The Ghassan Kanafani Resistance Arts Scholarship aims to provide a space to re-engage the Palestinian narrative and explore the complexity of our identity in diaspora, and how our existence relates and connects to other marginalized communities in this country and beyond. This scholarship is open to all Palestinian youth in the United States and Canada between the ages of 18 and 25. No such scholarships exist for Palestinian youth in North America, which is why we want to fill in this gap and provide support for our own community. We have successfully operated the scholarship over the past five years and are excited to announce our sixth annual cycle, which is now accepting submissions and will close July 14th!
In the past, we have honored Ghassan Kanafani’s legacy by creating a space in which to tell stories of resistance, in a form that he and his compatriots innovatively developed to reflect changing realities. We want to honor that aspect of his legacy this year by highlighting new forms of resistance, and new forms of storytelling. Thus, the theme we have adopted this year is: Tomorrow: Futures of Resistance.
Since the beginning of May, we have experienced a collated response across historic Palestine and the diaspora that has restructured the realm of possibility; a spark of our collective hopes and dreams coming to realization as we live, die, and sacrifice for liberation. As the Unity Intifada and resistance across Palestine takes center stage, we are calling on the power of envisioning the futures of resistance as we resist in real time. What does resistance look like tomorrow, the next day and the next day after that? This moment has changed our trajectory as Palestinians and we all have our part in continuing to build it. As we open up this platform for young Palestinian creatives, we ask you all: what is next, what is now? While we have seen many prompts circulate around the envisioning of a Free Palestine we hold that our resistance is the mode that will lead us there; it is the future of resistance that is necessary to build a path to return, self-determination, and liberation.
The announcement above is shared directly from the scholarship committee, and is not affiliated with the Middle East Studies Program or UW-Madison.