The REVOLUTIONALE is an international platform for NGOs from democracy and human rights movements, launched by the Foundation of the Peaceful Revolution. It is meant to allow their activists to receive support and solidarity from like-minded people across all borders. Their representatives from about 30 countries meet every two years at the International Round Table in Leipzig to engage in exchange, networking and further development of their cooperation.
Since 2019, this is being accompanied by a “Festival for Change” that provides public visibility and places the topics of the International Round Table in a context of art and interaction: International artists and activists translate the topics of the REVOLUTIONALE into their own respective genres in a courageous, creative and participatory manner. Activists motivate visitors to take action and to switch from the role of consumers to that of independent actors.
In 2021, the Festival for Change is taking place in the Matthäikirchhof, which was a hermetically sealed state security compound in GDR times. The former “bailey”, ugly, claustrophobic, ominous, is commanding attention again, but now light and bright: Amid sinister architecture rises a geodesic dome, 18 metres in diameter, shining white, as a highly symbolic, versatile place for meeting, speaking and performing.
International Round Table
At the conference of the International Round Table about 100 NGO representatives and socio-political activists from all over Europe discuss ten urgent topics of our time on October 6 and 7.
The aim of the International Round Table is the exchange of ideas between people from different socio-political fields of activity. The conference offers space for networking and planning of joint actions to the participants.
We want to underline the importance and effects of civil society engagement and promote democratic, human rights-based change processes.
The days of the International Round Table conference have two themes, which are Change through Solidarity and Change through Participation.
They build a bridge between the diverse fields of activity of the participants. These themes will be taken up in two public lectures of prominent international speakers with subsequent audience discussion, which will take place on October 7 and 8 at 19.00. Beforehand, the results and discussions of the day will be publicly compiled and jointly evaluated from 17:00 to 18:30.
Art + Interaction
This year, too, there will be a Festival for Change to kick off and accompany the International Round Table. The topics of the Round Table are commented, accompanied and illustrated by means of art and interaction. The location itself is a statement: The Matthäikirchhof, on the one hand the site at which the earliest evidence of settlement activity on Leipzig soil, at least 6,000 years ago, was discovered, on the other hand the state security headquarters in the city until about 30 years ago. A “Forum for Freedom and Civil Rights” is to be established here – a project that we wholeheartedly support.
In this place full of history and future, in the framework of the Revolutionale’s motto of solidarity and participation, our topics range across the contested fields of persecution, democracy, absolutism, freedom, openness, fear, guilt and forgiveness. International artists and activists treat these topics in manifold creative and participatory ways, by means of art, ballet, performance and visual formats. Open formats for discussion and information round it all off.
Stay tuned: You’ll find the complete programme here shortly.
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Foundation of the Peaceful Revolution
We would like to thank the following institutions for supporting our work:
Within the framework of REVOLUTIONALE 2019, two projects will take place that were organized with the support of various sponsors. For the project “International Round Tables” as well as for the project “Festival for Change” we would like to thank the following sponsors for their donations and cooperation.
REVOLUTIONALE 2019 – International Round Tables was supported by:
Free State of Saxony
Leipzig Group
With the kind support of:
Contact
Stiftung Friedliche Revolution
Nikolaikirchhof 3
04109 Leipzig
Germany