Academic Narratives on the Syrian Conflict:
How Can Syrian Studies Contribute to Rebuilding Social Sciences in Syria?

with Mohamad Moustafa Alabsi

The war in Syria has been documented by hundreds of academic books and articles, many of them in languages other than Arabic. This workshop aims to map the diverse clusters within Syrian Conflict Studies, including research centers, publications, websites, initiatives and specialized journals. This mapping will facilitate our discussion on effective strategies for disseminating academic knowledge about the Syrian conflict in Arabic. We will also explore how academic narratives can contribute to the revitalization of critical and interdisciplinary social sciences in Syria.

9/8FIGHT41:
“A 9/8 Fight for All of Us”

with Sema Semih

Our fellow Sema Semih introduces this 2022 award-winning short film by Berlin-based Turkish choreographer Gizem Aksu on which they collaborated. It explores the relationship between Aksu and German Sinti-Roma boxing legend Johann Rukeli Trollmann (1907-1944) which transcends generations and geographies.

Rukeli Trollmann was exposed to many forms of discrimination by the Nazi regime because of “boxing by dancing like Gypsy” and murdered in the Wittenberge Concentration Camp. Inspired by the fight of Rukeli Trollmann, the film traces Aksu’s experience of immigration to Berlin and the fight for justice in Istanbul.

In Istanbul, three other dancers join Rukeli’s dance/fight by sharing the power of dance in their fight for justice: Gizem Nalbant, who experienced urban transformation in the Romani neighborhood Sulukule where she was born and grew up; Banu Açıkdeniz who has been researching feminist body politics; and Sema Semih, who has been part of the Turkish LGBTQI+ movement for many years. As it carries Rukeli’s story to Istanbul’s Romani Neighborhoods of Sulukule and Fikirtepe, the film takes a 9/8 rhythmic look into Istanbul’s recent urban memory through the bodies of dancers.