Iran: Conflict and Critical Thinking
Updated: 5 hours ago
October 16th 2026. Organized by Yasaman Tamizkar in collaboration with department of Cultural Studies KU Leuven, and NW Aalst
On October 16th 2026, as part of Lokaal Solidair, All EYES ON at NW Aalst, Yasaman Tamizkar with Mosem Platform is organising a day-long event in solidarity with Iran, focusing on the themes of conflict and critical thinking. The program is in collaboration with KU Leuven, Cultural Studies, and brings together two workshops exploring conflict and critical reflection.
In the first months of 2026, people in Iran have been living through an exceptionally intense and complex period that rooted in decades of recurring protests, repression, and the ongoing shadow of war that have shaped life in Iran. From nationwide strikes and mass protests to severe repression, arrests, and loss of lives, the situation escalated further with a war marked by large-scale military attacks carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran. These attacks were directed at strategic and military sites, civilians, children, essential infrastructure, and heritage sites deepening the scale of suffering and instability in Iran.
What people have experienced goes far beyond grief or hopelessness—it has reshaped how many understand morality, responsibility, and collective identity.
Amid these rapidly unfolding events, narratives about change have often moved faster than change itself. This has created confusion, paralysis, and deep divisions—both within Iran and across the diaspora. Questions that might once have seemed straightforward—such as how to position oneself in relation to war—have instead become sources of fragmentation: Yes to war? No to war? Under what conditions? Which side are you supporting? And what will be the future of Iran?
What has often been missing is the space to pause—to step back from urgency and return to fundamental questions. How do we think through conflict? How do we form ethical positions in times of crisis? And how can critical thinking help us navigate competing narratives without losing moral grounding?
This day-long program is designed as an invitation to anticipate and engage with these questions.
Schedule
1:00 PM — Guided Tour of the exhibition Songs of Dissent
2:00 PM — Workshop I: Atie Asadollahi, workshop on Polarization and Empathy in a post-war Iranian Society
3:30 PM — Workshop II: Juliana Parra Dissecting Conflict workshop
5:00 PM — Film + discussion moderated by Anneleen Masschelein
7:00 PM — Communal Dinner (Kitchen Stories) hosted by Community of Listeners
8:00 PM — Public film screening Rehearsals for a revolution (2026) by Pegah Ahangarani (Vo Pr-Sub Eng)
The Event is Free however registration needed.
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