On June 25, 2025, we will be playing with our cello & guitar duo at this year's Romanesque Summer in Cologne. The music festival in the Romanesque churches of Cologne is taking place this year under the title “Peace”. Our program in St. Cäcilien / Museum Schnütgen will musically deal with the eternal dream of peace. Millions of people are dreaming of this peace right now. People who have to suffer the cruellest battles, torture, hunger, flight and deprivation. The worst scenes are certainly in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan and Congo. But the sad list is much longer and so many more theaters of war have long since left our field of attention.
For months now, we personally have been haunted by the images from the Gaza Strip. The cruelty with which war is waged there and hunger is used as a weapon is merciless and, according to official figures from the UN relief organization UNRWA, has currently claimed 55,637 Palestinian lives and injured 129,880 Palestinians. These include tens of thousands of children, women and young people who had a life ahead of them. Aid deliveries by UNRWA have been blocked by the Israeli government for months. The two million people there are suffering from an unimaginable level of thirst, hunger, lack of medical care, violence and displacement.
Here is the official report of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine on the current situation. Objective with all the documented facts:
The war in the Middle East is escalating more and more and with the attacks on Iran, the full media attention is now focused on this other theater of war. But the hunger and dying in Gaza continue.
Many musicians are doing a fantastic job of drawing more attention to Gaza. They are calling for humanity, an end to violence, freedom and peace for all peoples and nations in the Middle East. All people, regardless of whether they are Israeli, Palestinian, Syrian, Iranian, Kurdish ... everyone is entitled to an equal, peaceful and free life! History teaches us that lasting peace has never been established by force of arms. Only those who recognize each other as human beings with equal rights and equal dignity, who reach out to each other and walk the long road to reconciliation, will achieve peace!
With flash mobs in Berlin and Aachen, music is currently being played on the streets for this humanity. The current campaigns can be found quickly on Facebook or Instagram under the keyword “Music for Humanity”.
In Cologne, a “Marching Concert” takes place every Friday from 18:30, a “March for Liberation”. It starts at Hans-Böcḱler-Platz and ends at Neptunplatz or Bürgerzentrum Ehrenfeld. The peace demonstration is organized by the Cologne Artists for Ceasefire.
Among those behind the flash mobs is Michael Barenboim, concertmaster of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. He is committed to the peaceful coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians.
You can find many good and important contributions from him on his website:
https://www.michaelbarenboim.com/public-speaking/
The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra: young Israeli and Arab musicians have been playing together here for over 25 years. Founded by Daniel Barneboim and Edward W. Said, this orchestra is a shining example of peaceful coexistence with the help of music:
https://west-eastern-divan.org/
Quick opinions without clear background knowledge, manipulated or simply biased news, state propaganda and mutual recriminations between the warring parties mean that the real circumstances are almost completely blurred and people are unaware of what is actually happening on the ground and which interests, people and powers are driving these wars. In such a situation, factual, detailed and well-researched articles are of the utmost importance. We list some of the articles here and invite you to take the time to read them, question them, be critical and form your own opinion:
An important interview with Daniel Gerlach, Middle East expert and editor of the Middle East specialist magazine “zenith” can be read on the ZDF website:
https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/ausland/gaza-israel-nahost-gerlach-100.html
The specialist magazine “zenith” offers many detailed and very seriously researched articles on the situation in Gaza and the Middle East and the entire Arab world:
https://magazin.zenith.me/de
Le Monde diplomatique" has also compiled a good collection of background information in its latest issue - also in German:
Gaza - the long failure of the West
https://monde-diplomatique.de/artikel/!6089754
We would also like to recommend the “jung & naiv” podcasts. They feature in-depth discussions with important people from politics, science, culture and society. With a clarity and depth that makes it clear how interlinked the events in this world are. And how only a fundamental change of direction can lead to a fair world for all people.
https://www.jungundnaiv.de/
And finally, to donate and support:
Medico International, the human rights organization founded in 1968 and based in Frankfurt, is working to provide emergency aid in Gaza, despite all the difficulties and obstacles:
https://www.medico.de/projekte/israelpalaestina
In Israel, the NGO “Standing Together” is doing all it can to promote peaceful coexistence. For an end to the war and for understanding and peace between Israelis and Palestinians:
https://www.standing-together.org/en/about-en
