discussion ends at 22:00 (10 pm) at the latest. Facebook event Film links:  Film homepage  Director's CV The 14km Film and Discussion Series 2015 gets sponsorship by budgetary funds of the Federal State of Berlin – Office for Development Cooperation. Further events are scheduled as followed: 07 October / 28 October / 18 November / 9 December The events are dedicatet to a single country or specific topic, in order to give an artistic-documentary impression . The ensuing audience discussion aims to include further informations by an affected person living in Berlin and by an scientific expert, always aiming to make links to North-South relationships. We express thanks for the support:

Von März bis Juni 2015 habe ich ein viermonatiges Volontariat/Praktikum bei “We love Kairouan” in der Stadt Kairouan im Herzen Tunesiens absolviert. Diese 2012 gegründete NGO ist Teil des “We love”-Netzwerks mit Partnerorganisationen in- und außerhalb Tunesiens. “We love Kairouan” ist in den Bereichen Kultur, Umwelt, aktive Partizipation der Jugend und Dezentralisation Tunesiens tätig. Dezentralisation ist deshalb wichtig, weil es in der Hauptstadt Tunis zahlreiche Organisationen gibt, die sich für Projekte in den oben genannten Bereichen einsetzen. In der NGO “We love Kairouan” setzen wir uns individuell für die Bedürfnisse dieser Stadt und deren Bewohner ein und bringen Projekte, Schulungen und Kurse für zivilgesellschaftliche Aktivisten nach Kairouan. Damit die NGO Geld für Projekte hat, werden wir von größeren internationalen Geldgebern unterstützt. Die meisten dieser geldgebenden Organisationen oder Institutionen sind deutschsprachig, wie zum Beispiel das Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen oder die Heinrich Böll Stiftung. Damit man Projekte besser an Land ziehen kann, helfen deutsche Sprachkenntnisse. Hier kam ich ins Spiel. Drei Monate lang leitete ich einen zwei Mal in der Woche stattfindenden Deutschkurs für lokale zivilgesellschaftliche Aktivisten unter dem Namen “We love language”. Das Alter der Kursteilnehmer ging von 25 bis 45 und machte mich als Deutschlehrerin also zur Jüngsten im Raum. Was mich von Anfang an begeistert hat, war die Motivation der Teilnehmer. Selbst bei 45 Grad schafften es die meisten durch die heiße Stadt ins Lokal der NGO um mit mir Dativ und Akkusativ zu lernen. Als Abschluss des Deutschkurses haben wir ein Video gedreht, in dem die Deutschschüler Alltagsszenen auf Deutsch bewältigen: // Neben dem Deutschkurs habe ich unter der Leitung meiner Chefin Olfa Jelassi ein kulturelles Event “Sharing Cultures … Building Bridges” organisiert: Sharing Cultures ... Building bridges - Fotoalbum auf Facebook Als Partner- und Schirmorganisationen waren 14km, das Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen und die Österreichische Botschaft in Tunis tätig, die sich aktiv im Programmplan beteiligt haben. Neben einem tunesischen Künstler hatten wir eine österreichische Fotografin und mehrere tunesische Fotografen aus Kairouan zu Gast, die gemeinsam eine Fotografie-Ausstellung “Wien und Kairouan” organisiert haben. Als Veranstaltungstag wurde ein Tag gegen Ende meines Praktikums gewählt, um vor meiner Abreise einen Tag lang kulturelle Diversität zu feiern und neue internationale Bekanntschaften zu knüpfen. Im Laufe meines Praktikums habe ich mich immer mehr an die tunesische Gesellschaft und arabischen Denkweisen gewöhnt. Durch das Kulturen übergreifende Arbeiten mit deutschen, österreichischen und tunesischen Partnerorganisationen habe ich gelernt, dass Flexibilität und interkulturelles Feingefühl unabdingbar sind. Kooperationen können nur zustande kommen, wenn man eine Brücke zwischen gut strukturiertem deutschen Denken und dem tunesischen "inchallah" und "normalement oui"-Gedanken schlagen kann. In diesem Bereich habe ich gearbeitet und mich nach einiger Zeit wie ein kulturelles Chamäleon gefühlt, das sich situationsbedingt immer anders verhält. Eine sehr spannende Arbeit, die täglich neue Herausforderungen mit sich bringt. Vom ersten Tag an wurde ich sehr herzlich