Collaborative Projects – 2023

 

In 2023, we partnered with organizations across the Global South to support bold initiatives focused on freedom of expression, social justice, climate action, and creative resistance. These projects reflect the intersection of art, advocacy, and community resilience.

 

Arts Rights Justice Training
Led by: Arts Rights Justice (University of Hildesheim – Germany)
Location: Mólos & Athens, Greece
This intensive training brought together 8–12 young artists and activists from the Global South for a 2–3 day workshop on artistic freedom. Held at the Evergreen Ecovillage near Athens, the program facilitated roundtables, workshops, and peer-to-peer solidarity exchanges. As part of the Safe Havens conference, it contributed to broader strategies for protecting freedom of expression and securing safe creative spaces globally.
Partner: Safe Havens Freedom Talks (SH|FT)

 

Sonic Dispersion: Dismantling Sonic Oppression
Led by: Arab Digital Expression Foundation (ADEF) – Egypt
Location: Egypt
This residency and workshop series equipped sound and visual artists with tools to build multisensory, interactive installations reflecting urban environments. Through DIY electronics and experimental sound design, artists explored the impact of economic crises and urban development on sonic landscapes.
Partner: Yazan Beirut

 

HOPE (Helping Organizations to Promote their Experiences)
Led by: Codhez – Venezuela
Location: Maracaibo, Venezuela
This capacity-building initiative strengthened local NGOs and human rights defenders facing new government restrictions on civil society. It provided training in safety, legal tools, and self-care, while also launching public outreach through videos and an art event to raise awareness of civic work’s value.
Partners: Redhez, Mulier

 

To Rehumanize the Dehumanized: Oral Testimonies and Fiction
Led by: Dawlaty – Syria
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Building on its Syrian Oral History Archive, Dawlaty launched an online platform making over 400 testimonies from women and youth affected by conflict and detention publicly accessible. This digital resource sheds light on lived experiences of disappearance, siege, and survival.
Collaborators: Dima Nachawi (visual storytelling), Ibrahim Fakhry (graphic design)

 

They Speak for Themselves: An Oral History and Digital Storytelling Journey of al-Jaw
Led by: Al Jumhuriya – Syria
Location: Digital / Syria and the diaspora
This groundbreaking project spotlighted personal narratives from Syria’s queer community, blending oral history with digital storytelling. Through mid-length audiovisual stories, it engaged young Syrians—at home and abroad—on LGBTQ+ rights as essential to a democratic future.
Partner: SEEN

 

Echos for Resistance
Led by: Ambulante – Mexico
Location: Mexico & Ecuador
A transnational project linking Indigenous environmental defenders in Mexico with communities in Ecuador’s Yasuní region. It produced communications strategies and supported advocacy during Ecuador’s national referendum to halt oil drilling in a critical Amazonian block.
Partners: Conexiones Climáticas, Cheschin Playero, Defensores del Istmo, Centro de Derechos Humanos “Bety Cariño”

 

Supporting Pakistani Feminist Artists for Action on Gender-Based Violence
Led by: Digital Rights Foundation – Pakistan
Location: Lahore, Pakistan
Coinciding with the UN’s 16 Days of Activism, this campaign elevated feminist digital art as a tool to raise awareness of gender-based violence. Created in collaboration with independent feminist artists, it fostered conversations on equality and resistance through art.
Partner: National Commission of Human Rights

 

Freedom of Expression as a Flag of Community Radio
Led by: Dejusticia – Colombia
Location: Colombia & El Salvador
Amid shrinking civic space, this project empowered community radio journalists through training and a new cross-border radio series. It amplified the voices of local journalists and explored the critical role of media in defending freedom of expression.
Partner: La Esquina Radio

 

Agroecology Project: Building Climate Resilience in Underserved Communities
Led by: Haki Nawiri Afrika – Kenya
Location: Machakos and Siaya Counties, Kenya
This community-based climate resilience project trained farmers, women, and youth in agroecological techniques—like composting, water harvesting, and seed saving. It also hosted food justice dialogues, established seed libraries, and launched media campaigns to promote sustainable, indigenous food systems.
Partners: Kaani Smallscale Farmers Association, Woni wa Uamani Women Group