Courage - Mut zur Menschlichkeit (Courage to be Human)
On December 12th and 19th 2020, teachers and students involved in the "Zusammenklänge" project designed the music program for demonstrations held by the "Courage – Mut zur Menschlichkeit" initiative. This aims to ensure that children, young people, and families from the Kara Tepé refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos are taken in by Austria - there would be sufficient place for them to be housed.
On December 12th, in the square in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, initiator Katharina Stemberger and cathedral priest Anton Faber spoke on the topic, followed by initiator Stefan Sengl and actress Gerti Dressl on December 19th at the Platz der Menschenrechte. Karin Wagner welcomed everyone on behalf of the 'Zusammenklänge' project. On December 12th, the square in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral was transformed into a stunning display of 'Wiener Lichtblicke' (Viennese Glimmers of Light) by Victoria Coeln, creating a beautiful atmosphere that highlighted the importance of shining a light on human rights.
Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was read in various languages (German, English, Persian, Czech, Arabic, Bosnian, and Italian).
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
At both events, demonstrations were opened with specially arranged Christmas songs by the "Insanus Saxophone Quartet": Tanja Machovsky (alto saxophone), Kerstin Stolzlederer (alto saxophone), Thomas Zoufal (tenor saxophone), and Fabian Limani (baritone saxophone).
Oh, How Joyful arr. Bramböck | Insanus Saxophone Quartet
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxQ4bRNg6OI
Insanus Saxophone Quartet YouTube Channel
www.youtube.com/channel/UCDeKLYqSXsbcL22PYcuhA3g
The 'Afro Arabiq Walzer Archestra' also performed two pieces at each event, and on December 19th, alongside Harald Huber on keyboard, there were live performances by Syrian singer Basma Jabr and Czech violinist Tomas Nova
Afro Arabiq Walzer Archestra - Layali el Ouns fi Vienna (Farid al Atrash)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6IzkmMN4XA
Afro Arabiq Walzer Archestra - Wir Schaffen Das (Harald*Huber)
On Saturday, December 12th, Ferenc Csincsi (vibraphone) performed the piece "In Your Quiet Place" by Gary Burton/Keith Jarrett (arr: Kurt Remling).
Mark Glentworth: Blues for Gilbert - Csincsi Ferenc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=us6zSB90BJE
Under the direction of Hanne Pilgrim, Carina Reichly, Mohadese Siasar, Silvia Rubey, Hannah Holzhacker, Anna Wieland, and Tamara Mayr, students of Rhythmics (Music and Movement Education) also performed a "choreography with laundry baskets," providing a vivid illustration of the need for laundry baskets and blankets to protect the young children in the refugee camp from cold and damp conditions.
On Saturday, December 19th, there were performances from the percussion trio Teresa Heugl, Alessandra Reiner, and Sophia Vasik with the piece "Nian - Trio für Große Trommeln" (Nian - Trio for Large Drums) by Pius Cheung (Nian 3, Pius Cheung: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoTeK-hcPD8), the vocal ensemble GLAS (Maja Rački, Christine Seltenreich, Ruth Hosp, Julie Anastassiou, Marina Scheutz Tatić, Ilona Eggl) under the direction of Natasa Mirkovic with music from Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Croatia (www.sites.google.com/view/vokalensembleglas),as well as the tower blowers Josef Schaffner (flugelhorn), Valentin Tober (flugelhorn), Franz Peter Kriener (tenor horn), and Georg Schaffner (tuba) with "Imagine" by John Lennon, "An Irish Blessing" by James E. Moore, and the Christmas carol "Still, Still, Still".
Neither demonstration would have been possible without the active organizational support of Birgit Huebener from the Administrative Department of Equality, Gender Studies and Diversity of the mdw. Magdalena Fuchs, Lukas Hartmann, Rafaela Seywald (hmdw), and Paul Scheliga (sound engineering), as well as Lisa Huebener and, later, Lukas König, who assisted on site.
Both demonstrations succeeded in directing media attention to the topic (with the Austrian public broadcaster ORF reporting on the events several times in its ZIB news broadcasts). We would like to thank the "Courage – Mut zur Menschlichkeit" initiative and all those involved for their commitment. We would also like to thank Vice-Rector Gerda Müller, who endorsed and supported the demonstrations from their earliest conceptions.
Karin Wagner (Head of the "Zusammenklänge" project)
Harald Huber (report design)
