15. Jun 2018

Gdansk welcomes poet Sari Al Hassanat

Sari al-Hassanat. Photo by Dominik Paszliński/gdansk.pl. photo. — Sari al-Hassanat. Photo by Dominik Paszliński/gdansk.pl

Palestinian poet and civil rights’ activist Sari Al Hassanat is welcomed as first ICORN writer in residence in Gdansk.

Sari Al Hassanat is a young poet and civil rights activist from Palestine. He arrived in Gdansk in the beginning of May 2018 as Gdansk’s first ICORN resident, where he looks forward to continuing his writing in peace and freedom.

Al Hassanat is from Jabalia, the largest of the many refugee camps on the Gaza Strip, currently ruled by Hamas. Most young people grow up in poverty and unemployment and lack prospects for the future.

Directly affected by the unstable political situation in Gaza, Al Hassanat started writing and publishing poems and articles, tackling sensitive issues such as political corruption, human rights and terrorism. He merged his poetical talent with his civil rights activism, writing poems about peace for children, which have been published by Iraqi, Swedish Based Al Noor Centre for Culture and Media.

In his activism, Al Hassanat has focused on aspects such as the rights of children, the right for education, as well as unemployment amongst the youth in Gaza.Al Hassanat has worked as a volunteer with the Peace and Friendship International Organization, the Al-Najada Charity for Palestinian Children, as well as the Youth Culture Forum Association (YCFA).

Gdansk

It is the Gunter Grass Gallery of the Gdansk City Gallery that is the official host of the ICORN programme in Gdansk. Sari Al Hassanat is the first ICORN writer in residence in Gdansk.

Gdansk joined ICORN at an official ceremony during the Solidarity of Arts festival 30 August 2017. Representatives of the Gdansk City Council and Gdansk City Gallery informed the public of the accession of Gdansk into the ICORN network at a press conference held at the Gunter Grass Gallery in Gdańsk. The official signing of the membership agreement took place in the presence of Mayor Paweł Adamowicz at the Solidarity of Arts Festival, in the winter garden of the European Solidarity Centre.