Claudia Baumgart-Ochse, Head of the Transnational Politics Research Department, gave a lecture on the current situation in the Middle East and possible ways out of the violence in the context of the International Weeks against Racism in Worms to around 200 pupils from various year levels.
In her lecture “Impossible peace? Peace Initiatives in the Middle East Conflict”, she shed light on the background to the conflict and traced its development up to the current stage of escalation following the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Dr. Dr. Philipp Gisbertz-Astolfi (University of Göttingen) was also represented on the podium in the Audimax of Worms University of Applied Sciences. He introduced the ethical and moral dimension of wars in general and the Middle East conflict in particular. The subsequent discussion offered the opportunity for a comprehensive exchange, which once again underlined the complexity of the topic.
The event was organized by Savo Beoles, Commissioner for Migration, Integration and Refugee Coordination of the City of Worms, as part of the International Weeks against Racism 2025. The weeks of solidarity with opponents and victims of racism take place every year around March 21, the International Day against Racism, in cities and municipalities around the world.