(Heba Zakout, a Gazan artist who, along with her son, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on 14 October 2023).
The ECPS workshop on Palestinian Cultural Resistance was held on 5 June 2025. Our student Naema Aldaqsha, main organiser of the workshop. Naema made a remarkable and brilliant efforts to organise and follow up all the details while balancing work with caring for her newborn baby Ilia. The workshop opened with a thoughtful and inspiring introduction by the Head of the ECPS, Dr. Nadia Naser-Najjab. Rami Rmelih skilfully chaired the event and presented a wonderful framework for Palestinian cultural resistance in perspective. The keynote speaker, Iman Hammouri, who joined us from Palestine, delivered a powerful reflection on Palestinian cultural resistance, with a particular focus on Gaza amid the ongoing genocide. Students from the ECPS presented excellent papers that explored Palestinian cultural resistance through various aspects. Abdullah Al-Anjari presented on The Orient House, highlighting its symbolic role in Palestinian political and cultural history. Aya Hasegawa spoke on Palestine Solidarity in Japan, offering insights into transnational activism and awareness. Imran Ahmed explored Creativity in Solidarity, focusing on the role of art and imagination in building movements. Basel Khalaily delivered an interesting presentation on Palestinian Resistance in Israeli Football, examining resistance through the lens of sport and national identity. Following audience voting, Basel Khalaily and Aya Hasegawa were awarded the Hiba Zaggout Award for their outstanding contributions and critical engagement with the theme.