Kreisky Forum Talks

We are not our regimes.
De-escalation, Peace and Freedom in the Middle East: Iranian and Israeli Voices.
 
Archenemies. This is the term commonly used to describe the relationship between Israel and Iran. An enmity that will ultimately lead to war, as it did in June 2025.

Was war between these two states something that had to happen?

No, said a group of Iranian and Israeli scholars and artists, that were worrying together since November 2024 about the hostile relationship of their respective countries.

Three days after the breakout of the 12-day-war they published a statement in Hebrew, Farsi and English, urging for a ceasefire and diplomacy. And they stated: “We refuse to accept the inevitability of violent conflict as the only way forward between our nations, Israel and Iran, or their positioning as eternal arch-enemies.” Within a few days over 2400 people signed the open letter, from within Iran and Israel, along with many intellectuals from the Iranian diaspora.

This represents a significant milestone in Israeli–Iranian relations, as it is the first time that intellectuals, artists, academics, filmmakers, and human rights activists have attempted to establish dialogue between two nations whose populations have been pitted against each other for decades.

What are the chances and the challenges of this ambitious project? Human rights lawyer Mehrangiz Kar, editor of the Palestine – Israel Journal Susie Becher, publisher Hillel Schenker, political scientist Mehrzad Boroujerdi and the two historians Lior Sternfeld and Touraj Atabaki will join journalist Solmaz Khorsand February 12 on a conversation about crossing a supposedly insurmountable ditch.

Touraj Atabaki, Emeritus Professor by special appointment of Social History of the Middle East and Central Asia
Susie Becher, Communications Director of the Policy Working Group and Managing Editor of the Palestine – Israel Journal
Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Vice Provost and Dean of College of Arts, Sciences, and Education at Missouri University of Science and Technology
Mehrangiz Kar, Iranian human rights lawyer and an internationally recognized writer
Hillel Schenker, Israeli journalist and co-editor of the Palestine-Israel Journal
Lior Sternfeld, Professor of history and Jewish Studies and Social Historian of the modern Middle East

Moderator:
Solmaz Khorsand, independent journalist, podcaster, and award-winning author focusing on socio-political issues

COURAGE! PART 4

Tessa Szyszkowitz in conversation with Leonid Volkov

HOW TO FIGHT AGAINST PUTIN AND HIS WAR FROM EXILE

After Alexej Navalny’s death in a Russian prison camp in 2024 his Anti Corruption Foundation continues its work against dictatorship from outside the country.                
 
Their political lives are closely intertwined: Leonid Volkov was the chief of staff to the leader of the Russian opposition Alexej Navalny. When Navalny died in February 2024 his wife Yulia took over his role to speak up against Putin’s dictatorship. Her right hand man, again, is Leonid Volkov, who already managed Navalny’s political campaigns at the beginning of the 2010s.
Almost four years after the war against Ukraine started Volkov will explain how the Anti-Corruption Foundation continues to influence the Russian public from abroad. How do you conduct opinion polls about Putin’s popularity or the support for his war without endangering the Russian respondents? And: How many Russians really support Putin? Spoiler: 10 Percent. 30 Percent are actively against him and the vast majority watches silently until this regime falls. Leonid Volkov will explain the Russian mindset, the scenario for a possible end of Putin’s war and his regime.

Leonid Volkov is the political director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the leading organisation of Russian anti-Putin and anti-war resistance movement, founded by the late Alexei Navalny. Volkov also serves as chief of staff for Yulia Navalnaya, who took over the leadership after her husband was murdered by Vladimir Putin. He was campaign manager and chief of staff for Navalny’s Moscow mayoral campaign of 2013 and presidential campaign of 2018. Since 2019 he has to reside outside of Russia. There are 11 politically motivated criminal cases against him initiated by Putin’s regime; he’s sentenced to 18 years behind bar in absentia.

Tessa Szyszkowitz, is an award winning Austrian journalist and author living in London. She writes regularly for Falter, Tagesspiegel and NZZ am Sonntag. Her last book so far was “Echte Engländer – Britain and Brexit” (2018). She is a curator at Kreiskyforum and Distinguished Fellow of Rusi, the Royal United Services Institute. She received a FPA Media Award for Best Story of the Year 2025.

In cooperation with friedensinitiative jemen

YEMEN: BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT AND CURRENT PATHS TO PEACE

With Arabic-German translation

The crisis in Yemen is the result of long-standing political tensions, weakened state institutions, and a complex regional environment. Despite numerous international initiatives, the peace process remains fragile and sustainable progress has so far failed to materialize.
On this evening, we would like to explore together how this complex situation came about, which political and social factors are hindering the path to peace, and which Yemeni approaches are opening up new perspectives today.
We cordially invite you to join us in discussing possible future paths for Yemen and to reflect together on how political rapprochement, stability, and an inclusive, civil state can be promoted.
 
Our guests will provide a variety of insights from the worlds of politics, culture, and peace work:

Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi, Foreign Minister of Yemen 2001–2014 and 2016. Muscat, Oman (online)
Nooh Al-Jaseri, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the Yemeni Peace Initiative. Salzburg
Mohammed Al-Salahi, Professor of Oriental Languages and Culture at the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales), Paris
Adel Al-Shugaa, Professor of Political Science at the University of Sanaa, Yemen. Spain
Nadia Al-Naggar, Executive Director of German Yemen Centre for peace and Development e.V., Berlin
Moderation: Basheer Al-Tashi, Long-standing involvement in the Yemeni community and social organizations, works in quality management in civilian life. Munich

Robert Misik und Helmut Lethen

STOISCHE GANGARTEN

Was ist vom wirkmächtigen, bis in die Antike zurückreichenden Ideal einer stoischen Lebensführung heute noch geblieben? Ist in Zeiten zunehmender Extreme und Katastrophen ein ausgewogenes, auf Vermittlung bedachtes Leben überhaupt möglich, oder bleibt uns nur, den Verlust der Gelassenheit zu verzeichnen, den Absturz in die Unversöhnlichkeit, in gleichgültige, lähmende Vereinzelung?

In einer faszinierenden Tour de Force beschreibt Helmut Lethen die Suche nach Möglichkeiten der Gelassenheit, von der Kältewelt des Barock bis zu den Kriegen der Gegenwart, zeigt dabei aber auch, wie stoische Prinzipien Schiffbruch erlitten haben und die Parole «Du musst dein Leben führen!» heute kaum mehr eine Chance hat. Die Forderung nach «Wehrtüchtigkeit» trifft auf Körper, die dazu nicht taugen. Die Spannung von Empathie und sachlicher Distanzierung überfordert die Menschen schon vor dem Fernseher. Wie ist eine Lebenspraxis des Ausgleichs heute möglich?
Immer wieder kehrt Helmut Lethen dabei zu eigenen Erfahrungen und Beobachtungen unserer Gegenwart zurück – was diesen eindringlichen, gedankenfunkelnden Essay nicht zuletzt zu einem sehr persönlichen Lebensbuch macht.
 
Helmut Lethen, geboren 1939, lehrte von 1977 bis 1996 an der Universität Utrecht, anschließend übernahm er den Lehrstuhl für Neueste Deutsche Literatur in Rostock. Von 2007 bis 2016 leitete er das Internationale Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften in Wien. Sein Buch «Verhaltenslehren der Kälte» (1994) gilt als Standardwerk, «Der Schatten des Fotografen» (2014) wurde mit dem Preis der Leipziger Buchmesse ausgezeichnet. Zuletzt erschienen die vielbeachtete Autobiographie «Denn für dieses Leben ist der Mensch nicht schlau genug» (2020) und «Der Sommer des Großinquisitors. Über die Faszination des Bösen» (2022).
 
Moderation:
Robert Misik, Autor und Journalist

Zum 115. Geburtstag von Bruno Kreisky/ Honoring the 115th Birthday of Bruno Kreisky
Der Mut zum Unvollendeten/ The Courage to Embrace the Unfinished

Corinna Milborn in conversation with Mohammad Anwar Esmat Sadat, Mkhaimar Abusada, Wolfgang Petritsch and Tobias Lang
BRUNO KREISKY AND THE MIDDLE EASTBUILDING DIPLOMACY AND RECONSTRUCTING PEACE

Peace and security in the Middle East, that was Bruno Kreisky’s conviction in the light of the challenges of the 1960s and 1970s, could not be reached without a Two-State-Solution, the negotiation between and coexistence of the State of Israel and Palestine. After decades of efforts to build relations, many chances and opportunities for such a solution have been missed or sabotaged on various sides.  We take the opportunity to look into the past as well as into the future!
In a first part, we look at Kreisky’s relations with Egypt, a crucialplayer when it comes to the Middle East’s peace and security arrangements. Due to Kreisky’s close relationship and friendship with Mohammad Anwar SADAT (1918-1981), he supported him on his path to the Camp David Agreement. Here, we explore “Sadat’s Austrian road to Jerusalem” and what strategic interests Austria and Egypt do also share today in the Middle East. In a second part, the panel will look into Gaza and the Middle East after October 7. Despite a “Trump Deal Peace Plan”, perspectives for peace seem unclear. The challenges for overcoming trauma and re-building trust, a two-state solution and reconstruction are enormous. What role could Austria play in this multilevel re-construction process?

Opening:
Andreas Babler, Head of the Social Democratic Party of Austria
Panelists:
Mohammad Anwar Esmat Sadat: Leader of the Reform and Development Party in Egypt and a founding member of the Arab Council for Regional Integration, nephew of former Egyptian President M. Anwar Sadat
Mkhaimar Abusada, Associate Professor for Political Science, Al-Azhar University Gaza, expert on Palestinian political development, Palestinian Youth, peace-education
Wolfgang Petritsch, Ambassador, former political advisor to Bruno Kreisky, President of the Austrian Institute for International Politics, President of the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation; board member of the Bruno Kreisky Forum.
Tobias Lang, Director of the Austrian Centre for Peace, expert on Bruno Kreisky’s relations to the Middle East
Moderator:
Corinna Milborn, journalist and author, Head of News at ProSieben, Sat1, PULS 4. Hosts political TV debates