willkommen und habe ab meinem ersten Arbeitstag sofort Freunde gefunden. Das Arbeitsklima war sehr freundschaftlich und die Hierarchien sehr flach. Da ich bei einer arabischen Familie gewohnt habe, wurde ich auch von Anfang an in viele Traditionen einführt. Ich wurde insgesamt auf sechs Hochzeiten mitgenommen und war auch sonst bei jeglicher Festlichkeit einfach immer mit dabei. Ab meinem ersten Tag in Tunesien habe ich mich sehr wohl und auch sicher gefühlt. Aus diesem Grund wollte ich meinen Auslandsaufenthalt auch nicht wegen aktueller Geschehnisse abbrechen und im Nachhinein bin ich sehr froh, dass ich mich so entschieden habe. Zum Schluss bin ich sogar länger geblieben als geplant und habe mit meiner arabischen Gastfamilie Ramadan und Eid miterlebt. Ich bin unglaublich froh und dankbar, dass ich diese Erfahrung machen durfte, auch wenn es nicht immer leicht war in der “konservativsten Stadt Tunesiens” zu wohnen und sich an Traditionen und Sitten anzupassen. Vielleicht wäre ein Praktikum in der westlich orientierten Hauptstadt Tunis nicht so ein Kulturschock gewesen, aber ich möchte meine Zeit in Kairouan gegen nichts eintauschen und weiß, dass ich hier tunesische Freunde gefunden habe, die ich bestimmt wieder sehen werde, inchallah! Die von uns wiedergegebenen Berichte von durch uns vermittelte Praktikant/innen spiegeln nicht notwendigerweise die Sichtweise von 14km e.V. oder unseren Partnern wider.

„EXPEDITION YEMEN. 126 Degrees in the Shade.“ (Documentary, Sweden 2014, in the original with English subtitles, 58 mins) by Mikael Strandberg     on Wednesday, 26 August 2015 at 18:45 (6:45 pm)     at Filmrauschpalast cinema, Lehrter Strasse 35, 10557 Berlin Moabit 14km.org presents the third event of the 14km Film and Discussion Series 2015: Getting to know more about Yemen is the issue of 14km's August event. The evening starts with the film "Expedition Yemen" (English, Arabic and Swedish with English subtitles) in which Mikael Strandberg discovers the country with his European adventurer's eyes. He documents his experiment to travel through the country by camel, showing his experiences and encounters in a state which is considered to be one of the most dangerous on earth for western tourists. The following open conversation and audience discussion with invited guests will improve the picture of Yemen with Yemenite guests and scientific expertise. In addition to insights in Yemen's culture, the current social and political situation will be discussed. The discussion will be held in German. Attendance is free, donations are welcome. The event takes place at Filmrauschpalast cinema on the 1st floor of the Kulturfabrik's backyard building  in Berlin Moabit: Lehrter Straße 35, 10557 Berlin. The discussion ends at 22:00 (10 pm) at the latest. Facebook-Event Movie links: Film homepage Distribution Information Director's comment The 14km Film and Discussion Series 2015 gets sponsorship by budgetary funds of the Federal State of Berlin – Office for Development Cooperation. Further events are scheduled as followed: 16 September / 07 October / 28 October / 18 November / 9 December The events are dedicatet to a single country or specific topic, in order to give an artistic-documentary impression . The ensuing audience discussion aims to include further informations by an affected person living in Berlin and by an scientific expert, always aiming to make links to North-South relationships.   We express thanks for the support:        

