LANDSCAPES OF HOPE
About Landscapes of Hope
Landscapes of Hope is an initiative, created and led by Action for Hope, to network civil society organizations across sectors to bring about effective social change in situations of distress.
It aims to:
- Provide a platform for discussion, learning and development of ideas for joint action among civil society actors to bring about effective social change in situations of distress
- Advocate for and promote a cross-sector approach in civil society work, especially in situations of distress
- Highlight the role the arts can play in addressing social change issues
In 2016, Action for Hope organized a 3-day festival in Berlin under the name of Landscapes of Hope. The event attracted a large audience of over 1000 people and resonated widely among Syrian and other Arab diaspora in Berlin and even in other European cities.
The event sought to provide a platform for presenting and discussing Syrian arts and culture, within the context of the large-scale displacement of Syrians into Europe. The event included concerts, dance performances, story-telling, literary readings, live cooking shows, film screenings and discussions, and from there, the Landscapes of Hope initiative was born.
Steering Committee
In October 2018, Landscapes of Hope was launched in Beirut, and its first steering committee met for the first time. Landscapes of Hope first Steering Committee consisted of: Mr. Abdullah Alkafri, Mrs. Farida Shaheed, Mrs. Heba Morayef, Mrs. Samar Dudin and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schneider.
A new Steering Committee was selected in 2021 for a new mandate including: Mrs. Cara Mertes, Mrs. Farida Shahid, Mrs. Hanane Haj Ali, Mr. Kahled Mansour, Mrs. Natasha Badhwar, Mrs. Paulina Suárez, and Mrs. Samar Dudin.
Network Members
In April 2019, Action for Hope announced the first cohort of Landscapes of Hope Community Members, 22 civil society organizations from 14 different countries and regions, working in different sectors such as human rights, arts and culture, development, urban planning and heritage, and gender equality.
Days of Hope are activities and events proposed by Landscapes of Hope community members to bring together civil society actors from different sectors to discuss and to explore possibilities for joint action, or to act collaboratively to address some of the difficult problems currently challenging our world in areas such as freedom of expression, social and economic marginalization, forced displacement and migration, gender inequality and racism and hate speech. Example of projects and events implemented under Days of Hope: youth activism and engagement in addressing climate change by Dejusticia, violence against women in Venezuela by Codhez, and empowering and mobilizing women to preserve heritage sites, youth mobilization to tackle misconceptions in marginalized neighbourhoods by Megawra.
Days of Hope completed 3 rounds of small scale grants program in 2020. 10 grants were awarded to members of the Landscapes of Hope.
Collaborative Projects:
The Collaborative Projects grant is a closed medium-scale grants program only available for Landscapes of Hope’s network members to implement a project in collaboration with other civil society entities from across sector addressing one or more of LoH’s core issues: Freedom of expression, Social and economic marginalization, Refugees, forced displacement and migration, Gender inequality, Youth empowerment , Conflict and reconciliation, Discrimination, racism and hate speech, Environmental degradation, Equal access to healthcare, and Digital access and internet freedom.
11 grants were voted on by Landscapes of Hope’s steering committee in 2021 and 2022. The selected projects took place in Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Egypt, Lebanon and India among others.
Requiem for Justice
Requiem for Justice is an international online rally that launched on 28, 29 and 30 August 2020. The Event featured music, poetry, films and opinion statements by more than 40 artists and writers from 18 countries, in an effort to raise voices against injustice and oppression.
Requiem for Justice highlighted the impact of the virus outbreak, and the consequent lockdown, on the most vulnerable groups in different societies around the world: the homeless, refugees, immigrant workers, prisoners, women subjected to domestic violence, daily workers, and frontline health workers.
The online event was reached by over 1 million audience worldwide, the event was held also this year on 18-19 September 2021.
The 3rd edition of Requiem for Justice took place in Mexico City from 27 to 30 October 2022. The 4-day festival hosted:
42 artists between musicians, poets, theatre performers, painters and filmmakers,
18 renowned speakers, authors, and experts, and
12 members of the Landscapes of Hope network.
The events included a rich program of 4 music performances, 2 theatre performances, 4 panel discussions, 7 poetry recitals, 5 films screenings, 2 art exhibitions and 1 live cooking show!
Participants in the festival arrived from 6 regions around the world including 22 countries: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait, Afghanistan, India, Turkey, The United Kingdom, France, Austria, The United States, Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico.
Check out the Full program here: https://bit.ly/3xTs9jd
Requiem for Justice 2020:
Requiem for Justice – Lockdown Suites
Requiem for Justice – Re-Sonate Hope
Requiem for Justice – Speak Out Resistance
Requiem for Justice – Civil Works
Requiem for Justice 2021:
Watch here
Requiem for Justice 2022 – Mexico City:
Watch here
