RWW 2025 Program
‍Practicing Radical Hope

This day brings together entrepreneurs, artists, organizers, and everyone who challenges dominant narratives with their work, art, stories, and presence. From testing out business ideas rooted in lived experience to confronting border violence through storytelling, we will allow ourselves to reflect, learn, and imagine what hope looks and feels like.

We’re so excited to kick it off with all of you! We will come together to explore Culture as Resistance and Radical Hope. From reflections on memory and identity to discussions about collective artistic work, the day invites us to listen, question, and allow ourselves to imagine new possibilities. The evening closes with sound and visual performances that embody resilience and the power of radical hope in motion.

Join Amnesty International for a powerful conversation about human rights—yours, mine, and ours all together. We believe everyone deserves the rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but many are under threat. That’s why we host Human Rights Talks: open, honest chats where people share stories, ideas, and different viewpoints. These aren’t debates—they’re about listening, understanding, and seeing human rights in a whole new way. Come be part of the conversation!

As a community-based art therapy for Ukrainian refugees, this exhibition opens a window into their journeys through color, shape, and story. Created in art therapy sessions, these art pieces speak of healing, connection, and survival.

This evening explores the power of storytelling, not only as a personal act, but as a political tool, legal testimony, and collective memory.

In a world where decisions made thousands of miles away can profoundly impact our daily lives, Ripple Effect: The Yemen Crisis invites you to step into the shoes of various characters—from Yemenis to Dutch people and international people. This role-playing game will reveal how global events, whether political decisions, international aid, or conflicts, ripple across the globe and shape your future. By engaging in play, sharing experiences, and reflecting on them, you will uncover the power of global action and learn about our interconnectedness. Together, we can comprehend how human rights and advocacy can foster change, positively impacting the lives of those affected by the Yemen crisis.

During a tour at The Black Archives, you will be taken on a journey through a hidden history of Black emancipation and resistance, guided by the unique collections in the archive. The collections include stories about the migration history of Surinamese people and other migrant groups, the colonial and slavery past, and hidden stories about its lasting effects in the form of racism and discrimination in presentday. From these stories, we can draw lessons for contemporary issues such as diversity and inclusion in the labor market, education, and more. From these stories we can learn lessons for contemporary issues such as diversity and inclusion in the labor market, in education and more. Tours and masterclasses can also be tailored to specific topics upon request, such as neocolonialism in the climate crisis and the other aspects you mention.

This special premiere of We Dare to Dream is part of the inaugural edition of Refugee Welcome Week in the Netherlands. The evening brings together community, cuisine, and cinema to honor resilience and the right to dream.

In a time where migration is often reduced to statistics, the Forward·Inc Festival offers a human and hopeful perspective. It brings together 150+ guests to build bridges across sectors and cultures, fostering understanding and collaboration. By aligning with Refugee Week, the festival sends a powerful message: newcomers are not just welcome—they are vital to a dynamic and inclusive future.

A high-energy sweat sesh where kicks fly, fists pump, and your whole body gets in on the fun. We mix punchy combos, strength moves, and cardio bursts that’ll leave you feeling powerful. Think fierce footwork, vibey playlists, and a space where queer, trans, and allied bodies move loud, proud, and together.

This 90-minute session invites everyone — refugees, allies, and local community members — into an open and participatory conversation about community building.

Organised by Queer Work, this event brings together art, activism, and joy in one shared space — where borders are questioned, voices are amplified, and movement becomes a form of resistance.

How do we speak up when we’ve been silenced? How do we reclaim our bodies, our voices, and our boundaries in a world that often denies us space?

In her lecture, Ghorashi will draw on both her personal and academic experience to explore the importance of refugee narratives in reimagining democratic engagement. This act of imagination is essential for envisioning transformative conditions for recognition and dignity—especially within the context of indifferent geopolitical developments. The concept of radical hope offers a powerful lens through which to imagine a different world: one where refugees believe in their transformative competence and the value of their insider knowledge, and where society, in turn, recognizes and affirms this strength.

