What is the Revolutionale
Revolutionale is a project by the Foundation of the Peaceful Revolution to strengthen civil society engagement for human rights, democracy and social change. It consists of two parts, each of which takes place in alternating years: The Revolutionale – International Roundtable Conference and the Revolutionale – Festival for Change.
Initiated by the Foundation of the Peaceful Revolution, the Revolutionale aims to promote the work and networking of societal actors and to support international movements for democracy and freedom, in the spirit of the Peaceful Autumn Revolution of 1989.
The issues and challenges facing civil society have changed, and thus the goals pursued at the time are to be transferred to the present. The Revolutionale is meant to broaden the scope for action towards social change in the spirit of a community of peaceful coexistence, solidarity, justice and shared responsibility.
Revolutionale – International Roundtable Conference
The International Round Table is a democracy and human rights conference that offers a protected space for actors from Europe and beyond to exchange views on common values, socio-political issues and current challenges.
The return of authoritarian ideas, which has been observed for years, the increasingly diminishing inhibition of autocrats to enforce their interests with violence – the most radical manifestation of which is currently Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine – are just as much a part of this as human rights violations of minorities, corruption and the interaction of capitalism, climate change and the causes of migration and flight.
Since 2017, the conference has been contributing to the international networking of NGO workers, politicians, academics and journalists working in different contexts, political systems or from exile. The roundtable format for discussion is complemented by a comprehensive lecture and workshop program for participants as well as a public social program. The discussion format of the round tables is supplemented by a comprehensive program of lectures and workshops for participants as well as a public supporting program.
The conference takes place every two years in the period around October 9 and thus follows the tradition of the great Monday demonstration in Leipzig in 1989.
Revolutionale – Festival for Change
The Festival for Change is a festival of art and culture that is jointly organized by people and artists who are committed to democracy and human rights. It presents artistic positions on the themes of the International Round Table. It involves people from Leipzig and the region and reflects the diversity of artistic activism in and around Europe in a contemporary, participatory and interactive way.
The festival presents a variety of artistic responses to the political situation and aims to provoke discussion – in particular about social and political problems, but also about the active, transformative potential of art. It is a platform for artists who dedicate their work to the struggle for social change, sometimes under challenging conditions, building bridges of solidarity and cooperation beyond borders.
Conflict:ed
Event Series
The series of events throughout the year takes up relevant key themes from our networks and brings them to Leipzig in the form of cultural and discussion events.
The goal is to inform the people of Leipzig through artistic, informative, and participatory formats, to engage them in exchange, and to stimulate further reflection and thought. We want to promote democracy, to encourage people to talk to each other and to get involved.
With a variety of multimedia formats, such as (online) panel discussions, e.g. Revolutionale Talks, thematic readings and film screenings with subsequent discussions, as well as workshops and training courses, we facilitate the exchange across districts and groups in Leipzig and strengthen democratic awareness.
Stiftung Friedliche Revolution
The Foundation of the Peaceful Revolution was founded in Leipzig in 2009 by active citizens from East and West Germany. Ever since, it has intervened and encouraged others to commit themselves to democracy, cultural diversity, non-violence and peace in the tradition of the Peaceful Revolution. Thereby, the Foundation not only wants to remind people of the historically outstanding events of the fall of 1989 in the GDR and of the developments in the neighboring countries of Central and Eastern Europe, but also to educate people about the character and dangers of totalitarian systems. The foundation stands for pluralism, the recognition of diversity, and a people-friendly economy. It is its declared goal to raise awareness for active participation in the democratic community.
Das Team
Photos: Thomas Bär
We appreciate the active support of the Board of Directors Foundation of the Peaceful Revolution