16 February 2020|Shadow Munich Security Conference

A marathon evening of visions, analyses, explanations, performative contributions and discussions, simultaneously and in response to the Munich Security Conference.

Every year in February, Munich transforms into a stage for world politics during the Munich Security Conference (MSC). A stage is given to political leaders to share their visions on security, safety and global order, 800 meters away from the Münchner Kammerspiele. The MSC, a supposedly “neutral” platform, is a forum for debate for some of the most powerful people in the world. Over 4,000 police officers, hundreds of police cars and countless barriers dominate public space for a few days in order for this to happen. Deals are made behind closed doors and hardly any space for public debate or exchange is accommodated.This spectacle of power demands a counter-proposal.

On Saturday the 15th February 2020 an alternative conference was held, with speakers and performers who made a collective plea for interdependency. Together they imagine what our world could look like if radically different people, with radically different ideas, are in charge of our security.

The full video broadcast is available to view below or at this link here.

********************Key Time Codes In The Video********************

1) Lara Staal introduces Shadow Munich Conference (IN ENGLISH) – 00:07

2) Necati Öziri (IN GERMAN) – 11:53

3) How to Be Many in an Age of Authoritarianism?

Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Nandini Sundar, Oloruntoyin LaToya Manly-Spain, Moderated by Radha D’Souza (IN ENGLISH) – 33:21

Linda Tuhiwai Smith – 37:11

Oloruntoyin LaToya Manly-Spain – 46:03

Nandini Sundar – 57:51

Further discussion post-presentations – 1:06:38

Radha D’Souza: Post-discussion concluding thoughts – 1:14:55

4) Hengameh Yaghoobifarah (IN GERMAN)   1:16:03

5) The Terror of Surveillance and Militarisation

Erella Grassiani, Younes Saramifar, Moderated by Radha D’Souza (IN ENGLISH) – 1:27:13 

Erella Grassiani – 1:32:47

Younes Saramifar – 1:41:02

Further discussion post-presentations – 1:47:49

Radha D’Souza: Post-discussion concluding thoughts – 2:17:06

6) Mateja Meded (IN GERMAN) – 2:21:39

7) One upon a time in the little city (IN ENGLISH) 2:39:30(SOUND BECOMES CLEARER FROM 02:40:30)

8) Know your ethics

Sean Peters (IN ENGLISH) – 2:50:59

VIDEO ADVERTISEMENT CAMPAIGN (still part of Sean Peters’s presentation) – 2:59:30

9) The Climates of Catastrophe

Luisa Neubauer, Bruno Rodríguez, Beatrice Rukanyanga, Moderated by Radha D’Souza (IN ENGLSH) – 3:11:38

Luisa Neubauer: 3:19:20

Bruno Rodríguez: 3:27:29

Beatrice Rukanyanga: 3:32:38

Further discussion post-presentations: 3:44:40

10) Final thoughts, and Poem

Anissa Boujdaini, Radha D’Souza (IN ENGLISH) – 3:53:26

POEM READ BY Anissa Boujdaini (IN ENGLISH) – 3:57:56

The “Shadow Munich Security Conference” assembles a group of outspoken progressive speakers, who claim the term “security” and share their visions of a world that is more safe, equal and just. This assembly departs from the idea that we have been discussing isolated crises long enough and have to start looking at how they are interconnected. Only a holistic vision on social and economic processes is able to make change. We will therefore focus on the relations between economic precarity, nationalism, increased surveillance, the climate catastrophe, armed conflict and the violence against refugees.

These times ask for a knowledge-exchange that can operate on a multitude of levels. Therefore, we focus on contributions that not only speak to our minds, but also to our bodies and hearts. Let’s use the theaters to train ourselves in a language that can speak to many people and unites us. Through spoken word, performative contributions, lectures, stories and conversations, we assemble in order to use our imaginations to think the world differently, so that it can become different.