Thinking Beyond "Crisis". Historical, artistic and media approaches to contemporary migration in Europe

A cooperation between:
Bard College Berlin, the Centre for Contemporary History (ZZF Potsdam), the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, 
BOX Freiraum and ‘wir machen das’

Veranstaltungssprache
Panels: Englisch, Diskussion am Abend: Deutsch/Englisch (Übersetzungen englischer Textbeiträge ins Deutsche durch den Moderator).

Kurztexte zu den Zielen des Symposiums

Marion Detjen: Die Krise transzendieren (pdf) 
Kerry Bystrom: Probing the "Emergency Imaginary" (pdf)
 

Summary 

News reports commenting on the current refugee situation rotate around terms like ‘crisis’ and ‘emergency.’ Both words however isolate events within the present and are apt to block out more encompassing and creative approaches including drawing on the experiences and theories brought to us by refugees from earlier eras. 
With Hannah Arendt as a central figure who speaks to us both as a refugee and on refugees, ‘Thinking Beyond Crisis’ will attempt to outline the closures of presentist ad-hoc responses and to meet Europe's new reality in a mode of exchange and mutual adjustment rather than through technocratic ‘problem solving.’
Renowned scholars, artists, journalists and young Afghan refugees will engage in panel discussions, a poetry reading and open Q&A to help us think and speak 'beyond' crisis. 

Speakers 
Ewa Atanassow, Bard College Berlin 
Roger Berkowitz, Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities, Bard College, Annandale 
Kerry Bystrom, Bard College Berlin 
Gerhard Casper, American Academy, Berlin 
Jeffrey Champlin, Al-Quds Bard College for Arts & Sciences, East Jerusalem 
Marion Detjen, Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam and ‘wir machen das’ 
Stephan Detjen, Deutschlandradio, Berlin 
Ines Kappert, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin 
Susanne Koelbl, DER SPIEGEL and poetry mentor at BOX Freiraum, Berlin 
Carolina Mojto, BOX Freiraum, Berlin and ‘wir machen das’ 
Orwa Nyrabia, film producer and filmmaker, Berlin 
Patrice Poutrus, Universität Wien 
Aarash D. Spanta, lawyer, Berlin
Annette Vowinckel, Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam 
Ulrich Wilhelm, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich 

Program 

14:00-14:30 
Welcome and introductory remarks 
Carolina Mojto, BOX Freiraum & ‘wir machen das’ 
Kerry Bystrom, Bard College Berlin 
Marion Detjen, ZZF Potsdam & ‘wir machen das’ 

14:30-16:00 
Panel One Historical and Contemporary Migration in Eastern and Western Europe: Arendtian Perspectives 
Patrice Poutrus, Universität Wien 
Orwa Nyrabia, filmmaker & - producer 
Jeffrey Champlin, Al-Quds Bard College 
Moderator: Ewa Atanassow, Bard College Berlin 

16:00-16:30: Coffee Break 

16:30-18:00 
Panel Two Arendt on Refugees/Arendt as Refugee 
Gerhard Casper, American Academy 
Roger Berkowitz, Hannah Arendt Center 
Annette Vowinckel, ZZF Potsdam
Moderator: Kerry Bystrom, Bard College Berlin 

18:00-18:15
Presentation of the Refugee Student Scholarship Network by Marion  Detjen

18:15-19:00: Buffet break

19:00-19:30 
Poetry reading 
Ghani Atai, Abdul Baseer, Shazemir Hotaki, Mohamad Mashghdost, Yassir Niksada, Samiullah Rassouli. 
With an Introduction of the poetry program at BOX Freiraum by Susanne Koelbl & Aarash D. Spanta 

19:30-20:15 
‘Speaking Beyond Crisis Today’ 
Discussion on the crisis-discourse in the media 

Ines Kappert, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung & ‘wir machen das’ 
Susanne Koelbl, DER SPIEGEL & BOX Freiraum 
Aarash D. Spanta, lawyer, Berlin 
Ulrich Wilhelm, Bayerischer Rundfunk 
Moderator: Stephan Detjen, Deutschlandradio 20:15: Q & A Followed by a reception

Program Symposium Thinking Beyond  'Crisis" (pdf)