Palestine Week at Casa Árabe
On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Casa Árabe has organized various activities from November 26-29 to commemorate this day, with the cooperation of the Diplomatic Mission of Palestine in Spain. We will be offering a display of the vibrant creativity and dynamic energy which characterize the Palestinian people and their institutions. Sales of tickets for the shows are already available through this website.
November 15, 2013
All of the events will be taking place at the Casa Árabe headquarters in Madrid (c/ Alcalá 62). The program includes a conference to be given by notable diplomat Afif Safieh, the play Ana Hurra (I Am Free) by Valantina Abu Oqsa, two concerts to be given by the ensemble Maqamat Al-Quds, a commemorative act to be attended by representatives of the Arab diplomatic corps in Spain, and an exhibition on the work which is carried out by the organization Riwaq.
At the bottom of this web page, you can purchase tickets for the theater show and concerts.
Tuesday, November 26
[Conference] In First Person: Afif Safieh. 8:00 p.m.
ADVERTISEMENT: The conference has been delayed, from 7:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m.
Opening speech for Palestine Week at Casa Árabe, given by one of the most experienced Palestinian diplomats, Afif Safieh, who has served at the three most politically important capitals: London, Washington and Moscow. Musa Amer Odeh, Ambassador of Palestine in Spain, and Eduardo López Busquets, the General Director of Casa Árabe, will be hosting the event.
In English with simultaneous translation. Free entry until the event’s capacity is reached.
Afif Safieh (Jerusalem, 1950) has an educational background in Political Science and International Relations from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium and the Institute of Political Studies in Paris. In addition to the aforementioned embassies, he has been the assistant director of the PLO’s Mission of Observers at the United Nations Office in Geneva. He was a member of Yasser Arafat’s office in Beirut, in charge of European affairs and UN institutions, a PLO representative before the Netherlands, and Palestine’s General Delegate to the Holy See. His most recent position was that of Palestinian Ambassador to the Russian Federation, and since 2009 he has been the Palestinian Ambassador at Large for Special Missions, with headquarters in London.
Wednesday, November 27
CANCELED: [Theatre] Ana Hurra (I am free) of Abu Valantina Oqsa.
Please be advised that the play Ana Hurra has been canceled. Casa Árabe will contact with people who already purchased their tickets.
Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29
[Concert] Maqamat Al Quds. 8:00 p.m. The ensemble of Maqamat Al-Quds was created in 2010 and is led by oud player Louay Abbasi. Despite the youth of its members, the group has taken part in many international festivals, including the Paris Jazz Festival (along with Anuar Brahim), the International Belfort Music Festival (France), Las Noches de Ramadán, and the Jerusalem Festival, which is put on every year by the Palestinian cultural entity Jerusalem Yabous.
The ensemble Maqamat Al-Quds is made up of young musicians who have studied at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Palestinian Music. This institution was created in 1993 by various intellectuals and music lovers, and its outreach has gradually increased with time until becoming one of the most important organizations in the Palestinian cultural scene. At present, its headquarters in the cities of Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus and Gaza have more than one thousand registered students. Its academic program includes both the traditions of both Western music and Arab musical culture and instruments.
Ticket sales available at this bottom of this web page.
From Tuesday, November 26 through Friday, November 29
[Exhibition] Riwaq, a Palestinian Institution in the Worlds of Culture and Heritage In our exhibition hall, we will be hosting a photographic exhibition on the work performed by the entity Riwaq, with headquarters in Ramallah. Since 1991, it has been devoted to preserving and developing the architectural heritage in Palestine, as well as increasing the cultural dynamics of society through initiatives such as the Qalandiya International Biennial and the Riwaq Biennial. The work performed by Riwaq has led it to be awarded numerous prizes, including the Agha Khan Award (2013), the Curry Stone Design Prize (2012) and UN-Habitat’s Dubai International Award (2007).
Free entrance. Opening times: Monday-Saturday, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and 4:00-7:30 p.m.; Sundays and holidays from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Friday, November 29
Commemorative act on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. 6:30 p.m.
The Diplomatic Mission of Palestine in Spain is announcing this event, which will include speeches by the Palestinian Ambassador Musa Amer Odeh, the representative of the League of Arab States in Spain and several representatives of the Arab diplomatic corps in Spain.
In Arabic with simultaneous translation. Free entry until the event’s capacity is reached.
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed Resolution 181/II, in which the decision was reached to distribute the territory of Palestine then under the British Mandate to the two peoples who inhabited it: 46% went to the original Palestinian Arab population (including Muslims, Christians and Jews) and 56% to the minority of Jewish colonists who had begun to arrive from Europe and other places decades before. The partition, thought to be the only possible solution to a difficult problem, was actually the path towards one of the most important and heartbreaking conflicts of our era, marking the policy on the Middle East since then. In 1977, the UN General Assembly decided that November 29, the anniversary of Resolution 181, would be observed as the International day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
With the cooperation of:
Diplomatic Mission of Palestine in Spain
Information on ticket sales for the play and concerts:
Price: 5 euros for general entrance tickets at box office. 4 euros for online purchases and the officially unemployed, Arabic Language Center students and youth card holders. You must accredit your status by showing the proper document to receive this discount. Ticket purchases online may not be changed or refunded. If, for technical reasons, you are unable to purchase tickets online, box office sales will begin one hour before the event.
To purchase tickets, you must select the session you wish to attend in the pop-down menu appearing below:
