May 4-5, 2012
Sophiensaele/7th Berlin Biennial, Berlin, Germany

The New World Summit is an artistic and political organization that develops parliaments with and for stateless states, autonomist groups, and blacklisted political organizations. The first edition of the New World Summit hosted four political and three juridical representatives of organizations placed on so-called international designated lists of terrorist organizations.

Situated in the Sophiensaele Theater – where Rosa Luxembourg once held her speeches – the visual design of the parliament connects the performative history of politics with that of the theater. Its circular space creates an egalitarian assembly where speakers and audience are seated amongst one another. Flags of organizations placed on designated lists of terrorist organizations are placed all around the parliament, organized not by geography or political organization, but by color: creating a color prism that formed the horizon of this alternative political space.

During the first day, entitled “Reflec­tions on the Closed Society,” the political and juridical representatives spoke about the histories of organizations they represented, their political goals, and their confrontation with the “limits” of democracy by being classified as “terrorist.” During the second day, entitled “Proposals for the Open Society,” the representatives were asked about their proposals for political reforms or overthrow of the political systems currently making use of terrorist lists before being questioned during the rest of the day by the audience on their political projects and its consequences.

Contributions by Moussa Ag Assarid (National Liberation Movement of Azawad); Nancy Hollander (legal representative of Holy Land Foundation); Louis Jalandoni (National Democratic Front of the Philippines); Victor Koppe (legal representative of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam); Jon Andoni Lekue (Baque Independence Movement); Linda Moreno (legal representative of Sami Al-Arian) Fadile Yildirim (Kurdish Women's Movement); moderation by Robert Kluijver (diplomat).