Dance, live music + conversation | Solidarity Fundraiser for Flood Affectees in Pakistan

This year's Earth Day, join the group Critical Pakistan for a solidarity fundraiser for flood affectees in Pakistan. While Pakistan is responsible for a statistically small share of global carbon emissions, Global Climate Risk Index 2021 ranked Pakistan the 8th most vulnerable country to climate change. Climate change has caused frequent floods, unpredictable rainfall, soil damage and food insecurity. Last year, Pakistan faced unprecedented floods leaving behind a massive trail of death and destruction. The floods caused damages of 40 billion dollars  to the infrastructure. It killed more than 1700 people, almost one-third of whom were children. More than 793,900 livestock died and around two million acres of crops and orchards were impacted. Unfortunately, floods are no longer part of the news cycle and media attention has dwindled. Nevertheless, the crisis remains: millions are still struggling to meet existential needs.

The first part of the evening will be a conversation on climate justice and action with activists from both Pakistan and Germany discussing questions on responsibility, resistance and their work. In the second half, dancer and performer Amna Mawaz Khan, multidisciplinary artist Kazim Hussain and filmmaker/musician Dara Shikoh will present “Ralli/رلی“, an exploration of dance, music and theatre they will develop for this event.

WHERE THE FUNDS GO TO

Pakistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. The situation has been exacerbated due to the floods. To support these women and their infants, the proceeds from the event will be donated to the flood relief efforts of Mama Baby Fund, a rapid response fund for emergency needs in maternal and gynaecological care in Pakistan. 

Doors: 17:30 h
Start: 18:00 h

Tickets: 15 € / 10 € (Box office only)

You're welcome to donate more, as the entrance fee will also be used to cover the costs for technicians, staff, etc.

PROGRAMME

Part 1: Conversation on climate justice & action

With Minerwa Tahir, Tatu Hey, Priyanka Hafeez Dero and Sulti. Moderation: Fazila Bhimji

An aspect of the climate crisis is the “rapidly closing window of opportunity” to act against climate change. Within this context, join us for a conversation as we address important questions:

What struggles and experiences are overlooked in mainstream ideas of ‘climate change’ or ‘climate action’? How the climate crisis intersects with other social struggles? What can we do to challenge the systems we live in, and create openings for a better world? How can wealthy nations assume responsibility for the climate crisis and how can activists instil pressure on them to do so? 

Part 2:  Performance with dance, theatre & live music

رلی  

With Amna Mawaz Khan, Kazim Hussain and Dara Shikoh Channa

Immersed and divided, we are in the ebbs and flows of the self and the whole.  The evening is exploring زندگی کی رلی, or the patchwork of life. Non-human and human interaction: the synchronicity of the individual - collective // fusion - division, as well as transgression: the dysfunctionality in the imbalance // vengeance - grief. a conversation between Amna, Dara Shikoh and Kazim. An immersion and exploration of dance, music and theatre.

PARTICIPANTS

Speakers

Minerwa Tahir is an activist from Pakistan who lives in Berlin. She is a member of Gruppe Arbeiterinnenmacht and the Workers and Youth Relief Campaign. The campaign is a coalition of trade unions and leftist organisations in Pakistan that advocates for climate justice in the region. One of their key demands is debt cancellation for the semi-colonial world.

Tatu Hey is German-Kenyan. She has been a part of the Black Earth Kollektiv since 2020. By drawing links between climate injustice, racism and colonialism, the collective advocates for an intersectional climate justice movement.

Priyanka Hafeez Dero is a member of the Women Democratic Front (WDF), a socialist-feminist movement in Pakistan. She is the General Secretary of WDF in Karachi. During recent floods, WDF worked across the country along with its comrades and sympathizers to raise funds and provide basic facilities and medical help to the flood affectees. WDF also visited relief camps regularly and stayed in touch with the affectees.

Sulti is a Kurdish non-binary activist (pronouns they/them or their name) in the areas of migration and climate justice. They migrated to Germany seven years ago and have since been part of the Climate Movement in Hambacher Forest, Lützi and other forest occupations. Sulti is also involved in the Abolish Frontex Campaign, a campaign against the EU border regime. They raise awareness about racism, transphobia, police brutality and connect BIPoC migrant groups in the struggle for freedom, liberation and a borderless world.

Moderator:

Fazila Bhimji, Ph.D. She is an independent scholar and activist residing in Berlin. Her research interest and activism has focused on migration in the global North. Currently, using an intersectional and decolonial approach, she is exploring the links between economic flows and the displacement of people because of climate injustice and crisis in Pakistan. 

Performers:

Amna Mawaz Khan is a practitioner of dance and politics. She is currently between Heidelberg and Rawalpindi, pursuing a degree in Transcultural Studies. She is a member of the Awami Workers Party, Women Democratic Front and Laal Hartaal. Her training in dance began at a young age under Bharathanatyam exponent Indu Mitha, and her lifelong relationship to movement translated into different projects ranging from theatre, film and music. Amna has taught, learnt and performed in Pakistan, India, China,  Switzerland, Deutschland, England and the USA.

Kazim Hussain is a multidisciplinary artist, based in Berlin. His research revolves around decolonisation, societal structures and Pakistan's blasphemy laws. With a background in theatre and academia, he works to create awareness about Pakistani culture and debunk myths associated with it.

Dara Shikoh Channa is a Berlin-based Pakistani filmmaker and musician. Music is for him the sacred space between language and emotion, a place where emotions have not completely turned to logic, yet they are felt. His musical journey is a process of becoming this space and expressing this space.

Presented by Critical Pakistan

Poster: Shehzil Malik

Oyoun is constantly working to make access to all events as barrier-free as possible. To receive individual information on accessibility, please send us an email. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

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