Puigdemont - 'Rebellion' Charges Dropped

BERLIN - Ex-Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has arrived in Berlin following his release from Neumünster prison on Thursday. German courts ruled that the former leader, who had been facing charges of ‘rebellion’, would not be extradited to Spain. The district court in Schleswig declared that since ‘rebellion’ has no equivalent in German law books, handover legitimised by such an accusation would be unconstitutional. However, proceedings to decide whether to extradite him on grounds of corruption would continue and his bail has been set at €75,000. While Puigdemont has avoided extradition, and for the time being at least is free, many other Catalan politicians remain behind bars with their futures uncertain. 

As constitutional expert Wolfgang Danspeckgruber has surmised of self determination: "No other concept is as powerful, visceral, emotional, unruly, and effective in creating aspiration and hope". Its utterance, and combination of such combustible elements, has often produced bloodshed. As is well publicised, conflict is anathema to Cinema for Peace, its avoidance one of our founding aims.  For decades now we have submitted that dialogue and diplomacy must take precedence over disrespect and dogmatism - facing each other across the negotiation table is always preferable to across the battlefield.

And yet, diplomacy and negotiation also have their end-points. Compromise cannot always be struck, and sometimes protest is left as the only remaining recourse. In these instances, non-violence MUST be adopted. Not only morally superior, it is also supremely effective, and has a successful blueprint to hand as designed by two of the 20th century’s most heralded activists: Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. It is in homage their philosophy that the Riahi brothers made their film ‘Everyday Rebellion’, a documentary showcasing modern and creative forms of non-violent protest and civil disobedience - the film’s energy intoxicating. Self-determination movements from across the world – watch, and take note.