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THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

https://fifdh.org/en/fifdh-2020/program/programme-by-day

Introducation by Isabelle Gattiker
Directrice générale et des programmes

"We are entering a symbolic decade of the 21st century: one day we will speak of having lived in the 20s! An era whose contours and destiny must yet be defined.

"As the Iron Curtain fell, Francis Fukuyama predicted the end of History, and the least we can say is that he has been proven wrong: in 2020, History is going stronger than ever.

"In recent months, millions of people around the world have taken to the streets. What binds the protests together seems to be a mixture of economic uncertainty, lack of political representativity, systematic corruption and impunity, but also the severing of a bond: that of humans with the planet, shaken by an unprecedented climate crisis, the impact of which is irreversible.

"Today, actions have consequences. As does failing to act. Urgency is to be found everywhere. Everything is moving at an incredible pace. We are witnessing a meltdown of time: the time for thinking, debating and action now all overlap. At the same time, truth has become a pliable notion. What is my truth, where is yours? What points of reference do we share?

"Recognising that it will never be possible to inspire the People as one on the road to a common ideal, we must continue, tirelessly, to convince as many people as possible that the only viable path is that of social and climatic justice.

"In this hectic world, there is a desperate need for shelters, places to stop and take a breath. And so we began to dream. We dreamt of a place without borders, hierarchy or domination, where the world’s complexity is acknowledged.

"What the Festival offers are not doctrines, nor ready-made solutions, but stories, accounts and ideas that feed your imagination so they may become your own. To mend the fractures, we felt the need to go against the grain and evoke what is simmering beneath and what unites, to remember the plans, the euphoria, the courage, the fever, the struggles and the victories.

"We dreamt up a laboratory so it might flourish freely. A place that sheds light but does not blind, a place that honours the myriad sparks that ignite to kindle a fairer world.
The torch is now yours. We wish you ten unforgettable days."