Children and their world view are at the centre of Bahman Ghobadi's film which combines elements of fiction and documentary to depict the situation faced by refugee children in Kurdish Iraq in the early 1990s and after 2003 US invasion. Although this second film in 14km's Film and Discussion Series dates from 2004, its messages remain poignant in light of today's oppressive acts and the tragic fate of refugees under the violent terrorist organisation Islamic State. That the film is concerned with children's perspectives is clear from its very title: "turtles" is a euphemism for anti-personnel mines, which Kurdish refugee children, many of them orphans, diffuse in order to make a living. Despite some children suffering brutal mutilation, with legs and arms partially missing, the leader of the operation - "Satellite" - appears unconcerned: "These are the best - they no longer have  fear." While the children may well have lost their fear of the mines, traumatic memories of lost parents and siblings, abuse and rape, haunt them daily as they suffer hunger and poverty in the miserable conditions of a refugee camp. Barbed wire fences and tank wrecks, mud, dirty clothes, makeshift tents and a barren rocky landscape are the backdrop in front of which the children, impressively energetic and full of mutual solidarity, struggle to survive. Sadly, not all the children are able to look positively ahead. The film begins with Agrin, a 14 year old refugee girl, standing atop the cliffs. After suffering rape at the hands of Baath soldiers, she has delivered a son who she cannot bring herself to love. Despite support from her brother and Satellite, she ultimately drowns her son before throwing herself off the cliffs. Director Bahman Ghobadi described his film as "a movie not only by, but also for children". With dramatic scenes, he gives the viewer a sense of the horrors of war and persecution.  While the 2003 US invasion may have liberated Iraqi Kurds from oppression at the hands of Saddam Hussein and his Baathist Regime, this film presents the disillusioned perspective of children whose euphoria is muted by yet another episode of war. As pessimistically as the film ends, the situation for Kurds in Iraq has not much improved since 2003, according to invited experts who took part in a discussion after the film. Dr Karin Mlodoch of Haukari e.V., an association that works for the protection of women in situations of violence and crisis and is active in northern Iraq, was joined by Dr Awat Asadi, a political scientist at the Centre for Kurdish Studies in Bonn, to place the film in its historical context and share their insights into the region's contemporary developments and challenges. "Very shocked" was Dr Mlodoch's response to the film - especially for its evocation of images from the 1990s, when northern Iraq was effectively "one big refugee camp". Moreover, the viewing could not prevent images coming to mind of the current wave of kidnapping and enslavement of women and children at the hands of the terrorist group ISIS. The positive changes and stabilisation that occurred in the Kurdish autonomous region since 2003 have unfortunately been stopped in their tracks. Dr Mlodoch spoke about her experience in relief work with victims of violence, especially women who lost loved ones or were themselves abducted or abused during the "Anfal" operation. in 1988-1989, under the code-word of Anfal, the Baathist regime massacred the Kurdish civilian population, deploying poisonous gases in attacks which are now recognised as genocide in a number of states. The film alludes to one such attack on Halabja. Dr Awat Asadi presented a more optimistic account of the history of Iraqi Kurds. After the fall of Saddam Hussein, governance of the autonomous region benefitted from renewed stability, using oil revenues to boost construction and development. For the first time, the government was in a position to satisfy basic human needs including clean water, electricity, health and education. Civil society also began to organise itself and movements were formed. His hope for positive improvements in the country are unwavering even in the face of current setbacks at the hands of the Islamic State. He suggested that IS would eventually exhaust and fail to replenish its ammunition. In contrast to the Baathist regime, the terrorist group is a foreign entity in the region and is losing its support from the local Sunni population. Dr Mlodoch added that IS could only win the support of Sunnis by exploiting their historical repression under Maliki's Shiite regime. To resolve the conflict, it is therefore