Citizenship Lectures Summer 2019

Tuesday, July 9th | 16-18h | Campus Griebnitzsee | House 7, Room 0.38

Rima Essa and Amit Gilutz:

Human Rights under Occupation: The Case of Palestine

In this presentation Rima Essa and Amit Gilutz of Israeli Human Rights Group B'Tselem will discuss today's reality in the Occupied Territories, after more than 52 years of occupation, and present B'Tselem's seminal Camera Project.

B'Tselem - The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories - strives to end Israel's occupation, recognizing that this is the only way to achieve a future that ensures human rights, democracy, liberty and equality to all people, Palestinian and Israeli alike, living on the bit of land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. B'Tselem means that various political routes can bring about this future, and while they claim that it is not B'Tselem's role to choose among them, they state firmly that continued occupation is not an option. In 2006, B'Tselem launched the camera project which was initially intended to document violations against palestinians in the occupied territories, and that could potentially be used in the courts. Since then the camera project has developed and taken on new forms and meanings.

Rima Essa is the Camera Project Coordinator at B'Tselem, where she has contributed her expertise in film since 2016. Rima graduated from the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem in 2003. She is an activist and filmmaker focused on the Palestinian context. Her award-winning films include Under the Blue Sky (2005),  The Garbage Cage (2006), My Name Is Ahlam (2010), Ashes (2011),  and Train Rails (2012). Rima's work has been screened at many Film Festivals around the world.

Amit Gilutz is the spokesperson of B'Tselem. Before joining B'Tselem, Amit studied music composition in Jerusalem, Ithaca and New York, particularly examining music's ability to participate in the practice of social justice. Since joining B'Tselem in fall 2016, Amit has contributed his expert ear and voice to maximizing the public impact of B'Tselem's latest research and analysis. Born in Be'er-Sheva, Amit graduated from Cornell University in 2016 with a doctorate in music composition.