Alliance: Strategies of Resistance

This discussion will see members of the SHIFT photography network speak with Zeran Osman about the role of alliances, networks, and solidarity-based coalitions and explore how they can operate as sites of exchange, resistance, and mutual empowerment. Which strategies help in resisting the increasing pressure exerted by the political right and collectively organising effective countermeasures? How can solidarity-based alliances be reinforced to ensure they endure? The discussion will be moderated by Siri Keil. 

Zeran Osman is active in both cultural and political spheres, with her efforts focused on post-migrant movements, forms of resistance, and cultures of remembrance in the context of racism and right-wing violence in Germany. She works as an educational consultant and event moderator, fosters networks between civil society initiatives, and strengthens marginalised voices. She was heavily involved in the “Open Process” project, which sought to facilitate a critical engagement with the history and legacy of the National Socialist Underground (NSU). She lives and works in Chemnitz.  

SHIFT is a network of nine photographers who use their work to critically engage with the issue of Germany’s rightward shift. It was founded in early 2025 to pool their resources and combine their strengths in order to contribute to democratic discourse through the medium of photography. SHIFT seeks to make social realities visible, raise awareness, and facilitate a critical, solution-oriented engagement with the increasing power wielded by right-wing forces. Photographers: Felix Adler, Rosa Burczyk, Jonathan Funk, Rafael Heygster, Paula Markert, Fabian Ritter, Julius Schien, Thomas Victor, and Stella Weiß. 

Siri Keil works as a cultural journalist and writer for radio and as a voice-over artist for audio and film productions. She also moderates events across a variety of formats and develops concepts to diversify and further develop cultures of remembrance in a post-migrant social context. She is a member of Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen e. V. (NdM) and lives in Hamburg.