essential to address the Sunni concerns and better enable their political participation. Currently, the refugee problem remains the Kurdish autonomous region's biggest challenge. In addition to half a million Syrian refugees, nearly one million internally displaced Iraqis are pushing the local population to the limits of its capacities. The situation in southern regions such as Khanaqin is a "humanitarian catastrophe", lamented Dr Mlodoch, despite stressing the incredible solidarity demonstrated by the local population. Once again, dramatic tales of refugees are being written in the Kurdish areas of northern Iraq - the themes of Turtles Can Fly could hardly be more relevant and contemporary. Still, we hope that chaos ends soon. For the first time, 14km made its new cloth bags available for sale! Look out for these at future events. Many thanks to Dr Karin Mlodoch and Dr Awat Asadi for their participation in the evening and providing such interesting background information and analysis on the history and current situation of the Kurds in northern Iraq. Background information: Producation company "Turtles Can Fly" Kurdish film distributor in Germany Event Presentation and Moderation: Carolin Bannorth On site coordination: Steffen Benzler Text: Susanne Kappe Translation: Alex Odlum Photos: Helena Burgrova Organisation and Planning: Andreas Fricke Programme: the 14km Volunteer Film Team The 14km Film and Discussion Series 2015 gets sponsorship by budgetary funds of the Federal State of Berlin – Office for Development Cooperation. The upcoming Film and Discussion Event takes place on August 26th and will be about Yemen. Further events are scheduled as followed: 26 August / 16 September / 07 October / 28 October / 18 November / 9 December The events are dedicatet to a single country or specific topic, in order to give an artistic-documentary impression . The ensuing audience discussion aims to include further informations by an affected person living in Berlin and by an scientific expert, always aiming to make links to North-South relationships.   We express thanks for the support:      

Blick von Eilat (Israel) auf Aqaba Von Anfang März bis Anfang April habe ich ein Praktikum beim Shabab Al-Ghad Center in Aqaba in Jordanien gemacht. Das Shabab Al-Ghad Center ist eine kleine Organisation, deren Ziele die Förderung junger Leute und die Entwicklung der Zivilgesellschaft sind. Dazu werden unterschiedliche Projekte durchgeführt, Workshops und Diskussionsveranstaltungen organisiert, wobei das Shabab Al-Ghad Center eng mit anderen Organisationen kooperiert. Ein Großteil der Arbeit wird von ehrenamtlichen Freiwilligen übernommen, die mich sehr nett aufgenommen und gut integriert haben. Ich hatte die Möglichkeit den Arbeitsalltag in der Organisation kennenzulernen, der größtenteils aus der Programmzusammenstellung und Organisation der Veranstaltungen besteht. Die Freiwilligen leiten dabei teilweise selbst Workshops, teilweise helfen sie bei der Durchführung der einzelnen Planungsschritte, wie zum Beispiel dem Organisieren von Räumlichkeiten für eine große Konferenz. Zur Zeit meines Aufenthalts ging es vor allem um die Organisation einer großen Konferenz zum Thema Parteien und Gesetzgebung in Jordanien, die leider zweimal verschoben wurde und dann stattfand, als mein Praktikum bereits beendet war. Als Ort kamen vor allem die großen Hotels in Frage, die über die entsprechende Infrastruktur verfügen. Ebenfalls einen großen Anteil hat das Fundraising, zum einen durch das Aufbauen von Kooperationen mit örtlichen Unternehmen oder Stiftungen, zum anderen aber auch durch das Beantragen von Geldern aus internationalen Organisationen. Ich selbst habe zweimal die anderen Freiwilligen zu Meetings mit potenziellen Unterstützern begleitet, einmal mit einer anderen Organisation, einmal mit einem örtlichen Unternehmen. Die Organisation versucht außerdem stetig neue Freiwillige anzuwerben. Diese kommen dann zu einer Aufnahmeveranstaltung. Hier werden sie nochmals von Freiwilligen, die schon länger dabei sind informiert und