Skip to main content

Tag: Resistance

Pari Island sues – Climate justice in court

Written by c.vonderdick on . Posted in Blog.

The Indonesian Island of Pari, part of Berlin’s partner city Jakarta, is acutely threatened by rising sea levels – by 2050, it will largely be flooded. However, the residents are resisting: They have filed a climate lawsuit in Switzerland against the cement company Holcim – one of the largest CO₂ emitters in the world.

In this event, we discussed this groundbreaking lawsuit with Edi Mulyono, one of the plaintiffs from Pari Island, Suci Fitria Tanjung (WALHI Jakarta), Carolina Schröder (Germanwatch), Theresa Mockel (ECCHR) and Gusti Agung Made Wardana (UGM). What significance do climate lawsuits have beyond the individual case, and what value do even legal setbacks hold, as in the case of the Peruvian farmer Saúl Lliuya against RWE?  

More about the Pulau Pari case and the campaign: https://callforclimatejustice.org/de/webreport/

The event took place on July 14th, 2025; Berlin time: 2pm-4pm ; Jakarta-time: 7pm-9pm in Berlin Global Village and ONLINE.

A follow-up event on September 12th 2025 brought together three cases of how climate change is impacting local areas – all connected to water. The social and ecological costs of climate crisis are disproportionately borne by the Global Majority compared to the so-called Global North. These climate injustices significantly impact regional development issues in varied ways. Our event showcased examples from the Spreewald (120 km from Berlin), Pari Island (Jakarta), and Kupang (Timor) to spark an engaging discussion.

We welcomed Asmania and Suci Fitria Tanjung, two key figures in the climate lawsuit Pari Island against the Swiss construction giant Holcim, along with the Oebelo salt-farming community experts Untung Nomleni und Horiana Yolanda and Sabine Minninger, a climate policy expert at Bread for the World, specializing in climate change and development challenges. The audience from Berlin and Jakarta explored what climate justice looks like, how we can confront injustices, and the vital role the Global North must play in taking responsibility.

This events were organized by Watch Indonesia! and WALHI as part of the “Sister Cities in Action”  project, funded by the State Office for Development Cooperation (LEZ) Berlin.

Hope and Resistance for Migrants and Refugees in Mexico and Germany – Online exchange

Written by s.almaraz on . Posted in Blog.

On September 10th 2025, a binational online meeting brought together activists, civil society organizations, and refugees from Mexico and Germany to exchange experiences, perspectives, and challenges related to migration.

The conversation focused on how political contexts and public perceptions of migration have changed in both countries. Participants also shared insights into collective and solidarity-based networks that support and empower migrants and refugees, as well as self-organized spaces created by migrants and asylum seekers to connect, exchange ideas, and develop collective approaches to action.

We extend our gratitude to all participants and for the contributions of:

  • Gabriela de Lourdes Hernández Chalte – Director of Casa Tochan (Mexico)
  • Gerardo Talavera Cervantes – Specialist in Humanitarian Response and Local Integration Coordinator at CAFEMIN (Mexico)
  • Josué Castañeda – Human Rights Advocate, Refugee, and Collaborator at CHIRLA (Mexico)
  • Marlene Pernalete – Human Rights Lawyer, Refugee, and Migration Consultant at SFR e.V. (Germany)
  • Sara Bellezza – Migration and Border Studies Researcher and Activist focused on Germany, Europe an the Americas at the Freie Universität Berlin (Germany)

Film Screening: “FROM HERE”

Written by r.lopez on . Posted in Event: Sister Cities on Screen.

“From Here” (USA, Germany | 2020 | English & German)

Monday, 22th September, 6 – 9PM, aquarium (Skalitzer Str. 6, 10997 Berlin)


A documentary film on immigration, belonging, and creative activism.

Set in Berlin and New York, FROM HERE is a hopeful story of four young artists and activists from immigrant families redefining belonging in an era of rising nationalism globally.The protagonists move from their 20s into their 30s and face major turning points in their lives: fighting for citizenship, starting families, and finding room for creative expression.

The film screening will be followed by a discussion with:

Canan Turan, ideologiy-critical film scholar & creative producer of the films (Berlin)
Victoria Kumala Sakti, sozial and cultur anthropologist (Jakarta)
Karl Ehlers, artist and journalist (Windhoek)
Liz Soto Rivas, activist and founder of Latinas en Alemania (Mexiko-City).

Event will be held in english and german.