Between June and September 2016, Asfar organised 7 Erasmus+ funded youth exchanges, including to Turkey, Israel, Macedonia, Serbia, Azerbaijan and Bulgaria, as part of Erasmus+ Evropa2Evraziis; Europe, Gallipoli and the Arab Revolt and S4C. Erasmus+ is an EU funded transnational learning scheme providing a wide range of educational opportunities for young people, including: Youth Exchanges; … Continued
I travelled to Kazakhstan in September and discovered a modern capital city where almost every building has been designed by world renowned architects – particularly Foster and Partners – who are arguably experimenting with designs in the steppe’s new metropolis. I gazed at the yurt-shaped shopping centre, glass pyramid, colour changing mosque, Greco-Roman opera house, and … Continued
As Remembrance Day falls during this issues’ coverage, and red poppies begin to adorn our lapels in preparation for the nationwide sombre ceremonies of remembrance on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, I think it is important to honour the ultimate sacrifice that Arabs made to defend and protect their … Continued
It’s been the largest social movement in Jordan since the Arab Spring, with thousands of Jordanians taking to the streets and campaigning against the contentious Israel-Jordan gas deal. Since the beginning of October, central Amman, Jordan, has been flooded with demonstrators following Friday prayer at the Grand Husseini mosque, as chants of “no to gas … Continued
Traditionally associated with the original nomadic peoples of Arabia, for many the Bedouins epitomise all that it means to be a “true Arab”. The simple tents mirroring the silhouettes of sand dunes, strung in shades of coffee and terracotta and rust. Men with their heads wrapped lavishly in cloth, riding on horseback against the raging … Continued
Boston-born Seattle resident Sarah Glidden is celebrating the release of Rolling Blackouts, her most recent work in the bourgeoning field of cartoon journalism. The 2008 Ignatz Award winner for “Best New Talent”, Glidden travelled through Turkey, Iraq, and Syria with a pair of journalists and captured poignant, sometimes painful, moments with residents of these pivotal … Continued
Check out Asfar’s latest video about Erasmus+ Europe, Gallipoli and the Arab Revolt programme, when we hosted in London earlier this year.
Rachael: My knowledge of Georgia was extremely limited before this year. I didn’t know its capital was Tbilisi. I didn’t know their currency was the Lari. I didn’t know that Georgian is its own language with a unique alphabet. In fact, I didn’t even know where Georgia was. Lacking these basic facts, it … Continued
The United States currently finds itself embroiled in one of the most ugly and derogatory campaigns in recent political history, and one again finds the Middle East at the centre of the most inflammatory rhetoric, particularly a fear of Islam. Tweets about political opponents’ wives, threats of massive border walls, and the dismantling of NATO … Continued
In the camps noontime noises rise out of collapsing tents and hover around swollen piles of waste. From a distance one can hear the hum of a thousand-man line, tight like a tightrope, and the grind of the trucks as they shift, shift, shift behind tall white sheets of fencing and barbed wire. Laughter cracks … Continued
Since our last update, Asfar has delivered several transnational activities, and by June, this hit 5! January 2016 In January, as part of the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership programme: Micro-Enterprise and Social Action international Programme, Asfar and partners: Cukurova Universite and NAMCB sent our Youth Workers to Adana, Turkey to participate in a youth … Continued
5th March-10th May 2016 The Kufi Exhibition held at the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, 5th March to 10th May 2016, included a wide range of Arabic, Maghribi and Osmanlica (Ottoman Turkish) Kufi Qu’ranic manuscripts and examples of calligraphy with a particular focus on the how Andalusian Islamic culture influence the wider Islamic world. … Continued
Welcome to Asfar’s December 2015 e-journal edition. Understandably, the focus of this edition falls largely on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria. Regular contributor Rich Quinlan looks at the debate over the refugee crisis in Europe and North America, while Jesse Delbridge takes us into the world of big data, explaining how it is being … Continued
Check out Erasmus+ Dynamo YE e-Film now online!
Despite the doubts of authorship, the Aeschylean tragedy remains the poetic source to engage in telling stories about the Caucasus. According to Ancient Greek myths, Prometheus was a Titan who defied the gods and gave fire to humanity, acts for which he was condemned by Zeus to be chained to a rock in the Caucasus … Continued
Published by AsfarEurope in London, UK - ISSN 2055-7957 (Online)