Three hands holding strings. A heart is in the center. The world map is in the background. ©Goethe-Institut / Ruya; Sara Amin

Diaspora and Exile

Migration is as old as humanity itself. People leave their home countries for a variety of reasons, from war and persecution to the search for opportunity. Some settle in their new environments, while others stay only as long as necessary. What is the current situation of the various diaspora and exile communities, some second- and even third-generation, from and within the MENA region? What are their stories? What challenges, but also what successes, have they experienced? With testimonies from Sudan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Syria, as well as the Palestinian, Assyrian, and Tuareg communities.
A woman holds a megaphone from which rain and wind turbines emerge. © Goethe-Institut. Design: Lena Bedareva.

Green stories from the MENA region

The impacts of climate change are strongly felt across the MENA region. Sustainability and environmental protection are gaining increasing significance. At the same time, the region has a rich oral tradition. Stories have the ability to make information about sustainability accessible and impactful. What kinds of green stories do people from different countries share? How can we inspire people for sustainability through storytelling? And how can “Hakawati,” the traditional storytellers, help us with that?
Ramadan Special Edition ©Nadia Mabrouk, Wilaya d'Alger, Shivan Ibrahim, Mohamed Solaimane

Ramadan Special

Ramadan is a special month. It's a time of prayer and fasting, but also a chance of reflection and for coming together as a community. RUYA brings you special Ramadan perspectives and moments from the region in this special edition. 
Berlinale Blogger*innen 2025 © Tobias Schrank

The 75th Berlinale film festival

We present the 75th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival. A good reason to celebrate! The Berlinale presents films from all over the world in its usual variety, attracting countless film fans to the German capital. In the cinema audience: our Berlinale bloggers. Look forward with us to their texts!
A collage of portrait photos Photos: Kailuppke, J. M. Fierro, G. Mayer, I. Ali, A. Cavotti, P. Munene, M. Herrmann, H. Alashepy, S. Guetari, R. Mozahami

Harbour

Their seas may be the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean or the Atlantic, yet they are united by a shared love of their home harbours. Individuals from nine countries share stories that reveal what binds them to their home harbours. Storms, lugworms, colourful cargo containers and banana boats – stories of homecoming and departure from Egypt, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Yemen, Canada, Kenya, Colombia and Libya. A collaborative production of the cultural magazines ”Gegenüber“, ” Humboldt“, ”RUYA“ and ”Zeitgeister“. Happy reading!
Cultural heritage manifests itself in many different aspects: architecture, food, art, music, literature and much more. ©Goethe-Institut Cairo/ RUYA, Reem Hasebou

Cultural Heritage

The protection of cultural heritage is a central component of cultural policy efforts in many countries. In this context, preservation, restoration, communication and reflection of the historical dimensions are important components of dealing with cultural heritage. How do cultural actors in the region reflect this? What discourses and initiatives are there for the preservation of cultural heritage?
A collage of various images from the El Asfaar project

El Asfaar

El Asfaar collects 12 insightful reports from the lives of people in North Africa and the Middle East. More...

Teaserbild Überleben mit Kunst ©The image was created with AI.

Surviving with Art

Art is often poorly paid and artists have to fight for funding for their projects and their own survival. How do artists in the region manage? What new ideas and concepts are there?
Eine Illustration von vier Menschen © Tobias Schrank / Goethe-Institut

Berlinale Bloggers 2024

“We are particularly proud of this year’s selection which achieves the best possible balance between auteurs we cherish and admire and powerful new voices in the independent cinema landscape,“ says Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director. Germany's largest film festival will take place in Berlin from 15 to 25 February 2024. Our bloggers from around the world will be reporting on new films and the people behind them, awards ceremonies and more. Read along!
An illustration of an industrially dystopic world AI generated image

Sustainable production for a future worth living

Living sustainably and consuming in an environmentally friendly way: That's what more and more people want. But how can production be truly sustainable and what are the conditions for this? What initiatives are there in the MENA region and how do they try to implement sustainability, including from social and ethical aspects, in their production processes? And why is that so important?
Fokus: COP27 © Canva

Focus: COP

On the occasion of COP 28 in Dubai, climate change and environmental issues such as water pollution, overfishing and deforestation and their impact on the MENA region are the special focus of RUYA for the month of November and December. How is climate change experienced in the region? And what are local initiatives to address this challenge? Find out more here.
 
ss ©Canva/Privat

Future Prospects?!

Young people in the MENA region are struggling to find their footing in life. Unemployment rates are high, opportunities are scarce, inflation is rising, economies are crumbling, different types of crises determine everyday life. How does the young generation cope with it? And how do they see the future? 
Berlinale 2023 © Tobias Schrank / Goethe-Institut

Berlinale 2023

A constantly evolving Festival: This is how the 73rd Berlinale, which runs from 16 to 26 February 2023, describes itself. Our bloggers from eight countries are also curiously moving back and forth between the film festival's cinemas – and presenting their highlights from a selection of more than 400 films.
Tausende Menschen stehen zusammen und bilden drei große Figuren, die sich an den Händen fassen. © Canva

Solidarity

What is solidarity? How does it manifests itself? And why is solidarity so important? Solidarity, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is the support of one person or group by another because they share feelings, opinions or goals. In this issue, our authors show a wide range of lived solidarity in the various countries of the region.
 
Image of Planet Earth as Coronavirus ©Miroslava Chrienova via Pixabay

Special Edition: Coronavirus

The current corona pandemic has a strong impact on our lives. “Ruya” takes a closer look on how the society in Middle East and North Africa is affected and also gives voice to people who have useful advice and insights for others.
Women, children and men in a dry area filling up their bottles from a well. ©Ilham Al-Talbi

Water is Life

Water is one of the most important elements of our planet. As a source of life, it is also one of the most threatened commons by the way we use it, pollution and climate change. But how can water resources and coasts be protected and preserved?
Protest in Tunis in spring 2012 against the conservative-Islamic Ennahda party ©Aya Chebbi

Women's Movements

Only if women are given the same rights, opportunities, and respect as men, can societies truly flourish and reach their full potential. The edition “Women’s Movements” is about women who are devoted to change in their respective society and take an active role in it. 
Three photos. The left depecting a mother looking at her young son. The photo in the middle showing a man looking at an empty city square at night. The photo on the right showing a woman with brown hair looking at the camera. ©Goethe-Institut/Perspectives; GI/Leila Saadna; private

Migration

Is migration good or bad, how can and should it be dealt with? Those and other questions were subject to sometimes heated discussions between politicians, economists, media representatives, “experts,” as well as ordinary people and neighbours. However, important voices more often than not failed to be heard: those of migrants and persons with migrant background themselves.
Protest in Beirut ©Antoine Abou-Diwan

Generational Conflict

The conflict between young and old, which was particularly pronounced during the Arab Spring, is ongoing and erupts time and again. But how does it differ from one Arabic country to the other, or what distinguishes it in the Arabic diaspora in Germany? And what visions of the future do the young generations hold?