How do we move beyond symbolic allyship and create real, lasting change, led by those directly impacted by displacement? Join us for an urgent and inspiring dialogue on refugee-led futures. This dynamic session delves into the power of grassroots leadership, global justice, and resistance to hate politics, reimagining how structural change can emerge from the ground up. Facilitated by the brilliant Domenica Ghidei, we will challenge conventional approaches to allyship and explore what it means when lived experience, dignity, and agency shape leadership. How can refugee voices not only be heard, but lead? What does true reciprocity and shared ownership look like in practice? And how can we move beyond paternalism to build transformative spaces that foster empowerment and inclusion? Expect deep reflection, thought-provoking dialogue, and bold visions for the future. This session is an open call for diverse perspectives, pushing us to redefine collaboration, share narratives, and co-create action that drives meaningful change. Let’s build radical futures, together!

What if we could dream beyond borders, beyond displacement, beyond extraction?

Step into the fantasy at Club RAUM — where queer joy vogues with cultural resistance, and every moment is served with flavor, flair, and a whole lotta love. We’re starting the night family-style with sufra dining by the iconic Tabaria Café — a feast rooted in Palestinian heritage and fierce hospitality. Then the lights dim, the lashes go up, and the stage comes alive: Expect show-stopping drag by the divine Indie Nile (and more queens and kings), followed by a euphoric DJ set from the one and only AARO — spinning soundscapes to carry you from slow grind to full-body liberation. Come for the dinner, stay for the drama. Ballroom energy. Drag elegance. Radical joy.

Militarised Masculinities and Demilitarised Futures: Conspiring Conversations through Film, Dialogue and Music.

On the psychic and political violence of borders. Join us on the 20th of June at Felix Meritis for a critical interrogation of the sanctity of borders. We discuss how (neo)colonial ideology, biometric control, surveillance technologies, and global inequality all intersect at the border.

QueerCity will be an interactive theaterprogram, where we will discuss about colonial and capitalist powerstrcuctures that plays a role inside and outside the community. We will ask questions and interact with the audience and take a deep dive on decolonizing community and center care and love.

What does it mean to be — and to become — a refugee artist in a city like Amsterdam? In this intimate and reflective afternoon, we invite visitors into the vibrant and urgent space of No Limits! Art Castle, a space for art, community, and resistance.

Join the creative collective We Sell Reality for an engaging and thought-provoking workshop designed for children aged 8–12. This session invites young participants to explore themes of home, identity, and belonging through hands-on art activities.

Many queer and trans refugees face huge barriers in accessing safe and affirming care. At this panel talk, we’ll talk about navigating the Dutch Healthcare System as/for queer and trans refugees. The event is rooted in lived experiences and aims at creating trust, connection, and visibility. Rather than just information-sharing, this event focuses on community-building. We have invited various speakers to talk about their experiences and expertise. After the panel talk, participants can join a yoga class at the gym.

On Saturday 21 June, the closing event will be held at Tolhuistuin, featuring a panel, music and spoken word on solidarity with undocumented Amsterdammers. A powerful finale to a week full of connection and exchange.

In the midst of chaos, where do we find inner peace? How can we practice resistance in stillness? In this session we will create space for reflections through collective and conscientious movement, to exercise mental and physical resilience; to nourish radical hope. If you need a space or practice to reconnect, to find clarity, to sharpen your focus, to move forward in community action and collective care, we welcome you to join us.

An afternoon of film, memory, and solidarity. Join us for a special screening program at Ventilator Cinema, featuring a curated selection of films that center resistance, exile, queerness, and the struggle for justice.

An afternoon of film, memory, and solidarity. Join us for a special screening program at Ventilator Cinema, featuring a curated selection of films that center resistance, exile, queerness, and the struggle for justice.

Join us for the official After Party of Refugee Welcome Week at Radio Radio — a celebration of community, resilience, and radical joy. Not just in struggle, but in celebration. This evening is an invitation to recenter joy, togetherness, and love as acts of resistance.