Johannes Ebert am 8. Juni 2022 in Ramallah
Eröffnung von "Kultur Ensemble" im Deutsch-Französischen Institut in Ramallah

Grußwort von Johannes Ebert zur Eröffnung von "Kultur Ensemble" im Deutsch-Französischen Institut in Ramallah am 08.06.2022

Dear Mayor of Ramallah, Michel Mirallet, Ralf Beste, Eva Nguyen Binh, President of the Institut Francais, René Troccaz, Consul General, Oliver Owcza, Distinguished partners, dear guests,

it is with an immense pleasure to see the official inauguration of Kultur Ensemble, the French-German Cultural Institute in Ramallah today.

This institute is not only the first French-German Cultural Institute outside of Europe to be officially inaugurated, it is indeed the cradle of the whole idea of an institutionalized cooperation between France and Germany on the cultural level, between the Institut Français and the Goethe-Institut. The French and German cultural cooperation with the Palestinians underlines our European support to the Palestinian creative and cultural sector.

In Ramallah, we are located in the heart of Europe’s neighbouring region of North Africa and the Middle East, no better place for the creation of a French-German Cultural Institute to highlight the importance of the Palestinian people and the whole region for both our countries and us as Europeans.

Kultur Ensemble stands for a close bilateral cooperation which goes beyond the usual. After having signed the agreement for a joint use of this building in 2004, named the Ramallah International Center at the time, over the years, both teams of the French, German and Palestinian colleagues have created the founding layers through their daily collaborative work. How to build a functional French-German Cultural Institute –our colleagues here in Ramallah give us the example, paving the way for the global project Kultur Ensemble. How do we plan events together, which topics are relevant for both of us, but also: how do we organize an office in a French-German way, from the internet connection to the employees coffee kitchen.

I believe these daily challenges are essential to defining and enhancing our mission in the Palestinian territories. This is real European cooperation! And I dare to say, this is where an inclusive, open-minded community starts, where we transcend personal borders and where the intercultural dialogue also happens.

Kultur Ensemble at the French-German Cultural Institute in Ramallah evolves around the complete transformation of our joint building into the so-called Third Place, where studies and language courses, library and cultural activities merge: The Third Place in Ramallah aims to be a multicultural and diverse space for the local community, welcoming artists, language students, and everyone else. In the heart of the German-French Cultural Institute, it offers a new variety of cultural activities for our partners and users: a library with a unique approach of offering media in German, French, English and Arabic, a cultural café serving Palestinian and European specialities, a fully equipped makerspace as well as a multi-purpose stage for artistic and discursive formats.

The children’s corner invites the youngest to be active here as well, and maybe become our future language students of German and French classes. With the sound lab and radio bus our ambition is to create an audio hub of self-expression and work with Palestinian women from marginalized communities who are rarely given the opportunity to be heard.

In the Third Place, we wish to offer a new cultural infrastructure for the Palestinian society in Ramallah which provides a safe space for social relations and collective initiatives, outside the realm of the daily political struggles. This is a place to engage with and to exchange with others, encounter new perspectives, remove misconceptions, become creative, and jointly develop projects to empower and strengthen the community we work with.

As French-German Cultural Institute, we want to offer a space to engage with France and Germany, with Europe and beyond. Digital tools are here for you to enhance the exchange, which can be local and global at the same time – something we are going to see in the video performance of «Noor» on the facade of our institute.

I hope that Kultur ensemble and the Third Place create a momentum and continue to build an enriching, powerful and successful example of lived cultural diversity which does not divide but unite us and make us stronger. I wish Kultur ensemble and all these who make it functional every day the best of luck.

Thank you!