The Alternative Human Rights Expo II, held on November 15, 2023, presented a diverse and impactful program featuring artists, activists, and human rights defenders from various regions. The event began with the opening music, a video of “Moussa” by the Arfoud brothers and sisters, a musical group of Sahrawis. Alaa Al-Siddiq, an Emirati activist, contributed art to the exposition, setting the tone for the day.

The welcoming remarks were delivered by co-hosts Weaam Youssef from the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Jenan Al-Marzooqi, an exiled Emirati woman human rights defender, and Brian Dooley from Human Rights First. The event featured a video introduction by Michel Forst, the Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention. The program covered human rights issues in various countries, including the UAE, Egypt, Palestine, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and International Solidarity. The lineup included presentations, readings, and artistic expressions, such as poetry readings by Ahmed Mansoor and Fatemeh Ekhtesari, graffiti of journalist Shireen AbuAkleh, and a tribute to artist Heba Zagout. The expo concluded with a closing musical performance, a song by Elsa Saade, a Lebanese musician, based on a poem by Mahmoud Darwish. Overall, the Alternative Human Rights Expo II provided a platform for raising awareness and promoting solidarity in the face of human rights challenges globally.

https://www.alternativehrexpo.org/