füllen dann ein Formular aus – zum einen mit ihren persönlichen Angaben, zum anderen aber auch mit ihren eigenen Wünschen und Zielen. Einmal hatte ich die Möglichkeit bei so einer Aufnahmeveranstaltung dabei zu sein. Zweimal fand während meines Aufenthalts in Aqaba eine Diskussionsveranstaltung zum Thema Drogen statt. Zuerst gab es einen Vortrag von drei Experten zur Einleitung, danach konnten die Teilnehmer selbst Fragen stellen und über mögliche Lösungen diskutieren. Außerdem organisierte das Shabab Al-Ghad Center einen Workshop der sich mit der Entwicklung von soft skills, Fähigkeiten mit Menschen zu arbeiten und Menschen zu führen beschäftigte. Unicef-Projekt Zusätzlich dazu bekam ich die Möglichkeit andere Organisationen kennenzulernen. Ich war zum einen bei der Jordan River Foundation für eine Woche, die auch in Aqaba gelegen ist. Ich bekam zunächst einen Überblick über die unterschiedlichen Tätigkeitsfelder und Projekte der Organisation. Außerdem hatte ich die Möglichkeit an einem Workshop zum Thema "Misshandlung von Kindern" teilzunehmen, der immer vormittags stattfand, und nachmittags an einem Projekt von Unicef zur Integration der palästinensischen und syrischen Flüchtlingskindern. Außerdem habe ich die Dise Woman Cooperation besucht, eine Organisation, die im Wadi Rum liegt und versucht Beduinenfrauen zu unterstützen. Die Organisation gibt den Frauen die Möglichkeit durch das Herstellen von Keramiken selbst etwas zu ihrem Lebensunterhalt beizusteuern und die Abhängigkeit von den Männern dadurch zu reduzieren. Die Beduinenfrauen waren sehr freundlich und haben mir ihre Arbeit gezeigt. Gefördert wird die Dise Woman Cooperation unter anderem durch das amerikanische Hilfsprogramm USAid. Außerdem hatte ich die Gelegenheit die Organisation Markaz Shabab Al-Aqaba kennenzulernen, die sich vor allem um die Förderung von Kindern kümmert. Keramik aus der Dise Woman Cooperation Zweimal war ich außerdem bei Info-Veranstaltungen vom jordanischen roten Halbmond, bei denen es um die Vorstellung der Arbeit und Grundsätze des jordanischen roten Halbmonds ging. Der rote Halbmond arbeitet ebenfalls viel mit ehrenamtlichen Helfern. Einmal konnte ich an einem Basic Life Skill Training in der Universität teilnehmen und einmal an einer Konferenz zum Thema Frauenrechte in Jordanien. An letzterer nahmen auch einige hochrangige Politiker teil und es ging im Wesentlichen um die gesetzliche Regelung von Vergewaltigung in Jordanien. In Jordanien ist es so, dass ein Mann eine Bestrafung umgehen kann, indem er das Opfer heiratet. Die Veranstaltung zeigte, dass es im Bereich Frauenrechte noch Defizite gibt, es aber zum Glück auch viele Menschen gibt, die sich dieser Probleme bewusst sind und daran arbeiten. Alle Veranstaltungen, Besprechung und Workshops fanden auf Arabisch statt, sodass ich vor allem am Anfang Probleme hatte, aber glücklicherweise war immer jemand dabei, der Englisch konnte und für mich übersetzt hat. Bei Workshops gab es immer zu Beginn eine kurze Vorstellrunde bei der jeder seinen Namen und noch etwas anderes wie beispielsweise seine Lieblingsfrucht oder den schönsten Tag seines Lebens erzählen sollte. Das hat mir auf jeden Fall geholfen ein bisschen die Hemmungen abzulegen etwas auf Arabisch zu sagen, auch wenn es nicht hundertprozentig korrekt ist. Teilweise wurde ich auch nach meiner eigenen Meinung gefragt oder sollte die europäische Perspektive eines Themas erläutern. Trotzdem hatte ich nicht die Möglichkeit, mich so einzubringen wie ich es gehofft hatte, weil dafür einfach bessere Arabischkenntnisse – vor allem des lokalen Dialekts – nötig gewesen wären. Insgesamt habe ich die Zeit in Aqaba sehr genossen. Ich nehme sehr viele lehrreiche, positive Erfahrungen aus Jordanien mit. Einen entscheidenden Anteil daran haben die Menschen hier, die sehr gastfreundlich und herzlich sind, mich aber auch immer respektvoll behandelt haben. Die von uns wiedergegebenen Berichte von durch uns vermittelte Praktikant/innen spiegeln nicht notwendigerweise die Sichtweise von 14km e.V. oder unseren Partnern wider.