"Mapping Rightwing Extremism" continued

branka 03/09/2005 - 14:27 Array Array

New Media Center_ kuda.org, "Socijala Medija" and "AKO - Alternative Cultural Organization" from Novi Sad, Serbia present open competition for short films, computer animations, web sites and photographs on the theme:

Mapping Rightwing Extremism
Deadline for submission: April 8th 2005

Introduction: "The Continuing Appeal of NATIONALISM"

Nationalism was proclaimed dead several times during the present century:

- after the first world war, when the last empires of Europe, the Austrian and the Turkish, were broken up into self~determined nations, and no deprived nationalists remained, except the Zionists;

- after the Bolshevik coup d'etat, when it was said that the bourgeoisie's struggles for self-determination were henceforth superseded by struggles of workingmen, who had no country;

- after the military defeat of Fascist Italy and National Socialist Germany, when the genocidal corollaries of nationalism had been exhibited for all to see, when it was thought that nationalism as creed and as practice was permanently discredited.

Yet forty years after the military defeat of Fascists and National Socialists, we can see that nationalism did not only survive but was born again, underwent a revival. Nationalism has been revived not only by the so-called right, but also and primarily by the so-called left. After the national socialist war, nationalism ceased to be confined to conservatives, became the creed and practice of revolutionaries, and proved itself to be the only revolutionary creed that actually worked.

Leftist or revolutionary nationalists insist that their nationalism has nothing in common with the nationalism of fascists and national socialists, that theirs is a nationalism of the oppressed, that it offers personal as well as cultural liberation.

Fredy Perlman, "The Continuing Appeal of NATIONALISM", 1985

In the background of defining and initiating the project “Mapping Rightwing Extremism” were series of political and social excesses in Serbia and Montenegro in the last 15 years that were based on nationality and mutual non-tolerance, which had significantly defined present living environment, especially for the young people in Serbia and Montenegro. It seems that historical controversy concerning the term “nationalism” has found its embodiment in this country, where its direct connection with ethnic tensions, wars and political conflicts could be seen.

This call for submission of works is continuation/ a second phase of the project that has started with the workshop of the same title “Mapping Rightwing Extremism” that was held in August 2004 in Novi Sad. Workshop gathered young people from Brandenburg, Germany and youngsters from Novi Sad, which have gotten to know each other and exchange some experiences during 5 days of workshop, street action and public debate and screening. This summer, counter visit will be organized.

In Serbia, in the last six months, was recorded more racist and nationalist assaults than in the last five years. In the first six months of 2004 official records count 44 assaults on ethnic base, 13 fights and 17 assaults on Roma people. Number of incidents has increased, and actors of these violent actions are mostly young people, grown up in isolation, war environment and in the time of social insecurity. Important thing in this context is the fact that 70% of student population in Serbia and Montenegro never traveled abroad. Verbal violence, suspiciousness and mistrust, national ghettoization - all sustain the atmosphere of awkwardness and intolerance in multiethnic Vojvodina and city of Novi Sad.

Call for submission of short films is attempt to investigate what could be creative response to the difficult political and social situation in Serbia. It seems that raising ethnic and political conflicts in Voivodina and Serbia and Montenegro are not dealt with institutionally and through structural programs, neither on political nor on educational level. Also, during the years, creative cultural initiatives were self-referenced and disconnected from the complex political situation. They didn’t have wider and more profound impact in the society in the sense of necessity of education of people using variety of methods available. Organizing workshops and the call for submission of the works is attempt to create joined commitment that will answer the current political issues, addressed by their subjects.

Themes of the Call for submission are:

(anti)fascism, (anti)racism, anti-semitism, (anti)cionism, (anti)clericalism, antisexism, (anti)militarism, border politics, national-socialism, nationalism, patriotism, chauvinism, history revision, extreme right/fascism, conflicts, traumas, erasing of culture, identity redefinition, collapsing systems, cultural revolutions, ethnical cleansing, migration, post-communism, globalization, global capitalism, modes of capitalism, unions, global and local realities, televised realities, privatization, suppression, possession, occupation, segregation, separation, borders, ignorance...

For additional information: http://kuda.org